Hofferberth, Singer receive endowed chairs

Provost Gregory Spaid has announced the appointment of two faculty members to endowed chairs. Chemist John Hofferberth has been named the Harvey F. Lodish Faculty Development Professor in the Natural Sciences, succeeding biologist Robert Mauck. Historian Wendy Singer has been appointed the Roy T. Wortman Distinguished Professor of History, succeeding Reed Browning. Hofferberth assumes his chair on July 1. Singer, who currently holds the NEH Distinguished Teaching Professorship, will assume the Wortman chair when the NEH position changes hands in 2008.

Hofferberth, who specializes in organic and biophysical chemistry, received a prestigious $30,000 start-up award from the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation when he joined the Kenyon faculty in 2005. He regularly involves students in his research, which has significant biomedical applications.

Hofferberth has a B.S. from Miami University (Ohio) and a Ph.D. from Ohio State University. The Lodish chair, established in 2000 with a gift from Harvey Lodish '62 H'82 P'89, and Pamela Lodish P'89, recognizes excellence in teaching, research, and scholarship among junior faculty in the natural sciences.

Singer, who joined Kenyon's faculty in 1988, has frequently directed the College's international studies program. Her research, focusing on Indian elections and rural politics, has been supported by a number of prominent grants. Singer earned her bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees from the University of Virginia.

The history chair was established in 2001 in honor of professor Roy T. Wortman. Wortman himself held the appointment, then called the Distinguished Professorship in History, until his retirement in 2005, after which the chair took on his name. The position was funded in large part by Wortman's former students.