Three NDSU faculty members have been selected to receive prestigious endowed presidential professorships. Charlene Wolf-Hall, assistant dean for the College of Graduate and Interdisciplinary Studies and professor of veterinary and microbiological sciences, received the Jordan A. Engberg Presidential Professorship; Canan Bilen-Green, professor of industrial and manufacturing engineering, received the Dale Hogoboom Presidential Professorship; and Wenfang Sun, associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry, received the Walter F. and Verna Gerhts Presidential Professorship.
Craig Schnell, provost and vice president of academic affairs, said many excellent candidates were nominated. “Nominations come from colleagues, so these professors have earned the admiration of their peers.”
The Engberg and Hogoboom professorships are awarded to faculty at the rank of professor with at least eight years of service to NDSU and a balanced academic record of excellence in teaching, research and service. The Gerhts professorship is for faculty at the associate professor rank with at least five years of service. The awards come with $5,000 stipends to be used for academic purposes.
Eugene Berry, professor of veterinary and microbiological sciences, wrote in his nominating letter that Wolf-Hall’s students are consistently among the best prepared and successful in the veterinary program. “Charlene ensures that her students, both undergrad and graduate students, know how their research fits into the big picture of her research program.”
Wolf-Hall earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in microbiology from South Dakota State University, Brookings, and her doctorate in food science and technology from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln.
Bilen-Green earned bachelor’s degrees in statistics and industrial engineering from Middle East Technical University and Bilkent University, both in Turkey. She earned a master’s degree and doctorate at the University of Wyoming, Laramie.
“She has been instrumental in instilling the guiding principle in us all that in a university environment it is our collective responsibility to improve the conditions for the entire faculty, regardless of their gender, and the enhancement of campus climate contributes to the benefit of all,” wrote Dogan Comez, professor of mathematics, in his nominating letter.
Greg Cook, professor and chair of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, nominated Sun for the Gehrts Professorship, calling her a prolific researcher, excellent educator, outstanding colleague and leader in service.
“To say that Dr. Sun has been a productive researcher is a gross understatement. Since arriving at NDSU, she has amassed a truly impressive publication record,” wrote Cook. “Since 2001 she has published more than 40 peer-reviewed journal articles, half of these published since she was tenured in 2007.”
Sun earned a bachelor’s in chemistry from Wuhan University, China; a doctorate in chemistry from the Institute of Photographic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing; and did postdoctoral work at the University of Alabama, Birmingham.
