Endowed Professorship at RIT Named after GW President Granberg

George Washington University President Ellen M. Granberg had a new endowed professorship named in her honor at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), where she served as provost and senior vice president for academic affairs before coming to GW.

The endowment, according to RIT, was crafted to support teaching and research excellence, with a special focus on multidisciplinary work that is both meaningful to, and engaged with, the local community.

The endowed professorship was made possible through support from philanthropist Joyce Pratt and her partner, Jeff Harris, an RIT alumnus and a former chair of the RIT Board of Trustees.

"Establishing the Ellen M. Granberg Endowed Professorship for Multidisciplinary Studiesis the culmination of my 60-year quest to open the doors wide so students can explore and experiment, pursue additional interests, and gain practical skills as they enter the workforce," Pratt said. "Ellen understands the importance of creating an environment that fosters collaboration and fuels innovation. She has helped me frame my thinking and my understanding of the possibilities at RIT, and from this came the idea to establish an endowed professorship in her name to focus on multidisciplinary issues."

The inaugural recipient of the endowed professorship is Irshad Altheimer, a professor in the Department of Criminal Justice and director of the Center for Public Safety at RIT. He was introduced at a ceremony in Rochester on Oct. 10.

Granberg became GW's 19th president in July 2023. She came to GW as an accomplished academic leader who has a record of strengthening teaching and research excellence across disciplines, supporting a diverse and inclusive community of students, faculty and staff, and collaborating with all stakeholders to drive transformative change and increase institutional prominence.

"I'm deeply honored that Joyce Pratt generously gave this endowed professorship in my name," Granberg said at the ceremony. "This professorship embodies our shared belief in the importance of interdisciplinary work to drive innovation, push boundaries and shape the future, and I can think of no one more fitting to hold this position than Dr. Irshad Altheimer. His transformative work in criminal justice exemplifies what happens when we bridge disciplines to address real-world challenges."

A version of this story first appeared on the Rochester Institute of Technology news website.