Stuart Kirsch was recently awarded a collegiate professorship by the Board of Regents of the University of Michigan at their meeting on September 21, 2023.
Effective September 1, Professor Kirsch chose to name his collegiate professorship after his former colleague Roy A. Rappaport, who served two terms as chair of the Department of Anthropology over the course of his esteemed career at Michigan (1965-1997). “We had a number of common interests, including research in the Pacific, concerns about the environment, and a shared commitment to engaged scholarship,” Kirsch said.
Chair Kelly Askew wrote in the department’s nomination letter: “We are proud to have Stuart Kirsch as a colleague for his contributions to the discipline of anthropology and our department, and for his leadership in expanding the possibilities of the discipline through his pioneering work as an engaged anthropologist.”
The collegiate professorship is one of the highest faculty honors at the university. It is awarded to those who demonstrate a sustained record of excellence in scholarship, service, and other contributions, and comes with an additional salary stipend and research funding. A special public lecture will be planned in the near future to inaugurate Kirsch’s professorship
