Jack W. Thompson, M.D. Distinguished Visiting Professorship

Jack W. Thompson, M.D. Distinguished Visiting Professorship

The Jack W. Thompson, M.D. Distinguished Visiting Professorship, generously supported by a gift from Dr. Thompson, began in 2004. The professorship is to be awarded to a nationally acclaimed scholar or public intellectual in a field of broad interest. Awardees will visit the University of Michigan-Flint for an agreed-upon period of time and engage in activities such as the following:

  • Conduct informal meetings with University students and faculty.
  • Lecture and present to students, faculty, staff, and the community.
  • Offer seminars and colloquia for faculty.
  • Meet in informal sessions with students, faculty, staff and other educational leaders.
  • Conduct master classes for students.

This list is not inclusive and other initiatives are welcome.

Candidates for this Visiting Professorship need not hold a traditional faculty appointment; however, they should be nationally or internationally acclaimed for their professional work. The Provost will appoint a faculty selection committee to determine the successful nominee. Once a selection(s) has been made, it is the nominator’s responsibility to work with the Provost’s Office and visiting professor to help coordinate and plan activities for the benefit of the University and the community.

To submit a nomination, please complete a Nomination Form via InfoReady by Oct. 31 at 5 p.m.

The only supporting documentation needed is a brief biographical sketch and a statement addressing how the candidate could contribute to a field of broad interest. Please contact the nominee to be sure they would be interested in coming to our campus and to get a sense of the remuneration they would need. Normally, the successful nominee is expected to pay for travel costs; the University covers lodging and meals. Recipients typically spend the equivalent of one at least month on campus, which could occur by several visits during the semester or an extended stay.

2021-22 Dr. Diogo Verissimo, PhD
Dr. Verissimo is the Director of Conservation Marketing at the University of Oxford.  He has a unique combination of interests, including marketing and conservation biology – connecting science, humanities, and the global economy in the context of illegal wildlife trade.

2017-18 (Franklin) Story Musgrave
A world-renowned NASA astronaut who has earned seven graduate degrees in the areas of mathematics, computers, chemistry, medicine, physiology, literature, and psychology, and the recipient of 20 honorary doctorates.

2013-14 Robert William Buckingham, DrPH, MA, BA
Professor of Epidemiology and Inaugural Dean in the School of Public Health at the University of Saskatchewan, a world-renowned founder of the hospice movement internationally, and an advocate for global public health in such populations as people with HIV/AIDS.

2012-13 Dr. Nawal El Saadawi, MD, MPH
A medical doctor/psychiatrist and world-renowned multi-genre creative writer, political activist, and advocate for women’s rights.