Six U-M faculty members have been recognized for their outstanding teaching and service with one of the university’s most prestigious honors: the Distinguished University Professorship.
The Board of Regents approved the appointments on Oct. 16 for Juan R. Cole, Christian Davenport, Kathryn M. Dominguez, John Jonides, Kenneth M. Langa and Anna G. Stefanopoulou. The appointments began Sept. 1, 2025, and will last throughout the recipient’s period of active service at the university and may be retained after retirement.
Each professorship bears a name determined by the appointed professor in consultation with their dean. Newly appointed Distinguished University Professors are invited to give an inaugural lecture.
The Board of Regents established the Distinguished University Professorship in 1947 to recognize senior faculty members with exceptional scholarly or creative achievements, national and international reputations for academic excellence and superior records of teaching, mentoring and service.
Juan R. Cole
Richard P. Mitchell Distinguished University Professor of History
Cole is also the Richard P. Mitchell Collegiate Professor of History, LSA.
A historian of the Middle East, Cole uses his exceptional linguistic expertise in Urdu, Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Greek and several Western European languages to analyze historical materials. He has 21 published books, more than 110 chapters and articles, and a blog, “Informed Comment,” which brings historical insight to millions.
He has also directed multiple international studies centers at U-M and mentored generations of graduate students across disciplines. He has been recognized with lectureships and awards at Qatar’s national university, Northwestern University, Lingnan University in Hong Kong, the American University of Cairo, and the Library of Congress.
In their recommendation letter, Laurie McCauley, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, and Michael Solomon, Rackham Graduate School dean and vice provost for academic affairs, wrote that Cole’s work “responds to the pressures and politics of our times, lending humanity, depth, and nuance to public understandings of contemporary affairs.”
Christian Davenport
Charles Tilly Distinguished University Professor of Political Science
Davenport is also the Mary Ann and Charles R. Walgreen Jr. Professor for the Study of Human Understanding, and professor of political science, LSA; professor of public policy, Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy; and faculty associate, Center for Political Studies, Institute for Social Research.
Since joining U-M in 2012, Davenport has produced an expansive body of research examining the dynamics of state power, dissent, and the interplay between institutions and collective action. His scholarship spans topics including genocide, protest policing, racialized repression and the life cycles of government coercion.
His work has been cited 12,000 times, he has published five influential books, and he received the 2020 Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza Prize for Democracy from the International Women’s Network for Democracy and Peace.
“Professor Davenport’s work is characterized by a blend of rigor and accessibility, contributing significantly both to scholarly discourse and policymaking, garnering global recognition,” wrote McCauley and Solomon.
Kathryn M. Dominguez
Marina von Neumann Whitman Distinguished University Professor of Public Policy
Dominguez is also the associate dean for academic affairs, and professor of public policy, Gerald R Ford School of Public Policy; and professor of economics, LSA.
An internationally recognized economist, Dominguez’s ideas and scholarship have shaped U.S. and international monetary policy. She joined U-M in 1997 and is a longtime research associate of the National Bureau of Economic Research. In 2015, President Barack Obama nominated Dominguez for a seat on the U.S. Federal Reserve Board of Governors. Her service includes roles with the Congressional Budget Office’s Panel of Economic Advisors, the Advisory Scientific Committee of the European Systemic Risk Board, and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York Economic Advisory Panel.
At U-M, she has served twice as both the Ford School’s associate dean for academic affairs and director of the school’s joint doctoral program. She is currently the director of the honors program in economics.
“Professor Dominguez frequently advises national and international bodies that oversee financial systems, providing insights from her own research, reviewing and discussing economic forecasts, and enhancing agency economic analyses,” wrote McCauley and Solomon.
John Jonides
Edward E. Smith Distinguished University Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience
Jonides is also the Edward E. Smith Collegiate Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, and professor of psychology, LSA; and acting co-director, Magnetic Resonance Imaging Facility, and professor of radiology, Medical School.
Jonides’s innovations as a cognitive scientist have made U-M a global leader in the study of human cognition. Joining U-M’s faculty in 1975, he is considered an early pioneer in using brain imaging to reveal the structure of executive functions.
He co-founded U-M’s Functional MRI Laboratory; launched the influential Summer Neuroimaging Training course; and, as associate dean, designed and implemented the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program. He has been recognized with the William James Fellow Award for Lifetime Achievement from the Association for Psychological Science, and the Fred Kavli Award for Distinguished Contributions from the Cognitive Neuroscience Society.
“His research has contributed significantly to the foundations of cognitive neuroscience and to translational research on critical problems in managing executive control with regard to cognitive aging, education, mental health, and modern life in society at large,” wrote McCauley and Solomon.
Kenneth M. Langa
Regula Herzog Distinguished University Professor of Internal Medicine and Survey Research
Langa is also the Cyrus Sturgis Research Professor of Internal Medicine, professor of internal medicine, and research professor, Institute of Gerontology, Medical School; research professor, Survey Research Center, Institute for Social Research; and professor of health management and policy, School of Public Health.
As a scholar, physician, and educator, Langa’s pioneering research has shaped the understanding of aging, cognitive impairment, and dementia. Langa came to U-M in 1994 for an internal medicine internship and residency and joined the faculty in 1999, teaching internal medicine residents while also providing outpatient primary care at the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System.
He has served as the associate director and now co-director of the National Institutes of Health-funded Health and Retirement Study, the largest and most influential study of aging in the U.S. His many honors include election to the National Academy of Medicine and awards for outstanding mentorship.
“Dr. Langa is a global leader in innovative and highly cited research advancing the understanding of the risk factors, prevalence, outcomes, and trends of cognitive impairment and dementia, including identifying significant disparities by race, education, and wealth,” wrote McCauley and Solomon.
Anna Stefanopoulou
Huei Peng Distinguished University Professor of Mechanical Engineering
Stefanopoulou is also the William Clay Ford Professor of Technology, and professor of mechanical engineering, College of Engineering.
Her pioneering application of control and estimation theory to internal combustion engines, batteries, and fuel cells has influenced modern mobility, from cleaner combustion engines to advanced electric vehicles.
She joined U-M’s faculty in 2000, founded the world’s first academic research group in fuel cell and battery control, led breakthrough work that created digital twins of advanced propulsion systems, and developed robust sensing and calibration algorithms critical to electrified powertrains. Her scholarship, patented inventions, and industry collaborations have informed U.S. and international policy, including work with the EPA, the Department of Energy, and the United Nations.
“A hallmark of Professor Stefanopoulou’s work has been bridging the worlds of academia, industry and policy,” wrote McCauley and Solomon. “Her engine breathing models are now ubiquitous in production engines and have resulted in three patents.”
