Barbara Kerr Barbara Kerr, Eudora, Kan.
Williamson Family Professor of Counseling Psychology
Annual Report 2006-07

Faculty: Creative minds

“Professorships are an investment in the innovation, creativity and productivity of the faculty. I’ve experienced a burst of new ideas — and KU’s answer to each of these ideas is a resounding, ‘Yes!’”

— Barbara Kerr

Barbara Kerr’s mission is to “make the world safe for creativity” — particularly for creative teens. The author of four books and numerous articles on guiding and nurturing talent, Kerr holds the first endowed professorship at the KU School of Education. Support from the professorship, established by donors Del and Barbara Williamson, assists Kerr in her work with schools to identify creative young people and to help them understand their gifts and set career goals.

Kerr’s research ranges from case studies of inventors, artists, writers and architects to large-scale studies of students who attained the highest scores on ACT college admissions tests. She also leads research focused on retaining women in science. Kerr is one of more than 100 faculty members who hold endowed chairs and professorships, which help faculty develop programs that improve the lives of people of all ages.

New gifts for endowed professorships

2007 Faculty support: $20.8 million

KU Endowment provides direct support for endowed chairs, distinguished professors and teaching professors. Additional funding helps cover the cost of faculty awards, continuing education, teaching and research materials, and professional travel.

Through the Kansas Partnership for Faculty of Distinction Program, gifts for new endowed professorships at Kansas Regents institutions gain additional support from the state. The program began in 2000; during the past three years, it provided $4 million in state support for KU faculty.

In 2007, donors created five new endowed professorships:

  • Battey Distinguished Professorship
    in Modern British History
  • Gaines Professorship in support
    of cancer research
  • Hartley Centennial Professorship
    for nursing
  • Riordan Professorship in
    Orthomolecular Medicine
  • Williamson Family Professorship
    in Special Education, the second
    professorship created by these donors