Professors earn honors

Syracuse University has another accolade to add to its resume.

Two faculty members are being honored for their dedication to teaching and distinguished research with William R. Kenan Jr. Professorships.

M. Cristina Marchetti, professor of physics, and John E. Baldwin, Distinguished Professor and chair of the chemistry department, were each appointed to the Kenan Professorship of Science. The Kenan Professorship extends to only about 120 academics in America.

Both professors said they appreciate the honor of being appointed to the professorships.

‘It’s a fine recognition,’ Baldwin said. ‘This is not a recognition that comes to everyone.’



Marchetti also expressed her satisfaction with the recognition her work is receiving.

‘To know that I’m valued in this way is very important to me,’ she said.

This is the first time there have been two Kenan professors at SU simultaneously, Eric Schiff, associate dean of The College of Arts and Sciences, said in an e-mail.

Sam McNaughton, a professor of biology, was the previous Kenan professor at SU. When he recently retired, Cathryn Newton, dean of The College of Arts and Sciences, appointed Baldwin and Marchetti as the fourth and fifth Kenan professors in SU history, Schiff said.

The Kenan Professorships have been associated with distinguished scientific research and with science teaching, Schiff said.

However, both professors quickly pointed out their appointments should not overshadow the achievements of their colleagues.

‘Of course, there are many other people on campus equally deserving of this,’ Baldwin said. ‘We have a wonderful faculty here.’

Baldwin has been a faculty member at SU since 1984. He is a physical organic chemist, and concentrates his research on understanding in great detail how simple chemical reactions occur, he said.

Baldwin voiced his satisfaction at the success he and his collaborators have attained in their field of research, despite the often challenging work involved.

‘We engage in work that many in the field think is too hard to get solved, and we get it solved,’ he said. ‘That is a real source of pride for me.’

Baldwin also takes pride in the fact that his work has triggered advances in other related fields, such as computational chemistry, he said. Conversely, he does not value research work as highly if it does not lead to progress in the scientific field, he said.

‘Anyone can define a field narrowly enough to ensure their own hyper-specialization in it, but it wouldn’t apply to the larger discourse,’ he said.

Marchetti has been working at SU for 17 years. She is a theorist who focuses on condensed matter theory, and has performed research on superconductors for many years, she said. Superconductivity is a phenomenon where certain conductors demonstrate absolutely no resistance to the flow of an electric current.

Marchetti has been teaching the intermediate physics course PHY 361 for five years, and she said she takes great pride in the fact that enrollment in the course has increased a lot over the years. She also enjoys being a mentor to her students, she said.

‘I’ve been able to reach out to students, and convince many of the undeclared ones to major in physics,’ she said.

The Kenan Professorships are endowed by the William R. Kenan Jr. Charitable Trust. The trust organizes gatherings of Kenan professors all across the country who belong to different fields. One benefit Kenan professors enjoy is the opportunity to meet with other appointees to the professorship, Baldwin said.

‘It will be a wonderful opportunity to meet with other Kenan professors to engage in dialogue with them,’ he said.





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