Distinguished Professorships

A Distinguished Professorship is the highest honor Duke University may bestow upon a faculty member. The School of Medicine process for selecting candidates for Distinguished Professorships is guided by the Duke Faculty Handbook, Chapter 4, Professional Affairs of the Faculty, approved May 2023, and the document entitled “Rules for Revised Distinguished Professor Selection Process,” approved December 2018, available from the Faculty Procedures Manual (first inset on the Distinguished Professorships page).

Candidate Nomination Process

The School of Medicine Distinguished Professor Committee solicits nominations for Distinguished Professorships by annual email notification sent to all tenured and tenure track faculty of the School of Medicine and solicits nominations for Distinguished Service Professorships by annual email notification sent to all faculty of the School of Medicine. Instructions are included with the solicitation. A letter of nomination from the Department Chair is required, along with supporting documentation and at least four letters of support. For additional information, refer to the policy at the link below.