The academic tradition of endowed chairs dates back to 1502, when Margaret of Richmond, mother of Henry VII, established the Lady Margaret Professorship of Divinity at Oxford University.
Half a millennium later, the endowed chair has evolved into one of the most prestigious and permanent investments that can be made in any university. Endowed positions offer a unique opportunity for students to study under the guidance of world-renown media makers and scholars.
Beyond their direct impact on creativity and scholarship, these venerated posts play a vital role in immortalizing the individual or company whose name is permanently linked to the chair, resulting in a highly visible form of recognition that lives on from generation to generation.
The School of Cinematic Arts holds the record for any U.S. school specializing in the cinematic arts, with 33 endowed faculty positions.
Chairholders
Elizabeth M. Daley
Steven J. Ross / Time Warner Dean's Chair in Cinema-Television
Dedicated October 14, 1993
Chair Graciously Funded by Time Warner Inc.
Tara McPherson
The HMH Foundation Endowed Chair for the Study of Censorship in Media
Dedicated on March 28, 1996
Chair Graciously Funded by The HMH Foundation
J.D. Connor
Alma and Alfred Hitchcock Endowed Chair
Dedicated on November 13, 1997
Chair Graciously Funded by Patricia Hitchcock O'Connell
Ed Saxon
The Fran and Ray Stark Chair
Dedicated on April 28, 1998
Chair Graciously Funded by The Fran and Ray Stark
Foundation
David Isaacs
Jack Oakie Endowed Chair in Comedy
Dedicated on November 9, 2003
Chair Graciously Funded by Victoria Oakie
Stephen K. Nenno Endowed Chair in Television Studies
Dedicated on October 24, 2005
Chair Graciously Funded by The Estate of Stephen K. Nenno
Stephen K. Nenno Endowed Chair in Television Production
Dedicated on October 24, 2005
Chair Graciously Funded by The Estate of Stephen K. Nenno
Conrad Hall Endowed Chair in Cinematography and Color Timing
Dedicated on October 24, 2005
Chair Graciously Funded by The George Lucas Family Foundation and Steven Spielberg
Gail Katz
Mary Pickford Endowed Chair
Dedicated on October 24, 2005
Chair Graciously Funded by the Mary Pickford Foundation
Todd Boyd
Katherine and Frank Price Endowed Chair for the Study of Race and Popular Culture
Dedicated on October 24, 2005
Chair Graciously Funded by Katherine and Frank Price
Midge Costin
Kay Rose Endowed Chair in the Art of Sound and Dialogue Editing
Dedicated on October 24, 2005
Chair Graciously Funded by The George Lucas Family Foundation
Ken Wannberg Endowed Chair in Music Editing
Dedicated on October 24, 2005
Chair Graciously Funded by The George Lucas Family Foundation and Steven Spielberg
Larry Auerbach Endowed Chair
Dedicated on May 10, 2006
Chair Graciously Funded by Marcia Lucas
Tracy Fullerton
Electronic Arts Endowed Chair in Interactive Entertainment
Installed on December 9, 2008
Chair Graciously Funded by Electronic Arts, Inc.
John Watson
Dana and Albert "Cubby" Broccoli Endowed Chair in Producing
Dedicated on November 23, 2009
Chair Graciously Funded by Dana and Albert "Cubby" Broccoli Charitable Foundation
Mary Sweeney
Dino and Martha De Laurentiis Endowed Professorship
Dedicated on April 1, 2011
Chair Graciously Funded by Martha De Laurentiis
Vicki Callahan
Cecil B. DeMille Endowed Chair in Silent Film
Dedicated on September 26, 2011
Chair Graciously Funded by The Cecil B. DeMille Foundation
TreaAndrea Russworm
Microsoft Endowed Professorship
Dedicated on September 18, 2012
Chair Graciously Funded by Microsoft Corporation
Susan Arnold
The Kortschak Family Endowed Division Chair in Film and Television Production
Dedicated on November 7, 2012
Chair Graciously Funded by Walter G. and Marcia B. Kortschak and Kortschak Investments, L.P.
Kenneth Williams
Charles S. Swartz Endowed Chair in Entertainment Technology
Dedicated on September 26, 2013
Chair Graciously Funded by Stephanie Rothman
Nancy Forner
The Michael Kahn Endowed Chair in Editing
Dedicated on November 11, 2013
Chair Graciously Funded by The Wunderkinder Foundation
Bruce A. Block
The Sergei Eisenstein Endowed Chair in Cinematic Design
Dedicated on March 13, 2014
Chair Graciously Funded by The George Lucas Family Foundation
Habib Zargarpour
The Georges Méliès Endowed Chair in Visual Effects
Dedicated on March 13, 2014
Chair Graciously Funded by The George Lucas Family Foundation
Alex B. McDowell
The William Cameron Menzies Endowed Chair in Production Design
Dedicated on March 13, 2014
Chair Graciously Funded by The George Lucas Family Foundation
Lisa Leeman
Mona and Bernard Kantor Endowed Chair in Production
Dedicated on April 29, 2014
Chair Graciously Funded by The Estate of Mona and Bernard Kantor
David Maquiling
Mark Burnett Endowed Chair honoring the Director of the Summer Production Program
Dedicated on April 27, 2016
Chair Graciously Funded by Mark Burnett
Michael Renov
The Haskell Wexler Endowed Chair in Documentary
Dedicated on September 25, 2016
Chair Graciously Funded by The George Lucas Family Foundation
Ted Braun
Joseph Campbell Endowed Chair in Cinematic Ethics
Dedicated on April 27, 2017
Chair Graciously Funded by The George Lucas Family Foundation
Barnet Kellman
Robin Williams Endowed Chair in Comedy
Dedicated on June 6, 2017
Chair Graciously Funded by The George Lucas Family Foundation
Akira Mizuta Lippit
T.C. Wang Family Endowed Chair in Cinematic Arts
Dedicated on October 17, 2017
Chair Graciously Funded by the T.C. Wang Family
Nicole West
John C. Hench Endowed Division Chair
Dedicated on April 25, 2018
Chair Graciously Funded by The John C. Hench Foundation
Bonnie Chi
John H. Mitchell Endowed Chair in the Business of Entertainment
Dedicated on November 19, 2019
Chair Graciously Funded by The Patricia W. Mitchell Trusts
Danny Bilson
John Riccitiello Chair in Games and Interactive Media
Dedicated on July 6, 2021
Chair Graciously Funded by John Riccitiello
Robert Yeoman
Steven M. Rales Chair in Cinematography
Dedicated September 20, 2024
Graciously Funded by Steven M. Rales