William M. McCormack Professorship

Description

• Title of Endowment – William M. McCormack Professorship
• Date Established – January 11, 2000
• Purpose of Endowment – Provide support for a professorship with the academy for Math and Science within the Ogden College.
• College/Department where housed – Ogden College of Science and Engineering
• Status – Filled in August 2002.
• Occupant information: Dr. Charles H. McGruder
  • Dr. Charles H. McGruder has been named the first William McCormack professor in Physics at Western Kentucky University. Dr. McGruder, who joined Western in 1993 as a professor and head of the Physics and Astronomy Department, said the appointment is a "gratifying honor. It gives me ample time to do the research that I would like to do at Western."
    
    In addition to concentrating on research, McGruder will continue working on the proposed Kentucky Academy of Mathematics and Science. The academy would bring the brightest high school juniors and seniors to campus to finish their high school workwhile earning 60 college credit hours.
    
    McGruder has a bachelor’s degree in astronomy from the California Institute of Technology and a doctorate from the University of Heidelberg in Germany. Prior to coming to Western, McGruder spent time at Vanderbilt University, Fisk University and the University of Nigeria. He was also a visiting professor at Western during the 1989-90 school year.
    
    As past president of the National Society of Black Physicists, he has focused on increasing the number of minorities studying the sciences and making science a moreenticing topic for students.
    
    In addition, Dr. McGruder has been very busy helping Rwanda, Africa establish a telescope. This telescope will become part of a network of telescopes worldwide that can be accessed remotely by our students and high school students to download data from direct stellar observations and analyzed. The project will cost approximately $5,000.000.00 and Rwanda is seeking Dr. McGruder's advice on where to place the telescope.

 Program Information

• This fund was used to provide for the salary supplement and professional expenses for Dr. McGruder.