Nine University of Memphis faculty members were granted cashgrants for their achievements in categories such as research,teaching, scholarship, service, community outreach and fundraisingthrough the Suzanne Downs Palmer Professorship Awards Program.
U of M alumnus Dan Palmer, class of 1966, funded the $400,000Suzanne Downs Palmer Professorship Fund for The U of M's FogelmanCollege of Business and Economics (FCBE) faculty. He named theprogram after his wife, who died in 1999.
Palmer, the founder and CEO of Concord EFS, said in a preparedstatement that he wanted to give back to The U of M for being apart of his success.
"Like a lot of U of M alumni, I owe much to The University. Iprobably could not have attended college if The U of M had not beenhere; but it was, and it enabled me to get my business degree, andthat helped me to advance in the business world," Palmer said. "I'mfortunate enough to be the CEO of a $16 billion company, I want toshare some of my success with The U of M that helped make thatsuccess possible."
The winners of the awards are awarded cash grants depending ontheir ranks: assistant professors received $7,500, associateprofessors $10,000, and the full professor $12,500.
Larry Abbott, the only recipient who could be reached Tuesday,assistant professor of accounting, was awarded $7,500 for hisaccomplishments in research.
"I am very pleased," Abbott said, "and I enjoyed the chance tomeet and talk to Dr. Raines and Avron Fogelman."
John Pepin, dean of the Fogelman College, said funds from thedonation would be used by the college to reward good teachers.
"This gift will increase our current awards program and thushelp us retain our best faculty," Pepin said. "In that way, it willalso help bring the college and The University national andinternational recognition."
