Three faculty members from Syracuse University have been honored with the title of Distinguished Professors, a prestigious recognition awarded by the University’s Board of Trustees. This designation is given to faculty who have achieved significant distinction in their academic fields.
The newly appointed Distinguished Professors are Nina Kohn, David M. Levy Professor of Law in the College of Law; Johan Wiklund, Al Berg Chair and professor of entrepreneurship and emerging enterprises in the Martin J. Whitman School of Management; and Janet Wilmoth, professor of sociology in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.
Interim Vice Chancellor, Provost, and Chief Academic Officer Lois Agnew stated, “Through their research and scholarship, these professors are a key part of the vibrant academic community here on campus, and this honor is well-deserved.” She added that their work has “the potential to change people’s lives.”
The nomination process involves candidates being proposed by their deans. These nominations are reviewed by the vice provost for faculty affairs with input from external referees and a committee comprising Distinguished or University Professors. The formal nomination packets undergo further review by senior university officials before being submitted to the Board of Trustees.
Nina Kohn is an internationally recognized leader in elder law. Her work focuses on guardianship, long-term care, advance planning, decision-making under incapacity conditions, and elder abuse. She authored “Elder Law: Practice, Policy & Problems” and has contributed to legislation through her role with the Uniform Law Commission. Kohn joined Syracuse University in 2005.
Johan Wiklund is known for his contributions to entrepreneurship studies with an emphasis on neurodiversity and well-being. In 2022, he was ranked as one of the top entrepreneurship scholars globally. His work has earned him numerous awards from institutions like the Academy of Management. Wiklund became part of Syracuse’s faculty in 2008.
Janet Wilmoth directs the Aging Studies Institute at Syracuse University. Her research explores veteran status concerning aging and living arrangements later in life. She has published extensively in leading journals and held leadership roles within national organizations such as the American Sociological Association. Wilmoth joined Syracuse’s faculty in 2002.
