Emory Distinguished Professorships

Emory University's distinguished professorships engage renowned public leaders and artists with our research and teaching missions. These honors are designated for select members of the Emory campus community and societal leaders whose groundbreaking careers and societal contributions are defined by excellence and a staunch commitment to serving humanity.

Current holders of these professorships include:

University Distinguished Professor

Deborah Lipstadt

Deborah Lipstadt, also the Dorot Professor of Modern Jewish and Holocaust Studies, is one of the world’s foremost experts on the Holocaust and modern antisemitism. She holds an annual public lecture and engages with undergraduate students while serving as an adviser to Emory’s president and the dean of Emory College.

Presidential Distinguished Professor

His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama

His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama participates in periodic campus programs with faculty and students. He helps advance Emory's study abroad program in Dharamsala, India, as well as Emory College's Emory-Tibet Partnership, which supports sustained intellectual exchanges between Western science and Tibetan Buddhist traditions.

Past Honorees

Jimmy Carter, 39th President of the United States
University Distinguished Professor, 1982-2024

Salman Rushdie, Author
University Distinguished Professor, 2011-2015

Kevin Young, Poet
University Distinguished Professor, 2017-2020