Rush University honored five esteemed faculty members for their appointments to endowed positions during a ceremony on Oct. 29. Endowed faculty appointments, many made possible by the generosity of philanthropic partners, are the university’s highest honor and demonstrate confidence in and commitment to Rush’s future.
“We continue to benefit from outstanding leadership during these unprecedented times, and the esteemed faculty honored at this Investiture Ceremony inspire great confidence that Rush’s future is bright,” said Robert S.D. Higgins, MD, MSHA, president and chief academic officer of Rush University, chief clinical and academic officer and senior vice president of Rush University System for Health, and the James A. Campbell, MD, Presidential Chair. “The donors who helped to establish these endowed faculty positions put great trust in Rush and have provided resources to support the work of exceptional faculty members. The Investiture Ceremony is a tremendous opportunity to recognize these visionary leaders and honor their contributions as we move forward.”
At the October ceremony, Rush appointed the following faculty members to endowed positions:
- Fotios Asimakopoulos, MB BChir PhD (Cantab), to the Robert E. and Emily H. King Professorship of Cancer Research
- Carlos F. Bechara, MD, DFSVS, to the James A. Hunter, MD, University Professorship
- Dirk Gillespie, PhD, to the John H. and Margaret V. Krehbiel Professorship of Cardiology
- Julie Anne Hoff, PhD, MPH, RN, FAAN, to the Robert C. and Naomi T. Borwell Presidential Professorship
- Augusto Miravalle, MD, to the Joseph and Florence Manaster Foundation Professorship of Multiple Sclerosis
Including the five recent appointments, Rush University has 105 endowed faculty positions, which are critical to the university’s vision. The endowments provide financial resources in perpetuity to fuel the work of leading faculty and support efforts to recruit and retain world-renowned experts dedicated to improving health for all.
Advancing innovative research and creating lasting impact
Asimakopoulos specializes in hematology and immunotherapy research, focusing on translational approaches to improve outcomes for patients with hematologic malignancies. He said the Kings’ professorship will support efforts to generate novel cell therapies for multiple myeloma and blood cancers.
“I am grateful to Robert and Emily King for their vision and generosity — and Rush for the honor,” Asimakopoulos said. “It is an exciting time for immunotherapy translational science, and we hope to have our unique cell therapies, generated here at Rush, reach first-in-human clinical trials within the next couple of years.”
Bechara is the chief of vascular surgery and co-director of the heart and vascular service line for Rush University Medical Center. Both his research and clinical work focus on advancing the treatment of complex aortic disease through innovative surgical techniques and clinical trials.
“It is a true honor to hold the James A. Hunter, MD, University Professorship,” Bechara said. “Dr. Hunter was known to be a superb surgeon, educator and innovator. I promise to use this endowed chair to keep his legacy alive at Rush not only through excellent patient care and outcomes but also through research and innovation.”
A professor in the Department of Physiology & Biophysics, Gillespie leads a cardiovascular research group. His work has provided a framework for developing therapeutic strategies aimed at reducing life-threatening arrhythmias and optimizing cardiac health. In addition, he is collaborating with engineering researchers to develop next-generation sensors to detect cardiac disease.
“I am deeply grateful to the Krehbiel family and their support of cardiac research,” Gillespie said. “Such work is the basis of new drugs and therapies over the next decades. It is an important investment in the long-term mission of Rush. But this endowment has already paid dividends by allowing me to be part of new research projects, including one that identified how one cardiac drug reaches its target.”
Hoff, provost of Rush University, is a nationally recognized academic leader and clinical researcher whose career has focused on advancing health sciences education, interdisciplinary collaboration and health equity. As provost, Hoff will carry forward the Borwells’ spirit of possibility — championing inclusive excellence, energizing the academic community, fostering interdisciplinary discovery and advancing knowledge that shapes a more just and equitable future.
“Being appointed to the Robert C. and Naomi T. Borwell Presidential Professorship is a profound honor,” Hoff said. “This endowment enables the Provost’s Office to continue to advance Rush’s legacy of ethics, empathy and equity, while fostering excellence and possibility across our entire academic community.”
Miravalle serves as division chief of multiple sclerosis and neuroimmunology in the Department of Neurological Sciences at Rush University Medical Center. An accomplished clinician, educator and health care innovator, he has launched a regional community brain health program and brought leading-edge technology to Rush. His research and clinical work focus on improving care for individuals with multiple sclerosis, integrating personalized clinical management, patient education and innovative research.
“Being named the Joseph and Florence Manaster Foundation Professor of Multiple Sclerosis is a profound honor and a catalyst for discovery, fueling my commitment to advance research, innovation and transformative brain health programs that will change the future of care and ensure every person with MS can live with hope, dignity and resilience,” Miravalle said.
Recognizing faculty scholars
At the October ceremony, Rush also recognized the following individuals as endowed faculty scholars:
- Anne DeBenedetti, MSc, the Walbert Endowed Faculty Scholar in Joint Reconstruction Research
- Chuka Nestor Emezue, PhD, MPH, MPA, CHES, the John L. and Helen Kellogg Endowed Faculty Scholar
- Matthew S. Meyers, MD, the Richard G. Cole Endowed Faculty Scholar
Endowed faculty scholars are exceptional members of the Rush community who are appointed to three-year positions designed to ignite bold new research directions, revitalize programs, strengthen collaborations and improve patient care. These positions are established and made possible by philanthropy.
DeBenedetti serves as the director of research for adult reconstruction in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Rush University Medical Center. She began her career in orthopedics in 2005 at Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush and since 2018 has led and expanded the joint reconstruction research program. Her research focuses on advancing joint reconstruction through randomized controlled trials, clinical trials of devices and medication, and collaboration with the implant retrieval lab at Rush to enhance patient outcomes.
Her faculty scholar appointment supports Rush’s mission to advance discovery, improve patient outcomes and train future leaders in musculoskeletal medicine.
“This recognition is a celebration not only of research and improving our patients’ lives but also of the relationships and mentorships that have shaped my career,” DeBenedetti said. “I am honored to carry on the support of the next generation of orthopedic surgeons and researchers who will continue this work long after me, thanks to Tim and Keli Walbert’s generosity.”
Emezue is an assistant professor in Rush University’s Department of Women, Children and Family Nursing. His research advances youth mental health, interpersonal violence prevention, and co-occurring mental health challenges through trauma-informed digital interventions and community-based programs. His work centers on boys and men who use and survive violence, emphasizing strength-based, culturally responsive and contextually grounded approaches.
His faculty scholar appointment positions him to expand his technology-enhanced interventions, strengthen community partnerships and advance Rush’s mission to improve health equity and outcomes for underserved youth populations.
“I’m deeply honored to serve as the inaugural John L. and Helen Kellogg Endowed Faculty Scholar at Rush,” Emezue said. “This endowment empowers our mission to transform youth mental health through trauma- and risk-informed digital interventions, community-based programs, and innovative research. It also strengthens our partnerships with underserved communities, advancing health equity and creating pathways to resilience for youth and families who need it most.”
Meyers is an assistant professor of psychiatry and neurological sciences in the Section of Movement Disorders at Rush University Medical Center. He treats the neuropsychiatric conditions of patients with movement disorders, focusing on Parkinson's and Parkinson's-related diseases. His research concentrates on the relationship between norepinephrine — a neurotransmitter and hormone — and neuropsychiatric manifestations of anxiety, depression, and sleep and blood pressure changes in the early stages of disease.
“I am honored to be appointed as the Richard G. Cole Endowed Faculty Scholar,” Meyers said. “I joined Rush last year to be at an institution where passion and ideas come together to meaningfully influence the scientific landscape and change the lives of the people in our community. Thanks to the incredible generosity of the Cole family and their commitment to supporting early-career scientists, I have been given an opportunity to contribute to this work. For that, I am deeply grateful.”