Simon, SON establish professorships

Smith and Kirschling designated as recipients

Smith

The Simon School and the School of Nursing have each recently established professorships and named a professor as recipient.

At the Simon School, the Louise and Henry Epstein Professorship in Business Administration is being endowed by a major contribution from Henry and Louise Epstein of Rochester. Henry Epstein, who recently retired as senior vice president of Staples, is a 1980 graduate of the school's Executive Development Program.

In announcing the gift, Dean Charles Plosser commented: "The Louise and Henry Epstein Professorship in Business Administration will serve as a reminder and benchmark of the qualities that our school strives to instill in all its students."

Kirshling

Epstein credits the Simon School with providing insight into leading-edge business practices. "The Simon School was in large part responsible for the way in which I approach both business and human problems. My wife, Louise, and I hope our gift will help the school continue to educate managers who are extraordinarily equipped--and inclined--to deal with business and societal issues at all levels."

Clifford Smith Jr., formerly Clarey Professor of Finance and Economics, is the first incumbent of the Epstein chair. A Simon School faculty member since 1974, he had held the Clarey professorship since 1988. Smith has been honored with numerous teaching awards and is an active leader or member of many industry organizations.

At the School of Nursing, the Ruth Miller Brody and Bernard B. Brody Nursing Professorship is being sponsored by the Brody's daughters to honor their parents.

The Brodys have been committed to supporting SON since Ruth Brody graduated from the school in 1942. After earning a master's degree from Columbia University, she joined the SON faculty as assistant director in 1949. She later was director of the school from 1951 to 1954 before retiring to raise her children. Bernard Brody received his medical degree from the School of Medicine and Dentistry in 1951, and served his internship and residency at Strong Memorial Hospital. He later became affiliated with Genesee Hospital while remaining an attending physician at Strong and a professor of pathology and medicine from 1981 to 1990, prior to his retirement.

Jane Kirschling, professor of nursing and associate dean for academic affairs, is the first to be named to the Brody professorship. Kirschling left Oregon Health Sciences University School of Nursing in 1996 to join SON. She serves in leadership roles on many local and national nursing and hospital boards.