The CALS community is invited to attend the 2026 Investiture Ceremony that will honor faculty members who have earned named professorships for their research and scholarly accomplishments. The ceremony will take place on Tuesday, February 10, from 4:30 pm – 6:30 pm in Memorial Union’s Great Hall. Walk-ins are welcome, RSVPs are appreciated by Friday, January 23.

This year’s ceremony will honor 10 individuals total, including those who received named professorships in the last year and those who received a professorship renewal. These prestigious awards are the highest faculty honors bestowed by the college or their academic department and are made possible by the generosity of our donors. 

The individuals who received named professorships in the last year are:

• Irwin Goldman, Plant and Agroecosystem Sciences
  Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Grower KWS Chair
• Francisco Peñagaricano, Animal and Dairy Sciences
  Judge John J. Crown Chair in Dairy Genetics
• Scott A. Rankin, Food Science
  Campbell Bascom Professorship
• Federico E. Rey, Bacteriology
  Ira L. Baldwin Professorship in Bacteriology
• Chad M. Rienstra, Biochemistry
  Evelyn Mercer Professorship in Biochemical Sciences
• Damon L. Smith, Plant Pathology
  Vaughan Bascom Professorship in Plant Pathology
• Douglas Soldat, Soil and Environmental Sciences
  Beers-Bascom Professorship in Conservation
• Jade Wang, Bacteriology
  E.B. Fred Professorship in Bacteriology

The individuals who received named professorship renewals in the last year are:

• Amaya Atucha, Plant and Agroecosystem Sciences
  Gottschalk Family Chair for Cranberry Research
• Guanming Shi, Agricultural and Applied Economics
  Renk Chair in Agribusiness

Contact Emma Zuidema with questions.