Chaired (Temporarily)

rotating-chair2.jpegI've just been appointed this coming year's Laurie Silvers & Mitchell Rubenstein Distinguished Professor of Law. It's a one-year, rotating, appointment, and I'm the second person to have it, following in the large footsteps of my colleague Bruce Winick. Needless to say, I'm floored.

UM is unusual in that we don't have many chairs — at present only two us have permanent chairs. The rotating chair idea is also something new for us.

Here is the Dean's message to the faculty:

I am delighted to announce that during the 2010-11 [academic year] Michael Froomkin will be the Laurie Silvers & Mitchell Rubenstein Distinguished Professor of Law. As you know, Bruce Winick was the first recipient of this award and, given his great body of widely-praised work, set the bar quite high for subsequent recipients. Michael's projects, repeatedly exploring problems of internet governance, widely recognized not only nationally but internationally, plainly meet the standard. When we work out the details, we will invite all faculty to join us and other members of the larger university community in celebrating this award and, of course, the generosity of Laurie Silvers and Mitchell Rubenstein.

Among their other claims to fame, Silvers and Rubenstein are founders of the Sci Fi Channel, although the cable channel is now controlled by others (who changed the name to SyFy so they could trademark it). This should make watching Stargate Universe even more fun.

Admittedly, there's something slightly ironic about being so honored in the midst of the (involuntarily) fallowest period in my career, but I guess this is one more incentive to get well quickly and attempt to prove I deserve it.

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7 Responses to Chaired (Temporarily)

  1. Just me says:

    Congratulations

  2. Kevin G. says:

    Congratulations! Well-deserved. Also happy to hear that your convalescence is progressing well.

  3. Sue Ann says:

    Wonderful news!

  4. Keith says:

    Congratulations!

  5. Peter says:

    What happy news for the law school, for you, and your friends! We are proud of you, Michael.

  6. Vic says:

    Congratulations…

    But what does it MEAN? Is it a symbolic award for past service; does it include a monetary gift to enable something that you do; does it come with some responsibility? Not being snarky, I really wonder.

  7. michael says:

    There are no formal duties, so I guess I’m qualified as far as that goes.

    It was explained to me as a reward for past scholarly work and a hope to encourage more of it in the future.

    And, yes, there is an emolument.

    Whatever else it means, my parents seem very happy.

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