An academic title conferred on senior faculty members who exhibit highly meritorious performance and a commitment to the campus's mission, vision and values
Indiana University Northwest recently appointed William Allegrezza as Chancellor’s Professor, an academic title conferred on senior faculty members who “exhibit continued highly meritorious performance in teaching, research and service, and demonstrate commitment to the mission, vision and values established by the IU Northwest Strategic Plan.”
Allegrezza, Professor in English and Adjunct Professor in Women’s and Gender Studies, will begin his appointment July 1. The honor of Chancellor’s Professor is a title that remains with recipients throughout their careers at IU Northwest.
“Bill’s many academic and professional accomplishments, his dedication to teaching and long-standing commitment to IU Northwest embodies the definition of the titled rank of Chancellor’s Professor. He will continue to set the highest standard for future nominees,” Chancellor Ken Iwama said.
Iwama said that the requirements of the Chancellor’s Professor program are demanding and intended to identify and recognize faculty colleagues whose consistently outstanding contributions to the mission, vision and values of IU Northwest set them apart, even in the company of a very accomplished faculty.
“The criteria call for nothing less than faculty members who contribute in concrete, demonstrable ways to the development of IU Northwest as an academic community of exceptional quality and integrity,” Iwama said. “I want to thank all the of the nominees who formed an exceptionally strong pool of candidates. I also want to thank the faculty Selection Committee members for their diligent work.”
A commitment to excellence
Allegrezza was first hired at IU Northwest in 2000 as an adjunct instructor in English. Over the years, he received various promotions and, in 2019, was named an IU Bicentennial professor and full professor in 2021.
His respected work includes more than 25 published poetry books/e-books, chapbooks, critical books/anthologies and short stories, with more than 50 of his selected poems and poems in anthologies published by others from around the world.
In addition to his dedication to his scholarly work, Allegrezza has also established himself as a leader on campus serving as an important representative of IU Northwest faculty. He is currently the Faculty Organization President, following a two-year term as Vice President, and has served as the Chair of the English Department, Director of the Writing Center, and member of the IU Northwest Council, Strategic Enrollment Management, and the COVID-19 Restart team, among many other roles.
“His willingness to serve (the campus) is only matched by the level of trust his colleagues have in his contributions to service,” said Jonathyne Briggs, Associate Dean of Humanities and the Arts, in a letter of nomination. “Given the importance of these committees, Allegrezza has had an influence on the direction of the campus’s leadership, strategies and direction. His service affirms the mission of the campus to serve all students and his outstanding campus citizenship illustrates how seriously he takes that responsibility.”
Over his career, Allegrezza has received the IU Outstanding Faculty Scholarship/Creativity Award, was bestowed an IU Bicentennial Medal for Distinguished Service, named an IU Mack Fellow and is a four-time recipient of the IU Trustee Teaching Award, among other accomplishments.
The Chancellor’s Professor program began in 2013. The following IU Northwest faculty have been named Chancellor’s Professors: Alan Barr, Chancellor’s Professor of English; George Bodmer, Chancellor’s Professor of English; Chuck Gallmeier, Chancellor’s Professor of Sociology; David Klamen, Chancellor’s Professor of Fine Arts; and Margaret Skurka, Chancellor’s Professor of Health Information Management.
