Endowed Positions

Doctor giving presentation

Investing in Excellence

Endowed faculty positions play a vital role in attracting, recognizing, and retaining exceptional academic leaders. In academic medicine, these positions represent one of the highest honors that can be bestowed upon a faculty member, reflecting excellence in patient care, education, research, and service.

Beyond this distinction, endowed positions provide flexible financial support that enables faculty to pursue innovative research, educational initiatives, scholarly activities, and professional development opportunities. They also help sustain academic excellence by providing resources that are increasingly important in an era of declining clinical reimbursement and intense competition for research funding.

Endowed positions strengthen the OU Dean McGee Department of Ophthalmology’s ability to recruit and retain world-class faculty while enhancing the department’s reputation and influence on the national stage.

Recognizing and Supporting Distinguished Faculty

Through the generosity and vision of its donors, the DMEI Foundation administers endowments that support the following distinguished faculty positions:

John M. Bell, MD Endowed Chair in Ophthalmology

DMEI Alumni Professorship

Dr. Robert S. & Nancy P. Ellis Endowed Professorship in Ophthalmology

Farzaneh Family Foundation Endowed Chair in Ophthalmology

Thelma Gaylord Endowed Chair in Ophthalmology

Ben & Peggy Kates Endowed Chair in Ophthalmology

Elizabeth Zoernig Milam Endowed Chair in Ophthalmology

W. Stanley Muenzler, MD Professorship in Corneal Disease

David W. Parke II, MD Endowed Chair in Ophthalmology

Gregory L. Skuta, MD Endowed Chair in Ophthalmology

Tolbert Family Endowed Chair in Ophthalmology

Stanton L. Young Endowed Chair in Ophthalmology