The William L. Duren '26 Professorship Program was established with a generous endowment from William L. Duren, a distinguished mathematician with a legacy of leadership in higher education. Duren served on the Tulane faculty for over two decades before becoming dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Virginia in 1955. A pioneer in applied mathematics and computer science, Duren saw the College as an indispensable means of fostering intellectual dialogue across Schools.
In that spirit, the William L. Duren Jr. ‘26 Professorship is awarded to faculty who present compelling proposals to enrich the intellectual life of the Newcomb-Tulane College community both inside and outside the classroom.
Rooted in curricular innovation, the Duren Professorship supports the development of intellectually engaging, semester-long “dream courses” that will make a lasting impact on students and faculty alike. Duren Professors are selected from the faculty on the basis of their commitment to undergraduate teaching, scholarly and artistic achievement, and their innovative proposals.
• Professorship grant (up to $10,000 in funding) for a course ready to be taught in Fall 2026
• Seed grants ($1,500) to support a 9-month extended course development period to be followed by resubmission of a Professorship grant
Who Can Submit a Duren Professorship Application?
Full-time tenured, tenure-track, and non-tenure track faculty in Newcomb-Tulane College’s five undergraduate schools are invited to submit a Duren Professorship proposal in one of two distinct categories:
• Professorship grant (up to $10,000 in funding) for a course ready to be taught in Fall 2026 or
• Seed grants ($1,500) to support a 9-month extended course development period to be followed by resubmission of a Professorship grant
Team proposals may also be submitted for a professorship grant. Additional funding may be available for a team proposal depending on the scope of the course.
Professorship grants may:
• Arrange for supplemental experiences beyond the classroom that extend and enrich the formal classroom experience: field work, concert series, lecture series, travel
to local archival collections or museums to consult primary materials, etc.
• Adopt a multidisciplinary approach, which may or may not involve team teaching
• Offer courses of a generalist rather than a highly discipline-specific type: for example, a general “modes of inquiry” approach or an approach that addresses
fundamental, global questions across a range of disciplines
• Offer courses that demonstrate the applications and extensions of their previous research to new intellectual problems
• Offer courses that involve an unusual and distinctive pedagogy or an experiential component for which additional resources might be required
2025-2026 Application Timeline
• September 8: Application opens
• October 17: Application deadline
• November 21: Decisions communicated to faculty.
Applications should be accompanied with proposals outlining the proposed course, how the course strategically addresses the Duren Professorship priorities, a timeline for development, and a detailed budget. The budget should list all requested costs for the course and may include a faculty stipend. A compelling proposal will explain the importance and impact of each budgeted line on the course.
Required course details in the proposal
• Proposed Course Name
• Course Description
• Expected Course Enrollment
• Any other relevant course parameters (Pre-reqs, attributes, etc.)
The application also requires a Letter of Support from the applicant’s Department Chair. The Letter of Support should include a brief summary of how this course supports the priorities of the Duren Professorship. The letter should also confirm that the faculty member’s participation is consistent with the obligations of applicant’s academic appointment and can be accommodated within the standard teaching load.
