The endowed faculty member will lead the public health school’s obesity center, and will likely attract top professors to apply for the position that includes funding for research and tenure.
Dean Lynn Goldman said the gift would help solidify the school’s focus on treating chronic conditions with prevention strategies.
“This position will help to strengthen the school’s expertise and ability to target obesity and other health conditions with preventive strategies that are effective at keeping people healthy before serious health problems get a chance to develop,” Goldman said in a release.
Staecy DiLorenzo, the school’s communications director, did not immediately return a request for comment.
The professorship is sponsored by Sanofi US, a global healthcare company based in New Jersey that researches therapeutic solutions for patients. The endowed position is one of the first of what officials hope will be many since the University landed a landmark $80 million gift from billionaire philanthropists Michael Milken and Sumner Redstone.
The University is also looking to add about 100 endowed professor positions across schools over the next decade as part of its strategic plan.
That goal will also be a focus of GW’s $1 billion fundraising campaign, which launched last month. The University hopes to raise $500 million to hire faculty and improve academics.
