Smallbones selected for endowed professorship

The endowed chair provides annual funds to support the recipient’s scholarly work. The funds can be used for summer research, the purchase of equipment or materials, travel to pursue research, or assistance to student researchers.

The endowed professor must be an active member in the Reformed Church in America who has a distinguished record as an outstanding teacher; is recognized for scholarly and leadership contributions to the religion discipline; has provided exemplary service to the department, Northwestern and the larger community; and has demonstrated a commitment to the college’s mission.

A native South African, Smallbones joined the faculty in 1995. She earned a doctoral degree from the University of Durban-Westville in South Africa and an M.A. from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Illinois. She received the Northwestern Teaching Excellence Award in 1998.

Smallbones is the author of Keeping Company with Jesus: Reflections on Gospel Stories, published by Augsburg Books (2005). She also has written articles for Christian Education Journal.

The endowed chair appointment is for a five-year period beginning with the 2005–06 school year. Dr. John Brogan held the chair last year, before leaving the faculty to become the college’s vice president for student development. Smallbones was the Marvin and Jerene DeWitt Endowed Religion Professor from 1999 to 2004. Dr. E.W. Kennedy held the appointment before that.