The Kogod School of Business’s relationship with its namesake family continues to flourish, as demonstrated by a monumental donation from the Kogod family. Robert and Arlene Kogod recently gifted the school fifteen million dollars to establish three endowed chairs—the Arlene R. and Robert P. Kogod Eminent Scholar Chairs—and support our faculty’s strides in research and scholarship in three key areas of focus: finance, marketing, and sustainability. Professor of finance Valentina Bruno will serve as the Kogod Eminent Scholar Chair in Finance, and professor of marketing Sonya Grier will serve as the Kogod Eminent Scholar Chair in Marketing. The endowed chair in sustainability will be named in the future.
“I am particularly grateful to Bob and Arlene Kogod, who are supporting groundbreaking scholarship which will reshape business education,” Bruno said of the distinction. “I’m honored to be part of a group of inspiring changemakers.”
“It’s more than an honor,” Grier agreed. “Working alongside other trailblazing colleagues furthered my vision and inspired me to take the risks that make my work all the more relevant in today’s world.”
An endowed chair is considered among the highest academic honors a faculty member can receive. Funded by gifts such as the Kogod family’s, the distinction opens up more resources to professors in the role, who can expand their research capabilities. An endowment provides a steady funding source, meaning that endowed chairs can pursue their research goals with a reliable support system. Beyond the financial aspect, being named an endowed chair carries weight in the academic world, raising the reputation of Kogod’s already renowned faculty.
Professor Grier is among the world’s foremost experts in the interaction between race and marketing; her research explores consumer well-being, racial inequity, and health disparities, among other topics. As a cofounder of the Race in the Marketplace Network, she has led the charge of furthering knowledge in this field, and she will continue to do so as the marketing field becomes increasingly global.