Civil engineering Professor Sukhmander Singh, who has taught geology and geotechnical engineering at Santa Clara University for 36 years, now has an endowed professorship named after him.
Singh—known for his constant efforts to bring faculty and students together, and promote diplomacy and kindness on campus—recently inspired one family to donate $3 million to create the Sukhmander Singh Endowed Professorship in Civil, Environmental, and Sustainable Engineering.
Santa Clara currently has over 50 endowed professorships, such as the Wilmot J. Nicholson Family Professorship that Singh held for 25 years. These titles are typically created in honor of generous donors or former professors. It is rare for an endowed professorship to be named after an active faculty member, which further magnifies Singh’s positive impact on Santa Clara students.
“An endowed professorship is a tremendous validation of the quality of education our students are receiving,” says Ed Ryan, acting provost of SCU. “It will help ensure continuity of excellence in civil, environmental, and sustainable engineering course offerings for generations to come.”
The professorship will eventually be awarded to another Santa Clara educator who is as academically diligent and dedicated as Singh, and who exemplifies the highest values and ideals of a Jesuit education through their teaching.