Four University of Georgia professors were recently appointed to endowed professorships in the Terry College of Business.

Terry College Dean Santanu Chatterjee announced the new faculty appointments in accounting, marketing and legal studies, following their approval by the University System of Georgia Board of Regents. Three of the four professorships are newly endowed.

“These four faculty members have made indelible marks on their fields as scholars and academic leaders while guiding and supporting their students through their teaching and service,” said Chatterjee. “We are grateful to our alumni, donors and corporate benefactors who established these generous endowments to benefit the students, programs and faculty of the Terry College.”

The appointments were approved by the Regents on Aug. 13.

The Regents approved the appointment of Tim Samples, professor and co-director of Terry’s Undergraduate Business Law Program, to the inaugural Chris Cannon Distinguished Professorship.

Samples’ research focuses on interdisciplinary work at the intersection of law and technology, examining digital contracts using text analysis and other computational methods. He also works in international law, with a focus on sovereign debt and investor-state disputes.

The Chris Cannon Distinguished Professorship was established by a gift from Chris Cannon (BBA ’72).

Ling Xue, professor in the Department of Management Information Systems, was named the inaugural Stevens Family Professorship for Financial Innovation and Technology. The professorship was established by a gift from Todd (BBA ’95) and Elizabeth (BSEd ’95) Stevens.

Xue’s research focuses on the implementation of new technologies, including artificial intelligence agents in business and, more importantly, on how managers decide which technologies are indispensable and which are disposable.

Kristen Valentine, an associate professor of accounting and director of graduate studies for the J.M. Tull School of Accounting, was named the inaugural Elizabeth Price Dolvin Professor. Valentine’s research focuses on the impact of innovation and intellectual property on firm valuation.

The professorship was established in the name of the Elizabeth Price Dolvin Foundation, which honors the life of Elizabeth “Lib” Price Dolvin and furthers her commitment to strengthening communities across the state. Dolvin was an active community leader in Athens and Watkinsville and served as the first professional director of the Athens United Way.

In addition to the inaugural professorships, the regents also named Alex Reed, professor and co-director of the Undergraduate Business Law Program, to the University of Georgia Athletic Association Professorship.

A former securities attorney, Reed joined the Terry College in 2010 and his research focuses on employment law. In addition to employment law, Reed teaches both undergraduate and MBA courses on negotiation. His devotion to preparing students for the business world earned him the 2018 Russell Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching and the 2017 Terry College Teaching Excellence Award.

The UGA Athletic Association Professorships recognize and reward top-tier faculty from across the university who excel in scholarship, instruction and service.