Four professors appointed to endowed professorships this fall

Recognizing faculty excellence and scholarship, Gettysburg College has announced four appointments of faculty members to endowed professorships. These donor-supported positions allow faculty to pursue their academic passions through scholarly activities.

The Gettysburg College Board of Trustees approved the following four appointments of faculty to endowed professorships beginning with the 2026–2027 academic year.

Chemistry and Biochemistry Prof. Timothy Funk ’00 as the G. Bowers and Louise Hook Mansdorfer Professorship in Chemistry
Mathematics Chair Keir Lockridge as the Alumni Professorship in Mathematics
Economics Prof. Linus Nyiwul as the Benjamin Franklin Professor of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Africana Studies Prof. and Director of Peace and Justice Studies Hakim Mohandas Amani Williams as the Daria L. and Eric J. Wallach Professorship of Peace and Justice Studies

Chemistry and Biochemistry Prof. Timothy Funk ’00

G. Bowers and Louise Hook Mansdorfer Professorship in Chemistry

Throughout his nearly two decades working in higher education, Chemistry and Biochemistry Prof. Timothy Funk ’00 has striven to put the student experience at the heart of his teaching and research. In fact, he’s strategically designed courses to maximize student-faculty collaboration and to create laboratory experiments that allow students to immerse themselves in hands-on scientific methods.

During his teaching career at Gettysburg, 50 undergraduate students have worked with Funk in his research lab, while 23 have served as co-authors on peer-reviewed publications. Almost all of these students have presented with Funk at professional conferences over the years.

Funk believes the G. Bowers and Louise Hook Mansdorfer Professorship in Chemistry will enable him to continue developing classroom and laboratory experiences that further support student-faculty research.

“I’m following in the footsteps of great colleagues who held the professorship—including Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Prof. Emerita Shelley Frey, the most recent Mandsorfer Professor—and I’m honored to be selected,” he said.

“It’s special to receive this endowed professorship as a Gettysburg graduate. Supportive professors gave me a fantastic education at Gettysburg College, where I was able to work on a research project with two former Mansdorfer professors—Chemistry and Biochemistry Prof. Don Jameson and Prof. Emeritus Joe Grzybowski,” he added. “That critical experience set the stage for my future employment in the pharmaceutical industry and my Ph.D. studies.”

Mathematics Chair Keir Lockridge

Alumni Professorship in Mathematics

If you were to ask Mathematics Chair Keir Lockridge about his current research interests in mathematics, he’d tell you about a big problem—Fuchs’ Problem. This open question in mathematics has long prompted scholars to probe this mind-bending conundrum: Which groups can arise as the group of units in a ring?

The endowed professorship supports Lockridge’s broader research interests in the structure of units in rings, fields, and group algebras.

Upon his appointment to the Alumni Professorship in Mathematics, Lockridge said he’s looking forward to the opportunity to build his research program in algebra and number theory that considers Fuchs’ Problem. He added that the Alumni Professorship in Mathematics will also help him begin writing a book that summarizes known results and allows students to explore this subject through guided activities and projects.

“I am very grateful to my colleagues in the Mathematics Department for nominating me for this honor. It recognizes work that we all care a lot about: doing, writing, teaching, and learning mathematics,” he said. “It also reflects Gettysburg’s commitment to supporting faculty research in a liberal arts college environment—a commitment that attracted me to the College more than 10 years ago.”

Economics Prof. Linus Nyiwul

Benjamin Franklin Professor of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Since joining Gettysburg College in 2009, Economics Prof. Linus Nyiwul has maximized every opportunity at the College to advance academic productivity and uphold high standards of scholarship.

Having now taught at Gettysburg for 16 years, Nyiwul appreciates mentoring students and watching them gain new perspectives on the world. Guiding students through their economics senior honors thesis, he said, is personally fulfilling for him, especially as he sees students build camaraderie as they lean on each other for support and encouragement.

In recognition of his mentorship, Nyiwul was honored with the Luther V. and Bernice L. Thompson Distinguished Teaching Award in 2017.

As he begins his appointment as Benjamin Franklin Professor of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Nyiwul said he aims to continue to foster the highest levels of academic inquiry between himself and his students. “It will provide more opportunities to engage students through research experiences, helping prepare the next generation of scholars and professionals, and develop new courses on contemporary economic issues.”

Nyiwul acknowledges the support of his faculty colleagues as he begins this new appointment. “Being selected for this role is a deeply meaningful honor and an affirmation of my commitment to the mission of the College,” he said. “Personally, it is a recognition of the dedication, perseverance, and collaborative efforts that have shaped my academic career.”

Africana Studies Prof. and Director of Peace and Justice Studies Hakim Mohandas Amani Williams

Daria L. and Eric J. Wallach Professorship of Peace and Justice Studies

Africana Studies Prof. Hakim Mohandas Amani Williams engages students in a lecture outside Weidensall Hall.

Established in 2020 by distinguished alumna Daria Lo Presti Wallach ’76, this professorship emphasizes the value of a liberal arts and sciences education as the foundation for shaping a life of consequence.

Africana Studies Prof. Hakim Mohandas Amani Williams sees his reappointment to this endowed professorship as an opportunity to extend the work he began more than five years ago.

During his first appointment to the professorship, Williams planned the 29^th International Peace Research Association conference in Trinidad & Tobago, his homeland, in May 2023. Several Gettysburg College alumni assisted him, including Monica Solis ’25 and Daniel Jones ’22, who served as administrative coordinators for the conference, and Christina Noto ’19, along with many others. He also co-edited a book with Hana Huskiç ’22 and Noto, “Disrupting Hierarchy in Education: Students and Teachers Collaborating for Social Change.”

In 2022, Williams received a Fulbright and Spencer grant for a study on decolonial peace and justice education in Ghana, Jamaica, Brazil, and the United States. He also planned several programs and conducted workshops on mediation, conflict resolution, and restorative circles, topics he covers in his courses Education for Social Change and Introduction to Peace & Justice Studies.

During his reappointment to this professorship in 2026, Williams intends to write a book on decolonial peace and justice education in Ghana, Jamaica, Brazil, and the United States. He’s also working on creating and staging a one-person play, “Don’t Perform, Live!” centered on healing and revolution. Additionally, he aims to revamp the Peace and Justice Transformative Leaders Fellowship Program.

“I grew up in a materially under-resourced but culturally and spiritually rich community called Laventille in Trinidad. Never could I have imagined that this kid from Laventille would end up in a place called Gettysburg, teaching within Africana Studies,” Williams said. “Place matters, and I think that Gettysburg, a hallowed site of war memorialization, is well poised to become a national hub for conflict transformation, if we have the vision and courage to capitalize on this.”

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