Endowed Chairs

Joern B. Soltau, MD

Dr. and Mrs. William H. Evans Endowed Chair
School of Medicine – Established December 1997 

Mrs. William H. Evans established this chair in the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences (in her name and in her husband’s name, Dr. William H. Evans, who was an established physician in the Youngstown, OH area before returning to their alma mater at the UofL School of Medicine).  The primary purpose of this endowment is for teaching and research in Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and to assist in the maintenance of the Kentucky Lions Eye Center dedicated to basic research and clinical investigations of new procedures, devices and pharmaceutical agents designed for the diagnosis and treatment of eye disease.  At the time, the financial gift was the largest single personal gift in the history of the UofL School of Medicine.  This endowment was also the first to be matched by Kentucky’s Research Challenge Trust Fund (later to be called the Kentucky “Bucks For Brains” initiative) designated to support these same research and education endeavors.

Christopher Compton, MD

Drs. Arthur and Virginia Keeney Endowed Chair
School of Medicine – Established January 2000

Dr. Virginia Keeney established this Endowed Chair in the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences (in her name as a UofL associate professor and physician who also developed ethics courses for the UofL School of Medicine and in her husband’s name, Dr. Arthur T. Keeney who served as a professor in the UofL School of Medicine and as a past UofL School of Medicine Dean), to support the salary and expenses associated with the chairholder’s teaching and research activities and to assist with resident education and ethics expenses.  This endowment is matched by Kentucky’s Research Challenge Trust Fund (also called the Kentucky “Bucks For Brains” initiative) designated to support these same research and education endeavors.

Maureen A. McCall PhD

Kentucky Lions Eye Foundation Endowed Chair
School of Medicine – Established December 2005

The Kentucky Lions Eye Foundation (founded in 1954 whose mission is to provide vision services through education, detection, prevention, treatment and empowerment and through collaborative partnerships support research in eye diseases to prevent blindness and treat eye diseases), established this chair in the UofL Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences to support the expenses of the Chair in ophthalmic and visual science research, travel to and present at professional meetings and other expenses related to the Chair’s professional duties.  This endowment is matched by Kentucky’s Research Challenge Trust Fund  (also called the Kentucky “Bucks For Brains” initiative) designated to support these same research and education endeavors.