Dr. Jack Blanchard Named First Feller Professor

Dean Gregory F. Ball has named Dr. Jack Blanchard, chair and professor in the Department of Psychology, the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences’ first-ever Feller Professor.

In December, Joel Feller (GVPT ’90, pictured at left) generously donated $500,000 to establish the Joel and Kim Feller Professorship – the first of its kind in the College – to be held at the Dean’s level for use in recruiting or retaining faculty in priority areas.

“Kim and I are delighted with the selection of Dr. Jack Blanchard as the first Feller Professor at the University of Maryland,” Feller said. “He embodies everything we hoped for when we first envisioned the idea of the Feller Professor endowment. We are confident that, as a Feller Professor, Dr. Blanchard will continue his leading-edge research while helping to train the next generation of clinical scientists.”

Dr. Blanchard has been a faculty member at the University of Maryland since 1999 and has served as chair of the Psychology Department since 2012. His research examines the influence of emotion and interpersonal behavior to understand clinical outcomes in schizophrenia and other severe mental illnesses. Dr. Blanchard is a past recipient of the College’s Excellence in Teaching Mentorship Award.

"I am truly honored to be named Feller Professor and I am deeply grateful to Joel and Kim Feller for their incredible generosity in supporting this Professorship,” Dr. Blanchard said. “The Feller Professorship will allow me to continue my research on severe mental illness while training and mentoring graduate students."

“Dr. Blanchard is well-deserving of this newly-established professorship and I am so pleased to be able to recognize his commitment to the department, College and university in this way,” Dean Ball said. “I also want to thank Joel Feller for his generosity which gives us an unprecedented level of flexibility when it comes to keeping world-class faculty here at BSOS.”

Joel Feller is a partner at Ross Feller Casey, LLP in Philadelphia and gained national attention for successfully representing seven sexual assault victims of former football coach Jerry Sandusky in civil litigation against Penn State University.

Published on Fri, Apr 22, 2016 - 4:17PM