Robson Endowed Legacy Professorship Established at Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences
A new endowed legacy professorship at the Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences will recognize and support exceptional faculty in plant biology.
The Rutgers University Board of Governors approved the creation of the Robson Endowed Legacy Professorship on Oct. 1. The professorship was established through a gift from Mark Gregory Robson and Patricia Mykalosky Robson.
Robson first came to Rutgers in 1973 as an undergraduate at the newly established Cook College. He earned bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees from Rutgers and began his Rutgers career in 1979. Today, he is a distinguished professor of plant biology, associate vice provost for graduate education at Rutgers University-New Brunswick and dean of the School of Graduate Studies.
“I have spent my entire adult life at Rutgers, first as a student, where I had wonderful teachers, and then for many decades as a teacher, where I have had exceptional students,” said Mark Robson. “I feel truly fortunate to have been the beneficiary of an education at a public land-grant university. We felt strongly that this was an appropriate way to demonstrate our commitment to teaching and service excellence at Rutgers.”
Teaching and mentoring have been a significant part of Robson’s Rutgers career. In 2024, he received the Sustained Career Teaching Excellence Award, recognizing his decades of teaching and commitment to student success. His other honors include the Daniel Gorenstein Memorial Award in 2021, the Clement A. Price Human Dignity Award in 2020 and the Chancellor’s Award for Global Impact, among others.
Robson’s ties to Rutgers began even before he became a student. He grew up on a New Jersey farm, where his family interacted with Rutgers agricultural agents and participated in 4-H.
The professorship is designed to honor, retain or recruit an exceptional faculty member in plant biology, with a preference for someone who demonstrates a passion for educating students or goes above and beyond what is required of them. It will support teaching, research and professional activities in the field.
Rutgers’ Board of Governors approved the creation of legacy professorships in 2020, allowing current, emeritus and retired faculty members and their families to create endowed positions honoring their legacy at the university.
