Brian Rowan Awarded for Work
In late 2004, the Regents of the University of Michigan named four Collegiate Professorships in Education. A named chair or professorship is a unique way that the University honors both its historical figures and its current distinguished faculty. The regents honored Brian Rowan as one of the first holders of these professorships.
Burke A. Hinsdale Collegiate Professorship in Education (Brian P. Rowan)
Burke Aaron Hinsdale, a distinguished early professor of education
at the University of Michigan, was
educated at Hiram College, where
he was a pupil of James A. Garfi eld. After entering the ministry of the
Christian church, he was pastor successively in Solon and Cleveland,
Ohio. In 1869-70 he was professor
of history and English literature at
Hiram College, succeeding to its
presidency in 1870 and holding offi ce until 1882. He was then superintendent of public schools in Cleveland until 1886. Professor Hinsdale
was the second person to hold the
Chair of the Science and the Art of
Teaching at the University of Michigan from 1887 to 1900.
During the time Professor Hinsdale held this Chair, he was known throughout the nation as a leading figure in American education, as a result of both his public addresses and his writings, infl uencing educational policies in late 19th and early 20th century Michigan. Professor Hinsdale’s efforts helped create the offi ce of inspector of high schools and attached it to the Department of Education at the University of Michigan.
Brian Rowan is a sociologist whose scholarly interests lie at the intersection of organization theory and school effectiveness research. Over the years, Rowan has written on education as an institution, on the nature of teachers’ work, and on the effects of school organization, leadership, and instruction practice on student achievement. His current work includes a large-scale, longitudinal study of the design, implementation, and effectiveness of three of America’s largest comprehensive school reform initiatives. Prior to joining the education faculty at the University of Michigan in 1991, Rowan was a senior research director at Far West Laboratory for Educational Research and Development, and Chairperson of the Department of Educational Administration at Michigan State University. He received his Ph.D. from Stanford University in 1978.
This profile appeared in the Spring 2005 edition of Innovator
