HWS News
10 September 2025 • Faculty Three Professors Endowed
Professors in the sciences and humanities are recognized for their excellence as teachers and scholars.
For their academic contributions to Hobart and William Smith, Professor of Mathematics and Computer Science Jonathan Forde, Professor of Religious Studies Richard Salter ’86, P’15 and Professor of International Relations Stacey Philbrick Yadav have received endowed professorships.
Forde, who joined HWS in 2007, has been appointed the Philip J. Moorad and Margaret N. Moorad Professors in the Sciences. Forde’s research focuses on mathematical virology, the study of applying mathematical tools to better understand viruses. He has taught a variety of classes such as the mathematics capstone course and “Mathematical Models.” Forde was part of the team that brought the Research Experience for Undergraduates program to HWS. The event, funded by the National Science Foundation, brings students from colleges and universities across the country to study and conduct research with professors from HWS. Forde holds bachelor’s degrees from the University of Texas at Austin and a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan.
“It is clear to anyone who looks at his service record that Professor Forde contributes extensively to the community,” Erika King, associate professor of mathematics and computer science, said in her nomination letter. “He helped develop the Data Analytics program, which he currently cochairs. He served on the Committee on Tenure and Promotion and he served as chair of the Committee on Diversity, Equity and Social Justice. The fact that he was chosen to be chair of the Committee on Diversity, Equity and Social Justice shows that the committee members valued his guidance and have confidence in his work.”
Salter was named to the John Milton Potter Chair in the Humanities. Joining HWS in 1998, Salter has taught courses including “Rethinking Jesus,” “Religion and Resistance,” “Genocide in the 20th Century” and “Torah and Testament.” He has helped host the Human Rights and Genocide Symposium, a speaker and event series that explores a continuum of life-annihilating events and processes in our contemporary world, generously funded by Dr. Edward P. Franks ’72. He also helps lead The March: Bearing Witness to Hope, a 10-day trip to Germany and Poland to study the Holocaust under the collective guidance of Holocaust scholars, survivors, and Israeli and Polish guides. Salter has published works in Nova Religio, The Journal of Religion and Film, Pedagogy and International of Practical Theology. Salter earned his bachelor’s degree at HWS and his master’s and Ph.D. from the University of Chicago.
In nominating Salter, Associate Professor of Economics Keoka Grayson praises his courses. “Through texts, in-class discussions and writing assignments, he pushes his students to test their boundaries through the same level of reflection that he has committed his life to,” said Grayson in her nomination. “I have observed Professor Salter’s teaching style from the front row in our co-taught course, ‘Racial Utopias.’ The course ruminates on the possibility of a de-racialized ideal society. We ask students to investigate the necessities and sufficiencies of a functional and ideal race-less society. Professor Salter, through personal anecdotes and text, humanizes the internal conflict. His compassion allows him to recognize the turmoil and display a vulnerability that the students can relate to.”
Philbrick Yadav has been selected as the Joseph P. DiGangi Professor. Joining HWS in 2007, Philbrick Yadav specializes in comparative politics of the Middle East and North Africa, with a focus on how civil actors pursue justice under conflict and post-conflict conditions, especially in Yemen. Her courses include “Borders, Belonging, and Rights in the Middle East and North Africa,” “Post-Conflict Justice and Reconstruction” and “Human Rights and International Law.” Philbrick Yadav has also led the annual Anderton Forum for Global Engagement since its creation in 2022. Established by former Trustee James F. Anderton IV ’65, the forum brings leading experts to campus to share their insights and experiences on pressing global issues. She is the author of Yemen in the Shadow of Transition: Pursuing Justice Amid War (2022) and her scholarly articles have appeared in journals such as The International Journal of Middle East Studies and Middle East Report. Philbrick Yadav holds a bachelor’s degree from Smith College and a master’s and Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania.
“Professor Philbrick Yadav is more than deserving of this prestigious award," said Professor of International Relations Kevin Dunn. "Her work in Yemen is important and inspiring, but above all else, extremely relevant. And she is able to bring that focus and care into the classroom, role-modeling a deep ethical commitment to research and critical analysis. While intellectual rigor is a hallmark of her classrooms, so too is her deep commitment to students.”
Top: Professor of International Relations Stacey Philbrick Yadav, Professor of Mathematics and Computer Science Jonathan Forde and Professor of Religious Studies Richard Salter ’86, P’15
