Emory University alumni Ann and Mike Hankin have established the first endowed distinguished professorship in the university’s Department of Political Science. The Ann and Michael Hankin Distinguished Professorship in Political Science celebrates Emory professors who work closely with and mentor their students.
“Ann and I feel very fortunate to have been part of a program that allowed us to get our master’s degrees during our senior year of undergraduate studies. We both had professors who, in addition to doing their own research and writing, took a very keen interest in their students,” says Mike Hankin 79C 79G.
“Our professors taught us to think critically, which meant grappling with things well below the surface of an issue,” says Ann Hankin 79C 79G. “The aim of our gift is to endow and protect this experience. Teaching future generations how to think and how to take it to the next level is a very appealing part of our philanthropy.”
For the couple, “taking it to the next level” includes ensuring that the Department of Political Science has the resources it needs to grow in both size and reputation.
“We would like to see this professorship used as a catalyst to celebrate the teacher/student experience we had and to recruit and retain faculty whose research and publications are at the highest levels — and who have a strong interest in spending time with students,” Mike says.
The couple cites professors Harvey Klehr and Thomas G. Walker as exemplars of the work their gift will foster. Both, they say, combined superb scholarship with deep interest in the academic achievement of their students.
“Working with exceptional students such as Ann and Mike Hankin is perhaps the greatest joy a professor experiences,” says Walker, Goodrich C. White Professor Emeritus.
Klehr, Andrew W. Mellon Professor Emeritus, agrees. “Ann and Mike took advantage of every available opportunity to expand their intellectual horizons, and no faculty member who taught them ever doubted they would achieve great things,” he says.
Michael J. Rich, who chairs the Department of Political Science, says ensuring a strong undergraduate experience and advancing the department’s reputation are complementary goals.
“In addition to funding a distinguished professorship, Ann and Mike Hankin made a separate gift to support programming within the department,” Rich said. “Thanks to them, we will host two conferences next fall: one on domestic public policy and another that will likely focus on authoritarian politics and democratic backsliding. We are so grateful to be able to offer these important opportunities for increased civic engagement, particularly in an election year.”
Ann and Mike Hankin (center) hold their 1979 honors theses with political science professors (l to r) Danielle Jung, Alexander Bolton and Michael Rich.
Their gift was motivated in part by the Faculty Eminence Initiative, which provides a 2:1 match when a donor commits to fund an endowed or distinguished professorship. This initiative, championed by Emory President Gregory L. Fenves, is a component of the 2O36 Campaign.
“Endowed faculty positions are built to last, bringing leading scholars to Emory who will shape the lives of students not just for a few years, but for generations to come,” Fenves says. “That’s precisely what Ann and Mike’s visionary investment in the Department of Political Science will do, and our community is deeply grateful for their generosity.”
After graduating from Emory, the Hankins went on to the University of Virginia, where they earned their law degrees. Mike is president and CEO of Brown Advisory, an investment management and strategic advisory firm, and Ann is a retired attorney who practiced with Piper & Marbury (now DLA Piper). They serve on multiple philanthropic boards.
They had been thinking about how best to support Emory, and this gift “allowed us to acknowledge the role that Emory and Drs. Klehr and Walker had in our lives,” Mike says. “Our undergraduate experience with such engaged professors wasn’t something that many of our peers around the country enjoyed. Emory definitely set us up for success.”
Ann agrees. “The ability to think critically, to write and to manage my time are skills that served me well as I went through law school and practiced law, and even now as a community advocate for different organizations. I learned these skills at Emory.”
Ann and Mike Hankin are seasoned philanthropists who support a variety of organizations and institutions.
“We want to make sure our children understand our lucky position of being able to give generously to institutions that have given so much to us,” Ann says. “It’s a privilege for us, and we hope our children and their peers will pick up the mantle in the generations to come.”