ITHACA, N.Y. -- The Cornell University Board of Trustees has awarded named professorships to five faculty members in the College of Veterinary Medicine. They include three new James Law Professorships, an Alfred H. Caspary Professorship and a John Olin Professorship. 

Normand Ducharme was named the James Law Professor of Surgery. Ducharme is diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons, medical director of the Equine and Farm Animal Hospitals at the Cornell Hospital for Animals and professor of surgery in the Department of Clinical Sciences. 

Joanne Fortune was named the James Law Professor of Physiology. Fortune will continue her duties as professor of physiology in the Department of Biomedical Sciences and professor of feminist, gender and sexuality studies. 

Katherine Houpt has been named the James Law Professor of Behavior Medicine. Houpt is diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists, director of the Animal Behavior Clinic at Cornell's Hospital for Animals and professor of behavioral physiology in the Department of Clinical Sciences.

James Law (1838-1921) was the first professor of veterinary medicine at Cornell and in the United States. The six Law professorships at the college were created in 1974 and serve to recognize distinguished faculty who have earned national and international reputations in veterinary medicine and the biomedical sciences and who have demonstrated a commitment to excellence and academic leadership. The other current Law professors are: Bud Tennant, James Law Professor of Medicine (since 1989); Alexander de Lahunta, James Law Professor of Veterinary Anatomy (since 1992); and Francis Kallfelz, James Law Professor of Medicine (since 1997). 

In addition, Judith Appleton, professor of immunology in the Mucosal Immunity Laboratory at the college's Baker Institute, was named Alfred H. Caspary Professor. The Baker Institute established the Alfred H. Caspary Professorship in the late 1950s to honor financial contributions from Caspary. The professorship furthers the research activities of the Baker Institute.

Colin Parrish, professor of virology in the Albert C. Bostwick Laboratory of Molecular Biology at the College's Baker Institute, was named the John Olin Professor. 

John M. Olin '13, a member of the Cornell Board of Trustees, is recognized as a foremost benefactor of the university. He was a lifelong sportsman with interests in dogs and horses and was instrumental in creating the Baker Institute in 1950. The founding director of the Baker Institute, James Andrew Baker, established the Olin professorship in 1963 to foster research in canine infectious diseases, one of Olin's strongest interests.