Eric Muller, the Dan K. Moore Distinguished Professor in Jurisprudence and Ethics in Carolina’s School of Law, will become director of the Center for Faculty Excellence on Jan. 1.
Since 2008, the center has provided academic support to promote faculty development in teaching, research and leadership.
Muller came to UNC in 1998 from the University of Wyoming College of Law and since 2008 has also served as associate dean for faculty development in the UNC law school.
He has created systems to provide faculty with research and career advice and to reward their accomplishments in teaching, research and service, said Bruce W. Carney, executive vice chancellor and provost. He also developed and has managed a formal mentoring program for junior faculty and has established programs that support faculty scholarship.
Muller has a long-term interest in the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. He spent two years overseeing the content and design for exhibits in the Heart Mountain Interpretive Learning Center, which opened in August. Heart Mountain was the site of one of the largest Japanese American internment camps during World War II.
As he leads the center, Muller will continue to teach and conduct research in constitutional and criminal law. Widely regarded as an excellent educator, Muller received the Fredrick B. McCall Award for Teaching Excellence in 2010 and 2011.
“We are fortunate to have someone of Professor Muller’s stature agree to lead the next phase of the Center for Faculty Excellence,” Carney said. “Under his leadership, the center is well positioned to continue its efforts to contribute to the development of faculty members and create new opportunities to meet our faculty’s needs.”