UF College of Education Alumni’s Professorships Aim to Advance the University

Through hosting events, championing the college’s work or philanthropic contributions, the University of Florida’s College of Education alumni recognize the importance of supporting current and future students. 

Many college alumni support their alma mater by providing opportunities for the college through professorship and endowed donations. These donations are prestigious awards that aim to advance the college, students, faculty and staff.

Larry C. Kubiak Endowed Professorship

Larry Kubiak (Ed.S. ’76, Ph.D. ’87) is the 2022 UF Distinguished Alumni Award recipient and current director of psychological services at Tallahassee Memorial Behavioral Health Center, a not-for-profit 50-bed inpatient psychiatric hospital. Kubiak also mentors future psychologists and has worked as a practicum supervisor for clinical and counseling psychology doctoral students from FSU for over 25 years.

Kubiak credits UF for preparing him to be a lifelong learner who continually seeks the truth and finds ways to improve the lives of those he serves, he said. 

With his wife, Vicki (M.S. ’82), the Kubiaks have shown their support of UF in many different ways, including with a research fellowship. 

His new professorship totals to $1 million over the next four years. 

“I think this provides a certain stability and funding in these ever-changing times that is essential to providing a world-class learning environment. We certainly want to have the best educators attracting the best students to address the monumental tasks that our world is facing,” Kubiak said.

Their endowment aims to encourage research by graduate students who are the first in their families to attend college. 

“I had interviewed several college presidents and determined one of the greatest things alumni can do, if they are in a position to do so, is to fund a professorship,” Kubiak said. “This provides necessary guaranteed funding to recruit the best professors which entices research funding, outstanding students and stability to the program. I’m blessed to be in a position to do this for the College of Education.”

Rosser Family Term Professorship

Mark Rosser (B.A.E. ‘79) is the the 2020 UF Distinguished Alumni Award recipient and has worked as a social studies teacher, a state administrator, lobbyist and an entrepreneur. The majority of his career was spent in the private sector helping to build and grow CSCGlobal, a Corporate Governance firm headquartered in Delaware. After spending more than three decades with CSC, he retired as senior vice president in 2020.

Rosser and his wife, Sally, who is a former middle school teacher, created their endowed professorship to support the future of education.

“It is important to both Sally and I because we both feel that teachers in general do not receive the support they deserve,” Rosser said. “I feel the College of Education at UF is well situated to provide the teachers of the future with the tools they need to be successful educators.”

Mark and Sally Rosser want their professorship to support “the teachers of teachers” in addition to students. The couple believes scholarships help remove any barriers that students might encounter before entering college.

When asked about his time at UF, Rosser reflects fondly, saying he hopes this professorship should continue to support all educators. 

“The campus was full of diverse groups and individuals. It was exciting for me to meet people from all walks of life, cultures, different socioeconomic backgrounds, different countries, different religions, etc.,” Rosser said. “But at the end of the day, we were all there to learn, plan for our future, compete for grades, discover opportunities, develop skills … It was a small sample of our world and I loved it.”

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