April 21, 2017
Graff named Richard A. and Greta Bauer Pickett chair for exceptional faculty
David Graff, professor of history at K-State, has been named the university's Richard A. and Greta Bauer Pickett chair for exceptional faculty. A prominent military historian specializing in medieval China, Graff "has been a prolific scholar whose expertise has earned him a stellar international reputation," said Michael Krysko, associate professor and chair of the history department.
Graff serves as the interim director of the Institute for Military History and the associate director of the security studies program, an interdisciplinary partnership with the political science department aimed at students interested in national security, international affairs, world politics and transnational problems. He also teaches undergraduate coursework in both premodern and modern Asian history, and developed the history department's East Asian studies minor. Graff received the College of Arts and Sciences' William L. Stamey Teaching Award in 2015.
"We are pleased to announce Professor Graff's recognition with this endowed chair," said Amit Chakrabarti, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. "Professor Graff exemplifies the type of faculty talent we strive to recruit and retain in our college and at K-State. His record of accomplishment and tireless commitment to excellence in teaching and program administration make him a great asset to our university."
The Bauer Pickett chair was previously held by military historian David Stone.
Graff received his doctorate in East Asian studies from Princeton University in 1995 and came to Kansas State University in 1998 after holding temporary teaching positions at Southern Methodist University and Bowdoin College and spending a year as a visiting scholar at Harvard University. His research focuses on Chinese military history, especially that of the Tang dynasty, 618-907.