The Faculty of Law is delighted to announce the appointment of Myra Tawfik as the inaugural Don Rodzik Family Chair in Law and Entrepreneurship, the law faculty’s first endowed chair. Professor Tawfik, who holds the rank of Distinguished University Professor, is an expert in intellectual property law with an extensive background of research, teaching, community outreach, and policy development in intellectual property education for start-ups and entrepreneurs. The appointment is effective July 1, for a five-year term.

“I am truly honoured to have been selected as the inaugural Don Rodzik Family Chair and am grateful to the Rodzik family for their commitment to advancing research and community engagement at the intersection of law and entrepreneurship,” says Tawfik, who has been a professor at the University of Windsor since 1991. “I look forward to the many opportunities that this chair provides to support the entrepreneurship ecosystem in this region and beyond.”

During a September 2020 Transforming Windsor Law event, the Rodzik family announced its gift of $1 million to support the creation of the first endowed research chair position in Windsor Law’s history. The chair will provide current and future Windsor Law students with the tools to achieve educational excellence and address the changes and challenges of future entrepreneurs. The position will also provide advocacy and counsel to local businesses in the areas of law and entrepreneurship, strengthening University ties with the Windsor-Essex community.

“Professor Tawfik is truly a distinguished faculty member and we are very proud of her leadership as the inaugural Don Rodzik Family Chair,” adds acting dean Beverly Jacobs. “I look forward to the work that she will engage in with our students and community.”

—Rachelle Prince