Drake University announced the creation of the Clifford (“Cliff”) G. Rea Endowed Chair in Biology, which was made possible by a $4 million gift from the late alumnus Clifford G. Rea, AS’60. Professor David Senchina, Ph.D., is the inaugural chairholder.
Rea, a graduate of the Drake Biology Department, established the endowment to provide flexible, long-term support for an outstanding faculty member who excels at engaging undergraduates in research.
“Cliff’s generosity continues to shape the future of our Biology Department,” said Gesine Gerhard, Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences. “His legacy ensures that our students will experience the high-impact, hands-on learning that defines a Drake education. This endowment is a meaningful resource for student-driven discovery and will help foster strong, well-rounded biology professionals for years to come. I could not imagine a better inaugural Cliff Rea Endowed Chair of Biology than David Senchina with his strong commitment to involving undergraduate students in his research.”
Dr. Senchina was selected based on his outstanding research record, excellence in teaching, and active involvement of undergraduate students in research. Students in his lab have co-authored 22 peer-reviewed publications since 2011, focusing on the somatosensory perception—the body’s ability to sense touch, pressure, pain, and temperature—of athletic footwear.
“I’m blessed to be the first recipient of this Chair position, but I want to stress the real hero here is Cliff Rea,” said Dr. Senchina. “My role is to be a good steward of this gift, using it to expand hands-on research opportunities for students. Cliff’s generosity gives our students new scientific resources to continue their discoveries and innovations, and opportunities to hone career-relevant research skills.”
The funding from the Clifford G. Rea Endowed Chair will cover student stipends and the purchase of sophisticated equipment such as in-shoe pressure mapping systems, needed for ongoing experiments. This support ensures that undergraduates can immediately partake in research projects that have practical applications for consumers and athletes.
Dr. Senchina has served as a professor of Kinesiology and Immunology and associate biology department chair at Drake University. He teaches classes in both exercise science and human disease. He mentors students in a variety of exercise science research projects, most focusing on the ankle and foot. Apart from the students’ work, his current personal research projects involve preserving and breeding relic daylily cultivars. He holds two bachelor’s degrees (biology and elementary education with secondary endorsements) from the University of Northern Iowa, and a Ph.D. in immunobiology from the Department of Health & Human Performance at Iowa State University.