Ute Striker generously endowed the Cecil L. Striker Professorship in honor of her late husband, Cecil L. Striker, Professor Emeritus of the History of Art, whom she met at Kalenderhane Camii in Istanbul. She taught Italian at Bryn Mawr and Haverford Colleges and German and Italian at Drexel University. Ute Striker gratefully acknowledges the advice and help of her nephew, Robert Lee Striker, Esq., in establishing this chair.

A world-renowned archaeologist and leading authority on Byzantine and Western Medieval architecture, Cecil L. Striker served on the Penn faculty from 1968 to 2001. During his tenure, he mentored generations of undergraduate and graduate students, and was instrumental in developing innovative graduate programs in the history of art. His groundbreaking archaeological work in Istanbul included the restoration of key Byzantine sites, such as Kalenderhane Camii and Bodrum Camii, where he uncovered Roman baths, medieval frescoes, rare mosaics, and earlier phases of ecclesiastic monuments.

Cecil L. Striker was a pioneer in applying dendrochronology to date medieval Mediterranean structures, and he was among the first to introduce computer-based analysis and statistical methods to the study of architectural history. Beyond his academic contributions, he held leadership positions with the American Research Institute in Turkey and the Council of American Overseas Research Centers, and advised the Istanbul municipality on major infrastructure projects. Working at the nexus of architecture and archaeology, he was also a driving force in shaping the late 20th century as a golden era for Byzantine Studies in North America. This professorship honors his enduring legacy of scholarship, mentorship, and innovation.