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The University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law has received a $1 million gift from an alumni couple to establish the Desmond and Jean Ruley Kearns Professor of Law, an endowed professorship in natural resources law.
Desmond “Des” Kearns is a registered professional engineer and member of the State Bar of Arizona, and has practiced both professions in the course of his natural resources career. Jean Ruley Kearns spent her career in university teaching and international development in more than 30 developing countries.
“We wanted to support the College of Law in a way that is meaningful to us and that elevated the quality and status of the law college in the future,” Des Kearns said. “Endowing the professorship will make a major impact and achieve those goals. We want to ensure that the law college educates lawyers who will optimize the beneficial use of our water resources, develop our natural resources and minerals in a responsible manner, and manage our climate and environment for the good of mankind.”
The endowed professorship will provide financial support and recognition to a faculty member who demonstrates expertise in, passion for and commitment to advancing natural resources law.
Des Kearns, Class of 1972, taught the natural resources law courses at the College of Law for several years. He earned his bachelor’s degree in mining engineering from Imperial College London, and worked in both coal and metal mining in the United States, Canada, Cyprus, England and Ireland, as well as in consulting capacities in Australia, Africa and Latin America.
Des Kearns spent several years in private law practice in Tucson, concentrating in natural resources, transactional and corporate law. He also served as general counsel and in executive management positions for several mining companies.
Jean Kearns, Class of 1959, Professor Emerita in the College of Agriculture, Life and Environmental Sciences, earned a bachelor’s degree from McNeese State University in Louisiana, a master’s degree in family and consumer sciences from the University of Arizona and a doctorate from Florida State University.
She started her career at McNeese State University but dedicated most of her teaching career to research and teaching at UArizona. She was a Fulbright Professor and has taught internationally at the University of British Columbia, Philippine Women's University and Singapore Teachers’ Training College.
After retiring from UArizona, she joined the Consortium for International Development, first as deputy director and then as executive director. CID was a consortium of 11 land-grant universities in the western United States that designed and implemented projects in the fields of agriculture, water resources, health and education in developing countries. She also was appointed by then-President Ronald Reagan to serve on the Board for International Food and Agricultural Development, a seven-person board that advises the United States Agency for International Development.
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