The University of Colorado Boulder has announced a $2 million commitment from longtime supporter Roe Green to establish an endowed chair in theater.

The first fully endowed chair in an arts discipline in CU's College of Arts and Sciences joins about eighty other endowed chairs at the university, more than fifteen of which have been funded since the $1.5 billion Creating Futures campaign was launched in 2006. Department of Theatre and Dance chair Bud Coleman will serve as the first Roe Green chairholder starting in 2015. Green approved the choice of Coleman because of his deep commitment to the artistic success and future careers of his students.

Green, who earned a bachelor of arts degree in theater from the university in 1970, has supported CU for a number of years. In addition to her financial contributions, she helped launch an annual theater-artist residency program at the university that is now in its eighth year. And at a time when arts programs are often overlooked by those seeking more career-oriented pursuits, she remains a firm believer in the importance of the performing arts. "Theater helps in all walks of life. It gives you an opportunity to speak in front of people. What makes us human are the arts."