Contingent faculty are an increasingly common response to rising costs and growing enrollments (AAUP, 2014). Our research focuses on the small subset of contingent faculty whose institutions label them "Professors of Practice." They come to academia with deep professional/industry experience and leverage their unique knowledge, networks, and perspectives to support student learning and to advance programs. In a two-phase, mixed methods study conducted across two institutions, we explore the nature of Professors of Practice (PoPs): who they are, what they bring to academia, and what resources they need. We make recommendations for faculty developers and department heads/chairs working with PoPs.