Fellow, Eugene McDermott Distinguished Professor
The McDermott Professorships were established in August 2017, funded by an anonymous gift, with the goal of providing early career support and recognition to faculty members who have established extraordinary records of research productivity, teaching excellence, and university service, and who show promise of being leaders of the UT Dallas faculty in the future.
Dr. Kanad Basu
- Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering
“Hardware is the last line of defense for any safety or security threat in computing environments. The McDermott Professorship will support our efforts to make next-generation hardware more reliable and secure.”
Dr. Michael Burton
- Associate Professor of Neuroscience
“The objective of our studies is to understand the impact of lifestyle choices, advanced aging and inflammation on pain development, reproduction and metabolic function. The mechanisms that underlie these maladaptive processes are highly sought after because current therapeutics fail to offer relief to a large percentage of patients. I am honored to receive this support to help my lab’s translational research goals and to continue my efforts in building diversity in science.”
Dr. Shuang (Cynthia) Cui
- Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering
“Buildings and industrial processes are among the world’s largest energy consumers. Through advanced materials and intelligent systems, we aim to boost energy efficiency where it matters most. The McDermott Professorship empowers us to create lasting solutions for a more sustainable future.”
Dr. Xianming (Simon) Dai
- Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering
“UT Dallas has provided an exceptional environment with outstanding students and colleagues, laying the foundation for me to start my academic career. I am deeply grateful to my students, postdocs and collaborators, who have contributed to every success of our research in advanced packaging, energy and water.”
Dr. Kendra Seaman
- Assistant Professor of Psychology
“My research program seeks to understand what motivates people, how this impacts their choices and how these things change across the adult lifespan. This understanding is important because the oldest section of the population commands significant economic and social leverage. I am immensely proud of the research lab we’ve built during my first six years at UT Dallas, and I am honored to receive this support to help continue our work.”
Dr. Adrianna Shembel
- Assistant Professor of Speech, Language, and Hearing
“My passion has been understanding laryngeal biology and physiology as it relates to voice use, vocal health and voice disorders. At The University of Texas at Dallas, I’m fortunate to work alongside brilliant colleagues and mentor students who are just as driven to explore these questions. My career has spanned clinical voice care, basic science and translational research — each step fueled by the desire to improve outcomes for individuals with voice disorders. UTD provides a unique environment that bridges innovation and collaboration, and I’m proud to be part of a community that values both.”
Dr. Catherine Thorn
- Assistant Professor of Neuroscience
“The reason that I got into this field was to help people, to discover things that were clinically translatable. It’s exciting to see that I can make a real impact.”