Professor of Electrical Engineering
Erik Jonsson Distinguished Professor
Applying my algorithms to commercial products that are affecting the lives of millions of people is the kind of contribution I like making.
Professor of Accounting
Charles and Nancy Davidson Chair in Accounting
It has been wonderful to be a part of this institution during its amazing growth both in size and stature.
Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering
Fellow, Eugene McDermott Professor
With this generous professorship, I will be afforded unique flexibility to pursue discretionary research efforts that broaden fundamental understanding on the physics of turbulent flows. This has implications for design of engineering devices and for characterization of mixing in geophysical flows. UT Dallas is a science and technology powerhouse, founded by a science and technology powerhouse: I could not imagine a better environment for scholarly research.
Professor and Program Head of Economics
Ashbel Smith Professor
Economics is almost unique in that it allows you to produce research that is both rigorous and relevant. I can literally get my research ideas by looking at the world around me. I have used game theory to address topics as diverse as business ethics and counterterrorism. When it comes to the classroom, I believe that teaching is a commitment to provide a transformative experience.
Professor of Materials Science and Engineering and Bioengineering
Distinguished Chair in Engineering
At UT Dallas there is great diversity of faculty and students from all over the world – Latin America, Europe, Asia. … This helps a new generation of scientists have a broad vision of what science and technology are, not just in the United States, but worldwide.
I have pursued my research across diverse domains, as an entrepreneur, feminist theorist and organizational change architect. When I was hired as the dean of ATEC, I embraced the opportunity to lead this bold initiative for UTD because it would draw on these diverse experiences. ATEC is a collaborative effort among colleagues, staff and students to create a truly innovative research-education program that inspires new questions and creative insights across disciplines.
Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience and Cognitive Psychology
Ashbel Smith Professor
I want my research to help people, but at the same time, I’ve always had an instinctive desire to discover things. I tell my students it’s like Christmas morning when they come in with new data from a completed experiment. I don’t know where that comes from, it’s just instinctive – it’s the kind of thing that brings me joy.
The collaborative research environment with high-tech companies at UT Dallas sets us apart. Also, leaders of the companies in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex and our institution are all highly supportive of innovative research, including in emerging areas such as cloud computing.
This impact of our work largely reflects the fertile environment for creativity that exists at UT Dallas and so many dedicated and inspired students and colleagues of all ages who have made pivotal discoveries in collaborative research.
President
Eugene McDermott Distinguished University Chair of Leadership
UT Dallas is different by design. The differences are our defining characteristic. We are the school where the ‘rock stars’ do things like make animated films, build robots and play chess. We’re the school where students regularly win at the national level in debate, engineering design and competition for business ideas. And UTD is the proud home to fine student-athletes, more than a few of whom have achieved Academic All-American status. For those reasons and many more, students are choosing UTD in ever-increasing numbers.
Professor of Risk and Decision Analysis
Lars Magnus Ericsson Chair
Space is a risky business. It’s not the only risky business. Finance is a risky business. Drilling oil is a risky business. Nuclear plants are risky. Risk is a part of our lives, and it’s something to consider with attention.
Lloyd Viel Berkner Regental Professor
School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences
Nihil sine labore. (Nothing without labor.)
“An undergraduate research environment is the place where a student can assimilate information and then begin to construct complex solutions from simple pieces. This is about getting bright young individuals to apply research principles in a creative way. We encourage them to make mistakes and allow them to survive the process.”
There are exciting new opportunities at the interface of sciences and engineering. The ability to reliably edit the human genome and apply control will radically change therapeutics in the near future. I am honored and grateful to be in the company of this selected group of endowed professors.
Professor of Managerial Economics
O. P. Jindal Distinguished Chair
As a researcher, I’m most proud to have been a member of the group of scholars who introduced more nuanced behavioral portraits of people into decision-making theory. As a teacher, I am most proud when an ex-student calls me to say they benefited from something they learned in my classroom.
Being at UT Dallas has been continuously stimulating for me. From students with a wide range of ages, cultures and educational backgrounds to an atmosphere of reinvention and creative discourse: What’s not to love?
I feel privileged to work with such a talented team of researchers, clinicians and students at the UT Dallas Callier Center. I believe the work we do makes a major difference in improving the lives of so many individuals with communication disorders. We also are grateful for the generous support we receive from our committed donors, who are determined to help move communication research forward.
Former Fellow, Eugene McDermott Professor
Cyber-physical systems collect information for a reason, like allowing the home resident to lower energy consumption. But I want to help this growing industry with guidelines on how to allow them to achieve their goal with the data, while at the same time minimizing this collection of data to only what is necessary.
Former Texas Instruments Distinguished University Chair in Nanoelectronics
This endowed chair gave me the ability to do things that I couldn’t do before.
Professor of Computer Science
Ashbel Smith Professor
My view of research is solving very difficult problems using entirely new ideas. If my students and or I contribute ideas that are intellectually strong – those make me very proud because they last for a long time.
The majority of scientists focus on what is wrong with the brain. But, at the Center for BrainHealth, what is wrong is just our starting point. Our acclaimed cognitive neuroscience experts are dedicated to discovering ways to build resilience, regain cognitive function and retrain the brain to maximize the amazing potential of our most vital organ and greatest natural resource.
Associate Professor of Physics
Fellow, Eugene McDermott Professor
The magnetosphere consists of highly energetic charged particles, which can damage electronics on spacecraft or can be dangerous to astronauts. So, it’s very valuable to predict the dynamics of those energetic charged particles. My research focuses on using numerical models to better understand and predict the dynamics and variability of charged particles, as well as the magnetosphere in general.
Professor of Electrical Engineering
Erik Jonsson Distinguished Professor
Integrated circuits have been key to more powerful technology and how humans translate analog communications to the digital language of computers. Since the computer is ultimately working for us, optimizing that communication is crucial.
Professor in the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences
Ashbel Smith Professor
Voters are smart enough to know they are not smart enough.
Professor of Accounting
Former Ashbel Smith Professor
I am unabashedly honored to receive the recognition imparted by this investiture. I am proud to be a part of the Naveen Jindal School of Management and UT Dallas, as they continue to raise the bar in education and research in accounting. I am fortunate to be in the company of so many prestigious colleagues who do not hesitate to reward merit, and who possess a degree of integrity and candor unknown to others. I look forward to continuing my work here for the many, many years to come.
I spend a lot of time telling students that there is a world of difference between interesting and useful. You can be interested in something, but you have to ultimately be concerned about what is useful.
I feel privileged that I’ve been recognized with such an honor. It’s something I really never would have expected when I started out on this career path.
Our region’s pathway to prosperity is through innovation. We’re realizing the vision of our University’s founders to create the ‘MIT of the Southwest’ more quickly than anyone might have imagined.
Professor of Operations Management
Mike Redeker Distinguished Professor in Management
I see investiture as recognition of my efforts and success in publishing quality research and teaching. As far as day-to-day life is concerned, in terms of what I do, I think that largely remains unchanged in the sense that we continue to do our research, contribute to the broad domain of supply chain management, and try to publish in the best possible research outlets.
“I teach students the way I wished I was taught in college — where I make it a point to engage the students in discussions, make the atmosphere comfortable for asking questions and giving input, and try to ensure that students have time to digest the material. My goal is to make sure biology is accessible to everyone.”
Professor of Computer Science
Jonsson Distinguished Professor in Computer Science
We applied math that had never before been used in cryptography to solve these problems.
Professor of Management
Andrew R. Cecil Chair in Applied Ethics
I’ve been here almost 10 years, and I’ve been extremely impressed by the growth of the Naveen Jindal School of Management and the University. Given the increasing stature of a global nature of UT Dallas, it’s really a tremendous honor to be so recognized by my peers and the administration.
‘It is true because I believe it. It is true because I want to believe it. It is true because I have always believed it.’ These are among the myopic ways of thinking that good research and good teaching can address.
Associate Professor of Neuroscience
Fellow, Eugene McDermott Professor
UT Dallas has been incredibly supportive of our work investigating pathological mechanisms of migraine. The significant recent investments in infrastructure, including the world-class research building and core facilities we utilize, are instrumental both to the success of our work and to our ability to recruit talented students and postdoctoral fellows. Using this support, our ultimate goal is to translate the basic discoveries from the laboratory into new therapeutics, an effort I hope would make Eugene McDermott proud.
Professor of American History
Former Anne Stark Watson and Chester Watson History Professor
Financial support from the Watson Professorship greatly facilitated my research, buttressed the quality of my teaching, and enabled me to interact with Western and Native American scholars across the United States, Canada and even Western Europe.
Professor of Electrical Engineering
Distinguished Chair in Engineering
The most rewarding aspect of my research is the joy of moving the boundaries of science and technology. Inventing the future and leading research is a blessing, which is bestowed on only a few of us, and I personally cherish this gift.
Professor and Cecil H. and Ida Green Chair in Systems Biology Science
With new imaging technology, we can detect diseases early, before they progress to lethal stages, improving quality of life, lowering health care costs and, most importantly, saving lives.
Professor of Neuroscience
Bert Moore Chair in BrainHealth
To be awarded a chair with Bert Moore’s name is an honor and privilege. Bert Moore recruited me to UT Dallas. He was such a great advocate for young faculty. Holding the Bert Moore Chair will remind me of his boundless support and will drive me to contribute toward his legacy of transformative research in BBS and UT Dallas.
Associate Professor of Accounting
Former Sydney Smith Hicks Faculty Fellow
My hope is that each and every student will walk away from my class with an appreciation for the importance of accounting to our economy and, more than that, I hope that they are excited about being a part of this profession when they graduate.
I appreciate the collegial environment at UT Dallas. I consistently have opportunities to collaborate with experimentalists who are at the forefront of the field. Together, we will discover the best ways to use new materials to transform society.
UT Dallas is unique in its ambition to bridge computing and engineering with the arts and humanities. There are a lot of possibilities here.
Professor of Chemistry
Robert A. Welch Distinguished Chair in Chemistry
My research area involves uncovering new reactions in organic chemistry that will allow us to synthesize a broad range of organic molecules of practical importance in polymer and materials science, biology and medical applications.
Professor of Materials Science and Engineering
Former Distinguished Chair in Microelectronics
The lifeblood of a great research university is the innovative work done by faculty members, researchers and graduate students from many disciplines in laboratories across the campus.
It is an extraordinary honor to be associated, through the Nelle C. Johnston Chair, with a woman who centrally changed the lives of children with communication disorders, both through her work with children with hearing impairment and her central role in the development of the Callier Center for Communication Disorders. To this day, the Callier Center continues to help so many children and their families in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. I am deeply honored to carry forward, through my research and its application to clinical treatment, her tradition of service to children with communication disorders and their families.
Our success as an institution of higher education has always been premised on our research accomplishments. It is my goal to support those accomplishments by being an active advocate for attaining the highest level of excellence in postgraduate education at our institution while promoting a rich diversity of people and ideas.
The facilities at UTD are world class and provide the space and equipment for my research laboratory to thrive. The leadership at UTD has worked hard to remove potential barriers to success, which has created an excellent environment to get things done.
Professor of Geospatial Information Sciences
Ashbel Smith Professor
In recognition of Marinus of Tyre, father of mathematical geography, students need to: enroll in more geospatial science and mathematics courses as part of a life-long learning curriculum, know how to use a global positioning system unit, known fondly by many as a GPS unit, and know whether or not a hand calculator is giving correct answers.
Professor of Computer Science and Erik Jonsson Chair
Computing science is rooted in mathematics and logic. It is exciting to be part of a field that can be theoretical and practical both at once.
Professor of Accounting
Professor of Finance and Managerial Economics
Ashbel Smith Professor
There are several inefficiencies in our society. Many consumers make poor financial choices and many firms suffer from imperfect market designs. I get great satisfaction from my research if I can offer solutions to these inefficiencies. I am grateful that I have been recognized with such an honor for my research.
Former Mary McDermott Cook Distinguished Chair for Undergraduate Education and Research
Research shapes teaching agendas; mentoring guides students toward reaching their potential; policy work has led to grants to support undergraduates; and administrative service focuses on how to better serve undergraduates.
Professor of Computer Science
Distinguished Chair in Computer Science
What is fascinating in what we’re doing today is that it doesn’t take long before there is commercial interest. The time between our research and technology transfer is very short. So it’s rewarding that we don’t have to wait long for people to get excited about what we’re doing.
Professor of Computer Science
Louis Beecherl Jr. Distinguished Professor
I want to show students how scientific, mathematical and formal reasoning can help us protect the world from dangerous cyberthreats.
Every student has something to offer. I’m proud of working with many outstanding students and seeing that we build on their strengths in engineering and science to let them shine, and minimizing any weaknesses. This helps prepare them for success in their career.
Associate Professor of Computer Science
Research Initiation Chair
I love teaching and the interaction that I have with young people. I enjoy watching them develop and blossom into experts.
I am proud to be the first holder of the Mary McDermott Cook Chair in the Hobson Wildenthal Honors College. The chair symbolizes the close relationship between the McDermott Family, Mary McDermott Cook and honors education at UT Dallas. I plan to use the chair to promote academic excellence in the Honors College and to cultivate the life of the mind here at UT Dallas.
Professor of Behavioral and Brain Sciences
Distinguished Chair in Neuroscience
The Center for BrainHealth and the University of Texas at Dallas have given me the opportunity to take our work into how normal people store and retrieve knowledge in the brain and apply that to a wide array of medical and societal issues. More importantly, it has offered the opportunity to help train the next generation of cognitive neuroscientists, the accomplishment of which I am the proudest.
Associate Professor of Bioengineering
Fellow, Eugene McDermott Professor
It’s a great honor to be recognized with the Eugene McDermott Endowed Professorship and a thrilling time to be at UT Dallas. I’m grateful to work with brilliant, engaged students and colleagues every day as we strive to merge engineering and neuroscience to develop real solutions for patients.
Understanding the interaction of the Earth, the space around it, and the sun addresses the intellectual question of how planets interact with their neighboring star. It also allows us to learn how our environment affects current space technologies.
Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering
Fellow, Eugene McDermott Professor
Microwave engineering education and research is at an all-time high as commercial applications are being developed in this regime. UT Dallas has established an excellent program to support radio frequency (RF) engineers for the next generation. Our students leave here making an impact in a short period of time for the greater good. I love being part of that.
UT Dallas offers tremendous opportunities for me to continue advancing my research activities. The research facilities, including the Cleanroom Research Laboratory and characterization facilities at the Natural Science and Engineering Research Laboratory, are world-class and provide invaluable resources to faculty and students in pursuing forefront research.
Regental Professor and Associate Vice President for Strategic Initiatives
UT Dallas is an exciting place to be. I am particularly grateful for the strong support I’ve received from the University and the community, which has allowed me to create a significant science and engineering education outreach program at UT Dallas.
Professor of Information Systems
Lars Magnus Ericsson Chair
The move to UT Dallas is one of the best decisions that I have made, and I’ve been fortunate to be a part of the progress that we’ve seen in the Naveen Jindal School of Management. To me, being involved in the change process has probably been one of the most satisfying aspects of my career so far.
Professor of Marketing
O.P. Jindal Distinguished Chair
The O.P. Jindal Chair will allow me to advance my research. I feel deeply humbled and honored to receive this chair.
Professor of Operations Management
Ashbel Smith Professor
UT Dallas and the Jindal School have provided me the perfect environment to develop my research and teaching abilities to their fullest potential. I am grateful to the leadership of the school, University and the UT System for awarding me this chaired professorship and the generosity of the many supporters of UTD for providing the resources for such chairs.
Professor Emeritus in the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences
Former Ashbel Smith Professor
My life has been filled with extraordinarily talented colleagues. I step into a revolving door with them and step out onto a different street.
Professor of Operations Management
Ashok and Monica Mago Distinguished Professor in Management
Behavioral operations management is one of the fastest-growing areas of operations management. Already, the field of behavioral operations management has contributed to our understanding of how operations management models are likely to work in practice. It is my hope that down the road, this better understanding will improve how these models are implemented and used in industry.
Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Erik Jonsson Distinguished Professor
I am grateful to the anonymous donor who made this professorship possible. I see this professorship or any endowed position coming with a responsibility: to educate students through teaching and research in such a way that they are inspired to make a difference in society.
Professor of Neuroscience
Margaret Fonde Jonsson Professor
I thanked one of my early mentors in my doctoral thesis for telling me I was thinking like a technician. At the time he said that, I was a technician, but he told me, ‘Don’t do that; you can think beyond what you’re doing and your job description.’ That was a big deal for me, so now I try to give students the same opportunity to do as much as they can.
Professor of Materials Science and Engineering
Louis Beecherl Jr. Distinguished Professor
We invested and built our nanomaterial characterization facilities from scratch, and now UT Dallas capabilities are, if not the best, one of the best in the state of the Texas.
Director of the Center for Asian Studies
Associate Provost
Ignacy and Celina Rockover Professorship
UT Dallas has provided an environment that encourages boldness and adventure in teaching, research and the development of new programs. What better place for someone who studies epic poetry and heroism?
Since coming to Dallas, my work and career have grown a great deal through the collaborative efforts available at UT Dallas. The structure of BBS enables new opportunities in research and a coming together of a diverse group of minds over challenging neurological problems.
Professor of Marketing
Ashbel Smith Professor
The Naveen Jindal School of Management and UT Dallas provide an amazing research environment through encouraging creativity and recognizing valuable research, service and teaching contributions of the faculty and students. The growth of JSOM and UT Dallas and the improvement in their worldwide recognitions have been phenomenal. I am also sure the upward trajectory will continue for years to come.
The Callier Center is one of the premiere communication institutions with a very good reputation for research, and it is known for outstanding clinical services and clinical training. I am pleased to be working with students who will drive the audiology field forward and who are preparing to be future leaders.
Former Cecil H. and Ida Green Professor in Systems Biology Science
My work has always inhabited the intersection of biology, chemistry, physics and engineering.
Professor of Managerial Economics
Ashbel Smith Professor
The point of doing research is to have somebody read it, and have somebody act on it, otherwise you might as well have not written it. It’s nice to know that researchers and policy makers are being influenced by your work.
Former Arts and Humanities Distinguished Chair
UT Dallas students are the smartest I’ve taught. Most of them write very well, so it gives me great hope that the stories of the future will come out of this generation.
Professor of Electrical Engineering
Cecil H. and Ida Green Professor in Systems Biology Science
I aim to use engineering principles to help hearing-impaired people better communicate in complex and challenging listening conditions. My research is very gratifying because it improves the quality of life for the hearing-impaired and their loved ones.
Professor of Mechanical Engineering
Louis Beecherl Jr. Chair
In just one month we completed accelerated life testing for biocompatible polymers in the pacemaker, which makes the new design possible. The new pacemaker has been tested under accelerated conditions to ensure safe operation for 10 years. The redesigned device helped save people’s lives.
I knew Cecil Green in the last decade of his life. My PhD advisor was the Green Chair in Geophysics at Stanford, and Cecil Green used to come by to visit us once or twice a year. Cecil and I made a great connection because we had similar paths; he grew up in Vancouver and attended the University of British Columbia, and became a geophysicist, as I did. It is therefore a great honor for me to hold the Cecil and Ida Green Chair in Geophysics at UT Dallas.
Professor of Electrical Engineering
Distinguished Chair in Microelectronics
Integrated circuit design is the core of electrical engineering, which requires expertise in device physics and fabrication, circuit architecture, power management, signal processing, and system control. However, the beauty of IC design is not restricted within the domain of engineering. It indeed goes far beyond it, providing abundant freedom and space for unique and artistic personal touches in a nanometer scale wonderland.
Professor and Director of Guitar Studies
Russell Cleveland Professor in Guitar Studies
I am honored to be the first holder of this professorship. Russell’s commitment to our program goes much deeper than his generous financial support over the years. He always volunteers his time and wisdom, both of which are priceless to us. Russell’s creative thinking and managerial prowess have been great assets to the festival and building a world-class guitar series.
Professor of Arts and Technology
Professor of Physics
Arts and Technology Distinguished Chair
We face hard problems in society today where we have no choice but for the sciences and the arts and humanities to work together. UT Dallas is taking the lead in creating innovative connections.
Professor of Accounting
Ashbel Smith Professor
I am proud to be part of the UT Dallas community. I feel honored and humbled by this recognition — especially knowing that so many of my colleagues are equally deserving.
Director of the Center for Lithospheric Studies
Former Ida Green Professor
The main goal of my research is production of detailed 3D imaging of Earth structures and physical properties by designing computer algorithms to image seismic and electromagnetic waves that propagate through them. The most satisfying aspect of my research is seeing all of the graduate students that I have supervised doing well in their careers and their lives as a result of their UT Dallas education.
Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering
Fellow, Eugene McDermott Professor
I appreciate the vision of our administration in recognizing my contribution in bringing recognition to UT Dallas through prestigious and highly competitive YIP awards from the Department of Defense, as well as graduating three PhD students in five years at UT Dallas. With the resources provided by this endowed professorship, I commit to bring more recognition to UT Dallas and continue graduating doctoral students that carry the UTD name and quality in their careers.
Professor of Systems Engineering
James Von Ehr Distinguished Chair in Science and Technology
UT Dallas is a young and ambitious university with clear direction, In a vibrant environment like this, more interesting things happen. People are more open to new ideas, and the desire to collaborate across disciplinary boundaries fuels growth and innovation.
Professor in the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences
Founders Professor
I have had great luck in life, making it possible to participate in many different kinds of research and to make contributions to various areas of science.
Professor of Information Systems
Charles and Nancy Davidson Chair in Information Systems
I love this work a lot. I like research. I like teaching, so recognition is like icing on the cake. I would do the same thing with or without the recognition. This is sort of a dream job for me.
Former Professor of Psychological Sciences
Former Aage and Margareta Møller Distinguished Professor
The great community support that UT Dallas continues to receive has had an enormous impact on our school, greatly increasing the quality of our training for students and the significance of our research.
I am honored to hold the Mary McDermott Cook Chair for Undergraduate Education. Mary McDermott Cook’s dedication to philanthropy and education contributes to the life of the Dallas area in so many wonderful ways.
As the University evolves to become a more mature research university, so will the role of the provost. It is the responsibility of the president and the provost to provide vision and leadership and to take action to move UT Dallas into the future, providing even greater opportunities for student growth and achievement.
Professor of Computer Science and Interactive Media
Ashbel Smith Professor
Instead of becoming the MIT of the Southwest, UT Dallas is affirming a different academic identity: students enthusiastic about original ideas. Exceptional members of the faculty, from all schools, never refusing the chance to interact with my students, make me feel at home, even in hot Dallas. Yes, I am teaching because it gives me a chance to continue learning, and boy, do I learn at UT Dallas.
Professor of Finance
O. P. Jindal Distinguished Chair in Finance
I have an enduring faith in the role of well-functioning markets to allocate capital to its most productive use and, thereby, contribute to economic growth and development.
Professor of Electrical Engineering
Erik Jonsson Distinguished Professor
I am continually inspired by the positive, can-do spirit of our students, staff, and faculty. It is a blessing to work in such an excellent environment, and it is an honor to be appointed as an Erik Jonsson Distinguished Professor.
I joined UT Dallas from North Carolina State University, where I had served since 1998 as head of the Chemistry Department and a chaired chemistry professor in the College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences. Attracted by the ambitious agenda set forth by our upper administration, I stand ready to meet the challenges associated with elevating this institution into the Tier One research university rankings.
I’ve had great students over the years. It’s an amazing experience to mentor and build lifelong relationships with students who are highly motivated and successful.
Professor in the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences
Aage and Margareta Møller Professor
The work we have done over the years represents a collaboration of many minds and ideas. The students in my lab, both graduates and undergraduates, as well as our local, national and international colleagues, are part of a single effort with many vital parts. We are enormously grateful for support from our donors. The kindness and generosity of Aage and Margareta Møller in support of the endowed professorship I hold, and the active interest and research funding from federal funding agencies over the years, have made our work possible.
Professor and Director of the Center for Children and Families
Robinson Family Professor
My work for 20 years on the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development had a great impact on my career, bringing about rich collaborations with wonderful colleagues. I’ve extended this work providing consultations with numerous teams of researchers, both nationally and internationally, in assessing qualities of parent-child interactions from infancy through adolescence.
Professor of Management Science
George and Fonsa Brody Professor in Management
I am passionate about working with students, researchers and practitioners on the next new ‘think’ that calls for the exciting opportunity to explore, learn, define, solve and contribute. I strive to work on high-impact management topics. I hope to leave a lasting and positive impact on the lives of organizations and people. I cannot imagine working at a better place than an institution that has a mission of producing high-quality products, services, research and graduates, and that is rigorous and fair in achieving its mission. UTD today is such an institution. Hence, this investiture is an honor.
Former Professor of Literature and History
Former Leah and Paul Lewis Chair of Holocaust Studies
I am deeply grateful to this institution that has helped and encouraged me to explore the issues I am most interested in: the political, intellectual, and cultural circumstances and consequences of the Holocaust, the brutal murder of 6 million Jews. I deeply appreciate that it supports me in my endeavor… to translate into English some of the greatest poetic treasures of German and Hungarian literatures.
The quality of students at UT Dallas is extraordinary and working with them is the highlight of my career. Some of the most innovative aspects of my group’s research result from student mentorship and engagement.
I am proud to be a member of the UT Dallas community and to be mentoring an extraordinary group of scientists dedicated to addressing a topic of tremendous medical and societal importance: maintaining the health and vitality of the aging mind.
Professor of Literature and History
Hillel A. Feinberg Distinguished Chair in Holocaust Studies
When I think of my time here at UT Dallas and the Ackerman Center for Holocaust Studies, my overwhelming feeling is one of gratitude. I am especially grateful to Hobson Wildenthal and my colleague, Zsuzsanna Ozsvath. I shall strive to merit the kindness and the confidence they have shown me.
Professor of Organizations, Strategy and International Management
O. P. Jindal Distinguished Chair
Investiture is a tremendous demonstration of our University’s commitment to excellence in scholarship. My field is global competition. So how do universities compete? It’s really top faculty competing with other top faculty at other universities. In that regard, we are initiating at UT Dallas a fine tradition to honor top faculty.
Former Professor of Criminology
Former Ashbel Smith Professor
There is no better job than teaching and mentoring. It is the most rewarding part of one’s career.
Former Robert E. Holmes Jr. Professor of Criminology
At the end of it all, we must always ask of ourselves, and our research, ‘so what have we learned?’
Dean of the Naveen Jindal School of Management
Caruth Chair
The message that investiture sends to the University community as well as the outside community is that UT Dallas not only places a high value on research accomplishments, but also that UT Dallas is here to compete with the best universities in the U.S. with substantial numbers of distinguished professorships and chairs. We have the means of attracting the very best faculty out there and retaining them.
Professor of Bioengineering
Cecil H. and Ida Green Professor in Systems Biology Science
You can never go wrong as long as you stay true to the fundamental principles.
Professor of Neuroscience and Program Head, Neuroscience BS
Eugene McDermott Professor
When I first set foot on the UTD campus in 1993 as a 19-year-old freshman, I never could have imagined that I would one day receive such an honor from the institution that has given me so much already. Our scientific work is focused on understanding what causes chronic pain and discovering new ways to treat this most common and often disabling disease. The talented students and postdocs, collaborators throughout the UT System, and resources that UTD has helped us assemble give me confidence that our understanding of chronic pain is advancing at an accelerating pace. We are getting closer and closer to developing new therapeutics that will improve the lives of people with intractable pain. This is our goal.
Professor in Arts and Humanities and Guggenheim Fellow
Arts and Humanities Chair
Whether we like it or not, we live at a time when borders and frontiers become more tenuous by the minute. I am excited about teaching at UT Dallas because we consider science and technology from the perspective of the humanities, and vice versa. In a global society, it is essential to learn how to look over one’s shoulder. This is why I seek to give my students the tools to navigate beyond the ‘Pillars of Hercules.’
Professor Emeritus in History
Ashbel Smith Professor
The growth and transformation of the University during my 35 years at UT Dallas has been both astounding and gratifying. And the future holds bright promise for the students, staff, and faculty of our University. I could not be prouder than to have spent my academic career at UT Dallas and eagerly anticipate our University’s continued growth and intellectual development.
Professor of Accounting and Information Management
Constantine Konstans Distinguished Professor
Businesses in general, and accounting in particular, face hard problems in this ever-changing globally connected world. Research provides innovative insights into these challenging issues and problems, and these innovative insights help students hone their critical thinking skills to be successful business leaders.
Professor of Information Systems
Ashbel Smith Professor
I feel privileged and honored to receive this recognition. It has been very satisfying to be part of this wonderful institution and to see the growth of the Naveen Jindal School of Management.
Professor of Electrical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering
Distinguished Chair of Engineering
By creating more efficient power systems based on renewable energy and that produce lower emissions, my contributions could help preserve precious resources.
Professor of Marketing
Founders Professor
The Founders Chair has helped me in my research in a very direct way. It provides funds for me to travel to different places and work with others. But it also allows a certain message to reach the outside world about UT Dallas, that good work is recognized by the University.
Professor of Marketing
Charles and Nancy Davidson Chair in Marketing
I was attracted to the UT Dallas Naveen Jindal School of Management because I observed that it was moving upward, and that I would have a chance to contribute to its development. I have not been disappointed. I have found the school to have a great working environment and strong leadership.
Professor of Finance and Managerial Economics
Susan C. and H. Ronald Nash Distinguished Professor
The type of research I do is abstract: modeling corporate finance-related issues. And I think what it does is help people to recognize the forces at work that drive corporate decisions on things like compensation, the composition of boards of directors and corporate restructuring.
Professor of Neuroscience
Texas Instruments Distinguished Chair in Bioengineering
Health care is one of the greatest challenges facing our country financially, and I think developing solutions for neurological conditions is going to be key to tackling a significant portion of this challenge.
Associate Professor of Physics
Fellow, Eugene McDermott Professor
A number of factors make this field of study compelling to me, including being able to work at amazing observation sites, design new experiments, develop new techniques for analysis and interpretation of measurements, and interface fundamental science with engineering.
Professor of Music
Chair in Art and Aesthetic Studies
I was among the first arts and humanities faculty at UT Dallas in 1975. My students and colleagues have brought me many joys, especially the former students who have kept in touch over the past 36 years. I have particularly enjoyed the opportunity to make music on campus with my Musica Nova ensemble and to have several of my works performed and sometimes premiered here. After the next 36 years, I will be 101, at which point I hope I can afford to retire.
UT Dallas is growing exponentially. I find this an immensely invigorating and intellectually stimulating space.
My administrative, teaching and research career at the UT Dallas’ Callier Center has been utopian – an experience that, if I had to dream about it when I was a budding audiologist, I would have never thought possible. From the day I came to Dallas in 1972 until the present, I have been and continue to be amazed at the vast resources that are available and the phenomenal work being done.
Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Department Head
Erik Jonsson Chair
Through my work in academia, industry and the federal government, I have become a strategist who enjoys working with faculty, students and other stakeholders to create high-quality academic programs that deliver new knowledge to society and the talent to apply it.
Director of the Center for Vital Longevity
Distinguished Chair in Behavioral and Brain Sciences
The scientific facilities of the Center for Vital Longevity and the support of UT Dallas provide the ideal environment for the further development and expansion of my research.
Neuroscience isn’t something you can do in a small way. It has to be done big, and it has to be done right. This is the vision at UT Dallas, the Center for BrainHealth and UT Southwestern Medical Center.
Chair Emeritus Vibhooti Shukla Professor of Economics and Political Economy
The study of global collective action can provide profound insights into policymaking that can better the world in so many ways.
Professor of Information Systems
Charles and Nancy Davidson Chair
Anytime there is recognition of this nature from the University, that means a lot to me as an academic. On the one hand, of course, we are rewarded in other ways, too. But I think given our profession, at the end of the day, recognition like this is probably the highest form of reward that goes over and above the other more traditional reward mechanisms.
Professor of Arts and Humanities
Katherine R. Cecil Professor in Foreign Languages
The practice and theory of translation open the door to a successful interaction with other cultures. Only through the act of translation can a meaningful communication among people and nations be achieved.
Professor of Operations Management
Eugene McDermott Chair
I am honored and deeply humbled to be the holder of this chair. The Naveen Jindal School of Management has provided an environment in which to build one of the world’s best programs in operations management. The growth and intellectual development of UT Dallas during my time here has been without parallel, and I am looking forward to an even brighter future.
My background in chemistry, metabolism and imaging provides me with unique insights that many chemistry professors never have the opportunity to have experienced. I am motivated by the feeling that my research can make an impact in society.
UT Dallas has the most exciting trajectory of any university in the country. Behavioral and Brain Sciences has a trajectory that is ascending, and my field is what BBS does: neuroscience, psychology, and speech and hearing sciences.
Associate Provost
C.L. and Amelia A. Lundell Distinguished Professor of Life Sciences
Despite the large growth in enrollment, UT Dallas retains many of the advantages of a smaller institution, in particular the opportunities for individual interactions with students. I like to give research experiences to undergraduate students and to train graduate students. Watching them go on to successful careers in their chosen domains is a source of great pleasure.
Holding both the Ericsson Chair and Excellence in Education Chair is a rare honor, for which I am very grateful and extremely honored. Our success at UT Dallas would not be possible without the tremendous generosity and support of our donors.
Professor of Operations Management
Naveen Jindal School Advisory Council Chair
Investiture is a very important honor. It is very nice thing the University is doing, recognizing the accomplishments of all of the chairs. UT Dallas places a very high value on faculty research, which is important to get closer to Tier One status.
Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and of Bioengineering
Eugene McDermott Professor
I developed my mentoring style by using five simple steps: Care for your students; look beyond the surface and do not discard anyone out-of-hand; learn about your students’ concerns; establish a connection and be honest about your expectations; and constantly provide feedback and encouragement.
Former Professor of Computer Science
Former Founders Professor
I want to be remembered for contributing to the body of knowledge in my discipline. I’ve found solutions to open problems that nobody knew how to solve.
John F. Kain Professor of Economics
As an applied econometrician, I have tried to follow the three research principles. First, do not believe previous theories and claims proposed by others. Second, do not believe yourself either. Finally, just try to listen to your data. Eventually the data will tell you the truth.
I am honored to receive this endowed professorship at the Jindal School of Management. With the support from the dean’s office and the faculty members in my area, I hope to contribute to improving the overall reputation and visibility of our school in the future.
My goal has been to solve challenging research problems of national significance, which is why I got into cybersecurity 26 years ago. After spending many years in the industry and at the National Science Foundation, I felt that UT Dallas was the ideal place where I could continue to contribute to our national security.
Former Nelle C. Johnston Chair in Communication Disorders in Children
It’s an honor to hold the Nelle C. Johnston chair. She was a strong advocate for providing a sound education for young children experiencing hearing difficulties.
Professor of Arts and Humanities
Ashbel Smith Professor of Literary Studies
The students at UT Dallas are outstanding; they are so open to new thinking and creative thought. And the University’s administration also has been so receptive to my ideas. It has been such an honor to work at this University.
I think investiture helps to build the reputation of the school and UT Dallas as a university. Then, people gradually get to know more about UT Dallas in that not only do we have good teachers, but also good researchers. The top universities in the world are famous not only for teaching but also for their research.
Former Professor of Literature and Creative Writing
Former Founders Professor
UT Dallas is a haven for independent thought and brilliant interdisciplinary collaboration and research. It is also a deeply rewarding place to teach – especially in the School of Arts and Humanities – because of its lively and curious students, its excellent faculty colleagues and its location next to an exciting city. I have found my own strengths here, as many people have.
My career has always been focused on teaching, in the lab and in the classroom. My research requires following many families over time to assess origins and outcomes of anger and aggression.
Biology nowadays is as much an information-based science as it is an experiment-based science. Rapid advances in technology have made it easy to generate vast amounts of raw data, and the next step is interpreting these data, finding patterns, unearthing new biological phenomena and translating these findings to clinical practice.
Professor of Materials Science and Engineering
Erik Jonsson Distinguished Chair
There is nothing like being engaged with young people in the field. They’re great at pushing boundaries and questioning what’s accepted. That’s when you’ll find new discoveries.
The story of this work provides a fundamental justification for academic tenure. The fruits of the research only ripened into wide success after 20 years of work, work which experts thought was hopeless and pointless when it commenced. While many other threads of my research were productive and provided the basis for tenure and promotion, without the stability of tenure it would have been irrational to continue pursuing this one big research theme for half a career. (Maybe in one sense the experts were correct, and I was just stubborn, but lucky, for without the amazing development of computing power that paralleled the research, the final successes would have been impossible).
Assistant Professor of Finance
Former Sydney Smith Hicks Faculty Fellow
It is a great honor to be named the Sydney Smith Hicks Faculty Fellow. This fellowship is not just a reward. It is an inspiration for me to do more valuable research to contribute to my school and profession.
Professor of Geospatial Information Sciences
Ashbel Smith Professor
Geospatial revolution has changed the ways we think, behave and interact through location-aware devices, location-based services, Web mapping applications and crowd-sourced or volunteered geographic information. We have access to so much information about where we are, what is nearby and how to get to places. There are great opportunities for us to develop effective approaches to making sense of the data, analyzing alternative scenarios, communicating geographic dynamics and collaborating on what we can do to make the world a better place.
The hallmark of a great control systems engineer is seeing the big picture and solving existing problems. It is deeply satisfying to know that my team found a solution for air-to-fuel ratio control in cold-start applications, and that those answers led to more-efficient cars on the road.
I have always been very proud to contribute to the education of a very large number of excellent students in the Dallas-Fort Worth area in biological sciences, and to work hard to enhance UTD’s reputation and strengths in biological research.
At UT Dallas, our work focuses on the global or systems-wide understanding of important life and disease processes such as cancers.
Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Cecil H. and Ida Green Professor in Systems Biology Science
I came to UTD, a place I fell in love with after my very first visit, with a dream of being an excellent scholar and teacher. UTD has top-notch research facilities and offers great support to faculty. In the past decade, I have witnessed a dramatic growth of the University in all aspects, which is the foundation of the success of my research program. The great support from my colleagues and the administration makes UTD an excellent place to start a successful career. It is my great honor to receive this prestigious professorship.
Professor of Information Systems and Finance
Ashbel Smith Professor
The professors at the Naveen Jindal School of Management are among the most productive in the country. I am proud to be among this group and look forward to working with them to grow the school and provide insights to our bright students.