Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences – Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences

Robert Jordan: ambassador and professor

Daily Campus Originally Posted: October 18, 2018 When the President asks for your service, do you say yes? Even if it could cost you your life? Robert Jordan, who would later become a professor at SMU, met George W. Bush long before the latter held the title of president. A lawyer, Jordan represented Bush during an SEC investigation into a stock trade. Jordan said the young George Bush was very decisive and friendly, with a memorable sense of humor. Young Bush was also impatient, and did not wish to spend time waiting for an investigation to proceed when he knew he had done nothing wrong. After about two years of debate, Jordan was able to convince the SEC of that as well. Soon after, Bush [...]

By Katherine Nickles| 2018-10-19T06:51:57+00:00 October 19th, 2018|Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, Dedman College Research, Faculty News|Comments Off

The revolving door at the White House could have lasting consequences for the U.S.

Dallas Morning News Originally Posted: October 17, 2018 Victoria Farrar-Myers, Senior Fellow at the SMU Tower Center, opines on the impact of the record number of departures from the Trump Cabinet. Departures of high-level executives in business are usually indications of the health of the enterprise. While this seems intuitive, the same frame has not always applied to presidential administrations. In fact, there is a whole set of literature that studies the presidential administration from transition to culmination. This research indicates that those who work in the 24/7 world of the White House usually depart by the latter half of the first term. The Trump administration, as it has in so many other ways, defies this conventional wisdom. Already within the first 21 months of his presidency, Donald Trump has lost [...]

By Katherine Nickles| 2018-10-18T15:14:49+00:00 October 18th, 2018|Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, Tower Center|Comments Off

New Smithsonian Exhibit Reflects the Passion of SMU Professor and an Army of Student Fossil Hounds

SMU News Originally Posted: October 15, 2018 Sea Monsters Unearthed: Life in Angola’s Ancient Seas opens Nov. 9 at National Museum of Natural History Once the exhibit opens, “Sea Monsters Unearthed: Life in Angola’s Ancient Seas” will allow visitors to visually dive into the cool waters off the coast of West Africa as they existed millions of years ago when the continents of Africa and South America were drifting apart. It’s a unique opportunity to examine fossils of ancient marine reptiles and learn about the forces that continue to mold life both in out of the ocean. But the back story is just as fascinating: SMU Emeritus Professor of Paleontology Louis Jacobs and his SMU colleague Michael Polcyn forged a partnership with collaborators in Angola, [...]

By Katherine Nickles| 2018-10-17T09:52:32+00:00 October 17th, 2018|Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, Dedman College Research, Earth Sciences, Events, Faculty News, Graduate News, Undergraduate News|Comments Off

Sign up today–Medieval Studies (MDVL 3351)

By Katherine Nickles| 2018-10-17T08:17:33+00:00 October 17th, 2018|Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, Dedman College Research, Events, Undergraduate News|Comments Off

Event: Oct. 18, Civilian Confinement and War in The Algerian Revolution, 1954-62

Event Date: Oct. 18 Location: Hughes Trigg Forum Time: 6:30 pm Dr. Benjamin Brower (UT Austin) will be speaking on campus about the Algerian Revolution at 6:30 pm in Hughes Trigg Forum. A reception will precede the event. Link for more information: https://www.smu.edu/Dedman/Academics/Departments/WorldLanguages/Events/fall2018/Brower

By Katherine Nickles| 2018-10-16T07:02:41+00:00 October 16th, 2018|Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, Events, World Languages and Literatures|Comments Off

SMU Professor On O’Rourke: ‘He’s Going To Have To Rethink His Advertising Campaign’

CBS 11 Originally Posted: October 12, 2018 DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) – While Democrat Rep. Beto O’Rourke is attracting big crowds and raising record amounts of money, $38.1 million in the last three months, Republican Sen. Ted Cruz is still leading in the latest polls by nine points. SMU political science professor Cal Jillson said Friday, Rep. Beto O’Rourke must sharpen his advertising against Sen. Ted Cruz and stop playing Mr. Nice-Guy. Jillson said O’Rourke can still regain momentum. “He’s going to have to rethink his advertising campaign,” said Jillson. Jillson says O’Rourke must explain to voters why Texas would be better off with him as Senator than Cruz, something Jillson says O’Rourke has not done. “O’Rourke has been unwilling to do the negative stuff, but I [...]

By Katherine Nickles| 2018-10-15T08:01:53+00:00 October 15th, 2018|Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, Dedman College Research, Faculty News, Political Science|Comments Off

Starting conversations that never end

SMU Graduate Studies Originally Posted: September 2018 Find out how a Dedman Interdisciplinary Research Cluster created new connections between students and faculty from religious studies, art history, art and world languages and launched conversations exploring biases and inclusion. EXCERPT: One of the great rewards of graduate school is meeting like-minded individuals with whom one shares intellectual curiosities. These newfound relationships not only make graduate life enjoyable but also enrich one’s thinking and research work. At SMU, we have been fortunate to find a multidisciplinary community of students and professors with whom to exchange ideas in and outside of the classroom. During the spring of 2018, we had an opportunity to bring that community together through the Dedman Interdisciplinary Research Cluster titled “On Decolonial Options and the Writing [...]

By Katherine Nickles| 2018-10-10T09:53:21+00:00 October 11th, 2018|DCII, Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, Dedman College Research, Graduate News|Comments Off

Meet SMU presidential historian Dr. Jeffrey Engel

SMU Daily Campus Originally Posted: October 11, 2018 Most days, you can find Dr. Jeffrey Engel in his office surrounded by history tomes. The Director of the SMU Center for Presidential History at SMU has filled his office with the work presidential historians, including his own. Dr. Engel was attracted to this area of study because he believes in the concept of narrative history. That is, an idea that history should be told in a form where it is accessible to people from all walks of life. “I remember feeling a profound sense of shame because a proper human should know events from the past,” Dr. Engel said, while reflecting on a moment from his childhood that reinforced his desire to study and make a [...]

By Katherine Nickles| 2018-10-11T08:29:12+00:00 October 11th, 2018|Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, Dedman College Research, Faculty News, History|Comments Off

Event: October 25, Ann and Nate Levine Jewish Studies Lecture

Event Date: October 25, 2018 Location: Dallas Hall Time: 7:30 pm "Israel, BDS, and Campus Life: Complexities of Jewish Identity in the American Academy" by Profs. Doron Ben-Atar and Andrew Pessin, authors of _Anti-Zionism on Campus. The University, Free Speech, and BDS_ Many scholars have struggled with rising anti-Israel sentiments on college and university campuses worldwide. Drawing on their extensive qualitative research, Profs. Doron Ben-Atar and Andrew Pessin will explore the deleterious impact of the Boycott Divest Sanction (BDS) movement on the most cherished Western ideals of free speech, civility, respectful discourse, and open research. Link for more information: https://www.smu.edu/Dedman/academics/programs/jewishstudies/events

By Katherine Nickles| 2018-10-10T08:55:00+00:00 October 10th, 2018|Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, Dedman College Research, Events, Jewish Studies Program, Religious Studies|Comments Off

Event: October 20, SMU Mindfulness Talk

Event Date: October 20, 2018 Time: 2-2:30pm Location: Owens Arts Center B600 SMU Film & Media Arts Dept. and the SMU Psychology Clinic invites you to join authors Phakchok Rinpoche and Erric Solomon for a conversation on their upcoming book Radically Happy. Phakchok Rinpoche is a premier example of a new generation of Tibetan Buddhist masters. He combines the most profound aspects of traditional wisdom teaching with his pithy, humorous observation of their ongoing relevance to the incredible fast pace of modern urban life. Erric Solomon, throughout his career as a Silicon Valley technology entrepreneur and now as an author and innovative meditation teacher, has been interested in understanding the mind and how it functions, both as a user-experience designer and as a mind hacker. Together [...]

By Katherine Nickles| 2018-10-10T07:44:25+00:00 October 10th, 2018|Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, Events, Psychology|Comments Off