faculty – SMU Magazine

SEE HOW THESE SMU FACULTY MEMBERS HAVE BEEN RECOGNIZED FOR EXCELLENCE IN THEIR FIELDS.

Amber Bay Bemak

Associate Professor of Film and Media Arts, Meadows School of the Arts

2023 GUGGENHEIM FELLOW

Robert Gregory

Professor of Earth Sciences, Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE (AAAS) FELLOW

Heather DeShon

Department Chair and Professor of Earth Sciences, Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences

2024 SEISMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA (SSA) PRESIDENT

Edward Glasscock

Associate Professor of Biological Sciences, Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH (NIH) GRANT

Nicos Makris

Addy Family Centennial Professor in Civil Engineering, Lyle School of Engineering

AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CIVIL ENGINEERS (ASCE) GEORGE W. HOUSNER STRUCTURAL CONTROL AND MONITORING MEDAL

Austin Baldwin

Department Chair and Professor of Psychology, Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences

SOCIETY OF BEHAVIORAL MEDICINE FELLOW

Devin Matthews

Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences

2023 JAMES H. WILKINSON PRIZE FOR NUMERICAL SOFTWARE

Ruben Habito

Professor of World Religions and Spirituality, Perkins School of Theology

2024 AMERICAN THEOLOGICAL SOCIETY VICE PRESIDENT AND PRESIDENT-ELECT

Barbara Hill Moore

Senior Associate Dean for Faculty and Professor of Voice, Meadows School of the Arts

LINCOLN UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI HONORARY DOCTOR OF FINE ARTS

Rita Kirk

Professor of Corporate Communication and Public Affairs, Meadows School of the Arts

William F. May Endowed Director, SMU’s Maguire Center for Ethics and Public Responsibility

HARVARD UNIVERSITY’S EDMOND & LILY SAFRA CENTER FOR ETHICS VISITING FELLOW

“When our faculty receive high-profile
fellowships, society memberships,
leadership positions and honorifics, it
demonstrates the expanding scope of
our impact. SMU’s faculty are truly world
changers in their fields – at the local,
national and international levels.”
Elizabeth G. Loboa
SMU Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Fellow

To Our Readers: A Great Time To Be On The Hilltop

As the University makes final preparations for the arrival of new students and the start of fall classes August 21, I am more excited than ever about the opportunities ahead – for the Class of 2021 and for the University as a whole.
We invite you to be a critical part of all the great things that will happen on the Hilltop in the months ahead.
Our new students join peers from every U.S. state and more than 90 countries around the world. On the Hilltop, new first-year students will immediately find a home away from home in their Residential Commons. Read “Uncommon Life” to see what that experience will be like as they interact with peers who represent a cross-section of the student body and with Faculty in Residence who take an interest in their well-being, academically and socially.
The new students will be joined by new faculty members and administrators: new deans for the Cox School of Business and Simmons School of Education and Human Development, the University’s first-ever associate provost for continuing education, and new leaders for student affairs and information technology.
These outstanding leaders and their peers across SMU will enhance the abilities of our students and faculty to work together across disciplines to create new fields of knowledge and address tough problems. For examples of ways in which they change the world, read about the groundbreaking community partnerships forged by Meadows School of the Arts and the entrepreneurial alumnae who created an innovative all-girls school in Dallas.
The unique opportunities SMU offers students, faculty and alumni are only possible because of the ever-increasing generosity of donors. That is why we started the exciting three-year initiative called Pony Power: Strengthening the Stampede to inspire more people to give every year to support current initiatives.
Your annual gift to the SMU Fund – which you can direct to broad areas such as the University’s greatest needs, scholarships or faculty, or to the highest priorities of a school, the libraries, Athletics or Student Affairs – enables you to be a critical part of all the great things that will happen on the Hilltop in the months ahead.
I hope you can see for yourself the incredible things happening at the University – by coming to campus for Homecoming November 2–4 or Family Weekend September 22–24; by attending an event across the U.S. for alumni, family and friends; by seeing a game or performance on campus; or by reading the stories SMU shares online through-out the year.
It is going to be a fantastic year, and we want you to be a part of it.
R. Gerald Turner
President