Faculty
News and information for and about UT Dallas faculty.
2 Math Researchers Awarded Visiting Professorships in Munich
Two UT Dallas faculty members in the Department of Mathematical Sciences will spend part of their summer in Germany as visiting professors at the Technische Universität München. Dr. Wieslaw Krawcewicz, professor of mathematics, and Dr. Zalman Balanov, associate professor of mathematics, are joint holders of the John von Neumann Visiting Professorship for 2012. The Technische Universität München (Munich University of Technology) awards the von Neumann Visiting Professorship biannually to outstanding researchers in mathematical sciences. read more
A Fish Tale: Prof’s Photo Earns Kudos in Contest
A UT Dallas faculty member was recently recognized in an international photography contest for an underwater image he snapped of a rare tropical fish. Dr. Rockford Draper, a UT Dallas professor who holds a joint appointment in the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology and the Department of Chemistry, said his underwater hobby and work as a cell biologist are connected because they both require a technical understanding of a good image. read more
NSM Awards Honor Chemistry Lecturer, 2 Teaching Assistants
UT Dallas’ School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics has honored a faculty member and two teaching assistants for their performance in the 2011-12 academic year. Hien Nguyen and Kirk Huynh, both teaching assistants in the chemistry department, each received the NS&M Outstanding Teaching Assistant Awards. Among the faculty, Dr. Claudia Taenzler, senior lecturer in organic chemistry, received the Outstanding Teacher Award. read more
BBS Highlights Accomplishments of 2 Key Faculty Members
The School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences honored two of its best recently, presenting a new teaching award to a longtime faculty member and by highlighting the work of the professor for whom the award was named. Jan Lougeay, director of clinical education at the Callier Center for Communication Disorders and a clinical lecturer for BBS, received the first Aage Møller Teaching Award. read more
Kusch Lecture to Focus on Brain’s Changes
Dr. Aage Møller is in high demand at scientific symposia around the world for his insightful lectures about neuroplasticity and how the brain changes through experience. When he presents UT Dallas’ annual Polykarp Kusch Lecture later this week, Møller will explain what this research means to the rest of us and how greater understanding of brain connections could lead to exciting new treatments for disabling neurological conditions. Møller, Margaret Fonde Jonsson Professor in the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, will present “The Malleable Brain, For Good and for Bad” at 1:30 p.m. on April 27 in the McDermott Library Auditorium (MC2.410). The lecture is free and open to the public. read more
Bioengineering Head Elected Fellow of Royal Society
Dr. Mathukumalli Vidyasagar, an internationally known expert in control and system theory, has been elected a Fellow of The Royal Society, the oldest continuously operating scientific society in the world. Vidyasagar, head of the Department of Bioengineering at The University of Texas at Dallas, joins the ranks of the most distinguished international scientists drawn from all areas of science, engineering and medicine. read more
Interdisciplinary Professor Embodies Blend of Arts, Science
For years, UT Dallas has sought to fuse its long-held strengths in technology with the creativity of the arts and humanities. That philosophical blend is embodied by a new professor who is a champion for interdisciplinary academics. Dr. Roger F. Malina is a physicist, astronomer and executive editor of Leonardo publications at MIT Press. read more
Professor Leads Symposium for Students in South America
Over spring break, history professor Stephen G. Rabe traveled to Quito, Ecuador to participate in the first ever Ecuadorian Leadership Workshop and Mentoring Program for Students from the Coast. The program was held under the auspices of Ecuador’s Fulbright Program. read more
U.S. Attorney General Invites Prof to Give Testimony
UT Dallas criminologist Dr. Alex Piquero will offer testimony on the cost and benefits of crime prevention during an April 24 hearing led by the U.S. Attorney General’s Task Force on Children Exposed to Violence. read more
Writing Prof Wins Best Western Short Fiction Award
Dr. Clay Reynolds, director of creative writing at UT Dallas, is known for his stories of small town life in West Texas, for tales of violence, mystery, flatlands and empty skies. For his work, Reynolds has been awarded the Spur Award for Best Western Short Fiction of 2012. The award has been given every year since 1959 by the Western Writers of America. read more
Prof Hopes Success Story After Hardscrabble Start Inspires Others
At age 16, Dr. Venus Opal Reese was living on the Baltimore streets surrounded by violence, drugs and prostitution. She was quiet; she hardly talked at all. Today, Reese is an outspoken, accomplished playwright. She has a second master’s degree and a PhD from Stanford University, and she is an associate professor of aesthetic studies at UT Dallas. Reese will share her story on Friday, March 30, at 8th annual “WOW: Words of Wisdom” Women’s Conference at the Hyatt Regency DFW. read more
Prof Debuts Musical Piece Based on Children's Book
Robert Xavier Rodríguez, an internationally renowned composer and professor of music at UT Dallas, will debut an original composition based on the children’s book The Dot and the Line at the Meyerson Symphony Center on Sunday, March 25. read more
Callier Mentor Honored for Devotion to Students, Profession
Jan Lougeay is scheduled to receive the Texas Speech Hearing Association’s Award of Honors, presented annually to speech-language pathologists or audiologists who have contributed significantly to the organization and demonstrated outstanding leadership and professional excellence. read more
Prof Celebrates New Novel, Awaits Movie Based on Previous One
Dr. Matt Bondurant will discuss his third novel, The Night Swimmer, in a public lecture Wednesday on the UT Dallas campus. In addition, the assistant professor's previous book, The Wettest County in the World, is about to make the leap to the big screen with an all-star cast. read more
Tributes: Faculty and Donors Reflect on Rites
The investiture ceremonies were designed to celebrate the careers of the professors being recognized, but the newly invested faculty members used the opportunity to honor others in the room as well. read more
Faculty Honored in Investiture Week Listed by School
The spring 2012 Investiture Ceremony Honorees listed by school.
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Investiture Ceremonies Begin New Tradition at UT Dallas
A series of Investiture Ceremonies acknowledged both the achievements of accomplished scholars and the generosity of far-sighted donors. More than 50 faculty members from four schools celebrated investiture last week. read more
CPA Award Lauds Former Citigroup Exec’s Courage
Having the courage to take a stand against his former employer, risking his career and facing the repercussions have earned Naveen Jindal School of Management Accounting Professor Richard Bowen the “CPA of the Year” award from the Dallas CPA Society. The award comes on the heels of a 60 Minutes news segment that focused on Bowen’s experiences during the run-up to the nation’s credit crisis and examined why large Wall Street banks have not been prosecuted under the Sarbanes-Oxley law. read more
UT Dallas to Honor Faculty in Endowed Chairs, Professorships in Week of Investiture Ceremonies
UT Dallas will celebrate the achievements of dozens of its distinguished faculty members this week in Investiture Ceremonies recognizing more than 50 holders of endowed chairs and professorships. The ceremonies, rich in symbolism, commence Monday and continue through Thursday. Establishing the tradition of investiture ceremonies signals a coming of age for the University of Texas at Dallas, which is joining in the practice with other universities with much longer histories. read more
Sister Institutions Chart Plans to Collaborate on Research
More than 500 miles separate UT Dallas and UT Pan American, but the two schools hope to effectively narrow that distance after research faculty from both met to discuss working together on science, technology, engineering and mathematics projects. The STEM Faculty Research Symposium gathered faculty from the sister institutions in hopes of establishing a program that promotes long-term collaboration in their fields. Disciplines represented at the symposium included biology, electrical engineering, physics, geosciences, chemistry, material science, mathematics and mechanical engineering. read more
New Media Rewriting the Ad Playbook for Super Bowl
This year’s Super Bowl ads are using a variety of tools that go far beyond the traditional TV commercial, said Abhi Biswas, a UT Dallas marketing professor in the Naveen Jindal School of Management. Companies have been using social media and targeted marketing to whet the public’s appetite for game-day ads. read more
Citigroup Whistleblower to Discuss ‘60 Minutes’ Story
Richard Bowen, a former vice president at Citigroup, tried to warn the bank’s senior management and board of directors about the increasing levels of defective mortgages he was seeing. The news program, 60 Minutes, recently featured his experiences in a story focusing on why large Wall Street banks have not been prosecuted under the Sarbanes-Oxley law. Bowen, who also testified before a congressional commission and is now a professor of accounting at UT Dallas, on Feb. 6 will offer a glimpse behind the scenes of the troubled mortgage industry at the heart of the nation’s financial meltdown. read more
Profs Study How to Build a Better Online Forum
Two UT Dallas professors received a best-paper award at the annual Information Systems Society Conference for research aimed at helping companies determine when to offer expert assistance to online forums. The two information systems professors - Dr. Vijay Mookerjee and his wife, Dr. Radha Mookerjee - worked on the paper with Dr. Wael Jabr, a PhD alumnus of the Naveen Jindal School of Management. read more
Computing Professor is Named Distinguished Scientist
The Association for Computing Machinery recently named UT Dallas computer science professor Dr. Balakrishnan Prabhakaran a Distinguished Scientist. ACM is the world’s largest educational and scientific computing society aimed at advancing computing as a science and a profession. “My nomination was from ACM Fellow, Dr Hong-Jiang Zhang, who manages operations of Microsoft Research Asia in Beijing,” Prabhakaran said. “He also secured references from other ACM fellows and senior researchers, as well as from Dean Mark Spong.” read more
Criminologist’s Research Shows Genes Influence Crime
Your genes could be a strong predictor of whether you stray onto a lifelong path of criminal behavior, according to a research paper co-written by UT Dallas criminologist Dr. J.C. Barnes. “Examining the Genetic Underpinnings to Moffitt’s Developmental Taxonomy: A Behavior Genetic Analysis” detailed the study’s findings in the recent issue of Criminology.
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Begin the New Year with a Plan in Case of Emergency
Experts from the UT Dallas Naveen Jindal School of Management urge taking stock of your belongings and preserving your key documents in case disaster should strike. “When I used to work as a financial planner, one of the things that I did with clients was put together a risk management plan,” says Pickens, who is a Certified Financial Planner, retirement counselor and accredited financial counselor. read more
AAAS Recognizes Geospatial Information Scholar's Work
The American Association for the Advancement of Science has elected Dr. Daniel Griffith, a UT Dallas professor of geospatial information sciences, as a Fellow. Griffith is being honored for his contributions to spatial statistics and quantitative geography, particularly for his work on spatial autocorrelation, spatial filtering and statistical errors, according to the organization. He was named a fellow in the geology and geography section. read more
Film Professor Unwraps a Box of Holiday Movie Classics
Adrienne L. McLean, professor of film studies at The University of Texas at Dallas, has compiled a list of her top movies for the holiday season. “The most significant films are likely to be those that you and your family have turned into traditions yourselves,” said McLean. read more
Awards Recognize A&H Staff, Faculty and Alumni
The School of Arts and Humanities has recently recognized outstanding faculty, staff and alumni with a number of awards. “The recipients are dedicated, effective and deservedly award-winning teachers, staff and alumni who are improving the lives of students and the community,” said Dr. Dennis M. Kratz, dean of the School of Arts and Humanities. Dr. Dan Wickberg, associate professor of history, was named the Victor Worsfold Teacher of the Year. read more
Early Research Experience Inspired Criminologist
Dr. Nicole Leeper Piquero initially wanted to be a police officer. But a research methods class that the UT Dallas criminology faculty member took as an undergraduate changed her perspective. “I became more interested in asking questions and finding answers to those questions,” said Leeper Piquero, a recently hired professor in the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences (EPPS). read more
Prof’s Exhibit Combines Art, Science and Technology
Using the ancient myth of Orpheus, video projection and three-dimensional sound, Dr. Frank Dufour and wife, Kristin Lee, are examining the relationship of sound to perception of movement in Acoustic Shadows, an Exploration of the Sense of Space. The exhibit is currently on display in The Center for the Creative Connections at the Dallas Museum of Art until April 2012. The exhibit made its debut at The Vasarely Foundation in Aix-en-Provence, France, earlier this year. read more
Group Confers Honor on Electrical Engineering Professor
Electrical Engineering Professor Nasser Kehtarnavaz has been elected to the rank of fellow in the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. This honor is conferred by the IEEE Board of Directors to selected senior members with outstanding accomplishments in a related field. IEEE is the world’s largest professional association for the advancement of technology, with nearly 400,000 members in 160 countries. The fellow grade is granted to Kehtarnavaz for “contributions to real-time and biomedical image processing.” read more
Book Details History of Texas Power and Personality in DC
A new book co-written by UT Dallas professor Dr. Anthony M. Champagne features lively portraits of influential lawmakers who have represented Texas in Congress. Lone Star Leaders: Power and Personality in the Texas Congressional Delegation covers party leaders, committee chairs and the political pioneers who made Texas a major force in congressional politics for the past 125 years. read more
Translation Honors Awarded at ALTA’s Annual Conference
The American Literary Translators Association, which is housed at UT Dallas, presented two prestigious awards its annual conference in Kansas City. ALTA is dedicated to the promotion of literary translation through services to literary translators, forums on the theory and practice of translation, and collaboration with the international literary community. read more
Chess Conference to Focus on Benefits to Education
Chess players and coaches, writers, teachers and chess aficionados from around the world will meet in Dallas this weekend to explore the benefits of chess on education. The Second Koltanowski International Conference on Chess and Education begins Friday, Nov. 18. “I chose to have a second international conference because there has been a considerable advance in serious work on chess and education in the last 10 years,” said Dr. Tim Redman, who is a professor of literary studies at UT Dallas, the founder of the UT Dallas Chess Program and the conference organizer. read more
Criminology Prof Studies Pivotal Time in Teens' Lives
Dr. Nadine Connell, a new assistant professor of criminology at UT Dallas, has always been fascinated by human beings and the decisions they make in the context of crime. Her experience helped shape her current research interests that examine issues affecting adolescents and teens during what Connell says is a pivotal time in their lives. Juvenile delinquency, program and policy evaluation, and adolescent alcohol, tobacco and other drug use are among her interests. read more
Awards Honor Callier Researcher and PhD Students
UT Dallas students and faculty have won three competitive awards from the American Speech Language and Hearing Association, which will present the prizes at its annual conference this week in San Diego. The awards were competitively granted to national and international candidates based on peer-reviewed measures of excellence. The ASHA Program Committee considered a record number of proposals and candidates this year. read more
Researcher Seeks Ways to Keep Old Data Secure
In an attempt to ease the dependence of government agencies and corporations on the use of outdated and insecure operating systems, researchers from UT Dallas and Purdue University recently received a $1.4 million grant to help extract and transition this data onto newer, more secure systems. Dr. Zhiqiang Lin, assistant professor in the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science, is working jointly with Purdue University on the project funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. read more
Research Widens Study of Brain's Role in Tinnitus
UT Dallas neuroscientists are examining whether multiple areas of the brain are culpable in causing tinnitus, research that could enable new medical interventions against the disabling effects of severe “ringing in the ears.” Dr. Tres Thompson, associate professor in UT Dallas’ School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, found that exposure to loud noises induces plasticity in the hippocampus, a section of the brain not primarily associated with hearing but known for learning-related plasticity. read more
$7 Million in Awards Fund Research to Help Veterans
Revolutionary research by the Center for BrainHealth aims to help vets recover from brain injuries, deal with post-traumatic stress disorder and improve physical mobility. The research team has begun screening service men and women who are interested in participating in the innovative studies. read more
Internet Creates Digital Portal to Private Lives
At the dawning of the Internet, unlimited freedom was the promise. But years later, a loss of privacy also has emerged. Dr. David Parry delves into the issue in Ubiquitous Surveillance, a new digital publication. read more
Carbon Nanotube Muscles Generate Giant Twist for Novel Motors
New artificial muscles that twist like the trunk of an elephant, but provide a thousand times higher rotation per length, were announced on Oct. 13 for publication in Science magazine by a team of researchers from The University of Texas at Dallas, The University of Wollongong in Australia, The University of British Columbia in Canada, and Hanyang University in Korea. read more
New Researcher Focuses on Interpersonal Relationships
Interpersonal relationships, and how they are influenced by developmental experiences and individual differences, are the primary focuses of Dr. Robert Ackerman’s research. Ackerman joined the faculty of UT Dallas’ School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences this fall and will teach graduate-level classes dealing with the analysis of non-independent data. He said he took the opportunity to move to UT Dallas for several reasons. read more
Alma Mater to Honor Callier Director’s Contributions
The University of Nebraska will honor Dr. Thomas Campbell, executive director of the UT Dallas Callier Center for Communication Disorders, for a long record of research and academic achievement during the university’s annual Alumni Masters Week. Beginning this weekend, Campbell and seven other “masters” will spend three days interacting with students and faculty in Lincoln. The honorees will discuss their educational and professional experiences and describe how their years at Nebraska helped shape their careers. read more
Stock Market Makes a Timely Muse for Prof's Poetry
A UT Dallas professor's most recent work trains an eye on what may seem unlikely subjects for poetry: Wall Street and the economy. Two poetry collections by Dr. Susan Briante, assistant professor of creative writing and literature, confront economic themes, most recently The Market is a Parasite that Looks Like a Nest, published this fall. It was preceded in the spring by Utopia Minus. read more
Halloween Treats Don't Have to be Scary, Prof Says
Halloween means fun for kids — but also the tricky temptation of treats. “Many parents worry about their children’s eating habits,” said Dr. Shayla Holub, who studies the development of healthy eating behaviors as an assistant professor in School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences. “Children may find it especially hard to avoid the temptation of high-calorie foods at Halloween, when they’re constantly being offered candy and treats,” she said. read more
Halloween Screenings: Film Prof Picks Top 5 Scary Flicks
Just in time for Halloween, Dr. Adrienne L. McLean, professor of film studies at UT Dallas, has compiled a list of her favorite horror films.“These films will, if you allow yourself to succumb to them, scare you rigid, not from blood or gore, but from what you sometimes cannot (and will never) see, what you must imagine, situations that are disturbing, things that may or not be real or possible,” said McLean. read more
University Pays Tribute to Recently Published Profs
Faculty members who are also published authors were the focus of a recent McDermott Library celebration. The 6th Annual Faculty Author Reception recognized 16 writers and nine editors of books published during the last academic year. read more
New BBS Researcher Focused on Family Dynamics
Dr. Jackie Nelson, a new assistant professor in the UT Dallas School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, is interested in parents and children, and the ways family relationships contribute to emotional development. Nelson joined UT Dallas this fall, and the psychologist is primarily teaching classes centered on child development and parental interactions. She said she is enjoying getting to know her new students and faculty colleagues. read more
Classical Concert to Feature Trio in Residence at UT Dallas
The Clavier Trio will perform “Café Music” by American composer Paul Schoenfield, as well as works by Joseph Haydn and Johannes Brahms in a concert Friday, Oct. 14, at 8 p.m. in the Jonsson Performance Hall. The Clavier Trio is the current ensemble in residence at the University. Its members include cellist Jesús Castro-Balbi, pianist David Korevaar and Dallas Symphony Orchestra violinist Arkady Fomin. read more
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