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Welcome to the spring semester! Dr. Inga H. Musselman, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, has published a new message, and this month’s newsletter includes an early look at several events that merit save-the-date status.
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Darren Crone, Assistant Provost, Educational Technology Services (ETS), speaks at Spring New Faculty Orientation last year. Crone and ETS Associate Director Qin Fang will lead an interactive tutorial at next week’s orientation.
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FACULTY SUCCESS PROGRAM
Meteoric Expansion Is a Big Deal
How quickly has the Faculty Success Program grown? Try on these numbers for size:
In 2022-23, there were 37 mentor-mentee matches and three nominations for the Provost’s Award for Excellence in Faculty Mentoring. A year later, there were 96 matches and so many award nominations (25) that the Provost’s Award was expanded to two — one apiece for tenure-system and nontenure-system faculty.
The matches this year will increase to 86 with the arrivals for the spring 2025 semester, who will benefit from a new feature of Spring New Faculty Orientation on Tuesday, Jan. 14: Representatives from the Center for Teaching and Learning and Educational Technology Services will conduct a hands-on session demonstrating how to set up eLearning portals, create syllabi and complete other technical tasks.
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Dr. Clint Peinhardt believes students learn more from peers who come from different backgrounds.
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UT SYSTEM ACADEMY OF DISTINGUISHED TEACHERS
And Then There Were Five from UT Dallas
Dr. Clint Peinhardt of the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences became the fifth current faculty member to be named a fellow in the UT System Academy of Distinguished Teachers.
The other four are Dr. John Sibert of the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics; Dr. Karen Huxtable-Jester, Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning; and the CTL Associate Directors, Dr. Carol Cirulli Lanham MS’09, PhD’11 and Dr. Salena Brody.
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Avalene Tan presents the results of her team’s tissue research in Glasgow, Scotland.
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HOBSON WILDENTHAL HONORS COLLEGE
Studying Abroad Has Far-Reaching Effects
Conducting research in Scotland and Germany last summer proved educational for several Hobson Wildenthal Honors College students. But living overseas for more than two months taught them a lot, too.
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Natalie Hernandez presents her work at the Full-time Undergraduate Research Studentship symposium.
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FULL-TIME UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH STUDENTSHIP
Students Felt Right at Home in New Program
The Green Fellows program’s intensive research semester at UT Southwestern had a new counterpart on the UT Dallas campus during the fall semester: the Full-time Undergraduate Research Studentship (FURS).
The collaboration of the Honors College and Dr. Sheena D’Arcy, Co-Director of the Green Fellowship, was highlighted by a symposium. “The quality of the research was exceptional,” Honors College Dean Dr. Donal Skinner said.
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UT Dallas’ fall semester cohort for the Archer Fellowship Program.
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ARCHER FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM
Wrapping Up a Busy Semester in D.C.
UT Dallas was well represented at the fall 2024 graduation ceremony for the Archer Fellowship Program, which has brought more than 2,000 UT System students to Washington, D.C., to prepare them for public service leadership roles.
During the semester, the students met with legislators, toured Al Jazeera’s studios and met with the directors of admissions for Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies and Georgetown University’s law school.
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By April 2026, UT Dallas will be required to meet federal laws based on the American Disabilities Association’s Title II update.
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CENTER FOR TEACHING AND LEARNING
Sign Up Now for Digital Access Workshop
The Center for Teaching and Learning urges faculty, staff, postdocs and students to attend “Accessibility: Law, Not Luxury” on Wednesday, Feb. 12. The webinar will focus on the critical impact and reasons for ensuring that our digital content is accessible to all students, including those with accommodations. 11:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m., Microsoft Teams | Register by Feb. 11
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VE/COIL Will Explore Connecting with Japan
Professor Keiko Ikeda, a leading expert in Virtual Exchange/Collaborative Online International Learning (VE/COIL), will be here on Thursday, March 6, to explain how to partner with universities in Japan. Ikeda is the COIL Coordinator for Kansai University, a VE/COIL trailblazer. 1-2 p.m. (tentative), location to be determined
VE/COIL’s success was highlighted in the Faculty Showcase last month. View the stream or read more about it.
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EUGENE MCDERMOTT LIBRARY
How Faculty Can Help Students Save on Books
The Eugene McDermott Library offers faculty members three ways to help students save money on textbooks:
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The Great Mosque of Kairouan, founded in 670, is the oldest Muslim place of worship in Africa.
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EDITH O’DONNELL INSTITUTE OF ART HISTORY
Take a Digital Stroll through a Medieval Mosque
A video game simulation of the 7th-century Great Mosque of Kairouan will be among the attractions Feb. 27 when Dr. Ali Asgar Alibhai and his research team publicly debut their ongoing digital projects in an event sponsored by the Edith O’Donnell Institute of Art History (EODIAH).
The location and hybrid link will be announced later. Alibhai is Assistant Professor of Islamic Art History and Material Culture in the Harry W. Bass Jr. School of Arts, Humanities, and Technology and EODIAH.
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The 2024 Lunar New Year celebration drew more than 50,000 visitors to NorthPark Center.
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CROW MUSEUM OF ASIAN ART
NorthPark Will Ring in the Lunar New Year
The Crow Museum of Asian Art once again is partnering with NorthPark Center in Dallas to celebrate the Lunar New Year. It’s the Year of the Snake, which symbolizes wisdom, charm and determination, and NorthPark’s day of performances, activities and special offerings is scheduled for 9 a.m.-noon Saturday, Jan. 25.
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TEXAS BUSINESS HALL OF FAME
Entrepreneurial Comets Win Award
The Texas Business Hall of Fame honored three people with UT Dallas ties with the Mitchell Family Foundation Award:
- John Graham, an accounting senior in the Naveen Jindal School of Management, founded White Rock Pressure Washing, an exterior cleaning company.
- Anisha Holla BS’24, who earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, started Foodify, which connects small restaurants to food influencers.
- Tom Vazhekatt BS’24, who earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science from the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science, is the co-founder and CEO of Routora, a route-optimization platform.
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NAVEEN JINDAL SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT
Aviation Certification Program Set To Take Off
The Naveen Jindal School of Management is launching a two-day professional certification program in aviation and travel sustainability beginning Feb. 6. The interactive coursework, led by UT Dallas faculty and industry experts, will feature the latest global best practices focused on sustainability strategy, management and integration.
Free Headshots Are a Snap
JSOM’s Career Management Center is offering free headshots to all UT Dallas students, faculty and staff. This is for professional pictures only.
Faculty and staff who would like a photo should check in at the center’s front desk between 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. weekdays. If you need another time, please email jindal.career@utdallas.edu.
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Dixiana Chavez MPA’19, Director of the Undergraduate Success Scholars program, addresses attendees at the anniversary event.
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OFFICE OF UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION
Celebrating a Decade of Student Service
More than 100 students, alumni, faculty, staff and corporate supporters gathered at the Davidson-Gundy Alumni Center to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of Undergraduate Success Scholars. USS provides students with individualized support, mentoring, leadership opportunities and workshops.
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STUDENT SUCCESS CENTER
Accountability = 40% Return Rate
Students who utilize Academic Success Coaching (ASC) find that their peer leader is an accountability buddy — 40% of them visited more than once during the fall semester. ASC’s Spring Success Week on Jan. 27-29 will offer workshops centered around avoiding burnout, overcoming internet addiction and establishing better sleep habits.
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IN MEMORIAM
Science Professor, Dinosaur Discoverer
Dr. Frederick Fifer, who came to UT Dallas as Professor of Science Education in 1974 and retired as professor emeritus in 2002, passed away on Nov. 9. He frequently led students on science-related field trips, and in 1997 at Big Bend National Park his group discovered the dinosaur bones used to create the full-scale Alamosaurus in the Perot Museum of Nature and Science.
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Calendar
Tuesday, Jan. 14
New Faculty Orientation: Provides essential information and fosters new connections to support a smooth transition into teaching, research and service. 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m., McDermott Suite (MC 4.4)
Wednesday, Jan. 15
International Student Orientation: New international students learn about U.S. academic culture, health, wellness and safety plus UT Dallas Code of Conduct, payment of tuition and fees, and more. 2-6 p.m., ATC 1.102 (Lecture Hall)
Can Copilot Pass my Class?: Dr. Sarah Moore, Provost’s Teaching Fellow, leads hands-on workshop that explores the capabilities of artificial intelligence in the classroom. Bring your assignments and coursework to assess how AI tools respond and consider implications for teaching and learning. 10-11:30 a.m., CTL classroom (MC 2.404) | Register by Jan. 10
Thursday, Jan. 16
IT Forum: Office of Information Technology seeks to engage and inform the University community about technology at UT Dallas. OIT’s goal is to foster a spirit of teamwork and collaboration. 9-10:30 a.m., Teams | Register
UTD’s AI Era: Copilot, JSTOR and More: Features insights of Kishore Thakur (Office of Information and Technology) on Microsoft Copilot and Alex Rodriguez (Library) on JSTOR’s innovative tools. Learn how these technologies can enhance teaching, research and productivity. 4-5 p.m., Microsoft Teams | Register by Jan. 15
Monday, Jan. 20
Martin Luther King Jr. Day: Campus holiday. No classes, employees have the day off.
Tuesday, Jan. 21
Spring semester classes begin: Beginning of first eight-week session. Second eight-week session starts March 24.
Tuesday, Jan. 28
Monthly Mentor-Mentee Coffee and Chat: Mentors and mentees connect over hot coffee and tea and meet other faculty members. 9-10 a.m., CTL classroom (MC 2.404)
Thursday, Jan. 30
Documenting Evidence of Effective Teaching: Dr. Karen Huxtable-Jester, Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning, introduces the statement of teaching philosophy and explains its place in the teaching portfolio. 11:30 a.m.-12:45 p.m., CTL classroom (MC 2.404) | Register by Jan. 24
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FEEDBACK
Send Us Your Ideas
Faculty or Academic Affairs staff are welcome to suggest items and story ideas for the Provost newsletter by emailing provostnews@utdallas.edu.
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