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Another busy academic year ends with overseas excursions, more awards and the Cosmic Light Show at Commencement, and there already are plenty of 2024-25 innovations and events to anticipate.
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POSTDOCTORAL MENTORING
New Program Coming This Fall
The Office of the Provost is developing a postdoctoral mentoring program directed by Dr. Francesca Filbey, senior associate provost for faculty success, and plans to begin rolling it out in the fall semester.
Filbey and Dr. Inga Musselman, vice president for academic affairs and provost, recently attended the National Postdoctoral Association meeting in Seattle to learn more about postdoc mentoring programs at other institutions, hear about the challenges of postdoc fellows and understand best practices.
They have met with UT Dallas postdocs and are partnering with existing programs to offer immediate support. This includes a mentoring workshop through the Office of Graduate Education and a UT System research symposium. The program also will facilitate travel for five postdocs to attend the UT San Antonio research symposium.
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NEW FACULTY ORIENTATION
Fall 2024 Session Scheduled for Aug. 13
The Fall 2024 New Faculty Orientation is scheduled for 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 13, in the Ann and Jack Graves Ballroom (DGA 1.102A) at the Davidson-Gundy Alumni Center.
Invitations will be sent out soon to new faculty members (please be sure to RSVP). If you have any questions, please email Dr. Meghna Sabharwal or Vanessa Aguillon.
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Students can safely interact with bees in a Readings Course offered by the Honors College.
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HOBSON WILDENTHAL HONORS COLLEGE
There’s So Much More to Learn
The final three stories of our six-part “Inside Academic Affairs” series about the Hobson Wildenthal Honors College included insights into the culture of the Honors Lounge, the popularity of the Readings Courses and the continuing growth of students’ service projects.
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Comet Speech and Forensics team members explore an ornate church in Italy.
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Speech Team Excels with Talent, Attitude
Competing for the first time in the International Forensics Association tournament was valuable for four members of Comet Speech and Forensics, but the way they conducted themselves at two Italian universities also meant a lot to their lead coach, Dr. John Gooch. “The most memorable thing for me is the way they wowed my colleagues,” he said. “They couldn’t get over how smart they are and how they don’t complain.” Read the stories about the team and the various speech events.
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Dr. Inga Musselman (far left) was part of the Maymester group that visited London and Edinburgh, Scotland, for A History of Medicine. That’s London in the background.
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STUDY ABROAD
Trip Was Perfect Prescription for Learning
Why do students enjoy Maymester trips so much? Dr. Donal Skinner, dean of the Honors College, demonstrated it aptly when he explained why he took a group of 17 to England and Scotland recently for A History of Medicine:
“Imagine a time when wine was your anesthetic and survival from surgery was dictated by the blood loss you could sustain before death from a probable infection. These seeming horrors form the foundation of modern medicine and surgery. Imperfections made you a monster, and madness was visited upon you by the devil. Our course explored medical science from Galen to Dolly, from the macabre to the sublime, and left students with a deeper understanding and appreciation of the world we inhabit today.”
The Office of International Education has announced the 2024-25 study abroad programs and locations:
2024 Wintermester
- A History of Medicine – London; Edinburgh, Scotland
2025 Maymester
- Moroccan History – Rabat, Morocco
- A History of Medicine – London; Edinburgh, Scotland
- Medical Spanish in Sevilla – Sevilla, Spain
- Urban Economics and Argentina – Buenos Aires
- Professional and Technical Communication: Italy – Florence, Italy
- Animation Studies: Aardman Studio Spotlight – Bristol, England
- Electromagnetic Capability in France – Toulouse, France
- Global Public Health/Community Health in Paraguay – Asunción, Paraguay
- Visual Communication in the Global Context: Berlin – Berlin
- Intergovernmental Organizations in the Low Countries – Netherlands, Belgium
- Business in a Global World: Hong Kong – Hong Kong
- Molecular Evolution at the Galápagos – Galápagos, Ecuador
- A Comparative Examination of Organizations, Culture and Gender: Finland and U.S. – Jyväskylä, Finland
2025 Summer
- Japanese History & Culture – Sendai, Japan
- Irish Culture and Animation – Kilkenny, Ireland
- Freud’s Footsteps – Psychology, History and Culture in Vienna – Vienna, Austria
- Lethal Crimes & Civil Rights in the European Union – Lugano, Switzerland
- French Society: Sociological and Political Perspectives – Paris
- Governance and Service: A Comparative Study of the U.S. and Portugal – Lisbon
- Healthcare Regulation and Economics – Reading, England
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SPRING COMMENCEMENT 2024
Celebration Was Heavenly for Graduates
Members of the Class of 2024 enjoyed the outdoor Commencement on May 10, complete with the spectacular Cosmic Light Show (above), and the three days of school ceremonies that followed. View the photos and video
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Dr. Sean Cotter MA’95 (left) and Mircea Cărtărescu
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HARRY W. BASS JR. SCHOOL OF ARTS, HUMANITIES, AND TECHNOLOGY
Cotter Earns Award for Translation
Dr. Sean Cotter MA’95, associate provost for faculty affairs and professor of literature and translation studies in the Harry W. Bass Jr. School of Arts, Humanities, and Technology, shared the Dublin literary award with Romanian author Mircea Cărtărescu.
The judges said Cotter’s translation of Cărtărescu’s novel Solenoid captured “the lyrical precision of the original, thereby opening up Cărtărescu’s work to an entirely new readership.” Cărtărescu received €75,000, Cotter €25,000. Read The Guardian story
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Dr. Mustapha Ishak-Boushaki
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SCHOOL OF NATURAL SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS
Ishak-Boushaki Named Piper Professor
Dr. Mustapha Ishak-Boushaki, professor of physics in the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, was selected as a 2024 Piper Professor by the Minnie Stevens Piper Foundation, which annually honors 10 professors considered the best in Texas. He previously earned the 2021 President’s Teaching Excellence Award in Graduate/Professional Instruction and the 2023 Provost’s Award for Faculty Excellence in Graduate Research Mentoring. Read the News Center story
- Another honor: The Casualty Actuarial Society (CAS) announced that our Actuarial Program has reached the Silver Level of the CAS University Recognition Program. In 2022, UT Dallas became the first institution in Texas and the only one in the Southwest to be recognized by the Society of Actuaries as a Center of Actuarial Excellence.
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NAVEEN JINDAL SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT
First Alumni Celebration a Success
The Naveen Jindal School of Management staged its first JSOM Alumni Reunion on May 4. More than 700 alumni spanning the school’s 49-year history gathered in the Davidson-Gundy Alumni Center along with friends, family and JSOM faculty and staff to “Reminisce, Reconnect and Rediscover.”
The event was such a success that Dr. Hasan Pirkul, Caruth Chair and Jindal School dean, announced that it will be held annually. He even hinted at a future activity: Dunk the Dean. Read the JSOM story
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STUDENT SUCCESS CENTER
Camp Is the Right Way To Start the Year
The Student Success Center’s Summer Success Camp, scheduled for Aug. 13 and 14, is designed to inspire and empower students through a series of engaging and educational experiences. Students can enhance their skills, review important course material, learn college success strategies and interact with fellow students before classes begin. For more information and to register for either day, visit the camp website.
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Calendar
Thursday, June 6
The Neuroscience of Grief: Dr. Mary-Frances O’Connor of the University of Arizona will explain the brain’s role in the grieving process. 7 to 8:15 p.m. (reception at 6:15 p.m.), Center for BrainHealth, 2200 W. Mockingbird Lane, Dallas | Register to attend in person | Register to attend virtually
Wednesday, June 12
Preparing for the C-Suite: Dr. Denise Patrick will discuss the pillars of executive leadership. Offered by the Global Leadership Programs in Executive Education. Noon to 1 p.m., virtual | Register for the talk
Thursday, June 13
How to Think Exponentially: Bruce Mau, chief executive officer of Massive Change Network, a Chicago-based design consultancy, returns as a People’s Choice winner for BrainHealth Best Talks. Noon to 1:15 p.m., virtual | Register for the talk
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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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