UTD - The University of Texas at Dallas
05/05/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 05/05/2026 10:46
University Honors Distinguished Faculty at Investiture Ceremony
University Honors Distinguished Faculty at Investiture Ceremony
By: Stephen Fontenot | May 5, 2026
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Twelve newly invested faculty members, shown with University leaders, were honored at an April 16 ceremony at the Edith O'Donnell Arts and Technology Building Lecture Hall.
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Dr. William Nichols, the Mary McDermott Cook Chair for Undergraduate Education, praised the "welcoming, generous spirit" of the UT Dallas faculty and staff since he became the dean of undergraduate education last August.
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Dr. Inga H. Musselman, provost, vice president for academic affairs and the Cecil H. Green Distinguished Chair of Academic Leadership, and UT Dallas President Prabhas V. Moghe, the Eugene McDermott Distinguished University Chair of Leadership, enjoyed a moment during the ceremony.
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Dr. Karen Rodrigue, Ashbel Smith Professor of psychology, with Dr. Adam J. Woods, Aage and Margareta Møller Distinguished Professor in Behavioral and Brain Sciences and dean of the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences.
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Dr. Kevin Waite, Fellow, Anne Stark Watson and Chester Watson History Distinguished Professor, said UT Dallas has been his "ideal intellectual home." He studies the histories of both the U.S. West and the South.
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Dr. Dohyeong Kim, Robert E. Holmes Jr. Professor of public policy, geospatial information sciences and social data analytics, with Dr. Jennifer Holmes, Lloyd V. Berkner Professor and dean of the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences.
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Dr. Anny Castilla-Earls, Sara T. Martineau Endowed Professor at the Callier Center for Communication Disorders at UT Dallas, addressed the audience during the ceremony.
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Dr. Leonidas Bleris, Texas Instruments Bioengineering Chair, received his medallion from Dr. Poras Balsara, vice dean of the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science.
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Dr. Mustapha Ishak-Boushaki, Drs. Basheer and Shakila Ahmed Distinguished Chair in Natural Sciences and Mathematics, with Dr. Inga H. Musselman, provost, vice president for academic affairs and the Cecil H. Green Distinguished Chair of Academic Leadership.
The University of Texas at Dallas welcomed its newest cohort of endowed chairs and professors at the 2026 investiture ceremony on April 16 in the Edith O'Donnell Arts and Technology Building Lecture Hall.
With honorees' families, colleagues, friends and students in attendance, UT Dallas celebrated the generous endowments that continue to enable the University's rise.
"They allow our faculty the latitude, the degrees of freedom that will allow them to fly higher and to soar more broadly," UT Dallas President Prabhas V. Moghe said. "I hope that these endowed positions will give them a bit of a spring in their step as they think more broadly."
The event recognized faculty members representing the Harry W. Bass Jr. School of Arts, Humanities, and Technology; the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences; the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences; the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science; and the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics.
"These outstanding educators serve as institutional leaders; conduct innovative research; mentor junior faculty, graduate and undergraduate students; and help to attract the very best and brightest individuals to our university," said Dr. Inga H. Musselman, provost, vice president for academic affairs and the Cecil H. Green Distinguished Chair of Academic Leadership. "We are so impressed by what they have accomplished and look forward to their continued excellence."
Endowed chairs and professorships, a tradition dating back 500 years, are the highest academic awards universities can bestow on a faculty member. The endowments, funded through philanthropic donations, fund initiatives that advance research and instructional programs.
"These appointments recognize years of research, teaching and discovery and the thrill that comes with it, shaped by curiosity, by discipline and a deep commitment to advancing knowledge," said Moghe, the Eugene McDermott Distinguished University Chair of Leadership.
The ceremony also recognized donors whose support helped establish the endowed chairs and professorships. UT Dallas has more than 175 endowed chairs and professorships, with several established by or honoring the University's founders and early leaders.
List of Honorees
Leadership
Mary McDermott Cook Chair for Undergraduate Education
Harry W. Bass Jr. School of Arts, Humanities, and Technology
School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences
Dr. Anny Castilla-Earls
Sara T. Martineau Endowed Professor at the Callier Center for Communication Disorders at UT Dallas
School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences
Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science
School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
Dr. Mustapha Ishak-Boushaki
Drs. Basheer and Shakila Ahmed Distinguished Chair in Natural Sciences and Mathematics
Also appointed to an endowed position but deferring to a future ceremony:
Media Contact: Stephen Fontenot, UT Dallas, 972-883-4405, [email protected], or the Office of Media Relations, UT Dallas, (972) 883-2155, [email protected].
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