William J. Abraham
William J. Abraham, professor of Wesley studies at Perkins School of Theology, joined the SMU faculty in 1985. He earned a B.A. degree from The Queen’s University of Belfast, a M.Div. degree from Asbury Theological Seminary and a D.Phil. from Regent’s Park College, Oxford University. In 1991, Professor Abraham established the Perkins Center for the Advanced Study and Practice of Evangelism. In 1995, he was named Albert Cook Outler Chair of Wesley Studies. Professor Abraham served as coordinator of the Polycarp Community, which partners with international universities that follow the British model of doctoral studies and thesis writing. He is the recipient of the 2018 SMU Faculty Career Achievement Award for his extensive work and dedication to Perkins and SMU. Professor Abraham’s teaching specialties include religious epistemology, John Wesley, doctrine of revelation, systematic theology, philosophy of religion and evangelism. His major research includes Wesleyan and Methodist theology, Cardinal Newman, renewal movements in Christianity, ecclesiology, the divine revelation and theological education. Professor Abraham is the author of 30 books, 106 articles and 17 book reviews. He retires as professor emeritus of Wesley studies.
Shelley C. Berg
Shelley C. Berg, professor of dance in Meadows School of the Arts, joined SMU in 1990. A former dancer with the Slovene National Ballet and Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, she earned an M.A. in performing arts from American University and a Ph.D. in performance studies from New York University. At Meadows, she served as chair of the Division of Dance from 1996 to 1999 and as assistant dean for the University Curriculum from 2010 to 2013. Professor Berg is a noted dance historian who served as president of the Society of Dance History Scholars and on numerous national dance boards and panels, leading to significant historical reconstructions of classic masterworks. She is the author of numerous book reviews, book chapters, essays, conference papers and publications, including Le Sacre du Printemps : Seven Productions from Nijinsky to Martha Graham, the Dance Research Journal, Dance Research (UK) and Dance Chronicle. She has earned more than a dozen honors, grants and awards from national and federal foundations and organizations, including the National Endowment for the Arts and Dance USA as well as a Ford Senior Research Fellowship from SMU. She retires as professor emerita of dance.
Rhonda Blair
Rhonda Blair, professor of theatre in Meadows School of the Arts, joined SMU in 1995. She earned a B.A. at the University of Nevada and three degrees from the University of Kansas, including two M.A.s and a Ph.D. Her expertise includes applications of cognitive science to acting, directing and text; Chekhov; and politics and feminism related to theatre and performance. In addition to directing and performing in more than 70 productions, she has presented keynote talks and papers at more than 100 conferences and symposia worldwide. Professor Blair is the author or editor of several books on theatre and cognition, as well as numerous articles and reviews for scholarly publications. At SMU, she has chaired the Division of Theatre, served as president of the SMU Faculty Senate and worked on dozens of committees. Her honors include the SMU Distinguished University Citizen Award and the American Society for Theatre Research Distinguished Scholar Award. She has received grants and fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities, among others. At SMU, she was awarded a Ford Faculty Research Fellowship and multiple University Research Council grants. She retires as professor emerita of theatre.
Richard W. Cogley
Richard W. Cogley, associate professor of religious studies in Dedman College, joined the SMU faculty in 1987 after earning a B.A. at Franklin and Marshall College; a master’s degree at Yale University; and a Ph.D. at Princeton University. He served as chair of the religious studies department from 1999–2007. Professor Cogley was honored with the Perrine Prize from the SMU chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, and on four occasions, with the HOPE Award for SMU professors. His major research focused on American religious thought among the Puritans. He published one book, more than a dozen peer-reviewed articles and presented on numerous occasions at international conferences as an invited speaker. He is currently in the final stages of completing a manuscript examining apocalyptic imagery in Puritan thought and religious expression. He retires as professor emeritus of religious studies.
Michael Connolly
Michael Connolly, associate professor of theatre in Meadows School of the Arts, joined SMU in 1995. He earned a B.A. from the College of the Holy Cross, an M.A. from Illinois State University and a Ph.D. from Indiana University. He has balanced both teaching and professional acting for the past 40 years, including eight as a company member of the Tony Award-winning Dallas Theater Center. At SMU, Connolly served as head of the acting program for 15 years, was on the Faculty Senate and worked on numerous other University and department committees. He was named a Distinguished HOPE Professor for excellence in teaching and the Meadows Foundation Distinguished Teaching Professor. A longtime member of the Actors’ Equity Association, he has worked in theatre productions across the country as well as commercials and industrial films for clients such as Sprint and the American Museum of Natural History, winning a Silver Microphone Award from the National Association of Radio Advertisers. He has given presentations and workshops at numerous conferences and theatre festivals and served on the national board of the University/Resident Theatre Association. He retires as professor emeritus of theatre.
Patricia Harrington Delaney
Patty Harrington Delaney, associate professor of dance in the Meadows School of the Arts, earned B.F.A. and M.F.A. degrees from SMU and began teaching at Meadows in 1990. She previously served as chair of the Division of Dance and as coordinator of graduate studies. She taught choreography, dance theory/notation, and dance and musical theatre history. A specialist in Laban studies, she is a fellow of the International Council of Kinetography Laban/Labanotation, and holds certifications in Laban Movement Analysis, Directing from Labanotation Score and Professional Notation. She created Labanotation scores and/or restaged masterworks from score for renowned companies, including José Limón, Pilobolus, Philadanco and the National Dance Theater of Jamaica. Her documentary on Limón won a Silver Award at the Houston International Film Festival, and her writing has been published by The University of Texas Press and Dance Chronicle. Choreographic credits include musicals for producing entities such as Dallas Summer Musicals, television commercials for companies such as Samsung, and concert works for professional companies and educational institutions. She and seven other SMU alumni co-founded Dancers Unlimited Repertory Company in 1980. She retires as professor emerita of dance.
William V. Dorsaneo, III
Professor William V. Dorsaneo, III earned a B.A. degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a J.D. degree, with honors, from the University of Texas School of Law. A member of Phi Beta Kappa, Grand Chancellor of the Order of Chancellors and the Order of the Coif, he worked as a litigation specialist in Dallas after law school before launching his career in academia at the SMU School of Law in 1975. In 1977, he was promoted to associate professor of law and then to professor of law in 1980. He was awarded the Chief Justice John and Lena Hickman Distinguished Faculty Fellowship in 1997. He is the author of many books and other publications, including as the principal author of the often-cited 26-volume Texas Litigation Guide. He has also written numerous other articles, book chapters, periodicals and commentaries, and has taught a variety of litigation courses over the years. Professor Dorsaneo has been an active member of the Texas Supreme Court’s Advisory Committee since 1982 and is a member of the American Law Institute. He also served as chairperson of the Texas Supreme Court’s Task Force for Revision of the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure. He retires as professor emeritus of law.
James George Dunham
James George Dunham, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at the Lyle School of Engineering, earned B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering at Stanford University. He joined SMU’s faculty in 1984 after holding faculty positions at Washington University. In his time at SMU, Professor Dunham served as assistant dean of undergraduate and graduate studies; assistant dean of computer operations; associate dean of academic affairs; associate dean for academic affairs, research and infrastructure; and acting chair of the electrical engineering department, all within the Lyle School of Engineering. Professor Dunham is a highly cited cryptography and data security researcher. He is a Phi Beta Kappa, Tau Beta Pi, Eta Kappa Nu, Upsilon Pi Epsilon, Sigma Xi and a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). He has published 55 peer-reviewed articles and presented 45 papers at conferences. He retires as professor emeritus of electrical and computer engineering.
Dennis A. Foster
Professor Dennis A. Foster served as the Daisy Dean Frensley Chair in English Literature in Dedman College. He joined the SMU faculty in 1983 after earning a B.A. at the University of California, Berkeley; M.A. at San Francisco State University; and Ph.D. at the University of California, Irvine. He served as chair of the department of English from 1996 to 2005 and president of the Faculty Senate from 2008 to 2009. Professor Foster was honored with the Distinguished University Citizen Award, with the M Award, as the Dedman Family Distinguished Professor and with the Margareta Deschner Teaching Award. His major research focus was literary and cultural criticism in American and Continental literatures, which led him to produce two monographs, one edited collection, numerous articles and reviews and over 30 papers presented at national and international conferences. He was the founding director of the Ph.D. program in English. He retires as professor emeritus of English.
Jeffrey Mark Gaba
Professor Jeffrey M. Gaba earned his B.A. from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 1972; his J.D. in 1976 from the Columbia University School of Law; and his M.P.H. from the Harvard University School of Public Health in 1989. After law school, he clerked for Chief Justice Edward Pringle of the Colorado Supreme Court, later serving as an attorney for the Environmental Defense Fund in Denver. From 1977–1980, he worked as an attorney/adviser in the office of general counsel for the Environmental Protection Agency, and in 1981 he served as acting assistant general counsel at the EPA before joining the SMU Dedman School of Law as an assistant professor of law. In 1986, he was promoted to associate professor of law and then to professor of law in 1992. He was awarded the MD Anderson Foundation Endowed Professorship in Health Law in 2013. From 2017–2019, he served as senior associate dean for Academic Affairs. He has served as counsel for Foley Gardere LLC in Dallas since 1989. Professor Gaba has taught administrative law, environmental law and property law. He is the author of six books and treatises and numerous articles on various environmental law topics which have been published in major law reviews. He retires as professor emeritus of law.
Marie-Luise Gaettens
Marie-Luise Gaettens, associate professor of German in Dedman College, joined the SMU faculty in 1986. After earning a secondary school teaching degree at the University of Hamburg, she earned an M.A. at Indiana University and a Ph.D. at the University of Texas at Austin. She served as chair of the department of world languages and literatures from 2006–2011 and 2012–2015; she also served as chair of the German area from 2016–2020. In addition to language instruction, Professor Gaettens has taught advanced courses in German literature and culture, as well as numerous interdisciplinary courses in service of the general education curriculum. She served as director of the SMU-in-Germany study abroad experience held in Weimar, Germany, from 2000–2018. Professor Gaettens was awarded the Perrine Prize from the SMU chapter of Phi Beta Kappa in 2005. A scholar of contemporary German literature, she is the author of Women Writers and Fascism: Reconstructing History and numerous scholarly essays and reviews. She retires as professor emerita of German.
Robert B. Hampson
Robert “Buck” Hampson, associate professor of psychology in Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, joined the SMU faculty in 1977 after earning a Ph.D. at the University of Virginia. He served as the Department of Psychology’s Director of Graduate Studies and helped establish the department’s doctoral program in clinical psychology. His research focused primarily on families and family therapy. Professor Hampson has been recognized over the years for his research and teaching. He won the American Association of Marital and Family Therapy’s Outstanding Research Article of the Year Award in 2000 and is a two-time winner of the SMU Honoring Our Professors’ Excellence Award. Professor Hampson is also the recipient of the Dallas Psychological Association’s Outstanding Psychologist of the Year Award. He retires as professor emeritus of psychology.
Michael Holohan
Michael Holahan, associate professor of English in Dedman College, joined the SMU faculty in 1973 after earning B.A., M.A. and Ph.D. degrees at Yale University, where he also served as assistant professor for several years. He has been a faculty member or co-director of SMU-in-Oxford for almost 30 years and chaired the Robert S. Hyer Society. Professor Holahan was honored with the Outstanding Professor Award, the Willis Tate Teaching Award, and the Perrine Award for teaching and scholarship. A scholar of early modern British literature, his primary research interests are Shakespeare, Milton and Ovid. He has published numerous peer-reviewed articles, and has reviewed, presented papers or participated in seminars at over 20 national and international conferences. He retires as professor emeritus of English.
Daniel J. Howard
Daniel Howard, professor of marketing, retires at the end of the spring 2021 after 36 years at the University. Howard came to SMU as an assistant professor of marketing at the Cox School of Business in 1985. He received his Ph.D. in business administration from Ohio State University in 1986. Howard became an associate professor of marketing at Cox in 1991 and a professor of marketing in 1999. Throughout his academic career, he authored and co-authored 42 articles published in a variety of academic journals. He co-edited the book Social Influence and Consumer Behavior in 2013 and edited The Psychology of Consumer and Social Influence: Theory and Research in 2016. He served as associate editor of the journal Social Influence from 2008–2021. Howard has received numerous research awards, including the Cox Research Excellence Award. He also received the Outstanding MBA and BBA teaching awards at Cox. He served as chair of the marketing department at Cox from 1993–2008. Howard traveled to Lugano, Switzerland, in 2016 to serve as a visiting professor at Franklin University Switzerland and to Dublin, Ireland, in 2017, where he worked as a visiting professor at Trinity College Dublin. He retires as professor emeritus of marketing.
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Bonnie Fine Jacobs
Bonnie Fine Jacobs, professor of earth sciences at Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, joined SMU as an adjunct assistant professor in 1983, and as a tenure-track assistant professor in the Roy M. Huffington Department of Earth Sciences in 2000. She earned a B.A. degree in geology/anthropology at the State University of New York at Buffalo as well as M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in geosciences from the University of Arizona. During her time at SMU, she served as the Director of the Center for the Environment and the environmental science and studies programs. Her research on the evolution of tropical African ecosystems and their paleoecology is important to our understanding of paleoclimate, environments of human evolution, tropical forest sensitivity to climate change, and the evolution of Africa’s unique flora. Professor Jacobs’ research has included projects in Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Cameroon, Malawi, Texas and New Mexico. She retires from SMU as professor emerita of earth sciences.
Radovan Kovacevic
Radovan Kovacevic is the Herman Brown Chair in Engineering, professor of mechanical engineering and director of the Research Center for Advanced Manufacturing (RCAM) and Center for Laser Aided Manufacturing (CLAM) at Lyle School of Engineering. He earned B.S. and M.S. degrees at the University of Belgrade and a Ph.D. at the University of Titograd in Yugoslavia. He joined the SMU faculty in 1997 after holding faculty positions at the University of Kentucky, Syracuse University and the University of Titograd. Professor Kovacevic is a Fellow of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, American Society of Mechanical Engineers and American Welding Society. He is a recipient of the 2000 Taylor Research Medal, presented by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers. He also earned a Fulbright Foundation Scholarship, Alexander von Humboldt Scholarship and a Carl Duisberg Scholarship. He supervised 43 Ph.D. candidates and mentored over 250 researchers and students. He has seven U.S. patents to his credit, six books and over 600 published or presented papers. His work has been cited more than 16,000 times. He retires as professor emeritus of mechanical engineering.
Camille Kraeplin
Camille Kraeplin, associate professor of journalism in Meadows School of the Arts, joined SMU in 1998. She earned B.A. and Master of International Journalism degrees from Baylor University and M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from The University of Texas. She also worked as a newspaper and magazine editor for nearly a decade with The Dallas Morning News, Austin American-Statesman and DFW Home & Garden Magazine. At SMU, she served as the inaugural faculty director of the Division of Journalism’s fashion media program, which began in 2010. She helped build the program into a popular major at Meadows and launched the award-winning SMU Look fashion and lifestyle magazine. She also served as co-chair of SMU’s President’s Commission on the Status of Women and on the Women’s and Gender Studies board. She also was an officer and conference chair of the Commission on the Status of Women for the National Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. She has published numerous articles and presented conference papers focusing on issues of convergence journalism and on media portrayals of women and minority groups, particularly in fashion-related publications and social media. Her research has been supported by both University Research Council and Meadows faculty development grants. She retires as professor emerita of journalism.
Paul W. Ludden
Paul W. Ludden, professor of biology in Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences joined SMU as provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, serving in the role from 2007 to 2015 . He earned a B.S. in chemistry from the University of Nebraska and a Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of Wisconsin. He also received an honorary doctorate from Stockholm University in Sweden. Before coming to SMU, he was a professor of biochemistry at the University of Wisconsin and dean of the College of Natural Resources at the University of California, Berkeley. During his time as provost, SMU saw increases in incoming students’ SAT scores as well as increases in student retention and acceptance rates. He established the Big iDeas and Engaged Learning programs for undergraduates and the Emerging Leaders Program for faculty. As a researcher, he studied metalloenzymes and enzyme regulation, for which he received a National Institutes of Health Merit Award. He also received the Graduate Mentoring Award from the American Society of Microbiology, and was elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. In 2013, he received the “M” Award from SMU. He retires as professor emeritus of biology.
Alfred Mouledous
Alfred Mouledous, professor of piano in Meadows School of the Arts, retires after a prolific 66-year career at SMU. He joined the University in 1955 after earning a B.M. and M.M. from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York. As a student, Mouledous won a Fulbright Award to study in Paris with renowned French musician, Alfred Cortot; Mouledous was also a scholarship student of acclaimed German pianist, Walter Gieseking. Early in his career, he performed radio concerts and introduced the 1950s Recital Hall series with broadcaster Arthur Godfrey on NBC. Later, Professor Mouledous served as the Dallas Symphony Orchestra’s pianist for nearly four decades and also performed as a guest soloist and chamber recitalist with other major orchestras and notable conductors throughout the U.S. He has recorded for the Mercury, Envoy and VOX music labels, judged piano competitions worldwide and given master classes in the U.S. and abroad. Over the decades, he has drawn exceptional piano students to SMU from around the globe and is revered not only for his knowledge and talent, but for his encouraging teaching style. Few piano teachers today have had as much influence as Professor Mouledous. He retires as professor emeritus of music.
Jasper Neel
Jasper Neel, professor of English in Dedman College, joined the SMU faculty in 1997 after an extensive career at Baylor University, New York University, Francis Marion University, Northern Illinois University, the University of Waterloo and Vanderbilt University. He earned his B.A. at Mississippi College and his M.A. and Ph.D. at the University of Tennessee. At SMU, he served as dean of Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences and vice provost of the University. Professor Neel was honored with the HOPE Award, the Outstanding Professor Award, the M Award, the President’s Associates Faculty Achievement Award, the Willis M. Tate Award for Outstanding Faculty Service, the Outstanding SMU Faculty Member Award and the Outstanding University Administrator Award. His major research focus is rhetoric, classics and literary criticism. He has published three books, edited four annuals and a journal, 10 book chapters, 18 journal articles, many reviews, given over 20 invited lectures and presented over 30 papers at national and international conferences. He retires as professor emeritus of English.
Bill Orr
Bill Orr, professor of biological sciences in Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, joined SMU in 1986. Prior to SMU, he received a B.A. in French and a Ph.D. in biology at Wayne State University. He later conducted his postdoctoral training at Harvard University. Over the last three decades, his research has focused on antioxidant genes and their impact on aging and its related conditions such as Alzheimer’s – work which has been continuously funded by the National Institutes of Health. He has been a member of three different National Institutes of Health study sections and lists some 85 publications to his credit. He also served as chair of the Biological Sciences Department for eight years, leading multiple successful recruiting ventures. He retires as professor emertius of biological sciences.
Evelyn L. Parker
Evelyn L. Parker, professor of practical theology at Perkins School of Theology, joined the SMU faculty in 1998. She earned a B.S. degree from Lambuth College, an M.S. degree from Prairie View A&M University, an M.R.E. degree from Perkins School of Theology and a Ph.D. degree from Northwestern University. She served as a member of the grant-writing team for the Perkins Youth School of Theology, a $1.4 million theological program for high school youth. Professor Parker served as associate dean for Academic Affairs from 2013 to 2019 – and in 2015, she was named the inaugural holder of the Susanna Wesley Centennial Chair in Practical Theology. Her major research focus is religious identity and spiritual formation in African American adolescents, adolescents in sociopolitical movements and their understanding of vocation, and teen dating violence. She has served the World Council of Churches in various capacities since 1996. Professor Parker is the author of six books, 12 articles, 18 book chapters and was executive producer for a major film. She retires as professor emerita of practical theology.
Kenneth Springer
Kenneth Springer’s background spans developmental psychology and education. After receiving his Ph.D. from Cornell University in 1990, he served on the faculty of SMU’s Dedman College of Psychology before moving to the Simmons School of Education and Human Development in 2003 as an associate professor. He has taught undergraduate and graduate classes in child development, research methods, statistics and program evaluation, and has authored more than 60 scientific publications and presentations and six books. Professor Springer’s published research has focused on cognitive development and academic achievement among students of different ages, socioeconomic backgrounds and cultures. His administrative work includes serving as chair of the SMU Institutional Review Board; chair of the Faculty Ethics and Tenure Committee; secretary of the Faculty Senate; and chair of the Department of Teaching and Learning. In addition, he is involved in substantial community service work and has been on the board of directors of several nonprofit organizations that serve families and children. Through pro bono grant writing, program evaluation, curricular support and other activities, he has raised more than $1 million on their behalf. He retires as professor emeritus of education.
Teresa R. Strecker
Teresa Strecker, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Biological Sciences, joined SMU in 1996. She earned her B.S. in Biology at the University of Washington and her PhD in Biology at the University of California, Los Angeles. She carried out her Post-doctoral work as an American Cancer Society Fellow at the California Institute of Technology and taught at Pomona College where she earned the Wigg Distinguished Professorship for Teaching Excellence Award and was an Arnold and Mabel Beckman Young Investigator. Her research in the area of Developmental Genetics in Drosophila melanogaster has been funded by the American Cancer Society, NSF, NIH and the Beckman Foundation and has been published in Science, Development, and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. In 1996, she began her teaching career at SMU during which she has been nominated twice by students for the HOPE Professor of the Year award, served on the Health Professions Recommendation Committee and served as faculty advisor for the national pre-health honor society, Alpha Epsilon Delta. After developing one of the first online courses in the Sciences at SMU, she has co-authored over 75 research reports with her students and collaborator, Dr. Eva Oberdorster, in the field of plant and mammalian Genomics.
Paul Yovanoff
Paul Yovanoff completed a Ph.D. degree in educational psychology from the University of Oregon with an emphasis in psychometric theory, statistical decision analysis and behavioral research methods. Prior to receiving a doctorate, Professor Yovanoff was a special education teacher and received a master’s degree in special education. He joined Simmons School of Education and Human Development in the Department of Teaching and Learning in August 2011. Professor Yovanoff’s service to the university includes development of the Simmons Ph.D. program and the Master of Education in Special Education program, and serving on a range of departmental, school and university committees. He has remained active in the field as a professor of educational research and measurement methodologies, and co-principal investigator and methodologist on many externally funded research projects. In addition to numerous peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations, Professor Yovanoff consults routinely with government and research institutions. His research interests include psychometric modeling of assessments for special populations and specification of optimal cut-scores for classification decisions. He retires as professor emeritus of education.