Elizabeth Strand

Liz Strand joined SMU’s Cox School of Business as Adjunct Professor of Management and Organizations in 2020.  Liz is a passionate coach and advocate for her OMBA students, and she was nominated for a HOPE faculty excellence award in 2025.  Her personal motto is “Always Be Curious,” and she loves the intellectually-stimulating environment that thrives in the Cox classroom!

Professionally, Liz spent many years in the high-tech speech recognition industry, based in Silicon Valley, before transitioning her career to focus on nonprofit management and poverty alleviation efforts in Collin County, Texas, and more recently, the Berkshires of western Massachusetts.

Liz did her undergraduate work at the University of Minnesota, and she earned a master’s degree in linguistics and a Ph.D. in speech perception and cognitive science from Ohio State University. She holds a certificate of nonprofit management from Collin College.

Prior to joining the faculty at SMU, Liz was Senior Director of Speech User Experience at Microsoft, and Senior Director of Creative Strategy at Nuance Communications.  Liz has held leadership roles on many nonprofit boards in North Texas and Berkshire County, Massachusetts, including serving as president of the Texas Health Resources Community Impact Leadership Council for Collin County, president of the Community Lifeline Center Board of Directors, executive team member of the Berkshire Grit Alliance, and trustee for the Norman Rockwell Museum.

Liz and her husband Dean Cimini live in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, where they are deeply-engaged in local community service efforts.  In her leisure time, Liz enjoys gardening, hiking, spending time outdoors, and cooking big meals for family and friends.  Mangia!