Dedman College Announces 2026 Dean’s Research Council Award Recipients
These awards help launch new lines of inquiry, strengthen the foundation for external funding, and expand the impact of research across disciplines.
Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences is pleased to announce the recipients of this year’s Dean’s Research Council (DRC) competitive research awards.
Each year, the DRC supports faculty whose work reflects the intellectual ambition and scholarly excellence that define Dedman College. These awards help launch new lines of inquiry, strengthen the foundation for external funding, and expand the impact of research across disciplines. This year’s proposals were especially strong, highlighting both the depth of expertise across the College and a growing emphasis on innovative, interdisciplinary collaboration.
“The Dean’s Research Council awards highlight what makes Dedman College central to SMU’s academic mission—faculty who are pushing the boundaries of knowledge while remaining deeply committed to teaching and mentoring,” said Dean Janan Jayawickramarajah. “These projects reflect both the strength of individual disciplines and the power of collaboration, and they position our faculty and students to make meaningful contributions in Dallas and beyond.”
2026 Dean’s Research Council Award Recipients
Sciences
- Vladimir Ajaev, Department of Mathematics
Models of Electrokinetic Phenomena in Rechargeable Lithium Metal Batteries - Amy Brewster, Department of Biological Sciences
Modeling the Neurological Consequences of Severe and Mild Traumatic Brain Injury - Anindita Das*, Department of Chemistry
Creating Metal Nanoparticle-Based Artificial Enzymes for Sustainable Carbon-Neutral Technologies - Daniel Millimet, Department of Economics
Data-Driven Policy: Optimizing Composite Indices for Resource Allocation - Peng Tao, Department of Chemistry
Reprogramming Brain Tau Phosphorylation: De Novo Design of Protein Phosphatase 2-A Mimic Synzymes for Alzheimer’s Disease - Mikhail Zaslavskiy, Department of Mathematics
Model Reduction Approaches for InSAR Landslide Monitoring in Lossy and Dispersive Environments
Humanities
- Macabe Keliher, Department of History
Economic Warfare and Manufacturing Capacity in Hong Kong, China, and Taiwan, 1950–2000
Climate Science Research Fund Awards
- Klaus Desmet, Department of Economics
Will Climate Change Increase Economic Disparities Across the Globe? - Pokhraj Ghosh, Department of Chemistry
Electrocatalytic Nitrous Oxide Reduction Using Di-copper Complexes
*This project is jointly funded by the Dean’s Research Council and the Climate Science Research Fund.
In addition to these awards, the College extends its gratitude to the members of the Dean’s Research Council and faculty reviewers for their thoughtful and rigorous evaluation of proposals. Their efforts ensure a fair and thorough process and help sustain the integrity and impact of these awards.
Dedman College looks forward to following the progress of these projects and the external funding, publications, and broader contributions they will generate in the years ahead.