Category: students and teaching

Dr. Yvette E. Pearson, a globally-recognized leader in STEM education and research, is now an associate dean in the University’s School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics (NSM) and Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science (Jonsson School). For NSM Pearson is associate dean for academic affairs and strategic initiatives and for the Jonsson School she is associate dean […]

by Carly Orewiler Data science senior Amogh Channashetti is what some would call an internship guru. With notable companies such as Hilton, Vanguard, and Milliman on his resume, he is gearing up for his fourth internship at Capital One this summer. Beyond his academic achievements as a National Merit Scholar in the Collegium V Honors […]

By Carly OrewilerMarch 4, 2024 University of Texas at Dallas Society of Physics Students (SPS) president Alison Spadaro is set to deliver remarks at the March 6 Sciences Building dedication ceremony, alongside several campus leaders including UT Dallas President Richard C. Benson. The 186,000-square-foot Sciences Building is one of the newest structures on the UT […]

By Carly OrewilerMarch 1, 2024 Although Noor Malik loved science, mastering Newton’s laws of motion was low on her summer bucket list. It was 2018, only a couple months before she started high school, and she wasn’t particularly excited about spending a week of her break back in school. At a physics camp, of all […]

by Eric Butterman From television appearances to conducting chemistry experiments with Boy Scouts, one Comet’s academic journey paved the way for an impressive array of leadership roles. Paul Micus is known for taking the initiative. In other words, group projects are his forte. Hailing from a close-knit family in Waco, Texas, he’s concurrently sharing his […]

by Caryn Berardi Growing up in Boise, Idaho, Mia Rudin developed a strong connection to nature from a young age. When she moved to Commerce, Texas, during high school, she quickly found her stride on the basketball court. Now a successful student-athlete at UT Dallas, Rudin found a place where her passion for sports and […]

by Carly Orewiler Driven by her unwavering love for animals and determined entrepreneurial spirit, a biology senior at UT Dallas is emerging as a trailblazer in veterinary medicine.  Madison Valdivia, co-founder of Olive Tree Therapeutics, invented the world’s first vibrating therapy vest for dogs with upper-respiratory illnesses. She pitched her startup company alongside top research […]

Despite having a lower incidence of breast cancer, Black women in the United States face a troubling reality. According to a recent report by the American Cancer Society, the death rate among Black women is still 40% higher than white women. Researchers from The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) are taking significant strides to […]

Lowell Waite, geosciences lecturer at UT Dallas, received the 2023 Distinguished Educator Award from The Southwest Section of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (SWS AAPG). Waite earned the prestigious honor for his excellence in teaching and dedication to petroleum geology education. The award is given to only one recipient annually among Texas and New Mexico geological societies.

by Caryn Berardi Dr. Xiaoyan Shi is busy shaping the next generation of technology and science innovators — by day, as a professor and researcher, and in his spare time, as a robotics mentor in the local community. Shi is an assistant professor in the Department of Physics. His research lab, known as the Quantum […]

Physics Society Receives 10th Consecutive National Distinction by Caryn Berardi The UT Dallas chapter of the Society of Physics Students (SPS) was recently recognized as a Distinguished Chapter by the SPS national organization. This is UT Dallas SPS’ 10th consecutive chapter distinction and one of its 22 national awards and recognitions over the last decade, […]

by Carly Orewiler The UT Dallas Putnam Club secured its rank as No. 32 among 456 university teams after competing in the 83rd annual Putnam Competition. The William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition, administered by the Mathematical Association of America (MAA), is a top-tier mathematics contest for undergraduate students in the U.S. and Canada. It began […]

Comets Love Meteorites, a new class offered by the Department of Geosciences in the School of Natural Sciences & Mathematics that is out of this world, lets students get their hands on meteorites – among the oldest objects in our Solar System.  A story about the class was first featured in The Mercury, student newspaper […]

In a letter dated September 19, AAAS fellow and UT Dallas physics Professor Mustapha Ishak-Boushaki was informed that he had been chosen to receive the 2022 UT System Regents’ Outstanding Teaching Award. “This award reflects the high regard your peers have for your qualities as a member of the faculty, and it gives us all great satisfaction to […]

The School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics places great importance on the work of talented and committed teachers. Each year, students are asked to nominate faculty and teaching assistants worthy of recognition for the extraordinary efforts they make to provide our students a top-quality education. The school normally makes up to five awards in the […]

Computational mathematician Georgia Stuart BS’12, MATs’14, PhD’20 is one of the rare scholars who received all her degrees – bachelor’s, two master’s and a doctorate – from UT Dallas. According to the Office of Statistics, Planning and Analysis, only 10 students in the university’s history have graduated with the same order and number of degrees from […]

The School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics places great importance on the work of talented and committed teachers. Each year, students are asked to nominate faculty and teaching assistants worthy of recognition for the extraordinary efforts they make to provide our students a top-quality education. The school normally makes up to five awards in the […]

The School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics places great importance on the work of talented and committed teachers. Each year, students are asked to nominate faculty and teaching assistants worthy of recognition for the extraordinary efforts they make to provide our students a top-quality education. The school normally makes up to five awards in the […]

by Haywood McNeill It’s plain to see that Dr. Scott Rippel, MS’96, PhD’99, professor of instruction in the Department of Biological Sciences, has a thing for bees. His love for the pollinating creatures and passion for educating students and getting students hands-on experience caring for honeybees recently garnered the attention of The Dallas Morning News. Rippel, […]

This article first appeared in the May 2022 issue of the AAPG Explorer Geoscience education is essential to the AAPG Foundation. In fact, it’s promised right there in the Foundation’s mission statement to “support education and scientific activities in the field of geology.”  Also crucial to the Foundation: engaging and informing the general public about the […]

by Haywood McNeill Pranto Anandmaya, a UT Dallas junior majoring in geosciences and president of the GeoClub, recently completed an internship at the Perot Museum of Nature and Science in Dallas, where he got a behind-the-scenes look at the museum’s operations and a feel for the work involved in presenting exhibitions. The Perot Museum is […]

When Arezoo Shahrivarkevishahi PhD’21 was asked what she looks forward to most following the successful defense of her dissertation this year, she responded like a Super Bowl champion: “I’m going to join Pfizer!” Yes, that Pfizer of Covid-19 vaccine fame, headquartered in New York City. As an example of UT Dallas attracting the best and […]

by Haywood McNeill Recent UT Dallas graduate Mai Huynh, PhD’21, received the Editor’s Choice award from the journal Nanomaterials for her research paper on the interactions of carbon nanotubes with mammalian cells called macrophages. Editor’s Choice articles are selected based on recommendations by the scientific editors at the journal’s publisher. Selections are those the editors believe will […]

Reprinted from The Mercury Ochemrank.com, a new organic chemistry web app aimed at students taking organic chemistry (OChem) I and II, has revolutionized how students prepare for difficult exams. The web app, developed by chemistry professors Mihaela Stefan and Michael Biewer, as well as computer science professor Ovidiu Daescu and their team of graduate and undergraduate […]

The Green Fellows program, offered jointly by The University of Texas at Dallas and the UT Southwestern Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, provides a semester-long, fully paid undergraduate research fellowship. The program is most appropriate for those students interested in PhD or MD/PhD pathways after graduation from UT Dallas. This week, from 2-4 pm Thursday, May […]

Undergraduate students in the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics will continue their educational pursuits this summer while gaining valuable hands-on research experience. The Department of Geosciences provides opportunities for field course work at geological sites in southern Colorado and northern New Mexico in two, 3-credit courses: Introductory Field Geology (GEOS 3300) and Advanced Field Geology (GEOS 4300). […]

Instead of arrows, Cupid delivered a very cold shot of air Valentine’s Day 2021, which may go down as one of the coldest in history. A polar vortex (a large area of low pressure and cold air surrounding both of the Earth’s poles) arrived, plunging Texas temperatures that day from a high of 22 degrees […]

To point more girls and people of color toward careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, Texas House Representative Rhetta Bowers helped pass House Bill 3435 last year, officially designating March 1 as Texas Girls in STEM Day. “When asked why this effort means so much to me, I often reply, ‘because tomorrow depends on […]

Students enrolled in the UT Dallas School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics for in-person classes this spring have plenty to keep them busy. According to Dr. Michael Biewer, associate dean of undergraduate education for NSM and an associate professor of chemistry, most of the school’s labs are open for in-person research activities. In addition, the […]

They call him greedy, but he still wants more. More interest and learning about our home planet from you, John Q. Public. UT Dallas geosciences professor Dr. Robert Stern, who has taught students about the Earth’s dynamic crust for nearly 40 years, is using 21st century tools to teach more people about the Earth and employing […]

From a field of 96, the UTD Society of Physics Students won 2020’s Outstanding Chapter Award, the third consecutive year for them to win that distinction.  “We’ve won chapter distinctions eight years in a row, and the last three of those consecutively have been at the highest level,” said Dr. Jason Slinker, associate professor of […]

by Christina Pugliese Two new endowments to support the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics will honor the legacy of Colton William Roberts, a former student in the school who was tragically killed by a driver under the influence days before the beginning of his junior year. Established by members of Colton’s family, the Colton […]