Author of President Donald Trump and His Political Discourse: Ramifications of Rhetoric via Twitter Michele Lockhart (far right) with her parents Michael and Deborah at the 2018 Faculty Author Reception.
University Honors Creative Works of Faculty, Staff and Student
The Eugene McDermott Library and the Office of the Provost celebrated recently at the 14th annual Faculty Author Reception the published works of 38 authors, editors, illustrators and others who created valuable works in 2018.
About 50 UT Dallas faculty members, staff, administrators and other guests honored authors and editors and other creators who published or edited a book or a chapter in a book, produced a musical composition, theatrical production, photography exhibit or illustration. During the reception, the McDermott Suite was transformed into an art gallery showcasing commemorative posters of each author and his or her work.
This year, 38 people were recognized including a dean, an associate dean, all levels of professors, including chaired faculty, senior lecturers, clinical and visiting professors, two staff members and an undergraduate student studying animation in the School of Arts, Technology and Emerging Communication. Of the faculty members recognized at the reception, six were honored last year. All honorees at the reception were presented with their poster illustrating their book or creative work.
Nearly all schools were represented, with the Naveen Jindal School of Management leading the number of creators with 11 faculty authors. The School of Arts and Humanities followed with the number of faculty authors at 10.
“Congratulations to our authors, editors and creators. When you look around the room at the posters, representing the hard work of our faculty members, you can clearly see that UT Dallas is on the cutting edge of what’s new, fresh and forward-thinking,” said Dean of Libraries Dr. Ellen Safley during her update on the library at the reception. “Our faculty authors have written scholarly works, novels, plays, composed music, curated a photography exhibit and illustrated a book. They are enriching students’ lives and contributing to the vitality of the University.”
“The Faculty Author Reception is a great opportunity to showcase how UTD faculty are contributing to their fields as well as to the University,” said Dr. Michele Lockhart, Director of Programs and Accreditation in the Office of the Provost. Among those honored this year, Lockhart has written four books during the last six years and this year was recognized for her 2018 book, President Donald Trump and His Political Discourse: Ramifications of Rhetoric via Twitter.
“It feels good to be recognized for my scholarly contributions. The reception is a festive event and a great way to learn more about research projects that faculty have been exploring,” she said.
Ashbel Smith Professor of Criminology in the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences Dr. Alex Piquero said he is honored and humbled that the library and the Office of the Provost prioritize the important work that faculty members contribute.
“It is also really nice to see how my colleagues approach the craft of writing and editing books, and that my colleagues are doing so at a good clip is a real credit to the high quality faculty at UT Dallas,” Piquero said.
“I really appreciate Dean Safley’s commitment to our students and faculty–always willing to assist in obtaining anything that makes our work better. I am so thankful to her and to the provost for their commitment to academic excellence,” he added.