The University of Texas at Dallas

Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science

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Past Bonds, Future Enrichment Come Together at Investiture Ceremony

The University of Texas at Dallas celebrated 12 of its most accomplished faculty members at an Investiture Ceremony and reception on April 29.

The ceremony also honored many donors who helped establish the endowed chairs and professorships that play a critical role in advancing faculty members’ instructional programs and research.

University President Richard Benson (left) and Dr. Poras Balsara, interim dean of the Jonsson School (right), present Dr. Baowei Fei with his medallion.

“The generosity of our donors has contributed greatly to enriching the academic environment of UT Dallas,” said President Richard C. Benson, who holds the Eugene McDermott Distinguished University Chair of Leadership. “Their investments in our institution allow us to attract and support talented faculty who impact so many through their teaching and mentoring of students, and through their research accomplishments, scholarship and creative endeavors.”

The 12 faculty members who were formally honored hold professorships and chairs in the Office of Graduate EducationSchool of Behavioral and Brain SciencesErik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer ScienceNaveen Jindal School of Management and the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics.

Investitures are among the oldest traditions in academia, dating back more than 500 years. During the ceremony, honorees and ceremonial participants don full academic regalia. The honorees received medallions symbolizing their achievements.

The honorees were each introduced by a student speaker before receiving a medallion from University President Richard C. Benson and Dr. Inga Musselman, vice president for academic affairs and provost.

Considered the highest academic honor a university can bestow, chair and professorship endowments provide senior-level faculty with funds to advance their scholarly activities and support research. UT Dallas has more than 130 chairs and professorships. Investitures are among the oldest traditions in academia, dating back more than 500 years. During the ceremony, honorees and ceremonial participants don full academic regalia.

The endowed chairs and professorships are made possible by philanthropic donations, with several established by or honoring the University’s founders and early leaders.

Dr. Baowei Fei, an imaging scientist and cancer scholar whose work has transformed medical imaging and intervention for cancer care and who teaches in the Department of Bioengineering in the Jonsson School, was recognized at the ceremony.

“It is my great honor being a Cecil H. and Ida Green Chair in Systems Biology Science at UT Dallas. It is also a great honor that the title of the endowed chair is from one of UTD’s founders, Cecil Green,” Fei said. “As a biomedical engineer and imaging scientist, I am amazed by the rapid growth of the bioengineering department at UT Dallas. I am also amazed by the success of the faculty members in the department. I am proud to be part of the team.”

Fei was recruited to UT Dallas in 2018. He is also a professor in the Department of Radiology at UT Southwestern Medical Center.

The legacy of Cecil H. and Ida Green at UT Dallas was to establish in Dallas a world-class cohort of faculty and students in integrated interdisciplinary biomedical research at UT Dallas and UT Southwestern. The Cecil Green estate created the professorship.

Original News Center article here.