Happenings on the Hill
Editor’s note: This post was updated at 1:16 p.m. April 4 to remove incorrect references to Jay Hartzell having previously worked at SMU. People Newspapers regrets the error.
SMU President-elect Jay Hartzell won’t be the only “new” face to welcome to campus.
Hartzell will leave his post as the 30th president of The University of Texas at Austin to become SMU’s president, effective June 1.
His arrival on campus approaches as the university welcomes new leadership for the Edwin L. Cox School of Business and the Perkins School of Theology and begins a transition in the Simmons School of Education and Human Development.
Todd Milbourn
Milbourn, a corporate finance expert, was selected with input from Hartzell to become the 10th dean of Cox and hold the Tolleson Chair in Business Leadership.
“Dr. Milbourn’s strong track record as a faculty member, academic leader, educator, researcher, and business collaborator – all from within a private R1 university in a dynamic urban area – make him a natural fit to lead the Cox School of Business to the next level,” said Elizabeth G. Loboa, SMU provost and senior vice president for academic affairs.
At Washington University’s Olin Business School in St. Louis, Missouri, where he spent the past 25 years, Milbourn increased the number of faculty members from 80 to 150 and improved research impact, expanded the Ph.D. program, led the rollout of several specialized master’s programs and facilitated the establishment of four new research centers.
Bryan P. Stone
Stone, an innovative educator, researcher, and bridge-builder who earned his doctorate in religious studies at SMU in 1992, returns to campus as the new Leighton K. Farrell Dean of the Perkins School of Theology.
Since 1998, he has been at the Boston University School of Theology, most recently as associate dean for academic affairs and the E. Stanley Jones Professor of Evangelism.
In 2005, Stone co-founded and became co-director of the Theology School’s Center for Practical Theology, designed to strengthen the relationship between the BU School of Theology and the needs of Christian communities.
“Dr. Stone is a dynamic university leader who brings the skillset of active researcher, passionate educator, and collaborative administrator to SMU and Perkins at a time of strategic importance for the school and for our university,” Loboa said.
Stephanie Knight
The Leon Simmons Endowed Dean of the Annette Caldwell Simmons School of Education and Human Development will conclude her deanship on May 31. Knight has served as the school’s dean since August 2017.
“Dean Knight’s commitment to advancing the field of education, fostering innovative research, and creating meaningful partnerships has made a lasting impact on both the Simmons School and the broader community,” said SMU President R. Gerald Turner.
Dallas Literary Festival
Pulitzer Prize winners, New York Times bestselling authors, literary consultants, poets, publicists, and creative writing professors will discuss storytelling through the lens of “my country” and how that informs memoir, poetry, food writing, fiction, and nonfiction.
The April 2-3 event will occur in the Hughes-Trigg Student Center and Dallas Hall. Local poets and musicians will perform on SMU’s Main Quad.
SMU creative writing faculty member Sanderia Faye Smith is executive director of the festival for the fourth year. “Storytelling is the most powerful tool we have to tell history – it keeps us attached to our ancestors and helps us look to the future.”
