Commemorative posters featured faculty members who were honored during the reception in the McDermott Suite.
The Eugene McDermott Library and the Office of the Provost recently celebrated the published works of faculty members and the accomplishments of newly tenured faculty at the ninth annual Faculty-Author Reception. About 100 faculty, staff, administrators and guests attended the event in the library’s McDermott Suite.
Thirty-seven faculty members who published a book, musical composition, theatrical production, art, photography or audio and video recordings in the past year were honored as well as those who edited a published piece. For the reception, the McDermott Suite was transformed into an art gallery showcasing commemorative posters of each faculty member and his or her work.
In addition to those publishing creative works, 17 faculty members who recently achieved tenure were honored. The Achieving Tenure: Celebrating Books program spotlights those who have been reassigned from assistant professor without tenure to associate professor with tenure. These faculty members also had posters on display as well as quoted messages detailing books that influenced their personal or professional lives. These books will be added to the library’s collection with a bookplate noting the faculty member’s achievement.
This year’s reception marked many firsts. Ten of the books showcased were written by multiple authors. Faculty members published more than 40 books and creative works last year. The list of honorees included Dr. Pamela Gossin, a professor in the School of Arts and Humanities, who authored a scholarly website and edited a digital archive.
Dr. Christa McIntyre, associate professor of cognition and neuroscience, and Dr. Aage Møller, Founders Professor in neuroscience, were among the honorees.
Dr. Ellen Safley, dean of libraries, highlighted the digital works created by Gossin during her update on the library at the reception. She said the digital works also speak to how McDermott Library is moving forward with its acquisitions.
“When you look around the room at the posters, representing the hard work of our faculty members, it’s clear that UT Dallas is on the cutting edge of what’s new, fresh and forward-thinking. McDermott Library has become more than printed books,” Safley said. “We live in a digital time, and it’s refreshing to see our faculty members bridging that gap. I’m especially impressed to see one of our faculty members taking the reins in such a new world. “
Dr. Sean Cotter, associate professor in the School of Arts and Humanities, was honored for his translation work on a book titled Blinding. Cotter said the reception was an opportunity to see the work of colleagues in other schools.
“What was interesting to me was to see the books from other schools. I already knew about the books from Arts and Humanities, and obviously those are interesting books," Cotter said. "But it’s good to learn about public policy books or see what other disciplines are doing for their publications.”
Dr. Hobson Wildenthal, the University's executive vice president and provost, works with McDermott Library every year to host the reception. Wildenthal said it’s important for faculty members to be recognized for their efforts and to learn about each other’s work.
“We’re proud of our faculty, and it’s good to have active demonstrations of how good they are,” Wildenthal said. “This just reminds us of what we believe and reminds us that it’s true that we have active, engaged people who are continually curious and ambitious.”