Dr. Inga Musselman

Dr. Inga Musselman

Dr. Inga Musselman, professor of chemistry at UT Dallas, has been named provost and vice president for academic affairs for the University. She has been the interim provost since 2015. 

UT Dallas President Richard C. Benson said the choice for the University’s chief academic officer was made after a national search and an extensive interview process involving top candidates. The appointment was effective Dec. 1. 

“Dr. Musselman emerged from an extraordinarily strong pool of candidates. She has a stellar record as an educator, researcher and administrator, along with a deep understanding of UT Dallas,” Benson said. “She has served with distinction during her time as interim provost, and I am delighted to continue working with her in leading our University.”  

As provost and vice president for academic affairs, Musselman oversees curricula, instruction and research activities. The Office of the Provost also oversees faculty hiring, the process of faculty review, promotion and tenure, and budget priorities and allocations for the individual schools. Musselman also is the primary contact with The University of Texas System for academic affairs. 

“As the University evolves to become a more mature research university, so will the role of provost,” Musselman said. “It will be a responsibility of the president and myself to provide vision and leadership and to take action to move UT Dallas into the future, providing even greater opportunities for student growth and achievement. 

As the University evolves to become a more mature research university, so will the role of provost. It will be a responsibility of the president and myself to provide vision and leadership and to take action to move UT Dallas into the future, providing even greater opportunities for student growth and achievement.

Dr. Inga Musselman,
provost and vice president for academic affairs
at UT Dallas

“As I continue in the provost position, I look forward to working with faculty and campus leaders to educate future generations of Texas and global students through excellence in research, teaching, innovation and entrepreneurship to become effective and responsible leaders in their communities and in the world.”  

An analytical chemist, Musselman joined the UT Dallas faculty as an assistant professor in 1992, just two years after the first freshman class was admitted. As the University grew, she advanced through the academic ranks, holding leadership roles in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and attaining the title of professor. She was appointed associate provost for faculty affairs in 2008 and senior vice provost in 2014. 

Musselman’s distinguished research program — which includes collaborations with several faculty members — focuses on the development and application of microscopy methods for the study of materials structure in the areas of gas separations, fuel cells and bionanotechnology. Her research has been funded by industry, government and philanthropic sources, including the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Energy, Semiconductor Research Corp. and the Robert A. Welch Foundation. 

Musselman earned a PhD in chemistry from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Bachelor of Arts in chemistry from Gettysburg College, which recently named her a distinguished alumna

She has been awarded five patents and has published more than 80 articles in peer-reviewed journals and refereed conference proceedings, and four chapters in edited volumes. She also has been the primary research supervisor of seven PhD students and 24 master’s degree students, many of whom also earned doctoral degrees in chemistry. In addition, numerous undergraduate and high school students have conducted research in her lab. 

“As a result of my long tenure at UT Dallas, I have developed a comprehensive understanding and appreciation of our history and culture, as well as of the faculty and student body,” Musselman said. “At UT Dallas, we are energetic and creative with a ‘can-do’ attitude. Both individually and collectively, we effect change by being flexible and nimble, and at the same time bold. My knowledge of UT Dallas’ institutional qualities will be essential to guiding and enhancing the academic enterprise.” 

Dr. Hobson Wildenthal, executive vice president at UT Dallas and Musselman’s immediate predecessor as provost, also joined the University in 1992, as its chief academic officer. 

“Dr. Musselman and I came to UT Dallas at the same time in the University’s history but at very different stages of our individual careers,” Wildenthal said. “During these 25 years we each have been privileged to witness our development as a top research university, but from very different perspectives. It was a great stroke of good fortune for me when (former vice provost) Robert Nelsen recruited Inga to serve in the Provost’s Office 10 years ago. I discovered as the years unfolded that she was the ideal colleague, immensely productive and totally dedicated to the welfare of the University and its faculty. 

“Dr. Musselman’s 25-year evolution from beginning assistant professor to senior professor-administrator to her new appointment as provost to lead all of UT Dallas’ academic operations is a success story as impressive as the concurrent evolution of UT Dallas during that same time. We should be proud that UT Dallas had the vision to recruit her, to mentor and promote her, and now has had the wisdom to appoint her to this important position. She is the perfect choice to lead the continuing advancement of UT Dallas’ learning and discovery missions during the years ahead.”