Four University of Texas at Dallas faculty members in arts and technology, physics, biology, and electrical and computer engineering have been tapped to lead their respective academic areas this year.
New department heads include Dinesh Bhatia MS’87, PhD’90 in electrical and computer engineering, Dr. G. Andrés Cisneros in physics and Dr. Kelli Palmer in biological sciences. Dr. Heidi Rae Cooley is the new program head of arts, technology, and emerging communication and of critical media studies.
Harry W. Bass Jr. School of Arts, Humanities, and Technology
Dr. Heidi Rae Cooley, associate professor of arts, technology, and emerging communication, focuses on media theory as it pertains to mobile technologies and related practices, such as GPS and haptic technologies. She also co-directs the Public Interactives Research Lab, where investigators concentrate on the design of interactive technologies in public spaces.
Cooley is a co-founder and associate editor of the Interactive Film & Media Journal. Her research interests include urban screens and sentient (“smart”) environments, place-based digital cultural heritage, and habits and habit change. Her work explores topics that focus on forms of media that alter individuals’ experiences of their bodies and shape the social collective.
“I do not think or act alone,” Cooley said. “I adhere to several voices: Walter Benjamin in ‘Botanizing on the Asphalt;’ Dr. Karen Barad at the University of California, Santa Cruz; and Charles Sanders Peirce’s idea of ‘community of inquiry.’ These guides assist me in my approach to scholarship, pedagogy and service. In my new role, I hope to inspire students and others to identify their own guides as they pursue our shared future.”
Cooley earned a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts from California State University, Fullerton; a second master’s degree from UC Irvine; and a PhD from the University of Southern California in 2007. She was an associate professor of media arts and film and media studies at the University of South Carolina before joining UTD in 2018.
Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science
Dinesh Bhatia MS’87, PhD’90, who has been a member of the Jonsson School faculty for more than two decades, was the inaugural head of computer engineering in the early 2000s. He also oversaw the electrical and computer engineering (ECE) graduate program for six years and most recently served as co-interim department head.
Bhatia has interdisciplinary interests related to computer engineering, focusing on high-performance computing, electronic design automation and medical devices. He has published works on architecture and computer-aided design for field programmable gate arrays and has served on several related technical program committees at international conferences.
“ECE has some of the best faculty in the nation,” Bhatia said. “We have very diverse research and one of the largest PhD programs in the country. The department is recognized for high quality and the impact it can make. We have all the elements — it’s how we bring the energies together. I don’t think anything can stop us.”
He earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the National Institute of Technology in Surathkal, India, and his graduate degrees in computer science at UTD.
School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
In his new role, Dr. G. Andrés Cisneros, professor of physics and of chemistry and biochemistry, is dedicated to advancing the research and educational goals of the Department of Physics.
“I am deeply honored by the trust placed in me by my colleagues and Dean David Hyndman for this role,” Cisneros said. “My goal is to foster a culture of growth, innovation and academic excellence. I firmly believe that collective diversity forges stronger ideas, and that, together, we can achieve remarkable progress.”
As an educator, Cisneros specializes in computational chemistry and biophysics, in which he equips students with the tools to explore complex molecular systems through computer simulations. In his lab, he leads research on enzymatic reaction mechanisms and cancer biomarkers.
Beyond his academic accomplishments, Cisneros serves as a chapter co-advisor for SACNAS (Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science) and has been involved with the organization since 2013. He was recognized as an Outstanding Hispanic Student Mentor by the society in 2020.
He earned his PhD in physical chemistry from Duke University in 2004 and a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México in 1999.
Dr. Kelli Palmer aims to uncover antibiotic-resistance mechanisms in bacteria, including genetic mutations and the role of DNA material such as plasmids and transposons. Understanding these processes may help combat antibiotic resistance.
As a dedicated mentor to graduate and undergraduate students, Palmer is at the forefront of UT Dallas’ efforts to recruit and train women and underrepresented minorities. In 2015 she received the Inspiring Women in STEM Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine.
“I am grateful to work with the students, faculty and staff in biological sciences,” said Palmer, professor of biological sciences and a Cecil H. and Ida Green Chair in Systems Biology Science. “Our department keeps advancing, and I am excited for what we can accomplish together in the future.”
After receiving her Bachelor of Science in microbiology from the University of Oklahoma, Palmer earned a doctorate in molecular genetics and microbiology from UT Austin. She was a postdoctoral fellow in ophthalmology, microbiology and immunobiology at Harvard Medical School before joining UTD in 2012.
Other Appointments
Bethany AuHoy, a longtime career consultant, is the new director of career services in the University Career Center.
Dr. Natalia Di Pietrantonio, former assistant curator of South Asian art at the Seattle Art Museum, joined the Crow Museum of Asian Art as its new curator.
Marijke Gray, a U.S. Army veteran and former assistant director of the Veterans Success Center at the University of North Texas at Dallas, is the new director of the Military and Veteran Center.
Carol Marcus-Rehtmeyer, former president and CEO of the Corpus Christi Museum of Science and History, joined UT Dallas as executive director of the Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. She is also associate professor of instruction for organizations, strategy and international management in the Naveen Jindal School of Management.
Heather Stovall BA’07, a former practicing lawyer and former associate director of admissions at Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law, is the new director of the Pre-Law Advising Center.
Dr. Jonathan Tsou, professor of philosophy and the Marvin and Kathleen Stone Distinguished Professor of Humanities in Medicine and Science in the Bass School, became director of the Center for Values in Medicine, Science, and Technology.