PonyFans.comBoard IndexAround the HilltopFootballRecruitingBasketballOther Sports

SMU NAMES NEW DEAN OF HUMANITIES AND SCIENCES

General discussion: anything you want to talk about!

Moderators: PonyPride, SmooPower

SMU NAMES NEW DEAN OF HUMANITIES AND SCIENCES

Postby tristatecoog » Fri Dec 20, 2024 11:25 am

DALLAS (SMU) – Janarthanan Jayawickramarajah, a dynamic university leader and
chemistry researcher, is SMU’s new Elisabeth Martin Armstrong Dean of Dedman
College of Humanities and Sciences.

Jayawickramarajah joins SMU from Tulane University, where he is senior associate
dean of academic affairs and professor of chemistry at its School of Science and
Engineering.

“Dr. Jayawickramarajah brings the skill set of an active researcher, passionate educator
and collaborative administrator to SMU and Dedman College at a time of strategic
importance and momentum for our university,” said Elizabeth G. Loboa, SMU provost
and senior vice president for academic affairs. “As SMU prepares to join the cadre of
universities with Carnegie R1 research status, we are delighted to welcome him to the
team and look forward to partnering with him for current and future success.”
In his 17 years at Tulane, Jayawickramarajah has led a research lab that works closely
with interdisciplinary partners to develop bio-inspired functional molecules capable of
undergoing specific molecular recognition events.

His research is focused on nanobiotechnology, self-assembly and advanced materials, including the development of molecules that target cancer cells without harming healthy cells. He is affiliated with Tulane’s Cancer Center, Lung Biology Program and Bio-innovation Program. His research has been funded by Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the National Science Foundation (NSF) and National Institutes of Health (NIH), among others.

As an administrative leader, Jayawickramarajah has also previously served as
associate dean for research, faculty affairs and PhD programs. He has enhanced
opportunities for undergraduates, graduate students and fellow faculty members, beginning with welcoming undergraduate researchers to his lab and serving as faculty-in-residence at a Tulane residence hall. For graduate students and faculty members, he led efforts to obtain research funding, improve facilities and IT structure, and collaborate with other universities and entities. He is the founding director of Tulane’s Science

Policy and Communication Graduate Fellows Program, designed to help graduate
students become effective communicators and leaders advocating for and countering
misperceptions of science, engineering and medicine.

“Dedman College has a strong future under the leadership of Dr. Jayawickramarajah,”
said SMU President R. Gerald Turner. “He brings a determination to enhance the
education and research experience of all students and to provide faculty with the
resources needed to advance research in the humanities and sciences. His previous
work demonstrates a dedication to interdisciplinary and collaborative initiatives, which
will continue to strengthen Dedman College, the heart of an SMU education.”

Jayawickramarajah has received multiple awards from Tulane, including the Dean’s
Outstanding Achievement Award, the Graduate Studies Student Association
Outstanding Faculty Award and the inaugural Faculty Service Award from the School of
Science and Engineering. In 2023, he received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the
Department of Chemistry at the University of Texas at Austin.

Jayawickramarajah earned a Bachelor of Science degree with honors in chemistry,
along with a minor in anthropology, in 2000 from the University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill. He earned a Ph.D. in organic chemistry in 2005 from the University of Texas
at Austin
, where he was honored with the Dorothy Banks Research Fellowship and the
Dean's Excellence Award from the College of Natural Sciences.

After postdoctoral work at Yale University he joined the faculty at Tulane in 2007, where he was the recipient of the Doctoral New Investigator Award from the American Chemical Society.
Jayawickramarajah will join SMU in June of 2025.
tristatecoog
Hall of Famer
 
Posts: 2987
Joined: Sun Sep 24, 2000 3:01 am
Location: Dallas, TX

Re: SMU NAMES NEW DEAN OF HUMANITIES AND SCIENCES

Postby orguy » Sun Jan 05, 2025 9:13 pm

Impressive credentials.
orguy
All-American
 
Posts: 766
Joined: Mon Mar 10, 2008 12:02 am
Location: SF bay area


Return to Around the Hilltop

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 15 guests