Dr. Mark W. Spong

Dr. Mark W. Spong — Excellence in Education Chair, Professor of Systems Engineering, and Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering — is a world leader in robotics research and education. He co-wrote one of the most popular textbooks on robot dynamics and control and is the author or co-author of several of the most highly cited papers in the field. Spong directs the Laboratory for Autonomous Robotics and Systems at UT Dallas.

Spong led the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science from 2008 to 2017, serving as its fourth dean. He oversaw tremendous growth at the Jonsson School, including adding departments of materials science and engineering, mechanical engineering, bioengineering and systems engineering.

Dr. Polykarp Kusch

Dr. Polykarp Kusch was Nobel laureate in physics in 1955 and came to The University of Texas at Dallas in 1972.

At UT Dallas, he was Regental Professor and served on the physics faculty. His distinguished science career was complemented by his superb teaching. He delighted students with his presentations of physics experiments in his “Phenomena of Nature” classes.

Before coming to UT Dallas, Dr. Kusch had served as professor, vice president, provost and dean of faculties at Columbia University.

When he retired in 1982, UT Dallas established a program of annual lectures with the theme “Concerns of the Lively Mind” to honor Dr. Kusch.

Kusch Lectures