Dr. Donal Skinner, who led the honors programs at Ohio University and the University of Wyoming, has joined The University of Texas at Dallas as dean of the Hobson Wildenthal Honors College, effective Jan. 17.
Skinner, an accomplished educator, researcher and academic administrator with more than 25 years of experience, had been the dean of the Honors Tutorial College at Ohio University since 2019 and served as the inaugural dean of the Honors College at the University of Wyoming from 2017 to 2019.
UT Dallas’ reputation in the academic community, especially within the science, technology, engineering and math fields, attracted Skinner to UTD. He also noted UTD’s strong commitment to undergraduate research and its role and contributions in arts and culture, including the University’s Crow Museum of Asian Art.
“I was happy to see an emphasis on individual undergraduate research and to find that arts and humanities are considered important and valuable.” he said.
Dr. Inga Musselman, UT Dallas provost, vice president for academic affairs and the Cecil H. Green Distinguished Chair of Academic Leadership, said Skinner’s experience stood out.
“As a previous honors college dean, Dr. Skinner had a strong record of recruiting honors students and fundraising to increase students’ curricular and experiential opportunities. We also appreciated his focus on improving diversity, equity and inclusion of staff, faculty and students,” she said. “We look forward to realizing his vision for the school.”
At Ohio University, Skinner implemented mental health and wellness resources for students, developed innovative remote international learning opportunities, and worked to increase undergraduate internship and research opportunities. Skinner particularly considers student mental health an essential area of focus and said that the Honors College is in a unique position to recognize and intervene early if students are struggling.
“In the long term, we’ll have lots of conversations as we shape goals around mental health,” he said. “In the short term, we’ll work to provide resources and opportunities to make sure we’re making mental health a priority.”
Skinner agrees with the philosophy of the Honors College at UT Dallas that classes do not need to be more difficult or require more work, but instead should offer a broader perspective on the subject matter. This interdisciplinary approach has a profound impact on students’ critical thinking and provides a strong enhancement for schools and departments, he said.
“Dr. Skinner had a strong record of recruiting honors students and fundraising to increase students’ curricular and experiential opportunities. We also appreciated his focus on improving diversity, equity and inclusion of staff, faculty and students. We look forward to realizing his vision for the school.”
Dr. Inga Musselman, UT Dallas provost
“Honors can literally change the way you view yourself and the world around you,” he said. “If you leave Honors thinking the same way you did when you arrived, we have failed you.”
His other areas of focus will include: enhancing undergraduate research opportunities; increasing diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging efforts; and working to embed a global perspective, especially through increased study abroad opportunities.
While most of the new goals for the Honors College will be developed in tandem with Skinner, Musselman said one initial aim is to increase the number of UT Dallas undergraduate students in the Honors College from 5% to 8%, which she said is more typical of public universities.
Skinner earned a Bachelor of Science in zoology and computer science from Rhodes University in South Africa, a Bachelor of Science with honors in physiology from the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa and a PhD in biology with an emphasis on neuroendocrinology from the University of Cambridge in England. He held a postdoctoral fellowship at Cambridge and a Wellcome Trust Fellowship at the French National Institute for Agricultural Research.
From 2002 to 2019, he was a faculty member in the Department of Zoology and Physiology at the University of Wyoming. He was promoted to professor in 2012 and served as department head from 2013 to 2017.
Skinner’s research focused on the seasonal mechanisms driving hormone secretion and the regulation of gonadotropin-releasing hormone. He has published more than 80 papers in scientific journals and has been an editorial board member of Neuroendocrinology and the Journal of Endocrinology and Reproduction.
Skinner’s appointment follows a national search by a committee of UT Dallas faculty, staff and other stakeholders. He succeeds Dr. Edward Harpham, professor of political science and the Honors College’s first dean, and Dr. Douglas C. Dow, director of the Office of Distinguished Scholarships who served as interim dean for the past year.
The Honors College, established in 2014, houses 12 programs, including the Collegium V Honors and National Merit Scholars programs, dedicated to promoting excellence in undergraduate education.