SMU

SMU Lyle School of Engineering Receives $20 Million Gift

The gift will support SMU Ignited: Boldly Shaping Tomorrow, the University's $1.5 billion multi-year campaign for impact

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Southern Methodist University in Dallas has received a $20 million gift to the Bobby B. Lyle School of Engineering from philanthropists and technology leaders Mary and Richard Templeton.

The Templetons will allocate $15 million to providing endowment and operational support for strategic initiatives such as postdoctoral fellowships and research, financial assistance for doctoral students and undergraduate scholarships for women and students from underrepresented populations,” the university announced on Friday.

The additional $5 million will endow and name the school's dean position.

"SMU provides the kind of robust education and research opportunities that are vital to the success and growth of Dallas," said Richard Templeton, SMU trustee and chairman, president and chief executive officer of Texas Instruments.

"The Lyle School has a proven reputation for building future leaders who are unafraid to ask big questions," said Mary Templeton.

"Through their enduring commitment to the Lyle School of Engineering and its mission, Mary and Rich Templeton are helping our faculty and students build a brighter tomorrow," said SMU President R. Gerald Turner.

The Templetons have created the new Mary and Richard Templeton Engineering Excellence Program to provide support for postdoctoral fellowships and access to scholarships for doctoral candidates and undergraduates.

Additionally, the program will have opportunities for women and students from underrepresented populations to continue the Lyle School's commitment to gender and ethnic diversity.

Mary and Richard Templeton Centennial Chair in Electrical Engineering will be Nader Jalili, a professor and head of mechanical engineering at the University of Alabama. The endowed chair is meant to support a professor and researcher who "designs sophisticated technology."

Nader Jalili is expected to join the university as the Lyle School's dean on March 1.

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