Company Profile
SMU Lyle School of Engineering
Company Overview
The Bobby B. Lyle School of Engineering is the school of engineering at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. SMU’s Lyle School of Engineering thrives on innovation that transcends traditional boundaries. We strongly believe in the power of externally funded, industry-supported research to drive progress and provide exceptional students with valuable industry insights. Our mission is to lead the way in digital transformation within engineering education, all while ensuring that every student graduates as a confident leader. Founded in 1925, SMU Lyle is one of the oldest engineering schools in the Southwest, offering undergraduate and graduate programs, including master’s and doctoral degrees.
Company History
About the Bobby B. Lyle School of Engineering
For nearly a century, Lyle has been nurturing exceptional engineers who are catalysts for global change. Our commitment to shaping bold leaders who innovate, pioneer, and tackle society’s toughest challenges is unwavering. Embedded in our mindset is a culture of ingenuity that resonates through our research and curriculum. With an impressive 9:1 graduate student-to-faculty ratio, coupled with robust scholarship offerings, we are dedicated to fostering meaningful mentorship and breaking engineering stereotypes. Lyle has proudly earned the American Society for Engineering Education’s Bronze Award for championing diversity and inclusivity. Our focus extends beyond campus, addressing critical global issues through groundbreaking research. Our five departments—Civil and Environmental Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Operation Research and Engineering Management, and Mechanical Engineering—drive impactful innovations beyond academia’s boundaries.
Pioneering Excellence: Lyle’s acclaimed centers and institutes include the Darwin Deason Institute for Cyber Security, Hart Center for Engineering Leadership, Caruth Institute for Engineering Education, Hunt Institute for Engineering and Humanity, and the Hart Institute for Technology, Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Notably, the Research Center of Advanced Manufacturing is being evolved into a dynamic new Center for Digital and Human-Augmented Manufacturing.
Unveiling Opportunities: Embarking on an ambitious faculty recruitment campaign, Lyle is experiencing remarkable growth with the creation of over eighteen distinct new faculty positions for the upcoming academic year 2023-24. These encompass six tenure track (TT) roles within the strategic themes of Sustainable Energy and the Environment, AI-Powered Digital Engineering Systems, Quantum Science and Engineering and Data Science. Also featured are the Executive Director of the Hart Center for Leadership, Executive Director for Research Innovation in the Center for Digital and Human-Augmented Manufacturing, Co-Executive Director of the Hart Institute for Technology, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and the Walden and Paula Rhines Endowed Quantum Informatics Professor in Computer Science or Electrical and Computer Engineering. In addition, Lyle is hiring three new Endowed Department Chairs across multiple departments (Mechanical Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Computer Science) within our Engineering School. Furthermore, five cross-disciplinary renewable contract (non-TT) Assistant and Associate professors round out the offerings. Anticipating further expansion, Lyle will continue recruiting in the years ahead, with the opportunity for Department Chairs to influence and lead these vital hires in alignment with departmental and institutional strategies.
A New Era Beckons: In a resounding testament to our aspirations, SMU’s pursuit of R1 status is bolstered by a recent landmark $20 million gift (https://www.smu.edu/ignited/news/gifts/templeton-lyle-gift-feb-2023) and $15 million investment on Initiative for Digital Innovation in Engineering and Computer Science (https://www.smu.edu/ignited/news/gifts/odonnell-gift-august-2023). These endowments are pivotal to the Department Chairs’ transformative roles. In partnership with external collaborators, Chairs will invigorate our research ecosystem, fostering interdisciplinary alliances to position Lyle as an authoritative force in artificial intelligence, human augmentation, digital transformation and innovation. Empowered by the Provost and Dean, the new Chairs and faculty will be able to redefine engineering education for our swiftly evolving digital landscape, benefiting Dallas and the broader DFW area.
Our world-class research facilities are complemented by robust resources in high-performance scientific computing (see https://www.smu.edu/Provost/Data-Science-Institute/HPC).
Lyle’s Rich Ecosystem of Innovation and Excellence: Lyle students have the unique opportunity to participate in a range of programs within various Centers and Institutes. These include the distinctive Deason Innovation Gym, which serves as a maker space equipped with tools and space for immersion design projects and competitions, fostering leadership development and innovation. The Hart Center for Engineering Leadership is dedicated to helping students build nontechnical skills essential for leadership in diverse technical fields. The Caruth Institute for Engineering Education focuses on developing innovative methodologies to integrate engineering education into K-12 schools. The Hunter and Stephanie Hunt Institute for Engineering and Humanity is a hub where technological innovation converges with business expertise to address global poverty challenges. Additionally, students can engage with the Hart Institute for Technology, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, further expanding their horizons in technology-driven innovation and entrepreneurial endeavors. Our students are uniquely able to engage in these enriching opportunities where innovation, leadership, and societal impact intersect.
Inclusive Excellence: We believe that equity and inclusion are essential components of our success as teachers and scholars. We seek colleagues who eagerly embrace SMU’s central values of intellectual diversity, academic freedom, and the cultivation off cultural intelligence to teach, lead, and collaborate effectively with our students, colleagues, and stakeholders regardless of their backgrounds.
About SMU
SMU’s more than 12,000 diverse, high-achieving students come from all 50 states and over 80 countries to take advantage of the University’s small classes, meaningful research opportunities, leadership development, community service, international study and innovative programs.
SMU serves approximately 7,000 undergraduates and 5,000 graduate students through eight degree-granting schools: Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, Cox School of Business, Lyle School of Engineering, Meadows School of the Arts, Simmons School of Education and Human Development, Dedman School of Law, Perkins School of Theology and Moody School of Graduate and Advanced Studies.
SMU is data driven, and its powerful supercomputing ecosystem – paired with entrepreneurial drive – creates an unrivaled environment for the University to deliver research excellence. Now in its second century of achievement, SMU is recognized for the ways it supports students, faculty and alumni as they become ethical, enterprising leaders in their professions and communities. SMU’s relationship with Dallas – the dynamic center of one of the nation’s fastest-growing regions – offers unique learning, research, social and career opportunities that provide a launch pad for global impact.
SMU is nonsectarian in its teaching and committed to academic freedom and open inquiry.
Notable Accomplishments / Recognition
SMU’s more than 12,000 diverse, high-achieving students come from all 50 states and over 80 countries to take advantage of the University’s small classes, meaningful research opportunities, leadership development, community service, international study and innovative programs.
SMU serves approximately 7,000 undergraduates and 5,000 graduate students through eight degree-granting schools: Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, Cox School of Business, Lyle School of Engineering, Meadows School of the Arts, Simmons School of Education and Human Development, Dedman School of Law, Perkins School of Theology and Moody School of Graduate and Advanced Studies.
SMU is data driven, and its powerful supercomputing ecosystem – paired with entrepreneurial drive – creates an unrivaled environment for the University to deliver research excellence. Now in its second century of achievement, SMU is recognized for the ways it supports students, faculty and alumni as they become ethical, enterprising leaders in their professions and communities. SMU’s relationship with Dallas – the dynamic center of one of the nation’s fastest-growing regions – offers unique learning, research, social and career opportunities that provide a launch pad for global impact.
SMU is nonsectarian in its teaching and committed to academic freedom and open inquiry.
Benefits
SMU offers faculty and staff a broad, competitive array of health and related benefits. In addition to traditional benefits such as health, dental, and vision plans, SMU offers a wide range of wellness programs to help attract, support, and retain our skilled employees whose work continues to make SMU an outstanding education and research institution.
Information regarding our benefits programs may be found here: https://www.smu.edu/BusinessFinance/HR/BenefitsAndWellness