Committed to engineering excellence

Part of a landmark gift from Mary and Richard Templeton – who are recognized leaders in Dallas philanthropy and technology – and previously established endowments have been combined to create the Mary and Richard Templeton Engineering Excellence Program at the SMU Bobby B. Lyle School of Engineering. The program – an outgrowth of our $1.5 billion campaign for impact, SMU Ignited: Boldly Shaping Tomorrow – will fuel research output and empower outstanding students for generations to come.

Lyle School Professor Joseph Camp and students

Committed to engineering excellence

SMU provides the kind of robust education and research opportunities that are vital to the success and growth of Dallas.

— SMU Trustee Richard Templeton, Chairman, President and CEO of Texas Instruments

Empowering innovative teaching and discovery

The future of innovation in North Texas is made brighter by the work of SMU Lyle School of Engineering alumni and faculty. The Mary and Richard Templeton Engineering Excellence Program funds strategic initiatives for research and educational access that will benefit future SMU alumni and our region.

Student wearing mechanical glove

Expected impact

  • Empowers bright minds to find creative solutions to existing and emerging challenges.
  • Adds to Dallas’ success and growth as a global hub for innovation.
  • Powers research that makes a substantial impact, raises the quality of student experiences and lifts the University’s profile.

SMU Lyle has a proven reputation for building future leaders who are unafraid to ask big questions. We are eager to support that kind of innovative thinking.

— Mary Templeton, President of the Richard and Mary Templeton Foundation

Introducing the Templeton Engineering Excellence Program

Postdoctoral fellowships

Lyle School Ph.D. candidate Michaela Eamma

Postdocs increase the school’s research capacity and output, supporting the University’s rise into the category of universities with the highest research activity.

Doctoral scholarships
Ph.D. candidates participate in groundbreaking research, find new solutions to global challenges, and prepare for future careers as engineering leaders and problem-solvers.

Undergraduate scholarships
To attract and retain the brightest engineering students, SMU will meet more of their financial need and support them throughout their journeys to timely graduation. Building on the Lyle School’s long-standing commitment to gender and ethnic diversity, the program includes opportunities especially for women and students from underrepresented populations.

Research support

Lyle School Professor Edmond Richer in lab

In addition to postdocs and Ph.D. candidates, early-stage funding is critical as faculty members develop essential insights and creative approaches to existing and new challenges. The program meets the essential needs of initiatives that show substantial promise to become sponsored projects.

Mary and Richard Templeton Centennial Chair in Electrical Engineering
Endowed faculty positions help SMU recruit and retain people who deliver high-quality instruction and conduct groundbreaking research. The Templeton Centennial Chair supports an outstanding teacher and researcher who designs sophisticated technologies, ranging from mobile communications and biomedical devices to smart cars and the production of green energy.

With this gift, the Templetons are extending their legacy of pushing SMU into the upper echelons of higher education.

— Elizabeth G. Loboa, SMU Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

About Mary and Richard Templeton

A passionate community volunteer, Mary Templeton had an illustrious 14-year career as a financial analyst with General Electric before moving to Dallas. Richard Templeton has worked at Texas Instruments since 1980 and has served as president and CEO since 2004 and chairman of the board since 2008. A member of the Business Roundtable, Richard Templeton has led Texas Instruments to unprecedented growth during this time. As philanthropists, the Templetons have made powerful strides for education and research initiatives, founding the Richard and Mary Templeton Foundation in 2004.

In addition to their professional, personal and philanthropic work in the wider community, the Templetons are deeply involved in the ongoing growth and success of SMU. Richard Templeton is the current vice chair of the SMU Board of Trustees and has served on the board since 2008. He also serves on both the Executive Board and Campaign Steering Committee for the Lyle School of Engineering and previously served on the Executive Board of Cox School of Business.

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