SMU Director of Center of Teaching Excellence

Professor Beth Thornburg, SMU Dedman School of Law, will serve as Director of Center of Teaching Excellence - June 1, 2012

Professor Beth Thornburg of the SMU Dedman School of Law has agreed to serve as Director of the Center for Teaching Excellence effective June 1, 2012. In the spring semester 2012, she will work with Professor Ron Wetherington, the current Director of CTE, in order familiarize herself with the activities of the Center.

Professor Thornburg takes over a Center that for years has been ably managed by Professor Wetherington, and we thank him for his many years of service and leadership in promoting teaching excellence at SMU. Professor Wetherington has earned our thanks and applause, especially from those who have begun their teaching careers at SMU.

Professor Thornburg has taught at the law school since 1993 and served as the law school’s Associate Dean for Academic Affairs from 1996-98. She received the law school’s Don M. Smart Teaching Award as well as serving on the Provost’s Commission on Teaching & Learning. Professor Thornburg also participated in a Common Law Countries Project on Teaching Civil Procedure. In addition, she has taught as a visiting professor at the University of Melbourne, West Virginia University College of Law, College of William & Mary School of Law and the University of Edinburgh Faculty of Law.

Professor Thornburg is a nationally recognized scholar in the areas of Civil Procedure and Federal Courts with an exceptional record of scholarly production.