Honoring Our Professor's Excellence Banquet

The Honoring Our Professors’ Excellence (HOPE) Banquet provides a unique way to celebrate the hard work and accomplishments of faculty alongside the students who nominated them.

Residence Life and Student Housing (RLSH) believes that it is important to highlight those professors who have gone above and beyond in their role. The HOPE Banquet is an opportunity each spring for students from all residential communities to celebrate faculty excellence and involvement in the student experience at SMU.

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Award recipients Megan Heber and Willie Baronet holding wooden award plaques standing in front of green, white, and gold background with balloons
three people posing for photo with two sitting at table in front of the third person standing behind them
4 people standing outside at table talking with brick wall and string lights in the background
wooden award plaque with HOPE, Willie Baronet, and leaves engraved in wood
Willie Baronet and Provost Elizabeth Loboa posing for photo with wooden award plaque
wooden award plaque with HOPE, Megan Heber, and leaves engraved in wood
Megan Heber and Provost Elizabeth Loboa posing for photo with wooden award plaque
two people posing for photo in front of white backdrop with HOPE written out in green letters, white, gold, and green balloons on the right, three plants of varying sizes on the left
two guests sitting at table talking with the number 9 sign in green font with white background, guest on the left is dressed in light blue blazer and dress with blonde medium length hair and red glasses, guest on the right is dressed in back dress with long brown hair
five people posing for photo in front of white backdrop with HOPE written out in green letters and repeating, white, gold, and green balloons on the left, three plants of varying sizes on the right

Nominate a Professor

Do you have a professor you'd like to nominate for the HOPE Professor of the Year Award? The nomination process will open on October 28, 2024, and will close on December 16, 2024. Please nominate here. 

2024 Prof. Megan Heber 

2024 Prof. Willie Baronet 

2023 Prof. Liliana Hickman-Riggs

2022 Prof. Dan L. Lawrence

2021 Prof. Jessica Wickersham

2020 Dr. Jill DeTemple

2019 Dr. Jeffrey Engle

2018 Dr. Alice Kendrick

2017 Dr. Mark Chancey

2016 Dr. Stephen Sekula

2015 Dr. Eric Larson

2014 Dr. Liljana Elverskog

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009 Dr. Wayne Shaw

2008 Dr. Mark Fontenot

2007 Prof. Kelli Herd

2006 Dr. Larry Ruben

2005 Prof. Kelli Herd

2004

2003

2002

2001

2000

1999

1998

Since 1998, more than 650 professors have been recognized by students as HOPE professors. Forty of those professors are considered Distinguished HOPE professors, having been nominated five years or more by student nominators.

Prof. Andrea Adams
Dr. Stephanie Amsel
Dr. Edward Biehl
Prof. Teresa Brentegani
Dr. Mark Chancey
Dr. Michael Connolly
Dr. Shawn Dennis
Dr. Sandra Duhe
Dr. Melissa Dowling
Dr. David Doyle
Dr. Liljana Elverskog
Dr. Mark Fontenot
Dr. Daniele Forlino
Prof. Diana Grumbles
Dr. Rick Halperin
Prof. Liliana Hickman-Riggs
Dr. James Hopkins
Prof. Vanessa Hopper
Dr. Yildirim Hurmuzlu
Dr. Alice Kendrick
Prof. Joseph Kobylka
Prof. Michael Lattman
Dr. Bruce Levy
Dr. Glenn Linden
Dr. Michael Lusztig
Dr. Owen Lynch
Dr. Melissa Murchison Murray
Prof. Jennifer O'Brien
Prof. Patti Rawlins
Dr. Wayne Shaw
Dr. Stephen Sekula
Prof. Ann Shattles
Dr. Greg Sommers
Dr. David Son
Dr. Tom Stone
Dr. Kara Sutton
Dr. Elizabeth Wheaton
Dr. John Wise
Dr. Patty Wisian-Neilson
Prof. Bruan Zoltowski