Faculty and Staff
Faculty and Staff Biographies
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Dr. Joseph Kobylka
Joe Kobylka became the President’s Scholars faculty sponsor coordinator in 2008. He is an inaugural member of the Academy of Distinguished Teachers, an Altshuler Distinguished Teaching Professor, and an associate professor of Political Science. His teaching and research interests include the areas of constitutional law, judicial politics, and American political thought. The Teaching Company published his lecture series “Cycles of American Political Thought” in 2007, and had a featured interview on PBS’s “The Supreme Court” (2007). He has received a number of honors and awards including: the “M” Award, the Willis M. Tate Award, the Rotunda Outstanding Professor Award, Distinguished University Citizen Award, H.O.P.E. Distinguished Professor Award, ÃÛÌÒ½´Student Senate Faculty Member of the Year Award, Bridge Committee Award, and the Deshner Award.He also owns and manages a competitive fantasy baseball team, Publius.
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Dr. Scott Norris
Dr. Scott Norris is a former President's Scholar and graduated with a degree in mathematics from ÃÛÌÒ½´in 2001 before earning a Ph.D. from Northwestern University in 2006. After a three-year postdoctoral position at Harvard University, Dr. Norris returned to join the faculty of the mathematics department in 2011, and became a PS faculty sponsor in 2016.
"I owe so much of my personal and professional development to my time at ÃÛÌÒ½´in the mathematics department and President's Scholars community. It is an honor and a privilege to serve those communities as a faculty member so many years later." -
Dr. Susan Harris
Dr. Susan Harris graduated with her BA in Psychology from The University of Kansas in 1987 and then received her Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Texas in 1994. She was an Assistant professor at Trinity University and Northern Arizona University prior to joining the ÃÛÌÒ½´Psychology Department as an adjunct faculty member in 2003 which continues to this day. In 2013, she also joined the staff of the University Advising Center as the pre-major advisor for the University Honors Program. It was her distinct pleasure to become a faculty sponsor for the President’s Scholars Program in 2019. In the Spring of 2021, Dr. Harris became the Director of PreLaw advising at SMU.
Susan and her husband, Dr. Ian Harris, an Associate Professor of Statistics at SMU, have 3 children. Their oldest became a proud graduate of ÃÛÌÒ½´in May 2021. They enjoy spending time with family, watching soccer, and traveling when they can. They regularly host outdoor movie nights for friends, neighbors, and family when the weather permits.