As one professor from the Naveen Jindal School of Management moved to a new professorship of honor, the torch was passed on one of the coveted Ashbel Smith Professorships to another recipient during the 2023 Investiture Ceremony April 14 at The University of Texas at Dallas.

The significance of investiture, considered the highest honor the University of Texas at Dallas can bestow, is not lost on either of the honorees.

Dr. Umit Gurun, a professor in the Accounting Area at the Jindal School, was named the Stan Liebowitz Professor of Finance and Accounting

“It is such a great honor that my chair is named after Stan Liebowitz, who is so well respected, is from the Jindal School and has studied intellectual property issues, which is an area in which I strive to contribute,” said Gurun, who first joined the Jindal School faculty as an assistant professor in 2004.

Gurun plans to use his time as Stan Liebowitz Professor to advance his research through interacting with thought leaders at UTD and other schools on the possibility of creating new projects, along with expanding money he can offer PhD students to aid in his research. It will also enable Gurun to use supercomputers to implement some of the new artificial intelligence techniques, he said.

“Some of the databases we have assembled haven’t been utilized for research, and having the resources to work on them is priceless,” added Gurun. “Just the feeling of freedom means so much to me as I push my research forward. There are many different avenues in my work that I’m enthusiastic about.”

Gurun previously held the Ashbel Smith Professorship in Accounting and it is now Dr. Jianqing Chen, a professor in the Information Systems Area, who is honored to be named the next Ashbel Smith Professor.

“I see this as a strong encouragement for my work and I feel very fortunate to be recognized in this way,” said Chen, who joined the Jindal School as an assistant professor in 2011. “Over the years, my research has been focused at the intersection of technology and business, ranging from search engines to social media to online platforms. The issues surrounding new technologies are complex and often confusing, but my goal is to provide a greater understanding of their broad economic impact. Recently, I also have been researching newly emerging technologies such as federated learning and AI applications like ChatGPT. These are vital areas that I am eager to explore further, as they could potentially affect all of us. Examining these new technologies is challenging, but their impact makes it all the more important to do so.”

Chen is particularly excited to become Ashbel Smith Professor at a time of the Jindal School’s continued ascension.

“It just makes me feel like I get to be even more a part of the growth of the school,” he said. “This is an incredible center for research, the students are so smart and we have a great deal of momentum in this type of encouraging environment. The future is looking very bright at the Jindal School and it’s my honor to be a part of it.”