Deans & Associate Deans
Dr. Margaret Owen
Dean ad interim
Dr. Owen was appointed as the dean ad interim of the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences in fall 2023. She holds the Robinson Family Professor chair and is the former director of the Center for Children and Families. Her research focuses on children’s development in the context of family relationships, as well as the implications of maternal employment and early child care experiences for children’s later development and relationships.
Dr. Lisa Jimenez
Associate Dean, Administration
In her role as associate dean, Dr. Jimenez serves as chief operations and finance officer for the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, working to support the dean with administrative leadership and counsel. Jimenez has extensive training and experience in academic leadership, comprising graduate degrees in both business and educational leadership, and leadership experience in higher education. Her previous roles include senior director of operations at a veterinary medical school and executive director at a graduate school of management.
Dr. Melanie Spence
Associate Dean, Undergraduate Studies
In her role as associate dean, Spence provides resources and support for students enrolled as undergraduates at the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences. She is also a leading researcher in the area of how young infants process speech stimuli and faces.
Dr. Robert Stillman
Associate Dean, Graduate Studies
In his role as associate dean, Stillman provides resources and support for students enrolled in graduate programs at the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences. He is a member of the Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing, and has extensive administrative experience at UT Dallas, including his long-standing role as associate dean for graduate affairs, with additional previous experience with the BS, MS and PhD programs in Speech, Language, and Hearing, and helping to manage academic affairs for the Callier Center for Communication Disorders.
