Dr. Sheila Amin Sutierrez de Pineres

Dr. Sheila Amin Gutiérrez de Piñeres

Two faculty members at The University of Texas at Dallas have been inducted into the inaugural class of The University of Texas System Academy of Distinguished Teachers.

Dr. Sheila Amin Gutiérrez de Piñeres, professor of economics and dean of undergraduate education, and Dr. John Sibert, associate professor in the Department of Chemistry, were among the first 12 individuals chosen to join the new academy, which recognizes outstanding educators at UT’s nine academic institutions.

The members of the academy will serve as a system-level advocacy group dedicated to enhancing teaching, fostering innovation in the classroom and promoting interdisciplinary perspectives on education.

“A great education depends upon great teachers who in multiple dimensions enable and inspire student learning,” said Dr. Hobson Wildenthal, executive vice president and provost. “UT Dallas is fortunate to have exemplary educators like Dr. Piñeres and Dr. Sibert, whose dedication and commitment to student learning are integral to the success of our students.”

Dr. John Sibert

Dr. John Sibert

Piñeres joined UT Dallas in 1996, and as undergraduate dean she holds the Mary McDermott Cook Distinguished Chair for Undergraduate Education and Research. She became dean of undergraduate education in 2010 and received the UT System Regents’ Outstanding Teaching Award that same year. Piñeres has taught undergraduate courses in economics, international trade, Latin America and social entrepreneurship. Her research focuses on Latin American development.

A UT Dallas faculty member since 2000, Sibert is an author, inventor and award-winning teacher with an educational emphasis on engaging learners in innovative methods centered on curiosity and discovery. He received the UT System Regents’ Outstanding Teaching Award in 2011 and co-wrote UT Dallas’s campus-wide education plan titled “Gateways to Excellence in Math and Science.” His research interests are in the area of molecular architecture, which involves designing and building new molecules for applications that range from medicine to environmental science to advanced new materials. 

Each UT System institution nominated faculty members for inclusion in the academy. A full list of inductees is available on the UT System website.