Provost Betty Stewart Honored with 'Women Who STEAM' Award

UNT Dallas Provost Betty Stewart is known for advocating innovation, blazing new trails, and shattering glass ceilings. On April 4, 2024, Dr. Stewart was honored for her many accomplishments, personal and professional, and on behalf of UNT Dallas, with a 2024 Women Who STEAM Award.

The Award Nominating Committee described Dr. Stewart, who also serves as Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs, as a game-changing STEAM leader who exemplifies the very best in class. 

In its letter to Provost Stewart, the committee said it selected her because she is an exemplary leader in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics while also Serving, Teaching, Excelling, Aspiring, and Mentoring within the University of North Texas at Dallas and the community. Two definitions of STEAM with one common theme: Advancing socioeconomic mobility through education.

QUOTE PROVOST STEWART 

Now in its fifth year, the Women Who STEAM Awards has become a coveted recognition among female STEAM leaders in the Dallas region. They were established in 2019 by the Dallas chapter of The Links, Incorporated, a nonprofit dedicated to connecting community members through friendship and service.

One of the goals of The Links, Incorporated is to create a pipeline to success for all young girls of color while also exposing them to dynamic women in STEAM fields. Provost Stewart exemplifies The Links' mission and vision. 

“Dr. Stewart’s compelling personal testimony about breaking barriers and overcoming obstacles for herself illustrates how she has had extraordinary success in opening doors for young women to become scientists and graduates in other STEAM disciplines,” said Dr. Monica Williams, UNT Dallas Vice President for University Advancement and President of the UNT Dallas Foundation. “Her modest, graceful demeanor is overshadowed by her brilliance. It was my honor to nominate her for this prestigious award.” 

Dr. Stewart is the driving force behind a $100 million state-of-the-art STEM Building now under construction on the UNT Dallas campus. When it opens in 2026, it will provide pathways for students seeking healthcare careers and a connection to the fast-growing healthcare industry in North Texas. 

This Spring, Provost Stewart is celebrating her seventh anniversary at UNT Dallas, having joined the university in 2017. She is a graduate of Mississippi State University (BS) and Carnegie-Mellon University (PhD). She has earned several noteworthy accolades for her work, and her leadership in higher education has been recognized nationwide. 

Prior to her time with UNT Dallas, Dr. Stewart served as Provost for Midwestern State University (MSU), where a science lab was named in her honor. At MSU, Stewart implemented new core curriculum standards new academic programs, and started a summer research program that paired students with professors and oversaw the construction of a new building on campus.

She also served as Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of faculty at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, FL; Dean of the College of Science and Mathematics at MSU; and department chair and professor of chemistry at Austin College in Sherman, TX.

Dr. Stewart is still quite at home in the classroom. She enjoys engaging with students, sharing her experiences and inspiring them to reach even higher. She showed her enthusiasm during the inaugural cohort of the UNT Dallas Growth Mindset Boot Camp in June 2023.

QUOTE PROVOST

Girls who aspire to follow in Provost Stewart's footsteps may attend a STEAM Academy operated by The Links, Incorporated in Dallas. The academy is open to 7th- to 12th-grade girls of color. It champions diversity and inclusion in STEAM fields, celebrates the contributions of all women, especially women of color, and inspires young girls of color to dream big and pursue careers in STEAM.

“For the last five years, UNT Dallas has been a partner and supporter of the Links, Incorporated North Texas Cluster chapters because of their dedication to preparing young female scholars of color to be academically motivated, successful in college, and ready for careers in STEAM fields,” said Dr. Williams.

Under Dr. Stewart's leadership, combined with our existing science and math programs and a new STEM facility on the horizon, UNT Dallas is ready to support all students in achieving their dreams and making North Texas an even better place to live.