Neal Smatresk

Past President of UNT and UNLV
Biologist and Innovation and Commercialization Advocate for UNT

[Neal Smatresk @NSmatresk]

As a young, cocksure Dean of Science at UTA, I once hosted Richard Feynman.
Brilliant on everything — except how to teach science. There, he talked himself into a beautiful trap.
My view: you teach kids through what's familiar. As a biologist I'd start with life. How do we see? How do muscles work? Why do we eat? Each an easy door into something deeper.
Feynman went to first principles: biology needs chemistry, chemistry needs physics, physics needs math. So teach math first, then work up.
Me: doesn't that need a lot of math before learning other things? Like calculus?
Him: "Certainly."
Me: so a kid should learn calculus before pursuing any other science?
He paused… "Yes."
I still marvel at the discipline of chasing a first principle straight off a cliff.
He was right. And profoundly wrong. Both at once.
Rigor and wisdom aren't the same thing — and the best teachers know the difference.
It was an evening to remember with one of the great minds of our times.

[Neal Smatresk @NSmatresk]

I’m back…. Retired and ready to comment especially on tech commercialization. I will be featuring young entrepreneurs and students I taught in my Tech Launchpad classes!

[UNT College of Science @UNTScience]

Congrats to our Great Grads! Meet Audre Rees, who is graduating next week with an ecology degree and dreams to pursue a career in environmental law. "I am excited to have my background in science so I can know how to apply that to policy in the future.” https://t.co/TXGDXEXoYv

[UNT CMHT @UNTCMHT]

A great day for our Guest Chef Day with our new Chef Mark Schneider. He brought a Taste of Texas to the Club at Gateway with a delicious and tender Shiner Texas Braised Short Rib. #untcmht #unthospitality #guestchef

[UNT News @UNTnews]

A new research center is now open at #UNT. Made up of faculty from @UNTEngineering, @untscience and @UNTCOI, the Center for Computational Life Sciences seeks to advance the field of data analytics for plant and bacteria behavior. Learn more: https://t.co/6tsoRaS5BU

[University of North Texas @UNTsocial]

Secure the classes you need for #UNTspring25 before it’s too late!

Registration opens for Freshmen today.

[University of North Texas Engineering College @UNTEngineering]

Open House is happening in just 4 days!!!!!!! We cannot wait to see everyone, and for you guys to see what our students are working on. Are you coming to Open House? 🤔

[UNT College of Science @UNTScience]

Dr. James Bednarz was featured in the newest issue of The North Texan! Learn "How To Start Birding" as part of their handy how-to guide with UNT experts: https://t.co/4g9O7hwYJD

[UNT College of Science @UNTScience]

Congratulations to @UNTChemistry postdoc Dr. Xueying Ge, who received the 2024 Toulouse Dissertation Award! For her research, Dr. Ge worked with @shengqianma, focusing on materials chemistry and designing novel drug delivery carriers for use in medicine: https://t.co/tLvwL0wA75

[North Texan @NorthTexan]

Hispanic Heritage Month facts: Cynthia Izaguirre (@wfaaizzy), a graduate of @MaybornUNT and WFAA news anchor, is one of the most well-known and respected journalists in the Dallas-Fort Worth region. Find out how UNT launched her career into journalism.
https://t.co/GiUJXNyuTf

[UNT College of Science @UNTScience]

Thank you to @UNTResearch for hosting an excellent UNT Research Day last Friday! We're #UNTproud of all our faculty, staff, and students who participated and helped make it a great day at @UNTsocial 💚

[UNT Facilities @UNTFacilities]

Today is National Custodian Day, and we want to shoutout our incredible custodial team here at UNT. We are grateful everyday for their diligence and commitment to making our campus a clean, welcoming place. If you see a custodial worker today, remember to say thank you! ✨🧼🧹

[Neal Smatresk @NSmatresk]

We are launching a Faculty Innovation Network (FIN) open to faculty and postdocs at UNT. This faculty led community is designed to connect our faculty, and catalyze innovation and commercialization across our campus! Stay tuned for details on our organizational meeting.

[UNT Career Center @UNTCareerCenter]

Broaden Your Scope and explore the endless possibilities in science! 🔬

Join us for a hands-on networking event designed for science students seeking to learn more about career paths, internships, and opportunities in the field.

Register at: https://t.co/FeJF2hzVgD

[UNT College of Science @UNTScience]

Meet Dr. Anil Girija, a postdoc working in Dr. Jyoti Shah's lab researching plant-pest interactions. He's looking forward to connecting with other scholars at University Research Day hosted by @UNTResearch on Oct 4! For registration and more info, visit: https://t.co/DdOfzPbprT

[Neal Smatresk @NSmatresk]

Got a chance to see @myrongmartin an old #UNLV friend who runs the big performance hall, the Smith Center (like Bass Hall) at the Wyoming game. He is a #UNT music alum!

[UNT College of Science @UNTScience]

Congrats to Heather Vidaurri for receiving the Dean's E=mc² Award this month! Heather is currently our Graduate Recruiter & Retention Specialist. She's always been a champion for our awesome students, and her passion for helping others has not gone unnoticed. Thank you, Heather!

[News from Science @NewsfromScience]

As teams grow, new #PhD graduates are less likely to land tenure-track jobs and more likely to leave science—especially women and international researchers. https://t.co/VqgM5Yyujh @ScienceCareers

[University of North Texas Engineering College @UNTEngineering]

We are thrilled to announce an exciting new partnership between the UNT College of Engineering and Universal Ai University!
#Innovation #ResearchExcellence #UniversalAI

[Neal Smatresk @NSmatresk]

I'm excited for University Research Day at UNT! Please join me as I moderate a panel discussion on start-ups Oct. 4th, from 1 - 2 pm in Union 332.