ELIZABETH LOBOA

Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, Southern Methodist University

Biography

Elizabeth G. Loboa, Ph.D., has served as Southern Methodist University’s Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs since July 6, 2020. Dr. Loboa brings a distinguished academic record and broad university leadership experience to the role. At SMU, she has successfully challenged community members to establish academic priorities through the duration of the current strategic plan that will allow SMU to reach its full potential as a premier research and teaching university with global impact. As a trained biomedical engineer and established researcher, Loboa understands the importance of data to inform decisions and has spent considerable time establishing the data and reporting structures that will best shape and define the university’s academic strategy. She has a deep commitment to transparency and has opened up multiple avenues for consistent and open communication across the university. 

She received both her Ph.D. in mechanical engineering and her master’s degree in biomechanical engineering from Stanford University and earned her bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from UC Davis.

She has been recognized for her work as an engineer, inventor, researcher, and leader. She is a fellow in the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the National Academy of Inventors, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the Biomedical Engineering Society, and the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering. She is the recipient of the University of California Davis Distinguished Engineering Alumni Medal as well as the Stanford University Distinguished Alumni Scholar Award and, this past spring, was inducted into SMU’s Phi Beta Kappa Honors Society.

Prior to SMU, she was the 11th dean of the University of Missouri’s College of Engineering from October 2015 and Ketcham Professor of the College of Engineering. From 2018, and concurrent with her deanship, she served as vice chancellor for strategic partnerships at Missouri. She was the first woman to serve as the College of Engineering’s dean. During her decanal administration, she oversaw more than 140 faculty members and approximately 3,500 undergraduate and graduate students. 

She brings a wealth of experience, vision, and passion to SMU at a time of tremendous momentum and exhibits a leadership style of transparency, timely and frequent communication, and data-informed decision making.