University of North Texas 
The College of Science is pleased to congratulate Dr. Francis D'Souza of the chemistry department for receiving the UNT Foundation's 2025 Eminent Faculty Award, the university's highest honor for faculty.
Dr. Francis D’Souza joined UNT in 2011, bringing his international reputation as a pioneering researcher and expansive record of leadership in scientific organizations with worldwide reach.
After beginning his career as an independent researcher at Wichita State University in 1994, Dr. D’Souza quickly established himself as a major player in fundamental and applied porphyrin chemistry, a challenging field that offers potential for converting energy from light into useful forms. In this area, the D’Souza laboratory at UNT is in a league of its own, combining traditional and modern synthetic methods, supramolecular chemistry and state-of-the-art spectroscopic techniques.
In addition to being a renowned expert in his field, Dr. D’Souza is a devoted educator, taking great pride in preparing the next generation of teachers, scientists, engineers and health professionals. He’s known for bringing an enthusiasm to his classes that makes complex concepts accessible to every student and is a tireless mentor, having supervised more than 75 undergraduate research projects and 38 graduate theses and dissertations, with more in progress. Several of his students have won highly competitive awards, including the National Science Foundation’s Graduate Research Fellowship, and secured positions in national laboratories, academia and industry.
Pictured from left: Molly Morgan (Vice President for Administration, UNT Foundation), John Quintanilla (Dean, College of Science), LeGrande Slaughter (Chair, Chemistry), Karen Raitz (Chief Financial Officer, UNT Foundation), Lynette Gillis (President and CEO, UNT Foundation), Michael McPherson (UNT Provost), Francis D'Souza, Holly Hutchins (Vice Provost for Faculty Success)
The Salute to Faculty Excellence Awards Celebration originated from a partnership between UNT’s Faculty Success office and the UNT Foundation, which acts as a steward of privately contributed resources, ensuring they are utilized in accordance with donor intent and maintained separately from public funds. In addition to its support of the UNT Foundation Awards, the endowments and other gifts managed by the Foundation help fund faculty research, chair appointments, professorships, student scholarships and other vital university initiatives.
Read more about the UNT Foundation's Faculty Awards.