President Jonathan J. Sanford, Ph.D. | University of Dallas website

Mary Mumbach, a distinguished alumna of the University of Dallas, has been appointed as the 2024-25 Louise Cowan Scholar in Residence at the Donald and Louise Cowan Center. Mumbach holds both her undergraduate and doctoral degrees from the university, with her PhD guided by Louise Cowan herself. She is noted for co-founding the Thomas More College of Liberal Arts and the Honors Program at Magdalen College, contributing significantly to liberal arts education over a career spanning four decades.

Louise Cowan once remarked on Mumbach’s critical writing: “…[Mumbach’s] way of reading literature … makes us go back and reencounter the medieval imagination in order to read modern literature … in a way that has never been needed more urgently than in this present time.” Mumbach's scholarly work includes writings on "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" and William Faulkner's novels.

During her residency, which began on October 11, Mumbach will be actively involved with several academic events. She will speak at the Cowan Center’s Fall Seminar on Faulkner, lead graduate seminars, participate in the Southwest Conference on Christianity and Literature, and conduct personal research.

Bainard Cowan, director of the Cowan Center, expressed his anticipation for Mumbach’s involvement: “We look forward to welcoming as our next Scholar in Residence an alumna, scholar and teacher so beloved by the university and so committed to the ideas and vision of Donald and Louise Cowan.”

The Donald and Louise Cowan Center focuses on transforming culture through liberal learning. It aims to highlight poetry's role in pursuing a just society while maintaining high educational standards established by its founders. The center continues this mission through scholarly events, public seminars, publications, and other initiatives.

The University of Dallas is recognized as a leading Catholic liberal arts institution known for its rigorous core curriculum. It offers comprehensive programs across various disciplines including business, ministry, education, and humanities. The university prides itself on fostering an intellectually stimulating environment across its campuses in Texas and Italy.