James Louis Poirot

Submitted By jlk0041 on Thu, 11/02/2023 - 11:45am

Jim PoirotDr. James ‘Jim’ Louis Poirot, 79, of Fort Worth, Professor Emeritus of learning technologies who worked at UNT from 1976 to 2014, died Oct. 17.

He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees and a Ph.D. in mathematics from Texas Tech University and taught at what was then Southwest Texas State University in San Marcos before accepting a position on the computer science faculty at North Texas. He chaired that department and later served as chair of the computer education and cognitive systems department in the College of Education (now the Department of Learning Technologies in the College of Information). He also was an associate dean of the College of Education and was named a Regents Professor in 2001.

Well-known as a computer education expert, he was the author and co-author of numerous textbooks and founded the Texas Computing Education Association, serving as its first president, and the Texas Center for Educational Technology, which he served as executive director. During his 50-year career in education, he worked with many Texas school districts, and he educated teachers from around the world to find better ways to use technology in their classrooms. He also brought in millions of dollars of grants while at UNT.

He was an avid traveler and founded the Caribbean Educational Computing Conference. He was involved in his church and the Denton community, winning a presidential award along with his wife, Peggy, for their volunteerism, and was a rancher and a Texas Rangers fan.

Memorials may be made to the James L. and Peggy A. Poirot Endowed Scholarship, UNT Division of Advancement, 1155 Union Circle, Box 311250, Denton, Texas 76203.

Jim PoirotDr. James ‘Jim’ Louis Poirot, 79, of Fort Worth, Professor Emeritus of learning technologies who worked at UNT from 1976 to 2014, died Oct. 17.

He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees and a Ph.D. in mathematics from Texas Tech University and taught at what was then Southwest Texas State University in San Marcos before accepting a position on the computer science faculty at North Texas. He chaired that department and later served as chair of the computer education and cognitive systems department in the College of Education (now the Department of Learning Technologies in the College of Information). He also was an associate dean of the College of Education and was named a Regents Professor in 2001.

Well-known as a computer education expert, he was the author and co-author of numerous textbooks and founded the Texas Computing Education Association, serving as its first president, and the Texas Center for Educational Technology, which he served as executive director. During his 50-year career in education, he worked with many Texas school districts, and he educated teachers from around the world to find better ways to use technology in their classrooms. He also brought in millions of dollars of grants while at UNT.

He was an avid traveler and founded the Caribbean Educational Computing Conference. He was involved in his church and the Denton community, winning a presidential award along with his wife, Peggy, for their volunteerism, and was a rancher and a Texas Rangers fan.

Memorials may be made to the James L. and Peggy A. Poirot Endowed Scholarship, UNT Division of Advancement, 1155 Union Circle, Box 311250, Denton, Texas 76203.

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