James “Jim” Hebda, Ph.D., professor of mathematics and statistics at Saint Louis University, died Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. He was 73 years old.
Hebda joined Saint Louis University in 1981 as an assistant professor of mathematical sciences in the College of Arts and Sciences. He became an associate professor in 1985 and professor in 1990 and served as chair of the Department of Mathematics from 2011-17. He stayed on the faculty at SLU for nearly 45 years, beginning a phased retirement in 2023.
Jim Hebda, Ph.D., died Jan. 18, 2026. SLU file photo.
“He was very committed to his colleagues, students and department and worked tirelessly to promote math education across SLU,” Donna LaVoie, Ph.D., dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, said. “I found working with him to always be a pleasure. He will be missed.”
Anneke Bart, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at SLU, echoed those sentiments.
“He was a beloved member of the department,” Bart said. “He was a warm, kind person, and a gifted mathematician.”
Hebda’s scholarly expertise was in differential geometry and Riemannian geometry — the study of surfaces, curves and manifolds. He published frequently on these subjects.
Hebda was born and raised in Chicago. He earned a bachelor’s degree in 1974, a master’s degree in 1975 and a doctoral degree in 1979, all in mathematics from the University of Illinois Chicago. Before coming to SLU, he worked as a research associate at Michigan State University.
Stacey Harris, Ph.D., attended graduate school with Hebda and worked alongside him in the mathematics and statistics department at SLU for more than three decades.
“Jim has always been a very quiet soul. I never once heard him raise his voice for anything. He tended towards the monomaniacal a bit in mathematical conversation, but perhaps we all do,” Harris said. “May we all be such wonderful friends to others and contributors to life, knowledge and human warmth and wonderment.”
Hebda is survived by his wife, Sue Turk, and son, Josh.
A memorial service will be held on Saint Louis University’s campus later this semester.
