Alumni educators invited to reconnect at Simmons School open house Oct. 10

Established less than a decade ago, the Annette Caldwell Simmons School of Education and Human Development opens a new chapter in its history with the groundbreaking for the Harold Clark Simmons Hall September 12. As its campus footprint expands, the Simmons School invites SMU alumni who may not have graduated through the school but have an affinity for its programs to a “Welcome Back” reception and open house from 4 to 6 p.m. Friday, October 10, at Annette Caldwell Simmons Hall.

“This is an opportunity for SMU alumni who are active professionally, have moved on to new careers, or perhaps have retired, to learn what we’re doing in Simmons and reconnect with classmates,” explains David J. Chard, Leon Simmons Endowed Dean of the Simmons School.
Expect a spirited, fair-like atmosphere, with information stations, tours, demonstrations and interactive presentations by faculty and students showcasing Simmons’ wide-ranging and interrelated programs in teaching and learning, education policy and leadership, applied physiology and wellness, sport management, dispute resolution and counseling and liberal studies.
Much has changed since many alumni were in the classroom, especially in regard to research. “Today we study learning and teaching as much as we prepare teachers. We’re now better informed about which children need what kind of supports and when,” Chard says. “We’re also trying to impact communities differently. Alumni who did work in West Dallas decades ago will be interested in our research to understand the roles of a wide range of variables, such as nutrition and mentoring, on child development.”
Alumni also will hear about professional development, personal enrichment and volunteer opportunities.
The education of educators has been part of the University’s mission since its early years, a commitment reaffirmed by the teacher training and related concentrations lacked a nexus until the school’s creation in 2005. The Simmons outreach event is aimed at alumni such as Gigi Poglitsch ’69, ’72, who earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in communications disorders (speech pathology) from SMU. When the University discontinued the program, Poglitsch admits to feeling a bit adrift until she found a new home at Simmons.
“Having worked with autistic children for many years, I’ve been involved with public school districts and university faculty around the country,” she says. “The Simmons School’s research and programs are not only having a positive local impact but also are leading the way to improvements on a national and even an international scale. It’s an exciting time to be part of this vibrant community.”
Poglitsch serves on the event steering committee with Carol Seay ’66, ’71, Gerry Hudnall ’71 and Bobbie Sue Williams.

Seay earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a master’s degree in history from SMU. A former teacher and administrator in the Dallas Independent School District (DISD), she applauds Simmons’ “hands-on training to equip teachers to help students succeed.”
“When I was teaching, we basically had to figure it out for ourselves,” she recalls. “SMU uses research to pinpoint key skills and tools teachers and administrators need to be effective so that students are prepared when they graduate. I’ve really enjoyed being part of the future of education through Simmons.”
With a bachelor’s degree in history and a minor in political science, Hudnall taught history and government at DISD’s Hillcrest High School before her children were born. Afterward, she was a substitute teacher for 12 years. Like others on the steering committee, Hudnall believes “education is critical in the future of our country, and I am very impressed by the Simmons School’s creative approach in training future teachers.”
Williams, a Mustang by marriage to neurosurgeon Phil Williams ’59 and a former elementary school teacher, jumped at the chance to connect with the Simmons School, where her interests in education and science merge. “It’s amazing to see how far the school has come in such a short time, not just the strides they have made in education programs, but also in the areas of human development,” she says. “You have to talk to the faculty and students, visit the classrooms and really experience it all for yourself before you really understand the impact Simmons has.”
For more information about the Simmons School’s “Welcome Back” reception and open house for SMU alumni, contact Patti Addington, director of development, paddington@smu.edu or 214-768-4844.