Categories
2023 Fall/Winter 2023

Top of the class

SEE HOW THESE SMU FACULTY MEMBERS HAVE BEEN RECOGNIZED FOR EXCELLENCE IN THEIR FIELDS.

Amber Bay Bemak

Associate Professor of Film and Media Arts, Meadows School of the Arts

2023 GUGGENHEIM FELLOW

Robert Gregory

Professor of Earth Sciences, Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE (AAAS) FELLOW

Heather DeShon

Department Chair and Professor of Earth Sciences, Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences

2024 SEISMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA (SSA) PRESIDENT

Edward Glasscock

Associate Professor of Biological Sciences, Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH (NIH) GRANT

Nicos Makris

Addy Family Centennial Professor in Civil Engineering, Lyle School of Engineering

AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CIVIL ENGINEERS (ASCE) GEORGE W. HOUSNER STRUCTURAL CONTROL AND MONITORING MEDAL

Austin Baldwin

Department Chair and Professor of Psychology, Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences

SOCIETY OF BEHAVIORAL MEDICINE FELLOW

Devin Matthews

Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences

2023 JAMES H. WILKINSON PRIZE FOR NUMERICAL SOFTWARE

Ruben Habito

Professor of World Religions and Spirituality, Perkins School of Theology

2024 AMERICAN THEOLOGICAL SOCIETY VICE PRESIDENT AND PRESIDENT-ELECT

Barbara Hill Moore

Senior Associate Dean for Faculty and Professor of Voice, Meadows School of the Arts

LINCOLN UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI HONORARY DOCTOR OF FINE ARTS

Rita Kirk

Professor of Corporate Communication and Public Affairs, Meadows School of the Arts

William F. May Endowed Director, SMU’s Maguire Center for Ethics and Public Responsibility

HARVARD UNIVERSITY’S EDMOND & LILY SAFRA CENTER FOR ETHICS VISITING FELLOW


“When our faculty receive high-profile
fellowships, society memberships,
leadership positions and honorifics, it
demonstrates the expanding scope of
our impact. SMU’s faculty are truly world
changers in their fields – at the local,
national and international levels.”

Elizabeth G. Loboa
SMU Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Fellow
Categories
Alumni

SMU Alumna’s Dazzling Designs Win Spot In Belk Showcase

Jewelry designer Ali Howell '86 was among 13 winners of the Belk Southern Designers Showcase.
Jewelry designer Ali Howell ’86 is among 13 winners of the Belk Southern Designer Showcase.

Jewelry maker Ali Howell ’86 is among 13 winners of the second annual Belk Southern Designer Showcase. Howell, the founder and designer of ali & bird jewelry, was selected from nearly 300 entrants. Her pieces will be sold in Belk department stores throughout the country and online in spring 2014.
Howell, an Atlanta resident, started ali & bird in 2009. She describes her original pieces as “affordable statement jewelry that reflect current fashion and color trends, bringing modern flair to classic looks.” The jewelry is handcrafted with semi-precious stones in the United States and is sold by more than 75 retailers.
A native of Memphis, Tennessee, Howell dived into the design realm as an SMU student when she landed a summer job in the Dallas Market Center showroom of a friend’s mother. “That led to an internship and a job offer after graduation,” she says.
After earning degrees in advertising and psychology from SMU, she moved to New York City where she launched a career in visual merchandising. Howell’s talent for mixing bold colors and classic designs served her well as the creative force behind the marketing, showroom displays and advertising campaigns for Herend USA, a fine china company, for 10 years.
At first, jewelry making was strictly a hobby. “I’ve always been a creative person, and when a friend started making jewelry, I watched her and asked her to show me a few things. I got hooked,” says Howell. “I made a several pieces, and every time I would wear one, people would ask where I got it.”
Shark Tank panelist Barbara Corcoran wears an ali & bird necklace.
Shark Tank panelist Barbara Corcoran wearing ali & bird jewelry.

Bucking conventional wisdom, Howell took a chance on her own business just as a recession gripped the global economy. As it turns out, her timing was perfect. She found that while women weren’t investing in new clothes, they were buying distinctive, well-priced jewelry to freshen last year’s looks.
Celebrity fans of her line include Barbara Corcoran, real estate expert and Shark Tank panelist, and Maria Cardona, political strategist and CNN contributor.
Howell’s company is truly a family business. She designs and creates the pieces in her home studio with the help of several assistants and off-site “stringers.” Her 12-year-old daughter, Lindsey, also known as “Bird,” not only lends her nickname to the enterprise but also a hand in making the jewelry. In addition to his job in the corporate world, husband Ward handles marketing for ali & bird. The Howells also have a nine-year-old son.
As a winner of the Belk designer competition, Howell looks forward to introducing her jewelry to new Dallas customers when the retailer debuts its 170,000-square-foot flagship store in the Galleria mall. When she’s here for the opening next spring, a trip to the Hilltop will be on her to-do list.
“Whenever I’m in Dallas, I try to make it back to campus,” Howell says. “SMU was a great place for me. I feel I got a good education and started on a path that has led me to where I am today.”
– Patricia Ward