Audryanna Reed (she/her/hers) is the newest addition to the Office of Academic Initiatives, serving as our new Associate Director for High-Impact Practices. Reed will provide leadership, vision, and management for the implementation and sustainment of high impact educational practices in SMU’s residential setting.
As the initiative manager, Reed will lead campus elements of Engage Dallas including: facilitating the Engage Dallas implementation team, supporting the Engage Dallas Student Directors, overseeing risk management efforts, and supporting sustained relationships with community partners.
Reed continues her service at SMU, transferring from Office of Housing Operations to the Office of Academic Initiatives in Residence Life and Student Housing, effective September 7th, 2021.
She has experience with curriculum development, policy review, and began her journey in student affairs as an Academic Resident Assistant. Audryanna earned her BS in Hospitality Management from the University of North Texas, and went on to earn her Master of Liberal Studies with concentrations in Human Rights & Social Justice and Organizational Dynamics from SMU.
Reed is active with DFW Urban League Young Professionals, One Community Church, and keeps busy as the owner of her own small business.
Pre-COVID-19 service photo of SMU students staffing community event
Engage Dallas is excited to announce our community partners as we work to address community needs via the SMU Residential Commons (RC) and their 2,600+ residents. After an extensive research process by faculty, staff, and students to identify expressed community needs in South and West Dallas, each Residential Commons student leadership team adopted a long-term cause they were committed to addressing via Engage Dallas.
In Fall 2020, the Engage Dallas Offsite and Risk Management Committee began to identify community organizations already well-positioned, who are addressing the RC-chosen community needs. Throughout this intentional pairing process involving conversations with non-profit leaders, the committee focused on identifying community organizations whose missions aligns with the RC-chosen community need with which SMU could assist, and who — in the era of COVID-19 — offered virtual opportunities for our students.
Matt Nadler, Residential Community Director and Offsite and Risk Management co-chair, shared, “Getting to know the various Engage Dallas community organizations has been a highlight of my semester. I’m excited for our students to begin volunteering and getting involved with their various community needs.”
This semester, SMU students will put the online education and training they received into practice to begin volunteering remotely and may have direct-service opportunities as early as March. The Engage Dallas Student Director for each Residential Commons met with their partner organization liaison to organize virtual service opportunities for the spring semester.
Melanie Wright, Engage Dallas Student Director for Boaz Commons, exclaimed, “There is nothing I’m more passionate about than engaging with my community and helping those around me. My excitement about Engage Dallas has been growing ever since getting to know Boaz’s community organization, North Texas Food Bank, and so I’m excited to encourage everyone to participate in Engage Dallas this semester.”
Amber Martin, External Relations Manager for Reading Partners of North Texas, remarked, “I appreciate Engage Dallas and Eduardo [Engage Dallas student director for Virginia-Snider Commons] for the willingness to help within the community. The services Engage Dallas is providing North Texas will make a tremendous impact. Thank you for choosing Reading Partners to be one of Engage Dallas’ community partners.”
SMU is excited to announce the following organizations as the initial community partner cohort for Engage Dallas. Each Residential Commons is listed with its chosen community need and initial partner(s).
“We look forward to what we will be able to accomplish together,” concluded Nadler. For more information or to suggest an organization, visit the Engage Dallas website. Inquires by community organizations can be directed to Staphany C. López-Coronado, Assistant Director for the Office of Social Change and Intercultural Engagement (sclopez@smu.edu; 214-768-4582).
Audryanna Reed (she/her/hers) is the newest addition to the Office of Academic Initiatives, serving as our new Associate Director for High-Impact Practices. Reed will provide leadership, vision, and management for the implementation and sustainment of high impact educational practices in SMU’s residential setting.