Month: April 2020

Hi there! My name is Ophelie Herve and this is the sixth year I have proudly called myself a Mustang! I participated in a variety of organizations and took advantage of many opportunities SMU offers throughout my time as an undergraduate and graduate student. However, the Graduate Leadership Certification Program led by Kathy Hubbard and sponsored by the Hart Center was the best extra-curricular activity I added to my already busy schedule. This year-long program facilitates leadership development for graduate students through leadership seminars, executive style coaching, and a team project. The program introduces the competencies found in the Hart Leadership Framework and provides leadership coaches to help students set and achieve professional goals. The community that forms among the diverse, vibrant, and small cohort of students creates a safe environment in which students can grow their leadership skills and abilities! It played a monumental role in my development as a person and professional over the course of the year. Let me highlight my favorite parts and share how I have seen myself positively change!

First, ODYSSEY PLANS. An odyssey plan, presented by Bill Burnet and Dave Evans in their outstanding book Designing Your Life, is a 5-year plan – but, plot twist: you make three. Yep, we created THREE alternative versions of the next five years of our lives!

1. The first is simply a continuation of the life you are already leading.
2. The second plan is supposed to be your “plan B.”
3. The third plan is the “wild one!” Imagine you had all the money and resources you needed…what would you do? Where would you go?

In a time of transition, as I move to UCLA to pursue my PhD in the fall, it was helpful to have a safe space to think about what I wanted the next five years to look like. I was able to envision the milestones I wanted to achieve in my academic career and dream about how I could incorporate my passions along the way to ensure a well-balanced and fulfilling life!

Although the first plan was insightful, the second and third plan unlocked a side of me I had suppressed for so long. Unknowingly, I had overlooked many of the dreams and aspirations that lay deep within me. I have put so much pressure on myself trying to make plan A happen thinking there is one life ahead of me. The odyssey plan exercise helped me realize that life is a series of right and left turns. There are many opportunities ahead of us that will each lead us to different experiences. There is no “best,” there is just “different”. How incredibly freeing!

This exercise enabled me to take ownership of my future! I discovered many ambitious dreams tucked away in my mind and became determined to execute them. During the spring semester, we had the opportunity to work with a career coach which was transformational as I learned how to pursue these goals actively. As a result, I have found a new sense of confidence in my leadership ability! And now, I am writing this blog post as a means of “prototyping” my passions. A lover of words and an amateur writer, the program has empowered me to say “yes” to things I never thought I would for the purpose of growth as a leader! Let the blogging begin!

Hi friends! Welcome back to our Hart Center blog, where we’re keeping you updated on the exceptional accomplishments of our students. If you missed last week’s welcome message, read it here (if you read it, you can see my dog).

There’s an story that, in 1899, the commissioner of the US patent office famously claimed “everything that can be invented has been invented.” It must be something about the turn of the century, because people thought the same thing when the 21^st century rolled around. Where would we go, if we had already invented everything? Of course, as engineers, we know innovation never ends. And the National Academy of Engineering agreed, so the Academy identified 14 Grand Challenges for Engineering in the 21st Century, including universal access to clean water, enhanced virtual reality, and advanced health informatics. Basically, every cool or useful thing that ever has been or will be invented is covered by these Challenges.

How do these Challenges relate to you? In March 2018, SMU joined over 70 cutting-edge engineering schools to offer the Grand Challenge Scholars Program (GCSP). Here’s the Sparknotes (find complete info here) of the program: apply > get accepted > select a Challenge > produce world-changing research.

We want to introduce you to one of our Scholars, Micah Oxner (PSA, she’s a super cool female in STEM). An inaugural member of the GCSP, she will graduate in May 2020 with degrees in Mechanical Engineering with biomed specialization and Applied Math with a minor in Health Sciences. As a Scholar, she researches the biologically inspired design of microrobots for targeted drug delivery. She also received funding through the Engaged Learning Fellowship and a Richter Fellowship to study breast cancer cell lines in microfluidic chips at the University of Aberdeen in Aberdeen, Scotland. Currently, Micah is applying to graduate school for Fall 2020 for her doctorate in Biomedical Engineering.

If Micah’s work doesn’t blow your mind, I don’t know what will. But our Scholars do more than produce exceptional research; they also travel, attend fantastic Scholars-only events, and have their own club! Last September, Micah flew to London to participate in the Global Grand Challenges Summit hosted by the Royal Academy of Engineering. In October, 3 Scholars traveled to D.C. to attend the 2019 NAE GCSP Annual Meeting at the National Academy of Engineering. The Hart Center offers a Scholars’ retreat and exclusive Scholars’ events throughout the semester. Cassie Hammond is the founder and incoming President of the new Grand Challenge Scholars Club, where Scholars will join together to participate in peer mentoring and personal development activities (plus, free food).

While stuck at home, I’ve had ample opportunities to think about how I can positively impact the world. If you’re looking for an opportunity to do the same, the Grand Challenge Scholars Program may be for you. If you are interested in researching game-changing challenges, look for the Grand Challenge Scholar application in the fall (all majors accepted). Email the Hart Center with any questions.

Stay safe and healthy. Pony Up, Mustangs!