Tag: Dedman College Scholar

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PETER WETHERBEE ’21

PETER WETHERBEE ’21

Educational Background: Southern Methodist University: BA in Human Rights, International Studies (2021)

Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies: MA in International Affairs (2023)

SMU Accomplishments: At SMU, Peter was involved as a Student Representative to the Board of Trustees, Student Senator, President of the Student Giving Committee, Vice President of Programming for Program Council, Events Director for the Human Rights Council, Producer of 24 Hour Musical, Resident Assistant for Upper Division Housing and Morrison-McGinnis Commons, President of Amnesty International, and Research Assistant for the Office of the Provost. Peter’s SMU honors and awards include the “M” Award, Dedman College Scholars Program, Engaged Learning Fellowship, Richter Fellowship, SMU Board Fellows Program, and University Honors Program.

Postbaccalaureate Career: After graduating, Peter began graduate school in Switzerland. He serves as Treasurer of both the Environmental Committee and Peacebuilding Initiative at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies. He is also helping to organize Geneva Peace Week and a large international environmental peacebuilding conference in February 2022.

Learn more about Peter’s post-graduation journey through the following link: 

Updated January 2022

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ANDREA NGUYEN ’19

ANDREA NGUYEN ’19

Educational Background: Southern Methodist University: BA in Anthropology, Markets & Culture; Minor in Human Rights (2019)

University of California at David: MS in Transportation, Technology and Policy (2023)

SMU Accomplishments: Andrea traveled globally with the SMU Human Rights Program to Latvia and Lithuania through the program’s Holocaust education trip focused on Eastern Europe. At SMU, she was heavily involved with the SMU Service House, led Kairos SMU Creative Journal as Co-Editor-in-Chief, and served as a trip developer with SMU Alternative Breaks. Andrea volunteered with the CONNECT Leadership Development Program as a peer mentor  and worked with the Hunt Institute for Engineering and Humanity. Through her Hunt Institute Research, she led the Blockchain Impact Project team, exploring the impact of blockchain on start-ups and nonprofits. Meanwhile, Andrea deepened her passion for transportation equity through her research with the SMU Anthropology Department research, where she used GIS mapping to study multi-modal transportation models and their relationship to socioeconomic segregation.  

Postbaccalaureate Career: After graduation, Andrea worked with the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth, was selected as a Fellow with March for Science, and interned for the Alliance for Automotive Innovators. Today, Andrea is advancing her commitment to transportation equity and environmental justice through her graduate studies in Transportation, Technology, and Policy at UC Davis. 

Updated January 2022

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TANNAH OPPLIGER ’20

TANNAH OPPLIGER ’20

Educational Background: Southern Methodist University: BA in Human Rights, Public Policy; Minor in Advertising (2020) 

University of Southern California: MPP in Public Policy (2023)

SMU Accomplishments: Tannah’s academic achievements at SMU include her selection as a Hunt Leadership Scholar, Dedman College Scholar, Mustang Scholar, and Phi Beta Kappa Honoree. Through her research on college access and immigrant youth, she also served as a Cooper-McElvaney Peace and Justice Fellow, SMU Engaged Learning Fellow, and Undergraduate Research Assistant. She was the Executive Director of the SMU Human Rights Council from 2019 – 2020. 

Postbaccalaureate Career: Fueled by her research interests in education, juvenile interactions with legal systems, and the prison industrial complex, Tannah went on to pursue a master’s in public policy at USC. She aspires to craft equitable public policies through collaboration with marginalized communities. 

Updated January 2022

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ANNA RAMIREZ ’20

ANNA RAMIREZ ’20

Educational Background: Southern Methodist University: BA in Human Rights, Psychology (2020)

University of Denver: MA in International Disaster Psychology (2023)

SMU Accomplishments: During her undergraduate career, Anna was a member of the University Honors Program, a Dedman College Scholar, and also served as a student leader on the SMU Human Rights Council (HRC). She volunteered with refugee children as an after-school tutor with Heart House, interned with the World Affairs Council, and spent over three years with the Dallas Area Rape Crisis Center (DARCC) as a volunteer advocate. She also received the Santos Rodriguez Memorial Scholarship through the SMU Human Rights Program. 

Postbaccalaureate Career: Following graduation, Anna worked as a legal advocate with DARCC, where helped survivors navigate legal systems and seek justice. Today, she is completing her master’s in International Disaster Psychology as she interweaves her passions for trauma-informed care with human rights advocacy. 

Updated January 2022

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HOPE ANDERSON ’17

HOPE ANDERSON ’17

Educational Background: Southern Methodist University: BA in Human Rights, History; BS in Sociology; Minor in Spanish (2017)

Southern Methodist University: MA in Design & Innovation (2022)

Duke Divinity School: M.Div in Divinity (2025)

SMU Accomplishments: Hope’s passion for human rights led her to intern with global nonprofits dedicated to anti-trafficking and refugee resettlement like the International Rescue Committee (IRC), as well as with local anti-poverty organizations like CitySquare. As an SMU Engaged Learning Fellow, Hope conducted research on forced migration in Nepal, Jordan, and Chile. Through the SMU Human Rights Program, she helped to organize and lead trips focused on civil rights history and criminal justice reform. Hope was recognized as a Maguire Public Service Fellow, a Dedman College Scholar, a Phi Beta Kappa member, and a recipient of the prestigious “M” Award.

Postbaccalaureate Career: Hope is a community advocate specializing in inclusive pedagogy, youth organizing, and human rights education. Following graduation, she learned alongside a new generation of social justice practitioners through the John Lewis Fellowship – a community that continues to fuel her social justice work. 

In her graduate work in human-centered design, Hope merged creativity with equity through her study of inclusive design. Working to unite designers and marginalized communities together in the design process, she has engaged issues ranging from environmental racism to LGBTQ youth homelessness. 

Hope worked as the Community Outreach Coordinator for the SMU Human Rights Program for five years, connecting the program’s changemakers to the Dallas community through community organizing, social impact projects, and field placements. Describing her gratitude to the SMU Human Rights Program, Hope shares: “I would not be where I am today without these people – my people.”

Today, Hope is a graduate student at Duke Divinity School in North Carolina, where she is pursuing ordination for priesthood in the Episcopal Church. At Duke, Hope explores issues of local socioeconomics and racial justice as a Thriving Communities Fellow. She continues to mentor young LGBTQ people and advocate for inclusive faith communities. Hope writes, “The SMU Human Rights Program shaped my commitment to uphold human dignity as both a priest and human rights practitioner.”

Updated May 2022

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GREG GUGGENMOS ’19

GREG GUGGENMOS ’19

Educational Background:
Southern Methodist University: BS in Statistical Science, Minor in Human Rights; MS in Applied Statistics (2019)

SMU Accomplishments: Greg traveled globally with the SMU Human Rights Program to Latvia and Lithuania through the program’s Holocaust education trip focused on Eastern Europe. At SMU, he was an Engaged Learning Fellow and a Resident Assistant. Through the SMU Human Rights Fellowship, Greg launched his own nonprofit, the Community Bail Fund of North Texas, which provided grants to indigent defendants awaiting trial in the Dallas County justice system and drew from best practices of organizations in other cities such as the Brooklyn Community Bail Fund (which Greg visited as part of a Richter Fellowship). In recognition of his service to the university, Greg received the prestigious “M” Award.

Postbaccalaureate Career: Following graduation, Greg continued to engage his passion for criminal justice reform as a Statistical Consultant with the Deason Criminal Justice Reform Center at SMU Dedman School of Law. Through his research on AI and pre-trial detention, he was selected as a Landecker Democracy Fellow with Humanity in Action.

Learn more about Greg’s post-graduation journey through the following links:

Updated January 2022