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LISA MASSEY ’09

LISA MASSEY ’09

Educational Background: Southern Methodist University: BA in Religious Studies; Minor in Human Rights (2009)

Marylhurst University: MBA in Nonprofit / Public / Organizational Management (year?)

SMU Accomplishments: At SMU, Lisa was the president of the Religious Studies Club. 

Postbaccalaureate Career: Following her undergraduate experience, Lisa used her graduate coursework in business to further explore nonprofit leadership. Today, Lisa works as the Director of Administration at Long Way Home, a grassroots Guatemalan nonprofit focused on green building, education and employment.

Updated January 2022

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MELANIE PRUITT ‘09

MELANIE PRUITT ’09

Educational Background: Southern Methodist University: BA in English; Minor in Human Rights (2009)

SMU Accomplishments: Melanie is proud to have been among the first group of students to minor in Human Rights. She was recognized for both her academic achievements and her service to the university; she won the Dedman College Pascal Covici Jr. Prize for Best Essay in American Studies, 2008/2009 and won the Dorothy Amaan Award for Service to the University. She graduated summa cumm laude, was a member of Phi Beta Kappa honor society, and won a research grant to study young adult literature and LGBTQ teens. In 2009, through a partnership with both the Women’s Center and the SMU Human Rights program, she organized a week-long event marking the 40-year anniversary of Stonewall Riots. 

Postbaccalaureate Career: For over eight years, Melanie has worked as the Capstone Coordinator at the Richland Collegiate High School on the Richland campus of Dallas College. Over the course of three semesters, beginning in the spring of students’ junior year, she teaches high school students how to research and write at a grad school level. She continues to leverage her human rights degree as she connects students studying issues like human trafficking, refugees, or anti-Semitism to the SMU Human Rights Program for futher study. At the Richland campus, Melanie has been recognized with the Excellence in Teaching Award for Associate Faculty at Richland, 2013-2014 and the Phi Theta Kappa Outstanding Chapter Advisor for the state of Texas, 2020-2021.

Updated January 2022

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NIICOLE A. VENO ‘09

NICOLE A. VENO ’09

Educational Background: Southern Methodist University: BA in Political Science; Minor in Human Rights (2009)

Quinnipiac University School of Law: Juris Doctor (2012)

SMU Accomplishments: At SMU, Nicole was involved with the Ballroom Dance Team, Kappa Alpha Theta sorority, and Mock Trial. 

Postbaccalaureate Career: Motivated by her experience in the SMU Human Rights Program, Nicole interned with a public defender’s office, working on a high-profile death penalty case in Connecticut. Following this experience, Nicole went to law school where she served as the Associate Editor of the Quinnipiac Probate Law Journal. 

She currently represents plaintiffs in complex litigation as an Associate Attorney at Kirby McInerney LLP in New York City.  Additionally, she represents individuals in litigation against large corporations, including in whistleblower, employment, and antitrust matters.

Updated January 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