James McGuire

James McGuire, Regional Counsel for U.S. EPA Region 6, Hunt Institute Fellow

James McGuire is a Fellow in the Hunt Institute where he brings his expertise as a government executive with expertise in water, energy, and the environment. McGuire also serves on the Leadership Council for the Hunt Institute’s Inclusive Economy.

He is Regional Counsel for U.S. EPA Region 6, covering Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.  Prior to his role at EPA, James served the public as the Director of Environmental Quality & Sustainability at the City of Dallas and as general counsel to Dallas Water Utilities.

In all of his roles, he has used his significant experience in regulatory compliance, enforcement, permitting, emergency response, resilience sustainability planning, and environmental law to lead and innovate.

“I chose public service because of the opportunity to work towards making a positive impact.  I take satisfaction in knowing that my efforts have supported a higher quality of life in the community, and that is a true reward for a job well done. Fortunately, there are many people in Dallas and associated with SMU and the Hunt Institute that are making significant impacts in their respective fields and helping solve inequities.”

James received a B.A., English, Duke University, a B.S., Earth & Ocean Sciences with highest honors, Duke University, an M.S., Geological Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, and a J.D., Emory University School of Law. 2019 awards related to work at the City of Dallas include the United Nations Day Global Leadership Award, U.S. EPA Excellence in Green Power Use Award, TXU Energy Sustainability Award, and the Air North Texas Award for Outstanding Initiative.

To read more about the Hunt Institute’s work to develop future-focused solutions to some of the world’s biggest problems, please click here. For the latest news on the Hunt Institute, follow our social media accounts on LinkedInFacebookand Instagram. We invite you to listen to our Podcast called Sages & Seekers. If you are considering engaging with the institute, you can donate, or sign-up for our newsletter by emailing huntinstitute@smu.edu.

Srikanth Mangalam

Srikanth Mangalam is an internationally recognized expert in risk and outcome-focused decision making in areas of social impact and sustainable development with over 25 years of experience in North America, Asia, Africa, Australia, and Europe. He is considered as a visionary and a thought leader and has pioneered innovative solutions to addressing complex socio-economic and sustainability challenges including public safety, food security, gender equity, climate, health, youth employment and small-scale trade.

Srikanth established Prism Institute as a not-for-profit collaboration platform that helps address interconnected risks to global sustainable development through research, policy advocacy and technological innovation. Using a unique model that combines risk analysis, technology and dialogue, Prism Institute’s core work is focused on developing integrated risk management solutions across verticals including trade and competitiveness, employment and entrepreneurship, food, pharmaceuticals, and consumer product value chains, public health and safety, environment and climate change, gender equity and human development.

In this endeavor, Srikanth work with all levels of government, academic institutions, private sector, and multi-lateral agencies including the World Bank, in developed and developing economies in North America, Africa, Australia, Asia and Europe.

When asked what motives his work, he replied, “As much as I get excited about applying science, rational and logical thinking to solving complex social and development problems, I have learnt that building partnerships, relationships and trust with the people I interact with is far more important and motivating than the ideas that I may share and influence. This has instilled a greater sense of humility, empathy and situational awareness in my work while motivating me to be a better person every day. What I am able to learn and the amount of joy I get by listening to and interacting with people around the world and especially in places like Africa is both addictive and infectious”.

Srikanth is passionate about studying and bringing to light the need to look at interconnected risks that affect any social outcome of interest through the use of science and evidence-based approaches. He is excited about a project that he is currently leading which involves the development of a model that identifies and describes the relationships between various interconnected risk factors that affect youth unemployment globally. The model, he hopes, will lay the foundation for a more holistic, integrated, and comprehensive approach to designing interventions for achieving development goals such as SDGs.

To read more about the Hunt Institute’s work to develop future-focused solutions to some of the world’s biggest problems, please click here. For the latest news on the Hunt Institute, follow our social media accounts on LinkedInFacebookand Instagram. We invite you to listen to our Podcast called Sages & Seekers. If you are considering engaging with the institute, you can donate, or sign-up for our newsletter by emailing huntinstitute@smu.edu.

Yulise R. Waters, Esq.

Yulise Reaves Waters, Esq. joins the Hunt Institute as a Fellow bringing her industry expertise. Waters is the Director of Dallas Programs for the Lone Star Justice Alliance where she oversees the programmatic, data, and community engagement aspects of the Second Chance Community Improvement Program (SCCIP – pronounced “skip”).  Waters co-founded SCCIP as an Assistant City Attorney for the City of Dallas and was responsible for securing one of ten 2016 Community Courts Grant Program grants awarded by the Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Assistance and the Center for Court Innovation, establishing SCCIP as the first-ever felony community court in Dallas County history and the first-ever alternative to incarceration for young adults in the State of Texas.  SCCIP was also awarded the 2018 National Association of Drug Court Professionals’ Equity and Inclusion Award for “excellence and leadership in demonstrating and promoting cultural proficiency in treatment court services.” Prior to her role with the City of Dallas, Waters was partner in Cox Waters, P.L.L.C., a boutique Dallas law firm specializing in family law, collaborative practice and mediation.

Waters holds a B.A. in English and in Spanish (both magna cum laude) and her B.B.A. in Organizational Behavior and Business Policy (magna cum laude) from Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas, Texas.  As a recipient of the Presidential Scholarship, SMU’s highest academic scholarship, Waters completed studies at La Fundacíon de José Ortega y Gasset in Madrid, Spain, where she became proficient in speaking Spanish. As a graduating senior, Waters was awarded the SMU Department of English’s Shakespeare Prize for the best paper in all English sections, was named the Senior Woman of the Year by the Cox School of Business, and Senior Woman of the Year of SMU (Campus-wide).  Waters earned her Juris Doctorate degree from the Dedman School of Law at SMU. At Dedman, she served as Vice President of the SMU Black Law Students Association. A member of the Inaugural Emerging Leader Board at Dedman School of Law, which recognizes graduates over the last twenty years who have “a strong record of leadership in the legal profession and a proven commitment to public service,” she holds memberships in the Juvenile Law, Criminal Justice, and Collaborative Law Sections, and the Dallas Bar Association.  Additionally, Waters holds certifications in Texas Risk Assessment System, in Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED) strategies, and she has completed additional training at the Caruth Police Leadership Institute.

An advocate for children, young adults, and families, Waters serves as an inaugural board member of POETIC Trauma Therapy Center and Creative Arts Studio, which builds a pipeline out of the juvenile justice system and into intensive aftercare for girls who have been exploited and trafficked.  She serves on the advisory board of the ARK (Adults Relating to Kids) Group, which works to build stronger families, schools, and communities by empowering adults to empower kids. And she serves on the board of Family Gateway which empowers children and families affected by homelessness. Waters has also been selected as a member of Leadership Dallas’ Class of 2020 and is an appointee to the Dallas ISD Racial Equity Office Trustee Appointed Advisory Council.

Waters has been named “One-to-Watch” by SMU Magazine, listed as a “Featured Graduate” of SMU Dedman Law by The Quad Magazine, and she is a recipient of the History Maker Award of the Black Alumni of SMU, their highest honor.  She has been named to the Dallas Business Journal’s “40 Under 40” of young professionals, to Who’s Who in Black Dallas, and to the City of Dallas’ Wall of Honor for meritorious service to the citizens of Dallas. Waters has also been named a 2019 Millennial-to-Watch and Honorable Mention Award co-recipients of the 2019 Juanita Craft Humanitarian Award in the Community Builder/Catalyst Category.  A 2017 and 2019 Dallas Public Voices Fellow, Waters’ commentary on race, justice, and policing has been featured on nationally-syndicated radio programs, and her published columns in major U.S. city newspapers.  A frequent speaker, Waters addresses civic, collegiate, corporate, church and legal bodies on topics of interest ranging from effective communication models and maximizing potential to alternatives to incarceration and community engagement. A published author, Waters’ most recent offerings, “Fearfully and Wonderfully Made,” on the adultification of black girls is included in When Kids Ask Hard Questions: Faith-filled Responses for Tough Topics and “God Heals Us” and “Somebody Prayed for Me” are included in Blessed Is She: The Transforming Prayer Journeys of 30 African American Women.

To read more about the Hunt Institute’s work to develop future-focused solutions to some of the world’s biggest problems, please click here. For the latest news on the Hunt Institute, follow our social media accounts on LinkedIn, FacebookTwitter, and Instagram. We invite you to listen to our Podcast called Sages & Seekers. If you are considering engaging with the institute, you can donate, or sign-up for our newsletter by emailing huntinstitute@smu.edu.

Duncan MacFarlane, Ph.D., Hunt Institute Senior Fellow

Duncan MacFarlane, Ph.D. Hunt Institute Senior Fellow

Duncan MacFarlane, Ph.D. joins the Hunt Institute as a Senior Fellow bringing his expertise in entrepreneurship and engineering. Dr. MacFarlane holds the Bobby B. Lyle Centennial Chair in Engineering Entrepreneurship and a Professor of Electrical Engineering at Southern Methodist University. Duncan has written more than 100 technical papers or patents in the general area of photonic systems and components. Specific research projects have included micro-optics, ultrafast lasers, photonic integrated filters, nonlinear optics, semiconductor lasers, RF and optical communications, and advanced displays. His work in photonic filters is used widely by practicing optical component and system engineers in industry. He pioneered the manufacture of micro-optics using inkjet techniques and invented a novel 3-dimensional volumetric display that has found application in aerospace.

When asked what motivates him to do impact work, Duncan replied, “I consider myself fortunate to be in a role where I can help everyone around become better and better off.”

Prior to joining SMU, Duncan spent 26 years at The University of Texas at Dallas. An early hire in the then nascent Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science he contributed to the definition and growth of a top engineering school. Duncan served as Program Head of Telecommunications Engineering, and as Associate Dean for Interdisciplinary Programs, he started three new departments (Materials Science and Engineering, Bioengineering, Systems Engineering and Management) and six new degree programs. He has worked at Schafer Associates, Texas Instruments and at JDS Uniphase, and helped start Celion Networks, a telecommunications system start-up backed by Sequoia. He is a Co-Founder of MRRA, a company dedicated to improving medical imaging through supporting instrumentation. He teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in Electromagnetics, Microwave Engineering, Optics, Probability and Statistics, Signals and Systems, Communication Systems and Electronics. Duncan received his BSEE and MSEE from Brown University, his Ph.D. from Portland State University and his MBA from SMU. Duncan is a registered professional engineer in the state of Texas and a Fellow of the Optical Society of America.

To read more about the Hunt Institute’s work to develop future-focused solutions to some of the world’s biggest problems, please click here. For the latest news on the Hunt Institute, follow our social media accounts on LinkedInFacebookand Instagram. We invite you to listen to our Podcast called Sages & Seekers. If you are considering engaging with the institute, you can donate, or sign-up for our newsletter by emailing huntinstitute@smu.edu.

Meredith M. Walker, Hunt Institute Fellow

Meredith M. Walker, Chief Economist for EarthX Hunt Institute, Fellow

Meredith Walker is a Global Economist and Head of Prize Advancement for XPRIZE—the world leader of international prize competitions that achieve radical breakthroughs for humanity, thereby launching profitable businesses, innovative industries, and revitalized markets.

Ms. Walker has over 25 years of experience conducting economic research on global issues and building international relationships to deliver innovative solutions. She activates a worldwide network of visionary leaders to provide the multi-million-dollar prize purses that incentivize teams to solve complex problems. A public speaker and published author, she delivers positive, proactive messages on economic growth, transformational technologies, and entrepreneurial, market-driven, cross-sector solutions to global problems in security, sustainability, and resilience.

Ms. Walker is a Fellow at the SMU Hunt Institute for Engineering and Humanity and a member of the National Association for Business Economics. She serves on the Board of Councilors for the EastWest Institute and is a member of Business Executives for National Security, the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum Board of Directors Alumni, and the Frontiers of Flight Museum Leadership Council. She is the America’s Future Series Advisory Board Chair and Megellas Award Trustee.

Prior to joining XPRIZE, Ms. Walker served as Chief Economist for EarthX, an international environmental forum, and led fundraising efforts for multiple non-profit organizations. She began her career as an economist at the Federal Reserve Banks of Dallas and New York and an international business consultant.

When asked what motivates her to do impact work, Ms. Walker said, “Through inclusive innovation guided by concern for environment and equity, we can work together to build a better future for all.”

Ms. Walker completed her MS in Economics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and held a Chinese language and area studies fellowship. She holds a BA from The University of Texas at Austin Plan II liberal arts honors program with a double major in Economics, minors in Asian Studies and French, and interned at the Pentagon and State Department Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Office of the Assistant Secretary. She is committed to international bridge-building for a better, safer world.

To read more about the Hunt Institute’s work to develop future-focused solutions to some of the world’s biggest problems, please click here. For the latest news on the Hunt Institute, follow our social media accounts on LinkedInFacebookand Instagram. We invite you to listen to our Podcast called Sages & Seekers. If you are considering engaging with the institute, you can donate, or sign-up for our newsletter by emailing huntinstitute@smu.edu.

Meghna Tare

Meghna Tare Headshot

Meghna Tare joins the Hunt Institute Affiliate program as a Fellow, bringing her expertise in sustainability, public policy, and education.

As UT Arlington’s first Chief Sustainability Officer, Meghna works collaboratively to foster partnerships among academic, research, and operational departments at UT Arlington, and to address opportunities to promote sustainability in several areas such as energy efficiency, waste management, transportation, education, outreach, community engagement, and interdisciplinary and sustainability-focused curriculum

She has spearheaded launching a Regional Center of Expertise for Education in Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in North Texas, a program of the United Nations University, and the North Texas Food Policy Alliance.

She serves and represents UTA on several Advisory Boards including the National Academy of Science Board on Higher Education and Workforce Development—Policy and Global Affairs, Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), and on the Board of Directors for International Council for Local Environmental Initiative (ICLEI USA).

She was awarded Women of the Decade in Corporate Social Responsibility by the Women Economic Forum, and 2020 Women in Sustainability-Transformational Leader by Wells Fargo/Envision Charlotte.

She graduated with an MBA in Sustainable Management, MS in Environmental Science, and MS in Chemistry.

To read more about the Hunt Institute’s work to develop future-focused solutions to some of the world’s biggest problems, please click here. For the latest news on the Hunt Institute, follow our social media accounts on LinkedIn,Facebook, and Instagram. We invite you to listen to our Podcast called Sages & Seekers. If you are considering engaging with the institute, you can donate, or sign-up for our newsletter by emailing huntinstitute@smu.edu.

David Son, Ph.D.

David Son joins the Hunt Institute as a Fellow, bringing his organic chemistry expertise. Son has been a professor in the Department of Chemistry at SMU since 1996. Dr. Son received his B.S. in chemistry from Andrews University (Berrien Springs, MI) and his Ph.D. in chemistry from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cambridge, MA). Dr. Son was a National Research Council Postdoctoral Fellow at the Naval Research Laboratory (Washington, D.C.) before coming to SMU. Dr. Son conducts research on the synthesis of inorganic and organometallic polymers for a variety of applications including drug delivery, additive manufacturing, and aerospace. At SMU, Dr. Son has been awarded the Altshuler Distinguished Teaching Award, the Thomas W. Tunks Distinguished University Citizen Award, and the ‘M’ Award. Dr. Son has also served as Faculty-in-Residence at Boaz Residential Commons since 2014. Dr. Son’s most recent project in the Global Development Lab is the Biodegradable Plastics Project, which shifted its focus to developing a 3D-printed biodegradable mask frame in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The frame is intended to be used in conjunction with surgical or cloth masks and provides the benefit of a more adequate seal to the face, while also posing a better environmental impact than most disposable PPE.

Dr. Son’s current project in the Global Development Lab is the Biodegradable Plastics Project, a collaborative effort with Hunt Fellow Dr. Paul Krueger in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. Dr. Son is focusing on the preparation of biodegradable plastics that degrade at tunable rates, and that degrade into safe and environmentally-friendly products. A primary focus of this joint project is to address the problem of medical plastic waste.

To read more about the Hunt Institute’s work to develop future-focused solutions to some of the world’s biggest problems, please click here. For the latest news on the Hunt Institute, follow our social media accounts on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. We invite you to listen to our Podcast called Sages & Seekers. If you are considering engaging with the institute, you can donate, or sign-up for our newsletter by emailing huntinstitute@smu.edu.

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Associate Professor Michael Zaretsky, Hunt Institute Fellow

Michael Zaretsky, Associate Professor, Civil Engineering Hunt Institute, Fellow

Michael Zaretsky joins the Hunt Institute as a Fellow who brings his expertise in architecture. Zaretsky is an Associate Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering in the College of Engineering with a courtesy appointment in the School of Architecture in the College of Architecture, Planning and Public Affairs (CAPPA) at the University of Texas at Arlington. He is the Director of the Architectural Engineering program in Civil Engineering. Zaretsky is a licensed Architect with extensive experience in local and international design/build projects.

His research is focused around culturally and environmentally responsive public interest design projects and community engagement with underserved communities locally and internationally. His published work includes Precedents in Zero-Energy Design: Architecture and Passive Design in the 2007 Solar Decathlon (Routledge Press, 2009) and New Directions in Sustainable Design, with Dr. Adrian Parr (Routledge Press, 2010). Zaretsky has articles published in several architectural journals and has presented at conferences around the world on Sustainability, Humanitarian Design, and Public Interest Design. His work is included in the 2018 book The Public Interest Design Education Guidebook edited by Bell and Abendroth.

He is presently writing Design Beyond Borders: International Design/Build Community Engagement – a book that explores how those in practice, organizations, and universities involved in international design/build projects engage those in underprivileged communities where they are working. Additionally, he is Director of Design for the Roche Health Center in rural Tanzania, a project of Village Life Outreach Project. Roche Health Center is the first-ever permanent health care facility in this region. The Roche Health Center opened April 1, 2011, and provides health care to as many as 20,000 villagers. The Roche Health Center was the winner of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) Collaborative Practice Award in 2011 and the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) Award for Creative Integration of Practice and Education in the Academy in 2011 for the Roche Health Center project.

To read more about the Hunt Institute’s work to develop future-focused solutions to some of the world’s biggest problems, please click here. For the latest news on the Hunt Institute, follow our social media accounts on LinkedInFacebookand Instagram. We invite you to listen to our Podcast called Sages & Seekers. If you are considering engaging with the institute, you can donate, or sign-up for our newsletter by emailing huntinstitute@smu.edu.

Paul S. Krueger, Ph.D.

Photo of Dr. Paul Krueger

Paul Krueger joins the Hunt Institute as a Fellow bringing his expertise in mechanical engineering. His research interests and activities include unsteady hydrodynamics and aerodynamics, vortex dynamics, bio-fluid mechanics, bio-morphic propulsion, fluid-boundary and fluid-particle interactions, and fluid processes in additive manufacturing using a variety of materials, including degradable plastics.

Krueger received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering in 1997 from the University of California at Berkeley.  He received his M.S. in Aeronautics in 1998 and his Ph.D. in Aeronautics in 2001, both from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).  In 2002 he joined the Mechanical Engineering Department at Southern Methodist University (Dallas, TX) where he is currently a professor and department chair.  He is a recipient of the Rolf D. Buhler Memorial Award in Aeronautics, the Richard Bruce Chapman Memorial Award for distinguished research in Hydrodynamics, the Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award from the National Science Foundation (2004), and the Ford Senior Research Fellowship from SMU (2012). 

Dr. Krueger’s most recent project in the Global Development Lab is the Biodegradable Plastics Project.  This project aims to develop novel materials that may be used to reduce plastic waste and are versatile enough to accommodate a range of manufacturing methods including 3D printing.  A key area of interest is in reducing medical plastic waste, as for instance by developing a 3D-printed biodegradable mask frame intended to be used in conjunction with surgical or cloth masks and provide the benefit of a more adequate seal to the face, while also posing a better environmental impact than most disposable PPE.

When asked about the motivation behind his impactful work, Dr. Krueger replied, “My motivation for working with the Hunt Institute springs from a desire to use engineering to help improve society and the environment we live in.  Sometimes this means working to overcome problems we have created ourselves, which underscores our responsibility to do something about it.”

To read more about the Hunt Institute’s work to develop future-focused solutions to some of the world’s biggest problems, please click here. For the latest news on the Hunt Institute, follow our social media accounts on LinkedInFacebookand Instagram. We invite you to listen to our Podcast called Sages & Seekers. If you are considering engaging with the institute, you can donate, or sign-up for our newsletter by emailing huntinstitute@smu.edu.

Jeff Corkran

Photo of Jeff Corkran

Jeff Corkran is a Fellow of the Hunt Institute that brings his industry expertise in using human-centered design and technology to discover, inform and lead product and design teams innovating in food systems, sustainability, finance, retail, healthcare and manufacturing.

Most of his recent work has been in design, strategy and operations for organizations and brands innovating or disrupting focused on sustainability and social impact, surfacing and growing positive opportunities that strengthen human-to-human and human-to-planet connections.

Some of those include the United Nations, Paul Allen’s Vulcan and the Discovery Channel, XPrize and others. He was previously VP Experience Strategy at Human Design in Boulder and ZenCash in Dallas, and was a partner in a human-centered, enterprise-focused design and development firm with offices in Dallas and Atlanta for about a decade, post-consulting, and post-agency, where he cut his teeth working on large-scale innovation projects for JP Morgan Chase, BMW, Brinks Armored, Mission Foods, large CPG and retail brands like Downy and others.

A series of inspiring moments led Jeff to pivot towards work for positive environmental and social impact with a systems thinking lens. He now draws from toolkits within design, story, and engineering to move good ideas from impossible to inevitable. Jeff now runs an impact design studio called takka, leads innovation and technology for a rapidly growing company in the organic foods retail space called Dirty Hands, and is developing new, experiential products and services for children’s mental health at The Wezmore Project. He previously led product and experience strategy at Impact Mill in Sonoma, researching, developing and launching models for increasing the potential for sustainability-centered behavior change.

When asked why he was drawn to the Hunt Institute, he replied, “Every facet of experience in life seems like it is on the verge of great change, and bursting with opportunity. If, why, and how we decide to make that change positive, equitable and just, and who we bring along on the journey is up to each of us, striving together on a deeply connected planet. If I can help make the best, most positive outcomes out of these moments for the future, for everyone and all life around us, and bring along or connect others too, then I’m doing what I am supposed to do.”

Jeff is a member of the Inclusive Economy Consortium Leadership Council at the Hunt Institute for Engineering and Humanity at SMU, is an advisory committee member and co-author on a project within Academy Health, funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, and is a former board member at the systems-focused Unschool of Disruptive Design. Jeff is an advisor to companies like Good Coworking in Dallas, and is a lead mentor at Dallas-based tech accelerator Impact Ventures. He has coached and mentored individuals and teams at SXSW, AIGA, Uncharted, HackDFW and other events, and launched several community-building events and organizations like Dallas Startupweek with small, but mighty volunteer teams.

To read more about the Hunt Institute’s work to develop future-focused solutions to some of the world’s biggest problems, please click here. For the latest news on the Hunt Institute, follow our social media accounts on LinkedIn, FacebookTwitter, and Instagram. We invite you to listen to our Podcast called Sages & Seekers. If you are considering engaging with the institute, you can donate, or sign-up for our newsletter by emailing huntinstitute@smu.edu.