Category: Social impact

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Anna Clark, Hunt Institute Fellow

Anna M. Clark is a fellow of the Hunt Institute for Engineering and Humanity at Southern Methodist University and the co-founder of the Inclusive Economy Consortium

Anna M. Clark is a fellow of the Hunt Institute for Engineering & Humanity at Southern Methodist University and the co-founder of the Inclusive Economy Consortium. In partnership with the Hunt Institute, Anna researches the intersection of corporate social responsibility (CSR), social enterprise, and inclusive business. She was also a key organizer of the Institute’s Climate Extremes conference, the largest event on the issue ever to be held in Dallas.

Anna began her career as a management consultant with PwC Consulting and IBM. In 2005, she founded EarthPeople Media, a sustainability communication consultancy. In 2017, she joined Hill+Knowlton Strategies as a principal, providing senior counsel in corporate affairs and CSR to industry leaders. Presently she works as a senior strategist at Zen Media and advises her creative team at Heirloom Digital, a heritage storytelling company she launched in 2019.

When asked why she was drawn to work with the Hunt Institute she replied, “The first expression of my desire to use business as a vehicle for creating social impact came in sustainability consulting—helping companies ‘go green’ and implementing corporate social responsibility initiatives.

Serving as a fellow at the Hunt Institute has increased my understanding of how to apply market-based solutions to address social needs. I’m excited to use these learnings in my new company to create positive change as a social entrepreneur. The network we’re creating with the Inclusive Economy Consortium is another powerful source of thinking for successful social innovation. It’s inspiring to learn from others who are also dedicated to using their work to help create an economy that respects nature and works for all.”

Over the course of her sustainability career, Anna has advised startups, global corporations, universities such as SMU and Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University in Dubai, and international organizations such as International Finance Corporation, the private sector arm of The World Bank.

A published author, Anna has written the Eco-Leadership column for Greenbiz.com since 2009 and has contributed to The Guardian, Al Jazeera English, HuffPost, The Christian Science Monitor, and The Dallas Morning News. She is a Public Voices Fellow at the OpEd Project and a Fellow at the Hunt Institute for Engineering & Humanity at SMU. She also serves on the boards of the American Women’s Financial Education Foundation, the Little Things Matter Foundation, and Green Source DFW, which awarded her a Sustainable Leadership Award in 2016.

Anna holds an M.A. in Communication from Johns Hopkins University and a B.A. in Government from the University of Texas at Austin. She lives with her family in one of the first homes in Dallas to earn a Platinum LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

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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Jamila Thomas, Hunt Institute Fellow

Jamila Thomas Diversity, Equity & Inclusion professional focused on leading with empathy

Jamila Thomas, is a Hunt Institute Fellow, a motivational speaker, author, and entrepreneur. Ms. Thomas is the Senior Vice President for Big Brother Big Sister Lone Star, Founder and President of Women Divine, and the former Director of Racial Equity for the Dallas Independent School District. As a result of her commitment to excellence in all endeavors, Jamila Thomas was named a 2019 Presidential Leadership Scholar appointed by the Presidential Centers of William J. Clinton, George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush and Lyndon B. Johnson.

She has always been emphatically involved in organizations and activities that uplift the world community. She has traveled to West Africa, Germany, Austria, England, Jamaica, Bahamas, and Italy. She spoke in Washington, D.C. on the steps of the United States Capitol on behalf of 400 youth delegates to garner support for the mission and vision of Mother’s Against Drunk Drivers.

In 2009, Ms. Thomas founded a 501c3 organization called Women Divine in Chicago, Illinois. The mission is to effectively impact the lives of young women through academic enhancement, leadership development, financial literacy, and cultural enrichment. The vision is to educate, inspire, and empower young women to strive for excellence in all areas of their lives. In this capacity, she serves as the President of the Board of Directors. As of 2017, Women Divine serves young women currently residing in juvenile detention centers in Dallas, Texas.

In 2018, at the direction of Dallas Independent School District Board of Trustees, Jamila created and established the Racial Equity Office for Dallas ISD. In this capacity, she was responsible for developing culturally responsive policies and programs designed to close the achievement gap and simultaneously build culturally intelligent practices for all faculty and staff. Before serving as the Director of Racial Equity, Ms. Thomas served as Coordinator for Dallas ISD African American Success Initiative for two years. There, she exposed students to a variety of culturally relevant academic-focused opportunities. Prior to her current role with Dallas ISD, she served as the Pastor of Outreach for St. Luke “Community” United Methodist Church, where she was responsible for serving ministries that included social services and prison ministry.

Ms. Thomas has continued her commitment to serving the community in various organizations. She was appointed a Board Member of the Friends of the Dallas Public Library in 2016, and a member of the 2015 Leadership Dallas ISD class. She is also a 2017 Boone Family Foundation Public Voices Fellow, under the auspices of The OpEd Project. In addition, Ms. Thomas was invited to the White House in Washington, D.C. to collaborate with a number of individuals from across the nation to discuss opportunities that engage minority youth in STEM career fields. As a result of her commitment to her community, she won the 2015 Woman of the Year award from the South Central Dallas Business and Professional Women’s Club. In 2019, she was honored with the NAAACP Unsung Hero Award.

Ms. Thomas speaks to her motivation regarding impact work, “I have learned that I am a humanitarian and empathy is what drives me to be a collaborator and consensus builder. Social impact work that focuses on ensuring equitable advances and opportunities for communities that traditionally have been negatively impacted by historical legislative actions is what inspires and motivates me.”

Thomas currently lives in Dallas, Texas with her husband, Brandon, their son Braylon, and daughter Jaidence. She is a native of Dallas, Texas, and a graduate of Florida A&M University, located in Tallahassee, Florida. She received her undergraduate degree in Business Administration and a graduate degree, Masters of Business of Administration (MBA). She also has a Master of Arts degree in Divinity from The University of Chicago Divinity School.

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, Twitter, 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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Robert Hunt, Ph.D.

Photo of Robert Hunt

Robert Hunt was born in Dallas, Texas, in 1955. After attending school in Austin and Richardson, he majored in History at the University of Texas in Austin. After completing a Master of Theology at Perkins School of Theology (SMU) he served as associate pastor of the Bethany United Methodist Church in Austin, Texas.

In 1985 he and his wife Lilian moved to Kuala Lumpur, where he taught at the Seminary Theology Malaysia and directed extension education programs. He received a PhD from the University of Malaya in 1993, focusing on Christian relations with Muslims in Southeast Asia. From 1993 to 1997 he taught and directed extension education programs at the Trinity Theological College in Singapore. From 1997 to 2004 he was pastor of the English Speaking United Methodist Church of Vienna, and an adjunct professor in Comparative Religions and International Relations at Webster University in Vienna.

Since 2004 Dr. Hunt has been the Director of Global Theological Education at the Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University. He teaches courses in World Religions, Islam, Interreligious Dialogue, Cultural Intelligence, and Mission Studies. Dr. Hunt is author of several books, including The Gospel Among the Nations, A Documentary History of Inculturation, Islam in Southeast Asia, and Muslim Faith and Values: A Guide for Christians.

A strong advocate for using digital technologies to create effective, accessible theological education Dr. Hunt created and manages the Virtual Visiting Professor™ website (http://virtualvisitingprofessor.com), which makes available the best theological teaching from the 2/3rds world to a global constituency. He also created and hosts the podcast Interfaith Encounters that explores interfaith perspectives on contemporary social issues, as well as a blog, YouTube channel, and Facebook pages by the same name.

Dr. Hunt is a certified Cultural Intelligence trainer, Associate of the Tower Center for Political Science, and Hunt Institute Fellow. He is a member of the Board of Scholars of the Journal of Interreligious Dialogue, as well as the Executive Board of the Association of Professors in Mission, the American Society of Missiology, and is editor of the ASM book series. He serves on the steering committees for the SMU Doctor of Liberal Studies and Master of Liberal Studies programs and teaches in both programs

When asked what motivates his work, he replied, “The focus of my professional life, as a teacher and pastor, has been interpretation: helping people understand one another, their history, different cultures and religions, and themselves. I believe that every person, culture, and society has something valuable to offer to others, and that we discover this through critical and appreciative study, open dialogue, and a willingness to learn.”

He has been married for 37 years to Lilian Wong Hunt, a native of Sarawak, Malaysia and has two grown children. Naomi lives with her husband and daughters in Austria and Elliott lives with his wife in Los Angeles.

He speaks Malay and German.

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, Twitter, 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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Eric Larson, Ph.D.

Photo of Eric Larson

Photo of Eric LarsonDr. Eric Larson is a Hunt Institute Fellow and an associate professor in the computer science department at SMU. He is also a member of the Darwin Deason Institute for Cybersecurity, Center for Global Health, and SMU AT&T Center for Virtualization. Dr. Larson is a founding associate editor for the journal on Interactive, Mobile, Wearable, and Ubiquitous Technology (formerly UbiComp). 

His research explores the interdisciplinary relationship of machine learning and signal/image processing with the fields of security, mobile health, education, psycho-visual psychology, human-computer interaction, and ubiquitous computing. Like most academics, he has a passion for teaching and mentoring, and views research as an ideal opportunity to instruct the next generation of computer scientists and engineers. He is in a unique role, supporting cyber-security, education, healthcare, and sustainability applications via the integration of machine learning and ubiquitous sensing, and has become increasingly interested in sensing markers of health and context awareness using commonplace sensors. His research supports many healthcare, educational, and security initiatives by creating applications that (1) manage and diagnose many chronic/infectious ailments, (2) help learners master educational topics, and (3) investigate information leakage in pervasive and mobile devices. His dissertation research has also had impact in the area of sustainable resource usage, where he created algorithms for monitoring water, gas, and electricity usage using machine learning (now a commercial product). 

His work has also helped to develop applications for real time cognitive load monitoring, privacy implications of smartphones, newborn jaundice screening, and lung function measurement, among others. These projects have resulted in eight patents of which six have been commercialized by various companies including Google. He has secured over $6 million dollars in federal and corporate funding that support these various initiatives. Dr. Larson has  published one textbook and disseminated his research in over 50 peer-reviewed conference and journal papers, garnering more than 3700 citations.  He received received his Ph.D. from the University of Washington where he was an Intel Science and Technology fellow. At UW, he was co-advised by MacArthur Genius Fellow Shwetak Patel and IEEE Fellow Les Atlas. He also has an MS in Image Processing from Oklahoma State University, where he was advised by Damon Chandler.

When asked what motivates his work, he replied, “In my work, I hope to bridge the gap between evaluation techniques from human computer interaction and machine learning research and evaluation. Too often machine learning researchers do not appropriately scope their evaluation or use iterative HCI techniques in the design of the system. Through intersecting the research in these areas, I hope to help human subjects research become more computationally technical (in terms of the modeling performed) as well as helping to assist machine learning research in becoming more adaptive and rigorous in its application.”

When he is not working, he is spending time with his wife and three wonderful children, including bike riding, making home improvements, and drinking copious amounts of coffee.

 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, Twitter, 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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Hunt Institute Seminar Series: Just Change

November 8, 2017

Hunt Institute Seminar Series was proud to host Tynesia Boyea-Robinson, author of JUST CHANGE: HOW TO COLLABORATE FOR LASTING IMPACT, this week during our Seminar Series. In her book, Just Change: How To Collaborate For Lasting Impact, Boyea-Robinson shares her experience investing in cities and leaders across the country. The goal of Just Change is to help readers understand what’s working, what’s not working and why in order to improve their own communities.

Attendees arrived at the Institute despite the cold and rain and quickly filled the room with conversation, networking with colleagues and meeting new friends in the social impact space. The talk focused on the collaborative best practices Boyea-Robinson writes about in her book based on her extensive experience. The room was energized with her passion as she engaged the audience telling her story, showing up, and being transparent.

Tynesia has been a featured speaker for a broad array of audiences including South by Southwest and the White House Council for Community Solutions. She has published several articles, which have been featured in the Washington Post, Forbes and in Leap of Reason: Managing to Outcomes in an Era of Scarcity. Her work was also highlighted in the New York Times bestseller A Year Up as well as in the Harvard Business School case study Year Up: A Social Entrepreneur Builds High Performance. She serves on numerous boards and committees and recently accepted an appointment in the Hunt Institute as a Fellow.

She opened with this powerful statement, “I believe our country’s intractable problems are solvable because I meet leaders every day who are solving them. Just Change will help you learn from these leaders so you can have lasting impact in your community.” Her primary focus hovered on the outcomes portion of the material on system based changes applied to social sector work. Visit our YouTube channel for a recording of the presentation.

Interdisciplinary students smile and pose for the camera in between their duties at the seminar
Left to right: Tristan Knotts, Kim Strelke, Sara Langone, Wendy Alyea

At the end of the talk, Anna Clark, co-founder of the Inclusive Economy at the Institute, facilitated an interactive Q&A. Various members of the audience participated and joined the conversation about how to bring about lasting impact. Afterwards, Boyea-Robinson autographed copies of her book and interacted personally with attendees. Student analysts, interns, and volunteers of the Institute helped host the event then joined the diverse group of attendees discussing their research and listening to lively discussions about various areas of need in the social impact space.

The Hunt Institute Seminar Series features speakers that are actively involved in making lasting impact in resilient infrastructure, sustainable food systems, and inclusive economy. Tynesia Boyea-Robinson is President and CEO of Reliance Methods. Boyea-Robinson’s experience as an entrepreneur, Six Sigma blackbelt, and technologist uniquely positions her to catalyze a results-driven era of social change. In her previous role as Chief Impact Officer of Living Cities, Tynesia was responsible for ensuring $100M of investment produced outcomes that improved the lives of low income people across the country.

In 2011, Boyea-Robinson founded Reliance Methods to help Fortune 500 clients like the Carlyle Group, Marriott, and others change the way the world does business. Tynesia has been leading and writing about enterprises that “do well and do good” for over a decade. As President and CEO of Reliance Methods, she continues to demonstrate how business and community goals can powerfully align towards mutual outcomes.

The next Hunt Institute Seminar in the Series will be held in the spring semester of 2018. Like our FaceBook page to follow us and set your notifications for events to feed into your news feed.

Contributors to this blog article: Ms Boyea-Robinson, Corrie Harris, Maggie Inhofe, and Kim Strelke.

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Tynesia Boyea-Robinson, Hunt Institute Fellow

Tynesia Boyea-Robinson is a Hunt Institute Fellow, the President and CEO of CapEQ, and an Executive Board Member for Big Thought.

Tynesia Boyea-Robinson is a Hunt Institute Fellow, the President and CEO of CapEQ, and an Executive Board Member for Big Thought. Boyea-Robinson exemplifies cross-sector leadership with extensive experience in consulting on impact investment. She has a desire to collaborate with Dr. Eva Csaky in mentoring students involved in research in the inclusive economy and can be seen working in the Institute readily available for our team.

In her book, Just Change: How To Collaborate For Lasting Impact, Tynesia shares her experience investing in cities and leaders across the country. The goal of Just Change is to help readers understand what’s working, what’s not working, and why in order to improve their own communities. Boyea-Robinson’s experience as an entrepreneur, Six Sigma blackbelt, and technologist uniquely positions her to catalyze a results-driven era of social change. In her previous role as Chief Impact Officer of Living Cities, she was responsible for ensuring $100M of investment produced outcomes that improved the lives of low-income people across the country.

In 2011, Boyea-Robinson founded Reliance Methods to help Fortune 500 clients like the Carlyle Group, Marriott, and others change the way the world does business. Tynesia has been religiously leading and writing about enterprises that “do well and do good” for over a decade. As President and CEO of Reliance Methods, she continues to demonstrate how business and community goals can powerfully align towards mutual outcomes.

Boyea-Robinson relies on her deep experience as a social change agent to advise clients. For example, she leveraged effective cross-sector partnerships to help establish the Social Innovation Fund and the Workforce Investment and Opportunity Act. Additionally, as founding Executive Director of Year Up National Capital Region (NCR) she raised $20M, was recognized by President Obama, and supported the organization to ensure thousands of low-income young adults are hired in careers with family sustaining wages.

When asked what motivates her in impact work she replied, “We need to reimagine what is possible for an economic system that helps everyone. Businesses and corporations can and should be a large part of this reimagining—obviously, they are the primary driver of capitalist values and decision making. Capitalism is just a tool to meet an end–we just have to use the tool in the right way.”

Earlier in her career, Boyea-Robinson was a leader within several business units at General Electric. From transforming the entire company to utilize technology for online sales to leading an international mortgage bank acquisition, her experience at GE groomed her to achieve outcomes regardless of industry.

Boyea-Robinson has been a featured speaker for a broad array of audiences including South by Southwest and the White House Council for Community Solutions. She has published several articles, which have been featured in the Washington Post, Forbes and in Leap of Reason: Managing to Outcomes in an Era of Scarcity. Her work was also highlighted in the New York Times bestseller A Year Up as well as in the Harvard Business School case study Year Up: A Social Entrepreneur Builds High Performance. She serves on numerous boards and committees.

Boyea-Robinson received her MBA from Harvard Business School and has a dual degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from Duke University. She and her college sweetheart, Keith, are committed to indoctrinating their children, Dylan and Sydney, with, “… a love of Duke basketball and all things geeky and sci-fi.”

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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Meet Adri

Adrienn Santa ’18

asanta@smu.edu

Senior Design Team Leader

  • Mechanical Engineering & Mathematics Major
  • Engaged Learning Fellow 2017-2018
  • Lyle Research Fellow 2017 Summer
  • Full Athletic Scholarhip
  • Athletic Director’s Honor Roll
  • Varsity Letter Winner
  • All Conference Honor – American Athletic Conference
  • Best Newcomer Award – Women’s Swimming and Diving (2014-2015)

“My parents have always encouraged me to help people in need.  The Hunt Institute gives me the opportunity to work on problems which could help people, who does not have enough resources or knowledge, to find solutions to their problems which affects their everyday life.  I am also very passionate about the field of renewable energies, which is an environmentally friendly way to produce energy.  They have a great potential to replace other non-renewable energy sources in the future.”

Adrienn Santa is a senior at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, pursuing Bachelor’s degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Mathematics.  Her studies in engineering have prompted interest in energy generation, because of this she is considering pursuing a Master’s degree in Renewable Energy.

Adrienn was working as an Undergraduate Research Assistant with the Hunt Institute and as a Lyle Research Fellow over the summer which helped her realize the importance of development of urban farming and gardening. Her future goals are to be able to design sustainable solutions for low-income communities and people who do not have access to fresh heathy food.

One potential solution would be to use the vacant lots and buildings for food production. An innovative low-cost heating and cooling system, efficient irrigation system, and vertical gardening would also make urban farming more accessible for communities in need.

Adrienn grew up in a very sustainable family in Hungary, where everything is homemade and all vegetables and fruits are grown in her grandparents’ garden.  This also motivates her to help other people who do not have access to these resources. The reason Adrienn likes working at the Hunt Institute is because it gives her the opportunity to utilize her passion towards creating these solutions.

Adrienn’s favorite free time activity, swimming, took her overseas as she was granted with a full athletic scholarship at SMU in 2014. Other interests of hers include traveling to different places, countries and getting to know other cultures, as well as participating in different extreme sports.

 

Contributors to this post:

Written by: Kim Strelke

Edited by: Adrienn Santa & Maggie Inhofe

Photo by: Alissa Llort

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.