Scott Zuo is a junior at Southern Methodist University working toward a B.S. in Management Science and Statistics. He serves as a member of the SMU Statistics Club and as an active member of the American Statistics Association (ASA).
Scott has been recognized as a Distinguished Scholar and as a Discovery Scholar. After completing his undergraduate studies, Scott would like to go to a graduate school for further study in the field of statistics. In his free time, he enjoys movies, music, and basketball.
At the Hunt Institute, Scott’s skills in analytics and managing data have been utilized in his current role on the ImpactMap project where he has been appointed as Data Manager. This job includes managing data content and tools to make the ImpactMap more effective and useful, as well as researching best practices, and collecting, organizing, and evaluating data from various sources. Scott also works in the Global Development Lab as an Undergraduate Research Analyst. He has worked on the Moments that Matter Phase II project which will help business development and support providers nationwide to improve how they engage with women-veteran entrepreneurs.
Scott finds his motivation at work to be “all the potential benefits of the projects of our Institute as well as the way we approach every task by applying our knowledge and wisdom to achieve our goals, all of these have built up the components that motivate me to keep working for the Institute and makes me feel fulfilled.”
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.
Like billions of people around the world, workers at the Hunt Institute continue to adjust to the new normal of working and learning from home as part of social distancing. Despite physical separation, student leaders engage in new innovative methods to stay connected and increase impact. The Hunt Institute’s Gabi Gonzales, an Undergraduate Research Analyst at the Hunt Institute, channeled her at-home energy into creating new groups to stay in contact with friends, family, and peers miles away.
Gonzales and her brother stay positive and Pony Up when moving out of her dorm. Both attend SMU and, until now, have lived right across the Boulevard from each other
“I knew it was super important to me to continue to build a sense of community. Especially during social distancing, community is important to my friends as well,” Gonzales said. “This physical space we have created is good for our country and world, but it cannot also cause community and relationship distancing.” Health experts have repeatedly credited social distancing and enforcement of other self-isolation efforts with flattening the infection curve of COVID-19.
Gonzales was having dinner at home with family when her father made an off-hand comment about creating a socially distant book club. She used social media to create a poll gauging interest for the idea among friends and colleagues. In the end, Gonzales received more than enough support to launch her FaceTime book club.
“We ended up being a group of 15, some college students, some recent grads, spread across the county and world,” Gonzales said. “What we found after talking was not only did this book club allow us to build a community away from Dallas, it allowed us to connect to people we may have never met. And now have a common thread with them. Creating groups like this not only gives us the chance to foster old connections but create new ones as well – and that’s something we can always strive for!”
Seeing the success of her book club, Gonzales wants to expand the number of people she could virtually connect and introduce over a different shared interest. While on campus, Gonzales regularly attended group studio classes, pushing herself with an instructor’s guidance and connecting with friends in the process. Gonzales saw this staple feature of her morning routine as another opportunity to build community.
Gonzales and her mother supported local businesses together
“I’ve been leading small group yoga sessions with some of my usual workout buddies,” Gonzales said. Combining her drive to stay physically healthy with her understanding of the importance of mental health during this trying time, Gonzales finds the virtual classes as a fantastic way for participants to stay energized and engaged while working and learning from home. “Bringing in a little yoga time to shake off some of the stress of the news, stretch out the back that’s been hunched over the computer all day, and strengthening our social networks are good ways to make sure we stay healthy and positive as we make our communal adjustment to this temporary normal.”
With the spirit of community in mind, the Hunt Institute encourages everyone to stay positive by connecting to family, friends, colleagues, and neighbors during this time of social distancing. Gabi Gonzales is one of several student workers at The Institute supporting her community, and we celebrate her and her colleagues’ efforts to help their neighbors.
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.
The Arabian Peninsula is typically not a top-tier destination for young, solo female travelers. But for the Hunt Institute’s Kelsey Shipman (SMU ‘20), spending part of her summer in several countries on the Peninsula provided unparalleled research opportunities.
Kelsey Shipman stands in front of the Al Alam Palace in Muscat, Oman where she conducted some of her research over the summer of 2019.
around the globe. Dividing her time between Muscat, Oman and Manama, Bahrain, she explored the intersection between female participation in the labor force and economic growth in those countries.
“One of the reasons why I chose these two countries in particular is they have released ‘grand policy plans,’” Shipman said. “Increasing female labor force participation is a huge part of those economic visions, and I was curious to see if we saw any change in female labor force participation in these two states with the introduction of these policies.”
“My goal is to investigate how we might be able to improve female labor force participation,” Shipman said. “And maybe isolate some of the factors that are contributing the most to this continuous low rate.”
Her trip to Bahrain and Oman was only the first phase of Shipman’s research project. The second phase, which is still ongoing, consists of analysis and drawing conclusions from the data she gathered over the summer. Shipman plans to return to both countries over spring break to meet with individuals who could provide guidance for this phase of her project.
A photograph of the Bahrain National Museum in Manama, Bahrain taken by Kelsey Shipman during her time researching abroad.
“I’ll be meeting with specific individuals who were not there over the summer,” Shipman said. “And meeting again with some of the people who I did have the chance to meet with, to talk through where I am in the project and get their feedback, given the information that I was able to find during my prior trip.”
As her project begins to wrap up, Shipman hopes to complete a final analysis by the time she walks at May graduation. Her report could provide valuable feedback to the governments of Bahrain and Oman on how they could continue to prioritize female labor participation.
“In my final product, I will be providing recommendations as to where the states could go from here, if female labor force participation is something they wish to prioritize as they have stated in these economic visions” Shipman said. “Policy analysis will be an important part of my final report. Even though these policies have not been in place for decades, I hope to see if we have noticed any distinct changes [in female labor force participation] since the policies’ introductions, and those kinds of conclusions will all be represented in this paper.”
Shipman says her experience in Bahrain and Oman helped her grow as a researcher by providing her with many opportunities to share her discoveries and conclusions with people who were completely unfamiliar with her work.
“Doing this independent project really strengthened my ability to articulate my project to individuals who might not be in academia whatsoever,” she said. “Even articulating the project to people who might not have any idea what the labor force participation rate is, or articulating it in a different language, and things like that. I think that that is something that will be continuously valuable for me throughout my career. I plan to pursue a PhD in Economics, and I know that the opportunity to pursue independent economics research abroad will prove to be valuable preparation for my future graduate studies.”
You can read more about Kelsey’s work at the Hunt Institute by clicking here.
Alboury Mohammed Njie speaks with a member of the Tintinto village in The Gambia about day to day life without electricity.
Many students at SMU return home during breaks, and the Hunt Institute’s Alboury Mohammed Njie is no exception. Like in years prior, Njie spent his winter break in The Gambia, where most of his family lives. However, Njie’s return to The Gambia was not just to catch up with family. Njie spent most of his time meeting with government officials, conversing with local villagers, and testing different methods to provide reliable electricity for his entire country.
In the fall of 2019, Njie won SMU’s Big Ideas competition for his idea to build a sustainable energy mix system in his home country of The Gambia. Since then, he was invited to be the first student social entrepreneur in the Hunt Institute. He then took his project to The Gambia to research how clean energy could be suited for the environment and to meet with locals in villages without any electrical connection in search of what would best suit their needs and lifestyle.
“I spent a lot of time going into the rural areas and the remote areas and meeting with those people,” Njie said. “Not just to hear from them, but also to help the rest of the world visualize what they’re going through.
More than half of the people in The Gambia, around 52%, have no access to electricity. The remaining 48% of Gambians have some unreliable access. For Njie, and Gambian officials, this is a reality that needs to change.
“There’s an ongoing problem in The Gambia with electricity,” Njie said. “There are a lot of different departments and ministries trying to solve this problem. I met with them, I heard what their goals were for the country, what their vision for the country is, and I share mine as well. They were very excited about this project.”
Njie attended high school in The Gambia before pursuing a degree in electrical engineering at SMU. He says he has the perspective of both worlds, understanding the resources of the high school he attended, which is one of the few schools electrified in The Gambia, and seeing students at other institutions with a very different academic experience.
The local secondary school in Tintinto, which has no electrical connection, indoor lights, or computers.
“There’s a huge technical lag, even within The Gambia,” Njie said. “There’s a lot of things kids wouldn’t necessarily be able to learn, just because they don’t have electricity. There are certain times of the day that they won’t be able to study because when it gets dark: that’s it, everybody has to go home.”
The benefits of providing sustainable, clean energy electricity for the entire country is monumental, reaching beyond just schools. Countless rural villages, like the one Njie visited, spend most of their day concerned with gathering enough firewood to cook food. Many villagers make a miles-long journey, even in rain or scorching heat, to collect the firewood.
Villagers in Tintinto make the long journey back to the village carrying firewood on their heads
“They walked to a certain area where they usually get firewood and the sad part about that is that it’s almost empty,” Njie said. “There’s no more wood, no more vegetation over there. You could already see the trend that in a couple of months or a year’s time they will probably have to move to another location for firewood alone.”
With a new semester beginning, Njie is optimistic and excited about applying what he learned in The Gambia from meetings, conversations, and exploration of solutions to the issues his project plans to address. If you would like to support The Gambia Clean Energy Project most recently named the Janta Energy Project, click here.
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.
Stephanie Rodriguez is a senior at Southern Methodist University working toward an BBA in Marketing with a minor in Advertising. She is also involved with the Women in Business and Mustang Mavericks organizations.
Stephanie has been recognized with the Honor Transfer Scholarship. After completing her undergraduate studies, Stephanie would like to stay in Dallas and work in a sports marketing field or find another related career that would allow her to travel all over the world. In her free time, Stephanie enjoys exploring Dallas, dancing, and working out.
At the Hunt Institute, Stephanie serves as a Marketing Assistant managing the digital marketing day-to-day campaigns and compiling analytical data to inform decisions for the communication’s team strategy. She also helps to implement the communication for the marketing of events for the Institute, the Inclusive Economy Consortium, and project related events.
Stephanie says, “Being able to help spread awareness of these amazing projects my coworkers are working on through what I do inspires me to work harder for them.”
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.
Mariana Midolo is a senior at Southern Methodist University working toward a B.S. in Engineering Management Information Systems (EMIS) with a minor in Graphic Design. She is a member of Pi Beta Phi sorority, Student Foundation, and Hegi Career Leaders.
Mariana has also been recognized with the SMU Discovery Scholarship and Second Century Scholarship. In her free time, she enjoys volunteering and exercising. Mariana is keeping her options open for when she completes her undergraduate studies at SMU, but she is excited to see where SMU can take her.
At the Hunt Institute, Mariana is a Creative Designer where she is responsible for implementing the communications strategy of the Institute through the use of Adobe products such as Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign. Her work has included developing the “Pushing Through” theme for the Institute during the Fall 2020 semester.
Mariana was drawn to the Institute for its “values and mission to develop solutions to local and global challenges.” She adds, “My role allows me to gain insight to the hard work and dedication of all the student workers which inspires me every day.”
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.
JuliaGrace Walker is a senior at Southern Methodist University working toward a B.A. in International Studies and a B.A. in Economics with a minor in Spanish. She is a member of Alpha Chi Omega sorority and Reformed University Fellowship, and she also serves as the President of SMU’s Program Council. She has previously served as a Resident Assistant in Boaz Commons and as the President of Boaz Commons Council.
Additionally, JuliaGrace has been recognized with the Rubottom Foreign Service Scholarship. After completing her undergraduate studies at SMU, JuliaGrace hopes to earn a master’s degree in International Development and later pursue a career in the foreign service.
At the Hunt Institute, JuliaGrace is the Undergradute Program Manager. She has also previously served as a Undergraduate Project Manager where she led teams working on projects within the Global Development Lab and used project management best practices to balance the three drivers of a project: time, budget, and scope. Specifically, JuliaGrace was the Undergraduate Project Manager on the Resilient Shelter and Better Building projects in the Institute.
JuliaGrace says she is “motivated by the work we are doing at the Hunt Institute because I know our projects are having broader impacts across the globe.”
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.
As the first student Social Entrepreneur in the Hunt Institute’s Social Enterprise Program, Mohammed Njie joined the Cohort in 2021 and is setting a precedent for dedicated, young entrepreneurship.
Mohammed was born and raised in The Gambia, a country in Western Africa, and has witnessed energy poverty firsthand. He attended high school at one of the few schools with electricity, and seeing students at other institutions without access to the same vital resources inspired him to make a difference in this area.
He is currently conducting research on efficient renewable energy systems that can be used to alleviate energy poverty in developing countries. Mohammed founded Janta Clean Energy with the intention of providing The Gambia with reliable, clean energy. A vision of his is to see all of Africa having access to affordable, reliable, and clean energy during his lifetime.
“I think it is important to realize that here at the Institute we are involved in a lot of projects where we can impact the lives of a lot of different people,” Mohammed said. “For their sake, it is very important that we push through…they are waiting for us.”
Mohammed initiated a pilot project called Innovation inTintinto on his last trip to The Gambia that installed solar panels in rural schools, tested capacity, and determined which elements are needed to enhance students’ academic experience. His second project Illuminating Tintinto expanded on these elements and installed additional panels for Tintinto Primary and Secondary School. Now, centered around these innovative solutions, his current project titled STEM Up Phase II is working to design and implement Wi-Fi-generating computer carts in local schools.
All the while, Mohammed is currently a senior at Southern Methodist University working toward a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering and has been recognized as a Grand Challenges Scholar, winner of SMU’s Big Ideas, and is also part of the SMU Incubator.
Discussing his motivation for impact work as a social entrepreneur he said,“My passion for the work I do started when I was young. When you experience the problems you are trying to solve, it becomes personal. So as a young boy, I made it my life’s mission to help solve some of the problems I experienced growing up. So many people are in poverty because they do not have an opportunity. I want to change that.”
The December, Mohammed will be showcasing his work in the Institute’s Impact Forum along with other 2020 & 2021 Social Enterprise Cohorts.
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.
Sam Borton is a senior at Southern Methodist University working toward a B.S. in Economics and Statistical Science, as well as a B.A. in Markets & Culture. He is a member of Beta Upsilon Chi fraternity, Reformed University Fellowship, and previously served as Student Facilitator for the Emerging Leaders program and Vice President of Boaz Residential Commons Council.
Sam has been recognized as a Provost Scholar. After completing his undergraduate studies at SMU, he hopes to find a career where he can utilize economic models and data analysis to alleviate poverty. In his free time, Sam enjoys playing sand volleyball, running, and watching sports.
At the Hunt Institute, Sam is an Undergraduate Research Analyst lending his skills in research to several interdisciplinary projects. He is the Co-Lead of the Research Analyst team, where he supports the training and onboarding of new researchers in the Institute. He is also the Data Aggregation Manager on the ImpactMap project team where he performs index research and management; he is also responsible for collecting, organizing, and evaluating data.
When asked what drew Sam to work at the Institute he said, “For me, it is all the potential benefits of the projects of the Institute and the opportunity to work with experts in their fields.”
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.
Sydney Lobato is a junior at Southern Methodist University working toward a B.S. in Engineering Management Information Systems (EMIS) with a minor in Environmental Earth Sciences. She is also a member of the Hegi Career Leaders Professional Development Program, Tau Beta Pi engineering honor society, SMU Women’s Club Volleyball, and Pi Beta Phi sorority.
Sydney has been recognized as a Distinguished Scholar and member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, and has been awarded the Discovery Scholarship, SMU Honor-Roll High Distinction, American Athletic Conference Athlete Honor Roll, and Academic Distinction for Pi Beta Phi. After completing her undergraduate studies at SMU, she hopes to complete the MBA program connected with the EMIS major at SMU. She wants to incorporate the study of space exploration and sustainability practices in future studies or jobs.
At the Hunt Institute, Sydney is an Undergraduate Project Manager where she leads teams working on projects within the Global Development Lab using project management best practices to balance the three drivers of a project: time, budget, and scope.
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.
