In this episode of The Hunt Institute’s Sages & Seekers Podcast, Janette Monear explains the vital relationship between the environment and community and how we can work to save it.
Janette Monear is President and CEO of the Texas Trees Foundation, a private nonprofit focused on urban forestry, green infrastructure and sustainable design. She is a frequent speaker at local and national conferences, and she co-produced and wrote the narration for the Telly award winning Public Television documentary “Spirit of the Trees.”
As a visionary and social entrepreneur, she has integrated a model for the Texas Trees Foundation that provides a diverse portfolio of funding through nontraditional revenue streams for projects and programs that bring public and private partnerships together. Monear’s creative vision, collaborative commitment, and passion for trees have helped to transform the landscapes of North Texas and beyond.
Janette says, “There’s a sorrow because you will never see what I saw, that was so beautiful, until we change some things around. That sorrow is what drives the movement for climate change.”
What is Hunt Sages & Seekers?
The Hunt Institute Sages & Seekers Podcast shares the stories of innovative social leaders and the resilient communities that have shaped them. The series explores guests’ personal experiences with social issues ranging from inequity in the arts and school segregation to climate change and police violence. Through conversations with these agents of change, listeners gain insight into the history of these matters and discover how we as a global community can work to correct them. Follow us on SoundCloud at Hunt Sages & Seekers Podcast.
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.
One of the fantastic opportunities for a select number of student researchers is to work directly with the Executive Director of the Hunt Institute, Dr. Eva Csaky. Our team members engage with the Global Development Lab pillar of the Institute, the Social Enterprise Program (SE), or the Inclusive Economic Consortium (IEC) initiative or work on a cross-cutting communication team. On occasion, there is an overlap with one or more providing an opportunity for team members to be exposed to some of the initiatives in other areas such as the Inclusive Economic Consortium (IEC) and the Social Enterprise Program. Undergraduate Research Analyst Scott Zuo’s work, where the SE and IEC intersect, represents one example of this kind of opportunity.
Beginning in the spring of 2021, Scott has been working with Dr. Csaky and other team members on research involving inclusive economy best practices. Scott’s first project involved building and updating a database of such best practices, using examples based on FinTech Awards and case studies from the IFC and UNDP. Scott and the team analyzed each of these examples through a variety of lenses, including collaboration, building access, sustainability, innovation, and more.
Ultimately, the database aims to serve a variety of purposes. For one, since a similar exercise had been done a few years prior, cases included in the initial database that no longer exist in 2021 represent opportunities for updating with new case studies. Secondly, these best practices can contribute to a global map of the social enterprise ecosystem. The examples also serve as useful models through which a framework can be developed for effective business models in the inclusive economy space.
When asked about his experience working on this project, Scott said, “The analyzing process inspired by Dr. Csaky really improved my ability of critical thinking as well as knowledge related to globalization.”
Improving the student experience at SMU is one of the benefits student workers can lean into when they work in the Institute. Undergraduates and Grad students alike can apply to positions posted on SMU’s HandShake. It is a competitive process to be chosen to join the team due to the high level of interaction student employees have with Affiliates, community partners, and leadership in the Hunt Institute.
Stay tuned to the Hunt Institute Digest for future updates on this exciting work and other projects with impact. To hear what student employees in the Hunt Institute are saying about their experience >> 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, 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.
In this episode of The Hunt Institute Sages & Seekers Podcast, Clyde Valentín tells us how creativity can be used to tell stories and empower people to make their own culture.
Clyde Valentín was born and raised in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. He is the Co-founder and former Executive Director of Hi-ARTS (formerly known as the Hip-Hop Theater Festival). He is the inaugural Director of Ignite/Arts Dallas: People, Purpose + Place the community engagement initiative at SMU Meadows School of the Arts. The mission of Ignite/Arts Dallas is to challenge the imaginations of students and citizens to envision more just and vibrant communities through art and culture experiences. Clyde was a 2015 Community + Culture Fellow of the National Arts Strategies’ Chief Executive Program.
Valentín is an advisory committee member of the Latinx Theater Commons and has served as a consultant or panelist for numerous national arts organizations including Creative Capital, the Association of Performing Arts Presenters (APAP), YouthSpeaks/Brave New Voices, the New England Foundation for the Arts, Theater Communications Group (TCG), the National Association of Latino Arts & Culture (NALAC), the National Performance Network (NPN) and AlternateROOTS. He most recently joined the Local Advisory Board for Year-Up DFW and the Board of Texans for the Arts, the statewide advocacy organization for public funding in the Arts in Texas.
Clyde says, “Although I had that living memory as a native Brooklynite, I also was able to ride the wave of that creative growth.”
What is Hunt Sages & Seekers?
The Hunt Institute Sages & Seekers Podcast shares the stories of innovative social leaders and the resilient communities that have shaped them. The series explores guests’ personal experiences with social issues ranging from inequity in the arts and school segregation to climate change and police violence. Through conversations with these agents of change, listeners gain insight into the history of these matters and discover how we as a global community can work to correct them. Follow us on SoundCloud at Hunt Sages & Seekers Podcast.
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.
Anna Clark, Hunt Institute Fellow and the co-founder of the Inclusive Economy Consortium, wrote this post in response to the June ImpactNights™ event
The Hunt Institute, in partnership with the Inclusive Economy Consortium, dedicated its final ImpactNights™ program of the academic year June 17, 2021, to “Freedom Day” with an expert-led look at the obstructions in our justice system that hinder economic freedom for a significant number of black and brown Americans. With the highest incarceration rate in the world, the U.S. penal system creates barriers to economic inclusion for entire families. While making Juneteenth a national holiday represents progress, America cannot achieve an inclusive economy until it puts more justice into our criminal legal system.
The economic ramifications of mass incarceration are substantial. In the U.S., one in two adults has had a family member who is or has been incarcerated, and jail and prison populations have quadrupled since 1980. This represents the highest incarceration rate not only in any Western democracy but also in the world. The U.S. incarceration rate is also highly unequal, with men of color disproportionately represented, and most of them being poor. Families of incarcerated people also suffer significant economic hardships and risk not being able to meet basic needs, which can result in homelessness.
The cascade of harmful economic and societal consequences of incarceration on communities of color is undeniable and rising. According to 2009 data, almost 70 percent of black men who did not finish high school had been imprisoned at some point before age 30, in contrast with 14.7 percent in 1979. Even as incarceration rates climb, increasing evidence is coming to light that not all who are incarcerated deserve to be, and that even once released, returning citizens experience permanent punishment due to the many collateral consequences of incarceration. Such facts are indicative of systemic problems in our criminal legal system that can only be resolved through committed action across sectors.
Justice is a communal effort. To this end, we invited Yulise Waters, Deputy Director of Lone Star Justice Alliance and Hunt Institute Fellow, to facilitate a cross-sector conversation with committed voices for justice. Sharing insights and experiences from their varied perspectives, panelists included Richard Miles, the executive director of Miles of Freedom, which he founded after being exonerated from a wrongful conviction that led to spending 15 years in prison; Tiara Cooper, a LIVE FREE Texas organizer with FAITH IN TEXAS; and Brent Reaves, the president of Smokey John’s, Inc. and an advocate for private-sector leadership on this issue. Click here to watch the program.
For information about ways you can help bring about transformative justice in America, get in touch with one or more of these organizations:
• LONE STAR JUSTICE ALLIANCE, a nonprofit legal organization that improves the lives of youth and emerging adults in the justice system. Contact Yulise Waters: ywaters@lsja.org
• FAITH IN TEXAS, a nonpartisan, multi-racial, multi-faith grassroots movement of people united in values working together to achieve economic, racial, and social justice for all people. Contact Tiara Cooper: tcooper@faithintx.org
• MILES OF FREEDOM, a non-profit organization whose programs support re-entry and rehabilitation for incarcerated people and youth mentoring programs. Contact Richard Miles: richardmilesmof@gmail.com
• Smokey John’s BBQ, a family-owned restaurant committed to faith, mercy, community, and great food. Contact Brent Reaves: brent@smokeyjohns.com
ImpactNights™ is the physical manifestation of the Inclusive Economy Consortium where we connect, share, and act. This event is about like-minded people coming together to share experiences and knowledge from the local, national, and international community within the Consortium to share their best practices and expertise. Monthly discussions are around pressing social issues facing our society. All of this is designed to get collective action for a more inclusive economy. Follow us on Eventbrite to be the first to know when event details are published so you can register to join the conversation.
This event is generously sponsored by Target Corporation and hosted by the Inclusive Economy Consortium, an initiative of Hunter & Stephanie Hunt Institute for Engineering & Humanity located in Lyle School of Engineering at Southern Methodist University.
Mark your calendars to join us in the Fall of 2021 to be a part of the conversation to CONNECT – SHARE – ACT!
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.
Valecia Harris is an MBA candidate at Southern Methodist University in the Cox School of Business, specializing in Strategy and Entrepreneurship. She serves as President of the Graduate Entrepreneurship Club, Vice President of Program Development for Graduate Women in Business Club, and Vice President of Consulting Club Online Master of Business Administration (OMBA) Engagement. She also serves as a member of the Energy Club and a member of the Student Honor Council. Valecia has been recognized as an award recipient for the Cox Legacy and Cox Dean’s Circle Business Leadership Center.
Valecia has 19 years of experience in the captive lending financial service industry. She held several leadership roles at GM Financial Services where she advanced to Assistant Vice President overseeing dealer compliance operations. Her latter position included aligning strategic priorities with the company’s core values while mitigating risk. Valecia was part of several social and rewards and recognition initiatives at GM Financial, such as being a member of the first Diversity and Inclusion Council, implementing corporate initiatives for rewards and recognition employee programs, and performance enhancement development. Valecia’s career has pivoted into the entrepreneurship field. She is a new business owner of a faith-based direct-to-consumer retail business that focuses on fashion and lifestyle products. She was selected as a 2021 finalist for the Texas Business Hall of Fame Foundation for her extensive leadership skills, contribution, and commitment to supporting the Texas entrepreneurship ecosystem.
At the Hunt Institute, Valecia is the graduate Program Consultant and Manager for the Social Enterprise (SE) program, where she works to develop and scale SE in order to address key barriers faced by early-stage social entrepreneurs, including capacity constraints and a need for strategic guidance, by connecting social entrepreneurs to critical resources.
When asked why Valecia was drawn to the Hunt Institute she responded, “What drew me to the Hunt Institute is the amount of work invested in supporting social entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial initiatives that create, inspire, and influence sustainable and inclusive economic development. I am excited to be part of a team where I can lend my knowledge and experience in developing strategies and supporting innovative solutions that generate transformational impact.”
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.
In this episode of the Hunt Institute Sages & Seekers podcast, Alia Salem emphasizes the importance of connecting with one’s community and beyond. For Salem, the only way to enact change and fight injustice is by supporting movements that are different from our own. Listen to this podcast to learn how we as a global community can work together to solve issues that can’t be solved in silos.
Alia Salem is the Founder and Executive Director of FACE (Facing Abuse in Community Environments). Her professional background is in organizational development, community organizing, and communications with a particular focus on the intersections of institutionalized racism and the push towards an equitable pluralistic society. She also has a certification in Mental Health First Aid (MHFA).
Alia is a co-founder of the Palestine Action Committee of Texas and an active board member with both the Dallas Peace and Justice Center and the North Texas Fair Housing Center. She is a proud 2019 Roddenberry Fellow and a Dallas Public Voices Fellow with The OpEd Project. Alia is the former Executive Director for the DFW Chapter of CAIR and is a 14-year veteran of community work within the broader DFW metroplex. She is a published writer and public speaker, and her work has been featured on most major media outlets globally. She is a graduate of UT Arlington with a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with her three focuses of study being in Communications, Sociology, and Religion/Culture.
Alia Salem says, “I’ve always had a propensity to [a] serve, but also [b] to do so in a way that kind of fills a void and contributes my skillsets for the broader good, for the greater good.”
What is Hunt Sages & Seekers?
The Hunt Institute Sages & Seekers Podcast shares the stories of innovative social leaders and the resilient communities that have shaped them. The series explores guests’ personal experiences with social issues ranging from inequity in the arts and school segregation to climate change and police violence. Through conversations with these agents of change, listeners gain insight into the history of these matters and discover how we as a global community can work to correct them. Follow us on SoundCloud at Hunt Sages & Seekers Podcast.
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.
Mohammed Njie has a mission to bring clean energy to The Gambia. Since his first day at the Hunt Institute, he has been working to make this vision a reality. Mohammed is a senior at Southern Methodist University double majoring in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science in the Lyle School of Engineering. He was the first Student Social Entrepreneur in the history of the Hunt Institute Social Enterprise program. He is recognized as a Grand Challenges Scholar, winner of SMU’s Big Ideas, and is also part of the SMU Incubator. Mohammed was born and raised in The Gambia in West Africa. After graduating high school, he constructed his first electric car. His childhood helped solidify his life mission from a young age: helping to close the energy gap between the Global North and South, starting in The Gambia.
The limited energy sector in The Gambia leaves the majority of the country’s population in need of electricity. The demand for energy in the Gambia far exceeds the available supply. For more than three decades, the national utility company NAWEC has struggled to meet the ever-growing demand. Of the 48% of Gambia’s population that has access to electricity, they experience frequent blackouts because the supply is unreliable. The Gambia has one of the highest energy production costs, not only in Africa, but in the whole world ($0.32/KWh). The high costs are mainly due to the importation of expensive diesel that is used as fuel for generators by the national utility company. The rest of the 52% of the population do not have access to a grid that supplies energy, resulting in no access to electricity. This leaves two categories of customers in the Gambian electricity market: (1) Urban Gambians with unreliable access to electricity and expensive tariffs, and (2) Rural Gambians with no access to electricity at all.
Mohammed discusses his motivation, saying, “Energy infrastructure is at the foundation of economic, environmental, and social growth. The Gambia, the smallest country in Africa, lacks this essential infrastructure but has the desire and resources to support it. Janta is the solution that will bring clean, reliable energy to the Gambia to facilitate the country’s growth and development. The need for energy in The Gambia is necessary now more than ever given the effects of climate change on agriculture, the country’s most important industry. This makes our venture a necessary and worthy cause.”
In this edition of HunTalks™, Mohammed shares his journey to make this vision a reality as a student employee in the Institute. Click on the video above to hear him share about his colleagues in the Institute and how they have contributed to his success.
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.
Alejandra Hinojosa is currently pursuing a MA in Sustainability and Development with a specialization in Global Sustainable Design and she is intending to graduate in 2022.
Alejandra is involved as a board member of non-profit Promise of Peace. In her spare time, she enjoys film, being outdoors, painting, gardening, and thrifting
In her role as Graduate Research Assistant for Dr. Zarazaga, Alejandra will be working on projects with Kijiji Sustainable Solutions. In the future, she plans to pursue a career spearheading collaborative projects at the intersection of sustainable design and environmental justice.
When asked what motivated her to work at the Hunt Institute, she replied, “I was drawn to the innovative projects I’m working on with Kijiji that promote equity, collaboration, and sustainability. The passionate, socially driven work is always the most exciting to be apart of.”
To read more about the Hunt Institute’s work to develop future-focused solutions to some of the world’s biggest problems, please clickhere. For the latest news on the Hunt Institute, follow our social media accounts onLinkedIn,Facebook,andInstagram. We invite you to listen to our Podcast called Sages & Seekers.If you are considering engaging with the institute, you candonate, orsign-upfor our newsletter by emailing huntinstitute@smu.edu.
Last team photo prior to the global pandemic, March 2020.
Each year in the month of May, there is the bittersweet turnover that is a result of having a team of student workers. We cheer for students completing their education at Southern Methodist University and at the same time, wipe away a tear watching them leave.
I personally cannot help but reflect on each senior’s time at the Hunt Institute with nostalgia; I remember their training, watching each one grow in their own talents, and celebrating their breakthroughs in projects, processes, and academic challenges. At the same time, though, I am comforted by the introduction of new team members capable and ready to receive the baton and run the race.
As is tradition, we are thrilled to showcase some of our graduating team members through a Senior Tribute video. As we have done with many of our traditions, we have adapted this video to represent both our distance and in-person team members. We invite you to watch the video above to meet some of our graduating team members and hear their takeaways from their time at the Institute.
Impressively, most student workers in the Institute are leaders in student organizations, honors program members, recipients of scholarships with strict academic requirements, and/or volunteers in their community and on campus at SMU. Honestly, sometimes I do not know how they do all this while maintaining such good grades and producing such quality work in the Institute. They are ranked in the best of the best all-around students at SMU in my eyes.
In the almost five years I have run the Institute’s program, it has grown and improved because of the input and perspective of each team member. We are interdisciplinary in nature. 20% of our students have majors in Dedman, 30% in Lyle, 13% in Meadows, and 9% in Cox, while 28% have majors across multiple schools. In addition, 41% of our student workers have two or more majors. 22% of our students are masters level, while the remaining 78% are undergraduates. This combination creates a unique opportunity for growth in each student in their perspectives and interpersonal skills.
Over the years, we have tested many new ideas; some worked, and some did not. I always remind the over-achievers that failure is part of what innovation is all about. For most of us, that is hard to handle. You beta test things on a small scale and keep looking until you find the right solution to the given challenge. It very rarely is the first thing you try. Our successes are the result of all the failed attempts. Speaking of learning, I learn more from them than they do from me on many occasions. Reverse mentoring is a common practice in the Institute!
One of my favorite things is when seniors tell me they accepted an offer of employment. We jump up and down cheering, telling all the other team members the great news! Everyone joins in the celebration. We laugh, we cheer, we clap, and affirm them that this is the fruit of years of labor. I usually say, “Of course they chose you, you are exactly what they are looking for!” and I mean it. This does not just happen overnight, certainly not just because they got lucky. Each one earned their offer.
I end this note congratulating our seniors for finishing strong while facing many challenges along the way. Seniors, based on the legacy you leave behind in our Institute, you all are truly world changers. We are grateful for each of you and your contribution to the work of the Hunt Institute while you studied at SMU.
Congratulations and welcome to the alumni family! #PonyUp – Corrie A. Harris
Read more about the Hunt Institute’s work to develop future-focused solutions to some of the world’s biggest problems here. We invite you to listen Join us for ImpactNights® or listen to our podcast called Sages & Seekers. If you are considering engaging with the Institute, you can donate, or sign-up for our weekly update by emailing your contact information to huntinstitute@smu.edu.
“Our society as a whole needs to leverage the forces of globalization, technological advancement, and climate change – what the UN calls ‘the three mega forces’ – for disruptive solutions to further inclusive sustainable economic development,” said Director of the Hunt Institute Dr. Eva Csaky. “We can reach this goal by harnessing the power of disruptive collaboration.” The CEB research partnership and collaboration between Dr. Brett Story and the Hunt Institute began in 2015 for just this purpose.
Previous phases for this research included Phase I, focusing on the strength testing of CEBs under a variety of conditions including varying moisture levels, cement content, and soil type. This research was followed by Phase II, focusing on determining characteristics for different types of soil found globally as a first step in standardization.
Phase III’s objectives were somewhat altered due to the global pandemic which resulted in breaking the work into two parts. This semester the team developed a report entitled,” Better Building: Compressed Earth Block Report,” which highlights the market opportunity and sustainability of compressed earth blocks in construction. The project manager is JuliaGrace Walker, and the undergraduate researcher is Madison Rodriguez.
The next part of the project will take place during the summer and fall term of 2021. In Phase III, analyses will be performed and data will be compared from the test structures at both the Taos and Dallas campuses. Relationships between soil type and mix design, block strength, and thermal properties will also be investigated. Additionally, this investigation will include models developed by Dr. Story’s lab team which is comprised of Ph.D. students Jase Sitton and Robert Hillyard, as well as undergraduate researchers Adriana Mena and Ziyu Sun. Combined together, both parts of Phase III will inform the vision of a living laboratory at SMU@ Taos.
Dr. Story’s vision is ultimately “…to use the data obtained during this project to make recommendations for full-scale, more permanent structures that can be used by faculty and students at the SMU Taos campus. The information learned during this project will be used to start the design of a “living” laboratory, which would be a laboratory building constructed with CEB and instrumented with a variety of sensors. In this way, the structure is both the laboratory space as well as the test specimen.”
CEBs are an emerging earthen construction technology that contribute to stronger and more resilient earth infrastructure. As interest in sustainable construction technology has increased, more research has been conducted on CEBs as an alternative to traditional masonry. Comparing CEB to traditional masonry, CEB structures can be more energy efficient throughout their life cycle. When approached accordingly, they can are energy efficient to produce and transport, while conserving resources and reducing waste production. CEBs are better insulated due to their high thermal mass and thermal resistance. Subsequently, their high thermal inertia gives CEBs the advantage of humidity regulation, and evaporation of water in the earthen walls contributes to natural cooling. CEBs represent a cost effective, energy efficient, and sustainable solution that directly contribute to the ninth and eleventh UN Sustainable Development Goals, which address industry, innovation, and infrastructure, as well as sustainable cities and communities. CEBs indirectly contribute to many other SDGs through their impact on health, household incomes (through cost savings) and quality of life.
Read more about the Hunt Institute’s work to develop future-focused solutions to some of the world’s biggest problems here. We invite you to listen Join us for ImpactNights® or listen to our podcast called Sages & Seekers. If you are considering engaging with the Institute, you can donate, or sign-up for our weekly update by emailing your contact information to huntinstitute@smu.edu.
In this episode of The Hunt Institute’s Sages & Seekers Podcast, Janette Monear explains the vital relationship between the environment and community and how we can work to save it.
In this episode of The Hunt Institute Sages & Seekers Podcast, Clyde Valentín tells us how creativity can be used to tell stories and empower people to make their own culture.
In this episode of the 
