DeAngelo Garner ’18

dgarner@smu.edu

DeAngelo Garner ’18

Student Intern

  • SMU Class of ’18
  • Bachelor of Arts in Corporate Communications & Public Affairs
  • Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations
  • Minor in Spanish
  • Student Director, Rotunda Academic Scholars Program
  • President, Voices of Inspiration Gospel Choir
  • Resident Assistant, SMU Service House
  • Social Media & Email Chair, SMU Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA)

 

“It has been incredibly impactful to see the effects of my efforts within the Hunt Institute as a student.  Having my hands in projects based in South and West Dallas that directly impact the lives of local residents has been an encouraging learning experience.” – DeAngelo Garner

DeAngelo Garner is a North Texas native and graduated from SMU studying organizational communications, public relations and Spanish. His drive for social impact concerning personal wellness and access and equity was reflected through his extracurricular work on campus.

During his time at SMU, he worked closely with the Office of the Provost to analyze and facilitate initiatives to help with minority retention on campus. He also worked as an Ambassador in the Meadows School of the Arts, as well as the President of the Voices of Inspiration Gospel Choir. Many of his passions have been aligned through his collaboration with various local nonprofit organizations involved in the idea creation of solutions to address community concerns within the food deserts of South and West Dallas.

His work experience and personal goals led him to the Hunt Institute, which gives him the opportunity to engage in various initiatives aimed at improving numerous qualities of human life within underprivileged communities. At the Institute, he worked to update various social media channels for many of their partner organizations. He also managed these partner organizations’ online subscriptions and worked to update the Institute’s documentation concerning its organizational structure.

When not discussing the importance of advocacy and self-care, DeAngelo enjoys playing tennis or reading a book near an open window.

 

Contributors to this blog post:

Written by: Kim Strelke

Edited by: DeAngelo Garner & Maggie Inhofe

Photo by: Alissa Llort

Kim Strelke ’17

kstrelke@smu.edu

Kim Strelke ’17

Student Intern

  • SMU Class of ’17
  • Bachelor of Arts in Corporate Communications & Public Affairs
  • Bachelor of Arts in Strategic Communications & Public Relations
  • Minor in Journalism
  • University Honors Program member
  • Second Century Scholar

 

 

 

“I never knew how much a small group of people could accomplish until I came to the Hunt Institute.  It is amazing to see all of our diverse talents come together to try to tackle problems of poverty in such a unique way.  As a Dallas native, the people of Dallas are near and dear to my heart, so I am passionate about doing my part in trying to make an impact on our community.” – Kim Strelke

Kim graduate from  Southern Methodist University double majoring in Corporate Communications and Public Affairs with specializations in both Organizational Communication and Public Relations.  She also earned a minor in Journalism.

During the summer of 2017, Kim spent six weeks studying and working in London, England, where she interned at Stylus Media Group within their Decoded Fashion branch on the marketing team.  The team worked to promote their upcoming Decoded Fashion and Beauty Summit in New York in November 2017.  She used social media, website, blog posts, and email blasts to promote the event and garner media and community partnerships.

Kim has previously worked with the Hunt Institute as a researcher for food deserts. She was drawn to the Hunt Institute because of its social awareness. Ultimately, she wants to see Dallas become a more stable city, where all families and citizens have opportunity and necessities.  The work the Hunt Institute does focuses on coming up with viable solutions for local communities, and Kim has enjoyed being a part of that solution.

 

Contributors to this blog post:

Edited by: Kim Strelke & Maggie Inhofe

Photo by: Alissa Llort

Alejandro Dominguez ’20

adominguezgarcia@smu.edu

Alejandro Dominguez Garcia ’20

Solar Energy Project Lead

  • SMU Class of ’20
  • Mechanical Engineer major
  • Business Administration and French minor
  • Engineering intern at Quantum Utility Generation
  • SMU Multicultural Award of Excellence
  • Honor Roll
  • Second Century Scholar
  • National Society of Collegiate Scholars
  • Hilltop Scholar
  • President of National Society of Hispanic Engineers

 

“As a mechanical engineering student of the 21st century,  technology seems to be growing exponentially; however, most engineers focus on the advancements of technology and not of the human race. I am motivated to help fill this gap and make technological advancements affordable so that humanity as a whole can grow and everyone can live better lives.” – Alejandro Dominguez Garcia

Alejandro graduated from Southern Methodist University with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and Minor in Business Administration and French. He was also an SMU Hilltop Scholar, Second Century Scholar, and President of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers.

He was born in Mexico City, Mexico and moved to the United States with his family as a child. He is passionate about the aerospace and energy industry and how to use these fields to help the progression of humanity. Alejandro conducted research for the Hunt Institute on 3D printed Hydroponic and Aeroponic systems that increased efficiency and lowered the cost of Urban Farming.

While at SMU, he  built professional experience through summer internships, most recently serving as an Mechanical Engineering Intern for the energy and utilities company Quantum Utility Generation in Houston, TX.

After graduating from SMU, Alejandro has been working as a Mechanical Engineer at BP.

 

Contributors to this post:

Written by: Kim Strelke

Edited by: Alejandro Dominguez Garcia & 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 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.

Wendy Alyea ’18

walyea@smu.edu

Wendy Alyea ’18

Student Analyst

  • Environmental Engineering Graduate Student in SMU 4+1 program
  • Engineering Fellows Scholar
  • Provost Scholar
  • Chi Epsilon American Society of Civil Engineers
  • Student Project Lead for the Taos Project: Site Evaluation
  • Member of the Evie Project Phase II: Optimization in Growing
  • Research in environmental assessments and alternative growing systems

 

 

 

“Learning about the impacts of human industrialization and fragility of many environments, I wanted to promote human interaction with nature without the effect of damaging the environment.  I get to incorporate my skills as an environmental engineer and my passion for site evaluation and habitat restoration into my projects at the Hunt Institute.” -Wendy Alyea

 

Wendy Alyea graduated from SMU studying for a Master in Environmental Engineering through the SMU 4+1 program. She received previous degrees in May 2017, a B.S. in Environmental Engineering and a B.A. in Chemistry, with completion of her undergraduate studies at SMU. During undergrad, she studied classics for a semester abroad at Trinity College Dublin in Ireland. Her graduate degree will be completed in May 2018.

Wendy began working with the Hunt Institute in fall of 2013 in conjunction with an Engaged Learning project on aquaponics. When the mentor for her Engaged Learning project left for sabbatical, Dr. Eva Csaky volunteered to become her new mentor. Through this partnership, Wendy produced a paper on waste optimization alternatives, an instruction manual for aquaponics, gardening, and composting, and a case study on aquaponics system failure. She worked on the Evie Phase I and II projects and the community garden.

Wendy was also the student lead on site evaluation for the Taos project at the SMU-in-Taos campus. This involved an environmental assessment to determine the impact of material collection at one site on campus and construction of an earthen brick structure at the second site.

Wendy interned for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 6 office in the water enforcement division and at MWH Global, now a part of Stantec, in the water and wastewater design branch in Dallas, TX. Between Fall 2016 to Spring 2017, Wendy also completed a senior design project to determine grit removal technology for the Village Creek Water Reclamation Facility in Fort Worth, TX.

 

Contributors to this post:

Written by: Kim Strelke

Edited by: Wendy Alyea & 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 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.

Alec Maulding ’19

amaulding@smu.edu

Alec Maulding ’19

Student Analyst

  • Member of the Evie Project Phase II: Optimization in Growing
  • Aspires to hold a management position in the construction industry
  • Will graduate with Honors in the Liberal Arts with a Bachelor of Science in Math and Mechanical Engineering with a Biomedical specialization
  • Engineering Tech with the Texas Department of Transportation’s Project Management Office
  • Second Century Scholar
  • SMU Discover Scholar

 

 

“The Hunt Institute found me under the sun, digging in the dirt.  I was looking for opportunities to learn outside of the classroom, and one of those opportunities presented itself as a project to build a community garden on the outskirts of the SMU campus.  In one afternoon and with a few pair of hands, an empty lot was transformed into a place of growth and community.  I couldn’t have planned a better introduction to the Hunt Institute; although each member may not be an engineer by title, they are all, in a sense, biological engineers, or those who understand and utilize the natural processes by which small seeds, whether they be designed to grow in the soil or the mind, eventually bear an abundance of good fruit.” – Alec Maulding

 

Alec Maulding was a student analyst in the Hunter and Stephanie Hunt Institute for Engineering & Humanity in the Lyle School of Engineering. He graduated with the SMU class of 2019 with Honors in the Liberal Arts and a Bachelor of Science in Math and Mechanical Engineering.

Alec started his training for a construction management position with the basics; he spent a summer working as a laborer for a local construction company, Myers Concrete Construction, near his hometown of Buda, Texas. The following summer, Alec worked as an Engineering Tech for the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) in the Transportation Planning & Programming (TPP) division. Specifically, Alec assisted members of the relatively young Project Management Office. His work focused on the standardization and implementation of best practices by TxDOT’s project managers across the state. In this way, Alec has a foundation on which to build his career in construction.

In Alec’s first semester with the Hunt Institute in the Fall of 2017, he joined the second phase of the Evie project, in which he works to implement solar energy technology to make Evie a net-zero consumer of energy.

Alec was a recipient of SMU’s Second Century Scholar scholarship award, as well as the Lyle School of Engineering’s Discovery Scholarship. He was a member of Tau Beta Pi, Pi Tau Sigma, and The National Society of Collegiate Scholars. He was also a member of the SMU chapter of Engineers without Borders.

 

Contributors to this post:

Written by: Kim Strelke

Edited by: Alec Maulding & Maggie Inhofe

Photo by: Alissa Llort

DeVincent Martin ’18

devincentm@smu.edu

DeVincent Martin ’18

Consultant

  • SMU Class of ’18, Graduate Student
  • Masters in Sustainability and Development
  • US Army Veteran
  • B.A. in Environmental Studies/Biology from Austin College
  • Geo-mapping current and potential community gardens in South Dallas
  • Consultant, Restorative Farms in South Dallas
  • Member, Alpha Chi Honor Society at SMU

 

 

“Fighting for that which cannot defend itself is what I have learned defines me. You do not need war to have something worth fighting for. I choose to fight for socioeconomically oppressed people, locally, statewide, nationally and internationally. I choose to fight for protection of the air we breathe, the water we drink and the salt water that harbors life we have yet to discover. I choose to fight against the displacement of indigenous people and the loss of biodiversity caused by deforestation for cash crops like palm oil. I choose to fight against childhood hunger and the millions of children that go hungry in America daily. I choose to fight the fashion industry’s waste and their use of children to make garments. I choose to fight the meat industry for their mistreatment of animals. I choose to fight the agriculture industry because of their chemical uses on crops and their ocean dead zone consequences. Speaking as a war veteran, there is no real need for fighting among nations, but there is plenty worth fighting for in this world.” – DeVincent Martin

DeVincent graduated from SMU earning his Masters in Sustainability and Development. He is a US Army Veteran who served as a Radio Telephone Operator with 3rd Armored Division 4/18 Infantry during Desert Storm. Through the Veterans Administration Vocational Rehabilitation Program, DeVincent received his AA in General Studies from Collin College in May of 2013 and his B.A. in Environmental Studies/Biology from Austin College in May of 2016. DeVincent left the Vocational Rehabilitation Program in 2016 to continue his education through the Lyle School of Engineering Sustainability and Development Program.  He was inducted into the Alpha Chi Honor Society at SMU in the Fall of 2017, and will complete his graduate degree in May 2018.

DeVincent came to the Hunt Institute when his graduate adviser, Dr. Quicksall, realized that his passion for sustainable development of healthier food options within the so-called food desert of southern Dallas region was similar to work already being done through the Hunt Institute. Under the guidance of his mentors, Dr. Owen Lynch and Professor Jessie Zarazaga, DeVincent worked on geo-mapping the current and potential community gardens in South Dallas to gather data about produce yields and options for increasing their production. His geospatial data will provide networking, collaborating, and potential expansion opportunities for the non-profit community gardens in South Dallas. In addition, the data collected will provide a baseline for urban agriculture investment opportunities for profit within the often-neglected South Dallas area.

DeVincent plans to research how using commercial urban agriculture to apply alternative food production techniques can aid in minimizing the food desert in southern Dallas, and add to economic and community development within the area by employing locals. By using company tax dollars to contribute to local community gardens, he aims to reduce the carbon footprint from transportation, reduce water usage and reduce electricity needed to run an urban agriculture company in Southern Dallas.

DeVincent worked with Restorative Farms in South Dallas to help initiate a pilot seedling farm at the MLK Center, which will provide seedlings to the local community gardens. The program plans to minimize one of the most tedious and unsuccessful stages of growing produce — seed to seedling stage. By providing the gardens with seedlings, the produce yields are expected to increase. On top of that, by providing seedlings and training, the program expects non-profit gardens to become sustainable and potentially expand.

 

Contributors to this post:

Written by: Kim Strelke

Edited by: DeVincent Martin & Maggie Inhofe

Photo by: Alissa Llort

Ali Llort ’19

allort@smu.edu

Alissa Llort ’19

Creative Team Lead

  • Advertising major with a focus on Strategic Brand Management
  • Pschology minor
  • SMU Class of ’19
  • Multicultural Academic Award of Excellence
  • Tau Sigma Transfers Honor Award
  • Marketing and Advertising Specialist
  • The Hunt Institute Creative Team Lead

 

 

“I love working in The Hunt Institute because I am able to pursue my creative passion to help other people. Coming from El Salvador, I am aware of all the help needed around the world. With the skills and opportunities to give a helping hand, The Hunt Institute has been the perfect fit to serve, learn and grow from these unique experiences, sharing ideas with students from a whole different major and creating a masterpiece as a result. “ -Alissa Llort

Alissa graduated from SMU majoring in Advertising, focusing in the Strategic Brand Management branch, and minoring in Psychology.

Having the creative passion in her fingertips ready to create, explore, and inspire is what drove her to the advertising path.

Alissa has developed various advertising projects for the Hunt Institute for Engineering and Humanity to help their ongoing social projects. For Evie’s campaign, she was able to enter a film competition at Earth Day Texas 2017 to showcase the mobile greenhouse project. She won First Prize for the Social Engagement Short Film award.

Also, Alissa was a member of the Women Ambassadors Forum, which is a non-profit organization that empowers women with an annual forum held here in SMU. She was the Marketing Director, managing Graphic Design, Social Media, PR and Branding Teams. Throughout the past few years, she has interned in several advertising agencies in El Salvador: Publicidad Comercial, APEX BBDO, and ON Creative Studio.  These experiences have helped her grow as an advertiser, learning from every agency’s different environment and work style.

 

Contributors to this post:

Written by: Kim Strelke

Edited by: Alissa Llort & Maggie Inhofe

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 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.