#Global Development Lab – Page 4 – Hunt Institute for Engineering & Humanity

December 19, 2019March 2, 2022

South Dallas Soul Rep Theater

Left to right: Dr. Eva Csaky, Executive Director of HI, Soul Rep’s Guinea Bennett and Tonya Hollaway, Kyle Baker undergrad student designer, Dr. Jessie Zarazaga, HI Fellow and project advisor, and Corrie Harris, Assistant Director, Hunt Institute and GDL portfolio manager.

“The biggest dream is to have this as a stake in the ground in South Dallas and always be available to the community,” Soul Rep Co-Founder Guinea Bennett-Price said.

In the Spring of 2019, the Hunt Institute for Engineering & Humanity’s Global Development Lap (GDL) began a project for Soul Rep Theatre Company. The deliverable was a beautifully bound brochure to help communicate the vision and designs for renovations of a South Dallas building. The proposed building will serve as a community arts center, complete with a multi-use performance space, practice area, and communal gathering space. The project focuses on key areas like resilient infrastructure, the practice of employing human-centered design principles to engage communities, and fostering inclusive economic development which provides an opportunity for small businesses to function out of the area and reinvest into the local economy.

Soul Rep Theatre Company was founded in 1996 to provide opportunities for actors, writers, and directors to develop and share their talent with the Dallas arts community. The company, once run solely by volunteers, is now a professional theater company with a subscription-based season. According to its founders, their mission is to provide quality transformative Black theater that enlightens the imagination, the spirit, and the soul. The theatre also seeks to shift the paradigm of how the Black experience is valued by the world.

With renovation designs provided by this project, Soul Rep hopes to use the multi-purpose space to engage the community and foster collaboration in South Dallas. To help realize this goal, the renovation plans include a front porch restoration which to be used as an open space for neighbors and the Soul Rep community to connect. Soul Rep hopes that the front porch, and Soul Rep Arts Center as a whole, will revitalize Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, a street and area that has been long forgotten. The company envisions the space to be a unique and innovative “home” to curate, celebrate and collaborate as a community. “The biggest dream is to have this as a stake in the ground in South Dallas and always be available to the community,” Soul Rep Co-Founder Guinea Bennett-Price said.

The Soul Rep team hopes that the Arts Center will lift up not only the community but also the presence of Black Art in Dallas itself. Citing the lack of Black Art in the Arts District, Bennett-Price said she hopes that this center will reignite the Black Theatre Movement. “Grassroots is our identity,” Bennett-Price explained. “We want to grow beyond and we want to be the tree instead of the grass and the roots.”

Article was written by Jaclyn Soria, undergraduate Journalist

GDL team:

Dr. Jessie Zarazaga, Hunt Institute Fellow and project advisor

Kyle Baker, undergraduate research analyst and designer

Katherine Linares, grad Project Manager

Corrie Harris, Global Development Lab Portfolio Manager

September 16, 2019March 23, 2022

Lillie Noe ’20, Hunt Institute Associate

Lillie Noe ’20, joins the Hunt Institute as an Associate, bringing with her a passion for providing quality heath care and advocating for sustainable apparel.

Lillie Noe is a Program Manager for Professional Membership with the American Heart Association. She works with healthcare professionals advancing the AHA’s mission to improve cardiovascular health for all, including identifying and removing barriers to health care access and quality.

Lillie received her MBA in 2020 from SMU’s Cox School of Business, where she concentrated in Strategy. While at SMU, Lillie served as the Hunt Institute’s Program Manager for Social Enterprise, launching the Institute’s first cohort of social entrepreneurs. She also led SMU’s chapter of Net Impact where she organized volunteer opportunities and speaking events to help MBA students use their skills on behalf of the Dallas community.

Before her MBA, Lillie worked in the apparel industry and had a particular interest in sustainable and local production. She worked for a bridal and evening gown designer manufacturer in Dallas and, as an MBA student, interned for Eileen Fisher, an industry leader in sustainable apparel. Lillie holds a B.A. in Plan II Honors and a B.S. in Textiles and Apparel from the University of Texas at Austin.

Lillie previously explained her interest in sustainable apparel, saying, “In my undergraduate studies, I was struck by the amount of environmental waste and human harm unleashed by the apparel industry as a matter of routine. I believe that we have to use business to promote more than just profit if we are to have an equitable and sustainable future.”

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.

September 16, 2019March 2, 2022

Manuela Murillo Sanchez ’21

Manuela Murillo Sanchez graduated form Southern Methodist University with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and Mathematics. She was also a Logistics Coordinator at the Maguire Center for Ethics, President of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers at SMU, Tunes for Texas volunteer, and Second Century Scholar.

She was born in Bogota, Colombia and moved to Houston, Texas as a young child. She is driven by her passion for learning, but beyond that she strives to find areas in which she can apply her knowledge for the betterment of her community. Her current community focus area revolves around the STEM access, support, and development pipeline within minority communities. Under her vision, she spearheaded the robust SHPE SMU community service program involving mentorship, STEM workshops, and Math tutoring for students from underprivileged areas of Dallas. Due to her active support of the Hispanic community in Dallas, she was awarded the prestigious SHPE DFW (Professional Chapter) Hispanic Leadership Award.

Manuela was a project manager for the Hunt Institute where she translated scholarly research into driving local and global impact.

Manuela was drawn to work at the Institute because “of the opportunity to transfer my skills and knowledge into real-world impact and solutions,” seeing the Institute as “an opportunity to work with like-minded peers across SMU to create a tangible difference.”

While not working at the Hunt Institute, she built professional experience through co-ops and internships, either serving as an Engineering Data Analyst at BMW in Spartanburg, South Carolina, or working for Global Operations for the largest world’s largest companies, AT&T.

After graduating from SMU, Manuela has been working as an Associate Consultant at Bain and Company.

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.

April 10, 2019March 7, 2022

Liam Lowsley-Williams ’21

Liam Lowsley-Williams ’21, worked for the Hunt Institute through his undergraduate studies and now as a masters student. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science with a minor in Engineering Management Information Systems from Lyle School of Engineering at Southern Methodist University. Currently, he is pursuing a Master of Science in Computer Science and is the Head Full Stack Development Teaching Assistant for Lyle in the Computer Science department. He continues to be a Technical Consultant for the Hunt Institute where he mentors other students as well as leads development in the evolving Map INDallas (formally called Map 4 Good).

Liam was born in Fairfield, CT and transferred to SMU after his first year of college. He originally attended Chapman University in Southern California and was pursuing business and economics with an emphasis on real estate development. However, while working over the winter months in Telluride, CO, he realized his true calling was engineering. He identified and solved an issue as an intern by developing a digitized inventory management system for a hotel where he worked. That solution was integrated into the company’s standard operating procedures resulting in a cost savings for the company as well as increased customer satisfaction.

Liam accepted a role as Frontend Web Developer at SiriusXM after successfully completing his internship there over the summer of 2021 where he works while pursuing his master’s degree. He holds a Board of Directors member position for Treasure Map, Inc., and continues as the Chief Technology Officer for Learning Alpha, LLC that he co-founded in 2019. His background experience include an internship as a software engineer at McKinsey & Company in NYC, a Full Stack Developer for Signo Capital, and as a Graphic and Web Designer for the AT&T Center for Virtualization partnering with Southern Methodist University, to name a few

March 6, 2019March 2, 2022

Cole DeYoung ’20

Cole DeYoung

Class of 2020

Undergraduate Program Manager

Engineering Management, Information and Systems major

Economics Minor

SMU Discovery Scholarship

Founders Scholarship

INFORMS VP of Finance

“I love my major and that it challenges me and I know that what I’ve learned at SMU and through my work experience will enable me to do something great, but that won’t matter to me if I’m not passionate about the work I am doing. What inspires me, what feeds my soul, is working with people. I am lucky I found the Hunt Institute because I finally get to apply the technical business side of me to something that I am deeply passionate about.”

Cole DeYoung graduated from Southern Methodist University studying Engineering Management, Information and Systems and Economics. She served as the VP of Finance for the SMU chapter of INFORMS and as a Project Manager here at the Hunt Institute.

Cole’s EMIS major teaches math and computer science skills, optimization techniques and business principles. She uses this breadth of skills in her various work experiences. Cole worked as a Reliability Engineering Intern for Abbott Nutrition her freshman year, as a Business Excellence Intern for Abbott Diagnostics her sophomore year and will be working for a Management Consulting firm in New York City this summer.

It is Cole’s lifelong passion for helping others that brought her to the Hunt Institute.

“It’s not enough to have lived. We should be determined to live for something. May I suggest that it be creating joy for others, sharing what we have for the betterment of personkind, bringing hope to the lost and love to the lonely.” ― Leo Buscaglia

February 4, 2019March 7, 2022

Kelly Little ’19

Class of 2019

Research Analyst

Major: Health and Society

Minor: Biology

Second Century Scholar and Honor Roll

Kelly Little graduated from SMU majoring in Health and Society and minoring in Biology. She was a recipient of the Second Century Scholarship at SMU.

Kelly has worked as a medical assistant in a top New York Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery office for the past two summers. She was also a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma and was the 2018 Philanthropy Chair of the Gamma Phi Chapter at SMU. As the Philanthropy Chair, Kelly established a brand-new fundraising event that doubled the amount of money raised by the Chapter, when compared to the previous year. She organized over 10 different volunteer and fundraising events for the Gamma Phi Chapter and partnered with foundations such as the Akola Project and Reading is Fundamental.

At the Hunt Institute, Kelly worked as a Research Analyst on various projects. Her research interests are public health, nutrition, sustainability, and underserved populations both globally and locally.

After graduating from SMU, Kelly is currently attending Pace University’s Lenox Hill Hospital Physician Assistant Studies Program.

October 6, 2018March 2, 2022

Global Development Lab

Launched by the Hunter & Stephanie Hunt Institute for Engineering & Humanity and housed in the Bobby B. Lyle School of Engineering at Southern Methodist University, the Global Development Lab is a catalyst for projects fostering global development one concept at a time.

The program uses a project-based interdisciplinary engagement model that involves student teams working with experts on solutions for pressing global issues identified by the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). An exemplary project team would consist of an Affiliate of the Institute, SMU staff, undergraduate and/or graduate researchers, industry partner(s), a local in-country partner, and an undergraduate project manager.

The Lab is governed by three guiding pillars (1) foster technology, engineering, and market-based ideas with the goal of creating innovative solutions for a resilient humanity addressing the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, (2) ally with local partners with systemic engagement in their communities working on addressing local challenges, (3) Engage our network of experts for the development and testing of ideas in order to maximize the viability of solutions.

GDL high-impact projects of systemic importance can be categorized into three focus areas within SDGs: (i) transformational technology, (ii) sustainable food systems, and (iii) resilient infrastructure.

Overview of engagement in the GDL:
A. We host student groups or individual students working on research or a project that aligns with the guiding principles of the Hunt Institute without direct management of outcome from the GDL team.

B. We partner to form a project with formal hands-on engagement from GDL’s functional teams and network. A Fellow in the Hunt Institute may apply to create a new project or join an existing one. Funding is available from various sources which will be determined after project eligibility is determined.

C. We pioneer a new initiative with full responsibility to manage the design, implementation, and growth of the project into a program by HI’s leadership and functional teams. Once project grows into program level; further engagement is recruited via partners in government, NGOs, non-profits, and so forth.

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.

September 14, 2018March 2, 2022

Gabrielle J. Gonzales ’20

2020

Research Analyst, Hydrogen Fuel Cells

Majors: Electrical Engineering with the Biomedical Specialization

Minors: Philosophy

I just started working with the Hunt Institute this semester to work on our Hydrogen Powered Fuel Cell Project that will hopefully work in conjunction with other sustainable projects and communities like Evie, our mobile urban farming unit.

Gabrielle graduated from Southern Methodist University with a degree in Electrical Engineering – Biomedical Specialization, with a goal of going into the Biotechnology. She has always been interested in science and medicine. After deciding against medical school in High School, she found a way to unite many of her interests in Engineering and Biology.

While at SMU, she was involved in Not On My Campus, Society of Women Engineers, Engineering Without Borders, SMU Ballroom, Loyd Commons Purpose Committee, Intermural Sand Volleyball, Mustang Corral (Freshman Orientation) Leader. Before joining the Hunt Institute, Gabrielle worked as a Student Ambassador out of the Engineering Office for Recruitment, Retention, and Alumni Relations.

Gabrielle had worked with the Hunt Institute since her freshman year through organizations like Engineering Without Borders, housed in the Hunt institute facilities. She has volunteered with communities in Dallas through Plant Lab, a committee of Engineering Without Borders. Plant Lab works with local communities in South Dallas located in some of Dallas’ food deserts and pockets of poverty. She also got involved with International Esperanza Project, an organization based out of Dallas who works with rural communities in Guatemala to provide free comprehensive medical clinics with staff from Guatemala and The U.S. and offers low-cost, donor aided solution for clean water and well ventilated high-efficiency wood burning stoves for cooking and heating.

September 14, 2018March 2, 2022

Cydney Kay Snyder ’19

Photo of Cydney Kay Snyder Class of 2019
Research Analyst, STEM Education
Majors: Human Rights, Public Policy, Political Science
Minor: Economics
Cornerstone Scholar
Honors College
Engaged Learning Fellow

Cydney Snyder graduated from Southern Methodist University with bachelor’s degrees in Human Rights, Public Policy, and Political Science. She is also a Cornerstone Scholar, an Engaged Learning fellow, and a member of SMU’s honors program.

Cydney is from Celina, Texas – a small, rural community, an hour outside of Dallas. While she worked on education research projects throughout her time at SMU, Cydney became passionate about STEM education after watching her brother struggle through the college application process. She has developed a STEM camp for rural communities, using place-based pedagogy. Cydney hopes that this camp provides students in rural communities more exposure to STEM as well as educates students on the applications of STEM in their everyday communities.

Outside of the Hunt Institute, Cydney had many leadership positions on campus. She served as the treasurer of the SMU Human Rights Council, and is the Vice President of Philanthropy for Alpha Chi Omega, and served as an Orientation Leader this past summer.

After graduating from SMU, Cydney earned a Master’s of Education from the University of Missouri-Saint Louis and is currently working as a Teaching Fellow at Ewing Marion Kauffman School.

September 14, 2018March 2, 2022

Tristan Knotts ’20

Class of 2020
Project Manager
Majors: Computer Science, Mathematics
Lyle Scholar
SEAS Award
Lyle Senator
Lyle Ambassador

Tristan Knotts graduated from Southern Methodist University, majoring in Computer Science and Mathematics. He was a Lyle Scholar, SEAS Award recipient, and a member of the Lyle Ambassadors program, the face of the Lyle School of Engineering and Lyle’s primary recruiting organization. Tristan has held many key roles within the organizations he is involved, including Lyle Senator within SMU’s 104th Student Senate, the captain of his intramural football team, and Treasurer of the Cyber Security Club.

In summer of 2018, Tristan, worked at AT&T, a global leader in technology, media, and communications, as a software developer and project lead, designing and developing a software application. At AT&T, he gained valuable insight into the technology and communications industry, as well as experience in an innovative corporate environment. He was given a key role within a new project that allowed him to complete most of the project development lifecycle and saving AT&T operation costs of hundreds of thousands of dollars over the next few years.

In the summer of 2017, Tristan, worked at the defense contractor Raytheon, as a cybersecurity intern, designing application frameworks, and conducting software testing. Tristan also worked at SMU’s Caruth Institute for Engineering Education for two weeks, teaching high school students the fundamentals of engineering, and drone piloting.

At the Hunt Institute, Tristan worked as a project manager, where he oversaw student-driven projects through the project lifecycle. He was drawn to the institute by its inspiring mission to help others and provide solutions to real-world humanitarian and environmental issues. He enjoys the opportunity to make an impact on the global community, and hopefully inspire others to make a difference.

“Upon first walking into the Hunt Institute I could see the passion, integrity, and innovation the team expressed daily. The projects taken on by the Hunt Institute are highly innovative and all have the potential for positive impact, making it rewarding to participate. The institute’s encouraging and supportive environment inspires me to work to help others and give back whenever I can. I look forward to working with the institute throughout my college career to make a difference in the community.”

After graduating from SMU, Tristan has been working as a Business Analyst at Deloitte Consulting.