#student – Page 4 – Hunt Institute for Engineering & Humanity

February 10, 2020March 2, 2022

JuliaGrace Walker

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.

January 28, 2020March 2, 2022

Varsha Appaji ’21

Varsha Appaji ’21 is a Research Associate at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. Previously, Varsha worked as a Research Analyst in the Hunt Institute.

While Varsha studied at SMU, she found her passion at the place where her three majors intersected: critically evaluating the potential mechanisms that can help alleviate socioeconomic inequality. In the Hunt Institute, she worked as both Co-Lead of the Research Team and an Undergraduate Research Analyst on a project dedicated to analyzing what it takes for an inclusive economy to realistically and sustainably exist. Her work focused on optimizing a database of inclusive economics best practices to create a model of sustainable stakeholder collaboration. She co-authored a proposal for piloting a “Living Labs” model in Dallas geared toward decreasing inequity by improving public safety, sustainable housing, and entrepreneurship opportunities through technology. In addition, she initiated an effort for the Institute to analyze the policy impacts of IoTs, as well as the business case of emerging technologies.

Varsha also has great interest in the potential of emerging technologies. Through her research, she has discovered the vast impacts these technologies can make on agricultural production and access, green energy, emergency response systems, politics, privacy, and more, for better or for worse. Varsha is committed to furthering her study of the effects that technology can have on various aspects of human life. In the long run, she is motivated to one day shape policy that can ensure innovation is for the benefit of all humanity, serving to fill the gap between dominant and subaltern groups.

Varsha spoke about her connection when she worked in the Institute, “…our research is guided by a holistic scope. We look at intersections of industries and innovation so that we can address issues as a system versus as isolated situations. Rather than adding to the information-overload, we learn from established best practices and understand how we can implement their principles to make a realistic local impact.”

Varsha also spent her time at SMU as the Jack C. And Annette K. Vaughn undergraduate fellow of the Tower Center, actively involved in policy and international affairs research. Outside of her academic pursuits, Varsha is a South Indian classically trained singer and she regularly performs throughout the US, often alongside different world music ensembles.

Varsha graduated with a B.S. in Statistical Science, a B.A. in Public Policy, and a B.A. in Economics. She was recognized as an SMU Dean’s Scholar, Pre-Law Scholar, and Discovery Scholar.

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.

January 27, 2020March 2, 2022

Kelsey Shipman ’20

Kelsey Shipman graduated from Southern Methodist University with a B.S. in Economics, Public Policy, and World Languages (Spanish and Arabic) with minors in Math, Computer Science, History, Human Rights, and Public Policy & International Affairs. She was also a member of the O’Neil Center for Global Markets and Freedom Reading Group, the Engaged Learning Advisory Committee, Honors Research Association, Delta Delta Delta Sorority, and previously affiliated with the SMU Student Senate and SMU Honor Council.

Kelsey has been recognized as a President’s Scholar, Tower Scholar, Richter Undergraduate Research Fellow, and Mayer Interdisciplinary Research Fellow, including membership in Phi Beta Kappa honor society and the Hyer Honor Society. At the Hunt Institute, she was an undergraduate Research Analyst lending her skills in research to several interdisciplinary projects.

After completing her undergraduate studies at SMU, Kelsey is currently working as a Senior Research Assistant at the Federal Reserve Board.

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.

January 27, 2020March 2, 2022

Mohammed Njie, Social Enterprise 2021 Cohort Entrepreneur

Mohammed Nije, Social Entrepreneur, Inventor, Change Agent, The Gambia, Clean Energy, Digital Access

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.

More posts about Mohammed Njie:

December 15, 2019: “2019 Social Enterprise Cohort”

February 28, 2020: “Mohammed Njie – Travel Feature”

July 1, 2020: “Hunt Institute’s First Student Social Entrepreneur”

November 9, 2020: “Innovation in Tintinto, The Gambia”

December 15, 2020: “2020 Social Enterprise Cohort”

April 13, 2021: “Illuminating Tintinto | Hunt Institute’s Project for SMU Giving Day 2021”

April 14, 2021: “2021 SMU Giving Day: The Power of One Person’s Vision”

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.

January 27, 2020March 2, 2022

Sam Borton

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.

Sam’s research focuses on Filling the Gap for Seismic Protection as he researches seismic protection options for informal construction in Lima, Peru. His final report is a market analysis of the low-cost seismic protection market, along with a recommendation for the direction of further research.

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.

January 22, 2020March 2, 2022

Sydney Lobato

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.

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

December 3, 2019March 2, 2022

Javier Destarac ’20

Javier A. Destarac graduated from Southern Methodist University with a B.A. in Markets and Cultures.

Javier was born in McAllen, Texas but grew up in Tyler, Texas to a multicultural family speaking Spanish at home and English in school. He enjoys learning from new cultures and helping others. Javier has experience in working in marketing over this past summer in his most recent internship, doing research in digital media at NYU.

Javier worked with the communications team to develop and market Impact Nights as well as the marketing strategy of the Hunt Institute. In the future, he hopes to translate his work in the Hunt Institute to a career in Marketing while continuing to spread awareness for sustainability across all platforms. Javier also would like to continue his hobbies of playing tennis, playing the piano, volunteering.

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 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.