The Office of Engaged Learning is hosting the annual LabHopping event on Thursday, October 10, 2024, from 4-6 p.m. This event lets students explore open labs and research groups across campus to see how they can get involved.
Please encourage your students to attend! Whether they’re new to research or looking to gain more experience, LabHopping is a great way to connect with faculty and peers engaged in scholarly and creative inquiry.
Maps for self-guided tours will be available online, with printed copies outside Clements Hall, Fondren Science, and in the Scholar’s Den. Students can also enter to win a $100 gift card by participating in the QR scavenger hunt.
We are excited to announce that The Writing Center will be adopting WCOnline as our new scheduling platform starting in Fall 2024. This innovative tool is designed to streamline the scheduling process for students, faculty, and staff, making it easier than ever to manage appointments and resources. WCOnline offers an intuitive design that simplifies the scheduling process, allowing users to easily book appointments with just a few clicks. With features like reminder emails and a waitlist for services, we believe that the implementation of WCOnline will greatly enhance our scheduling capabilities and improve the overall experience for everyone needing to visit the Writing Center. If you have any questions or need assistance, please do not hesitate to reach out to Lydia Allen (lrallen@smu.edu) or Shon Phillips (shonphillips@smu.edu).
The Office of Engaged Learning is excited to announce that Dr. Chrystyna Kouros (Associate Professor of Psychology) will be our new Faculty Fellow for Undergraduate Research programs. She succeeds Dr. David Son (Professor of Chemistry) in this role.
Dr. Kouros has served on the Undergraduate Research Steering Team for several years, and received OEL’s Excellence in Mentoring Award in 2019.
Before joining the SMU faculty in 2011, she completed her B.A. at the University of Chicago, M.A. and Ph.D. at the University of Notre Dame, and was a postdoctoral research fellow at Vanderbilt University. Dr. Kouros’s research focuses on learning about how and why the family environment contributes to couples’, parents’, and children’s mental health. Some of the family processes her lab studies are: marital conflict, parental psychopathology, and helicopter parenting behaviors. Her research involves both families raising typically-developing children and children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.
As Faculty Fellow, Dr. Kouros will lead the Undergraduate Research Steering Team, consisting of faculty and staff from across campus: Brandi Coleman (Assistant Professor of Dance), Dr.Dustin Grabsch (Assistant Provost, General Education), Dr. Carrie Johnston (Director of Research and Scholarly Initiatives, SMU Libraries), Dr. Allison Kanny (Visiting Clinical Assistant Professor, Education Policy and Leadership), Dr. Milica Mormann (Assistant Professor of Marketing), Dr. Eli Olinick (Associate Professor, Operations Research and Engineering Management), and Dr. David Son (Professor of Chemistry).
Morgan Schield, Undergraduate Research Assistant in Psychology
Written by Morgan Schield ’25
This summer I worked as an Undergraduate Research Assistant in the Health Behavior Lab in SMU’s Department of Psychology. In this lab, we explore various aspects of mental and physical health to see how they affect public health.
My job was to coordinate a study analyzing the effects of guided thinking tasks on physical activity. Dr. Austin Baldwin’s leadership helped me navigate the logistics of the study, and prepared me for future work in a clinical psychology setting. As an undergraduate studying psychology, neuroscience, cognitive science, and biomedical anthropology, as well as a competitive swimmer, I value the benefits of physical activity on brain health. I believe this study is significant to psychology research regarding brain health awareness.
My summer position was funded through the Office of Engaged Learning’s Summer Research Intensive. Through that program, I also attended weekly workshops and lectures. I learned how to generate a research question, conduct a literature review, create an elevator pitch, develop visual representations of data, and perfect resumes and CVs. I am going to be applying for graduate school for a Master’s in clinical psychology soon. These workshops helped me feel much more prepared for the application process. Moreover, hearing from experienced speakers who have undergone the research process, as well as engaging with students conducting research in various fields, enhanced my ability to communicate fascinating concepts in an academic setting.
As a research assistant, I help recruit individuals who will come to our office and do the following: walk on the treadmill for 30 minutes, listen to audio recordings intended to promote physical activity, and fill out questionnaires. The questionnaires assess how well futuristic and imagery tasks improve their motivation. For example, the audio recording asks them to visualize themselves at an event in the future. This hopefully motivates them to exercise now!
After analyzing participants’ data and feedback, we will identify better ways to foster active lifestyles. I am excited to be part of a study that advocates for the wellbeing of society.
My role as an undergraduate psychology research assistant has been inspiring because I have received hands-on experience in groundbreaking research. In a rapidly evolving world, the importance of brain health in relation to physical health is constantly increasing. SMU is dedicated to discovering methods to enhance scientific discovery in all realms. Dr. Baldwin’s research lab and the SRI program helped me be part of something bigger than myself and certainly prepared me for my future career.
Last Thursday, July 25, the Office of Engaged Learning hosted a Three Minute “Thesis” competition. 25 presentations in under 2 hours! This was the culminating event of the Summer Research Intensive and Data Science for Social Good programs.
Along with their research and other activities, students in the programs participated in a 7-week professional development workshop series with Dr. Adam Scott Neal (Program Manager, OEL). They worked through various ways of presenting their research, their experience, and their stories (e.g., presentations, resumes, and elevator pitches).
Students in these programs are all working on faculty research projects, so their presentations needed to give an overview of the project as well as their individual role—and why the research matters.
The Office of Engaged Learning invites you to attend the Summer Research Symposium this June and July. The Symposium is a weekly speaker series highlighting research by SMU faculty and invited guests. These “lunch and learn” events are open to the community.
June 12: Dr. Beth Wheaton-Páramo, Economics
June 19: Dr. Peng Tao, Chemistry
June 26: Dr. Alexander Chase, Earth Sciences
July 10: Faculty Panel: How Do I Get a Grant?
July 17: Dr. Jeanna Wieselmann, Teaching and Learning
The Marketing, Communications and Digital Technology Committee is excited to offer a session for professional headshots for all SAES full-time staff!
Last year, to create consistency on SAES staff bio pages, we began taking new headshots. Our division’s style are outdoor photos on SMU campus.
Headshots will be offered next Wednesday, May 29 from 9-11 a.m. with photographer Hillsman Jackson. Staff who started fall 2023 or later should sign up for a spot. Continuing staff who would like a new photo may also sign up.
Hillsman will meet us on the Fondren Library side of Dallas Hall lawn. Please remember to wear business casual attire, with SMU colors preferred. If you have specific questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to Adam Neal (asneal@smu.edu).
In the case of inclement weather, headshots will be moved to an indoor location, and you will be notified of the change 24 hours in advance.
Dr. Mark Allen
Senior Lecturer, Temerlin Advertising Institute (Meadows)
Mentees: Tyler Chapman ’25, Morgan Martinez ’24, Ross Yenerich ’25
Dr. Jessie Zarazaga
Clinical Associate Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering (Lyle)
Mentees: Kristen Edwards ’24, Arlo Kadane ’24
Each year, The Office of Engaged Learning honors faculty members who have provided our Engaged Learning Fellows exceptional mentoring. The criteria for selection considers the quality of the student’s nomination, the student’s accomplishments, and the faculty member’s history of successfully mentoring students in the program. The awards come with a small honorarium.
The Office of Engaged Learning coordinates the Clinton Global Initiative University program at SMU. Undergraduate and graduate students can apply to join a growing global community of over 12,500 social entrepreneurs working to solve our world’s most pressing issues.
SMU’s CGIU “Commitment Makers” receive
Up to $1500 to fund their Commitment to Action Project
Funding to attend the CGIU annual meeting
Application Process
The deadline for CGIU 2024 is March 15, 2024. Contact our office at engagedlearning@smu.edu for help with your application.
Information sessions/workshops with former winners, on Zoom:
SMU Faculty: applications for the Summer Research Intensive are due Friday, February 9th.
Faculty members may apply for match funding to support up to 2 undergraduate research assistants for the summer. The students may work up to 30 hours per week and attend weekly symposia and professional development workshops.
Further information is available on our site, smu.edu/SRI
