Category: Offices & Programs

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Mentorship Office of Engaged Learning Student Academic Engagement & Success

Celebrating the Inaugural Year of Mustang Mentors!

Mustang Mentors Pair: Xzavier Washington (Mentee) and Kamile Cerna (Mentor)

This academic year marked the exciting launch of Mustang Mentors, a peer mentorship program designed to support first-year, second-year, and transfer students as they transition to the Hilltop.  The program’s core goals are to recruit, engage, and retain students by fostering meaningful connections at the university.

In its inaugural year, Mustang Mentors matched 92 students, pairing mentees with peer mentors based on shared academic interest, professional goals and hobbies.

With over 351 conversations logged, mentors provided guidance on everything from course selections to involvement in student clubs to career planning. One sophomore mentor reflected on how participating in Mustang Mentors has positively impacted her connection to SMU, saying, “It has helped me feel more connected not only with my peers in Mustang Mentors, but also with communities outside of this program. I feel like it has inspired me to be more involved on campus.”

Mentees too benefitted academically and personally from their mentorship. One student shared, “I was confused about how to know what route I should take within the CCPA field, and [my mentor] has given me some guidance on how to know where I should go by exploring more in depth of each aspect and what I feel most interested in.”

Moving into the second year of the program, Mustang Mentors plans to deepen its impact:

  • Re-engaging current cohort members as returning mentors.
  • Expanding partnerships with departments like English, Film, History, and PREP.
  • Creating a Mustang Mentors Student Ambassador as a third tier of leadership.
  • Recruitment of incoming first-year and transfer students.

A special thank you to all faculty and staff who have played an essential role in program recruitment. We thank you for supporting this work and championing the program.

Know of a student that would serve as a great peer mentor? Email us at mustangmentors@smu.edu to recommend them!

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News Office of Engaged Learning Office of Engaged Learning – Research Student Academic Engagement & Success

Undergraduate Research Student Spotlight: Alison Kellom

Written by Diana Bautista Hernandez, Student Media Assistant for OEL

Alison Kellom, a senior undergraduate student (Class of ’25) pursuing a B.S. in Biological Sciences, dedicated time to research a crucial need in the field of oncology. Her project, Reversing Chemotherapy Resistance in Aggressive Forms of Cancer, mentored by Dr. Pia Vogel (Biological Sciences), dives deep into lab research and trials of different proteins through computational methods.

Over the past 40 years, researchers have struggled to find a solution to the survival of aggressive cancers. Even when patients are administered different drugs in chemotherapy, some cancer cells survive; these cells are called “multidrug resistant.” Dr. Vogel’s lab is working with novel compounds in vitro to develop a clinical model that can screen the success rate of treatments. As a result, patients may experience quicker recoveries and a much better quality of life during chemotherapy. Through the Engaged Learning Fellowship, Kellom gained hands-on experience tackling this issue.

This unique project has not only contributed to the field but also has left Alison with a personal takeaway. She explains that her biggest lesson was learning to accept that you cannot control the results, especially in science. “Science doesn’t always go your way,” she says. During weekly lab meetings, she often found herself with little or no presentable data, which was initially discouraging. However, she soon realized that data points aren’t the only measure of learning and progress. “Eventually I learned that you don’t always need to get results to learn in the lab!” This resulted in helping her build a strong foundation in research, adding, “you can draw from in the future.” As Alison puts it, “I truly believe that the ability to make mistakes during research is the only way science could progress!”

 

 

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Office of Engaged Learning Office of Engaged Learning – Research

Congrats to our “ELFs” and “ELSAs”

Red background with SMU Engaged Learning Fellows logo

This year, the Office of Engaged Learning welcomed 36 students to the Engaged Learning Fellowship (ELF) program. In addition, 5 students won the Engaged Learning Starter Award (ELSA).

The ELF awards up to $2500 to pursue a capstone project–often a senior thesis or distinction project, but also ambitious independent projects. The ELSA awards up to $500 for first-year or transfer students to pursue a smaller-scale research or creative project.

Congrats to the following students, and thank you to the numerous faculty mentors who advise them on their projects!

24-25 Engaged Learning Starter Award recipients:

Colin Gross
Zehra Jaffery
Phillip Perry
Taran Sortino
Raissa Umwali

24-25 Engaged Learning Fellowship recipients:

Ryland Adzich ‘28
Ruhani Ahluwalia ‘25
Haneen Amarneh ‘25
Hala Arnouk ‘25
Aguer Atem ‘25
Ellen Aughenbaugh ‘26
Faith Bellamy ‘26
Na’Ni Caliste ‘25
Andrew Castles ‘25
Anna Foweather ‘26
Mustafa Haque ‘27
Meredith Hughes ‘25
Bailey Kamau ‘26
Haley Kim ‘26
Olivia Kuo ‘26
Nomvuyo Makhathini ‘26
Katy Merchant ‘25
Maria Murad ‘26
Jordan Naivar ‘26
Amelia Nugent ‘28
Kristian Perez ‘28
Swarangi Potdar ‘25
Shreeya Prabu ‘26
Mahima Quazi ‘25
Alexandra Reyes ‘27
Mireya Sanchez ‘25
Adyn Schachtel ‘27
William Schmitt ‘26
Kendall Schumacher ‘26
Crystal Smith ‘26
Andy Su ‘26
Vivian Thai ‘25
Mariam Tran ‘25
Maddie Wathanacharoen ‘25
Mille Wiita ‘25
Rachel Zuercher ‘27

 

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Mentorship Office of Engaged Learning Office of Engaged Learning – Research

OEL awards for “Excellence in Mentoring”

Image shows headshots of Excellence in Mentoring award winners Elizabeth Berk and Jill Kelly

Each year, The Office of Engaged Learning (OEL) honors faculty members who have provided exceptional mentoring to our Engaged Learning Fellows. 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.

Two winners were announced at the annual Undergraduate Research Lunch on April 24, 2025:

Dr. Elizabeth Berk
Lecturer, Department of Anthropology
Mentee/nominator: Vivian Thai ’25

Dr. Jill Kelly
Associate Professor and Altshuler Distinguished Teaching Professor
William P. Clements Department of History
Mentee/nominator: Aguer Atem ’25

Thank you to Dr. Berk and Dr. Kelly for your continued dedication to mentoring undergraduate students!

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Academic Development of Student-Athletes (ADSA) Academic Development of Student-Athletes (ADSA) Altshuler Learning Enhancement Center Student Academic Engagement & Success Tutoring

ALEC Honors 2 Tutors with Ben Thomas Award for Excellence in Tutoring

The ALEC would like to announce the recipients of the Ben Thomas Award for Excellence in Tutoring. This years recipients are Lauren Figura and Anh Khoa Nguyen. Congratulations for all your hard work this semester!

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Professional Advising University Advising Center

Advising Communication Update for Simmons

Dear Simmons Faculty and Staff,

As we continue to enhance the undergraduate advising experience for our students, we would like to share important updates regarding advising procedures for current and new students in the Simmons School of Education and Human Development.

SMU in Four recently sent an advising update to all faculty and staff, stating that any student who declares a major before June 1, 2025 will continue to be advised under the current advising structure. Continuing students will receive communication in August regarding how to access advisor information through my.SMU. However, all Simmons majors who declare after June 1, 2025 will transition to professional advising through the University Advising Center (UAC).

Samia Siddiqui will become a full-time staff member of the UAC, with primary responsibilities in advising. Samia has played an integral role within Simmons, and her knowledge and expertise in the majors will be invaluable during this transition. The Division of Student Academic Engagement and Success is currently in the process of hiring a degree counselor to coordinate all Simmons records functions, including athletic certification, graduation certification, petitions, repeat rosters, and more.

Here is what you can expect from these changes:

  • Professional advisors will support students with:
    • Approving Abroad Proposed Plans of Study
    • Assist students with completing petitions
    • Awareness about departmental events
    • Declaring majors and minors
    • Fulfilling Common Curriculum requirements
    • Guiding students toward on-time (4 year) graduation
    • Semester and Intersessions scheduling (including support for double majors and major/minor combinations)
  • Faculty will continue to mentor students in:
    • Internship and experiential learning opportunities
    • Curriculum guidance and sequencing within majors and minors
    • Concentrations and specializations within academic programs
    • Career exploration and industry-specific advice

Together, faculty and advisors will form a co-curricular partnership to support student success throughout their academic journey on the Hilltop. Your role will remain integral to student success.

More information about this process will be shared soon. Departments will be meeting with advising staff over the coming months to ensure a smooth transition and continued support for our students.

Thank you for your ongoing commitment to student success.

Samia Siddiqui

Director of Advising & Student Records

Dr. Francesca Go

Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, ad interim

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Academic Development of Student-Athletes (ADSA)

A Heartfelt Thank You to Our Graduating ADSA Student Workers!

red and blue graduation hat

On behalf of the Academic Development of Student-Athletes (ADSA), we want to extend our sincerest gratitude to the outstanding SMU students who are completing their SMU degrees in Spring 2025 and have served as invaluable members of our team in various roles. We extend a heartfelt congratulations and thank you to these SMU Graduates! 

We deeply appreciate the significant contributions each of you has made to supporting the ADSA mission. The peer academic support you provided has been invaluable, not only to the student-athletes you assisted but also in fostering your own professional growth and development. We are confident that the skills and experiences gained through this work will truly set these graduates apart in their future endeavors. 

   Congratulations to: 

Ana Rizo 

  • Bachelor of Science in Sport Management, Bachelor of Arts in Economics, Minor in Business 

Danny Discenza 

  • Bachelor of Arts in Economics, Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, Minor in Italian, Minor in History 

Jason Zhang  

  • Masters of Science in Business Analytics  

Kaylee Dorough  

  • Bachelor of Business Administration in General Business, Minor in Sociology 

Parisha Goyal 

  • Master’s in Business Analytics

Rakesh Venkat  

  • Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance, Bachelors in Data Science, Minor in International Film Studies, Operations Research Engineering Management Minor
    Sharvari Dethe  
  • Bachelor of Business Administration in Business Analytics  

Viktoriya Kuchina 

  • Bachelor in Science in Health & Society, Bachelor of Arts in World Languages (specializing in Russian & Latin), Minor in Human Rights.

We hope you will keep in touch as you embark on your next chapters! Thank you all for your time, dedication, and commitment.

Congratulations on this momentous achievement – we are incredibly proud of each and every one of you! We hope you truly maximize this special time of celebration! 

Dr. Teiana Jones
Senior Director of ADSA and Assistant Athletic Director for Academics

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Academic Development of Student-Athletes (ADSA) Academic Development of Student-Athletes (ADSA) Altshuler Learning Enhancement Center First-Generation Initiative Student Academic Engagement & Success Student Success & Retention Tutoring

ALEC congratulates new CRLA certified tutors

The ALEC would like to congratulate 10 tutors that have gone through the extra hours of training to become CRLA certified tutors. CRLA is a program designed to ensure tutors have the necessary skills and knowledge to effectively support students. SMU has been a CRLA certified school since 2024 and is one of 300 schools in the US to have this international designation.

The tutors that have attained this certification are Abdullah Saifee, Anastasia Shyvilka, Aditi Brahmbhatt, Emmanuel Nworie, Pamela Gonzalez Barrios, Sofia Hueck, Avantika Chapagadikar, Jatin Yadav, Zaid Ghazi, and Faith Bellamy. We look forward to having these tutors use their acquired skills next semester! 

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Academic Skill Development First-Generation Initiative Student Academic Engagement & Success

Chris Meyers, Director of the First-Generation Initiative, receives “M” Award

Congratulations to Chris Meyers, Director of the First-Generation Initiative, for receiving the “M” Award at the Hilltop Excellence Awards ceremony on Friday, April 25!

The ‘M’ Award is the highest recognition bestowed upon students, faculty, staff and administrators at SMU. A true servant leader, Chris has served the Hilltop by fostering partnerships, expanding programming, and increasing retention amongst first-generation students. He consistently goes above and beyond to ensure that the First-Generation Initiative has the resources to meet our students’ needs. Chris has helped first-generation students overcome obstacles and find true success at SMU.

We are so proud of Chris and the work that he’s accomplished. Please join us in congratulating Chris!

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Academic Development of Student-Athletes (ADSA) Academic Development of Student-Athletes (ADSA) Student Academic Engagement & Success

Springing Forward with these Mustang Champions

4 Mustang Champions

March 2025 Mustang Champions

Every year, the Spring symbolizes the Earth’s resilience and focus on continued growth and development for our exemplary student-athletes, who’s dedication to enhancing their individual skills, improve and inspire their teammates/peers, and give back though encourgaing engagegment in the Dallas community. This month, we are celebrating Mustang Champions that have strived to invest in themselves and their future personal development. Stangs are always leading the Charge!

 BJ Edwards- Men’s Basketball

BJ Edwards, a senior point guard, has embodied what it means to be a Mustang Champion. A starter for the Men’s Basketball team, BJ has shown commitment to his academics by his ability to communicate and advocate for himself in the classroom; “Watching BJ grow in his academic confidence and accountability has been truly inspiring. He tackles challenges head-on and approaches difficult assignments with a calm willingness. BJ maintains the best quality of a life-long learner, and that is his curiosity. He’s a champion this month and always, stated Samantha LoCoco, ADSA. He is on track to graduate with a degree in Sports Management in the Spring of 2026.  

Hedda Kvalvag (Track & Field/ Cross Country)

Meet Hedda, a standout triple jumper and All-ACC honoree. She has made a remarkable impact at SMU, both on and off the field. Originally from Olso, Norway, she has overcome the challenges of adjusting to a new country, culture, and academic system with resilience and grace. A natural leader, Katie Evans, Senior Academic Counselor, added that, “Hedda approaches everything she does with kindness, determination, and a strong sense of purpose. As a dedicated student-athlete, she continues to impress with her growth, resilience, and the way she carries herself both in the classroom and on the track.”  She is pursuing her Bachelor of Science in Sport Management and is on track to graduate in Spring 2026. She brings energy and enthusiasm to the classroom while inspiring her teammates through her work ethic and integrity. She consistently strives to do the right thing and be her best in everything she takes on, making her a powerful example of what it means to be a Mustang Champion!

Jentry Lamirand (Volleyball)

Jentry, a senior, was the sole captain of SMU’s Volleyball team. In Fall 2024, she made the ACC All-Academic Team. Athletics shared that she participates in Life After Ball and will be leading Team Impact. Jentry will be graduating in May 2025 with her B.B.A in accounting from Cox. Her Senior Academic counselor, Alana Owens, highlights Jentry’s character, “an amazing individual on and off the court. She is an example of a true leader for the young ladies on the volleyball team and a constant support to her peers. She is pursuing a master’s in accounting starting in the Fall”. Jentry will complete her bachelor’s degree in 3 years; we look forward to supporting her throughout graduate school.  

Zakye Barker (Football)

Junior transfer, Zakye Barker has made a significantly positive impact since his arrival on the Hilltop this Spring. As a linebacker, he isn’t just making plays; he’s covering the whole field by building connections with teammates, staff, and faculty across campus. Majoring in Psychology, he takes the same approach on or off the field with equal passion, leading by example. Faculty members consistently commend his active participation and engagement in class, noting his diligent approach to notetaking. He serves as a positive influence on his peers. Keyana Smith, ADSA Director, is impressed with Zakye effective communication, timely completion of responsibilities, and shares he is consistently respectful and professional. He is one to watch out for!