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Office of Engaged Learning Office of Engaged Learning - Entrepreneurship Student Academic Engagement & Success

Big iDeas Spotlight: Ryland Adzich’s Mission for Literacy and Community Impact

The Big iDeas program empowers students to transform their entrepreneurial ideas into impactful ventures. We recently caught up with Ryland Adzich, a first-year student at SMU who jumped into her co-curricular journey early — not only as a Big iDeas participant but also as an Engaged Learning Fellow. Ryland shared the inspiration behind her philanthropic organization and gave us a glimpse into the meaningful work she is implementing across the DFW metroplex. 

In Fall 2024, Ryland was the top winner of the Big iDeas Pitch Competition, earning $1,000 from the Big iDeas Program, along with an additional $1,000 Boost Award from the Spears Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership for having the “Most Inspiring Idea” of the competition. In the upcoming academic year, Ryland will serve as the President of the Women’s Innovative Network – a new student organization and network that empowers women to innovate, connect, and support each other in their entrepreneurial and research endeavors. 

Q: You’re wrapping up your first year at SMU! Tell us about what why you chose SMU in the first place. 

Being invited as a Dedman Scholar, it was nice to feel wanted by a community and wanted by SMU as much as I wanted them. The research opportunities with faculty as an undergraduate student was another big one. I also love Dallas. I love the community of people and the students here. I really feel like people are trying to work together to uplift students to succeed on a national and international level. 

Q: What is the organization you started and what inspired the social impact element of it? 

The Creative Destination is a philanthropic organization that works to create literacy spaces in underserved communities and in laundromats. Think books, shelves, and posters — essentially a mini library. The reason why we chose laundromats was because those can be everyday spaces to children. Many times, children are spending significantly more time in those “everyday spaces” than in the classroom. So if we can encourage reading and parent-to-child communications, that will increase success in and outside of the classroom. 

While I was in high school, I worked with a professor at the NYU Steinhardt School of Education in one of my tech labs in school. She had introduced this idea about literacy spaces in laundromats on the East Coast, but I wanted to adapt that so it would make sense for The Creative Destination and underserved communities in California. I was already thinking about my idea before the tech lab, but seeing this on a smaller scale on the East Coast gave me inspiration to go through with it. 

Q:Tell us about your recent partnership with The Creative Destination and The Hockaday School  in Dallas? 

The Hockaday School already has an Institute for Social Impact. I was interested in mentoring younger students but also getting feedback for The Creative Destination. I get to work with girls who are already interested in giving back to their community. If I can enhance that and help them hold on to that through having them help me build these literacy spaces in laundromats across the city, then that’s important to me. 

Ryland speaking and doing an activity at The Hockaday School in Fall 2024.

Q: What has been the most rewarding part about starting your own philanthropic organization from the ground up? 

Getting to work with other data-driven people has been very exciting. Also, getting to see the benefits to people that are frequenting these laundromat spaces. Whether that be customers, or laundromat owners seeing their spaces be improved by encouraging reading, I just go back to how important building community to me. Laundromats can be a great place of building community. You know, you’re sitting there for maybe an hour and a half waiting for your clothes to dry and maybe talking to people. Hopefully just a little bit of time every day to read instead of being on a phone or a tablet can encourage kids to keep reading. 

Q: What have you been able to do with the award money you received from The Big iDeas Program?

That funding has been helpful because we have been able to fund 5 new literacy spaces in laundromats across the country. Four will be in Dallas and one will be in California. Some of the girls that I’m mentoring at The Hockaday School are helping me with the Dallas spaces. I’m hopeful for next year as I continue to establish myself more in Dallas to grow my laundromat network. 

In the next three months, I hope to give The Creative Destination a fresh new look. I want to use some of the funding to do logo and media updates to prepare for the upcoming year. I highly recommend bringing your ideas to the Big iDeas Pitch Competition. 

What advice would you give to a first year student, specifically a student in Dedman, who is wanting to build their business when they come to SMU? 

I would say don’t box yourself into one set way to think about a business. Business principles can be applied to organizations, programs, and initiatives that are outside of a traditional business framework. Operating The Creative Destination as a business is something that I want to continue to work on. Also, I would encourage students to just have fun on campus. Time really does fly, so take stock and enjoy all of the resources on campus. It’s all at our fingertips and we can make so many different connections. 

Interested in bringing your ideas to life? Learn more about Big iDeas and other opportunities through The Office of Engaged Learning by visiting our website.

 

 

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

Engage Together Partnership Puts SMU Students at the Heart of Anti-Trafficking Research

This year, SMU’s Office of Engaged Learning and the Human Trafficking Data Research Project partnered with Engage Together, an award-winning nonprofit dedicated to preventing and ending human trafficking. The collaboration centers on a large-scale community mapping project designed to identify and visualize all programs and services across the state that address human trafficking and support high-risk populations.

Ten SMU students were selected as Engage Together Fellows to support the organization’s efforts. The fellows worked with community organizations to encourage their participation in the project, and helped gather data using the Community Assessment Survey.

This paid internship allowed students to take on a meaningful role in addressing a critical social issue while gaining valuable experience in community-based research. Economics major Ritney Coleman ’25, who served as SMU’s Lead Research Fellow, shared:

“I saw how powerful collaboration can be in creating real impact—and it was rewarding to play a role in gathering the data that helps make that possible.”

SMU’s partnership with Engage Together is built on shared values of research, education, and community impact. Ashleigh S. Chapman, JD, Founder and CEO of Engage Together, highlighted the importance of university partnerships in addressing complex social challenges like human trafficking:

“We launched Engage Together for DFW in 2024, and we were thrilled to welcome both SMU’s Office of Engaged Learning and the Human Trafficking Data Research Project as part of the Steering Committee. Together, we are providing students experiential learning opportunities, engaging faculty in deep-dive research projects, and supporting community and national stakeholders through convenings and strategy sessions. And we’re just getting started!”

With the data collected from SMU student fellows, Engage Together is preparing a comprehensive assessment of anti-trafficking efforts across 17 counties in North Texas with data from 867 organizations. The report highlights the region’s strengths, identifies service gaps and vulnerabilities, and outlines key opportunities for more coordinated, community action.

Looking ahead, SMU will continue its partnership as the initiative enters Phase 2, working with the community to strengthen their strategies to meet needs and fill gaps.

As Chapman notes, “Human trafficking is a complex issue that requires comprehensive solutions. To succeed, communities must collaborate across sectors to bring everyone’s strengths to bear. SMU is a shining example of how a university—its students, faculty, and centers—can change things on behalf of those in need. Thank you! And onward—together.”

On June 9 and 10, the SMU Human Trafficking Data Research (HTDR) Project, led by Dr. Beth Wheaton-Paramo, is hosting the 2025 SMU Human Trafficking Data Conference with the theme “Strategies for Effective Human Trafficking Data.” The conference brings together researchers, practitioners, law enforcement and governmental officials, nonprofit organizations, data scientists, and other stakeholders who value the quality, availability, and efficacy of human trafficking data. For more information and registration link, visit the conference website.

 

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Office of Engaged Learning Office of Engaged Learning – Research

Engaged Learning brings students to National Conference

The first week of April, the Office of Engaged Learning sponsored seven students to present their research at the National Conference for Undergraduate Research (NCUR) in Pittsburgh. The conference reported about 4,700 people in attendance, including 3,100 undergraduate students from around the country.

Malik Alshaya presented “Wavelength-Dependent Photopolymerization of Ethyl Lipoate: Optimizing Conversion Efficiency and Exploring Photoinitiator Effects.” Malik works with Dr. Nicolay Tsarevsky (Chemistry).

Feaven Fasil presented “Addressing Mental Health Barriers Among Ethiopian-American Youth in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.” Feaven is working with Dr. Elizabeth Berk (Anthropology).

Sahar Khan presented “Exploring the Protein Levels of Astorcytes, Pericytes, and Blood Brain Barrier in WT and C3 Knockout Mice Following Seizure-Induced Brain Injury.” Sahar is working in Dr. Amy Brewster’s lab (Biological Sciences).

Hasun Krisht presented “Identification of Ribosome-associated Quality Control (RQC) genes associated with human diseases via in-silico data analysis and biological validation.” Hasun is working with Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Yuanna Wu in Dr. Zhihou Wu’s lab (Biological Sciences).

Jerry Ma presented “Recommender Systems for University Curriculum Advising.” Jerry, a Mayer Fellow, is working with Dr. Peter Moore (Mathematics) and Dr. Robert Hahsler (Computer Science).

Swarangi Potdar (Engaged Learning Fellow) presented her artwork, “what remains: the cyclicality of the material and the immaterial,” which one First Prize in the visual art division. Swarangi’s faculty mentor is Ian Grieve (Art).

Anish Senthilkumar presented “Bridging Divides: The Impact of EU Immigration Policies on Economic Assimilation and Political Polarization.” Anish’s faculty mentor is Paola Buckley (World Languages and Literatures).

 

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News Student Academic Engagement & Success

Looking Ahead to FY26: Staffing Updates in SAES

As we look ahead to FY26, we’d like to share a few upcoming staffing changes within the Division of Student Academic Engagement and Success. First, the search for our new SAES Coordinator is well underway. We’re grateful for the strong pool of applicants and the thoughtful participation of our search committee. We anticipate having someone in place by the second week of May and look forward to welcoming this new team member to the division soon.

We also want to share that Bailey Price, our SAES Business Manager, will be leaving the University this summer. Bailey takes great pride in the care, clarity, and strategic insight she’s been able to contribute to budget planning and process improvements across the Division. While she is excited for what’s ahead, she will miss being part of such a thoughtful and dedicated team. Her last day will be June 17.

Bailey’s departure comes as she completes her MBA from SMU’s Cox School of Business and prepares for an exciting new chapter in Buffalo, NY, where she will begin a new role that builds on the skills and experience she’s developed here. While we will certainly miss her, we are excited for what lies ahead and appreciative of the impact she’s made across SAES.

If you need training, documentation, budget analyses, or assistance with any current projects or financial processes, please reach out to Bailey as soon as possible to schedule time before her departure. She is eager to ensure a smooth handoff and help set everyone up for continued success.

In the coming days, we will launch a search for a new SAES Business Manager. The position is expected to post this week, and we hope to welcome someone into the role by early June. We look forward to identifying a strong candidate to carry this important work forward.

Any questions can be directed to SAESBusinessManager@smu.edu or to Lynne Siegel(lsiegel@smu.edu). Thank you!

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News Office of Engaged Learning Office of Engaged Learning - Entrepreneurship Student Academic Engagement & Success

Big iDeas, Bigger Impact: Spring Pitch Competition Sets Stage for What’s Ahead

The Office of Engaged Learning held its first Spring Big iDeas Pitch Competition on Friday, April 11, where 10 student teams pitched their new idea to a panel of judges in 90 seconds.

Congratulations to the four winners of the Spring 2025 Pitch Competition:

Caroline Edgerton, Amigo

Sophia Vasylyeva, FocusPass

Travis Pryor, Focus Path

Yaw Boateng: InfoSavvy

You might be wondering why the Office of Engaged Learning is hosting a Big iDeas Pitch Contest in the spring semester instead of the fall. We are excited to share what is changing and why!

As Big iDeas program continues to evolve, we’re expanding our collaboration across the SMU entrepreneurship ecosystem— including The SMU Impact Lab, The Spears Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership, and others. These strategic partnerships are helping us refine our focus: supporting students at the earliest stages of ideation and positioning them to move forward with confidence. Our goal is to guide students in shaping bold new ideas and prepare them to pursue advanced funding and specialized coaching through these next-level programs.

We are also embracing a new model for our pitch competition cycle. Instead of offering only one opportunity per academic year to pitch an idea, students will now have the opportunity to pitch an idea once in the fall and once in the spring semester.

Additionally, we are moving the Big iDeas Business Plan Competition to SMU Family Weekend! this exciting new timing gives us a chance to showcase our most advanced student ventures to a wider audience — including families, alumni, and the full SMU community.

A special thanks to our judges for this competition: Jake Batsell, Justin Childress, Jennifer Ebinger, and Marissa Heyl and the SMU Impact Lab for sponsoring an additional $500 award to Focus Path for having a creative social impact edge on their idea.

To learn more about the Big iDeas Program, visit us at smu.edu/bigideas.

 

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Office of Engaged Learning Pathways to Industry Student Academic Engagement & Success

Pathways to Business and Industry collaboration with Peer Academic Leaders

The SMU Pathways to Business and Industry (PBI) initiative continues to build strong collaborations across the university throughout the 2024-2025 academic year. One of the highlights of this initiative is the active involvement of the PBI Peer Academic Leaders (PAL), who work alongside PBI and PALs to host events that connect students with valuable resources, networking opportunities, and engaging social experiences. 

With six active campus partners, including multiple academic departments, the PBI initiative offers a comprehensive approach to career preparation. Our PBI PAL is at the heart of planning and organizing a variety of events throughout the year. Among the exciting upcoming events is the Keychain Making with The DIG, scheduled for April 29th from 5:00-6:30pm. This event offers students a fun opportunity to network, unwind, and practice a technical skillset while tapping into their creativity. 

Tiffany Nguyen, our dedicated PBI PAL, shared her enthusiasm about hosting five PBI PAL events during the 2024-2025 academic year and engaging with nearly 40 students through combined PBI and PBI PAL events:  

I feel that every event I plan, I’m always excited to host them. The enthusiasm I have for the PBI [initiative] can’t be put into words, because I don’t think there’s any other opportunity like this ever for students.” 

The collaboration between PBI and PALs is not only a testament to the strong sense of community at SMU but also to the initiative’s commitment to providing students with hands-on experiences that prepare them for success in business and industry. With exciting events like the upcoming Keychain Making with The DIG, students are sure to benefit from this invaluable partnership. 

If you have undergraduate students that are interested in attending our upcoming PBI events hosted by our PBI PAL, encourage them to visit the PBI SMU 360 page to sign up. 

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Mentorship Office of Engaged Learning Student Academic Engagement & Success

Beyond Guidance: The Power of Two-Way Peer Mentorship at SMU

The best version of peer mentorship is built on mutual growth, authentic connection, and eventually, a formed friendship. Mustang Mentors pair Gracia Suppogu (’27) and Austin Toubassi (’28) exemplify just that.

They discuss in their recent interview how their mentor-mentee relationship began like many others in the program, but quickly deepened as they discovered shared interest outside of academics.

“When you’re matched with your mentee, you might know their major or what year they are,” Gracia explained. “But connecting with Austin over film and history has helped us form a more personal connection and even a friendship.”

Their experience reflects the benefits of mentoring as a high impact practice. Peer mentorship really is a two-way street. While Gracia was excited to offer guidance and support to Austin, she also gained fresh perspective on her own college experience through mentoring him.

“Not only am I able to teach Austin from my experiences, he has also taught me a lot about being a leader, a teacher, and building connection with others,” said Gracia.

Austin echoed those same sentiments, further emphasizing the value of peer-to-peer mentorship versus relying solely on faculty support. Having a peer mentor “is like having another student who is going through the same things that you are going through,” he said. “There is a lot more access to another student, and I think that’s the thing that I value the most. So I’d stress the importance of [peer mentorship] is about having another friend and getting the same resources that you’d get from a professor or professional without having the intimidation factor.”

Gracia and Austin’s mentorship journey embodies the heart behind the Mustang Mentors program – fostering connections that go beyond academic guidance to cultivate true friendship.

Curious about more Mustang Mentor stories? Read more student stories here and learn about the program.

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News Office of Engaged Learning Office of Engaged Learning - Entrepreneurship Student Academic Engagement & Success

SMU Big iDeas Students Make Their Mark at ACC InVenture and TCU Values and Ventures

The start of April was a big one for SMU Big iDeas students, who showcased their ventures on two national stages of collegiate entrepreneurship.

At the ACC InVenture Prize Competition, hosted by the University of Notre Dame, the TIMIO News team – Josh Baier, Abbie Ellermeier, and JustusWoods – represented SMU as they pitched their venture alongside student teams from 12 other ACC universities.

Left to Right (Abbie Ellermeier, Justus Woods, Josh Baier)

Josh Baier (’24), CEO and Founder, said, “My favorite part of the ACC InVenture was meeting a community of young entrepreneurs. It was incredible to meet other people my age living through the same ups and downs of the entrepreneurship cycle.”

Abbie Ellermeier, Lead Designer, said, “My favorite part was seeing all the innovative ideas the other groups presented. It was so fun to be around so many bright, young minds all trying to make the world a better place.”

Justus Woods, Lead Campaign Manager, said he enjoyed “getting to meet so many world changers who wanted to make a positive impact in the world. Their creativity and perseverance was incredibly infectious.”

Back in Texas, Senior Jude Lugo and Junior Ryland Robb took the stage with 41 other finalist companies from all over the world at the TCU Values and Ventures Competition in Fort Worth to pitch LectureLogger, an app that tracks attendance and promotes student wellness for colleges and universities. 

Left to Right (Ryland Robb, Jude Lugo)

Lecture Logger had an exceptional showing at the competition. After pitching in the lightning rounds, they advanced to place in the top quarter of participants over the weekend.

Judges praised the team’s strong engagement, confident delivery, and clear grasp of both the facts and the business model. The pitch was visually compelling, and both presenters brought a sharp, business-focused approach.

They also recognized Lecture Logger’s broad value for students – supporting wellbeing and academic success – and, interestingly, highlighted its specific relevance for student-athletes as a cost effective way to track attendance and ensure NCAA compliance.

A big congratulations to all of our Big iDeas students making their mark all across the country!

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Office of Engaged Learning Office of Engaged Learning – Research

Winners of the Undergraduate Poster Session

On Tuesday, the Office of Engaged Learning hosted the annual Undergraduate Poster Session, part of Research and Innovation Week. Our judges recognized the following students’ posters:

1st place: Regina Moreno Vera, “Neuropsychiatric Abnormalities in Kcna1 Mouse Models of Epilepsy and Ataxia.” Faculty mentor: Edward Glasscock, Biological Sciences

2nd place: Julian Cabrera, “From Prompts to Patterns: Exploring AI Responses with Text Analytics.” Faculty mentor: Monnie McGee, Statistics and Data Science

3rd place: Veda Ramakrishnan, “Disrupting Mental Health Stigma: Communication Strategies Used by Mental Health Professionals in South India.” Faculty mentors: Christopher Salinas, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs, and Dr. Amy Brewster, Biological Sciences

Honorable mention: Alison Kellom, “Reversing Chemotherapy Resistance in Aggressive Forms of Cancer.” Faculty mentor: Pia Vogel, Biological Sciences

Honorable mention: Sahar Khan, “Exploring the Protein Levels of Astrocytes, Pericytes, and Blood Brain Barrier in WT and C3 Knockout Mice Following Seizure-Induced Brain Injury.” Faculty mentor: Amy Brewster, Biological Sciences

Honorable mention: Vivian Thai, “Paths to Parenthood: In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) Narratives from Quy Nhon, Vietnam.” Faculty mentor: Elizabeth Berk, Anthropology

Thanks to the faculty mentors and graduate students who helped these students in their achievements.

Thanks also to our army of judges! This event would not be possible without their enthusiasm and discerning eyes: Rahmat Adesunkanmi, Lida Aeindartehran, Kimia Akhavein, Juliana Antonio, Marshay Booker, Alexander Brandt, Aria Cabot, Sarah Cartwright, Yajaira Diaz, Eric Godat, Arlene Hernandez, Imogen Hoffman, Alexa Jimenez, Ammara Khalid, Junaid Khan, Mateo Langston-Smith, Aishwary Pawar, Amy Richardson, Sharma Chhavi, Angelo Villalobos Claramunt, and David Willhite

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Office of Engaged Learning Office of Engaged Learning – Research President’s Scholars

SMU attends its first ACC Meeting of the Minds

Last weekend, the Office of Engaged Learning brought five undergraduate researchers to the ACC Meeting of the Minds at the University of Pittsburgh. This annual symposium invites up to five students from each ACC school to deliver oral presentations or posters. Brianna Freshwater, Vigna Lavu, Taylor Shimizu, Shriya Siddhartha, and Vivian Thai represented SMU and networked with students and faculty from across the country.

Shriya Siddhartha presenting her research
Shriya Siddhartha presenting her research

Vigna Lavu, a senior studying Biological Sciences with a minor in Environmental Science, presented a poster about her work with Dr. Alexander Chase’s lab. Vigna said, “Being able to represent SMU and share my research to my peers in the ACC was an incredible opportunity that will stay with me through my academic and professional life. . . . It was also refreshing to being exposed to research being done in the social sciences, business, and other fields as I usually do not have the opportunity to explore those areas.”

Brianna Freshwater presenting her research
Brianna Freshwater presenting her research

Brianna Freshwater, a senior studying Anthropology and Sociology, has been working on a project about AP classes in minority white schools (under the mentorship of Dr. Sondra Barringer). Brianna enjoyed “. . . the intimate nature of the conference, [where] meeting other researchers did not mean quick introductions followed by swapping contact information, but rather long conversations that built real connections.” She found that “people were more willing to share their perspectives and critically engage with everyone’s research which personally strengthened how I communicated my research. I highly recommend it to other students!”

Taylor Shimizu with her poster
Taylor Shimizu with her poster

Taylor Shimizu, a senior in Chemistry and Health and Society, found the conference “extremely rewarding, as I got to learn about and discuss fascinating research that fellow undergraduates are doing. The intimidate conference provided a special opportunity to make connections and friendships with other researchers across the conference!” Taylor presented research she did in Dr. Neely Myers‘s anthropology lab.

Vivian Thai with her poster
Vivian Thai with her poster

Senior Vivian Thai, a Biology and Health and Society major working with Dr. Elizabeth Berk (Anthropology), said that “The ACC Meeting of the Minds was an incredible opportunity to connect with fellow passionate student researchers. From projects like cranial orthosis for babies to explorations of architecture in horror films, the conference gave undergrads a chance to share their work and learn from one another.” Vivian also remarked about the intimate size of the conference. She said,  “By the end of the weekend, we didn’t just leave with new knowledge about interesting research topics. We left with friends from schools across the country!”

SMU students at the University of Pittsburgh Cathedral of Knowledge
SMU students at the University of Pittsburgh Cathedral of Knowledge