The Division of Student Academic Engagement and Success will gather for our semesterly division meeting on Tuesday, February 11.
To permit full participation by all division employees, we will temporarily close all offices from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
We will return to normal business operations thereafter. Thank you for your understanding and we apologize for any inconvenience in advance. If you have any questions, please email academicsuccess@smu.edu.
Welcome to Global Outlook, a new series dedicated to sharing the experiences of SMU Honors & Scholars students around the world.
This is the first of three posts written by Maria Murad, a senior majoring in Corporate Communication and Public Affairs, Creative Computing, and French.
I’m Maria Murad, and as both a proud Mustang Scholar and a Gilman Scholarship recipient, I’m thrilled to kick off this journey by sharing my adventures in Aix-en-Provence through the SMU-in-France program.
My experience in Aix-en-Provence last summer was nothing short of transformative. Stepping into this city felt as though I was walking straight into a living postcard. The old-world charm blends in seamlessly with the vibrancy of the modern world, creating a timeless and fresh atmosphere. The narrow, cobblestone streets and the bustling cafés showed me the true warmth and hospitality one feels strolling along the city. Aix is a city with a unique charm that speaks to you subtly but profoundly and provides a feeling of peace that’s hard to describe in words.
One of the first things that stood out to me was the slower pace of life. Whether you’re leisurely sipping coffee at a local café or taking in the sights and sounds of the daily markets, people here genuinely take the time to savor the simple pleasures in life. This calm rhythm was such a welcome change from the fast-paced life I was used to back at home, and it was precisely what I didn’t realize I needed. I learned so much about myself over the six weeks I spent in France. I found room to grow, build my confidence, and find inner peace. I left the city a changed person, full of a revitalized sense of self and a deeper understanding of the outside and inner worlds. Aix-en-Provence turned into something more than just a place where I could study; it became a healing sanctuary where I could breathe, reflect, and connect with myself.
Aix-en-Provence is also a place where history truly comes to life. From the stunning architecture, such as the famous Cours Mirabeau and Saint-Saveur Cathedral, to the traces of its past scattered throughout, the city is a true tribute to its rich heritage. Beyond the locations, what caught my attention was the strong sense of community in the streets. The year-round celebrations and the traditional Provençal cuisine are only two examples of how the locals take incredible pride in their heritage. Although the city has a deeply rooted connection to its past, it is beautifully balanced with its exciting present. Aix’s warmth and openness give the impression that history is not only preserved but also actively lived here every day.
To anyone thinking about studying abroad in France, or in general, here are two tips I wish I knew before traveling:
What Is the Hilltop Scholars Program?
The Hilltop Scholars Program (HSP) is an invitation-only first-year honors program that helps students transition to university life while setting the stage for their future success. What sets HSP apart is its holistic focus, which emphasizes leadership development, community engagement, and academics.
This program identifies students with academic promise and a strong desire to make a difference, offering them a framework to excel in and out of the classroom. HSP students often go on to become campus leaders, involved citizens, and high-achieving alumni.
Building Community
For first-year students, transitioning to university life can be a daunting process. The Hilltop Scholars Program recognizes this and intentionally fosters a strong sense of community among its participants. Through shared classes, group service projects, and social events, HSP students form lasting connections with their peers and mentors.
SAES faculty and staff can contribute to the success of HSP by creating spaces where students feel supported and encouraged. Whether it’s through advising, classroom interactions, or informal conversations, your engagement helps reinforce the program’s sense of belonging and collaboration.
Opportunities for Faculty and Staff
The success of the Hilltop Scholars Program is deeply tied to the involvement of SMU’s faculty and staff. Here are several ways you can contribute:
What’s Next?
The Hilltop Scholars Program represents a vital part of SMU’s mission to cultivate leaders who make a difference. For SMU’s faculty and staff, supporting HSP is an opportunity to shape the next generation of leaders. By understanding the program and its goals, you can play a pivotal role in helping these students reach their full potential. Your involvement can help ensure the program continues to thrive and enrich the lives of first-year students.
Together, we can provide HSP students with the tools, mentorship, and opportunities they need to succeed—both at SMU and beyond.
Starting this semester, Dr. Brandon Gray Miller will serve as the Director of the University Honors Program and continues to oversee the Office of National Undergraduate Fellowships in his role as Assistant Dean for University Honors Program and Fellowships. Undergraduate students seeking to learn more about the University Honors Program or awards for international study, research, travel, and other professional development opportunities should schedule a meeting with him.
Mrs. Dorie Beitchman joined the UHP as the Assistant Director in October. She works with the Honors Student Advisory Council to plan UHP events and meets with UHP students to ensure they are completing their UHP requirements. Please direct student questions about requirements, UHP course petitions and Culminating Project petitions to her. She is available for office hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays, which students can schedule via booking.smu.
Dr. David Doyle will continue to serve as the Dean of Honors and Scholars Programs and office in the Scholars’ Den.
The University Honors Program prepares undergraduate students for their future by emphasizing a broad-based education in the humanities and sciences, and fostering a culture of intellectual curiosity through dedicated Honors coursework, events, and independent research opportunities. The UHP is supported by expert faculty, advisors, and a community of like-minded students who are committed to exploring diverse academic interests. Current students eager to learn more should contact a member of the UHP staff about how to apply.
Each year, the Gilman Scholarship provides awards of up to $5,000 to more than 3,000 students across the country, helping to increase access to international education. SMU is proud to have three recipients from the fall application cycle.
Payton Deichler is majoring in Management while also studying Italian, Russian, and Spanish languages. He will be participating in the SMU-in-Prague program this summer to continue building his Russian language skills.
Eduardo Perez is planning to major in International Studies and will spend the spring semester in Amman, Jordan with the School of International Training’s Geopolitics, International Relations, and the Future of the Middle East program. Eduardo also received Gilman’s Critical Need Language Award to support his study of Arabic while abroad.
Victoria Valderrey is majoring in Management, International Studies, and World Languages: Spanish and French and travelled over Jan-Term as part of the new SMU-in-Paris: Perspectives on French Identity program.
The next application cycle for Gilman Scholarship will open in mid-January 2025. The spring deadline is March 6, 2025. Applicants are selected based on the impact of the proposed abroad program on their academic and professional career, their ability to make a meaningful impact on the host community, and their potential for academic success while on the program. All Gilman Scholars receive Federal Pell Grant funding and half in Fall 2024 cycle’s national cohort identify as first-generation college students.
Students interested in applying for the award should contact Brandon Gray Miller, assistant dean for University Honors Program and Fellowships, to learn more.
As we move into the spring semester at Southern Methodist University, we want to take a moment to celebrate a significant achievement from the fall. We proudly recognized 25 first-generation students who graduated this winter. Their hard work, dedication, and perseverance has led them to this incredible milestone, and we couldn’t be more proud of their accomplishments.
Being a first-generation student comes with unique challenges. These students have had to navigate their paths with determination and grit. Their graduation is not only a personal achievement but also a powerful testament to their resilience and commitment to their goals.
The image above shows just a few of our first-gen graduates that came by our office one last time to celebrate their success. We presented each student with a first-gen stole, a meaningful symbol of their journey and achievements. Additionally, we gifted each student an SMU alumni mug and personalized letters from our first-gen allies. These heartfelt messages offered words of encouragement and pride, reminding our graduates that they are part of a strong and supportive community.
These graduates are trailblazers, paving the way for future first-gen students. Their success stories inspire others to pursue higher education and demonstrate that, with perseverance and support, they too can achieve their dreams. As we continue into the spring semester, we are excited to support our current and future first-gen students. We look forward to celebrating more successes and milestones as they work toward their goals.
We invite the entire SMU community to join us in celebrating the accomplishments of our winter graduates. Their journey is a powerful reminder of the transformative power of education and the strength of our first-gen community. Congratulations to all, and here’s to a successful and inspiring spring semester!
To honor their achievements, we have included a list of our First-Gen winter graduates below. Each name represents a story of perseverance, dedication, and success. We are proud of all they have accomplished and look forward to seeing their continued impact in the world.
| Allison Martinez | Andrea Fuentes Sevilla | Ashanti Galbreath |
| Connor Chisick | Hana De Silva | Jack Carroll |
| Jakub Jan Kaczynski | Jamaya Parker | Jameelah Ali |
| Joshua Lill | Keilah Eletu | Maddy Penwell |
| Marci Toscano | Maria Cruz | Marina Ljubicic |
| Monet Munoz | Onyx Rodriguez | Pablo Arroliga Mejia |
| Princess Igwe-Icho | Sabrina Almazan | Sara Banda |
| Scarlett Pencak | Tenielle O’Brien | Zach Wallace |
An exciting scholarship opportunity from the Rose Bowl for all undergraduate students attending ACC schools. Introducing The Rose Bowl Game Keith Jackson Postgraduate Scholarship!
This scholarship provides a $10k scholarship toward a postgraduate degree to one undergraduate student from a FBS school. The scholarship also includes a Rose Bowl Game experience. This year’s scholarship is open to undergraduate students who are in their final year of course study (with an intended graduation date on or before June 2025). The application and additional information on the qualifying criteria can be found online at www.rosebowlgame.com/scholarship/. The application period closes on October 25, 2024.
Eligibility Requirements:
Any questions? Email the Selection Committee – Keith Jackson Postgraduate Scholarship scholarship@rosebowlgame.org.
Article reprinted from SMU news. Original can be found here.
DALLAS (SMU) – SMU junior biochemistry major Shriya Siddhartha’s white lab coat glows with spots of hot pink and orange fluorescent dye, evidence of her research on a new fluorescent tool biologists can use to study lung cancer cells. Siddhartha has worked in chemistry professor Alex Lippert’s lab since the beginning of her first year at SMU, volunteers in other professors’ labs to learn new techniques and has collaborated with researchers in New York.
She is one of six students selected nationwide to receive the 2024 Goldwater U Award, one of the most prestigious national science awards presented to undergraduate students pursuing a medical research career. Winners are selected for the caliber of their research and aspirations for a future research career.
The scholarship, which honors former Sen. Barry Goldwater, encourages outstanding students to pursue research careers in the natural sciences, engineering and mathematics and provides up to $7,500 toward tuition, fees, books and room and board.
Siddhartha has known she wanted to be a scientist since she was in fourth grade and later chose to attend SMU because of its undergraduate research opportunities. Her inspiration comes from her paternal grandparents, who were scientists, and particularly her paternal grandmother, who was accepted to a prestigious medical school in India but forbidden to attend by her parents, who considered a female doctor less marriageable.
“I’d like to carry on my grandmother’s plan,” Siddhartha said.
She is well on her way.
After exploring the work of various SMU researchers on the University web site, Shriya contacted Professor Lippert the summer before she came to SMU, expressing particular interest in his work with chemiluminescence molecules.
“It is very rare for a student to start in the laboratory so early and excel right at the start, which speaks to Shriya’s remarkable aptitude to perform high quality research,” Lippert said.
In addition to her work with Professor Lippert, she co-authored a manuscript with a separate collaboration with researchers at Georgetown University, conducted a research internship at UT Southwestern and is learning molecular biology techniques for cloning, protein expression and purification, said Brian Zoltowski, professor of chemistry and Shriya’s organic chemistry professor.
Siddhartha is carefully planning her steps to reach her long-term goal, to become an ophthalmology surgeon, optic nerve researcher and medical school professor, at least ten years of additional education after graduating from SMU. In the meantime, she is an active undergraduate member of several campus honors groups – a Dedman Scholar, a Hamilton Research Scholar, a Tower Scholar and a Richter Scholar. She’s also vice president of the SMU Asian Council and a volunteer with Mustang Heroes, a campus community service organization. She is determined to promote the importance of health equity throughout her career.
This busy student relaxes with music. She performs classical South Indian music with her sister and mentors younger musicians. Siddhartha also plays the guitar with a rock band made up of high school friends. The band, “Vacuum,” is releasing a new song later this summer.
Logan Swafford (They/Them) is the coordinator for both the Hilltop Scholars Program and Honors & Scholars. Originally from San Antonio, Logan moved up to Denton to attend the University of North Texas as a first-generation student where they received a bachelor’s in both Communication Studies and History, with a minor in LGBTQ & Women Studies. While there Logan became a member of the service-focused fraternity, Alpha Phi Omega, where they completed over 200 volunteer hours and servant leadership became their guiding philosophy and frame for their personal and professional path. After graduating in 2020, Logan continued to hold a variety of positions within the non-profit and education world, often focusing on their passion of community engagement and leadership development.
Outside of the office, Logan enjoys spending time playing a variety of video games, reading/listening to fiction books, and playing with their 3 dogs (Charles the Corgi, Nirvana the GSD, Thunderstorm the Great Dane) and Wednesday the tortoiseshell cat.
Our first rotating art pieces are up and running in the Writing Center. Currently, we are displaying artwork by Nastya Shyvilka. Not only a talented artist and President’s Scholar, Nastaya works in the A-LEC as a Russian and biology tutor. We will have more pieces on display and a bio on Nastaya shortly. Designed as a welcoming space for students seeking writing assistance from our faculty and staff, the Writing Center is also a lounge and we invite students to come, relax and work with other students on projects.
