Three full-time SAES faculty members received recognition at the Honoring Our Professor’s Excellence (HOPE) Banquet. Dr. Brian Fennig (Teaching Professor, University Foundations), Troy Forte (Teaching Assistant Professor, University Foundations), and Dr. Russell McConnell (Teaching Associate Professor, University Honors Program) received nominations for the prestigious HOPE Award. The HOPE Banquet, coordinated by the Office of Residence Life and Student Housing, allows for residential students to recognize faculty who go above and beyond in their role.
In addition to the HOPE nomination, Dr. Fennig received recognition as a Distinguished HOPE Professor – an honor reserved for faculty who have received student nominations for five years or more.
Congratulations to professors Fennig, Forte, and McConnell for this recognition of their teaching excellence. We thank you for your contributions to the student experience, to your departments, and to SAES.
Four SAES full-time faculty members received promotions in the 2024-2025 promotion cycle. Drs. Caitlin Anderson (University Foundations) and Brian Fennig (University Foundations) received promotions to Teaching Professor in Fall 2024 in recognition of their significant contributions to SAES and SMU through teaching, service, and leadership. Drs. Joan Arbery (University Honors Program) and Russell McConnell (University Honors Program) received promotions to Teaching Associate Professor in Spring 2025 in recognition of their significant contributions to SAES and SMU through teaching-related activities and their exemplary achievement in teaching.
We would like to thank the following faculty members for serving on one of our Fall or Spring SAES Promotion Review Committees this academic year:
Caitlin Anderson, University Foundations
Brian Fennig, University Foundations
Scott Davis, Applied Physiology and Sport Management
Sheri Kunovich, Associate Provost for Student Academic Engagement and Success
Bruce Levy, English
Abigail Pruitt, University Foundations
Congratulations again to Drs. Anderson, Arbery, Fennig, and McConnell!
“In response to growing demands for inclusive and flexible campus environments, SMU, through a collaboration with the DASS office, Hughes-Trigg Student Center, and SMU Libraries, is testing out MeSpace, a plug-and-play, sensory-friendly study space – just in time for Autism Acceptance Month.
Designed for both Neurodiverse and Neurotypical students, MeSpace offers a space to enhance focus, reduce distractions, and manage sensory exposure, creating an ideal environment for studying and collaboration.
We invite SMU students, faculty, staff and guests to experience this innovative, sensory-friendly space at two convenient locations on campus:
Hamon Arts Library, First Floor
Hughes-Trigg Student Center, First and Second Floor
The exhibit will be open for 6 weeks, now through the end of the spring term, providing an opportunity to experience the future of sensory-friendly strategies on campus.
On April 16, we will be hosting a Pop-Up Demo from 1-2 p.m., and immediately following the Pop-Up, we encourage all interested stakeholders to attend a roundtable discussion in the H-T Chamber from 2-3 p.m. We welcome your feedback to help us explore future collaborations with MeSpace.”
SMU expands Common Curriculum offerings with new courses on civic pluralism
Southern Methodist University is proud to announce that it has been awarded a $10,000 Civic Pluralism in the Core Curriculum Grant from Interfaith America for the 2025–2026 academic year. This grant will support the development of two new courses, Societies, Communities, & People and The Ethics of Service, which will be integrated into SMU’s Common Curriculum Civic and Individual Ethics (CIE) and Community Engagement (CE) proficiency and experience requirements for all undergraduate students.
Societies, Communities, & People will explore the intersections of community, society, and ethical engagement, while The Ethics of Service will critically examine ethical dimensions of community engagement and service work via Engage Dallas. Both Department of University Foundations courses will equip students with the knowledge and skills to engage in meaningful dialogue across differences and contribute to civic life.
The courses will also incorporate resources from Interfaith America’s Learning and Action Bridge (LAB), including the Pluralism Texts Bibliography and Story Circles Activity, ensuring that students engage with diverse perspectives through readings, reflection, and real-world applications.
Faculty development and course design will begin in Spring 2025, with the courses launching by Spring 2026. This initiative aligns with SMU’s strategic goal of preparing ethical, globally minded leaders who can navigate an increasingly pluralistic world.
Students in the fall 2024 section of UNIV 3305 visiting the George W. Bush Presidential Center.
SMU’s University Foundations Program (UNIV) provides enriching coursework focused on students’ personal, academic and leadership development as they transition to the SMU community. UNIV coursework often satisfies Common Curriculum requirements and prepares students to fully engage in SMU’s intellectually rich community, all while building meaningful connections with faculty and classmates.
UNIV 3305 – Personal Responsibility and Community provides students with the opportunity to think critically about their values, beliefs and identities, and examine how these elements influence the ways in which they serve their communities. Through a semester-long community engagement project, reflective journaling, case studies, and cultural immersion experiences, the course prioritizes experiential learning and immerses students in both the course subject matter and the greater Dallas community. Through this engaging coursework, students satisfy three Common Curriculum Proficiencies and Experiences: community engagement, civic and individual ethics, and oral communication.
During the fall 2024 term, Dr. Abby Pruitt, teaching professor in University Foundations, and her UNIV 3305 students visited the George W. Bush Presidential Library, located on SMU’s campus, and in small groups explored the museum with the guiding concept of what makes a good society. Students sought terms such as justice, freedom, fairness and privacy, found examples of these terms represented in the library, and reflected on how those terms were portrayed. Students were able to apply class readings and discussions to the world beyond the classroom, which made the lessons, reflections and conclusions much more impactful.
UNIV courses are offered with a specific target audience of first-year and transfer students but are often open to all students interested in the course. Students find that UNIV coursework benefits their academic success and deepens their responsible engagement within the SMU and the greater Dallas metroplex communities. A complete list of UNIV courses can be found in the University course catalog and more information about the UNIV program can be found on their website.
We invite you to join us Tuesday, February 25, 2025, at 5 p.m. in the Oren Family Auditorium for an engaging talk with Dr. Wendy Suzuki, a world-renowned neuroscientist and expert on brain plasticity, as she shares how movement and mindfulness can enhance focus, learning, and mental well-being.
Dr. Suzuki is the Dean of the College of Arts and Science at NYU and a Professor of Neural Science and Psychology. Her TED Talk on the brain-changing benefits of exercise has over 65 million views, and her work has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and The Washington Post.
Registration is encouraged on SMU360.Please sign up and encourage your students and colleagues to do the same.
This event is open to faculty, staff, and students, and we encourage you to attend and share this opportunity with your students. Dr. Suzuki’s insights on brain health and performance are directly relevant to academic success and well-being.
We appreciate your help in spreading the word and hope to see you there!
Shun Colter, Assistant Director, and Saahil Mathews, Program Coordinator from the Office of Student Success and Retention co-directed this initiative.
The total number of students that originally indicated a return for Spring ‘25 was 38 undergraduate students. Currently, there are 15 students enrolled for the Spring ‘25 semester. 6 students extended their leave of absence to return at a later semester.
A total of 15 former students were readmitted (RADM), with 12 of them enrolling for the Spring ’25 semester.
To start off the campaign, emails were sent in October, introducing Shun Colter, Assistant Director, and providing information about helpful resources at SMU. This information was sent to the students personal and SMU email addresses. Second, postcards were designed and sent to the students’ mailing and home addresses.
The final outreach was conducted in January ’25, reminding students that their home at the Hilltop misses them. The communication also provided information for their School of Record and Academic Advisor/Degree Counselor to address any enrollment questions.
If you have any questions or want to know more details about the RLOA campaign, you can email us at ssr@smu.edu.
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.
This fall, the Office of Engaged Learning successfully piloted the First Year Research Experience. This program is aimed at engaging high-achieving students who are interested in research but not affiliated with an honors or scholar group.
Fourteen students joined the initial cohort. They took the FYRE course (UNIV 1102) together and worked as research assistants under faculty mentors:
Dr. Matthew Boulanger (Anthropology)
Dr. Courtney Brown (Creative Computation)
Dr. John Buynak (Chemistry)
Dr. Maria Langlois and Dr. Milica Mormann (Marketing)
Dr. Monnie McGee (Statistics and Data Science)
Dr. Christopher Roos and Dr. Kacy Hollenback (Anthropology)
Dr. Janille Smith-Colin (Civil and Environmental Engineering)
The FYRE class: students meeting their mentors for the first time
The FYRE class, taught by Dr. Jennifer Ebinger and Dr. Adam Scott Neal, gave students a deeper understanding of the research process through activities and discussions that centered around the mentors’ research. For their final project, each student produced a 3-minute presentation that explained their mentor’s research questions and the methods they used during the semester.
Dr. Caitlin Anderson, Chair and Teaching Associate Professor of University Foundations, attended the final presentations. She said, “It’s clear that the students learned so much through their research experience, as they each had a solid command of the material. I’m looking forward to continuing this partnership [with the Office of Engaged Learning] in future terms!”
For Qien Shensun, who is pursuing statistics and computer science majors, one of the best parts of the class was the panel discussions, “where researchers shared their experiences and insights. They highlighted important aspects of research that I had previously overlooked, such as the influence of pressures, financial constraints, and how these factors can shape a research project’s process and outcomes.”
Qien gained a lot of practical skills in her research with Dr. Brown. “In our Dinosaur Choir project, we had to build and connect various components, including a mouth-tracking camera, sound amplification devices, and the main control screen. . . . I learned how to systematically troubleshoot each piece of equipment, as every device has its own unique and efficient debugging method.”
Sohom Patel, a civil engineering major, is enjoying the FYRE experience. He says, “I loved getting to meet people that were interested in research as a freshman . . . Something interesting I learned from class was all the different types of people and personalities everyone has and how that can drive research as well as relationships.”
The faculty mentors have been impressed with the calibre of these students. Dr. Maria Langlois said, “my FYRE student, Ariadne [Aramayo Abusada], embraced this opportunity wholeheartedly. Her curiosity, adaptability, and eagerness to learn have made working with her a truly rewarding experience as we explore the complexities of consumer behavior and decision-making in research together.”
This first FYRE cohort will continue working with their mentors this spring. OEL is also welcoming a second cohort of students who will be taking the class this spring. Dr. Leanne Ketterlin-Geller (Education Policy and Leadership) and Dr. Brett Story (Civil and Environmental Engineering) will be among the new faculty mentors joining the program.
Student Academic Success Programs websites will move to new website addresses on Tuesday, December 17, 2024. These include the Altshuler Learning Enhancement Center, Tutoring, the Writing Center, Academic Skills Development, and Disability Accommodations and Success Strategies. Student Academic Engagement and Success webmasters will work to ensure uninterrupted access to the information you need from our sites. If you find any problems, please email Lydia Allen at lrallen@smu.edu. Note that the University will be closed Monday, December 23, 2024, through Wednesday, January 1, 2025.
![Event flyer featuring headshot of Dr. Wendy Suzuki, with long black hair, black glasses, and wearing a light blue top. Text on flyer: [SMU logo] Unlocking the Power of your Brain: The Science of Exercise, Focus, and Mental Health. Dr. Wendy Suzuki. Tuesday, Feb 25 at 5 p.m. Oren Family Auditorium. For more information on this speaker please visit simonspeakers.com](https://blog.smu.edu/saes/files/2025/02/Suzuki_S25_Email-Banner-w-date-1200x675.png)
