Tag: research

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News Office of Engaged Learning Office of Engaged Learning – Research

OEL Welcomes New Engaged Learning Fellows

Fall 2025 Engaged Learning Fellows

Congratulations to the the newest Engaged Learning Fellowship recipients for Fall 2025:

William Bagwell
Advertising Campaign for Howdy Homemade Ice Cream
Mentor: Mark Allen (Advertising)

Bernadette Cruz
Advertising Campaign for Howdy Homemade Ice Cream
Mentor: Mark Allen (Advertising)

Noelle Carpenter
Language development is “child’s play”: The importance of dyadic interaction and symbolic play for language
Mentor: Sarah Kucker (Psychology)

Zander Crowns
Myopia
Mentor: Jennifer Prediger (Film and Media Arts)

Jazmin Darjean
Reflections and Realities: The Cross-Border Experience of Mexican and Mexican American Communities
Mentor: Leticia McDoniel (World Languages)

Roberto Diaz
Religious Service Attendance and Trauma Symptoms among Adolescents who have Been Sexually Abused
Mentor: Jouriles Ernest (Psychology)

Nha-Y Duong
SMU Guildhall – Meadows Music Composition Recording Sessions Year
Mentor: Robert Frank (Music Composition)

Trinity Gabreylski
The Therapy and Medicalization of Native-Hispanic Healing Practices
Mentor: Jill DeTemple (Religious Studies)

Caleb Garcia
Demographics and Social Media: An Examination of SMU Students
Mentor: James Wilson (Political Science)

Sophia Graham
Chinese Food Traditions and the People who Make Them
Mentor: Melissa Chessher (Journalism)

Angel Granados
Living Between Hope and Uncertainty: An Ethnographic Exploration of Health Literacy, Risk, and Engagement in Organ Transplantation Among Latinos in Texas
Mentor: Elizabeth Berk (Anthropology)

Allison Hart
Return To Understory
Mentor: Kerry Maguire (Art)

Benjamin Hummel
Instrument development for measuring magnetic field effects on magnet sensitive proteins
Mentor: Brian Zolwtowsk (Chemistry)

Anekah Kelley
AI-Driven Chatbot to Navigate Cognitive Care Plan for Patients with AD/ADRD and Caregivers
Mentor: Xiao Luo (Computer Science)

Alina Munoz
Cognition, Chronic Disease, and the Cost of Inequity: Neuroinflammatory Links in Older Hispanic Adults with Diabetes and Asthma
Mentor: Thomas Ritz (Psychology)

Zariyah Perry
The Little Girl in the White Dress
Mentor: Mark Kerins (Film and Media Arts)

Adelaide Robinson
Music and Language: Exploring How and Why Music Exposure Impacts Development
Mentor: Sarah Kucker (Psychology)

Rachel Rodgers
Halloween Blood Drive Campaign for Carter BloodCare
Mentor: Mark Allen (Advertising)

Andrea Salmanca
Munecas de Papel
Mentor: Jennifer Prediger

 

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Mentorship Office of Engaged Learning Office of Engaged Learning - Entrepreneurship Office of Engaged Learning – Research Student Academic Engagement & Success

Celebrating the Inaugural Women’s Innovative Network (W.I.N)

On November 11, the Office of Engaged Learning proudly welcomed the inaugural cohort of the Women’s Innovative Network (W.I.N), a new initiative designed to empower undergraduate women at SMU as they pursue bold ideas in research, innovation, and entrepreneurship. The gathering brought together students, faculty, mentors, and campus leaders for the first official pinning ceremony of W.I.N members.

The program opened with W.I.N President Ryland Adzich ’28, who shared the vision and goals of the organization, followed by keynote remarks from Dr. Jennifer Ebinger, Executive Director of the Office of Engaged Learning. Members then connected over dinner, shared their interests, and learned about the opportunities available through W.I.N The pinning ceremony served as a meaningful moment, symbolizing each student’s entry into a supportive network committed to elevating women’s voices and ideas on campus.

Reflecting on the event, Dr. Robin Poston, Associate Provost and Dean of the Moody School of Graduate and Advanced Studies, said “A wonderful evening at the Women’s Innovative Network (W.I.N) Welcome Session at SMU! It was inspiring to join so many talented women leaders, students, and faculty to celebrate innovation, collaboration, and empowerment. Grateful for the words of encouragement from Dr. Jennifer Ebinger and the leadership of Ryland Adzich and the W.I.N team for hosting such a meaningful event.”

W.I.N is committed to:

  • Connecting members with workshops, events, fellowships, expert mentorship, and campus resources that can strengthen and advance their projects.

  • Partnering with local high schools to help younger students develop research and entrepreneurial ideas, creating a multi-generational model of empowerment.

  • Encouraging women at SMU to showcase their work, through research poster sessions, entrepreneurship programming, and campus pitch competitions that amplify their innovation.

The W.I.N Welcome Session marks the beginning of a transformative year. We can’t wait to see how this cohort grows and leads on campus and beyond.

Thank you again for our co-sponsors, Moody School of Graduate and Advanced Studies, Caruth Institute for Entrepreneurship at SMU Cox, and Hunt Institute for Engineering and Humanity, for being in attendance.

2025-2026 Inaugural W.I.N Cabinet 

Ryland Adzich, President

Christina Mathew, Vice President of Programs and Recruitment

Daniella Jerez Yada, Marketing and Communications

Sophia Vasylyeva, Treasurer

2025-2026 Inaugural W.I.N Cohort 

Dylan Biggs, Andy Cao, Kitty Eid, Delaney Graves, Makenna Hanscom, Tanya Harathi, Izzy Monserrate, Wisdom Ojo, Dyanna Ortiz, Bianey Rojas, Abigail Schade, Linh Vu.

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

Undergraduate Research Assistant Spotlight: Kyla Gijan

Headshot of Kyla Gijan

“Research really changed the way I think,” said SMU junior Kyla Gijan. “It’s not just about results—it’s about learning to see connections between science, people, and the world around us.”

For Kyla, a third-year Biology and Health and Society double major and McNair Scholar, that perspective has grown through hands-on work in labs and communities, from studying epilepsy to exploring how city infrastructure affects health.

“I came to SMU as pre-med, but research changed my perspective. I realized health isn’t just about biology—it’s connected to society, ethics, and environment. That’s why I added a second major in Health and Society.”

Kyla is currently involved in four research projects that connect science, culture, and community. Her first began in Dr. Edward Glasscock’s Cardiorespiratory Neurogenetics Lab, where she studies epilepsy and Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP). The lab investigates how epilepsy alters the brain’s control of cardiorespiratory function, using genetic mouse models and an array of electrophysiological and molecular techniques.

“I’ve always been interested in medicinal herbs,” she said, “so when I found out Dr. Glasscock’s lab was connected to research on plant medicine, I knew it was something I wanted to be part of.” As part of her work, Kyla is completing her animal research certification and learning the fundamentals of ethical care in laboratory experiments.

Kyla also works with Dr. Nia Parson and a team of researchers in anthropology and engineering on the Infrastructure Desert Research Project studying how infrastructure inequality affects health outcomes in Dallas. Using interdisciplinary tools, the team explores infrastructure deserts (areas without sidewalks, crosswalks, or adequate lighting) and how those missing pieces shape people’s safety and health.

“We hope that the Daynamica app we utilize for the Infrastructure Desert Research Project will help the City of Dallas to create an app that citizens can utilize to report any discomfort or changes for the City of Dallas to be aware of,” Kyla shared.

Her independent research as a McNair Scholar brings together her interests in science and culture. She is studying the role of home gardens in preserving medicinal plant knowledge within Hispano communities in northern New Mexico. “It’s my first time doing ethnographic research,” she said. “Dr. Parson is helping me learn how to connect science with culture—how communities preserve healing traditions over generations.”

Reflecting on the challenges and rewards of research, Kyla said, “It’s challenging when experiments don’t go as planned or results aren’t what we expect. But in the lab, we don’t call that failure, we count it as growth. Every result, even if it’s not what we hoped for, helps move the research forward.” She offers advice for students starting in research: “It can be intimidating at first, especially when you see people with PhDs or lots of experience. But once you get past that, it opens doors. You might discover a passion you never expected.”

Through these experiences, Kyla has found both academic direction and personal purpose. She plans to pursue a career that combines nursing and public health. “I want to travel and help people through public health,” she said. “It’s not just about treating illness—it’s about understanding people and the systems that affect them.”

Kyla’s journey reflects the broader impact of undergraduate research at SMU where students learn to ask questions, think critically, and discover how their studies connect to real-world change.

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

2025 Fall Research Symposium Recap

Fall Research Symposium group photo

Thank you to everyone who attended the Fall Research Symposium on November 4! Twenty-eight students from scholar programs shared their recent work across disciplines including advertising, human rights, civil engineering, physics, biological sciences, religious studies, dance, world languages, political science, and anthropology. We’re grateful to our student presenters for showcasing their research, to the faculty mentors for their guidance, and to everyone who came out to support them.

Fall Research Symposium students in atrium

 

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

Connecting Majors to Careers: PBI Campus Collaborations

Meadows business journalism students presenting

The Pathways to Business and Industry (PBI) initiative is working with campus partners to help students explore how their academic interests can translate into careers. These upcoming events reveal how different majors and skills can open doors to a variety of opportunities in the business world. Encourage students who are interested in business but not in the business school to attend. Students can register for events on SMU360.

Business Journalism Alumni Lunch and Learn – Wednesday, Oct. 29 | 12–1 p.m. | HTSC Chamber
Students can hear from SMU alumni who have built careers reporting on markets, companies, and economic trends. Alumni panelists include Elizabeth Guevara (Breaking News Writer for Investopedia), Shelbie Hamilton (Denton County Editor, Community Impact), Connor Pittman (McKinney Editor, Community Impact), and Saniha Aziz (Lead Communications Director, USAA), moderated by Professor Jake Batsell, Chair in Business Journalism.

Introduction to Business Research – Tuesday, Nov. 11 | 11 a.m.–12 p.m. | Fondren Library 109
In collaboration with the Duda Family Business Library, this workshop introduces students to essential business research tools and databases that can support career exploration and professional development.

History in Action: Pathways to Business and Beyond – Wednesday, Nov. 13 | 3–4 p.m. | Virtual
Partnering with the University Advising Center and Department of History, this session highlights how history students translate classroom skills into careers across industries, demonstrating the value of transferable skills in the workplace.

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Office of Engaged Learning Office of Engaged Learning – Research

Save the Date: Fall Research Symposium!

The Fall Research Symposium 2024 will take place in the Hughes-Trigg Student Center on Wednesday, October 30, 4-7 p.m.

Each fall, students in select research and service programs are invited to give oral presentations in a miniature professional conference. The programs include: Engaged Learning Fellows, Summer Research Fellows, Cooper McElvaney Peace and Justice Fellows, Hamilton Scholars, Maguire Public Service Fellows, Mayer Fellows, McNair Scholars, Richter Fellows, and Tower Scholars.

Register on 360 for reminders

The schedule will be posted soon at smu.edu/fallsymposium

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Student Academic Engagement & Success University Testing Center

Happening Today: SAES-initiated research about U.S. College and University Testing Centers and Patterns of Testing Irregularities

SMU students take tests in the University Testing Center, January 24, 2023 in Clements Hall on the SMU Campus.

Join us today for a research talk on the Characteristics of U.S. College and University Testing Centers and Patterns of Testing Irregularities conducted by division members.

Division of Student Academic Engagement and Success employees Brittaney Wilson (Office of General Education), Jay Guillory (Office of Student Success and Retention), Melina Padron (Office of General Education), and Dr. Dustin Grabsch (Undergraduate Education and Academic Success) conducted the original, empirical research to benefit SMU’s University Testing Center.

Research Talk: U.S. College and University Testing Centers and Patterns of Testing Irregularities

Texana Room, Fondren Library

Monday, October 7 from 2:30 – 4:00pm

RSVPs encouraged. Walk-ins welcome.

We will share implications for practice and researcher reflections. We will also outline opportunities and discuss how these results and findings will be used at SMU.

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Student Academic Engagement & Success University Testing Center

You’re Invited: SAES-initiated research about U.S. College and University Testing Centers and Patterns of Testing Irregularities

Join us for a research talk on the Characteristics of U.S. College and University Testing Centers and Patterns of Testing Irregularities conducted by division members.

Division of Student Academic Engagement and Success employees Brittaney Wilson (Office of General Education), Jay Guillory (Office of Student Success and Retention), Melina Padron (Office of General Education), and Dr. Dustin Grabsch (Undergraduate Education and Academic Success) conducted the original, empirical research to benefit SMU’s University Testing Center.

Research Talk: U.S. College and University Testing Centers and Patterns of Testing Irregularities

Texana Room, Fondren Library

Monday, October 7 from 2:30 – 4:00pm

RSVPs encouraged. Walk-ins welcome.

We will share implications for practice and researcher reflections. We will also outline opportunities and discuss how these results and findings will be used at SMU.

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

OEL launches pilot program First Year Research Experience (FYRE)

The Office of Engaged Learning is excited to launch a new pilot program, the First Year Research Experience (FYRE). Usually students who are interested in research get involved after getting to know professors, generally in their second or third year. FYRE is a unique opportunity for a limited number of students to get involved in research right away in their first year at SMU.
Students in FYRE will be working as Undergraduate Research Assistants all year, and taking a class this fall. They will assist on a variety of faculty research projects, such as: research on antibiotics for tuberculosis and leprosy with Dr. John Buynak (Chemistry); developing a Smart and Reslient Infrastructure toolkit with Dr. Janille Smith-Colin (Civil and Environmental Engineering); creating instruments and performances for a “dinosaur choir” with Dr. Courtney Brown (Creative Computation).
The FYRE faculty mentors include: Matthew Boulanger, Courtney Brown, John Buynak, Kacy Hollenback, Maria Langlois, Monnie McGee, Milica Mormann, Christopher Roos, Janille Smith-Colin, and Jeanna Wieselmann. Thank you to all the faculty involved with this pilot for taking a chance on these promising first-year students!
Read more about the faculty research projects
The FYRE course, taught by Dr. Jennifer Ebinger and Dr. Adam Scott Neal, will deconstruct the research process and environment. Students will work through exercises to understand their faculty mentor’s research, learn to develop research questions, and work on networking and communication skills.
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Office of Engaged Learning Office of Engaged Learning – Research Student Academic Engagement & Success

NCUR 2024: Let’s Hear from the Participants!

Congrats to (L-R in group picture) Anish Senthilkumar, Karen Lin, Elisabeth Hood, Anna Su, Sadikshya Sitaula, Kevin Nguyen, Jonathan Thomas, Vivian Thai on presenting at NCUR 2024!

These eight SMU students had the incredible opportunity to present their research and creative work at the National Conference for Undergraduate Research 2024. They traveled to California State University, where they were able to interact with students and faculty from universities across the country for an exciting conference.

Here is more from a few of the students about their thoughts on the experience:

Preparing for the Conference:

Ellie Hood ’24: The best way I found to prepare for the conference was to attend the Undergraduate Poster Session! Being able to practice poster presentations on a smaller scale gave me confidence in myself and my research going into a much bigger poster session like NCUR!

Kevin Nguyen ’24: I prepared for the conference by making my poster. I made it early because I had the American Chemical Society conference a few weeks before. Thus, I had enough practice presenting my poster after that initial conference.

Vivian Thai ’25: I have been working on my project for almost 2 years prior to the conference, but to prepare specifically for NCUR, I scheduled a meeting with my PI and went over the data that I wanted to present. After that, I submitted an abstract and continued collecting leftover data until I was ready to make my poster. I had several meetings with my professor to draft my poster and I also presented at SMU’s Research & Innovation Week to prepare.

The NCUR Experience:

Ellie: To put it simply, NCUR was an intellectual feast. Not only was it fun and encouraging to share my own research, I also had the best time hearing about everyone else’s research! Every single poster and presentation that I came across was so interesting, and it’s so inspiring to me that so many undergraduates are dedicated to academia.

Kevin: My experience with the conference was incredibly rewarding. I only presented on one day, but for the other days, I went to see other SMU students’ presentations. Even then, I visited fellow chemistry undergraduates and saw their work. When I had time, I enjoyed the beach, hung out with friends, and relaxed in the hotel.

Vivian: My experience at the conference was amazing! I had the opportunity to do a poster presentation, but attendees were also able to watch other poster presentations and oral presentations. One of my favorite things about NCUR is that it’s a huge conference, so there is a large variety of topics. I listened to presentations with focuses ranging from Formula One to programming robots in agriculture. In addition, there was plenty of free time to explore the city. NCUR 2024 was hosted in Long Beach, CA and it was so much fun exploring the area and going to the beach.

Advice for Future NCUR Presenters:

Ellie: For future NCUR presenters, I say have fun with it! Don’t get in your head about whether or not your research is good enough to be at NCUR. If you’re at NCUR, you have something great to offer! Take time to see as many posters and presentations as you can, spend time with the other SMU presenters, and really soak it all in. Also, there are lots of grad schools tabling at NCUR. If you’re unsure about your post-grad plans but know that you want to pursue graduate education, definitely take the time to talk to the schools!

Kevin: For future presenters of NCUR, I recommend “selling” your presentations well. For poster presentations specifically, eye-catching titles and enthusiastic demeanors help to grab people’s attention and allow you to network with them. Also, please take some time to see other people’s work, as they could enlighten you on where you might go next in your research!

Vivian: Try to start your presentation in advance in case anything comes up. If you’re doing a poster, practice your spiel in the days leading up so you feel confident on the day of your presentation. Also, NCUR is a great opportunity for students who have never presented their research before. The environment is very welcoming and everyone is eager to hear about your research, so don’t stress too much about it!