Tag: staff

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Office of General Education

Celebrating Melina Padron and her next adventure

Students, alumni and staff participate in SMU Giving Day on the main quad, March 5, 2024 on the SMU Campus.

Since joining the Office of General Education in July 2023 as Senior Advisor, Melina Padron has made a transformative impact on the undergraduate academic experience at SMU. With energy, vision, and a commitment to student success, Melina has led initiatives that strengthened support for students navigating the Common Curriculum and deepened our academic engagement culture across campus.

During her time with our office, Melina:

  • Rebooted the Peer Academic Leader (PALs) program, broadening its reach and improving training to ensure students received informed, peer-centered support within the Residential Commons.
  • Launched the Common Curriculum Reading Program, pairing students with curated readings to spark shared intellectual experiences and conversation.
  • Supported advisor and student adoption of Degree Planner, helping streamline pathways to degree progress and empowering students to take clear ownership of their academic journey.
  • Led several faculty working groups on the Texas Common Course Numbering System (TCCNS), resulting in clearer course alignment and improved credit transfer outcomes for transfer students.
  • Contributed to several research projects involving academic testing centers and testing irregularities, informing SMU practices for academic testing.

Melina also shared her work widely with the campus community through blog features and updates (which I know she loved!). Her posts often highlighted how thoughtful supervision, advising, and shared academic experiences enriched student belonging and success at SMU.

As Melina transitions out of the Office of General Education, we want to express our deep appreciation for her leadership, partnership, and care. Her last day in OGE will be November 28.

However, we are thrilled that Melina is not going far! She will be joining the Division of Student Affairs as the Assistant Director of Signature Academic Experiences in Residence Life and Student Housing, where she will continue to support meaningful, high-impact learning experiences for students—this time embedded directly in the heart of our residential communities.

Join Us in Celebrating Melina!

We invite colleagues, partners, and friends to a come-and-go reception honoring Melina:

Monday, December 1, 2025
Noon – 1:00 PM
Laura Lee Blanton 112

Please join us in congratulating Melina on her next adventure on the Hilltop! We are so grateful for the impact she has made and excited to see the work she will continue to lead at SMU.

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Office of General Education

Last Chance! Registration closes Oct 24 for the Place-based Community Engagement Symposium

The 4th Annual Engage Dallas Place-Based Community Engagement Symposium is taking place on November 5–6, and we’d love for you to be there! Registration is free and open to all through the button below.

We can’t wait to gather with community leaders, educators, students, and neighbors from across DFW for two days of meaningful learning and engagement.

RSVP Today!

The RSVP deadline is October 24, 2025, so don’t miss this community-based professional development opportunity.

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Student Academic Engagement & Success

Welcome Victoria Martini

Headshot of Victoria Martini
Victoria Martini

Please join us in welcoming Victoria Martini to the Student Academic Engagement and Success (SAES) team! Victoria has joined as the new SAES business manager. In her role, she will assist SAES staff and campus partners by answering budget-related questions, assembling job descriptions and postings, writing policies & procedures, and providing general administrative support. Victoria shared that she is always happy to help! Very approachable, she can help you work through any budget or operational issue you are facing.

Victoria graduated from San Diego State University in 2020 with a degree in business administration and management. Since then, she has worked for several companies, building her business acumen. She brings an impressive set of skills to SMU, including strong organizational methods, creative problem-solving and excellent communication.

In her role, Victoria is looking forward to being part of a collaborative campus workspace alongside others who are passionate about education. She will work closely with SAES leadership to manage budgets and support division operations. And she is keen to expand her business administration skillset.

Outside of work, Victoria enjoys spending time with friends, trying new restaurants, walking around Uptown and traveling.

Welcome to the Hilltop, Victoria! We are excited to have you here.

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Office of General Education Student Academic Engagement & Success

Office of General Education staff honored with national awards

The Office of General Education has two staff members who were honored with national awards during the fall semester.Brittaney Wilson, General Education and Academic Appeals Coordinator, was selected as a 30 under 40 Sawubona Class Recipient with the American College Personnel Association’s (ACPA) Pan African Network (PAN) within the Coalition on Multicultural Affairs.

This award honors 30 individuals of African heritage in higher education who embody the network’s core values. “Sawubona,” a Zulu greeting, means “I/We see you.” Brittaney will be recognized in the Campus Partnership and Collaboration category at the PAN Open Business meeting in February during the ACPA 25 convention in Long Beach.Melina Padron, Senior Advisor in General Education, was bestowed the NASPA’s NOW Professional Recognition, which recognizes the exceptional contributions of new professionals and graduate students within NASPA. Each year, participants are selected based on NASPA Pillars, Integrity, Inclusion, Innovation, and Inquiry, as well as a fifth category of Impact.

Melina was awarded under the Inquiry area based on her efforts on two original empirical research articles related to university academic testing within the United States.

Congratulations to Brittaney and Melina for their phenomenal contributions to campus partnerships at SMU, which led to these national recognitions.

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Student Academic Engagement & Success University Advising Center

University Advising Center announces Staff Change

Headshot of Gerralynn Mckenna with the Southern Methodist University Campus as the out of focus background.

The University Advising Center is pleased to share that Gerralynn McKenna is continuing her work in our office as our newest Academic Advisor. She has gracefully stepped in to her new role and advising students for Fall 24 and beyond.

Before her new position, Gerralynn came to SMU in June of 2023 to serve as Coordinator for the UAC. Prior to her time at SMU,  she taught elementary special education for 4 years, and moved to Dallas from Albuquerque, New Mexico with her husband. She continues to enjoy hiking, being outdoors, spending time with family and friends, and reading. Please join us in giving her a warm welcome to her new position!

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Student Academic Engagement & Success

General Education offers faculty and staff fall trainings

 

The Office of General Education has multiple training sessions available to all faculty and staff this fall.

Registration for these offerings is available on SMU360. By registering, you will receive reminder emails leading up to the event, a calendar invite, and any resources used or distributed during the training. All workshops will take place on the first floor of the Laura Lee Blanton building.

Trainings Offered:

Common Curriculum – Learn more about the general education and graduation requirements that make up the Common Curriculum. Ideal for new faculty and staff; refresher for current employees with academic advising functions.

Tuesday, Sept. 17th 12:30-1:30PM

Monday, Oct. 7th 12-1PM (for advisors)

Monday, Nov. 18th 12-1PM  

                                                              

Course and Experience Proposal – Learn more about the process and timeline of submitting a course or experience proposal for Common Curriculum tags. Course and experience proposal deadlines are available for fall 2024 and spring 2025 on our website. Ideal for faculty interested in tagging existing or proposing new courses or staff who lead co-curricular experiences seeking to become a pre-approved activity.

Wednesday, Sept. 11th 12-1PM

Tuesday, Oct. 15th 12:30-1:30PM

 

Departmental Responsibilities – Learn more about what is required of departments and organizations that have Common Curriculum-tagged courses and experiences. Ideal for department chairs, directors of undergraduate students, and employees with course scheduling functions.

Thursday, Oct. 31st 3:30-4:30PM

 

Looking to plan a training session for your department and/or organization? Complete and submit this form to schedule a personalized group training.

 

Any questions, comments, or concerns can be directed to gened@smu.edu. We look forward to supporting you this semester!

Categories
University Advising Center

University Advising Center Welcomes Two New Advisors to the Hilltop

Photo of Laura Lee Blanton Building, where the University Advising Center is located.

The University Advising Center has made some new additions to our staff this month. Veronica Gutierrez and Amy ‘Ricki’ Ward joined us just in time for the holiday season cheer.

Headshot of Ricki Ward, a new Academic Advisor in the University Advising Center.A native Texan, Ricki is a 2002 graduate of Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas, where she received her Bachelor of Science degree in both History and Psychology.  She then earned her Texas Teacher Certification via LeTourneau University’s Post-Baccalaureate Educator Certification Program.  She began her career as a teacher at Dallas Academy, where she specialized in creating and implementing personalized curriculum for students with learning differences.  Most recently, Ricki taught 4th grade math and science in Garland ISD, and was awarded 2022-23 Teacher of the Year at Dorsey Elementary in Rowlett.  She lives in Rowlett with her husband, Tony, her two teenage children, Bailey and Jake, and her black lab, Charlie.  Ricki is a lifelong Texas Rangers fan and avid reader, and recently began volunteering as a camera operator for Explore.org. Her email is arward@smu.edu and her office number is (214) 768-6835.

Headshot of Veronica Gutierrez, a new Academic Advisor in the University Advising Center.

Veronica Gutierrez joins the University Advising Center after spending 29 years in public education as an elementary school teacher and counselor. Veronica graduated from Paris Junior College and Southwest Texas State University with a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies. She also received her Master’s degree in Counseling from Texas A&M University-Commerce. Veronica was born and raised in Dallas, Texas and has always loved the beauty of the SMU campus. She is very excited to start this new journey. Her email is vgutierrez@smu.edu and her office number is (214) 768-6836.

Please join the University Advising Center in welcoming our two new advisors to the Hilltop!

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University Advising Center

The University Advising Center welcomes new Academic Advisor Benjamin Mandelbaum

Headshot of Ben Mandelbaum.

The University Advising Center is very pleased to share that Ben Mandelbaum has joined us as our newest Academic Advisor! Ben joins us after spending 7 seasons as a college basketball coach. In his most recent position, he coached the Alcorn State University Men’s Basketball team to the 2023 Southwestern Athletic Conference Championship.  Ben is a graduate of the University of Minnesota where he received his Bachelor’s degree in psychology, and a graduate of the University of Alabama at Birmingham where he received his Master’s degree in Exercise Science. New to Dallas, Ben has enjoyed exploring the Dallas area by visiting museums, attending shows, and taking in sporting events. In his free time, Ben likes following his favorite sports teams, traveling to the beach, and listening to podcasts.

His email is bmandelbaum@smu.edu and his phone number is 214-768-6790.    Join us in welcoming Ben to the UAC and to SMU!

Headshot of Ben Mandelbaum.
Headshot of Ben Mandelbaum.
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Altshuler Learning Enhancement Center First-Generation Initiative Student Academic Success Programs

Student Academic Success Programs adds additional staff

SASP is fully staffed to kick of the fall, 2023 semester!

Please join us in welcoming Gracy Herrera as the new academic probation counselor. Gracy will counsel all pre-major students on academic probation. Gracy is an education advocate with over 14 years’ experience developing academic courses of action for students of varying social backgrounds, scholastic levels, and special needs. Gracy has most recently focused on advancing the skills of student-athletes in Dubai. Gracy will start next Monday, August 7.

We are also excited to welcome Makenzie Moriarty as the new academic counselor. Makenzie will counsel declared majors on academic probation, university probation, Prelude students, and the general undergraduate population. Makenzie comes to SMU from the University of South Carolina where she was a GA in the Student Success Center working to empower peer leaders and counsel students who were working to transfer to USC.  Makenzie will start next Monday, August 7.

Varun Singh is our new Graduate Assistant for the First-Generation Initiative.  Varun will work closely with Chris Meyers to support our first-gen students and implement our signature events. Varun is pursuing a MS in Business Analytics in the Cox School of Business. Varun has worked as a head organizer for a film festival, managed various projects, and has spent the last six years starting and managing his own real estate and construction firm. Varun will start next Wednesday, August 9.

We’d also like to thank our colleagues who assisted in the search process for all our positions this spring and summer – your collaborations are so appreciated.

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Altshuler Learning Enhancement Center Student Academic Success Programs

SASP A-LEC Staff is Complete

Student Academic Success Programs welcomes Grace Okoro, who will start as tutor coordinator July 5th.  Grace has a bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology from UTA and a master’s in Health Administration from TWU.   She is also working towards a PhD in Health Sciences.  Grace will be assisting Adreana and Nancy in expanding our tutor training program, working with our tutors, and working with students.   Grace will bring SASP experience in data collection, and as a teaching assistant.