A $15 million gift from Sharoll and Bryan S. Sheffield ’01 to SMU’s Edwin L. Cox School of Business will empower future entrepreneurs by creating new technology-equipped collaborative spaces.
Their generous commitment will establish Bryan S. Sheffield Hall, part of the future Cox School renovation and expansion project, which will provide students with innovative learning environments, enabling Mustangs to develop critical skills that are vital to success in today’s evolving workplace.
Located on the southwest corner of the renovated business school quad, Sheffield Hall will feature Collegiate Georgian style construction with up-to-date classrooms designed for collaboration and data-focused problem-solving. Sheffield Hall will serve as the new hub for Cox School’s Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) program, including BBA admissions, academic advising and student records. In addition, it will house classroom space on the lower level and faculty offices on the second floor.
Read more at SMU News.
Category: May 2021
Five outstanding students sharing a passion for academics, pride in their heritage and a commitment to doing a world of good have been awarded 2021 Hispanic Alumni Scholarships.
Hispanic Alumni of SMU established the annual award in 2009 to provide financial assistance to upper-level or graduate Hispanic students excelling at the University. Since the scholarship’s inception, 42 students have received support as they continue to work toward their degrees. This year’s recipients are:
Teresa Acosta ’22 made SMU history as the inaugural First-Generation Senator elected to the 107th SMU Student Senate. Teresa is a junior majoring in biology and human rights with minors in Spanish and History in Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences. She holds a multitude of additional leadership roles in organizations across campus. Teresa serves as co-director of marketing and outreach for SMU Alternative Breaks, co-events director for the SMU Human Rights Council, Daniel House Director of House Advocacy for Upper Division Housing and president of the League of United Latin American Citizens at SMU. She is also vice president of the SMU Global Medical Brigades and of the Unity Coalition at SMU; rush chair for the Alpha Phi Omega Community Service Fraternity; co-socials chair for the Connect Program; Student Wellness Champion; and secretary of the Japanese Cultural Club.
Lucy Carreño-Roca ’22 is a first-year student in the Cox School of Business’ full-time MBA program with a concentration in finance and marketing. Lucy serves as vice president of Cox School’s Operations and Analytics Club and is a member of the Latino Business Club and the Women in Business and Finance Club. Prior to attending SMU, she was a global treasury implementation adviser and operations manager for Bank of America, where she discovered a passion for improving the financial lives of clients while taking advantage of leadership and team cultivation opportunities. In 2016, Lucy graduated magna cum laude from Bryn Mawr College as a double major in English and psychology.
Jose Martinez ’22 is majoring in film and media arts with a minor in graphic design in Meadows School of the Arts. Jose’s deep spirituality inspires his goal to make movies that “remind us we are part of something bigger than ourselves.” He aspires to help “set the path that leads future generations to the truth” by being a good friend and trusted neighbor.
Valeria Reynosa ’22 is a junior from El Paso, Texas, majoring in history and political science with a minor in law and legal reasoning. As an undergraduate research assistant for The Voices of SMU oral history project, Valeria strives to amplify the voices of underrepresented groups in the SMU community by documenting individuals’ experiences. Her academic interests weave through her roles as a History Ambassador, a history intern with the Bywaters Special Collections in Hamons Arts Library, an SMU Pre-Law Scholar and secretary of the SMU Historical Society. Her volunteerism off campus includes service as a court appointed special advocate for Dallas CASA. In her free time, Valeria enjoys hiking, running and listening to podcasts.
Antonio Orta Williamson ’22, a junior majoring in civil engineering in the Lyle School of Engineering, moved to Dallas from Mexico when he was 17. After graduating from high school, Antonio continued his education in community college, earning his associate’s degree while working and saving to attend SMU. He was recognized for his work with Tau Beta Pi engineering honor society during this year’s Honors Convocation. In his free time, he loves to hang out with his family and take his dogs, Lily and Luca, on long walks. He also plays soccer with his friends in a couple of different indoor and outdoor leagues. After graduating, he plans to pursue a career in land development in Dallas.
A stunning portrait of alumna and SMU parent Thear Sy Suzuki ’96 (center) by former President George W. Bush is among six of his original oil paintings gracing the cover Out of Many, One – Portraits of America’s Immigrants.
Suzuki, a principal and global client service partner with Ernst and Young, survived the killing fields of Cambodia as a child before she and her family were sponsored for immigration by a U.S. relief organization. Suzuki became a U.S. citizen in 1992 and is among the 43 immigrants painted by the 43rd President of the United States for his newest bestseller. Her vibrant likeness appears along with such famous faces as Mavericks’ legend Dirk Nowitzki, baseball star Albert Pujols and golfer Annika Sörenstam; foreign policy experts Madeleine Albright and Henry Kissinger; and former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. All are celebrated in the book – and accompanying exhibition at the Bush Presidential Center – described as “a powerful new collection of stories and oil paintings highlight the inspiring journeys of America’s immigrants and the contributions they make to the life and prosperity of our nation.”
Read more at the Bush Presidential Center.
More than 5,200 of you gave a record $2.5 million – up 81% over 2019 – to champion 216 causes you care about on Giving Day. Once again you’ve proven that Mustangs together are a force for good every day.
Learn more about Giving Day.
SMU researchers have developed a set of computer-driven routines that can mimic chemical reactions in a lab, cutting the time and labor-related expense frequently required to find the best possible drug for a desired outcome.
The University has a patent pending for the computational routines under the name ChemGen. In addition to speeding the process of finding successful drugs for specific applications, ChemGen will allow smaller labs to contribute to meaningful research at a level many cannot currently afford.
“ChemGen has the ability to replace a team of 20 highly-skilled organic chemists in the optimization of a molecule of interest,” said lead inventor John Wise, an SMU professor who specializes in structural biochemistry. “We’re basically arming an army of smaller labs to do really sophisticated research.
Read more at SMU Research.
SMU has served societal needs and prepared students to make an impact in their chosen professions for more than a century. A recent article that appeared in The Dallas Morning News described how SMU fulfills its mission in a data-driven world.
The university has developed major new programs in research and data science, combining high-speed computing, mathematics and statistics to extract meaningful insights from extremely large quantities of data. These programs are helping the business community in Dallas and beyond thrive in an increasingly data-driven, complex and interconnected world.
Read more.
Richard A. Duschl, a leader in SMU’s Lyle School of Engineering known for his continuing contributions to science education through research, has been elected a member of the National Academy of Education.
Duschl is the executive director of the Caruth Institute for Engineering Education in the Lyle School and has an appointment in SMU’s Simmons School of Education and Human Development in the Department of Teaching and Learning.
“Induction into a national academy representing your field of expertise is the pinnacle of achievement in one’s career,” said Marc P. Christensen, dean of the Lyle School of Engineering. “When we recruited Professor Duschl to lead the Caruth Institute for Engineering Education, we knew he was one of the most distinguished researchers in the field education. We are so pleased that he has been formally recognized in this way.”
Read more at SMU News.
A predictability model built by an SMU research team can calculate the odds that certain variables – such as drunk driving or speeding 20 miles above the limit – will result in a severe car accident.
Tony Ng, an SMU statistical science professor and one of the co-creators of the model, says the tool could be especially useful as an educational tool for making concrete the real impact of certain driving conditions and behaviors to different audiences, like young drivers.
“This can hopefully influence drivers’ behavior positively and reduce crashes by making drivers more aware of dangerous driving habits,” Ng says.
Using data analytic techniques such as the SMU model to analyze traffic data also can potentially identify accident hotspots and the reasons behind them, helping traffic officials improve road safety. For example, the data could be used to adjust speed limits on a given highway or prompt the placement of cameras where drivers are known to speed, Ng says.
You can never have too much of a good thing, right? Here are even more great videos and stories about the people, projects and events making us proud to be Mustangs.
- Riding high after a historic season
- Noah Goodwin ’22 named league’s best golfer
- Freshman of the Year goes to men’s tennis player
- Bridwell Library to house World Methodist Museum collection
- Watch: Carnival in the Sun celebrates Peruna
- Leadership shaped by faith
- Ready for summer, looking forward to fall
- Exoplanet hunter spots bright gamma-ray burst