The Office of Engaged Learning @ SMU’s Post

Last Thursday we collaborated with over 20 labs and research groups to host the fourth Lab Hopping event at SMU. Undergraduate students were invited to drop in for a peek at current research happening on campus, from mechanical engineering and chemistry to education and economics. #smu #research #undergraduateresearch SMU Lyle School of Engineering SMU Simmons School of Education & Human Development Southern Methodist University

Last Friday we hosted the annual Big iDeas Pitch Competition during SMU Family Weekend where 18 inspiring undergraduate entrepreneurs pitched their ideas in 90 seconds to a panel of expert judges for $1000 in seed funds. 💡 We're thrilled to announce the winners of this year's competition! 🌟 Ryland Adzich, The Creative Destination Yaw Boateng, InfoSavvy Zain Dhatwani, Apni Duniya Mason Dierkes, Elusive Isabella Fleet, TIMIO News LLC Bryce Harper, Urban Crusader Technology Kennedy Honors, Sallie’s Halo Jude Lugo, Lecture Logger Emiliano Hernandez Posada, Terra Social Impact Anish Senthilkumar, The Active Mind Initiative Speed Gregory, Speed’s Meats Nrithi Subramanian, Mantra and Co. Ephraim Sun, Fuselink.ai Thank you to all of the family and friends who attended in support, and a huge thank you to our supporters - SMU Cox - Williams S. Spears Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership, Deason Innovation Gym, SMU Impact Lab, and The Linda and Mitch Hart Institute for Technology, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (HITIE) - for contributing funding to support these student startups. #smu #bigideas #entrepreneurship #startup #innovation Southern Methodist University Jennifer Ebinger, EdD

Are you looking to elevate your brand and stand out in a crowded marketplace? Join us for the Big iDeas Roundtable Discussion on "How to Build Your Brand" this October! This event brings together industry leaders to share actionable insights and strategies that can help you craft a powerful and authentic brand identity. Whether you're an entrepreneur, marketer, or just passionate about branding, this discussion is one you won’t want to miss. Panelists: Ayo Agibe the the Founder and CEO of Hangio, the world's first patented premium customizable hanger that solves a validated customer pain point of clothes stretching. Her patented product has a national customer base, has gone viral on Twitter, been featured in Fast Company, Mashable, NBC 5 Texas Today, and has been seen at New York Fashion Week! In her operations work, she has supported the launch and delivery of more than 4 successful startup accelerator programs, leading on program planning, delivery, and program wrap-up at top tech and consumer product accelerators designed to educate and empower founders. Neha Husein graduated from Southern Methodist University in 2019 with degrees in Human Rights and Marketing. Driven by a strong commitment to social impact, she founded Just Drive, a startup focused on reducing distracted driving accidents. Today, Neha is the Senior Event Producer for Vegandale, an international festival that celebrates vegan food, music, and art. In addition to her professional achievements, Neha is passionate about mentoring and supporting collegiate entrepreneurs, helping them navigate the challenges of starting and growing their own ventures. Jenica Oliver, the visionary behind Blueprint Marketing Group, LLC, is a seasoned marketing expert with over two decades of experience. As a Fractional CMO, she provides strategic marketing leadership to consumer product companies, bridging the gap between expertise and flexibility. Her forte lies in empowering CPG firms, from Fortune 500 giants to emerging brands, by helping their organizations build strong brands, increase sales velocity, and scale profitably with marketing leadership. Before founding Blueprint Marketing Group, Jenica held influential roles at national and international companies, including Pizza Hut, Mission Foods, and Borden Dairy. 🗓️ Date: Tuesday, October 1st 🕒 Time: 4:30-5:30pm (on Zoom) 📍 RSVP Here: https://lnkd.in/gm3gji8n RSVP now and be part of the conversation! #BigiDeas #BrandBuilding #Entrepreneurship #RoundtableDiscussion #ProfessionalDevelopment

We recently sat down with Neha Husein, SMU Big iDeas Entrepreneurship Fellow and founder of Just Drive, to talk about her journey as a social impact entrepreneur and her passion for making a positive impact. In this interview, she shared invaluable insights on her professional journey after graduating from SMU and the benefits of building a business while in college. Check out the blog post: Interview with 2024-25 Big iDeas Entrepreneurship Fellow, Neha Husein: https://lnkd.in/gSc4aQJx In addition to serving as the E-Fellow, Neha will be a featured panelist at our next Big iDeas Roundtable Discussion on October 1st. Along with panelists Jenica Oliver and Ayodele A., join Neha as she dives deeper into "How to Build Your Brand" and shares her experience with fellow entrepreneurs. This is a conversation you won’t want to miss! 🔥 Register for the Roundtable Discussion: https://lnkd.in/gm3gji8n #Entrepreneurship #BigiDeas #SMU #SocialImpact #BrandBuilding #RoundtableDiscussion Southern Methodist University SMU Cox School of Business SMU Cox - Williams S. Spears Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership SMU Human Rights Program Jennifer Ebinger, EdD Olivia Prioleau

Since 2012, SMU has awarded 384 undergraduate students with the Engaged Learning Fellowship (ELF), a prestigious program that provides funding and support for capstone-level projects in research and the arts. Over the years, ELF recipients have conducted innovative projects in more than 20 different countries, truly embodying SMU’s motto “World Changers Shaped Here”. Recent highlights from our fellows include an original film production, a children's book, and a presentation at a biomedical engineering conference. Read more on our blog and tell your students about this opportunity!

Our Mustang Mentor program is creating a vibrant and supportive peer mentoring network for students at SMU. Thanks to the assistance of Mentor Collective, a peer mentoring platform, and invaluable campus partnerships including SMU Division of Student Affairs, Transfer Advising, First-Generation, and RLSH, we’re striving to help students transition to life in college. If you know a first-year student at SMU looking to build connections on campus, encourage them to join Mustang Mentors! Visit www.smu.edu/mustangmentors to learn more. #smu #classof2028 #peermentoring #ponyup Jennifer Ebinger, EdD

We're thrilled to welcome Neha Husein as the 2024-25 Big iDeas Entrepreneurship Fellow in the Office of Engaged Learning! An alum of Big iDeas and SMU, Neha is the founder of Just Drive a startup focused on reducing driving accidents. She is currently the Senior Event Producer for Vegandale, an international festival that celebrates vegan food, music, and art. Her journey embodies the spirit of innovation and social impact we strive to cultivate in our community. As the new Entrepreneurship Fellow, Neha will enhance our programs and initiatives to foster entrepreneurship, innovation, and support for women entrepreneurs. Please join us in welcoming Neha! #BigiDeas #Entrepreneruship #Innovation #WomenInBusiness #SMU Southern Methodist University Jennifer Ebinger, EdD, Olivia Prioleau

We are wrapping up our third annual National Science Foundation (NSF) “Data Science for Social Good” Research Experience for Undergraduates program at SMU. The 8-week program brought together 12 students from across the country to receive intensive data-science training and engage in impactful research on housing affordability, food deserts, evictions, and human trafficking. This year's talented cohort includes Margaret Alt, Laurel Andrews, Madeleine Bagnall, Jacob Gareis, Janelyn Geronimo, Maya Katz, Samuel King, Lily Kemp, John Martin, Tristan Vathis, Simon Wang, Erin Yenawine. We are fortunate to have Monnie McGee leading the program as PI on the grant along with Jennifer Ebinger, EdD, as well as SMU faculty mentors Cullum Clark, Dr. Mary Spector, Tony Petrosino, and Elizabeth Wheaton-Páramo guiding the student research teams. Throughout the program, the students visited community partners and organizations in Dallas including Christ's Family Clinic, Joppy Momma's Farm, Justice of the Peace, Precinct 3, Homeland Security Investigations North Texas Human Trafficking Task Force, City of Dallas Data Analytics team, and the Deason Innovation Gym. They also participated in workshops and events as part of the SMU Summer Research Intensive, led by Adam Scott Neal, PhD. The culmination of their hard work will be showcased at the SRI Three Minute Thesis competition alongside SMU summer research assistants on Thursday, July 25, from 2-5 pm in the Hughes-Trigg Student Center Chamber. We hope you will join us! #NSF #DataScience #CommunityImpact #SMU Sheri Kunovich, Elizabeth G. Loboa, PhD, Southern Methodist University

UT Chattanooga recently profiled Erin Yenawine about her work with SMU's Human Trafficking Data Research Project. Erin is participating in the NSF-funded Data Science for Social Good REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates). https://lnkd.in/gwaBw_tE Elizabeth Wheaton-Páramo, Mateo Langston Smith, Jennifer Ebinger, EdD Monnie McGee, Eric Godat, Ph.D., Southern Methodist University #undergraduateresearch #datascience

For our Summer Research Symposium on July 10, we hosted a panel to discuss applying for grants and fellowships. Takeaways? 1. If you're getting ~14% of the grants your apply for, you're applying for too few. If you're getting less than ~7%, you're applying for too many! (Diluting your attention and quality) 2. Keep trying - panels can see that persistence, and often award people who tried before and improved, or if it's their "last chance" (graduating, getting tenure) 3. Apply for what you're excited about--it makes the grant easier to write, and your enthusiasm shines through 4. There are offices at your university like National Fellowships and Sponsored Projects that are there to help you make great applications. Get to know them! Thanks to Joe Camp, Devin Matthews, Brandon Miller, and Angelita Trevino for sharing your experiences on this panel!