News

Meadows on the Mic: Michelle Hagen – Marketing and the Movies

Students Corporate Communication and Public Affairs CCPA student Mia Verrochi interviews SMU Meadows alum Michelle Hagen, a marketing executive with over 30 years of experience in the film industry.

July 14, 2025

Meadows on the Move: Students Embrace Transformative Summer Opportunities Around the Globe

Students Advertising Art Arts Management and Arts Entrepreneurship Dance Journalism Music SMU Meadows students have been pursuing a variety of opportunities all over the world this summer, from impressive internships and international programs to leading young artists and producing their own work.

July 11, 2025

SMU Meadows Names Kimberly Grigsby as Inaugural Music Director of Sexton Institute for Musical Theatre

Faculty Theatre Acclaimed music director, conductor and pianist Kimberly Grigsby will join Meadows’ new musical theatre program as it begins recruiting its first cohort of students for Fall 2026.

July 08, 2025

Flyer for Basically Beethoven Festival featuring three colorful violins.

Basically Beethoven Festival to Spotlight Meadows Talent in Exclusive July 13 Performance

Events Music Three current Meadows students and one alum will take the stage during the opening event of this year’s Basically Beethoven Festival as the “Featured Performer” and “Rising Stars.”

June 29, 2025

Honoring the Legacy of G. Marlyne Sexton: A Visionary Champion of the Arts at SMU

Campus By Samuel S. Holland, Dean of the Meadows School of the Arts, Southern Methodist University

June 24, 2025

Meadows on the Mic: Fernanda Gonzales Palma – Consultant and PR Specialist

Students Corporate Communication and Public Affairs CCPA student Libby Dorin interviews Fernanda Gonzales Palma, a corporate professional at AT&T who also owns a successful digital media brand.

June 23, 2025

Overhead shot of a pile of award certificates for journalism students

Student Journalists Win 23 Awards Across Reporting and Creative Categories at Local, Regional and National Levels

Students Journalism All three of SMU Meadows’ student media outlets took home honors from the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association and Society of Professional Journalists’ Mark of Excellence Awards.

June 06, 2025

Texas Commission on the Arts Appoints Meadows Alum as 2025 Texas State Classical Musician

Alumni Music Accomplished oboist Alecia Lawyer (B.M. ’90) has been named the inaugural Texas State Musician – Classical, one of the state’s highest honors in the arts.

June 03, 2025

Meadows on the Mic: Eric Dickerson – NFL Hall of Fame

Students Journalism CCPA student Carson Richards interviews SMU football legend and NFL Hall of Famer Eric Dickerson.

June 03, 2025

Students pose outside of The New York Times offices in NYC.

Division of Journalism Launches Two Industry Trips to New York City This Spring

Students Journalism Journalism and Fashion Media students recently had the opportunity to visit NYC as part of two networking trips featuring in-depth access to media outlets and fashion companies.

May 28, 2025

Advertising students pose with their awards from the Dallas ADDYs.

Meadows Advertising Students Amass Over 125 Awards in Recent Competitions

Students Advertising Advertising students have won an impressive number of awards this year at AAF’s Dallas and District 10 ADDYs, as well as the Graphis International New Talent Awards and many more competitions.

May 20, 2025

Graduates throw their caps in the air following the degree recognition ceremony

Class of 2025 Graduates Celebrated in SMU Meadows Degree Recognition Ceremony

Campus Advertising Art Art History Arts Management and Arts Entrepreneurship Corporate Communication and Public Affairs Creative Computation Creative Technology Dance Film & Media Arts Journalism Music Theatre Meadows faculty and staff, along with family and friends of the graduates, celebrated the Class of 2025 in Saturday’s Degree Recognition Ceremony.

May 19, 2025

The eight graduating students of the M.F.A. Acting program pose on a staircase in colorful clothing.

Meet the Division of Theatre’s Class of 2025 M.F.A. Acting Graduates

Alumni Theatre Meadows’ theatre program has produced eight M.F.A. Acting graduates in the Class of 2025, including one who will join Dallas Theater Center’s Brierley Resident Acting Company for the upcoming season.

May 16, 2025

Meadows on the Mic: Susan Miller – Communications and National Defense

Students Corporate Communication and Public Affairs Journalism CCPA major Chase Schoellhorn interviews Meadows alum Susan Miller, whose career includes working with Barbara Walters, the CIA and Amazon.

May 15, 2025

Professor Stephanie Langin-Hooper and visiting scholar Mutsumi Okabe work together on research.

Art History Department Hosts Visiting Scholar from Japan for Spring Semester

Students Art History Doctoral student Mutsumi Okabe was hosted by Meadows’ Department of Art History this spring to further her research in Egyptian archaeology.

May 14, 2025

Photo of art student Naw Nhkum posing in front of artwork

Senior Spotlight: Naw Nhkum

Students Art Studio art major Naw Nhkum reflects on his journey as a painter and printmaker and the faculty mentors who helped shape his Meadows experience.

May 08, 2025

Senior Spotlight: Tyler DiMarco

Students Corporate Communication and Public Affairs Public relations senior Tyler DiMarco shares how hands-on courses and mentorship at Meadows prepared her for a communications career in professional sports.

May 05, 2025

Alumni Spotlight: Noelle Fabian Dragon

Alumni Music Music education and saxophone performance alum Noelle Fabian Dragon (B.M. '10) was able to embark on a creative professional path thanks to her unique Meadows experience.

May 05, 2025

Senior Spotlight: Will Emmert

Students Music Vocal performance major Will Emmert reflects on the performance opportunities and leadership roles he has had at Meadows, as well as his future career in arts administration.

April 28, 2025

Alumni Spotlight: Ryan Blitzer

Alumni Advertising Film & Media Arts Film & Media Arts and Advertising alum Ryan Blitzer (B.F.A./B.A. ’16, M.A. ’17) utilized his combined degrees to land work in the film industry as a freelance TV commercial producer.

April 28, 2025

Piano Student Selected to Perform in Prestigious Cliburn Competition

Students Music Piano performance and Artist Diploma student Korkmaz Saglam will compete in the Seventeenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition next month.

April 24, 2025

Senior Spotlight: Maya Fardad-Finn

Students Theatre Graduating theatre student Maya Fardad-Finn reflects on her creative growth, performance experiences and the community she found at SMU.

April 21, 2025

Alumni Spotlight: Sierra Sutton

Alumni Advertising Advertising alum Sierra Sutton (B.A. '15) utilized the creative skills she learned at Meadows to work her way up to Creative Director of a prestigious consulting company.

April 21, 2025

Theatre Chair Collaborates with Second Thought Theatre for New Play Premiere

Faculty Theatre Blake Hackler, chair of the Division of Theatre, is partnering with Dallas’ Second Thought Theatre – run by Meadows alumni – for the premiere of his new play “Healed.”

April 17, 2025

Division of Art Alum Nicolás González Tapped as Meadows 2025 Commencement Speaker

Alumni Art Alum Nicolás González (B.F.A. ’16) has been selected as this year’s commencement speaker for Meadows’ upcoming Degree Recognition Ceremony on May 17.

April 16, 2025

Senior Spotlight: Ava Partida

Students Dance Dance performance and psychology double major Ava Partida (B.F.A. ’25) shares her experience as a double major and her next steps into the professional dance world.

April 14, 2025

Alumni Spotlight: Tadeo Martinez

Alumni Theatre Theatre alum Tadeo Martinez (B.F.A. '19) built upon the acting foundation he established at Meadows to launch his current career as a stage actor.

April 14, 2025

Senior Spotlight: Mikaila Neverson

Students Corporate Communication and Public Affairs Journalism Meadows' new Senior Spotlight series kicks off by highlighting Mikaila Neverson, a senior journalism major and CCPA minor who will be graduating with her B.A. this May.

April 07, 2025

Alumni Spotlight: Delanie Linden

Alumni Art History Art History alum Delanie Linden (M.A. '18) went on to secure a position at MIT's History, Theory, & Criticism program to pursue her doctorate in the subject, where she later earned a Fulbright Open-Research Award Fellowship.

April 07, 2025

Dance professor Silas Farley performs in a public square.

Dance Artist-in-Residence Partners with SMU’s Center for Faith and Learning on Arts-Focused Symposium

Faculty Dance Silas Farley, Meadows’ Armstrong Artist-in-Residence in Ballet, will bring the Center for Faith and Learning’s annual symposium to life with choreographed performances coordinated with spiritual discussions.

April 03, 2025

Meadows on the Mic: Elizabeth Akudugu – Acting M.F.A Class of 2025

Students Theatre Acting M.F.A. major Elizabeth Akudugu discusses her professional acting career and experience at SMU Meadows.

April 02, 2025

Meadows on the Mic: Will Emmert – SMU in South Africa

Students Music Senior vocal performance major Will Emmert discusses studying voice, student-working and SMU in South Africa.

April 01, 2025

Alumni Spotlight: Paul Kroeger

Alumni Music Voice performance alum Paul Kroeger's (B.M. '13) unique Meadows education allowed him to pursue a career as a professional opera singer, while also setting him up for his current job in international affairs.

March 31, 2025

Film alum Ryder McNeal on the set of a student production operating a camera.

Film & Media Arts Graduate Creates Streaming Service to Fill Gap in Film Industry

Alumni Film & Media Arts Recent Meadows alum Ryder McNeal (B.A. ’24) launched streaming platform PREVO to house and promote independent and student-produced films.

March 25, 2025

Alumni Spotlight: Samantha Klaassen

Alumni Journalism Journalism and Fashion Media alum Samantha Klaassen (B.A. '18) utilized her education to carve out a career path in retail buying and merchandising.

March 24, 2025

MFA student Sharmeen Uqaili conducts an artmaking workshop with local high school students

M.F.A. Student Partners with Meadows Museum in Artmaking Workshop

Students Art Art History Graduate student Sharmeen Uqaili hosted local high school students for an artmaking workshop in conjunction with a visit to the Museum’s “Unearthing the Legacy of Islamic Spain” exhibit.

March 20, 2025

Meadows on the Mic: Chloe Young – Dance and Public Relations Student

Students Dance Chloe Young is a dance performance major who is also pursuing a Public Relations and Strategic Communications degree from Meadows’ CCPA program.

March 12, 2025

Alumni Spotlight: Mark Lau

Alumni Advertising Advertising alum Mark Lau (B.A. '06) combined the creativity he learned at Meadows with his marketing degree from Cox to succeed in his 18-year career at Nike.

March 10, 2025

Two alumni lead a Coffee and Conversations event on stage for Meadows students

New Internship Program Places Meadows Students in Paid Positions

Students Advertising Art Art History Corporate Communication and Public Affairs Creative Computation Film & Media Arts Journalism SMU Meadows’ new PMC Intern Fellowship program subsidizes five paid internships for Meadows students at Dallas-based arts, communication and media organizations.

March 07, 2025

Alumni Spotlight: Emily Walsh Potts

Alumni Corporate Communication and Public Affairs CCPA alum Emily Walsh Potts (B.A. '15) is not only the founder of her own strategic communications firm, but also an adjunct faculty member at Meadows.

March 03, 2025

Music Composition Student Selected as New SMU-ISO Composer-in-Residence

Students Music Max Whittaker, a senior Meadows student pursuing a B.M. in Music Composition, has been selected as this year’s SMU–Irving Symphony Orchestra Student Composer-in-Residence.

February 28, 2025

Meadows on the Mic: Jessica Burnham – Director of the MADI Program

Faculty Graduate student Angela Molinero sat down for an interview with Jessica Burnham, director of the Master of Arts in Design and Innovation (MADI) program.

February 28, 2025

Alumni Spotlight: Tim Allis

Alumni Theatre Theatre alum Tim Allis (B.F.A. '83) is a professional writer and editor who has often drawn on his passion for theatre, stoked at Meadows, for projects.

February 27, 2025

Art students use colorful oil pastels during a workshop by M.F.A. student Karina Ramirez.

Six Courses You Can’t Miss at SMU Meadows

Campus Art Art History Arts Management and Arts Entrepreneurship Film & Media Arts Take a look at six of some of Meadows’ most unique and interesting courses, across a variety of disciplines, that are available to our students.

February 21, 2025

Alumni Spotlight: Deepa Liegel

Alumni Dance Dance alum Deepa Liegel (B.F.A. '17) used the versatile dance skills she learned at Meadows to achieve her dream of joining a modern dance company upon graduation.

February 17, 2025

Meadows on the Mic: Gina Farmer – Gemologist and Law Student

Alumni Advertising CCPA student Samantha Field interviews advertising alum and law student Gina Farmer.

February 14, 2025

Alumni Spotlight: David Sibley

Alumni Music Music alum David Sibley (B.M. '89) combined his music education and interest in film and television to excel as a music supervisor in the entertainment industry.

February 10, 2025

Black and white headshots of faculty award winners Cheryl Mendenhall, Kristina Nielsen, Anne Schilling, and Stephanie Langin-Hooper

Meadows Faculty Sweeps SMU Fall Teaching Awards

Faculty Advertising Art History Music Theatre Meadows faculty members win four of the biggest University-level teaching awards from SMU for the school year.

February 06, 2025

Meadows on the Mic: Jamie Lam – Transfer Student and Journalism Major

Students Journalism Jamie Lam is a senior journalism major who originally started her education in California before transferring to SMU Meadows.

February 06, 2025

What are the Differences Between UX and UI?

Campus Creative Technology Discover the roles of UX and UI in creating digital experiences that are intuitive, visually engaging, and satisfying for users.

February 05, 2025

SMU DataArts Names Bao-Long Chu New Nasher Haemisegger Fellow

Staff Bao-Long Chu, the current program director for arts and parks at Houston Endowment, will serve as research center’s new ambassador to national arts sector.

February 04, 2025

Alumni Spotlight: Emily Habeck

Alumni Theatre Theatre alum Emily Habeck (B.F.A. '11) shares how her Meadows theatre degree helped her carve a career path to becoming a bestselling fiction author.

February 03, 2025

Dance students stand in a dance studio at the International Association of Blacks in Dance Conference

Dance Professor, Students Attend International Association of Blacks in Dance Conference

Students Dance Professor of practice Michelle N. Gibson and eight B.F.A. students traveled to the 35th International Association of Blacks in Dance Conference, “The Bridges We Build: From Revolution to Legacy.”

January 31, 2025

Film Professor Earns Esteemed Creative Capital Award for Documentary Project

Faculty Film & Media Arts Amber Bemak, associate professor in the Division of Film & Media Arts, was one of only 55 artists to receive a grant from Creative Capital for her artistic endeavors in film.

January 27, 2025

Alumni Spotlight: Philip DeBoer

Alumni Arts Management and Arts Entrepreneurship Arts Management & Arts Entrepreneurship alum Philip DeBoer (MMIAM '22) utilized his degree to complement and supplement his existing career.

January 27, 2025

Meadows on the Mic: Jorge Baldor – Philanthropist and Entrepreneur

Campus Corporate Communication and Public Affairs Jorge Baldor is a philanthropist and Cuban immigrant who is passionate about improving the community and striving for a better future.

January 23, 2025

Alumni Spotlight: Artina McCain

Alumni Music Music alum Artina McCain (B.M. '03) shares her talent not only through her work as a concert pianist, but also as a professor of piano at the University of Memphis.

January 21, 2025

Group photo of the fall 2024 Social Impact Lab Investment Committee

SMU Impact Lab Selects First Round of Grant Recipients

Campus Arts Management and Arts Entrepreneurship Corporate Communication and Public Affairs The SMU Impact Lab has chosen its first five organizations to receive investment funding from the program after a rigorous application process.

January 17, 2025

Student filming on set of the Summer Film Production program.

Meadows’ Divisions of Advertising and Film Ranked Among Best in the Country

Campus Advertising Film & Media Arts Both the Temerlin Advertising Institute and Division of Film & Media Arts have been ranked some of the best programs in the country by top academic and industry organizations.

December 18, 2024

Meadows on the Mic: Timmie Hathorn – Assistant Dean of Alumni and Career Success

Students Timmie Hathorn represents the office of Alumni and Career Success, which helps current and former students develop their careers through internships and alumni networking.

December 17, 2024

Painting displayed on easel in art gallery exhibition

MFA Students Selected for Exclusive North Texas Art Cohort for Graduate Students

Students Art Two MFA students in Meadows’ Division of Art have been hand-picked for Dallas Contemporary’s inaugural NTX Graduate Student Program.

December 16, 2024

Meadows on the Mic: Jessica Silverstein – Fashion Media Student

Students Journalism Jessica Silverstein is a junior Fashion Media major and student worker for the SMU Meadows Marketing team.

December 11, 2024

Alumni Spotlight: Gloria Salinas

Alumni Journalism Journalism alum Gloria Salinas (B.A. '10) utilized Meadows' core journalism teachings to enhance her current career in economic development.

December 02, 2024

Violin professor Chad Hoopes plays the violin

Professor Chad Hoopes Named Wallach Chair by Esteemed Chamber Music Society

Faculty Music The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center has selected professor of practice in violin Chad Hoopes as the holder of the Susan S. and Kenneth L. Wallach Chair position.

November 26, 2024

Alumni Spotlight: Fernando Valdes

Alumni Advertising Advertising alum Fernando Valdes (B.A. '09) leveraged the broad skillset Meadows equipped him with to tailor his own career path in a consumer-focused industry.

November 25, 2024

Dean Sam Holland poses holding his Obelisk Award

Meadows Dean Samuel S. Holland Receives BCA Obelisk Award for Arts Leadership

Faculty The Business Council for the Arts honored Dean Holland with an Obelisk Award at the organization’s 36th annual recognition ceremony on November 14.

November 22, 2024

The Importance of Nonprofit Leadership Training

Campus Arts Management and Arts Entrepreneurship Elevate your nonprofit leadership skills with training in strategic, financial, and team management. Learn how SMU’s M.A. program helps you create impact.

November 19, 2024

Alumni Spotlight: Bridget Melton

Alumni Theatre Theatre alum Bridget Melton (B.F.A. '05) built on her experience working in the Meadows Ticketing Office to forge her own career in arts accessibility through audio description.

November 18, 2024

Professor Barbara Hill Moore stands at a podium at an event celebrating her 50 years at SMU.

Meadows Celebrates Dedicated and Impactful Career of Professor Barbara Hill Moore

Events Music Students, faculty, alumni, and friends of Meadows joined together for a joyous celebration of Barbara Hill Moore’s 50-year career with the school.

November 15, 2024

Meadows on the Mic: Parisa Khobdeh – Dance Professional and Artist-in-Residence

Faculty Dance Parisa Khobdeh is a Meadows alum and professional dancer who is currently serving as Artist-in-Residence with the Division of Dance.

November 15, 2024

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