The Institute is made up of a diverse team of undergraduate and graduate students, faculty members and fellows. Our interdisciplinary program mirrors the structure and demands of a multidimensional world. Students who are studying engineering, communications, business, journalism, videography, web design, project management, and more work together on projects and research to solve challenges facing humanity. The Institute promotes layered mentoring. Undergraduate students work with other Institutes, Centers, graduate students, professors, social entrepreneurs and industry mentors throughout the course of their project.

Eva Csaky

Jasleen Dhillon

James Olivier, Ph.D.

Alex Radunsky, ScD MPH

Anna M. Clark

Rebecca Pearce

Farbod Tavakkoli Khomeini

Michaela Eamaa

J. Paxton Marshall, J.D., L.LM.

Dr. Jessie Zarazaga

Candice Bledsoe

Valecia Harris

Anna Grace
Anna Grace Carey is a Marketing Specialist at Sendero, a management consulting firm in Dallas. Prior to joining the marketing department, she worked as an Associate Consultant where she led various organizational change management initiatives in IT departments at two Fortune 500 companies. She graduated cum laude from Southern Methodist University in 2019 with majors in journalism, fashion media and political science; and minors in law & legal reasoning and history of visual & performing arts.
Outside of the office, she is a member of Genesis Young Leaders and volunteers through the Junior League of Dallas. She enjoys writing, traveling, and taking classes through SMU’s interdisciplinary Graduate Liberal Studies program.

Doric Earle
After 30 years managing large technology consultancies, Dr. Earle reinvented himself to help communities, social enterprises and entrepreneurs achieve collaborative, engaging and sustainable solutions. A Ph.D. in Public Affairs focused on Urban Planning drives an emphasis on economic development, communication and community engagement as a catalyst to unlock potential in underserved communities. Social impact drives his work including joining the boards or consulting for NPs such as; Frazier Revitalization, Bridge Lacrosse, Green Careers Dallas, and Miles of Freedom. His consultancy Forward Planning LLC is developing support for local entrepreneurs. Dr. Earle is also a co-founder of Restorative Farms Hatcher Station Garden and Training Farm project. These efforts will drive collaboration between the community, SMU and like-minded partners.
Dr. Earle teaches various courses depending on the semester; Social Innovation/NP Leadership, Applied Comm Theory, Financial Comm, and Group/Team Communication Leadership. He holds a BS in Management from Syracuse University, an MBA from University of Connecticut and a Ph.D. in Public Affairs from University of Texas at Dallas.

Nadia Zrelli Ben Hamida
Nadia Zrelli Ben Hamida is a PhD in economics, a World Bank expert in PPP projects, an International Specialist M&E, a former Consultant at the Ministry of Major Public Projects, Tunisian Presidency of the Government, and is currently and associate professor at the Institute of the Advanced Commercial Studies of Carthage and Chair of the Tunisia Policy Circle. She is the national coordinator of the BIDEYA program at the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research.
Nadia is a graduate from the We Lead Program, Women's Initiative, Bush Institute and the LAD Program of the Center of International Private Enterprise CIPE. She is a member of the think tank ARDES, responsible for the pole labor market and entrepreneurship. She is part of the Leadership for Development Network at Stanford University and she participated in the conception of open start-up with Columbia University New York City. Its main topics of scientific research are youth unemployment, labor market, quality of higher education, over-education, gender disparities, Islamic finance, and entrepreneurship.