Hunt Institute for Engineering & Humanity | Lyle School of Engineering

THE HUNT INSTITUTE seeks to intersect innovative research with practical application to counter the effects of local and global poverty.

The Institute holds a unique advantage as an action-oriented group in a theory-oriented environment. It draws members and practices from both the professional and academic sectors to propose and test well-researched and contextualized solutions to problems faced by impoverished communities. It strives to promote dignity-based disruption, tackling systems from the bottom up, and encourages solutions that promote local resilience and improve quality of life.

Senior Design team in front of Evie the mobile greenhouse at the State Fair of Texas from the Hunt Institute in Lyle School of Engineering at Southern Methodist University SMU

Sustainable Food Security

Globally, agriculture is the primary source of income for impoverished communities. The Institute’s Food Systems projects gather best practices and prototype ideas that make sustainable agriculture more accessible to all members within a community.

The Inclusive Economy Consortium Hunt Institute for Engineering and Humanity

Inclusive Economic Development

The Inclusive Economy Consortium fosters collaboration, education and innovation to help businesses and social entrepreneurs access opportunities and create shared value. It gathers stakeholders that promote biodiversity and ecosystem services, sustainable production and consumption, inclusive economic growth, and human dignity.

Interdisciplinary undergraduate graduate students at Southern Methodist University in Hunter and Stephanie Hunt Institute for Engineering and Humanity

Resilient Infrastructure

The Institute relies on infrastructural projects as its agents for change within a particular community. By pursuing disruptive solutions in the areas of housing, hygiene, transportation, and energy use, the Institute works to better address humanity's most basic needs.

What's Up @ Hunt?

Keep up to date with what is happening in the Hunt Institute with our calendar of events, links to the latest news, and our student-driven blog. Visit our Youtube Channel to watch videos about the Institute, events, conferences, interviews, and student projects to learn more about the program.