SMU Lyle student uses management science principles to refine the art of dance
Talia Markowski (’23) finds innovative ways to apply her management science skills to improve her choreography. The double major at SMU’s Lyle School of Engineering and Meadows School of the Arts combines proficiency in science with love of dance.
“I love trying to mesh my two worlds together,” Talia says. “It's a fun little challenge. And it's really rewarding at the same time.”
Talia’s journey from young competitive gymnast in Colorado Springs to engineer at SMU Lyle has given her unique skills and the creative freedom to improve her choreography on stage, she said. She uses her degree work in management science to refine her performances and develop new ways to express herself.
“The best way I can describe it is that it’s a degree in efficiency, like planning, organizing, scheduling, and how you can optimize things. We just did a show at the Winspear Opera House, and I was in a dance that was 35 minutes long. So, when I'm dancing, I ask, ‘What's the most efficient way? How can I sustain my energy for that long?’ That's all management science.”
Talia will complete two bachelor’s degrees in the spring – one in Dance and the other in Management Science. Talia has accepted a position with McGuire Sponsel tax consulting firm, where she will work as she completes her master’s degree through SMU Lyle’s Accelerated Pathways program. The program allows SMU Lyle students to apply in their junior year to earn both an undergraduate and graduate degree in just five years. Students like Talia who are accepted into the program begin taking graduate-level courses before they earn their undergraduate degree.
Talia has gained inspiration and guidance from family members along the way. Her mother taught math at her Colorado high school, and her stepfather was a police officer with Colorado Springs Police Department for 33 years. One of her brothers is now a police officer with Dallas Police and another brother flies Cobra helicopters for the marines.
Talia has participated in Student Choreography Showcases at Meadows, and some of her professors at SMU Lyle have attended her performances. She will graduate in May 2023 with her Bachelor's degree. She plans to pursue a career in both engineering and dance while she finishes her Master's.
About the Bobby B. Lyle School of Engineering
SMU’s Lyle School of Engineering, founded in 1925, is one of the oldest engineering schools in the Southwest. The school offers twelve undergraduate and 29 graduate programs, including master’s and doctoral degrees, in the departments of Civil and Environmental Engineering; Computer Science; Electrical and Computer Engineering; Mechanical Engineering and Operations Research and Engineering Management.
About SMU
SMU is the nationally ranked global research university in the dynamic city of Dallas. SMU’s alumni, faculty and nearly 12,000 students in eight degree-granting schools demonstrate an entrepreneurial spirit as they lead change in their professions, community and the world.
“I love trying to mesh my two worlds together,” Talia says. “It's a fun little challenge. And it's really rewarding at the same time.”
Talia’s journey from young competitive gymnast in Colorado Springs to engineer at SMU Lyle has given her unique skills and the creative freedom to improve her choreography on stage, she said. She uses her degree work in management science to refine her performances and develop new ways to express herself.
“The best way I can describe it is that it’s a degree in efficiency, like planning, organizing, scheduling, and how you can optimize things. We just did a show at the Winspear Opera House, and I was in a dance that was 35 minutes long. So, when I'm dancing, I ask, ‘What's the most efficient way? How can I sustain my energy for that long?’ That's all management science.”
Talia will complete two bachelor’s degrees in the spring – one in Dance and the other in Management Science. Talia has accepted a position with McGuire Sponsel tax consulting firm, where she will work as she completes her master’s degree through SMU Lyle’s Accelerated Pathways program. The program allows SMU Lyle students to apply in their junior year to earn both an undergraduate and graduate degree in just five years. Students like Talia who are accepted into the program begin taking graduate-level courses before they earn their undergraduate degree.
Talia has gained inspiration and guidance from family members along the way. Her mother taught math at her Colorado high school, and her stepfather was a police officer with Colorado Springs Police Department for 33 years. One of her brothers is now a police officer with Dallas Police and another brother flies Cobra helicopters for the marines.
Talia has participated in Student Choreography Showcases at Meadows, and some of her professors at SMU Lyle have attended her performances. She will graduate in May 2023 with her Bachelor's degree. She plans to pursue a career in both engineering and dance while she finishes her Master's.
About the Bobby B. Lyle School of Engineering
SMU’s Lyle School of Engineering, founded in 1925, is one of the oldest engineering schools in the Southwest. The school offers twelve undergraduate and 29 graduate programs, including master’s and doctoral degrees, in the departments of Civil and Environmental Engineering; Computer Science; Electrical and Computer Engineering; Mechanical Engineering and Operations Research and Engineering Management.
About SMU
SMU is the nationally ranked global research university in the dynamic city of Dallas. SMU’s alumni, faculty and nearly 12,000 students in eight degree-granting schools demonstrate an entrepreneurial spirit as they lead change in their professions, community and the world.