Past Internships

Undergraduate Students

Deanna Driggers

Volunteered with United Methodist Campus Ministry in Ireland. 

Melissa Frei

Volunteered with the Texas District of the Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod in Guatemala and Mexico. 

Stacie Hill

Worked with Summer Reading Program for Children, East Garrett Park in Dallas, Texas. 

Josef Specer

Volunteered with Van Zandt County Children's Shelter in Fruitvale, Texas. 

Katherine Swords

Worked with the Public Defender Service in Washington, D.C. 

Undergraduate Students

Lindsey Gaye Bruce

Worked at Vickery Meadow Learning Center in Dallas, Texas.

Betsy Kathleen Glasenapp

Worked at Tender Loving Care Complex in Cape Coral, Florida. 

Michelle Neilon

Worked at the Preverbal Communication Program at the Callier Center for Communication Disorders at the University of Texas at Dallas. 

Worked at First Lutheran Church in Miles City, Montana.

Graduate Students

Denise L. Campbell, Dedman School of Law

Worked at Operation H.O.P.E. Program (Helping Other People Excel) at the Faith Memorial Church in Dallas, Texas.

Jian Han, SMU Ph.D. Student

Worked at the Institute of Exercise and Environmental Medicine at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas. 

Matthew C. Kline, SMU Graduate Student

Worked at Cathedral of Hope Metropolitan Church in Dallas, Texas.

David M. Moore, SMU Ph.D. Student

Volunteered at Casa Juan Diego, a Catholic Worker House in Houston, Texas. 

Denise A. Sawyer, SMU Graduate Student

Volunteered at Jubilee United Methodist Church in Duncanville, Texas. 

Undergraduate Students

Worked as a counselor at Camp Holiday Trails in Charlottesville, Virginia enabling medically fragile children to have a rewarding camp experience. 

 
Anna Courtney Smith, Psychology Major

Jennifer Elisa Veninga, Religious Studies Major

Participated in a service trip to a rural village near the Himalayan Mountains in India sponsored through Cross-Cultural Solutions where she worked in community projects geared to better the social conditions of marginalized groups.

Jennifer Elisa Veninga, Religious Studies Major

Graduate Students

Kolawole A. Akinnigbagbe, Doctor of Ministry

William Allen, Ph.D. Anthropology

Worked for the Dallas Korean Society helping new Korean immigrants in their transition to American culture. 

William Allen, Ph.D. Anthropology

Worked for the Dallas Korean Society helping new Korean immigrants in their transition to American culture. 

Shaun Lyons, Dedman School of Law

Ingrid Nordquist, Dedman School of Law

Involved in the organization Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Chemung County, Elmira, NY, and worked to present the interests of abused and neglected children in the court. 

Carole O'Neil, Master of Divinity

Developed and implemented a training program for Spiritual Care Volunteers for Oncology (Cancer) patients and their families at RHD Memorial Medical Center in Dallas.

Stephen Scott, Ph.D. Clinical Psychology

Undergraduate Students

Kenta Asakura, Psychology major

Traveled to Olongapo City in the Philippines to work with the organization PREDA (Peoples Recovery, Empowerment, and Development Assistance) Foundation, Inc. to deal with the issues of sex tourism by working at a residential care center where 50 sexually prostituted or abused children (aged from 7 to 17) live.

Anna R. Brandon, Business major

Assisted at the Family Gateway Center in downtown Dallas, which provides temporary housing, counseling and life skills assistance for homeless families. 

Danielle A. Choice

Worked at The Wilkinson Center in the East Dallas Community, performing tutorial, mentoring and recreational duties for 30 at-risk youth aged 9 to 14. 

Marina V. Labuz

Worked with the Jewish Family Service in Dallas in their resettlement program by teaching English as a Second Language, providing citizenship lessons for elderly refugees, and by visiting isolated elderly refugees. 

John Paul Michel, Anthropology major

Assisted in a study at the Dallas Zoo specifically designed to assess how best to provide for the behavioral needs of primates, which is now required by federal law, and the results of which may ultimately provide a guide for other zoos as well. 

Coordinated and structured activities for a youth ministry program at St. Paul A.M.E. Church in Dallas, Texas. 

 Graduate Students

Yerusha Beaver, Dedman School of Law

Worked with the Dallas-based Rainbow Days organization by assisting with their summer camp program for disadvantaged children. 

Denise Donnell, Master of Divinity

Planned, organized, implemented and sustained New Life Ministries, a program at St. Paul A.M.E. Church in Dallas, Texas dedicated to re-structuring the lives of "at-risk" children. 

Veronica Harms

Provided musical activities for children in a YMCA camp in Lubbock especially designed for children with emotional and intellectual disabilities. 

David Schulte, SMU School of Law

Worked at the Immigration Counseling Services of Catholic Charities of Dallas, providing counsel to families facing deportation who are unable to afford private counsel.

Jennifer L. Thompson, SMU School of Law

Assisted the Area Agency on Aging of Texoma in compiling a resource guide for affordable alternative living options for the elderly. 

Undergraduate Students

Marié Anderson, Psychology and Business majors

Helped place families at Interstaff Housing Coalition in Dallas, Texas.

Derrick Gordon, sophomore dance performance major,

Coordinated summer musical/dance theatre productions for children at the Boys and Girls Club, Dallas.

Ryan Jenkins,  Electrical Engineering and Math majors

Helped train teachers as part of The Infinity Project, a national non-profit effort to bring engineering education to underrepresented groups, in Dallas, Texas.

Colin Patterson, Political Science and Philosophy majors

Assisted in teaching basic rights and skills to refugees and participated in a food distribution program at Catholic Charities Home Center Dallas, Texas.

Dilnaz Saleem,Organizational Behavior and Psychology majors

Worked with victims of domestic violence and answered the hotline at Genesis Women's Shelter in Dallas, Texas as well as monitored court cases in the Family Violence Court and record information for analysis.

Heidi Wanicheck, Finance and Russian Language majors

Developed a program that involves members of business and political communities in disaster relief projects for the national chapter of the American Red Cross in Washington, DC.

Graduate Students

Cecelia Cox, Dedman School of Law

Worked at Dallas Legal Hospice evaluating client needs, making referrals, doing legal research, and drafting estate planning documents in Dallas, Texas.

Joanne Davis, Perkins School of Theology

Helped families make the transition from welfare to the paid labor force as part of the Family Pathfinders Program, Wilkinson Center in Dallas, Texas.

Susan Knipe, Perkins School of Theology

Helped coordinate safe all-day activities for elementary students at St. Paul United Methodist Church in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

Cynthia Lutz, Master of Liberal Arts program

Helped assure ethnic, racial, sex, age, and religious diversity in the applicant pool and homeowner base of the Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity.

Melinda McGehee, Dedman School of Law

Interacted with immigrants and their families who sought legal aid from Catholic Charities in Dallas, Texas helping them to adequately prepare for their court cases.

Lesley Washington, Dedman School of Law

Assisted the feral cat program at KittiCo Cat Rescue in Dallas, Texas by helping with mobile adoption exhibits and managing and creating a newsletter to educate and create awareness of KittiCo in the community.

Undergraduate Students

Scott McIntosh, Cox School of Business

Worked with the Ethics Committee at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas researching medical ethics cases from both legal and philosophical moral theory.

Michelle Rogers, Dedman College

Assisted as a liaison between Spanish speaking patients and physicians at the Shriners Hospital for Children in Shreveport, LA, particularly in translating when on rounds with the Chief of Staff.

Sarah Thomas, Dedman College

Worked at Planned Parenthood helping to create a collection of recordings of clients to be delivered to federal and state legislators.

Beth Kirby, Dedman College

Worked with His People Christian Church in ministry to high school and university students in South Africa. She also worked with Thembalitsha, an agency that provides shelter, food, and counseling for homeless children, unemployed adults,and children with AIDS and their families.

Graduate Students

Effiong Esedeke, Perkins School of Theology

Trained volunteers in Nigeria with Aids Arms, Inc. in how to care for HIV/AIDS patients and also helped Nigeria procure medicines and support for the United States.

Desiree Garcia, Dedman School of Law

Assisted attorneys with the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund in San Antonio, Texas where she analyzed documents, prepared motions, and preformed research.

Tiffany Hansen, Dedman School of Law

Performed legal services for the people of Tarrant County living with HIV/AIDS through the Aids Outreach Center.

Michelle Marable, Dedman School of Law

Worked with Legal Services of North Texas assisting the indigent community with civil legal problems, particularly low income women trying to escape abusive relationships.

Rosario Quinones, Perkins School of Theology

Worked with Dallas Area Interfaith in implementing a program to register and educate Dallas voters, particularly within the Hispanic community.

Matthew Seymour, Dedman School of Law

Worked at Catholic Charities of Dallas assisting low-income persons with immigration issues, helping prepare hearings in immigration court, and matching pro bono attorneys with opportunities in immigration law.

Undergraduate Students

Lydia Butts, International Studies and Religious Studies majors

Worked in Calcutta, India with the Serve the Nations organization preforming research with college students and assisting directly at Mother Teresa’s Home for the Dying and Destitute, arranging accommodations and projects with incoming groups of U.S. college students serving as volunteers throughout Calcutta.

April Sunshine Prior, Psychology and Spanish majors

Volunteered at Sterling Point Heart House in Dallas, Texas as an Assistant Summer Program Leader. Heart House provides a safe haven and academic support to low-income students. Her duties included activity planning, tutoring, art activities, and assisting with field trips and guest speakers.

Jacquai Wade, Theatre major

Facilitated the summer theatre component of the YMCA’s Summer Day Camp in Detroit, Michigan by directing the summer’s culminating activity, a musical. She facilitated rehearsals, oversaw the dance choreography and led the Creative Writing Club.

Graduate Students

Michael Adeodokun, Perkins School of Theology

Worked with Exodus Ministry, a residential program that assists ex-offenders who have just been released from incarceration as they seek to reunite with their families and become acclimated, self-sustaining, and productive members of the community. He helped ex-offenders and their families with the transition, including apartment and job searches, behavioral changes, and family budgeting.

Samantha Martin, Ph.D. Anthropology

Volunteered at Native Images, Inc. in Tucson, Arizona conducting surveys and establishing a database of information on HIV/AIDS and drug abuse among Native Americans in the area. This work helped in the development of culturally appropriate HIV prevention programs for Native Americans.

Daisy Morales, M.A. Medical Anthropology

Worked with the Girl Talk-2 project sponsored by the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, Texas. The project is an STD and HIV prevention research program that utilizes a gender-specific, culturally sensitive empowerment approach that targets girls ages 13 to 17 who are in the juvenile justice system.

Undergraduate Students

Lisa Foster

Worked with The Georgetown Project (TGP) of Georgetown, Texas, a non-profit organization that seeks to help children to become caring, capable, and resilient individuals. Lisa coordinated the drug prevention program activities and publicized TGP's programs to the community. In addition, she  developed an orientation packet of materials for new Georgetown Project board members.

Vedrana Juko, Political Science and Psychology majors

Worked in Bosnia and Herzegovina with the Association of Election Officials. This organization promotes awareness of public responsibility with the election process, monitors the work of election officials, and educates citizens on voting procedures and processes in order to eradicate corruption and help the country's citizens prosper. Vedrana was directly involved in educating the public and helping answer questions, as well as assisting the association in publishing the implementation of the Law on Conflict of Interest.

Bradley Stanley, Engineering major

Volunteered at Casa Grande Community Services in Arizona aiding the organization in developing more teen-friendly activities through meetings with local teens and educators.

Laura West, Corporate Communications major

Worked with Victory Health Partners in Mobile, Alabama. Victory runs a non-profit healthcare clinic for working yet uninsured people who might otherwise "fall through the cracks" as they are not eligible for government-funded health care. Specifically, Laura helped the Development Director design and implement a public relations plan to increase awareness in the community about the clinic. This involved writing and distributing pamphlets, flyers, public service announcements, and a volunteer newsletter.

 Graduate Students

Saedra Pinkerton, Dedman School of Law

Spent the summer working for the Legal Aid of Northwest Texas and the Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program, whose mission is to help stabilize families by providing legal help to those who cannot afford a lawyer. Saedra's responsibilities included drafting documents, attending trials, and working in legal clinics on housing, consumer, and family cases.

Adrianne Speas, Dedman School of Law

Worked with the Dallas office of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The EEOC works to prevent and remedy discrimination in the workplace based on race, religion, sex, age, disability. Every complaint filed with the EEOC is required to go through mediation. Adrianne assisted attorneys in preparing for mediation, or if mediation was not successful, trial. In addition, she organized data into graphs and charts that were used for exhibits in trial.

Undergraduate Students

Lydia Butts, International Studies and Religious Studies majors

Worked with STOP, Stop Trafficking Oppression and Prostitution of Children and Women in New Delhi, India. STOP has conducted raids to rescue minors from brothels, and helps to reintegrate girls into society by encouraging them to be in control of their own life decisions. 

Graduate Students

Stephanie Fox, Dedman School of Law

Spent her summer primarily working for Howard Blackmon, the Felony Division Chief of Child Abuse and Family Violence Divisions. She helped prosecutors prepare for jury trials; assisted in child, victim, and witness interviews; and communicated with supporting agencies like the Dallas Children's Advocacy Center. Stephanie had already contributed much of her time to the Child Abuse Division, but during her internship she worked for prosecutors in the Family Violence Division.

Alan Kolodny, Dedman School of Law

Assisted Lone Star Legal Aid of Harris County, Texas. Alan helped clients with housing and consumer law problems. Alan also helped supplement attorneys by providing additional representation to clients. This allowed Lone Star attorneys provide services to clients they otherwise might not have been able to serve.

Debra McKnight, Perkins School of Theology

Worked with SMU's Women's Center to design an interactive, multimedia program to educate secondary school teachers about sexual orientation issues. Debra modeled part of her program after the Allies Safe Zone Project here at SMU.

Rashee Raj, Dedman School of Law

Worked for the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commissions Office in Dallas. This organization works towards ending discrimination in the workplace. Rashee assisted in four civil action suits and had opportunities to attend depositions, court hearings, and a federal trial.

Undergraduate Students

Katherine Bartush, Business major, Pre-medical

Worked with the St. Joseph County Regional Medical Center in South Bend, Indiana at Tobacco Initiatives helping to design a program for tracking and maintaining contact with participants of the smoking cessation program. She also implemented a fundraising effort for nicotine replacement therapies targeted toward members of the community.

Emily Gipple, Business major

Volunteered with the Institute of Food and Development Policy (also known as Food First) in Brazil. The organization is an education-for-action center focusing on issues of food, hunger and fighting for rights of Brazilian labor workers. With her background in international languages, she assisted in English translation and taught an Introduction to English to students at a national school.

Bethany Johnson, Spanish and Latin American Studies majors, Pre-medical

Worked with the Agape Clinic at Grace Methodist Church in Dallas. The clinic focuses on providing medical care as well as equipping and educating the Hispanic community on health care. While her main duties included obtaining patient histories, performing minor medical procedures (taking temperatures and blood pressures), and translating, she also assisted in training the clinic’s health promoters to teach the patients how to better care for their bodies and stay in proper health.

Sommer Saadi, History and Journalism majors

Worked in Richardson at HUG Internationally, an organization that provides physical and emotional nurturing, medical and educational training, and humanitarian aid to needy children globally. Sommer planned and ran donation drives for orphaned children overseas whose families were lost in the southeast Asian tsunami. She also developed a website to build awareness of HUG’s new work in India.

 Graduate Students

Letha Allen, Dedman School of Law 

Worked with the Central Dallas Community Development Corporation helping to provide affordable housing for the working poor and homeless. She assisted in administrative work, drafting loan documents, coordination with various government agencies, and several projects including one involving the coordination of real estate closings.

Brandie Ballard, Dedman School of Law

Worked in the Family Violence Division of the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office. In addition to assisting with trial preparation, she assisted victims of violence, providing them information on the legal system and on resources available to them.

Leah Bhimani, Dedman School of Law

Worked with Immigration and Legal Services of Catholic Charities of Dallas (ILS), a non profit organization that provides immigration services to low income clients. She participated in a ten week program that taught the fundamentals of immigration law and provided hands-on experience conducting consultations with prospective clients, researching and reviewing cases, and assisting women in seeking the special VAWA visa for battered spouses.

Undergraduate Students

Madison Dyal, Business major

Worked at Heart House Austin, an organization providing after-school and summer care for low-income families and at-risk children. She constructed a strategic marketing plan including events, partnerships with local businesses, and development to increase awareness and involvement from the Austin community.

Cynthia Halatyn, Political Science major

Researched with the Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty (TCADP) in Austin. Her study focused on the costs associated with the death penalty in Harris County versus the cost of incarceration for life. 

Sommer Saadi, History and Journalism majors

Worked in Richardson, Texas at HUG Internationally, an organization that provides physical and emotional nurturing, medical and educational training, and humanitarian aid to needy children globally. Sommer focused her efforts on fundraising and marketing for HUG by developing an interactive website that updates donors with information about the “Bunici Program” which hires Romanian grandmothers to help care for children in orphanages.

Angad Talwar, Electrical Engineering and Physics majors

Worked in New Delhi, India with Shikha Pathshala, an organization that provides elementary education to underprivileged children. He directed classes in English, math, drawing, painting, and creative writing and supervised computer literacy education.

 Graduate Students

Chris Bhatti, Cox School of Business MBA

Worked with the Hockaday Science in the Community program to create a strategic plan and develop a website that would provide 24-hour access to math and science lessons for DISD students. The model he created is replicable nationwide through high schools and colleges in providing low-performing public school students with quality supplementary science and math instruction.

Aaron Clinger, Dedman School of Law

Worked at Mosaic Family Services, a non-profit organization that provides services to at-risk and underserved populations in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. He worked in their Multicultural Legal Services office providing legal assistance, writing briefs, and assisting attorneys with immigration and family-law cases.

John Hasley, Dedman School of Law

Worked with the Equal Justice Center’s Transnational Worker Rights Clinic in Austin, Texas as an advocate, volunteering directly with workers to help recover unpaid wages. He applied low-wage employment laws to protect migrant workers and assist with intake, managing cases, filing litigation, negotiation, and settlement.

Undergraduate Students

Nicholas Elledge, Dedman College

Worked at the Rancho 3M Christian Orphanage in Guadalupe, Mexico, living and working at the orphanage and providing a consistent and positive role model for the seventy children who live there. In addition to his duties with facility maintenance, he participated in activities with the children such as interacting with them and playing games.

Cody Meador, Political Science major

Worked at the Stewpot in downtown Dallas. She was the Stewpot representative and “watch dog” to the City of Dallas, attending various committee and city council meetings. She engaged in political discussion with members of the homeless community and served as an advocate for them.

Jennifer Tashman, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs majors

Worked in Houston at Texas Defender’s Service, a nonprofit law group that represents convicts who are on death row in Texas under questionable circumstances, particularly those who are mentally unstable or have histories of abuse and neglect. She researched legal cases, obtained court records, and wrote reports based on her investigations.

 Graduate Students

Gilberto Lopez, Ph.D. Anthropology

Volunteered in the Nuevo Leon region of Mexico with a project entitled “Carranza-Casillas Sustainable Mountain Development Initiative” helping to build infrastructure in a mountainous rural community, teaching primary enrichment and adult literacy classes, and researching economic development and planning.

Kristin Mendelow, Dedman School of Law

Worked as a Summer Clinic Fellow in the WilmerHale Legal Service Clinic at Harvard University. She interviewed low and moderate income clients seeking legal services, counseled and advised clients, prepared motions for courts and assisting in trial preparation.

Lindsay Wilson, Annette Caldwell Simmons School of Education and Human Development

Worked in Dallas with Our Friends’ Place, a safe haven for abused and neglected girls and young women. Specifically, she coordinated case management requirements for residents and their families of the Stemmons Group Home. In addition, she was involved with diagnostic assessments, review of treatment plans, and implementation of services.

June Yi, Perkins School of Theology

Worked in Irving, Texas, with the Korean Central United Methodist Church assisting with ministries, social services, and senior citizen care. She provided vital translation services (verbal and written) to the senior citizens, and planned to set up a web site and network for volunteers.

Undergraduate Students

Danielle Czajka, Accounting major

Worked with Wings Ministry, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping families of prisoners, helping to create a working budget and prepare them for a full audit.

Nick Elledge, Spanish, Political Science, and Economics major

Worked with PEER Servants in Cusco, Peru, gathering data and interviewing clients for the receipt of microloans and writing for a weekly microfinance blog.

Nureen Gulamali, Advertising major

Interned in Atlanta, GA with the American Civil Liberties Union interviewing clients, filing court cases, and arranging press releases.

Saira Husain, Biology and Anthropology major

Interned at Children’s’ Museum for Peace and Human Rights (CMPHR) in Karachi, Pakistan. She assisted in providing material and activity for students, planning, logistical coordination, and report writing.

Max Taghizadeh, Biology major, Pre-medical

Worked for PediPlace preforming research on the issue of child obesity and associated medical ramifications and intervention strategies. He also drafted and implemented a plan that addresses, informs, and treats childhood obesity for PediPlace’s client population.

 Graduate Students

Serena Johnson, Annette Caldwell Simmons School of Education and Human Development

Interned at the Deaf Action Center in Dallas where she was responsible for educating offices about the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and interpreting meetings and presentations into or from American Sign Language.

Jason Minter, Ph.D. Statistics

Worked with Youth First Texas (YFT), Dallas preforming research and assisting with fund-raising. Responsibilities included finding sponsors, organizing volunteers, and managing events. He was also involved with counseling, mentoring, and tutoring.

Amy Richards, Dedman School of Law

Interned in the Protective Order Unit of the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office (Family Violence Division) aiding in trial preparation, victim and witness contacts, and assisting in the family violence trainings.

Robert Robson, Master of Liberal Studies

Interned for the immigration legal services department of the International Rescue Committee in Dallas, helping to provide low cost, professional, and personal legal advice and legal representation for displaced persons.

Undergraduate Students

Kendra Eaton, Markets andCulture major

Worked with Fundacion A. Jean Brugger in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua, teaching art appreciation for children in an after-school program. Eaton also tutored students in the English language and taught workshops to help local residents enhance their computer skills.

Anders Pedersen, Markets and Culture major

Traveled to northern Uganda to work under the umbrella organization of Elephant Sisters to aid in building low-cost homes, counseling former child soldiers in conflict resolution and mediation, and exposing children to the English language through reading, song, and conversation.

Sheba Rasson, Psychology and Business major\

Worked with the Legal Hospice of Texas in Dallas, reviewing and editing client orientation materials, performing client registrations, and assisting with research and preparation of legal documents.

Graduate Students

John Duvenci, 4+1 Accelerated Masters, Lyle School of Engineerig

Worked with Living Water International to design a waste-water treatment system for an orphanage in Luanda, Angola.

Lisa Haayen, Ph.D. Cultural Anthropology

Compared student retention rates and outcomes at two Vickery Meadows Learning Center campuses to understand factors that will improve learner persistence and thus improve the curriculum and programming in West Dallas.

Ablat Turson, Ph.D. Biology

Worked at International Students Inc. researching and analyzing the needs of international students studying in Dallas universities and matching needs with potential resource-delivery systems.

Shay Cannedy, Anthropology graduate program

Worked with the Green Leaf Program at Refugee Services of Texas, Inc., in Austin.  She developed and implemented a culturally competent system for evaluating services and a curriculum for marriage-education classes for refugees dealing with the stress of adjusting to life in a new country.

Undergraduate Students

Jacob Stewart, Theatre major

Worked with Studio@620 in St. Petersburg, FL to create and produce a children’s theatre performance, direct “This is Our Youth”, and work collaboratively with a culturally diverse population to discuss the ethical issues directly related to children’s lives.

Aden Abiye, Accounting and Markets & Culture major

Worked with major DFW International Community Alliance in Dallas to update six guides for new Americans, Aden assisted in the creation of the Dallas Latino Festival.

Meera Nair, Computer Science major

Worked with major Reach-Swasraya in Kerala, India to develop processes to track the individual development of special needs and handicapped children. Meera updated the website and promoted and sustained inclusive education

Graduate Students

Kelly Vowell, Master of Music in Piano Performance & Pedagogy

Worked with major West Dallas Community School in Dallas to create and establish a self-sustaining summer music enrichment program.

Sunghoon Chung, Cox School of Business

Worked with HIS Bridge Builders in Dallas evaluating the economic impact of South and West Dallas economic development programming.

Laura Oei, Master of Science in Counseling

Worked with the Children’s Advocacy Center of Collin County in Plano planning and executing the Back to School Fair Project.

Undergraduate Students

Rahfin Faruk, Economics and Public Policy major

Worked with Grameen Bank in Bangladesh to provide micro-finance loans to rural farmers in and around Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Katie Jones, Economics with Financial Applications major

Worked with local amazonian farmers to develop sustainable and nondestructive farming practices at Ubelong in Ecuador.

Janielle Kastner, Theatre Studies and English major

Worked at Traffick911 in Dallas, Texas building a safe house for victims of sex trafficking.

Ellie Norris, Philosophy and Political Science major

Worked with American Friends of Le Korsa in Bethany, CT identifying and sourcing surplus medical equipment for medical centers constructed in rural Senegal.

Marissa Ocampo, Anthropology and Foreign Languages (French and Spanish) major

Worked at La Isla Foundation in Nicaragua analyzing data to identify priorities for Nicaraguan families affected by Chronic Kidney Disease.

Graduate Students

Andrew Laird, Dedman School of Law

Worked at the U.S. Securities and Exchance Commission in Fort Worth, TX contributing to the enforcement of ethical norms and justice in the business world and among corporate lawyers.

Yvonne Glass, Master of Liberal Studies and Human Rights

Worked with the International Rescue Committee in Dallas, TX, helping refugees rebuild their lives by raising awareness through community events.

Undergraduate Students

Rahfin Faruk, Economics and Public Policy major

Worked for the U.S. State Department and the Bureau of Central and South Aisa, in Washington D. C.

Danielle Katz, Spanish and Psychology major

Worked with Ubelong as a volunteer in the classroom of public schools in Cusco, Peru.

Kyle Nakatsuka, Biology, Spanish, Latin American Studies and Human Rights major

Observed, conducted and contributed to research at Ka Ola Mamo Hawaiian Health Care, a clinic designed to serve native Hawaiians in Honolulu, HI.  He also conducted research in Taos, NM at the Taos County Economic Development Corporation.

Elizabeth Ricketts, Mechanical Engineering major

Coordinated education workshops with Water Conservation and Literacy Project in Bangalore, India.

Graduate Students

Spencer Bogle, Graduate Program in Religious Studies

Conducted research to explore the ethics concerning relationships of ownership, control and benefit within the Kibo Group International in Jinja, Uganda.

Kerrie Brown, Anthropology

Worked as a research assistant for Criola to identify health disparities amongst Afro-Brazilian women in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Julia Maddalena, Graduate Program in Religious Studies

Collaborated with the Dallas Women's Foundation and Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity to conduct ethnographic field research in Dallas, TX.

Nayeem Mohammed, JD/MBA candidate at Dedman School of Law and Cox School of Business

Worked as an enforcement attorney investigating possible violations of the federal securities laws, for the Securities and Exchange Commission at their offices in Fort Worth, TX.

Undergraduate Students

Volunteered in Panamanian homes for neglected children and orphanages with Hope for the Silent Voices in Panama.

Volunteered with the Ethiopian National Project in Israel to help Ethiopian-Israeli youth integrate into Israeli culture.

Erica Renstrom, Sociology and Psychology major

Worked with ManeGait in McKinney, Texas to increase the strength and confidence of people with disabilities by teaching them to ride and care for horses.

Gopika Shah, Economics and Political Science major

Worked with the Central Texas Coalition Against Human Trafficking to learn about aftercare and restoration policy in Texas.

Arvind Venkataraman, Finance major with a specialty in Alternative Asset Management

Worked with the Center for Communities and Education at SMU and Apollo Tutors to set up a process to connect volunteers with tutoring opportunities at schools in West Dallas.

Graduate Students

Alice Heeren Sabato, Ph.D. candidate in Art History

Conducted research to explore the architectural and urbanist projects of the Fascist government in Italy, particularly the physical changes to the city of Rome and the ideological discourse permeating it.

Nazia Hussain, M.A. in Medical Anthropology

Volunteered with Nexus Recovery in Dallas to develop a research protocol to gain an understanding of the barriers and cultural influences pregnant women face with respect to motivations of seeking care, and how substance abuse hinders or propels these women

Jade Mens, Dedman School of Law

Volunteered in the United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Texas performing legal research and assisting with witness preparation, depositions, and trials.

Volunteered with the Los Angeles County Arts Commission in it's education arm "Arts for All," doing research and updating their online resources.

Worked with the League of Women Voters of Dallas to gather research on the impact of Texas' new voting regulations requiring voters to present valid ID at the polls.

Undergraduate Students

Volunteered with the International Justice Mission's mobilization department, promoting collaboration with anti-human trafficking agencies.

Volunteered with Fort Worth Sister Cities International to co-lead a delegation of student citizen diplomats to Indonesia. 

Created a community art/historical mural project about Pike Park with underprivileged children at Reverchon Recreation Center.

Interned with the International Rescue Committee in the Immigration Department learning about American immigration processes and refugee protocols.

Volunteered with the Bo M. Karlsson Foundation in Nepal to provide emergency assistance following the April 2015 earthquake.

Volunteered with the Magdaleno Leadership Institute in Santa Maria de Jesus, Guatemala to aid young women in the renovation of their public library.

Volunteered with the Wesley-Rankin Community Center in Dallas, Texas providing tutoring and creating learning plans for students in literacy need.

Interned at a London nonprofit dedicated to serving refugees while examining social, economic and political inclusivity for ostracized immigrants.

Graduate Students

Led the summer education program for elementary children at Family Gateway’s Annette G. Strauss Center, a transitional housing facility in Dallas.

Volunteered with the Pacific Center for Human Growth in the San Francisco Bay Area to document struggles of the LGBTQ immigrant community.

Jordan Wondrack, M.A. in Medical Anthropology

Served as a research associate at Le Centre Francoise Minkowska in Paris to analyze mental health services and policies for immigrant and refugee groups.

Undergraduate Students

Shelby Hill, Mathematics major

Volunteered at the Oak Cliff Family YMCA coaching youth sports teams and participating in the education enrichment programs.

Jessica Jancose, Human Rights and Health & Society majors

Volunteered in Cartago, Costa Rica on a project offered by UBELONG at a government-supported community center for the elderly.

Parker Miller, Biochemistry and Philosophy majors

Volunteered at Texas Health Presbyterian and a sister organization, the Texas Surgery Institute acting as a liason between doctors, nurses, and patients.

Dan Mulammoottil, Applied Physiology and Health Management majors

Volunteered in Dehli, India through IVHQ to work in health clinics and shadow region doctors.

Claire Wilt, Biology major

Interned at Bryan's House, a non-profit organization that cares for children affected by HIV/AIDS in West Dallas.

Undergraduate Students

Angela Wang, Biochemistry and Human Rights majors; Pre-Med

Volunteered with Unite for Sight to conduct anthropological research into perceptions and awareness of cataract eye health in Chennai, India.

Antoine Mellon, Biological Sciences major; Pre-veterinary

Volunteered with Inti Wara Yassi in helping with the rehabilitation of animal trafficking victims in Bolivia.

Undergraduate Students

Averie Bishop, Human Rights and Sociology majors; Pre-Law

Developed Curriculum and Taught Self-Efficacy Classes at Banga High School in the Phillipines.

Luke Collins, Philosophy and Psychology majors

Supported the George W. Bush Institute's Military Service Initiative through research and writing.

Tong Yuan Douville, Health and Society major

Worked as a communications and outreach liaison for the Seattle Center Foundation's pop-up medical clinic bringing free medical, dental, and eye care to underserved populations.

Mona El-Gharby, Chemistry and Human Rights majors; Pre-Med

Worked as an Extended Case Management and Advocacy Intern to provide refugees with medical, mental health, and social services through the International Rescue Committee in Dallas.

Rachel Mumaw, Human Rights and Biology majors

Assisted with HIV/AIDS prevention at Resource Center in Dallas.

Grace Reon, Political Science major

Led educational programming including ESL and math for refugee children at For the Nations: Refugee Outreach in Dallas.