Faculty-in-Residence
Ashley Stone
Faculty-in-Residence, Armstrong Commons
"I have been excited about the faculty-in-residence program since it was first being dreamed up at SMU and am so grateful to finally have an opportunity to take on this role. I am really looking forward to helping all of the Armstrong residents find their home in the Commons and at SMU and can’t wait to learn from and alongside everyone in the community."
Ashley Stone was born and raised in rural northeast Texas, which inspires her research on critical understandings of place and rural students in higher education.
Prior to earning her Ph.D. at The University of Texas at Austin and transitioning into a faculty role she served as the Director of New Student Orientation and Student Support here at SMU. After spending three years on faculty at George Washington University, she jumped at the opportunity to return to the Hilltop as a Clinical Assistant Professor in Higher Education.
Returning to Dallas has also meant being closer to home and having more time to spend being “Aunt Sassy” to her nieces and nephews and getting to be the loudest cheerleader at their little league games. She also had the joy of bringing home her pup, Margot Mae, this past October and knows Margot is also going to love walks around campus and welcoming all of the residents back to Armstrong.
In her free time she enjoys traveling, or when she can’t get away, exploring the world through new recipes in the kitchen. She is excited to bring these culinary adventures home to the Commons. Ashley’s research explores how the places we live can shape who we are and can’t wait to meet all of the residents, learn about the places they are from, and help them make SMU and Armstrong Commons home.
Dr. Nils Van den Steen
Faculty-in-Residence, Boaz Commons
“I believe some of the most meaningful college experiences happen outside the classroom—over coffee, shared meals, or game nights that run a little too late. As your Faculty-in-Residence, I’m here to support you, cheer you on, and just be present. Whether you want to talk classes, careers, or strategies for your next tabletop adventure, my door is open. College is about growth, and my lovely wife Sylke and I hope to support you through all the highs, lows, and everything in between. You don’t have to have it all figured out—just come as you are (we’ll probably have snacks).”
Dr. Nils Van den Steen is a Clinical Professor of Information Technology and Operations Management at the Cox School of Business. Originally from Belgium, he earned a BS in Business Engineering, an MS in Operations Management, and a PhD in Business Economics from Ghent University. Nils met his wife, Sylke, in high school in 2008—two weeks later, they were dating, and they’ve been together ever since. The couple moved to Dallas in 2021 when Nils joined SMU as a visiting professor, and what began as a temporary move quickly turned into home.
As Faculty-in-Residence, Nils lives in Boaz Commons alongside Sylke and their two beloved pets: Sir Momo Wellington, a charismatic powderpuff pup, and Leia, their playful cat. He is passionate about building community and believes that college is about more than academics—it’s about growth, connection, and discovering who you are outside the classroom. Whether it’s hosting game nights, discussing life over coffee, or just being a familiar face around Boaz, he is committed to supporting students through every step of their journey.
Nils has a particular love for the crossover between economics, politics, and history, and enjoys bringing that curiosity into conversations with students. He serves as a faculty mentor for the Data Analytics Club and the Alexander Hamilton Society, and is always happy to help students explore big ideas, develop new skills, or find opportunities beyond the classroom. When he’s not teaching or mentoring, you can usually find him immersed in storytelling through tabletop role-playing games, playing board games with friends, or exploring Dallas’s food scene. Above all, he and Sylke hope to help make Boaz feel like home for every student who walks through its doors.
Dr. Maria del Pilar Melgarejo
Faculty-in-Residence, Cockrell-McIntosh Commons
"I believe connecting with others is what lights up our spirit because it is a beautiful way to discover who we are and what we are capable of. Through heartfelt connections it is possible to create, transform and grow."
María del Pilar Melgarejo is passionate about creating heartfelt connections. She firmly believes there is no limit if the heart is at the center of whatever you dream of. Born and raised in her beloved country of Colombia, she holds a PhD in Literature from the University of Pittsburgh, M.A. in Philosophy and a B.A. in Social Communication and Journalism. She worked as a professor at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee for seven years, and she arrived at SMU in 2013. Dr. Melgarejo and her husband, Dr. Ruben Sanchez–Godoy, teach Latin American Literature and Culture and Spanish at the Department of World Languages and Literatures. They both enjoy creating a meaningful experience for students on campus.
Her spirited 13-year-old son, Antonio, and her creative 8-year-old daughter, Violeta, are thrilled to meet her new college friends. María del Pilar published a book on Literature and Politics in Mexico and Colombia and has several articles about literature, cinema and culture. She worked in Colombia in Human Rights and in 2020 got a certification in Life Coaching. She is passionate about wellbeing and finding a balance between mind, body and heart. She enjoys playing the ukelele, eating great food, dancing, reading fiction and non-fiction, attending music concerts, traveling and hiking. She is honored to be part of the Commons and share her passions with the students. She does believe sharing with others is food for the soul.
Dr. Kevin Gunter
Faculty-in-Residence, Crum Commons
Kevin Gunter is an Associate Director of the Division of Music in the Meadows School of the Arts and Senior Lecturer II, serving as coordinator of the Class Piano program, where he has taught for more than 20 years. An inaugural recipient of the SMU Moody Outstanding Mentor Award, Kevin is widely recognized for his deep commitment to mentoring and helping students.
Dr. Daniele Forlino
Faculty-in-Residence, Kathy Crow Commons
"As the youngest of nine kids, and having been an international student, I understand both the challenges and wonderful opportunities of living with students in a large, loud, diverse environment and I look forward to serving the Kathy Crow Community."
Daniele Forlino is a lecturer of Italian and serves as the Area Chair for the Italian Program. His partner, Dr. Aria Cabot is the director of the World Languages and Literatures Teaching and Technology Center at SMU.
They, along with their two children, Sofia (6 years old) and Rocco (almost 1) are thrilled to become part of the Kathy Crow family, and are eager to contribute to the intellectual enrichment of its community.
Justin Germain
Faculty-in-Residence, Loyd Commons
"I want my daughter to see the value of an examined life. What better way than having her live among undergraduates who are actually doing the work I hope she will undertake as she grows? The old proverb rings in my mind, it takes a village to raise a child. I believe that is true, and more ardently believe that the culture of the village in which a child is raised matters. SMU is an amazing village."
Justin comes to his FiR position as both an SMU alum, having completed his master’s here at SMU, and as a veteran, having served in the US Air Force and Air Force reserves for 7 years total. He comes to SMU with his five-year-old daughter, Elora, and dog Diana.
Justin began his academic journey at the University of North Texas, receiving his bachelor’s in history in 2004. He was the first in his family to graduate from college. He then completed a master’s at OU while serving active duty at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City. While in the Air Force, he led deployments to Curaçao, Montevideo, and the UK. Following his time in the military, Justin began work on his master’s at SMU. His time studying under the illustrious Patricia Rawlins, Melissa Dowling, and the late Jeremy Adams were the two most transformative experiences in his life prior to becoming a father. Later, he joined WorldTeach and went international again, living in the Amazon Rain Forest in Tena Ecuador, teaching English and learning Spanish. After teaching Latin for three years at Live Oak Classical School in Waco, Texas, he began his PhD studies at Indiana University. Justin is so happy to be back on the SMU campus and sees the FIR position as an opportunity to live out the classical examples of Aristotle and Epicurus.
You can often find Elora riding her bike (on training wheels) around the commons and telling students “Hi” as they pass. She loves Elsa, Ninja Turtles, and taking Diana on walks with her daddy. She has completely taken to living on campus and loves to “teach” in the Loyd Commons classroom after hours. Her students include her daddy, her Ninja Turtle toys, and all her mermaids. Diana has also soaked up all the attention of her new home and hasn’t met a resident yet whose lap she wouldn’t jump into given half the chance.
When Justin isn’t teaching or spending time with his daughter, you can find him in the Dedman student center working out, writing, trying to learn piano and jiu jitsu, and reading Greek. He hopes to be for his residents in Loyd what so many of his mentors have been for him over the years: encouraging others to reach their full human potential by living the examined life in public.
Dr. Joan Frances Arbery
Faculty-in-Residence, McElvaney Commons
Joan Frances Arbery is a Teaching Professor in the University Honors Program and has been a member of the SMU faculty since 2009. In addition to serving as an assistant director in Honors, she is the historian for SMU's Phi Beta Kappa chapter, a member of the Faculty Senate, and a Fellow of the Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture.
Dr. Alberto Pastor
Faculty-in-Residence, Mary Hay, Peyton, Shuttles Commons
"Being a FiR will allow me to partake in energizing conversations and academic exchanges with students, and engage in social events in which I can contribute to the students’ personal growth and to the society at large by bringing my area of expertise on multilingual societies to the Commons."
A native of Madrid (Spain), Alberto Pastor has taught linguistics at SMU since 2005. His research interests are linguistic theory and sociolinguistic issues related to Spanish in the United States such as language contact, language ideologies and attitudes, and linguistic landscapes. In his classes and personal life, he tries to serve as an advocate for multilingualism and multiculturalism in the society at large. Along with his wife Martha, and their son Alejandro, they are thrilled to continue the diversity values and traditions of HPMS Commons, and to be part and foster this community.
Dr. Alida Liberman
Faculty-in-Residence, Morrison-McGinnis Commons
Alida Liberman is an Associate Professor and Altshuler Distinguished Teaching Professor in the Department of Philosophy in Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences. Since joining SMU in 2018, she has been an active leader in faculty development, regularly facilitating teaching and learning workshops for the American Association of Philosophy Teachers and helping to design its first workshop focused on inclusive pedagogy.
Dr. Cathy Lysinger
Faculty-in-Residence, Virginia-Snider Commons
Cathy Lysinger has served on the piano faculty in Meadows since 2004. During graduate school at the University of Houston, Cathy was the Gold Medalist in two significant piano competitions, the Music Teach National Association Young Artist Competition and the Wideman International Piano Competition. She continues to perform occasionally as soloist and collaborator while focusing most of her time sharing her passion for performance and teaching with countless students for the past 35 years. Cathy's favorite role in life is as mother to Abby, a mezzo-soprano based in Houston, and Sophie, also a musician, and a senior at Plano West High School. Cathy is looking forward to sharing all of her passion for SMU and Dallas with VS residents.
Dr. Maryann Cairns
Faculty-in-Residence, Ware Commons
"As I look back on my time as an undergraduate, I can remember small interactions with professors--often seemingly insignificant or fleeting ones at the time--that in retrospect provided key opportunities or pieces of information that helped me to succeed in my career. I think professors are in a position to help students create professional networks, overcome barriers, and discover opportunities far beyond the classroom. The FiR program offers students the ability to really connect with a faculty family, offering them an approachable way to meet other scholars, engage in academic programming, and become connected to the wider campus community. My family and I really wanted to be a part of that. It is such a great opportunity for our family as well to experience university life by living on campus."
Dr. Maryann Cairns is an Associate Professor of Anthropology here at SMU. Her research in the field of environmental anthropology focuses on why people pollute water and how we are going to clean it up. Her work tackles key concerns that arise for regions struggling to ensure that people have access to clean water, addressing questions like whether to promote conservation of local resources or fuel economic growth, whether to choose centralized or decentralized water infrastructure, and whether local or foreign technologies will fare best for a community long-term. Set in several different countries and regions, her work incorporates knowledge of people’s decisions and perceptions related to water with knowledge of water technologies in order to encourage both locally-relevant and sustainable solutions to water problems.
Her work has been funded by the National Science Foundation and a Fulbright US Scholar Award. She is also a previous recipient of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Science & Technology Policy Fellowship. Her most recent research addresses water pollution stemming from the fashion industry and asks how consumers and brands might adapt to promote a more sustainable future. Dr. Cairns has always prioritized including as many students as possible in the research that she conducts and has published peer-reviewed journal articles with several undergraduate students as co-authors, including one publication with her entire ANTH 3345 class on the author list. It is this dedication to including students in research that initially sparked her interest in the FiR program.
Dr. Cairns, her husband, Rajan, and their daughter, Simran, are looking forward to being a part of Ware Commons. The family's two dogs, Cliff and Mandoo, and their cat, Cashy, are likewise enthusiastic.