SMU News
New SMU grant from National Science Foundation takes math off the chalkboard and onto the streets
Koshi Dhingra, founder and CEO of talkSTEM, and Candace Walkington, associate professor, SMU’s Simmons School of Education and Human Development, are co-investigators on a five-year $2.5 million National Science Foundation grant studying how STEM walks can help students see the world through the lens of math.
Titan-in-a-glass experiments hint at mineral makeup of Saturn moon
SMU researchers have recreated Titan's conditions in small glass cylinders, revealing fundamental properties of two organic molecules that are believed to exist as minerals on Saturn's largest moon.
The gift of $3 million gift from Linda P. Custard ’60, ’99 and William A. Custard ’57 is the largest personal contribution in the history of the Meadows Museum. With matching funds of $3 million from The Meadows Foundation, it will establish the Custard Institute for Spanish Art and Culture at the Meadows Museum.
CT scan of an ancient reptile skull reveals little evolutionary change over 22 million years
A CT scan of the skull of a long-necked plesiosaur shows the cranial architecture of these long-extinct marine reptiles didn’t evolve much over 22 million years that they lived during the Cretaceous time.
Frosty: A micro-fabricated optical seismometer to measure minute forces in a mighty environment
A NASA-sponsored team at Michigan Aerospace Corporation and Southern Methodist University (SMU) is developing a microfabricated all-optical seismometer called Frosty that can gather data in the harsh environments encountered on icy worlds such as Europa.
SMU remembers Cary Maguire, Sr., community leader
SMU mourns the loss of Cary M. Maguire, Sr., trustee emeritus and former SMU Board of Trustees member, who passed away on Tuesday, August 10, at the age of 93. Maguire, a long-standing leader in the community, was among some of SMU’s most active and generous donors, as well as a dedicated and innovative leader in the energy industry.
Researchers at SMU have found a way to make chemotherapy drugs more lethal to HPV-infected cervical cancer cells without collateral damage to normal cells, a study suggests.
Ever wonder how speed and distance shape how Olympians run? The New York Times sent a crew to SMU to observe and record three elite runners on the world's fastest treadmill in human speed expert Peter Weyand’s Locomotor Performance Laboratory.
SMU remembers Mary Anne Sammons Cree ’51
Dallas philanthropist and civic leader Mary Anne Sammons Cree passed away July 21, 2021, leaving a legacy of leadership, generosity and nature-inspired landmarks that will delight Dallas residents for generations to come.
The Hegi Family commits $1 million to SMU’s Hegi Family Career Development Center
A $1 million gift from the Hegi Family will empower students to navigate today’s fast-changing work environment and find lifelong career success through the renovation and expansion of SMU’s Hegi Family Career Development Center.
A recent graduate of SMU’s Dedman School of Law has written computer language for a smart contract that, if adopted by courts, could make it much easier and less expensive for someone to sort out the estate of a loved one who dies without a will.
How racial bias shaped Dallas highways
SMU graduate student publishes book about forgotten history, seeks infrastructure change
For SMU engineering graduate student Collin Yarbrough, a classroom assignment to evaluate the design of Dallas’ Central Expressway resulted in a recently published book about the long-forgotten history of Dallas’ racist past buried beneath the city’s freeways.
Pets on board: Meet the multispecies American family
New book defines trend – pets really are part of the family
Do you sign your pets’ names to your holiday card? Have you ever sent your dog to day care? Do you shop regularly for cat or dog toys? Welcome to a new breed of American family – the multispecies family.
The American Society of Biomechanics Honors Peter Weyand with Hay Award
SMU's Peter Weyand will receive the Jim Hay Memorial Award for Research in Sports and Exercise from the American Society of Biomechanics during its annual conference in August. The award recognizes “originality, quality, and depth of biomechanics research that addresses fundamental research questions relevant to extraordinary demands imposed in sport and exercise.”
SMU's AT&T Center for Virtualization has signed a four-year agreement with the United States Air Force Academy to collaborate on mutually beneficial projects and joint research, providing opportunities for both USAF cadets and SMU students.
'We can do better with a systems approach...instead of catching up after each hurricane'
Halit Üster, an engineering professor at SMU, has been awarded a three-year National Science Foundation (NSF) grant of $315,580 to investigate integrated evacuation planning and disaster preparedness models that offer relief to evacuees in a more robust, predictive, timely and cost-effective manner than was seen in past natural disasters.
Four professors named SMU 2021 Ford Research Fellows
Cash prizes will support their noteworthy research
Four outstanding SMU faculty researchers have been named as 2021 Ford Research Fellows. This year’s recipients are Alejandro Aceves, Joseph Camp, Heather DeShon, and Xin-Lin Gao, all of whom will be honored by the SMU Board of Trustees this fall.
Juneteenth message from the Office of Diversity and Inclusion
Juneteenth is a celebration of the beginning of the long march toward weaving the African American experience into the larger tapestry of American history.
Ten years of ancient genome analysis has taught scientists 'what it means to be human'
A ball of 4,000-year-old hair frozen in time tangled around a whalebone comb led to the first-ever reconstruction of an ancient human genome just over a decade ago.
Economics professor and campus leader Tom Fomby receives SMU Faculty Career Achievement Award
SMU’s Tom Fomby, Professor of Economics in Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, is the 2021 recipient of the Faculty Career Achievement Award for his contributions to the teaching, scholarship and service missions of the University.
P-glycoprotein removes Alzheimer’s-associated toxin from the brain
A team of SMU biological scientists has confirmed that P-glycoprotein (P-gp) has the ability to remove a toxin from the brain that is associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
Janille Smith-Colin awarded National Academies 2021 Early-Career Research Fellowship
Janille Smith-Colin, assistant professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering in SMU's Lyle School of Engineering, has been named one of the seven recipients of the 2021 Early-Career Research Fellowships by the Gulf Research Program (GRP) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
SMU Dedman School of Law’s COVID-19 Legal Helpline has been selected as the recipient of the 2021 State Bar of Texas’ W. Frank Newton Award for its exceptional dedication to legal services for low-income North Texans. The award, which recognizes individuals and groups whose work exemplifies a deep commitment to pro bono service, will be presented during the State Bar’s virtual Annual Meeting on Friday, June 18.
SMU Student Researcher Earns Prestigious Goldwater Scholarship
Carefully nurturing the cancer cells she uses in SMU biology professor Pia Vogel’s research lab is routine for SMU junior Gabrielle Gard, who has been working in sophisticated research labs since she was a junior in high school. Her dogged pursuit of hands-on research is just one of the reasons she has received a 2021-22 Goldwater Scholarship, one of the most prestigious national science awards presented to undergraduate students.
SMU Student Body President Austin Hickle Sees the Road to Change Through Public Policy
Receiving a prestigious Truman Scholarship will help SMU student body president fuel the journey
Austin Hickle had something of an epiphany last summer: If college campuses like SMU were going to successfully return to on-campus learning in fall 2020, student engagement would be key to compliance with COVID-19 safety protocols.
Jennifer ’86 and Mark Styslinger ’87 and the Altec/Styslinger Foundation commit $4 million to name the new Styslinger/Altec Tennis Complex at SMU.
Sharoll and Bryan S. Sheffield ’01 commit $15 million to the Cox School of Business
A $15 million gift from Sharoll and Bryan S. Sheffield ’01 to SMU’s Edwin L. Cox School of Business will empower future entrepreneurs by creating new technology-equipped collaborative spaces.
Bridwell Library to house World Methodist Museum collections
Important collections from the World Methodist Museum incorporating material from the lives of John and Charles Wesley are moving to SMU's Bridwell Library.
Dr. Turner shares a letter of support for the Asian community
Whitney Wolfe Herd to speak at Commencement
Bumble CEO/Founder Whitney Wolfe Herd, who began sharpening her entrepreneurial skills as a student at SMU, will deliver her alma mater's May Commencement Address.
Richard Duschl will join the National Academy of Education
SMU remembers Ruth Prouse Morgan Ph.D., professor emerita and SMU’s first female provost
SMU mourns the loss of educator, trailblazer and University leader Ruth Prouse Morgan who served as a professor of political science at SMU for 20 years and as the University’s first female provost from 1986–1993.
SMU to remain test-optional for Fall ‘22 and Spring ‘23
SMU will remain test-optional for first-year undergraduate applicants seeking admission and scholarships for both fall 2022 and spring 2023.
Endowing Excellence in Education and Research
Mary and Rich Templeton commit $5 million to the Lyle School of Engineering
A $5 million gift from longtime SMU supporters Mary and Rich Templeton will bolster student excellence and doctoral research in SMU’s Lyle School of Engineering through endowed scholarships and fellowships.
SMU community to honor Martin Luther King, Jr. with unity circle
Jan. 27 ceremony, ‘Dream Week,’ honors civil rights leader as students begin spring semester studies
Jan. 26-27: Every year SMU honors Martin Luther King Jr. with Dream Week when students return to classes for the spring semester. Contribute service on Tuesday, Jan. 26 and join a Unity Circle on Wednesday, Jan. 27.
Honoring Martin Luther King, Jr.
Every year our nation celebrates the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. – the only federal holiday designated as a national day of service to encourage Americans to improve our communities. But in many ways this year’s MLK Day will be very different than in years past.
Message from President Turner on Violence at Capitol
The violence and disruption at the U.S. Capitol yesterday were deplorable, as is any attempt to erode the rule of law, our founding principles of freedom, and the institutions and symbols of our great nation.
Research News
Science in the City at SMU takes participants to the dark universe
Study: Free-college programs has led to large enrollment increases
SMU and NCSA announce new strategic partnership
SMU’s robotic arm is helping Beaumont boy make a remarkable recovery after polio-like condition
A robotic arm built by mechanical engineering professor Edmond Richer at SMU’s Lyle School of Engineering is delivering a stronger future for young Braden Scott, helping re-create connections between his brain and muscles.
More News
SMU student earns prestigious international fellowship to study in China
Jared Burleson, an SMU senior from North Richland Hills, Texas, has been named a Schwarzman Scholar, one of the world’s most prestigious and selective international fellowships.
SMU Commencement was a fabulous send-off for our 2020 graduates
It was joyful and well worth the wait: Enjoy photos, video of the ceremony and a time-lapsed look at how we gathered to celebrate.
SMU’s Caroline Brettell receives faculty career achievement award
Caroline Brettell, University Distinguished Professor of Anthropology, has been named the 2020 recipient of the SMU Faculty Career Achievement Award for her contributions to the teaching, scholarship, and service missions of the University.
Embrace Juneteenth today, and every day
Traditionally, Juneteenth is a day of family and community celebration – a time to proudly honor African-American history and culture. Please join me in embracing the spirit of Juneteenth today, and every day. Black Lives Matter.
SMU appoints Bobby Lothringer new University Registrar
Robert “Bobby” Lothringer will join SMU July 6 as its new University Registrar. Lothringer is the University’s seventh registrar and replaces John Hall, who will retire in August after 50 years of service to the University.
To our Black Students Faculty, Staff and Alumni
In the spirit of transparency and open dialogue, I’m inviting our entire SMU community to read this message.
Like you, I am outraged at the killing of George Floyd, following those of Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor and countless other black men and women before them. Sadly, these recent events have brought back memories of painful racist encounters many of you experienced on our campus. My words in an earlier email did not adequately express my anger at another senseless death of a black person, and for that I apologize. Allow me to be clear... Black Lives Matter. You matter.
Statement on racial and social injustice
This is a painful time for our country again as we grapple with the virulent and continuing threat of racism, as well as the violence that often mars legitimate mass public protest. Our SMU community grieves with the families of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor. For many in our University community, these deaths are intensely personal and salt to ancient wounds.
SMU waives ACT/SAT score requirement for admission in 2021
Students applying to SMU for spring 2021 or the following fall 2021 may now choose whether they submit ACT or SAT scores for undergraduate admission and scholarship consideration.
Graduating SMU Students Celebrating their Accomplishments, Now Gathering in August for Commencement
2,634 graduating SMU students were looking forward to accepting their diplomas at the May graduation commencement ceremony this weekend but due to the coronavirus pandemic, plans changed. Even though the 105th May graduation commencement ceremony was rescheduled for Saturday, August 15, these new graduates are still finding ways to celebrate their accomplishment.
Setting the pace for future athletic achievements
A $5 million commitment from Heather and Ray W. Washburne ’84 and family will enhance the student experience and elevate SMU’s competitiveness by establishing the Washburne Soccer and Track Stadium.
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