Dispute Resolution Alumni
Michelle Lee Shugart '10
Michelle Lee Shughart is an Assistant District Attorney for Dallas County. She graduated from Simmons with a Master of Arts in Dispute Resolution in 2010.
What do you do professionally and what is most rewarding about your job?
I have been an Assistant District Attorney for Dallas County for over 15 years. I love many aspects about my job, but most of all helping the victims of crime get some sense of closure for harm they have suffered. For years they may wait for their day in court, but I get to help them have that day and make sure it is done correctly. My job is also about seeking justice in many forms. Often that also includes making sure the defendants are also getting the help they need to get back on the right path in their lives. This can be through mental health treatment, drug treatment, and education. It is in being able to address both of sides of crime, victims and defendants, that I find most rewarding. We are holding people accountable while at the same time we are helping to prevent future public safety issues.
What were some of the most meaningful aspects of your education at Simmons?
The instructors at Simmons provided me with the ground work to understand how conflict arises, the cycles and patterns it takes, and the multitude of ways to address it. I get to use this information in all aspects of my life, including personal relationships, interactions with coworkers, and developing creative solutions at my job. In particular the international classes provided an additional aspect to the classes and helped me further understand the complexities of conflict throughout the world.
How did your education at Simmons prepare you for your professional career?
The skills I learned through the Dispute Resolution program play a key aspect at my daily work. As the criminal justice system seeks to make changes in its approach to crime and punishment, the knowledge I gained through my conflict management classes becomes more important. Each case I evaluate requires me to look for the driving factors behind the crime and attempt to address them. The knowledge I gained in my classes regarding bias, thinking errors, emotional intelligence, and motivation for actions helps me better understand all sides of the problem.
What are some highlights from your experience as a SMU student?
SMU provides a solid learning environment for its students. It gives them the resources they need to enhance themselves. The interactions with other students and professors is essential to furthering ones readings and studies in life outside the classroom.
Why are you proud to be a Simmons alum?
I believe the Dispute Resolution and Conflict Management program through the Simmons school provides me with a more complete outlook on life and handling the daily difficulties it can bring. It allows me to seek a comprehensive understanding of the world and its connections with all living things. I think it is important for everyone to have these skills, especially with the major divides that split our current society and the world.
Matthew London '09
Matthew London is a Delivery Executive for SAP. He graduated from Simmons with a Masters of Dispute Resolution & Counseling in 2009.
What do you do professionally and what is most rewarding about your job?
I currently wear multiple hands in my professional life. I am a Delivery Executive for SAP, where I focus on the technology implementations for utility-based customers in North America. additionally, I am an adjunct professor focused and own a real estate business.
Each job has its different rewards, but the main reward I personally love is the ability to create value for my customers, students and stakeholders. Value can mean many things, but knowing that in each setting I am creating that is a rewarding experience.
What were some of the most meaningful aspects of your education at Simmons?
During my time at Simmons, I was exposed to a variety of different opinions and approaches that were instrumental in shaping who I am today as a professional. Having the ability to sit next to a peer with vast experience in education, law, business or liberal arts was an educational benefit that is not easily obtained in other programs.
How did your education at Simmons prepare you for your professional career?
The dispute resolution program at Simmons provided me with the opportunity to gain skills that are instrumental in my daily success. Whether it was learning how to "mirror" someone by leveraging re-phrasing techniques or understanding what a BATNA (Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement) was. Each lesson throughout my educational experience at Simmons taught me valuable intervention methods and approaches that I use every day that position my success in the business and education world.
What are some highlights from your experience as a SMU student?
Whether it was enjoying the Boulevard before a football game, or reviewing case law in Dedman law library for research papers. Each experience I had as an SMU student was a moment of excitement and pride. As had been the experience throughout my time at SMU, the opportunities to meet, see and learn from the best minds in the world is a right bestowed upon those that call themselves SMU students. This was no more self-evident than during the commencement ceremony for my graduating class, when we had the pleasure of hearing former first lady Laura Bush give the graduates a call to action. It was the capstone to an overall amazing time I had as an SMU student.
Why are you proud to be a Simmons alum?
The ability to travel around the country and say "I graduated from Simmons at SMU" when discussing my educational background and hearing a vast majority of people know exactly which school I am referencing is a source of pride for me. SMU is one of the most prestige universities in the world and Simmons is an extension of that legacy. The credentials and trust my education at Simmons brings me in the professional setting is invaluable.