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SARA BETH BECKER
Graduate – Medical Anthropology; South Texas Equality Project
Sara Beth leveraged her ethnographic research, interview techniques, and community engagement skills to support the South Texas Equality Project’s collaboration with the Rio Grande Valley’s queer community. This initiative documented the resilience and development of LGBTQ+ networks amidst challenging political environments. Through participant observation, in-depth interviews, and analysis of formal and informal support systems, Sara Beth contributed to a comprehensive understanding of local queer experiences. Additionally, she explored the significance of Pride celebrations within these communities, laying the groundwork for future research on transgender communities and DIY transitioning. In conjunction with her research, Sara Beth interned with the South Texas Equality Project, offering organizational support and event planning expertise. This collaboration advanced both academic inquiry and practical advocacy efforts for LGBTQ+ rights in the region. 

SIMON GONZALES
Graduate – Anthropology; San Antonio Recovery Center
Simon led a multi-sited project aimed at addressing the gap in anthropological literature surrounding substance misuse and mental health within Chicano, Tejano, Mexican American, and Latino families in Texas. Through applied anthropology methods, including dialogues with healthcare counselors, observational studies, and active engagement at addiction clinics in San Antonio and Dallas, Simon explored the cultural nuances of mental health communication and wellness journeys within multicultural families facing substance misuse challenges. He used his research to inform future grant proposals, develop culturally sensitive mental health interventions, and initiate a dialogue mapping the healthcare infrastructure and public opinions in major Texas cities, fostering more inclusive and responsive healthcare services statewide.

JT MARTIN
Graduate – Moral Theology: Good Fruit Faith
JT applied his data analysis skills, qualitative research coding, and literature review to support Good Fruit Faith, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting evidence-based teaching on marriage and sex among evangelical Christians. The project identified research opportunities by applying collected data to gaps in current research on religion, sexuality, and the physiological influences of theological beliefs. By analyzing survey data, interview transcripts, and relevant literature, JT proposed new scholarly papers that addressed gaps in understanding within the evangelical discourse on sex and sexuality. As part of the initiative, he developed five paper proposals, complete with abstracts, contributing to Good Fruit Faith’s mission of educating professionals and the evangelical community on sexual health and ethics.

GENEVIEVE SOUCEK
Graduate – Anthropology; Clean Coast Outer Hebrides
Genevieve Soucek leveraged her expertise in linguistic and environmental conservation to support a project on the Isle of Lewis in Scotland. This initiative, in collaboration with Clean Coast Outer Hebrides and various heritage organizations, explored the interplay between linguistic and environmental conservation and its impact on physical and mental well-being, identities, and a sense of belonging. The project actively engaged in local environmental efforts, such as beach cleans and school presentations, while also preserving Scottish Gaelic heritage. Genevieve immersed herself in community activities, including cultural events like the Hebridean Celtic Festival, gaining insights into how language and identity intersect with environmental stewardship.

LILLY CHAPMAN
Undergraduate, Human Rights, Deason Criminal Justice Reform Center
Lilly researched the impact of county policies on paying indigent defense attorneys and the distances such attorneys traveled to attend court in those counties with the Deason Criminal Justice Reform Center. Her research answered questions such as whether attorneys drive further when hourly rates of pay in courts, district or county, are higher, and whether there are characteristics of a county that lead to higher fee schedules.

KATIE CROSS
Graduate, Anthropology, Remembering Black Dallas
Katie used her archeology, archival research, and GIS mapping skills to support If Tenth Street Could Talk, a Remembering Black Dallas, Inc. project in collaboration with Kinkofa and the Tenth Street Residential Association. The project documented the history of the Tenth Street Freedman’s Town, located in East Oak Cliff, Dallas, Texas, through genealogy, archival research, oral history, GIS mapping, and digital storytelling. As part of the project’s field school, she also assisted in teaching 12 local high school students how they could use these tools to document the history of Tenth Street and other historic locations.

SIJI DELEAWE
Graduate, Master of Theological Studies, Hearts of Compassion, Inc.
Siji collaborated with Hearts of Compassion, Inc. to transcribe oral histories of African matriarchs to be used as an educational, historical, fundraising, and cultural resource across the African diaspora. She aimed to dismantle racist and sexist systems of injustice by recording the histories of African women.

PRINCESS IGWE-ICHO
Undergraduate, Political Science, Deason Criminal Justice Reform Center
Princess conducted qualitative and quantitative research to document how refugees were affected by visa application backlogs caused by the pandemic. She gathered oral histories from immigrants and their families to answer questions such as what can be done to help lessen the backlog in the immigration system on a state level, what resources could help those transitioning to American life, and how the law can help immigrants applying for visas on a case-by-case basis.

JASON JORDAN
Graduate, Anthropology, Caruth Institute for Engineering Education
Jason collaborated with the Caruth Institute for Engineering Education to develop and implement an engineering ethics module into the organization’s summer camp curriculum. He mentored campers and taught them the importance of considering the human impacts of engineering designs. Additionally, Jason documented the experiences of the summer camp students through photographic and audio-visual methods.

RUTH KINYUA
Undergraduate, Biochemistry, Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center
Ruth served as a waiting room volunteer for the Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center. She provided a warm, safe, and welcoming environment for children who are victims of sexual abuse. In addition to this work, she supported the agency’s Summer Safety Drive Through and Backpack Drive that provided at-risk children the supplies they needed for school.

JT MARTIN
Graduate, Philosophy, Royal Lane Baptist Church
JT worked with Royal Lane Baptist Church to develop and sustain new and existing partnerships with affiliate partners. His service highlighted the role of churches within communities and showcased Royal Lane Baptist Church’s past and present-day involvement in social and racial justice issues.

CAROLYN MASON
Graduate, Political Science, For Oak Cliff
Carolyn worked with For Oak Cliff and Nostalgia: Black to promote food justice in south Dallas. With Nostalgia: Black, she conducted research and drafted presentations on Black foodways in Dallas to support both public-facing writings by the company and its Soul of DFW Black food tours. She also served with For Oak Cliff by volunteering at its monthly farmer’s market, which focuses on providing fresh foods for the “superblock.”

GOPIKA SHAH
Graduate, S.J.D., UNIDROIT
Gopika worked with the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law in Rome, Italy. As part of her project, she researched innovative legal strategies to diversify risk away from low-to-medium income households in the event of bank insolvency. Her project aimed to protect vulnerable communities and emphasize the importance of responsible business practices that prioritize ethical behavior to minimize the risk of banking failures.

JULIEN ABDI-STEPHENS
Undergraduate, Human Rights and Fashion Media double major, Human Rights Initiative
Project: Working in the marketing department of the Human Rights Initiative to prepare for an annual storytelling project to celebrate International Human Rights Day in December and a smaller version of the program on International World Refugee Day in June. Tasks included writing essays, research, and creating a cultivation packet for sponsors, donors, and storytellers. 

ROSE HURWITZ
PhD candidate, Cultural Anthropology, Dallas Jewish Historical Society
Project: Contributing to the Dallas Jewish Historical Society's Oral History Program interviewing and cataloging life histories of members of the Jewish community of Dallas. Specifically, the experiences of Jewish people living in North Dallas that were impacted by the October 2019 tornado and their recovery.

LAURA NARVAEZ
PhD candidate, History, Women's Alliance-First Unitarian Church of Dallas
Project: Recovering the stories of women at the FUU Church from when the Women's Alliance raised funds in support of Roe v. Wade during the late 1960s and early 1970s, allowing for a different narrative to emerge that complicates the relationship between the ethical beliefs about abortion and religion.  

Undergraduate, Biological Sciences and Health & Society double major, Sci-Tech Discovery Center
Project: Planning, setting up, and executing science experiments at the Sci-Tech Discovery Center, an interactive children's museum that focuses on science, math and technology. Also assisted in running the summer camp for first and second graders. 

NICHOLAS SIMPSON
Undergraduate, Health and Society, Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of the Ecuadorian Amazon (CONFENIAE)
Project: Working to ethnographically analyze the impact of La Voz de la CONFENIAE, a radio program started by the Confederation of the Indigenous Nationalities of the Ecuadorian Amazon with the goal of spreading public health information and cultural broadcasts to amazon communities.

CYNTHIA TAYLOR
PhD candidate, Liberal Studies, City of Dallas Office of Environmental Quality and Sustainability
Project: Researching recommendations for the City of Dallas Environmental council regarding monetizing the urban forest of Dallas and helped to protect, and enhance the ecosystem, trees, and green spaces of Dallas to improve public health. Also researched implementing a city forest credit program that requires the urban tree canopy to be maintained, preserved, and protected. 

TERESA ACOSTA
Undergraduate, Biological Sciences and Human Rights double major
Project: Collaborating with ethics faculty members at UT Southwestern Medical School to ensure that its ethics curriculum meets or exceeds the academic standards of the nation’s top medical schools. 

MARNE CHACON
PhD candidate, Anthropology
Project: Exploring the decision-making process of patients, families, medical personnel, caregivers, and spiritual counselors in a hospice setting at the Faith Presbyterian Hospital.

ZACH DEMOYA
PhD candidate, Religious Studies
Project: Partnering with White Rock United Methodist Church and Owenwood Farm and Neighbor Space to explore, identify, and analyze the ways in which faith communities implement cooperative business models in their local communities as a practical means of “mission,” promoting agency, economic stimulus, and market outreach as intrinsic byproducts.  

PhD candidate, History
Project: Working with For Oak Cliff to learn more about how urban redevelopment projects affects Black inner-city communities. She will specifically focus on the Tenth Street Historical District to explain the history of the former Freedman town.

SAMANTHA LAGOS
PhD candidate, 
Project: Focusing on the archival preparation of historical documents, photographs, and artifacts along with developing and maintaining a membership database and contact strategy for Remembering Black Dallas, a local nonprofit dedicated to preserving and promoting African American culture, life, and history in Dallas and surrounding cities. 

BRADY MARTIN
Undergraduate, Public Policy, Human Rights, and Spanish triple major
Project: Working with the nonprofit organization All Wheels Up to advocate for wheelchair space on aircrafts. Brady’s advocacy plan includes working with representatives from the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure in Washington, D.C. to discuss the feasibility of wheelchair space on air carriers and planning All Wheels Up’s first annual “Walk, Run and Roll for Accessible Air Travel” fundraiser.

RACHEL MORROW
Undergraduate, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs
Project: Working with Meals on Wheels to identify clients in need of a COVID-19 vaccine and scheduling at-home vaccinations as many clients are homebound and unable to schedule a vaccine appointment due to a lack of technology. 

JONATHAN ANGULO
PhD candidate, History
Project: Co-creation and management of the “Class of COVID Oral History Project” with ҹɫÍõ³¯Archives (joint project with Ashton Reynolds). The project will document how SMU’s graduating students, both undergraduate and graduate, navigated ethical questions of personal and community responsibilities.

NUSAIBA CHOWDHURY
PhD candidate, Clinical Anthropology
Project: Volunteering with International Rescue Committee (Dallas, TX) Intensive Case Management Team for Refugee Resettlement, including opportunity to research challenges and gaps in service in light of the global COVID-19 pandemic.

CAROLINE GUTOWSKI
Senior, Biological Sciences and Health and Society double major, pre-med
Project: During this unprecedented time, health crises and diseases continue to plague the most vulnerable individuals. Working for the Bridge Breast Network, serving underserved populations and stressed healthcare systems to research and conduct community outreach on breast health awareness, the importance of early detection and access to healthcare.

HANNAH HALL
Junior, Human Rights and French Studies double major
Project: Collecting and analyzing research for SMU’s Deason Center for Criminal Justice Reform, constructing a data set of criminal justice policies affecting prisoners and their human rights while incarcerated during a pandemic.

VANESSA LAREZ
Senior, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs major
Project: Conducting research on how global crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic shift or influence political attitudes and civic engagement among Hispanic voters in North Texas.

JOSEPH LEE
Junior, Human Rights and Chinese double major, pre-med
Project: Working with UT Southwestern Medical Center Dr. Elizabeth Heitman to develop an online policy library for the ethical use of advanced technology in end-of-life care. This collection of policies will be an important resource in developing hospital guidelines and understanding practice standards across the country.

MEGHAN LOWREY
PhD candidate, Clinical Anthropology
Project: Working with Access Esperanza Clinic in McAllen, TX, to build a comprehensive curriculum for their sexual health education program. Her work and research at the clinic lay important groundwork for her dissertation in the ethics of migrant reproductive health.

MARK PIERCE
PhD candidate, Philosophy of Education
Project: Researching adaptable models of distance learning that can be implemented for highly mobile students by collecting data from Dallas area family shelters and children’s support organizations during the COVID-19 outbreak.

JANICE RABIAN
MFA candidate, Stage Design
Project: Examining the future of the American Theatre Industry and the success of various companies’ attempts to maintain operations and engagement in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

ASHTON REYNOLDS
PhD candidate, History
Project: Co-creation and management of “Class of COVID Oral History Project” with ҹɫÍõ³¯Archives (joint project with Jonathan Angulo). The project will document how SMU’s graduating students (both undergraduate and graduate) navigated ethical questions of personal and community responsibilities. 

Sienna Dugan

Class of 2020

Field data collection at refugee camps in Rwanda

Roxana Farokhnia

Class of 2020

Case management for homeless families at Vogel Alcove in Dallas

Aria Fuller

Class of 2022

Organizing for immigration rights at Workers Defense Project in Dallas

Marie Joung

Class of 2020

Researching implementation of NIH diversity policies at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas

Carol Sale

Class of 2020

Anthropological study of moral distress among staff working with disabled children and their families at Associação Saúde Criança in São Paulo, Brazil

Tyler Womack

PhD Student

Researching inter-disciplinary dialogue on ethics in the fields of business, finance, economics, theology and philosophy at ҹɫÍõ³¯in Dallas