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<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/" xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/" > <channel> <title></title> <atom:link href="https://blog.smu.edu/graduate/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" /> <link>https://blog.smu.edu/graduate</link> <description>Graduate News and Events at SMU</description> <lastBuildDate>Thu, 05 Apr 2018 20:48:10 +0000</lastBuildDate> <language>en-US</language> <sy:updatePeriod> hourly </sy:updatePeriod> <sy:updateFrequency> 1 </sy:updateFrequency> <generator>http://blog.smu.edu/?v=6.4.4</generator> <item> <title>Diary of a Ph.D. Student – Stephen Budy</title> <link>https://blog.smu.edu/graduate/2017/08/22/diary-ph-d-student-stephen-budy/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Reva Pollack]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Tue, 22 Aug 2017 16:49:31 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Chemistry]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Student Stories]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.smu.edu/graduate/?p=3166241</guid> <description><![CDATA[August 21, 2017… As the first day of school starts at Southern Methodist University (SMU) for the Fall 2017, I am still excited about another school year and all the new things to come. I started as a PhD graduate student in the chemistry department two years ago and remember coming a few weeks earlier […]]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>August 21, 2017…</p><p>As the first day of school starts at Southern Methodist University (SMU) for the Fall 2017, I am still excited about another school year and all the new things to come. I started as a PhD graduate student in the chemistry department two years ago and remember coming a few weeks earlier into Dallas, TX for the first time to find a place to live and then to start graduate orientation before the semester officially began. Since the incoming chemistry graduate students were all tasked with being Teaching Assistants (TA’s), at least our first year, we went through training to make sure we still remembered our general chemistry and could adequately help undergraduates in the classes we would be TA’ing for. We even had to do the problems at the back of each chapter and then get up in front of the class and teach it to the rest of our incoming group. I think everyone was terrified of that part because it is well known that whenever you are in front of the class your IQ drops dramatically! At least it felt like it.</p><p>Then we had to take three American Chemical Society (ACS) three-hour exams that week to determine which graduate classes we would register for. One day we met other graduate students from other departments for a more general teaching orientation put on by SMU. That was nice to see and talk to other new graduate students to realize we all had the same overwhelming feeling and it was nice to bond together, and SMU even provided some free ice cream sandwiches from Pokey O’s. It was an exciting week getting used to a new city, school, department, and group of friends which we bonded together very quickly already going through the same things together.</p><p>At the end of the week before school started we had a department lunch introducing the seven of us to the rest of the chemistry department. Since we all had already chosen our individual research groups before we came to SMU, we had already met at least our research advisor, our group, and the two professors in charge of the orientation. The SMU chemistry department has about thirty graduate students and about fifteen research professors so it has a nice small family feel where we all know each other. I am always surprised and enjoy when I stop in the halls and chat with the other graduate students, the undergraduates doing research, and even the professors. I’m looking forward to another exciting semester and year taking classes and learning, doing research and expanding my knowledge and experience, and teaching and tutoring undergraduates and graduates.</p><h6><strong>Stephen M. Budy grew up in Bakersfield, CA and attended Bakersfield Community College where he received an A.S. degree in Physics and Mathematics. Then he transferred to Humboldt State University in Arcata, CA where he received his B.S. in Chemistry and Computer Science. After some industry and research experience he received his M.S. degree from the University of Arizona in Tucson, AZ in Materials Science & Engineering. He then moved to Colorado to work as a researcher in the chemistry department of the University of Colorado, Denver and also in the Chemistry Research Center at the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) in Colorado Springs, CO. After meeting a former Dr. Son PhD graduate from SMU’s chemistry department at the Academy and meeting Dr. Son at a conference, they both convinced him to apply and attend SMU. He is now starting his third year and glad he took their advice and now happily working alongside Dr. Son, his group, and the SMU chemistry department.</strong></h6>]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>Digging Through the Past in Dallas</title> <link>https://blog.smu.edu/graduate/2017/05/03/digging-through-the-past-in-dallas/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Reva Pollack]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Wed, 03 May 2017 21:19:47 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Anthropology]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Student Stories]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.smu.edu/graduate/?p=3166232</guid> <description><![CDATA[Meet Anthropology Ph.D. student Rachel Burger an learn about her archaeology work right here on SMU’s campus. As part of the Ph.D. program in Archaeology here at SMU, I have had the opportunity to work as the Collections Management Research Assistant in the Archaeology Repository of Collections (ARC) for several semesters. For decades, SMU Archaeology […]]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>Meet Anthropology Ph.D. student Rachel Burger an learn about her archaeology work right here on SMU’s campus. </em></p><p>As part of the Ph.D. program in Archaeology here at SMU, I have had the opportunity to work as the Collections Management Research Assistant in the Archaeology Repository of Collections (ARC) for several semesters. For decades, SMU Archaeology faculty and graduate students conducted research in Texas and neighboring regions, resulting in over 3,100 cubic feet of artifacts and associated archival documents now curated within the Anthropology Department. I supervise a group of undergraduate students and guide our day-to-day activities in the repository.</p><p>Most of our activities focus on the proper care and rehabilitation of the collections. This entails upgrading the storage of some of our older collections, conducting detailed inventories, and combing through the archives for information on past archaeological projects and the history of the repository itself. I have also participated in consultations with affiliated Native American tribes, facilitated the use of the collections for education and research by SMU faculty, students, and visiting researchers, and am currently helping to plan for the future of the ARC and the collections under its care. Through these projects, I have also had the opportunity to mentor and work one-on-one with undergraduate students that are just beginning their careers in archaeology.</p><p>Working in the ARC not only provides me with practical experience in the field of archaeology as I progress through the Ph.D. program here at SMU, but it is also an incredibly fulfilling experience. As archaeologists, we have an ethical responsibility to properly care for the artifacts resulting from our research, to ensure that they are accessible to other scholars, and to promote collections-based research within the field. The work I am doing now will help to secure these collections for the future so that others may benefit from them as I have.</p>]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>The Mathematics of Outer Space</title> <link>https://blog.smu.edu/graduate/2017/04/19/the-mathematics-of-outer-space/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Reva Pollack]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Wed, 19 Apr 2017 19:09:46 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Alumni Stories]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Mathematics]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.smu.edu/graduate/?p=3166223</guid> <description><![CDATA[Thanks to the hit movie Hidden Figures, the women of NASA have been in the news lately, receiving some well-deserved accolades for their amazing work. One SMU alumna, Alyssa Manis, is continuing the tradition now in her work as an Orbital Debris Scientist at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. “There are thousands of active […]]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Thanks to the hit movie <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4846340/">Hidden Figures</a>, the women of NASA have been in the news lately, receiving some well-deserved accolades for their amazing work. One SMU alumna, Alyssa Manis, is continuing the tradition now in her work as an Orbital Debris Scientist at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. “There are thousands of active satellites in Earth’s orbit, and there are estimated to be millions of debris including spent rocket bodies, debris from normal mission operations, and small pieces generated by accidental explosions and collisions,” Manis explains. “Some of these pieces are large enough to be tracked, but many are not, so we really don’t know how much is out there. These debris can pose a threat to operational satellites and human spaceflight missions, including the International Space Station.”</p><p>Dr. Manis, who received her Ph.D. in Computational and Applied Mathematics from SMU in 2013, uses her mathematics skills to analyze this debris. “I do computer modeling and data analysis to better characterize the space environment by understanding how much debris is out there, where it is, and how many new pieces may be created by collision or explosion events.” Her graduate work prepared her for this project in a roundabout way. “My graduate work at SMU involved mathematical models of the Atlantic Ocean circulation in response to climate change. It involved looking at uncertainties in the model and how random changes to parameters affected model behavior. After I finished my Ph.D., I became a postdoc at Texas A&M University at Galveston where I worked on tsunami models. While this was a very different application, [] my background in fluid dynamics and uncertainty analysis was actually a very good foundation for that. The work I continued to do there with randomness and uncertainties in models turned out to also be very good background for moving to NASA and orbital debris research, where the uncertainties are great. Again, it was a completely different field and application, but the general skills I had developed along the way were completely transferable.”</p><p>One thing that drew Dr. Manis to SMU in the first place was the ability to focus on real-world applications of mathematics. “When I was first looking for graduate schools, I focused on schools that offered an Applied Mathematics degree program, because I knew I wanted to be able to use my math for real-world applications and problems,” she recounts. “As I looked into SMU more, the culture of the Computational and Applied Mathematics program just seemed like a good fit. It was a relatively small program so I would get to know the professors well, and I would have the opportunity to be a teaching assistant and maintain that aspect of teaching and helping others learn. After visiting campus and meeting with some of the faculty and graduate students, it just felt right.”</p><p>SMU having a smaller program is one of the things that made it a great place to study mathematics, too. “The relatively small size…means that you get to know the professors well and they get to know you, leading to a more personal and personalized experience. The faculty research areas are actually quite varied for such a small department, so there is great opportunity to find a research topic of personal interest. That was very important to me when I decided to stay past my Masters degree and pursue a Ph.D. I wanted to research something that was interesting and meaningful to me personally, not just something that was assigned to me. I was fortunate enough to be able to work with [department chair] Alejandro Aceves, who was willing to work with me on a research topic that was not directly in his area of expertise. His flexibility and encouragement allowed me to broaden my experiences and learn how to more independently develop a research topic. I think that’s a great asset for a graduate program.”</p><p>How should someone interested in being the next Katherine Johnson (or Alyssa Manis!) prepare for that goal? “Take the time to think about what you’re interested in,” Dr. Manis counsels. “Especially when it comes to applied mathematics, think about how you want to use your math skills once you graduate. I have been fortunate to be able to work in fields where I can see the human and societal impact of what I’m doing, and that’s very rewarding. Whatever is important to you, look for ways to tie that into your graduate studies and your working life will feel much more meaningful.”</p>]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>Searching for Answers: Virus-induced Cancers</title> <link>https://blog.smu.edu/graduate/2017/03/22/searching-for-answers-virus-induced-cancers/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Reva Pollack]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Wed, 22 Mar 2017 16:20:39 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Biology]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Student Stories]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.smu.edu/graduate/?p=3033796</guid> <description><![CDATA[SMU graduate student Tetiana Hutchinson is currently in the Biological Sciences Ph.D. program, researching the development of virus-induced cancers. Learn more about her work and how her research is at the forefront of such cancer experiments worldwide. Seven years ago, I came from Ukraine to the United States to pursue my dream of becoming […]]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>SMU graduate student Tetiana Hutchinson is currently in the Biological Sciences Ph.D. program, researching the development of virus-induced cancers. Learn more about her work and how her research is at the forefront of such cancer experiments worldwide. </em></p><p><a href="https://blog.smu.edu/graduate/files/2017/01/Hutchinson.jpg"><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-3033792 alignleft" src="https://blog.smu.edu/graduate/files/2017/01/Hutchinson-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" srcset="https://blog.smu.edu/graduate/files/2017/01/Hutchinson-300x225.jpg 300w, https://blog.smu.edu/graduate/files/2017/01/Hutchinson-200x150.jpg 200w, https://blog.smu.edu/graduate/files/2017/01/Hutchinson.jpg 380w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></a>Seven years ago, I came from Ukraine to the United States to pursue my dream of becoming a research scientist. I joined the Ph.D. graduate program in Molecular & Cellular Biology at SMU in 2014 and am doing my dissertation studies in the laboratory of Dr. Robert Harrod. My project involves research on the human T-cell leukemia virus type-1 (HTLV-1) –an oncogenic retrovirus which causes an aggressive white blood cell cancer, known as adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL). My work focuses on characterizing the molecular interactions between viral and host cellular factors to better understand the underlying mechanisms involved in the development of virus-induced cancers and ATLL disease progression.</p><p>Recently, we are using an in vivo model of HTLV-1-induced lymphoma to determine if inhibiting certain candidate targets, identified through our cell-culture studies, can prevent tumor formation in experimentally-engrafted animals. For this work, an immunocompromised NOD/scid mouse strain is injected with human HTLV-1-infected cancer cells, and then the animals are monitored for any changes to their health or appearance over a period of 8-12 weeks. Thanks to Dr. Harrod and the SMU Laboratory Animal Research Core, I’ve had the opportunity to learn how to perform sophisticated tumor cell engraftment experiments in immunocompromised animals. There are currently few laboratories worldwide using the in vivo NOD/scid model of HTLV-1-induced cancers, and I will present my research findings at the 18<sup>th</sup> International HTLV Conference in Tokyo, Japan in March 2017. I am proud to be an SMU graduate student and a member of our research team.</p>]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>Spotlight on: Ph.D. Alumnus Alicia Dewey</title> <link>https://blog.smu.edu/graduate/2017/03/08/spotlight-on-ph-d-alumnus-alicia-dewey/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Reva Pollack]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Wed, 08 Mar 2017 15:42:52 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Alumni Stories]]></category> <category><![CDATA[History]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.smu.edu/graduate/?p=3033815</guid> <description><![CDATA[Alicia Dewey is an alumnus of several SMU programs, having been a bankruptcy lawyer in Dallas (graduating from SMU’s Dedman School of Law) before deciding to become a historian and college professor. Returning to SMU, Prof. Dewey graduated with her Ph.D. in History in 2007 and is currently an Associate Professor and Chair of the […]]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Alicia Dewey is an alumnus of several SMU programs, having been a bankruptcy lawyer in Dallas (graduating from SMU’s Dedman School of Law) before deciding to become a historian and college professor. Returning to SMU, Prof. Dewey graduated with her Ph.D. in History in 2007 and is currently an Associate Professor and Chair of the History Department at Bioloa University in California. Her general focus is on the history of the American West and the U.S.-Mexico Borderlands. “I am researching the history of water rights and irrigation in the lower Rio Grande Valley along the Texas-Mexico border,” Prof. Dewey explains. “I am also continuing my research about the business history of the area. My first book, <a href="http://www.tamupress.com/product/Pesos-and-Dollars,7886.aspx"><em>Pesos and Dollars: Entrepreneurs in the Texas-Mexico Borderlands, 1880-1940</em></a> (Texas A & M University Press, 2014) focused on the experiences of business people in the region.”</p><p>SMU’s central location in Dallas is one of the reasons that Prof. Dewey first explored the idea of studying history at the university. “I was living and working in Dallas and had previously graduated from SMU’s Dedman School of Law. I took a class on Texas history back in the fall of 2001, which introduced me to what was then a relatively new, innovative Ph.D. program in the William P. Clements Department of History. I discovered I could pursue my interests in Texas history in the broader contest of Mexican and U.S. western history.” When asked why SMU was a good fit for her, she shares that “[t]he professors, the collegiality of the department, the resources, and the program itself” make it a great place to pursue the study of history.</p><p>“SMU taught me how to become an excellent scholar and enabled me to develop the foundation for my later work. That foundation has enabled to me to publish a book, among other things, even while working at a teaching-focused institution. My research and writing has also formed the basis of my teaching career as I have endeavored to design my courses around the development of historical thinking and skills as well as historical knowledge. The strong research background has also helped as I have recently become chair and have had to guide my department through the revision of the learning outcomes for our major. I was also very blessed to have had so many professors at SMU who combined great scholarship with great teaching and mentoring, and they continue to serve as models for my own career.”</p><p>How should aspiring historians approach their academic goals? “I would advise them to work on developing their skills of writing, research, and teaching, but to also think broadly and creatively about how the knowledge of history and historical skills can apply to a variety of fields and arenas.”</p>]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>From Dallas To Rio: Anthropology Research Around the Globe</title> <link>https://blog.smu.edu/graduate/2017/02/15/from-dallas-to-rio-anthropology-research-around-the-globe/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Reva Pollack]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Wed, 15 Feb 2017 17:27:50 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Anthropology]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Student Stories]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.smu.edu/graduate/?p=3033804</guid> <description><![CDATA[The research of SMU Anthopology Ph.D. student (and Fulbright-Hays Fellow) Kerri Brown is taking her all over the world. Learn more about her fieldwork in Brazil and how she is making new discoveries as she becomes part of the local communities there. I came to Rio de Janeiro one year ago to start ethnographic […]]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>The research of SMU Anthopology Ph.D. student (and <a href="http://www.smu.edu/News/2015/fulbright-kerri-brown-12nov2015">Fulbright-Hays Fellow</a>) Kerri Brown is taking her all over the world. Learn more about her fieldwork in Brazil and how she is making new discoveries as she becomes part of the local communities there. </em></p><p>I came to Rio de Janeiro one year ago to start ethnographic fieldwork for my dissertation. I had done short research stints in Rio three times before — two or three months at a time in the summers — but no amount of preliminary research, coursework, or proposal writing could have fully prepared me for the challenges of longterm fieldwork.</p><p>My specialty within anthropology is medical anthropology, which is the study of how social, cultural, and/or biological factors collectively influence human disease and illness. Medical anthropologists study everything from birthing practices, to HIV/AIDS policies, to how “suffering” is defined in different cultural contexts. My research is on how recent policies dealing with traditional medicine are affecting the traditional populations that they often target. Specifically, my work focuses on Afro-Brazilian groups, who are increasingly gaining an array of political rights.</p><p>The best way to describe anthropological fieldwork is “messy.” My research topic is broad in the sense that there are several ways to approach it, and several levels at which to analyze it. The “policies” that I’m referring to, for example, are both national and international, and span the sectors of human rights, the environment, and health. But my research is also narrow in that it focuses on a very particular group and topic, both of which are constantly being redefined and contested.</p><p>So, arriving in a metropolitan area of 12 million people to explore these issues was no easy task. What kinds of events should I attend? How do I find those events? What kinds of people should I talk to? What kinds of social groups should I be involved with? How should I balance reading and dissecting policies with doing on-the-ground work? Creativity, flexibility, and an open mind are indispensable. Many of my days consist of going to public events and/or demonstrations that are related to my research topic, and speaking to attendees and organizers. Other days consist of simply hanging out with research participants, conversing with them naturally about a variety of topics in spaces of their choosing. After I explain my research to people, conversations often lead to invitations to events, places, and even to their homes. It is in these moments and spaces that I gain the most valuable on-the-ground perspectives.</p><figure id="attachment_3033806" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-3033806" style="width: 219px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="https://blog.smu.edu/graduate/files/2017/01/Kerri-Thomas.jpg"><img decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-3033806" src="https://blog.smu.edu/graduate/files/2017/01/Kerri-Thomas-219x300.jpg" alt="" width="219" height="300" /></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-3033806" class="wp-caption-text">Kerri picking oranges, one of many examples of fieldwork’s “surprises.”</figcaption></figure><p>Perhaps the most gratifying moments of field research are the ones that come as complete surprises. I can never truly predict where or how I’ll meet people who will become significant to my research. An early example of this was when I was volunteering at media literacy workshops at a local NGO. After I mentioned my research to one of the workshop participants, she told me about a community traditional medicine pharmacy that she frequented in her neighborhood. She invited me to the pharmacy, which ended up being heavily involved in questions of traditional medicine policies. It was at that pharmacy that I first began to understand the disconnect between how communities organize around traditional medicine and how policies approach traditional medicine. It was also there that I learned that the use of traditional medicine is often related to a lack of government healthcare services in marginalized communities.</p><p>I often use these surprises as gauges: How relevant is my research topic in the daily lives of people in my field sites? Is it a topic that is hardly ever discussed, a topic that is prevalent but stays in the background, or one that is of constant focus? In the example above, my participation in a media literacy workshop, although not obviously related to my specific research topic, led to important information and research connections. The social networks and guiding questions of my research therefore end up looking quite organic. It is often the stories themselves of forming relationships in the field that are telling of larger societal and cultural patterns. Later this month I’ll move on to the second part of my research in the Amazon region of the country, which has a completely different social and geographical landscape from Rio. I look forward to the nervous excitement that navigating new landscapes will bring.</p>]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>Introducing the Ph.D. in Theoretical and Computational Chemistry</title> <link>https://blog.smu.edu/graduate/2017/01/23/introducing-the-ph-d-in-theoretical-and-computational-chemistry/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Reva Pollack]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Mon, 23 Jan 2017 16:33:07 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Admissions]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Chemistry]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.smu.edu/graduate/?p=3034387</guid> <description><![CDATA[We are excited to introduce a brand-new Ph.D. program at Southern Methodist University! The Ph.D. in Theoretical and Computational Chemistry (TCC), offered through our Department of Chemistry, is the first program to offer a dedicated TCC doctoral curriculum. Utilizing SMU’s High Performance Computing Center (“ManeFrame”), the TCC program will allow students to participate in a […]]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>We are excited to introduce a brand-new Ph.D. program at Southern Methodist University! The Ph.D. in Theoretical and Computational Chemistry (TCC), offered through our <a href="http://www.smu.edu/dedman/Academics/departments/chemistry">Department of Chemistry</a>, is the first program to offer a dedicated TCC doctoral curriculum. Utilizing SMU’s High Performance Computing Center (“ManeFrame”), the TCC program will allow students to participate in a vivid research program stretching from software development and coding to simulation of homogeneous and enzyme catalysis, and everything in between. <a href="https://sites.smu.edu/dedman/catco/">Find out more online</a> and <a href="https://gradadmission.smu.edu/apply/">submit your application for Fall 2017!</a></p><p><a href="https://blog.smu.edu/graduate/files/2017/01/TCC-Infographic.jpg"><img decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-3034389 size-large" src="https://blog.smu.edu/graduate/files/2017/01/TCC-Infographic-507x1024.jpg" width="507" height="1024" srcset="https://blog.smu.edu/graduate/files/2017/01/TCC-Infographic-507x1024.jpg 507w, https://blog.smu.edu/graduate/files/2017/01/TCC-Infographic-149x300.jpg 149w, https://blog.smu.edu/graduate/files/2017/01/TCC-Infographic-768x1552.jpg 768w, https://blog.smu.edu/graduate/files/2017/01/TCC-Infographic-200x404.jpg 200w, https://blog.smu.edu/graduate/files/2017/01/TCC-Infographic-400x808.jpg 400w, https://blog.smu.edu/graduate/files/2017/01/TCC-Infographic-600x1212.jpg 600w, https://blog.smu.edu/graduate/files/2017/01/TCC-Infographic-800x1616.jpg 800w, https://blog.smu.edu/graduate/files/2017/01/TCC-Infographic.jpg 842w" sizes="(max-width: 507px) 100vw, 507px" /></a></p><p> </p>]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>Dedman Graduate Program Applications: What is the Video Essay?</title> <link>https://blog.smu.edu/graduate/2017/01/11/dedman-graduate-program-applications-what-is-the-video-essay/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Cresencio Cantu]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Wed, 11 Jan 2017 15:20:22 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Admissions]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.smu.edu/graduate/?p=2840768</guid> <description><![CDATA[As deadlines approach, students around the country are getting ready to submit their graduate school applications. SMU’s graduate programs in Dedman College are doing something new this year as part of our application – including a video essay component. While it might sound intimidating, it’s actually a very informal way of getting to introduce yourself […]]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>As deadlines approach, students around the country are getting ready to submit their graduate school applications. SMU’s graduate programs in Dedman College are doing something new this year as part of our application – including a video essay component. While it might sound intimidating, it’s actually a very informal way of getting to introduce yourself to the entire admissions committee for your department. We’d like to share more about the video essay now to help prepare you as you put together your application.</p><p>First of all, the video essay is <em>mandatory</em> for the following students:</p><ul><li>All Ph.D. applicants that: (1) must submit TOEFL or IELTS scores, and (2) have received a TOEFL speaking score below 23, or an IELTS speaking band below 6.5.</li><li>All international Statistics or Biostatistics graduate applicants, in either the Ph.D. or MASDA programs.</li></ul><p>For all other applicants, the video essay is <em>optional</em>.</p><p>What should you expect from the video essay? You will see SMU faculty and administrators asking you about your goals, background, and preparation for your graduate program. After you see the question, you’ll have 60 – 90 seconds to respond in your own video. Because it’s all about you, there is no special steps you need to take before recording. There are no trick questions! However, you won’t have a chance to re-record your response, so make sure you are ready to film. You’ll have an opportunity to film as many practice questions as you’d like before filming the real responses.</p><p>Many applicants can look the same on paper. We hope that these video essays will give you a chance to express yourself directly to the admissions committee and share why you are interested in your field. And don’t worry, we know that video recordings don’t always go perfectly. Below is an outtake from filming one of our questions, when the wind got a little too aggressive with the equipment.</p><p>[youtube]https://youtu.be/orH8f4SGJLQ[/youtube]</p>]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>Get to Know Ph. D. Student Andrew Mercer</title> <link>https://blog.smu.edu/graduate/2017/01/05/spotlight-on-ph-d-alumnus-andrew-mercer/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Cresencio Cantu]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Thu, 05 Jan 2017 14:50:35 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Religious Studies]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Student Stories]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.smu.edu/graduate/?p=2887288</guid> <description><![CDATA[At SMU, learning happens on campus and all around the world! Andrew Mercer, a Ph.D. student in the Graduate Program in Religious Studies, had an opportunity to work in Massachusetts this summer. Here is his story: Earlier this year, I applied to serve as a teaching fellow for the summer studies program at the Pappas […]]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>At SMU, learning happens on campus and all around the world! Andrew Mercer, a Ph.D. student in the Graduate Program in Religious Studies, had an opportunity to work in Massachusetts this summer. Here is his story:</p><p><em>Earlier this year, I applied to serve as a teaching fellow for the summer studies program at the Pappas Patristic Institute in Brookline, Massachusetts. This is a week-long program designed for masters and undergraduate students as well as clergy and laity to have an opportunity to study patristics under the guidance of faculty who are experts in the field. Participants choose two courses to attend, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Each course is designed and overseen by a professor, and most courses have a PhD student acting as the teaching fellow. In general, the professors choose the texts that will be read and give an introduction to the material, then the teaching fellows guide the daily reading and discussion of those texts. I t is a wonderful way for doctoral students to gain classroom experience, to get to know scholars in the field, and to discuss research projects with other graduate students.</em></p><figure id="attachment_3019832" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-3019832" style="width: 300px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><a href="https://blog.smu.edu/graduate/files/2017/01/Institute.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-3019832 size-medium" src="https://blog.smu.edu/graduate/files/2017/01/Institute-300x225.jpg" width="300" height="225" srcset="https://blog.smu.edu/graduate/files/2017/01/Institute-300x225.jpg 300w, https://blog.smu.edu/graduate/files/2017/01/Institute-768x576.jpg 768w, https://blog.smu.edu/graduate/files/2017/01/Institute-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://blog.smu.edu/graduate/files/2017/01/Institute-200x150.jpg 200w, https://blog.smu.edu/graduate/files/2017/01/Institute-400x300.jpg 400w, https://blog.smu.edu/graduate/files/2017/01/Institute-600x450.jpg 600w, https://blog.smu.edu/graduate/files/2017/01/Institute-800x600.jpg 800w, https://blog.smu.edu/graduate/files/2017/01/Institute-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://blog.smu.edu/graduate/files/2017/01/Institute.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-3019832" class="wp-caption-text">2016 Summer Institute Attendees</figcaption></figure><p><em>I was able to attend this program thanks to a graduate student travel grant from the SMU Graduate Studies office. I served as the teaching fellow for a course on the problem of evil in patristic theology and philosophy, a topic on which I had written for our core PhD seminar in philosophy of religion. My role was to field questions on the material and to facilitate the dialogue, which naturally turned out to be a great way of solidifying my own understanding of the topic. In addition to being a teaching fellow for this course, I attended another course which was more directly related to my area of specialization (patristic ecclesiology) and was able to make a significant contribution there as well.</em></p><p> </p>]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>Spotlight on: Ph.D. Alumnus Matthew Babcock</title> <link>https://blog.smu.edu/graduate/2016/12/20/spotlight-on-ph-d-alumnus-matthew-babcock/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Cresencio Cantu]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Tue, 20 Dec 2016 20:51:52 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Alumni Stories]]></category> <category><![CDATA[History]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.smu.edu/graduate/?p=2887290</guid> <description><![CDATA[Prof. Matthew Babcock is an Assistant Professor of History at UNT Dallas, where he has worked as a founding faculty member since it became a four-year institution in 2010. Prof. Babcock is also an SMU alumnus, graduating with his Ph.D. in history in 2008. He is a specialist in early North American history, focusing on […]]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Prof. Matthew Babcock is an Assistant Professor of History at UNT Dallas, where he has worked as a founding faculty member since it became a four-year institution in 2010. Prof. Babcock is also an SMU alumnus, graduating with his Ph.D. in history in 2008.</p><p><span id="more-2887290"></span></p><p>He is a specialist in early North American history, focusing on the Indigenous, frontier, and borderlands history of the early Southwest. “My current interests include Indigenous adaptation to colonialism, territoriality, and cross-cultural trade and exchange,” Prof. Babcock explains. “In all of my work, I make a conscious effort to reach as wide an audience as possible by writing from multiple perspectives and framing my arguments in a global and comparative context. In recent years, I have relied on testimony from Indigenous informants in order to present a deeper, more authentic Indigenous perspective in my writing.</p><p><a href="https://blog.smu.edu/graduate/files/2016/11/Dr-Babcock-Book-8149.jpeg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-2887292" src="https://blog.smu.edu/graduate/files/2016/11/Dr-Babcock-Book-8149-200x300.jpeg" alt="dr-babcock-book-8149" width="200" height="300" /></a></p><p>Like many alums of the Department of History, Prof. Babcock has been publishing steadily since leaving SMU. “My book, <a href="http://www.cambridge.org/us/academic/subjects/history/history-native-american-peoples/apache-adaptation-hispanic-rule?format=HB&isbn=9781107121386"><em>Apache Adaptation to Hispanic Rule</em></a>, was published by Cambridge University Press in late September [2016] as part of their highly-acclaimed Studies in North American Indian History series. The book, which began as a dissertation at SMU, reinterprets Southwestern history before the U.S.-Mexican War through a case study of the poorly understood Apaches de paz and their adaptation to Hispanic rule. It explains how war-weary mutually suspicious Apaches and Spaniards negotiated an ambivalent compromise after 1786 that produced over four decades of uneasy peace across the region. In response to drought and military pressure, thousands of Apaches settled near Spanish presidios in a system of reservation-like establecimientos or settlements, stretching from Laredo to Tucson. Far more significant than previously assumed, the establecimientos constituted the earliest and most extensive set of military-run reservations in the Americas and served as an important precedent for Indian reservations in the United States. As a case study of indigenous adaptation to imperial power on colonial frontiers and borderlands, this study reveals the importance of Apache-Hispanic diplomacy in reducing cross-cultural violence and the limits of indigenous acculturation and assimilation into empires and states.”</p><p>In looking back at his time at SMU, Prof. Babcock enjoys fond memories of his work with top faculty members on campus. “I came to SMU to study borderlands history with the late David Weber, who is still considered the ‘Dean’ of that field,” he recalls. “SMU has a wonderful history faculty in general, and the opportunity to study the early Southwest in a global and comparative perspective was very attractive to me. I particularly enjoyed the courses I took on the history of American Indians and the American West with Sherry Smith, early American history with Ed Countryman, and global and comparative history with John Mears. The Clements Department of History and Clements Center for Southwest Studies also offers Ph.D. students generous funding for tuition and research expenses, which is extremely important in deciding where to attend graduate school.” And the department has made strategic additions in recent years, strengthening its offerings. “With the addition of faculty members such as Andrew Graybill and Neil Foley, the program remains exceptionally strong in American History, particularly the American Southwest and northern Mexico.”</p><p>For those interested in pursuing a career in academia in the field of history, Prof. Babcock recommends that the area of specialization be chosen carefully. “Try to work with the best scholars in the field, and if you’re lucky, you might gain notoriety through your research. But in case that doesn’t happen, it’s very important to be able to teach courses that are marketable for undergraduates across the country. Some prospective students interested in researching borderlands topics might be unsure whether to specialize in teaching U.S. or Latin American History. The answer may depend on what’s most meaningful and familiar to you. But it’s also important to recognize that although there are far more jobs available for U.S. history specialists than for Latin Americanists, there are also far more applicants for U.S. positions. Beyond that, anything that you can do to make your work relevant to a broader public audience, beyond academia, is critical.”</p>]]></content:encoded> </item> </channel></rss> If you would like to create a banner that links to this page (i.e. this validation result), do the following:
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