Research and Awards

Undergraduates in Dedman College have the unique opportunity to participate in research as early as their first year.

These real-world experiences confronting and solving genuinely new problems provide an excellent preparation for life after SMU in a variety of career paths. Many Dedman College students have gone on to win prestigious awards for research and ideas cultivated right here on campus.

Prestigious Student Awards

Galko

Marshall Scholar

Isabelle Galko, environmental science major, public policy and international affairs minor.

Isabelle Galko was named a 2022 Marshall Scholar, one of 41 American university students selected to receive the honor. Read more.

chi

Schwarzman Scholar

Jared Burleson, double major in Physics and Mathematics and a minor in Chinese.

Jared Burleson was named a 2022 Schwarzman Scholar, one of 154 students selected globally to receive the honor.

chi

Schwarzman Scholar

Benjamin H. Chi, Biochemistry, Health and Society

Benjamin H. Chi was named a 2019 Schwarzman Scholar, one of 140 students selected globally to receive the honor. Read more.

Dallas Hall rotunda with Dedman College signWhy Research?

There are many different opportunities for research at SMU including faculty-led projects, student-led projects, and collaborative projects. Within Dedman College, the Hamilton Undergraduate Research Scholars program fosters strong faculty-student collaboration. In addition to financial-based research awards, academic departments offer students the chance to pursue work in multiple semesters toward a senior thesis. These programs each have different emphases, and students are encouraged to look for the best match to their research interests.

Explore Dedman College Institutes and Centers

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A Mustang Who Wants to Save Lives

“As a pre-health student, my work in the Vogel-Wise Lab allows me to not only participate in cutting-edge research on finding ways to help cancer patients who don’t respond to chemotherapy, but also to develop my own project and create meaningful connections with professors.” -Roxana Farokhnia

Chaudry Hameed.

Becoming One With History

Chaudhry Hameed interned with the Dallas Historical Society and enjoyed researching the DHS archive. He explained, "Open a random file cabinet drawer, and you are bound to be transported in the distant past, from letters signed by Sam Houston to century-old city maps."

Group of people standing together smiling.

Supreme Research

“When my friends asked me what I was doing for the break, they were a little surprised when I said I would be reading in the Library of Congress for my Supreme Court Seminar class. And I guess I understand their surprise, but they didn’t know that I wouldn’t just be reading. For five days, I would be researching.” -Paxton Murphy

Myria Perez.

SMU-led research is now a major Smithsonian Institution exhibition

“I have had the incredible opportunity and once-in-a-lifetime experience to be involved in a research project that will be seen by millions of people from around the globe.” -Myria Perez

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