Features
Big iDeas
Young Researchers Have Big iDeas For Dallas
Andres Ruzo ’09 and junior Elizabeth
Corey think SMU could be sitting on its
own energy source.
Ruzo, who earned Bachelor’s degrees in
geology and finance in May, and Corey, an
environmental engineering and pre-law
major, are investigating possible geothermal
resources located under campus, with
hopes of laying the groundwork for a geothermal
power plant at SMU.
“People don’t know how much energy is
right beneath their feet,” says Ruzo, who
has examined the logs of water, oil and gas
wells in North Texas, charting rock layers,
water temperatures and flow rates. He
adds that geothermal energy is a sustainable,
zero-emission green technology.
Ruzo and Corey were awarded a $5,000
grant this spring for their “SMU Geothermal
Project” through Big iDeas, an undergraduate
research program launched by
the Provost’s Office in 2008. The students
competed to be one of 10 interdisciplinary
teams awarded a stipend to investigate important
Dallas issues such as health care,
the environment, education and energy.
For Corey and Ruzo, now a geophysics
graduate student in the Huffington Department
of Earth Sciences, the stipend
has supported computer resources; access
to well log libraries, maps and databases;
and a presentation to the Geothermal Resources
Council’s international conference
this fall in Nevada. The students also plan
to present their findings at SMU’s Geothermal
Conference in November.
“A geothermal power plant on the campus
would move the industry from talking
about a paradigm shift into the actuality of
mass production,” says Maria Richards,
SMU Geothermal Lab Coordinator and an
adviser on the research project. “When
SMU turns on its geothermal power plant,
corporations across the Gulf Coast will realize
that they, too, can power their headquarters
with local, clean, reliable geothermal
energy.”
Other Big iDeas projects include “Real
Fuel on Campus,” an effort to reduce emissions
by converting SMU’s food service
waste vegetable oil to biodiesel for a campus
biodiesel fueling station; “Omega Delta
Phi’s Young Knights,” a mentoring program
to encourage at-risk Dallas high schoolers
to pursue college; and “Profiting from
Nonprofits,” a study of Dallas’ nonprofit sector
in a tough economy. They will report
on their progress at a fall symposium.
“Big iDeas allows students to develop
their interests and career paths while also
building bridges between SMU and the Dallas
community,” says Provost Paul Ludden.
Several of this year’s full-grant recipients
are continuing work begun last year, when
they were awarded $1,000 Big iDeas planning
grants to further develop their projects.
Among them are Julene Fleurmond
’09 and Christy Vutam ’09, who propose
reaching out to at-risk students with lessons
on entrepreneurship and art through
their “Young Dreamer Enterprises.”
“Young people get a feeling of accomplishment
when they create,” says Fleurmond,
who earned a Bachelor’s degree in
journalism, with minors in advertising and
art. “When they also can market and sell
their creations, they learn they have the
power to support themselves and do anything
they put their minds to.”
Fleurmond and Vutam used last year’s
planning grant to investigate youth learning
programs nationwide and to determine
which age group to target. They found a
partner in the local chapter of Network for
Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE), and
they plan to launch their curriculum in a
Dallas middle school this fall with the help
of SMU student volunteers.
“Middle school students look up to and
connect with college students,” says Karen
Ezell, Dallas’ NFTE program director, who
advised the research team. “In addition to
teaching business planning, the SMU students
will demonstrate how important it is
to get an education, pursue dreams and be
successful lifelong learners.”
Fleurmond, who plans to pursue a Master’s
degree in public health next year, says
the grant has allowed her to put into action
her passion for working
with young people. “Big
iDeas is a great way to enrich
the Dallas community
and SMU
students’ lives.”
For more information:
smu.edu/ bigideas
