About Us

The Honors & Scholars Department is housed in Student Academic Engagement and Success

SMU offers an extensive range of Honors and Scholars programs for SMU students. Those contained in the Honors & Scholars department are: the University Honors Program, the Hilltop Scholars Program, the Turner Scholars Program, and the President’s Scholars Program. Our dynamic programs are designed to provide unique academic opportunities, interdisciplinary seminars, and hands-on activities that will immediately challenge and expand your thinking. With a focus on academic enrichment, our programs offer a diverse array of experiences that will engage and inspire you.

For more information, contact AcademicSuccess@smu.edu or one of our staff members.

Faculty & Staff

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    Melissa Chessher

    Dean, Honors & Scholars Programs
    214-768-6149

    Melissa Chessher, Dean of Honors & Scholars, joined SMU in 2022 as the Belo Foundation Endowed Distinguished Chair of Journalism, following her role as an associate dean at Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.

    Chessher has earned numerous teaching honors, including Syracuse University's Laura J. and L. Douglas Meredith Professorship for Teaching Excellence — the university's highest teaching recognition — the Newhouse School's Senior Class Award for Teaching Excellence, and the Empire State Scholastic Press Association's Advisor of the Year award. For more than a decade, she served as a member of the core faculty for SU’s Renée Crown University Honors Program, teaching courses and advising more than 40 capstone projects.

    With more than 20 years of experience in the magazine industry as a writer and editor, she contributed to the launch of Real Simple, the largest magazine launch in Time Inc. history, and Gusto, a healthy-living magazine for Latin American women, also from Time Inc. Her work has appeared in more than a dozen national publications, including Glamour, Allure, Marie Claire, Outside, Health, Self, Fitness, Men's Health, and Parents. Her writing spans travel narratives, deeply reported health features, personal essays, and cultural coverage of food, wine, art, and architecture. In 2016, Folio magazine named her one of its Top Women in Media.

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  • Dr. Brandon Gray Miller is a white man with straight, medium-length silver and brown hair. He is wearing a dark suit jacket, light blue striped dress shirt, and bright red tie, posed smiling in front of a softly blurred outdoor background with a building and greenery.

    Dr. Brandon Gray Miller

    Assistant Dean, Honors & Scholars Programs
    Director, University Honors Program
    214-768-4543

    Dr. Miller grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina and graduated from Appalachian State University with degrees in History and Journalism. He then completed a Ph.D. in Russian and East-Central European History at Michigan State University.  Dr. Miller currently is at work on a book exploring gender, material culture, and everyday life in the final Soviet decades.

    Since arriving at SMU in 2013, he has taught a variety of European history courses including “Surviving Fascism & Communism in East-Central Europe,” “WWII in Europe,” and the second half of the Western Civilization survey.

    When away from campus, he enjoys keeping up with contemporary Russian literature and spending time in Far West Texas.

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    Dr. Marta Krogh

    Director, Hilltop Scholars Program
    Teaching, Associate professor, English | Writing & Reasoning
    214-768-3952

    Marta Krogh has taught in the Writing and Reasoning department since 2007, and she hopes that students will leave her class being more confident writers and critical thinkers.  Serving in several Administrative roles, Marta acted as the Director of the New Century Scholars Program from 2010-2014.  Currently she is the Director of the Hilltop Scholars Program, a first-year honors program for students interested in leadership and community service. Marta teaches writing courses for Hilltop Scholars, and she loves working with the HSP students as they are some of the most engaged students at SMU.  She has a PhD in English, with a focus on American Literature.

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  • Headshot of Logan Swafford, a nonbinary staff member with light blonde, short hair parted down the middle and slight waves. Logan is wearing octagonal tortoiseshell glasses, small nostril and septum piercings, a silver necklace, and a long sleeve black button-up shirt. They have a gentle smile and a neutral, approachable expression. The blurred background features warm natural light in an outdoor setting.

    Logan Swafford

    Program Coordinator, Hilltop Scholars Program
    Program Coordinator, Honors & Scholars

    Logan Swafford (they/them) is the coordinator for both the Hilltop Scholars Program and Honors & Scholars at SMU. Originally from San Antonio, Logan earned a bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies and History, with a minor in LGBTQ & Women’s Studies, from the University of North Texas as a first-generation student. During their time there, they joined the service-focused fraternity Alpha Phi Omega, where the principles of servant leadership shaped their personal and professional journey. Since graduating in 2020, Logan has held various roles in the nonprofit and education sectors, focusing on community engagement and leadership development. They are currently pursuing a Master's in Public Administration at SMU, furthering their commitment to public service.

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    Dr. Amy Richarson

    Director, President's Scholars Program
    214-768-2214

    Dr. Amy Richardson is the Director of the President’s Scholars Program. Dr. Richardson graduated with a B.A in History from Texas Christian University. She earned a M.Ed. from Rutgers University with a special focus on Social Studies Education and an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from 91×ÔÅÄ. After working as a high school history and English teacher, she joined the Department of Teaching and Learning in the SMU Simmons School of Education in 2015 as clinical faculty. For five years, Dr. Richardson served as the Director of Teacher Preparation. Her areas of expertise include teacher education, social studies education, and the use of technology, specifically mixed reality simulations, to support teacher learning and development.

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    Nikole Melgarejo Juarez

    Director, Turner Scholars Program
    214-768-4032

    Nikole Juarez, Director of Turner Scholars Program, Academic Center for Excellence (ACE), earned her B.A in Political Science from San Diego State University and her M. Ed. in Counseling-Student Affairs from Texas Christian University. Before joining the ACE staff in July 2019, she worked as a counseling intern for TCU’s TRIO, Student Support Services. She also served as the graduate assistant for TCU’s Undergraduate Academic Initiatives, helping first-year students transition to college life. Originally from Southern California, Nikole enjoys being outdoors and traveling.

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  • Tulsi Lohani

    Program Coordinator, Honors and Scholars

    214-768-7908

    Tulsi Lohani serves as the Program Coordinator for Honors and Scholars Programs, assisting with the University Honors Program, McElvaney Honors and Scholars Residential Commons, and the unit with marketing and communications strategy.  

    Tulsi is a proud SMU Class of 2025 alum with degrees in Corporate Communication and Public Affairs, Journalism, and Public Relations, and Strategic Communication from the Meadows School of the Arts. He is also a proud Turner Scholar, and returned to SMU in Fall 2025 as a Graduate Assistant for the Program and the Office of Associate Provost Sheri Kunovich while pursuing his Master of Public Administration at the Moody School of Graduate and Advanced Studies. Outside of SMU, Tulsi is engaged in non-profit work, spending time with his friends and family, and traveling across the world. 

     

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