Ian Aberle

I'm excited to share this and not just because my photo of SMU's Dallas Hall appears on the cover.

Excellent work by my @smuoit.bsky.social colleagues featured in this report, from transforming #HigherEd with AI to concepts being realized in the IoT Lab and improving the student experience at #SMU.

Thank you for everyone that attended our #SMUCyberFair yesterday. Don't forget to have all your activities in the #CybersecurityAwarenessMonth Challenge entered before October 31 — every activity counts! https://ow.ly/MnZa50XkFvL #smu

Happy first day of fall! 🍂🧡




#fallcolors #Autumn #SMU

Adobe Express Now Available for Students SMU students are now licensed for Adobe Express, allowing them to quickly create content for social media, use AI to generate images, and even create quick videos for their courses.

This is great news. Students no longer need to pay for Canva Pro or premium features when we have Adobe Express for Students.

Apple’s “liquid glass” isn’t just an accessibility blunder — it’s an environmental one too This flashy design language sacrifices performance and longevity for visual flair — and sets a troubling precedent for the industry.

As iOS 26 is out in the wild today, here is one thing to consider. Apple’s ‘liquid glass’ isn’t just an accessibility blunder — it’s an environmental one too. uxdesign.cc/apples-liqui...

Portrait of a confident young woman with blonde hair, wearing a black off-the-shoulder dress, sitting against a softly lit green background.

Close-up portrait of a young woman with blonde hair, wearing a black off-the-shoulder dress, sitting against a softly lit green background.

Portrait of a confident young woman with blonde hair, wearing a black off-the-shoulder dress, sitting against a softly lit green background.

A photographer directs a model in front of a group of students.

Last week, I attended Gary Hughes’ #headshotphotography class, and I'm so glad I did. Gary had some great tips, and then Competitive Cameras brought in model Jessie Cushing so that we could immediately apply those new techniques. If you want to learn more, I highly recommend Gary.

students take photos in front of a balloon display spelling out SMU.

a mariachi band plays for a group of students as they eat

a group of girls holding a baby goat at a pop-up petting zoo.

students walk the quad during the first day of classes

It was quite the first day of classes at SMU yesterday. Several events welcomed the new Mustangs, including multiple photo spots, BBQ, mariachi bands, petting zoos, and so much more. It is wonderful to have the students back on campus. 🐎⬆️ #SMU #ponyup #GoMustangs

As, Harry Vanderspeigle (Resident Alien) would say, “This is some bullshit!”

Love is love. @Gaylawyer has the #ninedocuments you need to recreate on paper the rights inherent to marriage as the Trump Admin seeks to nullify gay marriages. TikTok video by UnderTheDeskNews

If you know anyone married or about to be that are in a LGBTQ+ relationship, they need to see this.

Also, if Trump Administration overturns Obergefell v. Hodges, you better believe that Loving v. Virginia is next.

www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8kwg6fB/

Fluffy clouds float over the historic Dallas Hall with its copper green rotunda, six column entrance, and red brick facade. A fountain shoots another column of water in front of the building.

There are only six weeks until this quad is bustling with new students. My department has been busy with dozens of projects, but we all are working to make #SMU the outstanding school it is… and some great things are coming.

#smuoit #dallas #ponyup #ponyupdallas #photography #dfw #studentlife

Meet the newest Mustangs: Corrina Taylor🐴

🔴 How do you see cybersecurity evolving?
🔵 "At SMU, we stand together against cyber threats, supporting one another through awareness, collaboration, and shared responsibility" - Corrina Taylor, SMU's CISO

blog.smu.edu/itconnect/20... #smu

Welcome to SMU, Corrina Taylor. #PonyUp!

two male dancers leap into the air with the Austrian mountains in the background.

two female dancers leap into the air with the Austrian mountains in the background.

Been seeing pics from Stars of Tomorrow International these past couple of weeks, and I get a little nostalgic for those days filled with #dance. It has been over 15 years since I’ve been back to Europe to capture the #dancers perform. Some favorites from my last tour.

#horrosky

The quality of the #GFX100SII was stunning, even at high ISOs, and with +100 megapixels, you have a lot of room to crop—if needed, but also you need to make sure you have a good size SD card on you before you start your #imagingusa walk. A women in a red jacket standing in front of a fountain.

A women in a red jacket standing in front of a fountain.

A women in a red jacket looking off into the distance standing in front of a fountain.

When you are attending an event like #imagingusa, I highly recommend taking advantage of at least one of the photo walks. This year, FUJIFILM arranged for
‪@juliegayler.bsky.social‬ to guide us with model Ace Diosa while we tested out the #FujifilmGFX system with loaner #GFX100SII cameras.

Another missed one from #ImagingUSA. Model Jayla Jackson at the @bhphoto.com's lighting demo booth at this year's event.

Model Jonny Creative at this year's #ImagingUSA. Jonny with a great collaborator with everyone at the booth and is impressive on both side of the camera.

I found some photos from #imagingusa that I never shared. Here is model Taylor Monén poses in front of a custom setup by Backdrops Gallery at this year's event with styling by Shtooka Atelier and illuminated by Nanlite.

Screenshot:

Texas’ Tier One moon shot Innovative leadership transformed Texas higher education in Texas.

What a nice surprise to find one of my photos featured in the Dallas Morning News today.
www.dallasnews.com/opinion/comm... #photographer

Students wait outside of Dallas Hall for a chance to take their grad photos.

Students on the Dallas Hall quad take their grad photos.

Students meet under the trees along the Dallas Hall quad.

#SMU students take to the campus quad to capture those last moments together and a few grad photos. Thankfully, the weather was cooperating yesterday for those pics.

#ponyup #ponyupdallas

Soledad O’Brien sits down for the Amazon Student Forum.

Soledad O’Brien speaks of empowerment during the Student Forum

Soledad O’Brien answers questions from a local high school student during the Willis M. Tate Distinguished Lecture Series Student Forum.

Soledad O’Brien speaking the Student Forum

Yesterday, I attended an excellent Tate Lecture Series Student Forum with award-winning documentarian and journalist Soledad O’Brien. There was engaging Q&A with local high school students and, of course, SMU students.

#TateLectureSeries #SoledadOBrien #SMU #SMUEvents #TalkTate

Video: Police Tase Hecklers at Marjorie Taylor Greene Town Hall Protesters booed and shouted at the Georgia representative, prompting police to forcibly remove several people. Three were arrested, two of whom were subdued with stun guns.

Of course, those who demonstrate their dissatisfaction with Marjorie Taylor Greene by booing and shouting—the exact same behavior she shows at democratic-lead State of the Union addresses—gets forcibly removed by police and get a tagged with stun guns.
www.nytimes.com/video/us/pol...

But, if I were a member of her district, I would be pissed that she is there making a small fortune instead of working to help her constituents. I know she is not the only one, which is why this practice needs to stop.

Marjorie Taylor Greene Bought Market Dip Before Trump Paused Tariffs, Profiting From the Rally (Gift Article) The Georgia congresswoman purchased at least tens of thousands of dollars in stock the day before and the day of President Trump’s pause of a sweeping set of tariffs that sent the market soaring.

I cannot thing of a better example of why our congressional representatives should not be able to buy individual stocks. Am I disappointed that I couldn’t buy between $21,000 and $315,000 in stocks when Trump announced, “THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO BUY!!!” Yes, I am.

www.nytimes.com/2025/04/14/u...

19 international UT Dallas students have visas revoked The school said Wednesday 19 of its international students had their immigration status terminated by the federal government, calling the situation "fluid."

This is not good for the US if we are going to be a leader in education and research—we need the minds and experiences of those outside our bubble to grow and prosper.

19 international UT Dallas students have visas revoked www.keranews.org/government/2...

How to Protect Your Retirement Savings Now as Markets Plunge (Gift Article) If you’re within five years of retiring, either before or after, you’re at your most vulnerable financially. Here are steps to weather the volatility.

As the S&P 500 plunges another 6%, after 5% yesterday, you might be concerned about your retirement. If you’re within five years of retiring, these declines can be unsettling. The New York Times shared steps to weather the volatility in the markets.
www.nytimes.com/2025/04/04/b...

SMU's Dallas Hall bathed in the light of golden hour with the ripples of a fountain in the foreground.

The nice thing about the weather in Dallas lately is that we are getting some beautiful light right before and after our sunsets.

#goldenhour
#smu
#ponyupdallas

I’m so disappointed I missed him modeling the wings. Terrible time to be getting my camera cleaned.