Oct. 21, 2023

A Revolutionary Series

Revolutions are a team effort. For one Honors College series, education is, too. Matthew Frierdich and Billy Coleman, faculty in the Honors College and the Kinder Institute on Constitutional Democracy, are leading the charge together in a Kinder-Honors collaboration about the revolutionary movements of the world. The class, titled simply, “Revolutions,” is the first in the two-class Social Sciences Series offered through the Honors College. The sequel is “Constitutions.” Frierdich, assistant teaching professor of political science, says, “We’re working really closely together. We have different backgrounds, different training, different assumptions about how to approach…

Oct. 18, 2023

Changing Her Personal Narrative

As an advisor in the University of Missouri Office of Global and National Fellowships, Lauren Pike helps match Mizzou students with fellowship opportunities that align with their goals. As students navigate the application process, Pike and her fellow advisors offer support and guidance each step of the way. Pike helped numerous Mizzou students secure fellowships this past year – and a summer experience abroad will allow her to form an even deeper connection with the students she advises. Pike participated in the “Politics and Society in Central Asia” study abroad program this summer in Kyrgyzstan, led…

Oct. 8, 2023

Contributing to Vital Research in African Linguistics

Undergraduate students who are part of the Collaborative Research in African Languages (CORAL) team at the University of Missouri contribute to vital research in African linguistics. Students perform a variety of tasks depending on their experience, their interests and the needs of the team. Some of that work includes extracting linguistic data from existing sources, such as vocabulary from dictionaries, and working with software to align transcriptions and translations with audio from interviews. The CORAL team, which began in 2016, is an extension of two separate National Science Foundation (NSF) grants secured by Mizzou faculty – Michael Marlo,…

Oct. 5, 2023

ASH Scholars Program Promotes Research in the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities

A unique collaboration between the University of Missouri Office of Undergraduate Research and the MU Honors College has led to an ongoing research opportunity for undergraduate students involved in the arts, social sciences and humanities (ASH) disciplines. The ASH Scholars Program began in 2016 and has continued to grow over the years, including bringing in a new team this year. With the addition of the Santa Fe Trail research project, the ASH Scholars Program now features five teams that research a variety of topics. “The goal was to replicate the benefits of working…

Oct. 4, 2023

Examining Close Relationships

Undergraduate students at the University of Missouri who participate in the Close Relationships research project study how youths’ interactions with close relationship partners shape their development and emotional adjustment. Students approach the study of relationships from a lifetime perspective – with a primary focus on childhood and adolescence. It’s a project that has been ongoing since 2017 and is led by Amanda Rose, a professor of psychological sciences, and Ashley Groh, an associate professor of psychological sciences. The research was born out of a different project that Rose and Groh were co-supervising with a doctoral student focused on…

Oct. 4, 2023

Studying the Importance of Minority-Focused Content

The Minority Focused News as a Locus of Empowerment research team investigates the manners in which news websites and streaming platforms that serve under-represented and marginalized populations provide a benefit to society. Undergraduate students at the University of Missouri who participate in the research seek to understand how identity-focused content serves as a safe space for those affected groups. The original research was born out of work that Chris Josey, an associate teaching professor of communication at MU, started as a graduate student at the University of Illinois. Josey, who helps lead the team at Mizzou, conducted research…

Oct. 4, 2023

Exploring Death Through the Lens of Artistic Production

Since 2017, the Art of Death research project has allowed undergraduate students at the University of Missouri to normalize conversations about death and dying through the lens of artistic production. Students use a variety of media tools – such as virtual reality (VR), projection mapping, augmented reality (AR) and video art – to generate creative projects that explore death and dying. The innovative project is also an interdisciplinary one. Led by Katina Bitsicas, an assistant professor in the MU School of Visual Studies, and Debora Verniz, an assistant professor of architectural studies, students have the opportunity to confront…

Oct. 4, 2023

A Historical Dive into the Santa Fe Trail

An important piece of Missouri history, the Santa Fe Trail connected the Show-Me State to present day Santa Fe, New Mexico, providing a valuable trade route through the middle of a still growing United States. The trail has been of interest to historians in the Kinder Institute on Constitutional Democracy – and a new research project will now allow undergraduate students at the University of Missouri to excavate historical data related to the trail. Through the ASH Scholars Program, the Santa Fe Trail research team will not only dive into the importance of the trail, but…

Sep. 24, 2023

Prepared for the Future

Of all the skills Luke Pittman gained during his four years at the University of Missouri, time management proved to be one the most vital. When Pittman graduated in May, he did so with three degrees – constitutional democracy, economics and political science. Balancing that workload was key as Pittman pursued his interests in politics and policy. “I did come to Mizzou with quite a few credits, which helped, but I worked hard to manage my time wisely,” Pittman said. “When I had four assignments due in the same week,…

Sep. 19, 2023

What’s the Buzz About Bees?

A member of the board of advisors for the Boone Regional Beekeepers Association and a beekeeping project leader for Sustain Mizzou, George Frees has shared his bee expertise with a variety of audiences across Missouri over the years. Community members, elementary students and various school groups have all benefited from his knowledge and instruction on caring for one of the world’s most important pollinators. Frees is now bringing that passion to University of Missouri Honors College students. Frees, a junior biochemistry and plant sciences double major, is co-teaching an Honors Seminar with Bethany Stone, Curators’ Distinguished Teaching Professor…