May 7, 2026
Blue Earth Course Brings Aquatic Science to Life
Story by Sophia AndersonPhotos courtesy of Sabrina Michael Two years ago, Sabrina Michael, an assistant teaching professor, launched a General Honors College course with an ambitious goal: immerse students in the hidden worlds beneath the surface of Earth’s waters. Since then, the class has evolved through small changes and new opportunities, but its mission has stayed constant — bringing together students from a wide range of majors to explore the science, ecology and conservation of marine and freshwater ecosystems. In “Blue Earth: Aquatic Science Through SCUBA,” students study everything from aquatic organisms and water quality to the environmental challenges…
May 6, 2026
A Lifelong Student of the Classics: David Schenker’s Mizzou Legacy
Story by Logan Jackson Sitting among veteran University of Missouri faculty fully engaged in a passionate debate, David Schenker said he felt a bit like a deer caught in the headlights. Schenker had just arrived at Mizzou as a new faculty member in the Department of Classical Studies (now the Department of Classics, Archaeology, and Religion) and had been invited to teach in the long-running Honors College Humanities Sequence. The lively discussion was focused on the upcoming semester’s syllabus. “I was the youngest person in the room and was among academic giants, like Bill Bondeson, Ted Tarkow,…
May 4, 2026
From Students to Masters, Mizzou Program Builds Real-World Writing Tutors
Story by Riley PalshawPhotos by Logan Jackson Students in the University of Missouri Honors College are not just learning how to improve their own writing. In Theory and Practice of Tutoring Writing, they are learning how to help others do the same, continuing a tradition of support at the University of Missouri Writing Center that spans 50 years. The 15-week Honors College course prepares students to work in the MU Writing Center through a mix of writing, observation and hands-on experience. Led by MU Writing Center director Aaron Harms and assistant director…
April 29, 2026
Ashley McGarrah to Travel to England Through Fulbright UK Summer Institutes Program
Story by Logan Jackson Mizzou sophomore Ashley McGarrah will explore the field of social work this summer at the University of Bristol in England through the Fulbright UK Summer Institutes program. While there, McGarrah will enroll in courses tied to various social issues taught by historians, academics and practitioners. The Fulbright UK Summer Institutes program provides undergraduate students from the United States with little or no travel experience outside of North America the opportunity to explore the culture, heritage and history of the UK while experiencing higher education at a UK university. “I was unbelievably excited…
April 29, 2026
Turning Ambitions into Global Opportunities
Story by Kaiya Lynch After 20 years teaching in the Missouri School of Journalism, Amanda Hinnant still finds new ways to support student success. Hinnant, a professor in the Missouri School of Journalism and affiliate faculty in the Honors College, has served on roughly 170 graduate-student committees during her time at Mizzou. Alongside her work in the School of Journalism, she also teaches an Honors College Tutorial centered on books featured in the Unbound Book Festival, bringing students together to explore ideas through reading and discussion. Her recent work as the Honors College Faculty Fellow, however,…
April 27, 2026
Charlotte Spohr Selected for DAAD RISE Germany Research Internship
Story by Logan Jackson Mizzou junior Charlotte Spohr will have the opportunity to conduct meaningful research while studying abroad this summer through the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) Research Internships in Science and Engineering (RISE) program. The internship allows undergraduate students from North American, British and Irish universities the chance to conduct research at top German colleges and research institutions. “I have never studied abroad before, and I’ve always had hopes of living and working abroad, so this opportunity is a literal dream come true,” said Spohr, a plant sciences major who is also pursuing the Honors…
April 26, 2026
Vice Provost Champions Curiosity, Connection in Honors College
Story by Kaiya LynchPhotos by Logan Jackson For Jim Spain, education has always been about more than grades or career preparation. It is about curiosity and the responsibility that comes with learning. Spain, vice provost for undergraduate studies and professor of animal sciences at the University of Missouri, has spent decades working to shape undergraduate education. Spain’s academic background is rooted in dairy nutrition and management, but his impact at Mizzou stretches far beyond animal science. Since 2007, he has served as vice provost for undergraduate studies, supporting initiatives aimed at improving student success across campus.
April 21, 2026
Honors College Celebrates Student Success, Faculty and Staff Engagement During Spring Awards Ceremony
Story and photos by Logan Jackson Multiple students pursuing the Honors Certificate were recognized for their outstanding achievements over the past academic year during the recent Honors College Spring Awards ceremony. The annual event features multiple scholarships and awards for Tigers across campus. The Honors College also gave an award to an outstanding faculty member, Carolyn Orbann, and two exceptional campus partners, Darren Green and Sarah Humfeld. The celebration was held on Tuesday, April 21, at the State Historical Society of Missouri. Outstanding Faculty Award Each year, the Honors College recognizes faculty who have made…
April 13, 2026
Mizzou Scholars Earn Prestigious NSF Graduate Research Fellowships
Story by Logan Jackson For nearly 70 years, the National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship (GRF) Program has recognized and supported outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported STEM disciplines who are pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees at accredited U.S. institutions. The five-year prestigious fellowship includes three years of financial support including an annual stipend of $37,000. This year, four Mizzou undergraduate students, two graduate students and two alumni were selected for the program, with another five students with Mizzou ties given honorable mention. “Having had the joy of working with some of the…
April 8, 2026
From Game to Classroom: Honors College Students Take a Swing at America’s Favorite Pastime
Story by Riley Palshaw Eight World Series rings sat on a classroom desk as 93-year-old former Major League Baseball scout Bill Clark told stories from more than four decades in the game. For students in the University of Missouri Honors College, it wasn’t just a lesson about baseball; it was a lesson about American history. That moment is exactly what Bill Horner hopes students experience in Baseball and the American Experience, a course that explores how the story of baseball mirrors the story of the United States itself. Horner, a Curators’ Distinguished Teaching Professor in the…