Dec. 14, 2025
From Legacy to Leadership: Mira Sabapathy Earns Accountancy Degree
Story by Kaiya Lynch Mira Sabapathy was no stranger to the University of Missouri growing up. The daughter of Mizzou alumni, she arrived on campus as a freshman already familiar with its history, culture and traditions. “Once I was accepted into the Cornell Leadership Program, I knew I would go to Mizzou,” Sabapathy said. “It certainly helped having parents who attended the university, so I already felt comfortable.” The Cornell Leadership Program offers leadership development for students who have achieved high levels of success. Sabapathy appreciated that the program allowed her to…
Nov. 19, 2025
Spicing Up Student Life: Meet Andrew Rubin
Story by Tanner O’Neal RileyPhotos by Logan Jackson At the University of Missouri’s Student Center, tucked inside the Griggs Innovators Nexus, the steady hum of student chatter mixes with the scent of ambition. Among the bustle sits freshman Andrew Rubin, founder of State Street Spices, a venture he built from scratch before even setting foot on campus. Rubin, a St. Louis, Missouri, native, says his business, which he launched in 2023, blends his passions for food, culture, community and, of course, entrepreneurship. He says that is what brought…
Nov. 17, 2025
Developing Study Strategies for the MCAT
Story and photos by Logan Jackson The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) is widely considered to be one of the most difficult standardized exams due to its format, expansive content and high-stakes nature. The preparation that students must do before the exam is vital, and the Honors College is offering a course to aid students on that journey. The High Impact Study Strategies for MCAT Prep (GN_HON 4070H) course brings together students from across the Mizzou campus to try new study techniques, take practice exams, complete self-evaluations and work through stress-reduction exercises. The course is taught by…
Nov. 5, 2025
Josh Donaldson Named Finalist for Rhodes, Marshall Scholarships
Story and photo by Logan Jackson Less than a year after receiving the prestigious Truman Scholarship, Josh Donaldson is gearing up for another distinguished scholarship interview. Donaldson was recently chosen as a Rhodes Scholarship finalist. “I am honored to be a Rhodes finalist and incredibly excited to meet the other finalists in November,” Donaldson said. “I am grateful for the Office of Global and National Fellowships, my mentors on campus and my family back home for helping me get to this point. This application process challenged me more than any other. Through intense introspection and reflection on…
Nov. 3, 2025
Finding Her Voice: How the Honors College Helped Charlotte Cicero Lead, Learn and Look Ahead
Story by Riley Palshaw On the night of Oct. 4, Charlotte Cicero walked through downtown Columbia with a camera in hand, keeping pace with University of Missouri President Mun Choi and local leaders as they toured the area to discuss community safety. It wasn’t a typical KOMU assignment, or Saturday night for that matter, but for Cicero, a senior broadcast journalism student and KOMU 8 reporter, it was a reminder of why she fell in love with the profession: to inform, to connect and to give others a voice. That same sense of purpose has guided every…
Oct. 23, 2025
Amanda Paz Herrera Fosters Love of Scientific Research to Honors Students
Story by Sophia AndersonPhoto by Logan Jackson Amanda Paz Herrera is passing on her love of scientific research in her Introduction to Research (GN_HON 2453H) Honors College course. Paz Herrera started teaching this course in fall 2023 after completing her Ph.D. in biochemistry at Mizzou and becoming an adjunct professor. Now an assistant professor and core Honors College faculty member, Paz Herrera helps connects students with research through her teaching efforts. In her Introduction to Research course, students look for antibiotic producing bacteria in soil. “It’s a way to explore some microbiology techniques and…
Oct. 16, 2025
Redefining the Pursuit of Happiness
Story by Riley PalshawPhotos by Logan Jackson As humans, we’re told that happiness is something worth pursuing. But what does happiness actually mean? Sam von Gillern explores this question with his Honors College students in Lessons from Positive Psychology on Happiness and Success, an Honors Seminar course centered on research in the field of positive psychology. For von Gillern, who created and teaches the course, the idea began at Iowa State University when he encountered The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor. The book’s insights laid the foundation for his class, and after arriving at Mizzou in…
Oct. 12, 2025
The Force, Football and Fandoms: Honors College Takes on Pop Culture
Story by Tanner O’Neal RileyPhotos by Logan Jackson When one thinks of an Honors College class, what most often comes to mind? History, theology, anthropology and perhaps sociology, to name a few. What one doesn’t think of? Harry Potter fan rivalries, the rise and fall of Beanie Baby mania or the new-fangled cultural icon bringing the most stoic of men to their knees, the Labubu. That’s exactly what Doug Valentine’s one-credit Honors Tutorial on fandom, offered through the Mizzou Honors College, seeks to explore. In his course, Fandoms: Gamers, Football, and K-Pop, Oh My!, he invites students…
Oct. 6, 2025
Discovery Fellows Program Connects Students with Research Opportunities
Story and photos by Logan JacksonVideos by Eric Kiekeben Like many undergraduate students just beginning their research journeys, Nora Pryor was tasked with reading multiple research papers and articles in 2022 when she first began working with Heather Hennkens, an associate professor in the Department of Chemistry and the University of Missouri Research Reactor (MURR). Just two years later, Pryor found her name – along with other collaborators – on a published research article. “One of the first assignments Dr. Hennkens gave me was to read a ton of papers, and…
Sep. 22, 2025
Katherine Fapp Joins Honors College Faculty
Story and photo by Logan Jackson During her time as a departmental lecturer in the University of Oxford’s Rothermere American Institute (RAI), Katherine Fapp interacted with a variety of students – even some from the University of Missouri. RAI and the Kinder Institute on Constitutional Democracy have collaborated in a variety of ways over the years, and Fapp – who lectured on U.S. History – had the opportunity to meet with several Mizzou students while at Oxford. This fall, Fapp began teaching Tigers full time. Fapp joined Mizzou as an assistant teaching professor,…