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Jan. 3, 2024

Honors Students Go Live on KBIA

Every student in Amy Simons’ Honors Tutorial was tasked with watching or listening to Views of the News, a show hosted and produced by Simons, on Wednesday in preparation for a lively discussion on Thursday. After spending most of the semester as avid consumers of the show, the cohort then worked together to produce their own episode. Honors Tutorials, small one-credit discussions available to University of Missouri Honors students, are designed to provide more meaningful relationships and in-depth learning experiences than the traditional classroom setting can offer. Some Tutorials, such as last semester’s “Views of the News: Media Criticism” taught…

Troy Hall standing at a podium, speaking to a crowd during graduation.

Dec. 15, 2023

Building Bridges Between His Interests

As the Honors Outstanding Faculty awardee, Troy Hall spoke at the Honors commencement ceremony in May and will speak during the December celebration as well.  With interests in music and philosophy, Troy Hall explores both passions as affiliate faculty in the University of Missouri Honors College. Hall, who is an instructor of philosophy and percussion faculty in the School of Music, regularly teaches in the Honors Humanities Sequence and lends his expertise each spring semester to the Honors medical ethics discussion group. With his wide range of teaching duties, Hall interacts with Tigers from multiple degree…

Matt Houk senior spotlight graphic

Dec. 14, 2023

Senior Spotlight: Matt Houk

Matt Houk has always loved to learn. That passion for education led Houk to the University of Missouri, where he will graduate this December with three degrees – political science, history and communication – as well as two minors and a handful of certificates, including the Honors Certificate. Houk accomplished a lot during his time at MU, and those achievements led him to being selected as the student speaker during the Honors commencement ceremony. It was Houk’s interest in learning, as well as a desire to follow a blueprint that his older sister…

Caroline Lyman senior spotlight graphic

Dec. 13, 2023

Senior Spotlight: Caroline Lyman

During Caroline Lyman’s first collegiate soccer match, the freshman University of Missouri defender found herself lined up against Stanford University forward Sophia Smith. Smith, who was a sophomore, had been a regular on the United States Women’s Youth National Team training circuit and was coming off a solid freshman campaign. It was quite the “welcome to college soccer” moment for Lyman. That first match proved to Lyman that her years of hard work on the pitch had been worth it – she was officially a Div. I athlete and part of one of the best conferences in the country, the…

Felix Wang senior spotlight graphic

Dec. 12, 2023

Senior Spotlight: Felix Wang

Felix Wang has made sure to make the most of his time at the University of Missouri. The senior will graduate in December with two degrees – English and information technology – as well as the Honors Certificate. Wang also took part in a study abroad experience in Ireland and has participated in multiple undergraduate research projects. Those accomplishments don’t even include Wang’s involvement in a variety of other clubs and organizations. “I’ve definitely been able to explore a wide range of interests during my time at Mizzou,” said Wang, who is from St. Joseph, Missouri.

Kimberly Barr senior spotlight graphic

Dec. 11, 2023

Senior Spotlight: Kimberly Barr

When her cousin was born prematurely, Kimberly Barr found herself spending a lot of time in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). While Barr was plenty familiar with hospitals – her mom is a nurse – this was first time she had spent an extended period of time interacting with other nurses. As she watched her cousin get stronger, Barr, who was in high school, began searching for collegiate nursing programs, with the goal of eventually becoming a NICU nurse. That search led her to the University of Missouri. “Growing up, my mom always told me that I should pursue…

Dec. 6, 2023

From Ma Rainey to Beyoncé: A Study of Black Women in Music

Blues to gospel, gospel to jazz, jazz to soul, soul to disco, disco to R&B, punk, hip-hop, rap, metal; the “Black Women in Music” Honors course taught by Maya Gibson covers almost 130 years of music history. Maya Gibson places Black history and music center stage in “Black Women in Music,” an Honors course covering Black female musicians from Ma Rainey to Beyoncé. Gibson, who is originally from the Washington, D.C., area, attended Oberlin College in Ohio and received degrees in vocal performance, English literature and Black studies. She pursued two master’s degrees at the University of Wisconsin-Madison – African…

Two students posing for a picture while smiling.

Nov. 30, 2023

The World as a Classroom

A Stamps Scholar, Sara George (pictured on the right) has had a variety of exciting hands-on learning experiences while at the University of Missouri, including two opportunities to study abroad. She is pictured here with fellow Stamps Scholar Maddie Reiser. Photo courtesy of Sara George. Sara George, a senior double majoring in journalism and Spanish from Boulder, Colorado, did not originally have Mizzou on her radar. That changed her sophomore year of high school when her dad, an alumnus originally from Kansas City, Missouri, mentioned the prestige of Mizzou’s School of Journalism. After…

Jenny Park Rhodes Scholarship Finalist graphic

Nov. 3, 2023

Trusting the Process

The past year has been one of growth and self-discovery for Jenny Park. It’s also been a year of celebration for the University of Missouri senior. Park began the year by being named a Goldwater Scholar. One of four Tigers to receive the award, the Goldwater Scholarship is one of the most prestigious national scholarships in natural sciences, engineering and mathematics in the United States. Park is ending the year with another illustrious honor – she was named a finalist for the Rhodes Scholarship. “I was very surprised and also thrilled to hear that I had been named…

A group of Missouri Scholars Academy participants smiling for a group photo.

Nov. 1, 2023

Time to Think: How an MU Professor Achieved Success

Doug Valentine is the co-director of the Missouri Scholars Academy (MSA) and has been teaching at MSA since 2012. He is pictured here with 2023 MSA staff members who were in his classes across numerous years. Pictured are Luke Schuster (2012 minor), Paula Reyes (2015 major), Zoë Hancock (2016 major), Della Rodenbaugh (2017 major), Claire Broemmer (2019 major), Zach Smith (2019 minor) and Isabel Murphy (2021 major). Photo courtesy of Doug Valentine. If you’ve been in college for any time at all, then you likely have mixed feelings about the question, “What do you want to do when you graduate?”…