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…

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…

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…

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?”…

Nov. 1, 2023

The Student Success Sequence: Finding Your People

A Stamps Scholar, Maddie Reiser has been involved in a variety of organizations and internships while at Mizzou. She is a senior political science major who is also minoring in business. Photo courtesy of Maddie Reiser. If you are one of the thousands of University of Missouri students from out-of-state, the struggle of being away from home for the first time is all too familiar. For others, building a community far away from old friends and family is a daunting enough task that they decide to not leave their home state. Maddie Reiser, a Mizzou senior majoring in political science…

Oct. 30, 2023

Making Connections

A Discovery Fellow, Manisha Muthukaruppan has been plenty involved in undergraduate research opportunities during her first semester at Mizzou. The chance to participate in research early in her collegiate career at MU was actually a big selling point as Muthukaruppan was searching for the right college fit. When Manisha Muthukaruppan arrived on the University of Missouri campus in August to begin her first semester, she knew there were going to be multiple chances to make connections with her fellow Tigers. The freshman biochemistry major has taken advantage of those opportunities. Muthukaruppan has joined a handful of organizations during…

Oct. 22, 2023

A Revolutionary Series

A collaboration between the Honors College and the Kinder Institute on Constitutional Democracy is giving undergraduate students at Mizzou a chance to study the complete picture of revolutions and constitutions in their historical and political contexts. Students engage in a variety of lively conversations during the class. 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,…

Oct. 19, 2023

Changing Her Personal Narrative

Lauren Pike, an advisor in the MU Office of Global and National Fellowships, participated in the “Politics and Society in Central Asia” study abroad program in Kyrgyzstan this summer. It was the first time that Pike had traveled abroad. Here, Pike is pictured in the Kyrgyzstan Parliament building. Photo courtesy of Lauren Pike. 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…

Oct. 9, 2023

Contributing to Vital Research in African Linguistics

Students who are part of the Collaborative Research in African Languages (CORAL) team at Mizzou contribute to vital research in African linguistics. Students routinely meet with native speakers to gain a better understanding of the languages they are studying. Photo courtesy of Michael Marlo. 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…

Oct. 6, 2023

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

The ASH Scholars Program has led to ongoing research opportunities for undergraduate students at the University of Missouri involved in the arts, social sciences and humanities (ASH) disciplines. For example, the Art of Death research project is focused on normalizing conversations about death and dying through the lens of artistic production. Photo courtesy of Katina Bitsicas. 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…