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Elise Milburn smiling and posing for a picture in front of a historic landmark.

May 12, 2025

An Incredible Learning Environment: Milburn Earns Constitutional Democracy and History Degrees

Story by Logan Jackson The first piece of college recruitment material that Elise Milburn received came courtesy of the University of Missouri. While Milburn wasn’t shocked to see those types of materials as a high school student, she was a bit surprised to see something from a university in Missouri. “My family didn’t know anything about Mizzou,” said Milburn, who is from Texas. “We definitely joked about it at first, as I never imagined myself going somewhere I had never heard of before and that was fairly far away, but I did end up taking a closer…

Tanner Smith holding a microphone while speaking to a crowd.

May 11, 2025

Investigating Multiple Opportunities: Smith Earns Communication and Political Science Degrees

Story by Kaiya Lynch Senior Tanner Smith vividly recalls his first day at the University of Missouri. “I remember sitting in the dorms and was like, ‘What am I supposed to do now?’” Smith said. A communication and political science double-major with a sociology minor, Smith quickly realized that his next step was undergraduate research. Before coming to Mizzou, Smith was determined to become a lawyer. He wanted to forge his own path – and not necessarily follow in his parents’ footsteps. “I was dead set that I was not going to go to Mizzou,”…

A student pointing at a research poster while talking to another individual.

May 10, 2025

Building An Incredible Research Portfolio: Fritschi Earns Biochemistry Degree

Story by Logan Jackson When Eric Fritschi arrived on the University of Missouri campus as a freshman, he knew he wanted to get involved in research. The Freshman Research in Plants (FRIPS) Program allowed him to do just that. Now, as Fritschi heads toward graduation, he’s built an incredible research portfolio. “I didn’t know what I would enjoy about research, but I always knew I wanted to give it a shot,” said Fritschi, who will graduate with a biochemistry degree and the Honors Certificate from Mizzou. Fritschi will also earn minors in biological sciences and chemistry.

Maya Bowman headshot

May 6, 2025

Exploring Her Interests: Bowman Earns Computer Science Degree

Story by Logan Jackson While Maya Bowman admitted that the scholarship opportunities offered by the University of Missouri made her decision to become a Tiger an easy one, what happened on her official campus tour truly sold her on attending Mizzou. “My dad earned a degree from Mizzou, so I already had a connection with campus,” said Bowman, who grew up in St. Louis, Missouri. “He was with me during my tour, and after we finished, he showed me his favorite spots. Hearing how much he loved Mizzou and diving into those memories was really great and…

Pink pamphlets spread out on the ground in a circle.

May 5, 2025

Art of Death ASH Scholars Team Showcases Multi-Modality Project

Story by Kaiya Lynch One team. One night. One hundred years of history encapsulated. The ASH Scholars’ Art of Death team showcased multi-modality work at “Layered” in mid-April. The project was created to memorialize Read Hall, the first women’s dorm at the University of Missouri. The event featured different artistic modalities like photovoice, zines, projection art and virtual reality. “Layered” was a way for the Art of Death team to pay their respects to the building and what it meant to the people who lived and worked within its walls. The Art…

Andrew Fialka holding his graphic history book and smiling for a photo.

April 24, 2025

Bringing History to Life

Story and photos by Logan Jackson As Andrew Fialka’s junior year at Mizzou was coming to a close, he was struggling to come up with an engaging honors thesis idea to finish out his history degree. A chance encounter after the Mizzou men’s basketball captured the Big 12 tournament title sparked not only a thesis idea, but a decade-long passion. “I was out celebrating – like so many of my peers were – and I happened to run into Joseph Beilein, was who a teaching assistant in history and had become a really good friend,” said Fialka,…

Sherri Ulbrich talking to her students.

April 22, 2025

An Active Affiliate Faculty

Story and photos by Logan Jackson Sherri Ulbrich has built a career caring for others as a registered nurse and educating the next generation of nurses as an associate teaching professor at the University of Missouri. While she didn’t envision a career in nursing or teaching, an adolescent Ulbrich wouldn’t be as surprised that she found success in those fields. “It’s really interesting to look back at specific moments that didn’t have a deep meaning at the time, but they did set the stage for the future,” Ulbrich said. “I was introduced to nursing care when I…

Chris Josey and Catherine Rymph smiling and posing for a picture.

April 16, 2025

Recognizing Outstanding Achievements

Story and photos by Logan Jackson Multiple students pursuing the Honors Certificate were recognized for their outstanding achievements over the past 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, Chris Josey, and an exceptional campus partner, Ashely Mitchell. The celebration was held on Tuesday, April 15, at the State Historical Society of Missouri. Outstanding Faculty Award Each year, the Honors College recognizes faculty who have made a substantial and lasting…

McKenna Riddle headshot

April 13, 2025

A Perfect Partnership

Story by Logan Jackson For the past decade, the Unbound Book Festival has welcomed world-class authors to mid-Missouri to discuss their books, their work and their life. The goal of the festival is to bring together participants to inspire a life-long love of books and reading.  The Mizzou Honors College has partnered with the festival for several years, including offering a 1-credit hour course – “Unbound: Reading Without Limits” – which allows Honors students to dive deeper into a variety of writing styles, including books written by the keynote speaker. During the…

Erin Reynolds smiling and posing for a photo while holding an award.

April 9, 2025

Making the Most of Her Time as a Tiger

Story by Logan Jackson Students who attend the Missouri Scholars Academy (MSA) interact with nearly all corners of the University of Missouri campus. They flex their intellectual muscles in academic buildings, enjoy games on the quad and create friendships in the Mark Twin Residence Hall. Erin Reynolds attended the Academy in 2019. The experience served as her first introduction to Mizzou, and when the time came for her to choose a university a couple years later, the familiarity with Mizzou won out. “I honestly wanted to attend a university out of state,” Reynolds said. “I did…