Story by Logan Jackson
For the past year, a trio of University of Missouri faculty have allowed students pursuing the Honors Certificate the opportunity to dig deeper into the Honors College One Read book.
The Honors College Teaching Fellows were developed to honor the incredible teaching legacy of Ted Tarkow, a professor emeritus of classical studies. Funded, in part, through an endowed gift in honor of Ted and Marjorie Tarkow, the Teaching Fellows form a collaborative cohort that work with Honors faculty and administrators to develop and teach the “Honors Book Club” course, which offers students the opportunity to dive deeper into the selected One Read book. The gift was specifically designed to support faculty as they mentor students in smaller classroom settings.
The program is overseen by Maya Gibson, an assistant teaching professor of women’s and gender studies in the Honors College. Support for the program also comes from the Chancellor’s Fund for Excellence.
“The first year of this program was incredibly rewarding – for both our students and the faculty,” said Catherine Rymph, dean of the Honors College. “Our inaugural cohort did such a nice job of laying the groundwork for this fellowship. We are very excited to add to the cohort, too, with seven faculty from a variety of fields from across the Mizzou campus. This group is going to bring unique perspectives to the course and provide outstanding experiences for our students.”
Learn more about the incoming cohort below.
Jennifer Bohanek – Assistant Adjunct Research Professor (Psychological Sciences)
Bohanek has been active within the Honors College for more than a decade, both in the classroom and as part of the Honors Admissions Committee. She has taught multiple courses in Honors and has played a vital role in helping students create projects within her program of research, which focuses on the social and cultural influences that shape the way individuals communicate about the events of their lives. With the Honors College Admissions Committee, Bohanek helps review high school applicants’ admissions materials.
“This award is absolutely the highlight of my time here at the University of Missouri!” Bohanek said. “I have learned so much from the students in each and every Honors course I have taught over the past decade, and it has been my pleasure creating and adapting courses and research projects to meet the needs of our students. Engaging with Honors students is endlessly exciting, fun, thought-provoking and fulfilling, and I am thrilled to be able to continue working in the Honors College in this new way.”
Bohanek said some of her favorite moments as affiliate faculty in the Honors College have happened during in-depth discussions that highlight students’ perspectives, interpretations and reflections on different material. As an Honors Teaching Fellow, Bohanek will be able to build on those experiences with students through the One Read book.
She added that she is also excited to work closely with the rest of the cohort.
“I am delighted to collaborate more frequently with faculty across our campus!” Bohanek said. “We have a wonderful cohort of Honors Teaching Fellows who all bring with them a unique personal and professional perspective, and I cannot wait to engage in lively discussions about the One Read! I am always so appreciative of the support and encouragement that our faculty provide one another. My previous co-teaching experiences have enhanced my ability to engage with new material, and in turn, to more successfully engage students in the classroom. I look forward to brainstorming ways on how best to approach the One Read book to enrich not only our Honors students’ experiences, but also our own.”
Samuel Cohen – Associate Professor (English)
Cohen is plenty familiar with the Honors College One Read, as he taught a section when he first joined Honors in 2022 as affiliate faculty. Along with that experience, Cohen teaches an Honors section in his “Missouri Writers” course.
“It’s great to be named a Tarkow Teaching Fellow,” Cohen said. “I think it’s important that we promote teaching whenever we can, and the chance not only to teach these courses but also to work on them with the other Fellows is an example of the university putting teaching first. And Ted doesn’t want me to say it, but having his name on my CV will be very cool.”
Cohen’s research focuses on 20th and 21st century American literature and culture. He has earned numerous awards throughout his time at Mizzou, including the Provost’s Outstanding Junior Faculty Teaching Award (2008) and the Gold Chalk Award (2011). Recently, he’s earned spots in a handful of Mizzou fellowship programs.
Cohen said he’s ready to continue to interact with Honors students, as well as faculty across the Honors College.
“I usually only get to interact with faculty from across campus on university committees or in other settings that aren’t about teaching specifically, so it will be nice to get the chance to sit down over the course of two years to build an educational experience together, to learn about different ways of teaching, to steal assignments, and just to talk about the challenges and possibilities of the classroom,” Cohen said.
Tim Luisi – Assistant Teaching Professor (Communication)
Luisi received his Doctor of Philosophy in Mediated Communication from Mizzou in 2022 and has been teaching Tigers since earning his doctoral degree. As a younger faculty member, Luisi said he is thrilled that the Honors College Teaching Fellows program will allow him to make meaningful connections with other faculty.
“I am genuinely excited about the opportunity to collaborate with faculty from across campus through the fellowship,” Luisi said. “One of the most rewarding aspects of teaching is learning from others, whether it’s students, colleagues or new ideas from interdisciplinary conversations. I look forward to forming new friendships in the Honors College and exchanging ideas about teaching, research and student engagement. These conversations not only enrich my own approach to teaching but also inspire fresh perspectives that I can share with my students. I also believe these interactions have the potential to create a ripple effect, benefiting students far beyond the Honors program by fostering connections and dialogue across the broader campus community.”
Luisi uses a mixed methods approach to examine the representation of gender and race throughout the media landscape including in children’s and sports media. As a media and interpersonal scholar, he also explores how stereotyped media affects social identity formation throughout the lifespan. Luisi understands the value of honors programming, too. He had his own undergraduate honors experience as a student at Sterling College (Kansas).
“As a scared college student nearly 1,000 miles from home, the small class sizes and close-knit nature of my honors courses helped me feel grounded and supported,” Luisi said. “That experience shaped my academic journey and my teaching philosophy, so it is deeply meaningful to now be in a position to give back to Honors students in this way. This fellowship allows me to support students during an equally pivotal time in their lives, and it is a true honor to be part of their journey.
“My own honors experience taught me how meaningful it is to explore shared texts and ideas in a small, discussion-driven setting. These types of conversations create a sense of connection and encourage students to engage deeply with new perspectives, something that I believe benefits everyone in the room — including the professor. I am especially looking forward to seeing the creativity and thoughtfulness that Honors students bring to these discussions. For me, this is a chance to help students build confidence as they transition into college while learning from their insights and helping them grow academically and personally.”
Ellen Moore – Assistant Teaching Professor (Chemistry)
Moore completed her Ph.D. at Mizzou in 2018 and made two teaching stops before returning to Mizzou to teach chemistry. She has been active in the Honors College, teaching the Honors series of “Organic Chemistry 1” and “Organic Chemistry 2.” Moore has also taught Honors “General Chemistry,” offering a strong foundation for her students in the STEM fields. She has served on the Honors College Curriculum Committee, too.
“Being named an Honors College Teaching Fellow is incredibly rewarding because it gives me the chance to return to a teaching style I’ve missed deeply,” Moore said. “In my early career at smaller institutions, I cherished the opportunity to work closely with students in a more intimate setting. Now, teaching large lecture courses with hundreds of students, I don’t get to build as many of those one-on-one connections. This fellowship is an opportunity to guide Honors students more personally during such an important time in their academic journey, and that’s something I find incredibly fulfilling.”
Like the rest of the cohort, Moore said she is looking forward to the opportunity to engage more deeply with Mizzou faculty from different fields.
“I’m really looking forward to collaborating with faculty from across campus,” Moore said. “One of the things I’ve missed since moving to a larger institution is the organic, cross-disciplinary conversations I used to have at smaller schools. Those discussions always inspired new ways of thinking about teaching and student engagement, and I’m eager to rekindle that here. It’s a rare and valuable chance to exchange ideas and learn from colleagues in other fields, and I’m excited about the impact it could have on my own teaching and perspective.”
Moore added that she is excited to engage with the One Read book selection.
“This opportunity is particularly exciting for me as both an educator and an avid reader,” Moore said. “I’m a Little Free Library steward, beginning during those early COVID years, and I help maintain over 12 Little Free Libraries around Columbia. I’ve seen firsthand how books can spark connection and inspire meaningful conversations, and I’m thrilled to bring that same energy to the classroom with the One Read book. The shared experience of reading and discussing a book is such a powerful way to encourage curiosity, empathy, and exploration, and I’m eager to see the insights Honors students bring to the table.”
Reginald Rogers – Associate Professor (Chemical and Biomedical Engineering)
Rogers has played a vital role for Mizzou engineering students who are pursuing the Honors Certificate, offering them opportunities to earn credit toward the certificate through various Honors sections of his courses. He has also been active with the college as part of the Honors College Curriculum Committee and is looking forward to working with Honors faculty in a different capacity.
“It was absolutely rewarding to be named an Honors College Teaching Fellow!” Rogers said. “On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being extremely excited), I would say I am a 10! Being named a Tarkow Teaching Fellow speaks to the success I have had in the classroom, and I deeply appreciate the recognition from the Honors College.
“Interacting with faculty across campus in different fields is one of the rewards of being a Teaching Fellow. It provides the opportunity for different perspectives to be shared and for growth amongst all of us. I am seriously looking forward to hearing from my colleagues as we discuss the upcoming One Read book.”
Rogers has won numerous awards for his teaching efforts, including the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) Minority Affairs Community Distinguished Service Award (2024), the College of Engineering Senior Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award (2024) and the AIChE Education Division Award for Excellence in Chemical Engineering Teaching Practice (2023).
Along with his work in the classroom, Rogers has a robust research portfolio. His research interests are focused on improved water resources using novel nanomaterials (e.g. carbon nanotubes). His group’s focus is on developing 2D and 3D structures specifically tailored toward removal of targeted contaminants from water systems.
“This new opportunity is very exciting, as I will be stepping out of my natural comfort zone to teach something that most engineers don’t do … examining non-technical literature!” Rogers said. “I view this opportunity as one to show the incoming Honors students the versatility of someone in a purely applied technical field to demonstrate both adaptability and challenging oneself. I’m hoping my interactions with the incoming Honors students will inspire them to rethink any preconceived notions they may have regarding an engineering professor teaching them about the One Read book.”
Jennifer Rowe – Professor (Journalism)
Rowe’s interactions with the Honors College date back to her time as an undergraduate student at Mizzou. She received both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the Missouri School of Journalism and was enrolled in a handful of Honors courses. Being able to sit on the other side of the room as Honors faculty is something Rowe said she is looking forward to.
“These small classes with Honors students are enriching and rewarding,” Rowe said. “They were among the most formative classes when I was an MU student. So, it’s exciting to be on the other side of it, to be a part of these Honors students’ academic experience and to dig deeply into a single book. I’m eager to see the range in insight students will bring to our class sessions.”
Rowe joined the journalism faculty at Mizzou in 1998 and has taught numerous magazine classes throughout her time as an educator. She has a variety of awards and honors to her name, including two of Mizzou’s most prestigious teaching awards: the William T. Kemper Fellowship for Teaching Excellence (2009) and the MU Provost’s Outstanding Junior Faculty Teaching Award (2004). She’s excited to share that expertise with Honors students.
“I’ve enjoyed an association with the Honors College since fall 2019 as a member of the Honors Curriculum Committee,” Rowe said. “The name and stellar reputation of Ted Tarkow have been around since I completed my undergraduate work at Mizzou. It’s a thrill to have a fellowship attached to him and the Honors College.”
Rowe added that working with faculty from across campus will be very fulfilling.
“So often professors can get mired in their own work, in their own unit and for their own classes or research,” Rowe said. “It’s refreshing to not only meet people from across campus but also to collaborate with them, benefit from their expertise and knowledge. What a fun project to design the syllabus and activities around the One Read book with a cohort of this year’s fellows and the inaugural fellows.”
John Wigger – Professor (History)
Wigger has shared his expertise with Mizzou students for nearly 30 years as a professor of history. While educating generations of Tigers, Wigger has worked with numerous faculty across campus, including Tarkow. He said being part of a program bearing Tarkow’s name is incredibly rewarding.
“I have known Ted Tarkow for nearly 30 years and have always deeply respected his commitment to students in every respect — their education, their wellbeing and the entirety of their experience at MU,” Wigger said. “His legacy is remarkable, and it is a joy to be a part of that. Joining the Tarkow Teaching Fellows in the Honors College is a privilege, where the values Ted holds dear are clearly evident.”
Wigger’s research focuses on American cultural history, including religious history and the history of flight. A former petroleum engineer and pilot, Wigger has taught Honors courses on the history of flight and white-collar crime.
“I absolutely love teaching and mentoring Honors students,” Wigger said. “They bring an added dimension of creativity and curiosity that makes them a joy to work with. Working with incoming Honors students in the One Read program will be a great way to get to know them and be a part of their first formative experiences at MU.”
While Wigger has built relationships with faculty throughout his time at Mizzou, he said that he is looking forward to working much closer with Honors College faculty.
“Collaborating with faculty across campus is a wonderful opportunity,” Wigger said. “I have Honors sections in all my undergraduate courses but rarely interact with other faculty teaching in the Honors College. I’m looking forward to meeting new colleagues and forming connections.”