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,…
May 18, 2025
Making a Positive Impact
Story and photos by Logan Jackson Chris Josey’s teaching efforts have been recognized often throughout his two decades as an educator. He said his most recent award may be one of his favorites. Josey, an associate teaching professor of communication, was named the 2025 Honors College Outstanding Faculty. Nominees for the award are solicited from Honors students across campus and chosen by a selection committee. “This award really means a lot to me,” Josey said. “I love interacting with Honors students, and it’s really gratifying to know that they appreciate me enough to nominate for this award.
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…
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…
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…
March 13, 2025
MU Excels Celebrates Fellowship Mentors, Applicants
University of Missouri students pursue a variety of nationally competitive grants, scholarships and fellowships throughout the academic year – but they don’t do so alone. In addition to their faculty mentors, the Mizzou Office of Global and National Fellowships aids students during the application journey as they navigate the various requirements, all the while exploring their interests, building their skills, articulating their goals and developing lasting mentor relationships.