May 17, 2026

Connecting Health, History and Humanity

Story and photos by Logan Jackson For Carolyn Orbann, anthropology has always been about people — their stories, their cultures, the systems they build and the ways they care for one another across time. That curiosity has carried her from childhood years spent overseas in Kenya and South Africa to archaeological work in Joshua Tree National Park, and eventually to classrooms and research laboratories at the University of Missouri, where she now mentors Tigers exploring questions about health, policy and human behavior. This spring, Orbann, a teaching professor in the College of Health Sciences and affiliate…

May 6, 2026

A Lifelong Student of the Classics: David Schenker’s Mizzou Legacy

Story by Logan Jackson Sitting among veteran University of Missouri faculty fully engaged in a passionate debate, David Schenker said he felt a bit like a deer caught in the headlights. Schenker had just arrived at Mizzou as a new faculty member in the Department of Classical Studies (now the Department of Classics, Archaeology, and Religion) and had been invited to teach in the long-running Honors College Humanities Sequence. The lively discussion was focused on the upcoming semester’s syllabus. “I was the youngest person in the room and was among academic giants, like Bill Bondeson, Ted Tarkow,…

April 29, 2026

Turning Ambitions into Global Opportunities

Story by Kaiya Lynch After 20 years teaching in the Missouri School of Journalism, Amanda Hinnant still finds new ways to support student success. Hinnant, a professor in the Missouri School of Journalism and affiliate faculty in the Honors College, has served on roughly 170 graduate-student committees during her time at Mizzou. Alongside her work in the School of Journalism, she also teaches an Honors College Tutorial centered on books featured in the Unbound Book Festival, bringing students together to explore ideas through reading and discussion. Her recent work as the Honors College Faculty Fellow, however,…

April 26, 2026

Vice Provost Champions Curiosity, Connection in Honors College

Story by Kaiya LynchPhotos by Logan Jackson For Jim Spain, education has always been about more than grades or career preparation. It is about curiosity and the responsibility that comes with learning. Spain, vice provost for undergraduate studies and professor of animal sciences at the University of Missouri, has spent decades working to shape undergraduate education. Spain’s academic background is rooted in dairy nutrition and management, but his impact at Mizzou stretches far beyond animal science. Since 2007, he has served as vice provost for undergraduate studies, supporting initiatives aimed at improving student success across campus.

April 21, 2026

Honors College Celebrates Student Success, Faculty and Staff Engagement During Spring Awards Ceremony

Story and photos by Logan Jackson Multiple students pursuing the Honors Certificate were recognized for their outstanding achievements over the past academic 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, Carolyn Orbann, and two exceptional campus partners, Darren Green and Sarah Humfeld. The celebration was held on Tuesday, April 21, at the State Historical Society of Missouri. Outstanding Faculty Award Each year, the Honors College recognizes faculty who have made…

April 8, 2026

From Game to Classroom: Honors College Students Take a Swing at America’s Favorite Pastime

Story by Riley Palshaw Eight World Series rings sat on a classroom desk as 93-year-old former Major League Baseball scout Bill Clark told stories from more than four decades in the game. For students in the University of Missouri Honors College, it wasn’t just a lesson about baseball; it was a lesson about American history. That moment is exactly what Bill Horner hopes students experience in Baseball and the American Experience, a course that explores how the story of baseball mirrors the story of the United States itself. Horner, a Curators’ Distinguished Teaching Professor in the…

April 1, 2026

Mizzou to Collaborate with SEC Honors Colleges on Athletics Course

Story and photo by Logan Jackson The University of Missouri Honors College will collaborate with Honors Colleges from nine Southeastern Conference (SEC) universities this fall on a course that will explore the changing landscape across collegiate athletics. Through a combination of Zoom sessions with SEC partners and in-person, Mizzou-specific seminars, the course will explore the history and mission of NCAA athletics and recent legal settlements impacting college athletics and their effects on higher education, student athletes and college sports. “This course will challenge students to examine collegiate athletics from different perspectives, including not only those of…

Jan. 20, 2026

Bringing Education to Life

Story and photos by Logan Jackson For the past 30 years, Gary Smith has brought the cases of renowned lawyer Clarence Darrow to life through a Mizzou Honors College Seminar course, “Attorney for the Damned” (GN_HON 1050H). Along with diving deeper into Darrow’s high-profile work, Smith engages with students on current events and Mizzou history. “I have always been fascinated with history, and I think I maybe wanted to be a lawyer, but I never got around to it,” said Smith, director emeritus of admissions and registrar. While Smith has been a staple at Mizzou and…

Jan. 14, 2026

Honors College Welcomes New Cohort of Tarkow Teaching Fellows

Story by Logan Jackson For the past two years, Mizzou faculty from across campus have shared their expertise with students pursuing the Honors College Certificate through the Tarkow Teaching Fellows program. The program was 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 Tarkow Teaching Fellows form a collaborative cohort that work with Honors College faculty and administrators to develop and teach the “Honors Book Club” course, which offers students the opportunity to dive deeper…

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…