May 7, 2026

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

The recent Schenkerthon event highlighted David Schenker’s time at Mizzou as he heads toward retirement. The two-day celebration featured numerous speakers and brought together Schenker’s peers and former students. The event highlighted Schenker’s impact across more than three decades of teaching. Photo by Logan Jackson. 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…

April 30, 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. Amanda Hinnant Her recent work as the Honors College Faculty Fellow, however, has introduced…

April 27, 2026

Vice Provost Champions Curiosity, Connection in Honors College

Jim Spain, vice provost for undergraduate studies and professor of animal sciences, is a regular at numerous Honors College events. His Honors Tutorials course uses dairy cows as a model to teach students about rumen biology, nutrition and environmental factors affecting animal health. 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…

April 22, 2026

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

Nicole Campione-Barr (left), a professor of psychological sciences, was given the inaugural Honors College Outstanding Research Mentor Award. 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.

April 9, 2026

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

The Baseball and the American Experience Honors College course explores how the story of baseball mirrors the story of the United States itself. The course has featured numerous guest speakers and included outings to places like the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. Photo courtesy of Bill Horner. 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…

April 2, 2026

Mizzou to Collaborate with SEC Honors Colleges on Athletics Course

Next fall, Mizzou Honors College students will have the opportunity to explore the history and mission of NCAA athletics through a collaborative Honors course. The class includes Zoom sessions with SEC partners and in-person, Mizzou-specific seminars. 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…

Jan. 21, 2026

Bringing Education to Life

Gary Smith, director emeritus of admissions and registrar, has brought the cases of lawyer Clarence Darrow to life through a Mizzou Honors College seminar course over the past 30 years. 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…

Jan. 15, 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 into the selected…

Oct. 24, 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 get some hands-on practice in the…

Oct. 17, 2025

Redefining the Pursuit of Happiness

Sam von Gillern’s course Lessons from Positive Psychology on Happiness and Success allows Honors College students the opportunity to explore research in the field of positive psychology. 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…