Dec. 13, 2023

Senior Spotlight: Matt Houk

Matt Houk has always loved to learn. That passion for education led Houk to the University of Missouri, where he will graduate this December with three degrees – political science, history and communication – as well as two minors and a handful of certificates, including the Honors Certificate. Houk accomplished a lot during his time at MU, and those achievements led him to being selected as the student speaker during the Honors commencement ceremony. It was Houk’s interest in learning, as well as a desire to follow a blueprint that…

Dec. 12, 2023

Senior Spotlight: Caroline Lyman

During Caroline Lyman’s first collegiate soccer match, the freshman University of Missouri defender found herself lined up against Stanford University forward Sophia Smith. Smith, who was a sophomore, had been a regular on the United States Women’s Youth National Team training circuit and was coming off a solid freshman campaign. It was quite the “welcome to college soccer” moment for Lyman. That first match proved to Lyman that her years of hard work on the pitch had been worth it – she was officially a Div. I athlete and part of one of the best conferences in the…

Dec. 11, 2023

Senior Spotlight: Felix Wang

Felix Wang has made sure to make the most of his time at the University of Missouri. The senior will graduate in December with two degrees – English and information technology – as well as the Honors Certificate. Wang also took part in a study abroad experience in Ireland and has participated in multiple undergraduate research projects. Those accomplishments don’t even include Wang’s involvement in a variety of other clubs and organizations. “I’ve definitely been able to explore a wide range of interests during my time at Mizzou,” said Wang, who is from…

Dec. 10, 2023

Senior Spotlight: Kimberly Barr

When her cousin was born prematurely, Kimberly Barr found herself spending a lot of time in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). While Barr was plenty familiar with hospitals – her mom is a nurse – this was first time she had spent an extended period of time interacting with other nurses. As she watched her cousin get stronger, Barr, who was in high school, began searching for collegiate nursing programs, with the goal of eventually becoming a NICU nurse. That search led her to the University of Missouri. “Growing up, my mom always told me that…

Nov. 29, 2023

The World as a Classroom

Sara George, a senior double majoring in journalism and Spanish from Boulder, Colorado, did not originally have Mizzou on her radar. That changed her sophomore year of high school when her dad, an alumnus originally from Kansas City, Missouri, mentioned the prestige of Mizzou’s School of Journalism. After learning more about the program and the opportunities available for study abroad, George agreed that Mizzou was the place for her.  George was named a Stamps Scholar after undergoing the Honors scholarship application process during her senior year of high school. The Stamps Scholars…

Nov. 2, 2023

Trusting the Process

The past year has been one of growth and self-discovery for Jenny Park. It’s also been a year of celebration for the University of Missouri senior. Park began the year by being named a Goldwater Scholar. One of four Tigers to receive the award, the Goldwater Scholarship is one of the most prestigious national scholarships in natural sciences, engineering and mathematics in the United States. Park is ending the year with another illustrious honor – she was named a finalist for the Rhodes Scholarship. “I was very surprised and also thrilled to hear that I had…

Oct. 31, 2023

The Student Success Sequence: Finding Your People

If you are one of the thousands of University of Missouri students from out-of-state, the struggle of being away from home for the first time is all too familiar. For others, building a community far away from old friends and family is a daunting enough task that they decide to not leave their home state. Maddie Reiser, a Mizzou senior majoring in political science and minoring in business, is about as far from home as you can get. Originally from Johannesburg, South Africa, at the age of 10 Reiser and her family moved to Pleasant Plains, Illinois. From…

Oct. 29, 2023

Making Connections

When Manisha Muthukaruppan arrived on the University of Missouri campus in August to begin her first semester, she knew there were going to be multiple chances to make connections with her fellow Tigers. The freshman biochemistry major has taken advantage of those opportunities. Muthukaruppan has joined a handful of organizations during her first semester, such as the Pre-Med Scholars, Biochemistry Club, Asian American Association, South Asian Student Association and Mizzou Masti (Bollywood dance team). She is also helping other students get involved as a member of the Honors College Programming Board. “When I first stepped on…

Oct. 8, 2023

Contributing to Vital Research in African Linguistics

Undergraduate students who are part of the Collaborative Research in African Languages (CORAL) team at the University of Missouri contribute to vital research in African linguistics. Students perform a variety of tasks depending on their experience, their interests and the needs of the team. Some of that work includes extracting linguistic data from existing sources, such as vocabulary from dictionaries, and working with software to align transcriptions and translations with audio from interviews. The CORAL team, which began in 2016, is an extension of two separate National Science Foundation (NSF) grants secured by Mizzou faculty – Michael Marlo,…

Oct. 5, 2023

ASH Scholars Program Promotes Research in the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities

A unique collaboration between the University of Missouri Office of Undergraduate Research and the MU Honors College has led to an ongoing research opportunity for undergraduate students involved in the arts, social sciences and humanities (ASH) disciplines. The ASH Scholars Program began in 2016 and has continued to grow over the years, including bringing in a new team this year. With the addition of the Santa Fe Trail research project, the ASH Scholars Program now features five teams that research a variety of topics. “The goal was to replicate the benefits of working…