Honors Wednesday Memo
Opportunities and Information for Honors Students
edited by Lakin Stevens
Volume 4, Issue 10
October 21, 2020
Message from Dean Jeff Vahlbusch
Dear students, colleagues, friends,
Two weeks ago in this space I included a teaser about two recent national recognitions for our Honors College. We were just cited as a model for how to practice inclusive Honors admissions in a strong position paper released by the National Collegiate Honors Council.
And we were included in Inside Honors 2020-2021: Ratings and Reviews of 40 Public University Honors Programs, a book published in September by the founder and editor of the groundbreaking website publicuniversityhonors.com, John Willingham. The entire volume is very worth reading, but this line on Appalachian's Honors College caught my eye: "Innovative, creative, student-centered, and [...] firmly on the path toward overall excellence [...]." Let's use these good words to inspire us to ever greater heights in the service of our Honors students and faculty, and of Appalachian State University.
Yours,
Jeff
Screenshot taken from the Honors Seminar Course Preview held last Thursday, October 15th where students listened to professors explain their upcoming Spring Honors Seminars. Remember to read through the seminar descriptions, watch the preview if you missed it, and schedule your early advising appointments for Spring 2021 classes!
Upcoming Opportunities:
Dean Jeff is happy to help you apply; send him an email at vahlbuschjb@appstate.edu.
SOUL Open Applications
Applications are open to be a Student Orientation Undergraduate Leader or SOUL. Orientation hires dozens of students to serve as SOULs to work with new incoming and transfer students during summer Orientation. Honors needs an Honors SOUL too! For more, click here.
International Education Career Talks
The Office of International Education and Development (OIED) is hosting a series of short talks for students considering careers in international education. To learn about careers in this field, attend the upcoming virtual Career Talks hosted October 23rd and October 30th. More information and how to register can be found here.
Education Career Fair
The Career Development Center is hosting its Education Career Fair to connect students with school administrators, superintendents, and other employers from the field of education. Network and explore opportunities on October 30th from 12:30 pm - 2:30 pm. Register here.
International Education Week
The Office of International Education and Development is hosting a virtual International Education week which features several events and information focused on celebrating international education. Learn how to make Indian chai and mango lassi, understand international students’ perspectives on a panel, and more! Pre-register and learn more here.
2020 Appalachian Global Symposium
Several honors-affiliated faculty and students will be presenting at the eighth annual 2020 Appalachian Global Symposium which will be held virtually on October 28th from 9:00 am - 1:00 pm. The symposium “highlights the global education activities of Appalachian faculty, staff, and students by providing a platform for the sharing of recent activities that contribute to the university's global mission.” Click here for more information and how to register.
Stay in the Know:
Hughlene Bostian Frank Visiting Writers Series
The Fall 2020 Hughlene Bostian Frank Visiting Writers Series will be held in a virtual pre-recorded format between the date of their posting and December 15th. The featured writers are poet Jacinta White, novelist Jacinda Townsend, author Chris McCloud, and poet Nickole Brown. For links to their presentations, click here.
Queering the Outdoors
The Henderson Springs LGBT Center invites everyone to participate in their monthly outdoor adventures! Upcoming events for October include an overnight camping experience in partnership with UREC and rock climbing on October 24th and November 7th, respectively. Sign up here for more information!
Mountain Studies Lecture Series
The College of Arts and Sciences is hosting its inaugural Mountain Studies Lecture Series titled “Reaching New Heights: Highlights from the Most Comprehensive Science Expedition to Mt. Everest in History.” Join Dr. Baker Perry, Dr. Aurora Elmore, Alex Tait, Anton Seimon, Tracie Seimon, and moderator Dr. Saskia va de Gevel on November 20th at 7:00 pm. Learn more here.
Counseling Center Resources
The Counseling Center continues to offer several programs this fall for students such as outreach program, Mental Health Ambassadors, and the Feelin’ Good Workshops. For more information, click here.
Gender, Women’s, and Sexuality Studies Faculty Panel
Join the Gender, Women’s, and Sexuality (GWS) Studies program to discuss the ways GWS research addresses vital issues concerning the present global COVID-19 pandemic. The panel features Dr. Michael Eng, Dr. David Orvis, and Dr. Heather Ondercin on October 23rd from 3:00 - 4:00 pm via Zoom. Contact Dr. Sushmita Chatterjee (Director of GWS) for more information.
In the Honors Spotlight
Honors Senior Melissa Rowe Awarded the 2020-21 George Williams Garrett Memorial Scholarship
Photo features Melissa Rowe with a vial of THP-1's, the type of macrophage cell line used in the experiments she is conducting. Photo submitted.
Honors senior and Chancellor’s Scholar Melissa Rowe has been awarded the 2020-21 George Williams Garrett Memorial Scholarship in support of her Honors thesis research. As a biology major and chemistry minor, Rowe works in a joint lab of Drs. Maryam Ahmed and Darren Seals, associate professors in the Department of Biology. With Dr. Seals as her thesis director, she has been researching a virus that has potential to be used as an immune therapy for various cancers. After graduating in May 2021, Rowe hopes to attend a doctoral program in immunology to continue this research.
To read more about Melissa Rowe’s research and her scholarship, visit here.
Have news to share? Submissions can be made by emailing honors@appstate.edu. Any content received by 5:00 p.m. on Thursday will be considered for the following week’s issue.
To stay in the know, learn about opportunities, and take part in the Honors community, find us below!