December 2, 2020

 Honors Wednesday Memo

Opportunities and Information for Honors Students

edited by Lakin Stevens

Volume 4, Issue 15

December 2, 2020

 

Message from Dean Jeff Vahlbusch

Dear Honors students, faculty, staff,

Congratulations on making it to Reading Day in this challenging semester!

In the Honors College we have two venerable Reading Day traditions.  First, we try to gather in Appalachian Hall at mid-day to share a meal or serious snacks: often pizza, sometimes sandwiches, and, once that I remember, lots of ice creams with lots of sauces. AHA!—the Appalachian Honors Association—organizes this event to always rave reviews.

And then, after the meal, we make our way into the Honor College "Bailey" for the Honors College SCREAM. We yell in concert (on the count of 3 :-)) out of joy at being together, for the pure pleasure of making noise, to deal with residual semester stress, and to relax our nerves and reset our determination for finals.

We can't do any of this together this year (somehow a collective Zoom Scream wouldn't quite work).  But there's no reason we can't lunch on ice cream (or its equivalent for you) and then saunter outside, wherever you are, for a little healthy Honors College noisemaking. 

My best wishes to each of you for a successful conclusion to the semester and a great break. I look forward to our next semester together in Honors.

Yours,

Jeff

 

Photo above features “Pseudoinonotus dryadaeus,” or weeping polypore, a type of fungus consuming the carcass of a wind-felled white oak or “Quercus alba.” Honors student Bubba Pfeffer took this long-exposure photo while photographing lichens as a part of their ongoing honors thesis. Photo was taken in October at the Gilley Field research property. Remember to submit any fun (or fungus) photos to honors@appstate.edu!

 

Upcoming Opportunities: 

Dean Jeff is happy to help you apply; send him an email at vahlbuschjb@appstate.edu.

Open Applications Boren Scholarship

The Boren Award for International Study supports up to $20,000 for undergraduate scholarships and up to $30,000 for graduate fellowships. If you are interested in working for the federal government, this scholarship could be the right fit. Requiring no previous language study, students experience rigorous language immersion study in Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, Latin America, or the Middle East. Applications are due by January and February of 2021. For more information, click here.

Human Osteology Laboratory Research Training Workshops

The Osteology Research Workshop, Adult or Juvenile, offers 4-week long intensive laboratory programs that train students to conduct extensive osteological analyses and frame bioarchaeological research questions. The program runs in June and July. More details here and questions can be directed to Dr. Andre Gonciar.

Consider Graduate School at Appalachian  

The Spring (non-degree), Summer, and Fall 2021 graduate application for graduate admission is now open. Spring applications are due by January 5, 2021, and summer/fall deadlines vary by program. Learn about pursuing enrollment in a non-degree course, degree, or certificate program here and contact Graduate Admissions with any questions.  

Archaeological Field School

Join ArchaeoTek’s 2021 archaeological field school Roman Villa and Settlement Excavation program in the ancient province of Dacia (Transylvania, Romania). Through this program, participants will conduct extensive hands-on training and research on exceptional Roman rural site. The session dates are in June and July. Learn more here, and questions can be directed to Dr. Andre Gonciar.

Open Application State of North Carolina Internship Program 

The State of North Carolina Internship Program is offering paid summer internship opportunities in state government agencies for several different majors. All internships would be paid full-time positions for 10 weeks at a wage of $8.25/hour. Applications are due January 4, 2021. To view the qualifications and positions available, click here. Contact internship coordinator Candace Dudley with questions.  

 

Stay in the Know: 

Appalachian Energy Summit

The 2020 Appalachian Energy Summit Fall Webinar Series has now concluded and the recordings of all webinars are available online here. The Mid-Year Summit is being held virtually on February 11, 2021, hosted by Appalachian State University. Save the date for the virtual plenary session, Student Summit, and short webinar series in February. For the Mid-year summit, students are invited to submit an abstract for their energy-related research or project for inclusion in the virtual summit. Deadline for abstract submissions is December 14th and visit here for more details.

Hayes School of Music Holiday Scholarship Concert 

The Hayes School of Music Holiday Scholarship Concert will be a part of the virtual Schaefer Center Presents Series. Hear something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue on December 4th at 8:00 pm. Usher in the holiday season by registering here.  

Turchin Center Visits Reimagined 

The Turchin Center has online and in-person options available in the Spring 2021 semester. The team at the Turchin Center has combined video walkthroughs of each exhibition and information about the exhibitions into an interactive PDF titled “Connections: Exhibition Guides.” Explore virtually here and contact Christy Chenausky, Director of Arts Education and Outreach, with any questions. 

THINGS: A Global Conversation 

The Museum of Early Southern Decorative Art presents “THINGS: A Global Conversation,” an online program that features curators, makers, and other experts from around the world in conversation with people and objects from the Old Salem and MESDA collection. Join via zoom with the upcoming conversation with Catherine Carlisle and David Pullins on the necessity and perils of maintaining neutrality December 2nd at 7:30 pm. More details here.  

Across the Disciplines Podcast 

Across the Disciplines is an ACT office produced podcast featuring Appalachian professors to discuss relevant issues. In the first episode moderated by Brian MacHarg, Dr. Alex Howard, Dr. Adam Hege, Dr. Mark Bradbury, and Ms. Cara Hagan discuss COVID-19 as it relates to dance, public health, and government. Episode one is now available on Spotify and SoundCloud

 

In the Honors Spotlight 

Honors Grace Ruffin Studies History of Human Rights in South Africa

 

Photo features Ruffin (second from right) with her host family in a village called Tshabo in the Eastern Cape. Photo by Grace Ruffin. 

Honors junior Grace Ruffin spent the first half of her Spring 2020 semester studying abroad in Cape Town, South Africa, with scholarship support from the Honors College. Despite her trip being cut short on March 15th due to COVID-19, Ruffin shared that her study abroad trip was still an amazing experience of growth and learning — the intended goal of the Honors College International Education requirement. As a Public Health major with a minor in Gender, Women, and Sexuality studies, Ruffin chose her program to learn more about the history of Apartheid in South Africa. Through her discussion-based classes and three family homestays, Ruffin was able to learn about and how to work with people who are different from herself. She explained, 

 “As I reflect on my experience in South Africa, I am able to understand how much more comfortable I have become when talking to people that I do not know and that may have different life experiences.”

Read the full story 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!