edited by Kistler Hunt
Volume 7, Issue 5
September 20, 2023
Dear Honors friends,
It's hard to believe we are a month into the fall semester, but we are. I am missing being in the classroom, but am bolstered by the stories that you and our Honors faculty are sharing with me about the great things you are doing in your seminars. The relationships you build with your seminar instructors are invaluable and often are the building-blocks for thesis projects, with that faculty member or another. Our Honors College is a community; please don't forget to include your faculty and your academic mentors in your community. As the busy middle of the semester approaches, having unconditional academic, professional, and personal support is key. Lean on us; we are here for you.
Best wishes,
Vicky
Upcoming Opportunities:
Interim Dean Vicky is happy to help you apply; send her an email at klimavw@appstate.edu
Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity Submissions
The Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (UReCA), sponsored by the National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC), is now accepting submissions for its 2023 edition. As the only undergraduate research journal backed by NCHC, UReCA is solely composed of undergraduate work, and is also edited by undergraduate students. Students of any discipline can submit their work to be considered for publishing. The deadline for submissions is September 22. For more information and to submit works for consideration, click here. For any questions, contact the Editor-in-Chief.
Office of Diversity: Let’s Get Started Series
The next presentation in the Office of Diversity’s “Let’s Get Started” series titled “Uncovering Unconscious Bias,” will be held on September 28 from 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. In this upcoming presentation students and faculty will examine what unconscious bias is, how to identify it, and how to intervene when it happens. All online workshops in this series are designed to introduce students, faculty, and staff to key concepts in the realm of diversity, equity, and inclusion. To learn more and register for the event, click here.
Everest Base Camp Faculty-Led Study Abroad
Dr. Baker Perry, professor in the Department of Geography and Planning, will be traveling to Everest Base Camp from May 12 - June 1, 2024. He will be inviting 12 student researchers, including six from the Honors College, to join this faculty-led study abroad trip. The group will travel to Nepal to investigate the complexity of the drivers and impacts of climate change on glaciers, ecosystems, water resources, and local communities. In order to be considered for the trip, students must first express interest to Dean Vicky Klima. Dean Vicky will forward her list of interested Honors students to Dr. Perry for his final selection. If interested, contact Dean Vicky by September 28 for full consideration.
Gilman and Gilman/McCain Scholarships
Applications are now open for the Gilman and Gilman/McCain Scholarships. Offered through the Department of State, the scholarships give students the opportunity to study or intern in a foreign country and gain skills important to national security and economic prosperity. Students interested in the Gilman Scholarship must be recipients of a federal Pell Grant or provide proof that they will receive a Pell Grant during their time abroad. Those interested in the Gilman/McCain Scholarship must be the children or spousal dependents of active personnel in the United States military. In addition, students must be recipients of any type of Title IV federal financial aid during the time of application or provide proof that they will be receiving Title IV federal financial aid during their study abroad program or internship. The deadlines for both scholarships are October 6 at 2:59 a.m. Eastern Time. For more information on both types of programs, click here. For any questions or support, contact Johnna Reisner.
North Carolina Honors Association Conference
The Whitehurst Family Honors Program at Barton College will be virtually hosting the North Carolina Honors Association (NCHA) annual conference November 3 – 4. Its theme, “Infinite Possibilities: Sharing Innovations in Honors Education,” welcomes works that define and demonstrate the meaning of honors education. Students and faculty are encouraged to submit their works to be shared at the conference and to attend. The deadline for proposal submissions is October 13. The registration deadline for the conference is October 27. For more information, click here.
Stay in the Know:
Wellness and Prevention Mindfulness Classes
The Office of Wellness and Prevention Services is hosting four-week-long mindfulness classes in the fall semester. Taught by certified instructors, these classes give students strategies to help them sleep, focus, and help manage stress. The final class starts on September 21 from 11:00 – 12:15 p.m. For more information and to register for a class, click here.
Visiting Writers Series: Irina Zhorov
The Department of English is hosting its Hughlene Bostian Frank Visiting Writers Series, which features renowned authors who present about their work. The first presentation for the Fall 2023 season will feature novelist Irina Zhorov. Zhorov will discuss her first novel Lost Believers, which encompasses the lives of two girls growing up in Soviet-era Moscow and their friendship despite their great political differences. Zhorov will host a craft talk and reading of Lost Believers on September 21 from 2:00 – 3:15 p.m. and 6:00 p.m., respectively. For more information, click here.
Community Music Program Concert
As a part of the Hayes School of Music’s Community Music Program, the Appalachian Symphony Band and Appalachian Wind Ensemble will perform their concert, titled “Folk Songs” on September 22 from 8:00 – 9:30 p.m. Conducted by Dr. Jason Gardner and Dr. John Stanley Ross respectively, the two ensembles will perform traditional songs from the United States, England, China, and more. For more information, click here.
Basic Income Film Screening and Panel
As a part of the Basic Income Day of Action on September 28, the Family Economic Policy Lab will host from 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. a screening of the film “Inherent Good,” which explores the topic of Universal Basic Income. In addition, Drs. Leah Hamilton and Michael Lewis will be hosting an expert panel, discussing the film and its larger themes. For more information, contact the Dr. Leah Hamilton.
RIEEE Nutrient Cycling Forum
The Research Institute for Environment, Energy, and Economics (RIEEE) is hosting a forum for researchers and community members on September 29 at 1:00 p.m. The forum will focus on the role that phosphorus has in the environment, food, and agricultural systems, with a particular focus on the High Country and Western North Carolina as a whole. For any questions, contact Dr. Kim Bourne. For more information and to RSVP for the event, click here.
In the Honors Spotlight
Becca Carpenter Studies Sustainability Abroad
Top photo features Bella Carpenter hiking along the Klingenstock-Fronalpstock Ridge Trail in Stoos, Switzerland. Photo submitted.
Bella Carpenter spent the Spring and Summer 2023 semesters abroad in Bern, Switzerland studying at the University of Bern through Appalachian State’s ISEP program partnership. Carpenter is an Honors College senior majoring in sustainable development and minoring in sustainable business. At the University of Bern, Carpenter took classes in different areas of sustainability. She shared, “One unique part of a seminar course I took, titled 'Enhancing a Sustainable Approach to Labour Migration,’ was that we got to attend the 54th session at the United Nations (UN) in Geneva.” Additionally, while still abroad and with financial support from the Department of Sustainable Development, Carpenter attended the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s (UNFCCC) conference in Bonn, Germany from June 5-15, 2023. Carpenter has been accepted into the UN Climate Negotiations course and program offered through the College of Business, led by Dr. Dave McEvoy, professor and chair of the Department of Economics, and Dr. Lee Ball, chief sustainability officer. As a part of the course, Carpenter will travel abroad again, this time with a delegation of students and faculty from App State to attend the COP 28 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, from November 30 - December 6, 2023.
To read more about Carpenter’s time in Switzerland, click here.