edited by Kistler Hunt
Volume 7, Issue 11
November 1, 2023
Dear Honors friends,
A true hallmark of the Honors experience is engagement beyond self, outside of the classroom, campus, community, state, and country. As Honors students, we are all heavily involved and engaged! The opportunities before you in today’s memo allow you to be engaged on various levels, including internationally. We spotlight Honors College student Emma Denton, who spent this past summer in Sevilla, Spain, taking classes that aligned with her interests in sports medicine and physical therapy. She took the knowledge she gained from her study abroad experience and is now applying that in her life and work back in the States. She will then go on to use that same knowledge after she graduates, aspiring to earn her Doctor of Physical Therapy. Learning with, about, and from others who may share differing backgrounds than you truly allows us to grow. When you return from study abroad, you can apply your new perspectives in the classroom, and in a broader sense, as a citizen of the world. Experiment with the ways you engage with the community, locally and globally. The value and knowledge gained is truly like no other!
Best,
Kistler
Upcoming Opportunities:
Interim Dean Vicky is happy to help you apply; send her an email at klimavw@appstate.edu
Honors Faculty-Led Study Abroad Trips
The Honors College will be offering four faculty-led study abroad trips in the summer of 2024 that come with 100% Honors seminar credit (HON 2515 and/or HON 3515). These are great interdisciplinary and community-building international experiences, which do meet the International Education requirement for Honors! Click here to learn about these opportunities including: Sustainability and Education in Indigenous Guatemala; Human Rights and Peacebuilding in Ireland and Northern Ireland; and Love, Sex, and Power with travel to Italy and France. The application process for the previously advertised Climate Change and Water in Nepal Himalaya study abroad trip is well underway. Contact the faculty leaders of each study abroad trip for more information or contact your Honors academic mentor with questions about how these courses will fit into your Honors requirements.
Spring 2024 Undergraduate Research Assistant (URA) Applications
The Office of Student Research is currently accepting Undergraduate Research Assistantship (URA) applications for the Spring 2024 semester. URAs offer highly motivated undergraduate students the opportunity to work closely with App State faculty on research, scholarship, or creative activity. The faculty member, in consultation with their selected undergraduate student, are encouraged to apply. The URA Program is open to all disciplines at Appalachian State. URA applications for Spring 2024 are due by November 3 at 11:59 p.m., with award notifications made by mid-September. Spring URA students must be enrolled in a minimum of 12 credit hours. For more details about the URA application process, visit the Office of Student Research website.
University Libraries Art Contest
University Libraries is hosting an art contest on the theme, “Journey of the Mind: Exploring the University Experience.” Works should explore on- and off-campus experiences either in the past, present, or future. A monetary prize will be offered to students who place in the top five contest winners. Students of any discipline can submit work for consideration. The deadline to submit works is December 6. For more information and to submit artwork, click here.
George Williams Garrett Memorial Scholarship Application
The Honors College will begin to accept applications for its George Williams Garrett Memorial Scholarship on November 7. The Scholarship provides $1,000 support to students in the Honors College who are interested in pursuing careers in scientific research. The scholarship is open to students in all fields of science, but preference will be given to students who are planning on a career in medicine or medical research. This award has the option for renewal. Applicants must fill out the application in consultation with their research mentor and include a letter of recommendation from their mentor. Click here to learn more about the scholarship and click here to complete the application, due by 11:55 p.m. on November 20.
Let’s Get Started Series Workshop
The Office of Diversity is hosting its “Let’s Get Started” Series of online, interactive workshops designed to introduce students, faculty, and staff to key concepts in the realm of diversity, equity, and inclusion. The final virtual workshop for the fall semester, titled “Communicating Respect” will be held on November 15 from 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. This event will discuss the different slights, indignities, and exclusions faced by underrepresented groups in the workplace, and then explore ways that daily interactions can be more inclusive. Registration is required. For more information and to register, click here.
Upcoming Thesis Defenses:
Interim Dean Vicky urges, “Support your fellow Honors College students and faculty by attending Honors thesis defenses! You'll marvel, learn, and grow. With each defense you attend, you'll make your own easier.”
Molly Gartner
November 3, 9:00 – 10:00 a.m.
Appalachian Hall, Room 186
Presenting “Rehabilitation of Female Offenders: A Case for Gender-Responsive Programming”
Stay in the Know:
Entrepreneurship Summit and Big Idea Pitch Competition
The Transportation Insight Center for Entrepreneurship within the Walker College of Business will be hosting their annual Carole Moore McLeod Entrepreneurship Summit and Big Idea Pitch Competition on November 3 from 9:30 – 3:30 p.m., and 3:30 – 6:00 p.m., respectively. The Entrepreneurship Summit will feature a variety of guest speakers who will present on the various aspects of entrepreneurship and the journey of becoming an entrepreneur. Following the Summit, the Big Idea Pitch Competition will bring together 10 student finalists who have all developed new and innovative ideas to better their communities. Registration is required. To register for either event, click here. For more information about the Entrepreneurship Summit, click here. For more information about the Big Idea Pitch Competition, click here.
Marching Mountaineers Concert
The Hayes School of Music will be hosting a concert featuring App State’s marching band, the Marching Mountaineers, on November 2 from 8:00 – 9:30 p.m. in the Holmes Convocation Center. The concert will feature a variety of pieces typically performed by the band at sporting events, in addition to their two halftime shows for the year. For more information about their concert, click here.
Climate Action Forum
The Office of Sustainability will be hosting a Climate Action Forum on November 3 from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. The Forum will allow individuals to come together and provide input that will help shape and update the University’s Climate Action Plan (AppCAP 2.0). AppCAP 2.0 seeks to achieve climate neutrality across campus. For more information and to register, click here.
Alison Criscitiello Presentation
The Honors College is proud to welcome National Geographic Explorer Dr. Alison Criscitiello on November 10. Dr. Criscitiello will present on her explorations in various parts of Canada, as well as her findings on those expeditions. Dr. Criscitiello will speak to several Honors seminars, and there are two larger events for all students to attend. Dr. Criscitiello will present as a part of the Departmental of Geological and Environmental Sciences’ Seminar Series at 3:30 p.m. in Rankin Science West, Room 293. She will present on “Stories from the Ice: Perspectives from New Canadian Arctic Ice Cores.” She will then present in the Schaefer Center at 7:30 p.m., presenting “Climate Change on Canada’s Highest Peak.”
Schaefer Center Spring 2024 Season
The Schaefer Center is proud to announce their event lineup for the Spring 2024 semester. The Spring semester will feature a variety of performances, including musical artists, dance groups, and symphonies. For more information about the Schaefer Center’s performance lineup, click here.
In the Honors Spotlight
Honors College senior engages in personal and professional development in Sevilla, Spain
Photo features Emma Denton. Photo submitted.
Honors College senior Emma Denton studied abroad from May 21 to June 18, 2023, in Sevilla, Spain. As an exercise science major, Denton took classes that fit well within her major coursework, including sports medicine and sports nutrition. She studied at the Sevilla center of CEA CAPA, a study abroad institute. Denton explained that the Honors College’s international education requirement compelled her to attend App State. She also highlighted her Honors College seminars as a vital resource that prepared her for her time abroad. She stated that her seminars, “have broadened my perspective in many ways and have taught me to consider things critically and respectfully. I believe that this perspective is perfect for entering a new country and experiencing a new culture.” While in Sevilla, Denton’s class in sports nutrition focused on the Mediterranean diet and how it benefits athletes. Denton shared, “From this time abroad specifically, I learned that it is so important to enter a new culture with a posture of openness to learn and an appreciation for being taught and shared with. On another note, I learned the importance of learning about subjects related to your future vocation from different cultural perspectives.”
To learn about Denton’s time in Sevilla, click here to read more.
Have announcements to share? Submissions can be made to honors@appstate.edu. Any content received by 5:00 p.m. on Thursday will be considered for the following week’s issue.
Have a story to share? Share what you have done, what you are doing, or what you will be doing by submitting a story here.
To stay in the know, learn about opportunities, and take part in the Honors community, find us below!