edited by Kistler Hunt
Volume 7, Issue 29
April 24, 2024
Dear Honors students,
As we head into this last week of classes and get close to the end of the academic year, we are all busy and celebrating. In the midst of all that, I want to call your attention to a wonderful opportunity—an opening for a new editor-in-training for the Honors Wednesday Memo! Don’t miss this chance to support the Honors College and your own professional development. While we are looking for someone to begin training with Kistler in Fall ’24 so that they are prepared to take over the production of the Memo in Spring ’25, we are not looking for someone to replace Kistler. No one could do that. We are looking for someone who will bring their unique energy and vision to the Memo each week, just as Kistler has done for the past two years. Kistler, you are amazing and I am so very grateful for your partnership.
Best wishes,
Vicky
Upcoming Opportunities:
Interim Dean Vicky is happy to help you apply; send her an email at klimavw@appstate.edu
Honors Wednesday Memo Editor-in-Training
The Honors College is seeking an Honors Wednesday Memo editor-in-training to begin August 19, 2024, for the Fall semester 2024 transitioning to editor of the Honors Wednesday Memo in the Spring semester 2025. The position pays $13 per hour and the person hired would work approximately 5 hours per week. The editor-in-training will work closely with Dr. Garrett McDowell, Honors College communications officer, who assigns tasks, and Kistler Hunt, the current editor, under whom you will train in order to take over the position for Spring semester 2025. The editor-in-training will shadow the HWM editor in order to master all steps involved in the production of the weekly HWM. They will serve as part of the HWM editorial team editing and proofreading for the HWM. The editor-in-training will source, propose, develop, write, and edit at least six news stories per semester for inclusion in the HWM. Click here for a full job description and instructions on how to apply before August 1. Email Interim Dean Klima to send in applications. For any questions related to the position, contact Dr. Garrett McDowell.
HON 2515 Open Mic Night
Students in HON 2515: Genocide & Resistance: Indigenous Leadership for Sustainability will host an open mic night on April 25 from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. Focused on celebrating Earth Week, the event will focus on sustainable practices through an indigenous Guatemalan community, Copal AA. An acapella group and textile market will be present to raise funds for Copal AA. For more information, contact Dr. Greg McClure.
Journal for Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity Submission Deadline
The Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (UReCA), sponsored by the National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC), is now accepting submissions for its 2024 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 1. For more information and to submit works for consideration, click here. For any questions, contact the Editor-in-Chief.
North Carolina Honors Association Annual Conference Proposals
The 2024 North Carolina Honors Association (NCHA) conference will be held on September 20 – 21, 2024 at Western Carolina University. Applications for proposals for oral and poster presentations, panel discussions, or creative works are now open. The deadline for proposals is August 30. The early bird deadline to register for the conference is September 13. For more information and to register, click here.
Fall Break Alternative Service Experience
The Office of Community-Engaged Leadership will be holding two Alternative Service Experiences (ASE) over fall break from October 11 – 15 to Providence and Pittsboro, North Carolina. ASE programs provide a service and learning experience in the Boone community and beyond. Experiences are led and created by trained student Peer Leaders and involve service alongside community partners, purposeful reflection, and new experiences within the local community. An information session for these two programs will be held on September 4 from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. For more information, 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.”
Hailey Bullard
April 25, 10:00 – 12:00 p.m.
Rankin Science South, Room 210B
Presenting “Vesicular Stomatitis Virus as an Oncolytic Virotherapy and its Effect on the Motility of Macrophages”
Matthew Mair
April 25, 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Peacock Hall, Room 4140
Presenting “Factors that Impact Farmer Willingness to Accept Conversation Programs in the Tar-Pamlico Watershed of North Carolina”
Savannah Sherrill
April 25, 3:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Appalachian Hall, Room 186
Presenting “The Impact of Stress and Fatigue on Working Memory in Undergraduate Students”
Max Kuttrus
April 25, 4:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Sanford Hall, Room 502
Presenting “Whitewashing History: Book Challenges of Maus in McMinn County”
Will Asby
April 26, 3:30 – 4:30 p.m.
Anne Belk Hall, Room 230
Presenting “Worth’s Measure: The Duel in Germany through the Nineteenth Century and into the Twentieth”
Skyler Stzelecki
April 26, 4:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Appalachian Hall, Room 162
Presenting “Establishing and Utilizing a Framework to Evaluate Automated Vending Implementation in Airports: A Case Study of Charlotte Douglas International Airport”
Emma Hay
April 29, 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.
Anne Belk Hall, Room 351
Presenting “Public Perceptions of Judicial Environmental Decision Making: Legitimacy, Connection to the Land and Law”
Anna Carroll
April 29, 11:30 – 12:30 p.m.
Peacock Hall, Room 4140
Presenting “Collateral Enforcement in Public Goods Games”
Connor Ranes
April 29, 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.
Appalachian Hall, Room 161
Presenting “Perceptions of Performance”
Connor McDaniel
April 29, 3:30 – 5:00 p.m.
Appalachian Hall, Room 162
Presenting “Revising Seaspiracy: Rhetorical Analysis, Technical Rhetorics, and Overfishing”
Rose Posey
April 30, 4:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Lillie Shull Dougherty Hall, Room 113
Presenting “Permets m’Amour penser quelque folie: Reciprocal love and the Female Gaze in the Sonnets of Louise Labe”
Stay in the Know:
Carrie: The Musical
The Department of Theatre and Dance will be hosting their production of “Carrie: The Musical” from April 24 – 28, with performances happening at 7:00 p.m. from the April 24 – 27, with a matinee performance at 2:00 p.m. A variety of students, including two Honors College students – Phoebe Atkins and Mac Wiggs, will be in the performance. For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.
Quality Enhancement Plan Event: Dr. Britt Wray
The University’s Quality Enhancement Plan, titled “Pathways to Resilience,” will be hosting Dr. Britt Wray on April 25 at 6:00 p.m. Dr. Wray’s presentation, titled, “Finding Purpose in an Age of Climate Anxiety,” will focus on her book “Generation Dread,” which outlines various ways to maintain emotional well-being in the ongoing climate change concerns. No registration is required. For more information, click here.
Sustainable Energy Speaker Series Presentation
The Appalachian Energy Center will be hosting installments of its Sustainable Energy Speaker Series presentation throughout the 2023-2024 academic year. The final installment of the Spring 2024 semester will feature Dr. I. Paul Kim and the use of Advanced Lithium Anodes as a sustainable energy technique. The presentation will be held on April 25 from 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. For more information, click here.
Arbor Day Tree Planting
The Office of Sustainability will be hosting a tree planting event in honor of Arbor Day on April 26 from 9:00 – 3:00 p.m. Participants will be going around the community and planting trees in local areas. For more information, click here. To sign up, contact Chris Erickson.
Repair Hub Pop-Up
The Office of Sustainability and Bike App will be hosting a repair hub on April 27 from 11:00 – 4:00 p.m. Things requiring small repairs like bikes, jewelry, clothing, outdoor gear, small appliances, and more, can be brought to the event for repair. For more information, contact the Office of Sustainability.
In the Honors Spotlight
James Auwn completes neuroscience research fellowship at McGill University
Photo features Auwn during his research fellowship at McGill University. Photo submitted.
Honors College senior and Chancellor’s Scholar James Auwn completed a research fellowship during the summer of 2023 at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. At McGill University, Auwn worked in Dr. Jesper Sjöström's laboratory. Sjöström is an associate professor at McGill's Centre for Research in Neuroscience, where his team explores brain plasticity in health and disease. Auwn will be defending his thesis, “Metallothionein is a protein that directly activates nociceptor sensory neurons,” in the summer of 2024. His thesis mentor is Dr. Andrew Bellemer, associate professor in the Department of Biology, and Dr. Mark Zrull, professor in the Department of Psychology is his second reader. In addition, Auwn has been awarded a Fulbright fellowship, where he will be researching at Heidelberg University in Heidelberg, Germany, under the direction of Dr. Alexander Groh for 10 months. His research, as he describes, “Will aim to investigate what is going on inside the brain when an instinctual or innate behavioral response is transitioned to a learned behavioral response.” The Honors College sends its utmost congratulations to James for this phenomenal accomplishment! Be on the lookout for further details about James' Fulbright award and experience in the coming months.
To learn more about his research fellowship, click here to read the story by Lauren Gibbs.
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!