Honors Newsletter Fall 2015

Explore. Create. Experience. Minnesota State University Moorhead Honors Program.

Honors

NEWSLETTER

FALL 2015

Letter from the Director t’s another great year to be a Dragon in the MSUM Honors Program! For the third year in a row, freshmen enrollment in the Honors Program was at capacity. We are excited to offer classes, activities, and events designed to help students make the very most of their undergraduate experience. Last spring, our trip to the Soudan Underground Mine was a big hit. A dozen students and faculty, with the expert leadership of Geology Professor Russ Colson, traveled half a mile underground to explore Minnesota’s first iron ore mine.

We also explored a nearby open pit mine, finding 75 million year old fossils, including a shark tooth. In May, Honors Program graduates were treated to a banquet

where President Blackhurst awarded the Golden Stole- the finishing touch to graduation regalia. New this year, the Student Executive Council offers a leadership opportunity for students to serve as freshmen mentors and help organize and lead program activities. And we are pleased to announce new Honors Program Scholarships starting next year. We plan to offer both freshmen and upper class Honors Scholarships, so watch our website for more information. Have a great year!

Dr. Elizabeth Nawrot, Honors Program Director

Explore. Create. Experience.

CONGRATULATIONS

>Dr. Flores discussing Hegel in Covent Garden

An Interview with Dr. Oscar Flores-Ibarra scar Ibarra-Flores is an economics professor and a faculty member of the Honors program at MSUM. He has been a part of the Honors community for five years, and he served as the director of the program for two of those years. Just last year, Professor Flores became the coordinator of the Student Academic Conference that is held in the CMU every April.

The classes he teaches are basic economic classes, such as the Principles of Microeconomics, some upper level economic courses, such as Labor Economics and Econometrics, and the Honors Capstone class.

to Honors Program Director Dr. Elizabeth Nawrot who was named this year’s Dille Distinguished Faculty Lecturer.

The Dille Distinguished Faculty Lecturer Award is one of the highest honors Minnesota State University Moorhead bestows to its faculty. The award is part of a permanent endowment established in 1994 by the MSUM Alumni Foundation, through the generosity of MSUM Alumni and Friends, to honor the University’s former president, Roland Dille and his wife, Beth Dille. Dr. Nawrot presented “The Thinking Baby: Developmental Science Beyond the Blank Slate” on October 10, 2015.

Professor Flores attended college in the State University of Monterrey in Mexico where he earned his Bachelor’s degree in Economics. From there, he moved to Cincinnati, Ohio in 1984 for further education. Five years later, he moved to Moorhead to work in his current job as an Economics professor at MSUM. Professor Flores began as a member of the Committee Task Force before being a part of the Honors Program. There, he and other members searched for ways to improve on the Honors Program, and created a newer version of the Honors Program with redesigned curriculums. With the new Honors Program in place, Professor Flores endeavored to make it, “a way for Honors students to form a community with other students that have similar interests.”During that time he was presented with the opportunity to be the Honors director and he accepted the position.

Currently, Professor Flores teaches the Capstone class in the Honors Program. This is a senior course that focuses on students’ ethical and civic responsibilities. He trusts this class accomplishes two goals. The first is to fill the LASC area 9 required for graduation and the second is to allow students a place for reflection on their academic growth at MSUM. His favorite part of working in the honors program is interacting with Honors students and assisting individuals to challenge themselves academically.

He hopes, “the program provides the opportunity for honors students to undertake an intellectual challenge-which I know is what they like.”

HONORS PROGRAM

sophomore, Shannon Galegher is an Honors Apprentice working with Professor Han Li in the Business department. Shannon’s paper “The Incorporation of Learning Style in Online Teaching Materials and Resources” won the Paseka School of Business Research Prize.

Minnesota State University Moorhead Honors Program

ADVISING CORNER When registering for classes, remember that honors class can count in LASC areas, and both the Colloquium (LASC 6) and Capstone (LASC 9) are also writing intensive!

And you can substitute one nonhonors LASC class for an honors class using the course contract- see the website for more information.

Study Abroad and Earn Honors Program Credit MSUM HONORS PROGRAM

alumna, Dr. Sherryse Corrow (Psychology, 2008) was awarded the Distinguished Young Alumni Award. Corrow is completing post-doctoral work at the University of British Columbia.

THE GREAT PLAINS READING REVIEW The book reviewing service, The Great Plains Reading Review, is now online at gprr.weebly.com.

This is their fourth volume, which was first published in 2005.

The journal is staffed by MSUM students who write reviews of new books written for children and young adults. MSUM Honor’s student, Taylor Kasprzak, is the Managing Editor and web designer.

ccording to the Institute for International Education, “Every student who wants to succeed in the global economy should study abroad”. For one semester, a summer, or a full year abroad, MSUM offers programs to meet a variety of budgets. Dragons have studied abroad on 6 continents in dozens of different countries, opening their eyes to different ways of life and learning first-hand understanding and tolerance. Studying in another country and culture is a life-changing experience you will not regret. With so much to learn in this world, go and explore!

Top Ten Reasons to Study Abroad: 1

Learn about yourself and become more self-aware.

7

Enhance your career opportunities.

2

Boost your self-confidence and independence.

8

Experience another culture firsthand and enhance your cross cultural competency.

3

Learn another language.

9

Make new friends from around the world.

10

Travel.

4

Learn about your own country.

5

Expand your worldview.

6

Strengthen adaptability, communications, and teambuilding skills.

Honors Program 1104 7th Avenue South Moorhead, Minnesota 56563

Honors Program 2015-16 Class Schedule Spring 2016 Hon 102 Encounters Hon 301

Masterpieces in Literature: British Comedy (LASC 6)

Hon 324

Life and Death in the Universe (LASC 3/LAB)

Hon 496 Capstone (LASC 9/WI)

Fall 2016 (anticipated) Hon 102

Encounters/Hon FYE (freshmen)

Hon 200 Colloquium (LASC 6/WI) Hon 300 American Society: Censorship and American Literature (LASC 5)

Send news and story ideas to: Website: mnstate.edu/honors Office: MacLean 374C Email: honors@mnstate.edu Phone: 218.477.4104 Director: Elizabeth Nawrot, nawrot@mnstate.edu

Assistant: Samantha Szczesny, szczesnysa@mnstate.edu Graduate Assistant: Carly Drew, drewca@mnstate.edu Writers: Alheen Mahmud, Amanda Brandenburger, Amanda Lee

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DATES TO REMEMBER: ▸ October 19– registration for Spring classes begins ▸December 8–last day of class- turn in final Hon102 reflections and return Hon course contracts ▸ December 17– Graduation

Minnesota State University Moorhead is an equal opportunity educator and employer and is a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system.