y l b a r o n Ho g n i k a e Sp College s r o n o H e ion of Th t a c i l b u P A
April 2018
Volume 26, Issue 7
A Message from the dean
It may be hard to believe, but another spring is upon us. Another April, with its sweet-smelling showers (and a bit of snow this year), has pierced the drought of March to the root, breathed life into tender new leaves, and awakened our hearts to new possibilities and discoveries—about our ourselves, where we are headed next, and our place in the world. It is spring, indeed, and pilgrimages great and small await us all. Pop Quiz: What author am I paraphrasing here?
Answer: Geoffrey Chaucer (The Canterbury Tales), as surely every Honors College student (or, at least the English majors) would know. Chaucer’s themes of renewal, discovery, and growth are especially apt this year, as many Honors College seniors begin the next phase of their life’s journey—be it a new job, internship, or graduate school—and our junior classmen and women successfully complete another semester of rigorous course work and colloquia and look forward to a summer of adventures at home and, in many cases, abroad as well. I have always been deeply impressed by the range and quality of academic and co-curricular engagement among our students. It is undeniable: Honors College students are the exemplars of what it means to take learning— and leadership—to a greater degree. Beyond that, in my ten years as Dean I have always been equally impressed by our Honors College students’ personal growth, global awareness, and openness to what lies ahead for them and the complex world they continually shape. Indeed, in the decade that I have worked closely with Honors College students—over 1600 of them!—I have come to see them not merely as engaged scholars but also as ‘pilgrims’, as it were, on a quest to understand themselves more fully and to make the world a better place. And so they have. Time and time again. In a myriad of ways. It gives me no small measure of pride to have played a role—however modest—in making so many good ideas and life-changing aspirations a reality over the past ten years. Of course all that would not have been possible without so many great students and two people who deserve special mention here. The first is Dr. Peter Viscusi, founding Dean of UCM’s Honors College, Professor Emeritus of History, and currently the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Concord University. Dr. Viscusi’s vision, leadership, and relentless advocacy were the driving forces behind the establishment of UCM’s Honors College in 1999. As a university community we are all indebted to his efforts. 2
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The second is Ms. Traci Butler, Dr. Viscusi’s former and my current Administrative Assistant. Ms. Butler has served in The Honors College for 13 years. During that time she has been an invaluable asset, recruiting and advising students, scheduling courses, overseeing Honors project budgets, organizing countless student events, and so on—and all with a smile and a heart of gold. It would not be an exaggeration to say that without Dr. Viscusi and Ms. Butler UCM’s Honors College would not exist. As this chapter in the history of The Honors College closes, let me take my final opportunity as Dean to congratulate our graduating seniors on their noteworthy careers at UCM, and to wish them much continued success in their future endeavors. Among our many outstanding graduates, I especially want to thank the following: Ms. Mikhael Willis (graduate assistant), Ms. Darby Simon (student office assistant), and Mr. Devin Jost (Editor and Designer of Honorably Speaking). Many Honors College students will be graduating on May 4th and 5th. More information about this year’s commencement is available online here: https://www.ucmo.edu/commencement/spring.cfm Please note that The Honors College will host a reception for its students on May 4th and 5th. Click here for additional details: https://www.ucmo.edu/thehonorscollege/about/images/invitation_spring2018_000.png This year’s completed Honors Projects will be displayed at both receptions. The event is free and open to the public, and parents, relatives, and faculty are most welcome to attend. I look forward to seeing many of you at the receptions. In closing, many thanks to all who attended this year’s annual HCSA Barbecue. We had a great time—and some great food and conversation—as we recognized our graduating seniors and celebrated The Honors College’s nearly two decades of commitment to student success. Thanks as well to our Honors College Student Association Executive Board members for their leadership and for organizing such a great event. To our Honors College students, alumni, faculty, and friends, I wish you all the best on your journey.
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Annual hcsa barbeque Students and Faculty of the Honors College enjoyed the nice weather with The Annual HCSA Barbeque! Thank you to everyone who attended this event!
IN THIS ISSUE
2 6
Message from the Dean
4
Annual HCSA BBQ
Charno/ SuccessfulWho’s Symposium Who
Fulbright Nominees
7
Congrats Grads
5 8
Farewell Mikhael
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Upcoming Events The Honors College Commencement Reception May 4th 4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. May 5th 10:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. University Union 237 A & B Refreshments are provided
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Congratulations Graduates! Spring / Summer 2018 Kirsten Alsup Grace Anderson Bailey Bockenstedt Noelle Brooks Melody Burns Beni Chikuru Kourtney Cooper Margaret Deutschle Christine Duerr Denise Elam Dylan Ellis Jamie Embrey Allison Freeland Tiffany Gantz Jessica Harmon Luke Hawley
Sara Hubbard Hannah Keane Jacob Lindsey Laurie Luckritz Leah Madsen Mathew Martinez Jackalyn Mayfield Amanda McCarthy Sydney Montague Melissa Najarro Timothy O’Donnell Dalton Pittenger Spencer Schenk Margaret Schmiegelow Kelsey Schnorenberg Kaitlin Siade Carlson
Who's Who Award Recipients Bailey Bockenstedt Katherine Case Luke Hawley Sydney Montegue Dalton Pittenger Hanna Steen
Morgan Sloan Joy Smith Lacee Stanley Hanna Steen Abigal Swinney Mariah Whitmire Jesse Wiggins Katelyn Williams Justine Yount Jennifer Zavatsky
Charno Award Finalists Luke Hawley Sydney Montegue Dalton Pittenger
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Charno Winners: Sydney Montegue & Dalton Pittenger
Sydney Montague and Dalton Pittenger were recognized with the 2018 awards April 12th at the annual “Who’s Who” at the University of Central Missouri reception. Sydney Montague, the daughter of Christopher and Angela Montague, St. Louis, is a 2014 graduate of Oakville High School. She served as a teacher’s assistant while on boards and committees during her college career. She also occupied the roles as an international conversation partner and academic research coach for the Office of Mentoring, Advocacy and Peer Support and as a Mule Team Leader for the IMPACT student leadership camp.
Sydney Montague served as president of the Model United Nations at UCM, vice president of Students for Political Action and secretary of Pi Sigma Alpha. She was selected to attend the Missouri Girls State Youth Leadership China Study Tour and completed a summer internship with the U.S. State Department Mission to International Organizations in Vienna, Austria, where she worked for the International Atomic Energy Agency that studies peaceful uses for atomic energy. Dalton Pittenger, the son of Todd and Shana Pittenger, Salina, Kansas, is a 2014 graduate of Salina South High School. He has volunteered with the Project Community Connect community outreach program. He is a member of the Honors College and served as vice president of Theta Chi fraternity, vice president of Theta Alpha Phi honor fraternity and president and vice president of the Department of Theatre and Dance Student Teacher Association. He also held leadership roles with the Nickerson Hall Council, the UCM Players, and Shenanigans Improv Group and he holds membership in the Institute for Theatre Technology. As a senior, Dalton Pittenger became the first student to direct a Department of Theatre and Dance Mainstage production. Montague and Pittenger will be recognized and honored at the spring 2018 commencement ceremonies May 4th and 5th. 6
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Successful Scholars Symposium & Creative Achievement Day Congratulations to the members of The Honors College who presented research at the 17th annual Scholars Symposium and Creative Achievement Day! Daniel Akin Raven Alade Lindsay Birke Alastair Brines Madison Burtis Megan Cooper Jacob Cox Caleb Crabtree Kayla Daspit Margaret (Maggie) Deutschle Christina Foster Sawyer Harmon Megan Henry Makayla Hill Saali Horton Nolan Johnson
Michaela Martinez Amanda McCarthy Nichole McClellan Ashley McGuffey Dakota Newton Katherine Padget Hannah Pilgrim Ambur Robertson Taylor Rodieck Teresa Scarbrough Kelsey Schnorenberg Andrea Simon Lacee Stanley Audra Whitehurse Seth Worstell Nicholas Zachary
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FAREWELL AND GOOD LUCK! As the year comes to a close, some of our students leave with it. We hate to see them go, but cannot wait to see all that they will accomplish. Mikhael, we give our sincerest thanks for all of your hard work through the past few years and good luck!
Mikhael Willis Major: College Student Personnel Administration Involvement: College Student Personnel Association Member, Graduate Student Association Member, Honors College Student Association Liaison Study Abroad: Hanze Summer Program in Groningen, Netherlands During undergrad Summer of 2015 Plans after college: I plan to stay in Kansas City and work in higher education. Memories: My favorite memory from working in The Honors College was going to Seattle, Washington for the National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC) conference. It was a really great experience because I was able to gain a lot of insight about what other institutions do with their honors programs/colleges and I had the opportunity to network with professionals from institutions across the United States.
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fulbright campus competition Nominees! The Office of Undergraduate Research and External Scholarships is thrilled to announce that six students have received UCM’s endorsement for the 2018-2019 competition. Congratulations to: Noelle Brooks (Alternate) Shayne Fisk Blake Carminucci Sydney Montague Marena Coonrod (Alternate) Abigal Swinney The U.S. Fulbright Student Program is a funded year abroad for post-graduate students to teach or conduct research in a foreign country.
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Honorably Speaking A Publication of: The Honors College University of Central Missouri James C. Kirkpatrick Library 1450 Warrensburg, MO 64093 Phone: 660-543-4633 E-Mail: thehonorscollege@ucmo.edu Website: www.ucmo.edu/thehonorscollege Facebook: www.facebook.com/UCMHonors Editor and Director of Design: Devin Jost If you are interested in becoming a part of the Honorably Speaking staff or have an article you would like placed in next month’s issue, please e-mail Devin Jost at djost@ucmo.edu. The opinions expressed by the columnists do not necessarily represent the opinions of The Honors College, The Honors College Student Association, or the University of Central Missouri.