Past News Blurbs
2009
November 13
Keenan Named “Woman of Innovation”: The Technology Association of Iowa has named Alexandra Keenan one of its nine Women of Innovation for 2009. Through the Collegian Innovation and Leadership Award, Keenan is being celebrated for efforts to combat diseases on two continents. Congratulations, Ali! See more inside this site.
November 12
Three Iowans Are 2009 Rhodes Finalists: For the first time, three nominees from the University of Iowa have become finalists for the Rhodes Scholarship. Meredith DeBoom graduated last May in Political Science and International Studies. Alexandra Keenan graduates next May in Biomedical Engineering, Biochemistry, and International Studies. And Rachel Nathanson graduates next May in Economics and Geography. Three cheers for three superlative scholars!!!
October 5
Iowa Scholarship Competitors Enjoy Increasing Success: Honors at Iowa appointed its first Honors Scholarship Director in 2004, and Sarah Prineas handed this torch to Andrea Beloy for 2009. Since the new position, Iowa winners and finalists have increased every year in national and international scholarship competitions. The winners have tripled from five to sixteen per year, and the finalists have quadrupled from six to twenty-five a year.
October is the main month for fall applications, so Honors is now turning attention to preparing students for spring competitions. If you might be interested, please contact Beloy about any of these scholarships: Glamour, Goldwater, Humanity in Action, Rotary, Truman, Udall, and USA Today. For more information, simply click on the scholarship’s name in the preceding sentence.
October 4
Learn in Service to Iowa: Earn academic credit, improve the quality of life, and get paid! Honors at Iowa provides Honors Students opportunities to learn while serving throughout the state. Grants up to $1,000 go to individual students or small teams to do practical projects next spring or summer in service to Iowa communities. Honors even helps you write a proposal this fall. For further information on Learning in Service to Iowa and particulars of the call for projects, click this link. Then contact Honors Experiential Learning Director Andy Willard (319-335-8333 or andrew-willard@uiowa.edu) as soon as possible — and no later than October 30.
September 22
Mom and Dad of the Year: Is your father fantastic? Nominate him for 2009 Dad of the Year! Is your mother amazing? Propose her as 2009 Mom of the Year! But take care to do it by Friday, October 9.
Mortar Board and Omicron Delta Kappa, two honor societies associated with Honors at Iowa, join the UI Parents Association each year in sponsoring the UI Mom and Dad of the Year Awards. Iowa celebrates the winners at its home football game against Northwestern during the Family Weekend on November 6-8, 2009.
Nomination forms are available on this website. Make sure to submit nominations in 420 BHC by 5 p.m. on Friday, October 9. See more inside this site.
September 15
Glamour Names Keenan Top-Ten College Woman: Alexandra Keenan claims the first page in the Glamour magazine annual feature of “Top Ten College Women.” From Urbandale, IA, Keenan is an Honors senior in Biomedical Engineering, Biochemistry, and International Studies. The competition recognizes academic excellence and extraordinary achievements by women students in American colleges and universities. Winners receive cash awards and trips to New York City to meet each other and professionals in their fields. Congratulations, Ali!! See details inside this site.
September 12
Governor Appoints Lee Henely to Foundation: Iowa Governor Chet Culver has named first-year Honors Student Lee Henely to a four-year term on the Iowa Centennial Memorial Foundation. This board decides the Iowa Award, the State’s highest citizen award, and the Robert D. Blue Scholarships. Along with four public members, the foundation includes Iowa’s living governors, the State’s Attorney General, its Treasurer, and the President of its Board of Education.
August 20
Honors at Iowa Welcomes a Record Entering Class: This fall term finds Honors adding just over 900 new first-year students, its largest entering class to date. Already these students are blazing other paths too. They have pioneered Honors Primetime Workshops, and they are filling record numbers of other such small-enrollment courses as Honors First-Year Seminars, Honors Sections of Accelerated Rhetoric, and Honors General-Education Seminars.
Honors invites each of these new students along with its many new transfer members to the Honors Welcome Dinner in the Burge Marketplace at 5 p.m. on Saturday, August 22. It follows this at 6 p.m. with the Honors Activities Fair, next door throughout the first four floors of the Blank Honors Center. Borrowing this year from The Wizard of Oz, this year’s theme urges you to “Make Your Own Yellow Brick Road!” Come for fun, prizes, information about scores of Honors activities, and the chance to see members of the Honors Staff in outrageous costumes from Oz. See more inside this site.
August 18
Honors Hosts Primetime Students: Honors Primetime debuted on August 19-21, 2009. Thirteen workshops on challenging topics earned 1 s.h. of Honors Credit for an inaugural group of 180 entering students. This gave the new students sustained opportunities to work with each other, with veterans from the Honors Student Staff and the Honors Peer Advisors, with Honors teachers, and with members of the Honors Professional Staff. Please see the details.
August 1
Williams Creates Honors Scholarship in Physics: As an Iowa student in Physics, Brett Williams gained from advice by Professor James Van Allen. Now Williams is returning the favor by endowing an Honors Scholarship. Named for Brett’s parents, the Guy D. and Betty J. Williams Scholarship will go annually to an outstanding major in Physics. Already Williams has been contributing to Honors by helping host its annual Aces Conversation Dinner, and this latest gift is an outgrowth of his terrific talks with a wide range of Honors Students. Please read more inside this site.
July 26
Honors Seeks Advising Director: Honors at Iowa rejoices with its first Advising Director, Andrea Kann, on realizing her dream of professing Art History at Coe College. Hurrah, Andrea!! With Holly Yoder helping temporarily this summer, Honors now seeks the permanent appointment of a half-time Advising Director as a Program Associate I, beginning in Fall 2009. If interested, please see the advertisement and the position description inside this site.
June 4
Iowa Wins a Major 2009 Award from the Truman Foundation: Foundation President Madeleine K. Albright has named the University of Iowa as one of only two Truman Foundation Honor Institutions for 2009. The award goes to Iowa for its “active encouragement of outstanding young people to pursue careers in public service.” The Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation was established in 1975 as the living federal memorial to America’s thirty-third president. Since 1977, it has selected extraordinary students to attend graduate school to prepare for contributions to government or other public service. For more information, read the full story inside this site.
May 18
Hamod Celebrated for Honors Contributions: Honors at Iowa has bestowed its Award for Outstanding Honors Alumni on David Hamod, President and CEO of the National U.S.-Arab Chamber of Commerce. Before graduating in 1981 with UI honors in History and Political Science, Hamod founded the Associated Iowa Honors Students. In the 1990s, he endowed an Honors Scholarship in memory of his mother, Dr. Kay Keeshan Hamod. And in speaking to Iowa’s Honors Recognition Ceremony for 2009, he announced a further Honors Scholarship to celebrate his father, Dr. H. Samuel Hamod. Please see the rest of the story inside this site.
May 15
Reynolds Receives Hancher Recognition: Hurrah for Eric Reynolds, who has been awarded the Virgil M. Hancher Scholarship for 2009-10! This annual recognition has been established by the University of Iowa Faculty and sponsored by the University of Iowa Foundation in memory of the late President Hancher. It goes annually to a rising senior superior in academic achievement and leadership. As a Pre-Medicine student, Reynolds majors in Integrative Physiology. Further information appears inside this site.
May 11
Pellegrino Wins Fulbright: Peter Pellegrino has won a second major award for international research in neuro-engineering! To a Whitaker International Fellowship, Pellegrino is adding a Fulbright Fellowship in 2009. The Fulbright builds on the work of the former U.S. Senator from Arkansas by supporting research and instruction for Americans abroad. An Iowa degree in Biomedical Engineering will become Pellegrino’s basis for further research in Genoa, Italy. See further details inside this site.
May 8
Lowen Earns Fulbright: Cheers for Sarah Lowen, who has won a 2009 Fulbright Fellowship! This award commemorates the work of the U.S. Senator from Arkansas by enabling study and action abroad to develop intercultural connections. After completing majors in Asian Languages and Literature, International Studies, and Linguistics, Lowen goes to South Korean this summer to begin teaching English while learning Korean. Look inside this site for additional information.
May 4
Carey Claims Fulbright: Congratulations to Andrew Carey for earning a 2009 Fulbright Fellowship! This award honors the former U.S. Senator from Arkansas by supporting study and action abroad to promote international understanding. After graduating this May with honors in English and a minor in Spanish, Carey moves to Mexico in September to teach English and conduct workshops on cultural exchange. See more information inside this site.
April 30
DeBoom and Nakhasi Are All-USA in Academics: USA Today has recognized two students in Honors at Iowa on its All-USA College Academic Teams for 2009. Meredith DeBoom is one of only twenty students nation-wide to make the first team, and Atul Nakhasi has earned honorable mention. Both are graduating seniors, and this is the first time University of Iowa students have placed in this prestigious competition. Way to go, Meredith and Atul! See the rest of the story inside this site.
April 24
Russell Is Golden: Chelsea Russell, a second-year student in Honors at Iowa, won one gold medal and two bronze medals at the World Baton Twirling Championships on April 8-12 in Gent, Belgium. Russell is the second Honors Student in a row to star as Iowa’s Golden Girl, the featured twirler for the Hawkeye Marching Band. Formerly the Grand National Twirling Champion and Miss Majorette of America, Russell has won honors around the world. See more of the story, inside this site.
April 22
Mock Trial Team Takes Fourth Nationally: One of Iowa’s two qualifying teams placed fourth at the National Mock Trial Championship Tournament on April 17-19 in Des Moines, IA. This positioned the Iowans high among more than seven hundred teams nation-wide. In addition, Ravi Narayan in Biomedical Engineering won an All-American Outstanding Attorney Award, and Katie Beary in English and Education won an All-American Outstanding Witness Award. For details, see the full story inside this site.
April 17
Pellegrino Earns Whitaker Award: A salute to Peter Pellegrino for winning a 2009 Whitaker International Fellowship in biomedical engineering! Completing his Iowa degree next month, Pellegrino has arranged to do research in neuroengineering at the University of Genoa in Italy. He will work on neural plasticity and electrophysiology through dissociated cortical networks — in Italian no less — to promote clinical therapies for Alzheimer’s disease and stroke recovery. Read more inside this site.
April 15
Page Wins Udall Scholarship: Hurrah for Christopher Page, who has earned the 2009 Udall Scholarship! In memory of U.S. Representative Morris K. Udall, this national scholarship recognizes outstanding students who are addressing challenges for environmental policy or rights of Native Americans. Page majors in Political Science, Environmental Studies, and Chinese. He joins 79 other winners for a summer workshop in Udall’s home state of Arizona. Two additional Honors Students from Iowa won Honorable Mention in this year’s competition: Julia Mantey and Rachel Nathanson! For particulars, follow the story inside this site.
April 6
Drout Gains Goldwater Scholarship: Three cheers for Maria Drout, winner of the 2009 Goldwater Scholarship! This national scholarship celebrates the contributions of U.S. Senator Barry M. Goldwater. Drout is among 278 winners nation-wide. She majors in Physics and Astronomy in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The Goldwater Scholarship supports her further education and research in the astronomical sciences. For details, see more of the story inside this site.
March 31
Nathanson Receives Truman Scholarship: Congratulations to Rachel Nathanson! She has won the national scholarship that honors the memory of President Harry S Truman. Rachel is one of sixty winners nation-wide. She majors in Economics (in the Tippie College of Business) and Geography (in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences). The Truman Scholarship will help her pursue a career devoted to the science and policy of global climate change, with an emphasis on environmental law and policy. For particulars, see the full story inside this site.
March 30
Mock Trial Teams to Nationals: Two teams will represent the University of Iowa at the National Mock Trial Tournament in Des Moines, Iowa on April 17th-19th, 2009. They qualified by taking third and fourth at the Opening Round Championship Tournament on March 13-15, 2009 in Kansas City. Special recognition as Outstanding Attorneys went to Iowa’s Ravi Narayan in Biomedical Engineering, Molly McPartland in Philosophy, and Eric Wojinicki in Political Science. For details, see the rest of the story inside this site.
March 5
Apply for the Honors Student Staff: We’re taking applications for positions on the Honors Student Staff Positions in AY 2009-10. To learn more and access the form for application, use this link. Applications are due by Tuesday, March 17th (yes, during Spring Break). This work is a wonderful way to contribute to your own honors education and everybody else’s, collaborate with the Honors Professional Staff, even earn an Honors Commendation. If you have questions, please contact Honors Activities Director LaShelle Christensen (319-335-1682 or lashelle-christensen@uiowa.edu).
March 4
Call for Learning in Service to Iowa: Earn academic credit, improve the quality of life, and get paid! To celebrate its fiftieth anniversary, Honors at Iowa is providing Honors Students an experiential opportunity to “learn by doing.” We just held a symposium to spotlight Honors service projects, including ones from the first round of Learning in Service to Iowa. Now we’re ready for a second round.
This spring, Honors is awarding grants to individual students or small teams to venture practical projects in service to an Iowa community. Honors even helps you propose a project to do this summer or fall. For further information on LISTI and particulars of the call for projects, click this link. Then contact Honors Experiential Learning Director Andy Willard (319-335-8333 or andrew-willard@uiowa.edu) as soon as possible — and no later than March 30.
March 3
Time to SURF! Please apply to participate in the Spring Undergraduate Research Festival! On Saturday, April 25, the Blank Atrium blossoms with poster presentations from students presenting their research and other creative projects. This annual event comes from the Iowa Center for Research by Undergraduates, where Director Bob Kirby and Undergraduate Research Coordinator Katie Wildman can help you prepare a poster. SURF presents great prizes for work in many areas of scholarship and creativity.
Space is limited, and applications are due March 11 at the fourth-floor reception desk of the Blank Honors Center. Apply today, and turn to working on your poster. For registration forms and further information, see the ICRU Website.
February 20
Honors + Iowa Writers Community: The Iowa Writers Living-Learning Community and the University of Iowa Honors Program are . . . tying a knot. Applicants admitted to the Writers Community are becoming members of Honors at Iowa. Starting in Fall 2009, therefore, Honors at Iowa sponsors three distinctive takes on residential learning, contributing to its emphasis on learning-by-doing.
This helps Honors develop talented-and-gifted education for college students by including students not only for general excellence but also for specific talents and interests, beginning with writing. It gives members of the Writers Community more ways to cultivate their artistic and intellectual interests. And it spotlights the extraordinary resources that the University of Iowa provides for aspiring writers. For details, follow this link.
February 14
Honors Peer Advisors: Enjoy sharing your experiences with other students? Honors Peer Advisors help current students connect with activities, classes, scholarships, and further resources available from Honors. They show prospective students and their families around the Blank Honors Center and the Honors House while answering questions about life at Iowa. They coordinate advising events around campus. And they earn Honors academic credit that counts for Honors Commendations!
Please apply by Friday, February 27 to become an Honors Peer Advisor for academic year 2009-10. Just follow this link to read more about the opportunity and access the application.
February 1
Huit and Murray Awards: Do you know faculty members who focus on teaching and show great dedication to students? Give them the recognition that they deserve!
Nominate faculty for the Marion L. Huit or the James N. Murray Awards. For details, please access the current call for nominations, which are due March 10, 2009.
2008
November 1
Honors Nexus: Success of the Honors House in Daum Hall is producing a spin-off! For Fall 2009, Honors and University Housing are launching a second living-learning community for Honors Students. It takes advantage of the special facilities that already have drawn exceptional numbers of Honors Students to choose Mayflower Hall for their residence; and it features support for students to start individual and team projects in art, research, and service.
The Honors Nexus continues the commitments that have made the Honors House the most popular site for residential learning at Iowa. It welcomes both entering and returning members of the Honors Program. It includes students from all fields rather than focusing on one topic. It links members to all Honors activities, courses, and other resources. And it provides Nexus residents their own special experiences and opportunities to add to the fun.
Brainstorming projects is a Nexus pleasure, so you don’t need to know in advance what you might venture. For more information, check this website’s details on the Honors Nexus.
October 29
Honors Pick One: Iowa’s initiative to Pick One reaches a climax by week’s end when students register their personal choices for campus engagements to extend throughout this academic year. From the Honors Activities Fair onward, we have been delighted at the strong responses to Honors options, and we urge students to enjoy any and all of them as continuing commitments or one-time opportunities in AY 2008-09. The Honors Listserv offers weekly updates on events for each of these communities.
Keep in mind that Honors Pick One provides two ways to earn year-end recognition for your participation. One is to sample a range of Honors Activities, and the other is to concentrate your involvement in one or more of the featured Honors Activities: Arts, Discourses, Diversity, Volunteers, Iowa City Foreign Relations Council, or Mock Trial. Just use the hyperlink in this paragraph to access further information about these intriguing possibilities.
September 22
Learning in Service to Iowa: Honors invites its students this autumn to propose projects that will serve Iowa communities in 2009. This is our second annual competition to support service-learning throughout the state. You provide the imagination and manpower; Honors helps with mentors and partners as well as a stipend, a seminar, and a symposium to explore results. Team projects are especially welcome.
Contact Honors Experiential Learning Director Andy Willard by October 31 to express your interest. He can help you refine a proposal, find a faculty or staff mentor, and arrange a community partner. Proposals are not due until December 1, 2008.
September 13
Mom and Dad of the Year: Is your mother amazing? Nominate her as 2008 Mom of the Year! Is your father fantastic? Propose him for 2008 Dad of the Year! But take care to do it by Friday, October 10.
Mortar Board and Omicron Delta Kappa, two honor societies associated with Honors at Iowa, join the UI Parents Association each year in sponsoring the UI Mom and Dad of the Year Awards. Iowa celebrates the winners at its home football game against Penn State during the Family Weekend on November 7-9, 2008.
Applications may be obtained from this website, the Office of Student Life, or the third-floor Information Desk of the Blank Honors Center. Make sure to submit them in 420 BHC by 5 p.m. on Friday, October 10.
September 12
Scoops for Scholars: Honors continues its autumn tradition of an ice cream social, initiated by Nikki Guarino in 2006. Please come to the Atrium of the Blank Honors Center between 3:30 and 5:00 p.m. on Friday, September 12 for free scoops of fun!
A related attraction is the chance to meet our new Provost, Wallace Loh, and Vice Provost Tom Rocklin. Loh speaks briefly at 3:45 p.m. Mostly, though, the idea is just for everybody to mingle while enjoying ice cream with favorite toppings.
Do note that changeable autumn weather has us switching from the outdoor plaza behind the BHC to the Blank Atrium. The hope is that ice cream can be better enjoyed apart from the drizzle projected for Friday afternoon.
September 1
Honors seeks an Assistant Director for Scholarships. Forced into full-time writing by the wonderful success of her first book, The Magic Thief, incumbent Sarah Prineas laments her need to leave soon what she’s always called “the best job in the University.” We'll all miss Sarah mightily! But if you know someone suited to follow in her footsteps, please encourage a prompt application.
August 23
For entering Honors Students, we host a Welcome Dinner, an Activities Fair, and an Open House on Saturday, August 23. (Please bring your student ID, because this is the first night for campus meal plans; but if you’re not living on campus, come anyway, and we’ll be pleased to treat you.)
We start with food and informal talk in the Burge Marketplace at 6 p.m. We slip next door to the Blank Honors Center Atrium for brief introductions. Then we rise steadily upward through little stations for information and fun that lead everybody to desserts, games, and conversation on the third floor in the Honors Student Center.
In fact, we urge all Honors Students to join us from 7 to 9 p.m. in the BHC for meeting friends old and new. Y’all come!!
June 13
Due to Flooding in the Iowa City Area, the University of Iowa Honors Program will be closed until June 22nd. For more information please refer to the University of Iowa Flood Information website.
June 1
Hurrah for Iowa’s first Summer Undergraduate Research Fellow! Grady Payson is one of fifteen students across the country to conduct research on information technology in Gaithersburg, MD, with the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
The program promotes American innovation to enhance economic security and improve the quality of life. Its unique opportunities for research and training include mentoring by faculty fellows and collaboration with other college undergraduates.
Grady is working on computer translations between natural languages such as English and Swedish. His faculty mentors at Iowa include Professors Gregg Oden and Teodor Rus.
March 26
Honors Summer Orientation Guide Applications are now available. A great opportunity to learn more about the Honors Program and have a few hours of work during this coming summer.
March 24
Congratulations to Iowa’s two latest Gates Cambridge Scholars! Emily Alden has designed her own major in comprehensive cancer studies, and Garth Strohbehn has majored in chemistry and biochemistry.
Cheers also this spring for Iowa’s newest Truman Scholar! Meredith DeBoom is majoring in political science and international studies.
February 1
Honors Peer Advisor Applications are now available. Learn what everyone should know about Honors and talk to students around campus!
2007
November 29
Honors Scholarship Forms are now available! Forms are due by 5 p.m. on February 1.
October 30
Two Honors staff members are in the news. Nominated by students, Associate Director Robert Kirby has won the Lola Lopes Award for Undergraduate Student Advocacy.
Selected for a “Remarkable Person Profile” by the University, Honors alumna Lauren McCarthy is returning to help this year with scholarships, visits, and anniversary plans.
June 1
This summer, Honors Advising Coordinator Andrea Kann is leading a student team of Honors Guides to orient our record entering class of 700+ students for Fall 2007. See our new Honors Orientation site.