419 S State St

1330 Mason Hall

Ann Arbor MI 48109-1027

734.764.6274 phone

734.763.6553 fax

www.lsa.umich.edu/honors

U-M NEWS

New President

Mark S. Schlissel

On January 24, 2014, the

Board of Regents

unanimously voted Mark S.

Schlissel, M.D., Ph.D., the

14th president of the

University of Michigan. Said

Schlissel, “I will bring to

Michigan a fierce commitment

to the importance of public

research universities, a strong

personal belief in the ability of

education to transform lives,

and the understanding that

excellence and diversity are

inextricably linked.”

Victors For Michigan

Gearing up for the University

of Michigan’s bicentennial,

which we’ll celebrate in

2017, U-M currently

endeavors to raise $4B for a

three-pronged campaign.

Our priorities are (1) student

support, (2) engaged

learning, and (3) bold ideas.

Learn more about how you

can impact these strategy

areas by visiting:

leadersandbest.umich.edu

and clicking

Victors for Michigan.

New for F14: Honors Core Curriculum The Honors Program has embarked upon

the creation of a new Core Curriculum for

its first- and second-year students.

Designed specifically for Honors students

by innovative faculty, the Honors Core

Curriculum provides rigorous, wide-

reaching introductory courses across the

three academic divisions in LSA: the

Natural Sciences (NS), the Social Sciences

(SS), and the Humanities (HU). The

Honors Core builds on the fine tradition

of our historic Great Books course, which

remains a Core course in the Humanities.

The Core extends to other academic

areas the many strengths of Great Books:

fundamental content, critical analysis,

excellent instruction in writing, and social

bonding. The Core will also provide

opportunities for interaction between

students and faculty in its various courses

through electronic media, virtual

meetings, and occasional symposia.

Because Honors students take Core

courses in both first and second years,

they have added opportunities to form

study groups and friendships more

broadly across the Program.

Core courses, specially designed by

faculty for Honors, will be extra-

disciplinary – intended to expose

students to scholarship across the entire

division, rather than in a single discipline.

They are intended to give students an

opportunity to ponder meta-questions

while investigating some of the most

important issues in these areas. We want

these courses to be some of the most

exciting courses that Honors students

take during their time at Michigan.

These courses do not add to graduation

requirements; rather, they shape how

students meet area distribution and, in

some courses, the First Year Writing

Requirement.

Four Core courses are being offered this

semester. Great Books continues to

thrive under Professor Donald Sells’

leadership. “Great Performances,” taught

by Professor Yopie Prins, is an

introduction to performance in music,

theater, dance and related arts; the

course focuses on specific works

performed on campus, while also

exploring the relation between tradition

and innovation in performing “great”

works, and asking what makes a “great”

performance. In our third Humanities

course, “The West after 1492,” Professor

Scotti Parrish offers an interdisciplinary

(Continued on page 3)

F A L L V O L 1 9

2014

The Forum Vol 19 2014

THE FORUM

Advantage Honors P.2

News from the Honors Community P.6

Director’s Letter P.8

Donor Appreciation P.14

South Quad Grand Opening: A New Look for an Old Favorite

The much-anticipated Grand Opening of South Quad, with its

new amenities and meeting areas, was celebrated on October 1,

2014, including food, music, and guest speakers. HRA Fahad

Sarvari took the podium prior to President Schlissel, describing

the state-of-the art dining facilities, with restaurant-style food

selections such as Smoke (offering southwestern barbeque) and

Toast (always breakfast), and open-air gathering spaces, but

remained focused on the actual community residing within the

hall. Former residents will note a change in the façade, which

features an accessibility ramp. Upon visiting, they may also notice

that the old basketball court now sports multiple bike racks for

residents, while bike rental racks are available on the west end of

the building. Honors is pleased to be back in the renovated hall,

after a year in West Quad.

Clockwise: View into dining space. Senior Advisor Henry Dyson with

President Schlissel. HRA Fahad Sarvari at the podium. HRAs Lilia Bouzit,

Ian Schonman, and Erin Gray. New South Quad façade. [Photos & article: Jeri Preston]

NONPROFIT ORG.

U.S. POSTAGE

P A I D

ANN ARBOR, MI

PERMIT NO. 144

ADVANTAGE HONORS

Recent Honors graduate Trisha

Paul (BS English, 2014) arrived at

U-M with wide-ranging interests

- medicine, literature, dance -

and a focused determination to

attend medical school. While

working as a volunteer at UMHS

in Pediatric Oncology, she began

to explore the concept of

wellness and healing through

documenting patients’ feelings,

their perspectives, their “untold

stories and unheard lives.”

Through two English courses,

Introduction to Poetry and

Autism, Culture &

Representation, she began to

examine medical humanities -

where culture and society

intersects with literature and

language - by creating an illness

narrative. Utilizing an Honors

Research Grant, Paul sat down

with children with cancer, asking

them to draw, write, and speak

about their experiences in order

to help other patients with

similar diagnoses.

Winter Wonderland? U-M Cancels Classes First Time Since 1978, Sees Record Snowfall

With a reported temperature

of –30 degrees, the Ann Arbor

campus closed for classes on

January 28 due to hazardous

conditions, the first time since

1978. School authorities were

concerned for students waiting

at bus stops and walking in the

frigid temps. While some felt

that dressing appropriately for

the weather would alleviate

risks, most enjoyed the day

inside. By the “thundersnow”

forecast in late February, all

agreed that the season had

extended long past its wel-

come, but relief was not in

sight. Mid-March the snowfall

record was broken, with a

whopping 71.8 inches (a nor-

mal season is 37.9 inches)

fallen. [Jeri Preston]

This

unconventional

approach led

directly to her

research for her

Honors senior

thesis Chronicling

Childhood Cancer:

Illuminating the

Illness Experience

through Narrative.

From there, with

support from

Honors, English,

and the UMMS

Department of

Pediatrics, she applied to instruct

an Honors 135 called Grand

Rounds: Exploring the Literary

Symptoms of Illness through

Narrative during her final

semester.

Students in the class learned

about her project, going on to

interview and chronicle someone

in their own circle, from

grandmothers to cousins,

sometimes even sharing their

own personal experience, as did

one student with a skin pigment

disorder. The artwork, top right,

by Lauren Heinonen, is a result of

one participant’s interview with

her cousin regarding his autism.

Sitting by a lake together,

Heinonen asked her cousin if he

found it beautiful. “No,” he said.

“It seems chaotic. I wonder about

the depth of the water, the speed

of the clouds, the fish that swim

where I can’t see, the number of

grains on the beach. So I try to

count it and measure it.” The

grid paper and compass within

the bucket identified his need

to quantify to create order.

Says Paul, “Take any classes

that pique your interest.

Exploring them is the best way

to find what you want to do.

U-M and Honors support

interdisciplinary endeavors, so

boldly go and pursue your

passions.”

This fall, Paul’s work appeared

in a book published by

Michigan Publishing. She

shares her work and insights

on the WordPress Blog

illnessnarratives.com, featuring

her choreography as a tribute

to teenager Zach Sobiech, his

music, and his fight with

cancer. Paul’s future includes

medical school here at U-M,

where she’ll pursue the healing

relationship with “real humans

at the point of clinical

encounters.”

[Jeri Preston]

As the lights dimmed in the

basement of Literati Bookstore,

a local independent bookseller

(a “treasure”) on the corner of

East Washington and South

4th Streets, three Honors

Resident Advisors (HRAs)

began to set the stage for the

final event in the Diversity

Monologues series.

Since August, HRAs Alexa

Wright, Brianna Kovan and

Harleen Kaur had been

planning a series that they

hoped would speak to the lack

of diversity in voices and

narratives on campus and

within the Honors program.

The open mic series would take

form with performances,

songs, videos, and dialogue.

Through the new Diversity

Monologues, the three wanted

to create space for awareness

-building and relationships that

would allow these

conversations to continue

beyond the event, eventually

leading to action. Thus, the

events focused on three topics

that were relevant on campus

this year: race, gender, and the

identity of a Michigan “Victor.”

With the #BBUM (Beyond Black

at the University of Michigan)

campaign, a continuing rise in

sexual assault rates on college

campuses, and the launch of

the Victor Campaign, these

topics were on the minds of

students, faculty, and Ann Arbor

residents.

For Wright, a Diversity

Monologues series was the

perfect way to create positive

conversation about these

incidents. “We thought this

would be a great, creative way

for students to express their

thoughts, and we really wanted

to tie it in to what it means to

be here at the

University.”

That it was. Although the second

event was cancelled due to

inclement weather (somewhat

inevitable with the weather we

survived in Ann Arbor this year),

the first and third events –

“Words on Race” and “Words

from a ‘Victor’” respectively –

were huge successes. Each

packed the basement of Literati

with people filling all the seats

and continuing to stand in the

back of the room and up the

stairs in order to watch the

performances. Both events

featured on campus A Cappella

groups, and also brought in

videos on the topic that allowed

audience members to place the

topics in a national

conversation, as well.

The final event, “Words from

‘Victors,’” featured the

performances of many HRAs and

Honors residents. Honors

resident Rachael Lacey fought

back against gender norms

while HRA Essie Shachar-Hill

discussed the need to address

the lack of awareness about

mental health. Students spoke

bravely about their experiences

at Michigan, but also

encouraged healthy changes in

campus climate.

In this quiet place, the Diversity

Monologues provided a safe

space for dialogue, connection,

and reflection. Although the

event was planned for and by

Honors, the event reached

many outside of the Honors

program and was featured in

The Michigan Daily and other

campus news media as a

groundbreaking program.

With last year’s success, Kaur

hopes to continue the series

with other HRAs this year, and

also hopes the event becomes a

staple of the Honors program.

“Although we were able to start

these conversations over this

past year, they certainly are

ones that we should continue to

have within the Honors

community. We are a group of

individuals interested in learning

beyond the classroom, and with

learning, a diversity of

experiences.”

[Harleen Kaur, HRA]

15 2

H135 Course Allows Students to Study Illness Narratives

HRAs Host Diversity MonologuesHRAs Host Diversity Monologues

Basement of Literati Bookstore for Diversity Monologues Photos from Senior Slide Show

Graduation @ Crisler Sport Center

June 2014

Photos: Jeri Preston

Honors continues to

celebrate its donors—

both friends and alumni.

The awards, prizes,

programs, and services

we offer are directly

attributable to you. We

thank you sincerely.

Bruce M. Adams, Keith D. Agisim, Julie D.

Allen, Joan Almon, Justin A. Amash, Apple

Computer, Inc. , Frederick R. Amrine, Paul

J. Anderer, Kurt F. Anschuetz, Ellen P.

Aprill, Nancy D. Arnesen, Jerome D.

Aronowitz, Tracey F. Atwood, Jane T.

Babbitt, Dorothy E. Bambach, Shoko Tsuji

and Terry A. Barnes, Miriam E. Bar-on,

Charles S. Barquist, John C. Barron, Robert

D. Bartels, Nancy R. Bartlett, David F.

Barton, Richard K. Bauman, Sanford A.

Bell, Richard M. Bendix, Darlene R.

Berkovitz and Robert P. Zinn, Susan G.

Berkowitz, Marc J. Berman, Bhatt Family

Charitable Fund, Russell A. Bikoff,

Elizabeth A. Binasio, David L. Birch,

Andrew W. Blass, Jeffrey A. Block, Joseph

G. Block, Barry A. Bluestone, Emily R.

Boudreau, Paul E. and Gail Bouton, Paul

D. Boyce, Willard L. Boyd, Larry Bram,

Randall E. and Rhonda M. Brand, Samara

H. Braunstein, Thomas W. and Mary F.

Brink, Eric S. Brown, J. Noah Brown, Willa

C. Bruckner, Bruce S. Brumberg, Peter H.

Burian, Richard L. Carter, Diana D. Chapin,

Stuart M. Chemtob, Ciullo Family

Endowment Fund, Deborah L. Clarke,

Russell W. Coff, Patricia L. Cohen, Amy E.

Cohn, Kevin J. Counihan, Kathleen B.

Culbertson, Barbara L. Cullen, Paul K.

Davis, Sandra H. Davis, Richard P. Day,

Mark and Paula DeBofsky, Peter W.

Deutsch, Lisa and Steven Diamond,

Michael J. Diamond, Urvi Doshi Sood,

Richard H. Douglas and Anita Kupriss,

Spencer D. Dowdall, Patricia J. and Ronald

Dubowy, Gopalakrishn Duleep, Nancy J.

Dynes, Eve D. Eden, Alice V. and Stephen

A. Edwards, Daniel L. Ehmann, June M.

Everett, Richard N. Feferman, Mark I.

Feng, Peter A. Fenyes, Lawrence J. Field,

Jerome L. Fine, Robert S. Fink, Sheri L. Fink

and Edward I. Broughton, William Fisher

Charitable Fund, Sara J. Fitzgerald, Ethel

and James Flinn Foundation, Victor L. Fox,

Bryant M. Frank, Stanley A. Freeman and

Cecilia M. Parajon, Dan A. Friedlander,

Martin Friedman and Sarah Allen, Michael

Honors Graduates for Winter 2014 Honors W14 Graduating Class: 296|9.5% of the entire LSA graduating class Top Ten Majors: 10. Biochemistry (8) 9. Anthropology (11) 8. Cellular & Molecular Biology (13) 7. Neuroscience (14) 6. Biopsychology, Cognition & Neuroscience (15) 5. English (16) 4. Mathematics (17) 3. Political Science (19) 2. History (21) 1. Psychology (33) Other Grad Stats: 7 perfect (4.0) GPAs Average GPA 3.739 32.1% of our graduates double-majored 40.9% of our graduates had at least one minor Degrees with Distinction: 91 Distinction 62 High Distinction, 40 Highest Distinction [Compiled by Jacquelyn Turkovich]

M. Froy, Darcy R. Fryer, Adva Gadoth-

Goodman, John Erik Garr, David A. Gass,

John D. Gatti, Andrew M. Gaudin, David

M. Gay, John M. Geise, Elizabeth Runyan

Geise, Rebecca S. Gelman, Erich J. Gess,

Grant P. Gilezan, Angela and Gregg

Godden, Matthieu S. Goddeyne, Miriam J.

Golbert, Stephen Gold, Larry M. Goldin,

Leslie J. Goldman, Richard J. Goldsmith,

Paul W. Goldstein, Google, Inc., Cheryl

Gordon, David Greenblatt, James W.

Greene, Brian R. Haag and Belinda I.

Mathie, Myra K. Harper, Robin L. Harrison,

Christopher C. Hayward, Joan S.

Hellmann, Michael S. Herman, David A.

Hindin, Norman S. Holland, Albert A.

Holman III, Steve Holman, Jacqueline N.

Horn, Daniel P. Huttenlocher, Linda L.

Imboden, Mori H. Insinger, Fran & Will

Irwin Charitable Fund, William A. Irwin,

Diane M. Istvan, Alan D. Jacknow, Kate

and John Jacobs Charitable Fund, Pamela

S. Jacobson, Mark J. Jaffe, Jennifer C.

Jaruzelski, Norman P. Jensen, Emily B.

Kalanithi, Frank R. Kane, Laurence M. Karz,

Randle J. Kashuba, Kathleen H. Keeler,

Marian Keidan Seltzer, Peter J. Kenny,

Laura Klarman, Judith G. and James P.

Kleinberg, Klinsky Family Charitable Fund,

Stephen K. Knudson, Anika L. Kohon, Mark

L. Kowalsky, Ronald J. Krone, Jon H.

Kouba, Lauren B. Kugelman, Jonathan L.

Kuhn, David J. Lane, Gordon L. Lang,

Warren C. Laski, Mark A. Laukka, Barbara

S. Lawrence, Jerold D. Lax, Howard A.

Learner, Andrew D. Leavitt, Steven M.

Leber, Sander Lehrer, Arthur N. Lerner,

Henry Lerner, Jennifer S. Lerner, Stuart J.

Levin, David L. Levine, Linda K. Levy, Gail

H. Lift, Jennifer A. Linde, James M. Lindsay,

Deborah R. Litvin, Mary R. Lloyd, Richard

M. Longnecker, John D. and Catherine T.

MacArthur Foundation, Timothy E.

Machonkin, Pramit Malhotra, Roslyn K.

Malmaud, Susan L. Mann, Elizabeth A.

Martin, Marjorie M. Mastie, George M.

McCabe, Janice L. Means, Medtronic

Foundation, Melissa Meldrum-Aaberg,

Thomas J. Messenger, Zevi Miller and Ruth

F. Engel, Ross L. Miller, Sandra A. Millimet,

Kathryn G. Moberg, Francisco R. Montero,

Natalie C. Morath, Brenda L. Moskovitz,

Daniel O. Nathan, William Nealon,

Christopher M. Nicholson, Hartley D.

Nisenbaum, Sumie Okazaki, Richard N.

Ostling, Alison Overseth, Larry H. Pachter,

Erin P. Peart, Cary R. Perlman, John A.

Pfefferle, Pfizer Fdtn., Jan Platt and Jeffrey

S. Ross Fund, Jay M. Ptashek, Linda L.

Randell, Nancy L. Rando, Robert B.

Ransom, John A. Rapaport, Margo S.

Rebar, Paul A. Renard, Kenneth M. Riff,

Lawrence P. Riff, Krista A. Rinker, James V.

Roelofs, Gerald N. Rogan, Eric J.

Rosenbloom, Kenneth H. Rosen, Thomas

M. Rosseel, Diana W. Rothman, Steven J.

Rowe, Rubenstein Family Philanthropic

Fund, Adam J. Rubinstein, Jason Ryu, Brian

T. Saam, Dan B. Saferstein, Ann K. Sakai,

Bernard Salzman, Eric C. Salzman, David

H. Sarne, Julie A. and Stephen Schaffner,

Janice M. Schryer, Robert B. Schumer,

Maryellen D. Scott, Thomas C. Scott,

Suzanne K. Sebert, Alyssa M. Shaffer, Ann

Shapiro, Mary B. Shapiro, Elvera B.

Shappirio, Catherine E. Shavell, Susan S.

Shippey, Jasvinder S. Sidhu, Linda W.

Simon, David A. Singer, Lisa Simotas-

Schwartz Charitable Fund, Devan J. Sipher,

Michael D. Sitrin, Robert A. Sklar,

Christopher Skorina, Christopher A. Smith,

Jeffrey R. Smith, Paul P. Spaulding,

Douglas C. Sprigg, David M. Springstead,

Sally and Robert Springstead, James J.

Spurrier, Joseph A. Starr, Howard S. Stein,

Terry S. Stein, Mitchell Stengel, Joan K.

Stepenske, Susan K. Stevens, Max A.

Strasburg, Franklin W. Strong, Duane L.

Tarnacki, Stephen B. Tatter, Thomas A.

Thomas, Michelle R. Tilley, Stephen G.

Tomlinson, Robert G. Trakimas, Joan M.

and Samuel B. Van Boven, Marie J. Vogt,

Dietmar U. Wagner, Sara E. Walker, Alyssa

A. Wallen, Julia Wang and Peter Gerber,

Wells Fargo Fdtn., Brady T. West, Mary B.

West, Carol K. Willen, Joseph H. Wimsatt,

Harriet Z. Winkelman, Hugh H. & Barbara

E. Witemeyer, Suzanne G. Wolf, David F.

Wrubel, Jane F. Wyman, Lisa R. Yufit, Jay

and Idyth Zimbler Charitable Fund, Jeff M.

Zucker. [Compiled by Vicki Davinich]

There are world-wide

opportunities with Honors

Research Grants, as Maggie

Grundler can attest. This

summer, Grundler sent in

photos from her trip to Sesoko

Station Tropical Biosphere

Research Center at the

University of Ryukyu in

Okinawa, Japan. Featured here

are the reefs where collection

work took place, along with

snapshots of Gundler and

fellow diver Alison Gould, as

they collected long-spined sea

urchins, with which their study

fish, Siphamia tubifer,

associates.

Her independent study and

thesis focuses on parasitic

growth on the tubifer in the

buccal cavity, attached under

the tongue (see photo below).

See more on-location grant

photos on the right.

[Jeri Preston]

Diving into Honors Research Grants Diving into Honors Research Grants

HONORS CORE CURRICULUM HONORS CORE CURRICULUM [C o n ti n u e d f r o m p a g e 1 ][C o n ti n u e d f r o m p a g e 1 ]

introduction to the history,

and especially the cultures,

of Europe and North

America after Columbus’

accidental arrival in the

western hemisphere: as the

“old worlds” gradually died,

a challenging, new

“modern” world slowly

came into being through a

vast movement of peoples,

diseases, and ideas across

the Atlantic. This course

examines that disruptive

emergence. The fourth Core

course offered this fall is a

Natural Science course

taught by our Director, Tim

McKay; he first taught this

course in the fall of 2013 as

a pilot for the Core

program. Entitled “Deep

Time,” this course explores

what science has taught

about the origin of—well,

everything. Beginning

about 200 years ago with

the gradual discovery of the

age of the Earth, the course

continues through today’s

latest findings about the

origins of life and the Earth,

using the tools of science:

careful observation, creative

inference, and skeptical

challenge of conventional

views.

More courses are in

development. In the Winter

term, Professor Jim Adams

of Economics will teach a

broad-ranging analysis of

the historical development

and theoretical strengths

and weaknesses of

“Capitalisms” around the

world. Next year, we

anticipate courses in

Biology with Professor

Trisha Wittkopp, Political

Science with Professor Mika

LaVaque-Manty, and

Philosophy with Professor

Sarah Buss.

This is an exciting

development in Honors

course offerings for first-

and second-years students.

Of course Honors students

will continue to build their

strengths and explore their

interests in Honors courses

offered in departments

across the College, and we’ll

continue to offer specialized

seminars that examine

issues in depth. The new

Honors Core endeavors to

give students new

experiences in discovering

the long view, the wide

perspective, and the

important implications of

major areas of knowledge.

[Donna Wessel Walker]

3 14

Where

in the world are

Honors students

going with

Research Grants?

Ann Soliman, Morroco

Kaitlin Ma

Pantanal, Brazil

Tesneem Alkiek

Granada, Spain

Preeta Gupta

Scientista Sypmosium,

Toledo, OH

Courtney Weber &

Sepideh Ashrafzadeh on the Diag

Pre-med Stats for Honors

Medicine is a strong career focus among Honors students: 41% of our incoming students express an interest in a pre-health career. With the leadership of our new advisor (see column to left), Honors is able to provide these students with pre-health specific programming and advising. Interesting statistics for Honors students who matriculated at medical school in 2014:

81% of Honors Program graduates who applied to MD programs gained admission. The total U-M graduate acceptance rate is 55%; the national MD acceptance rate is 43%.

The largest group of

Honors alums (21%) went to Michigan Medical School; the next largest cohort went to Wayne State (13%).

About 50% of our applicants took a gap year between undergraduate studies and medical school.

[Stephanie Chervin]

Pictured:

2014 Grad Xiao Wang, M1

Johns Hopkins School of Medicine

Robert Hayden Humanities

Prize: Leila Pastore, Philosophy.

Pastore is now enrolled in the

Law School at Michigan.

Arthur Miller Creative Arts

Prize: Olivia Postelli, English.

Postelli is currently working in

the non-profit sector in

Chicago.

Jerome and Isabella Karle Prize

for Natural Sciences: Joshua

Kurtz, Chemistry. Kurtz

currently teaches MCAT prep

courses for Princeton Review

and is applying to MD-Ph.D.

programs.

Marshall Nirenberg Prize in Life

Sciences: Hannah Reses,

Ecology and Evolutionary

Biology. Reses is currently

pursuing a Masters of Public

Health at Emory University.

Stephen Smale Prize in

Mathematical Sciences: Elliot

Wells, Mathematics. Wells is

currently pursuing his Ph.D. in

Mathematics at Brown.

Marshall Sahlins Social Science

Prize: Jiaxin Huang, Asian

Languages and Cultures. This

fall she started medical school

at University of Michigan.

Gerald Ford Public Policy and

Service Prize: Rachel Hampton,

Political Science. Hampton is

currently pursuing a J.D. at

Michigan Law.

Raoul Wallenberg

Humanitarian Prize: Courtney

Weber, Anthropology. This

year Weber is working at the

East Bay Community Law

Center in Berkeley, CA.

Sidney Fine Teaching Award:

Mikel Haggadone, Molecular,

Cellular, and Developmental

Biology. Haggadone is

currently pursuing a Ph.D. in

immunology at Stanford.

[Henry Dyson]

(Continued from page 11)

LSA HONORS Director Timothy A. McKay Associate Director Donna Wessel Walker Assistant Director Gayle Green Senior Advisor Henry Dyson Senior Advisor Stephanie Chervin Academic Advisor John Cantú Office Manager Vicki Davinich Academic Auditor Jacquelyn Turkovich Communications| Student Services Jeri Preston Program Assistant Mariam Negaran Honors Preceptor Mary L. Shelly Contact Information LSA Honors Program 1330 Mason Hall 419 S. State Street Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1027 Phone: 734.764.6274 Email: honors.alum@umich.edu Web: www.lsa.umich.edu/honors Regents of the University Mark J. Bernstein, Farmington Hills Julie Donovan Darlow, Ann Arbor Laurence B. Deitch, Detroit Shauna Ryder Diggs, Grosse Pointe Denise Ilitch, Birmingham Andrea Fischer Newman, Detroit Andrew C. Richner, Detroit Kathrine E. White, Ann Arbor Mark S. Schlissel, President (ex-officio) The University of Michigan, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University of Michigan is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, height, weight, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions. Inquiries or complaints may be addressed to the Senior Director for Institutional Equity, and Title IX/Section 504/ADA Coordinator, Office for Institutional Equity, 2072 Administrative Services Building, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1432, 734-763-0235, TTY 734-647-1388. For other University of Michigan information call 734-764-1817.

4 13

LUNCH WITH HONORS 2013-2014

Arts & Cultures

Pearl & the Beard: indie band presented by Jeff May [Honors alum].

pearlandthebeard.com

David Zinn: ephemeral artist [UM alum]. zinnart.com

Hilary Lowe and Mike Gustafson: co-owners of Literati Bookstore.

literatibookstore.com

Rebecca Davis: bringing dance to children in war zones [UM alum].

See related article on Tessa Adzemovic. rebeccadavisdance.com 3

Rob Drummond: Bullet Catch and performance art/ the art of performance. 1

Alex Stone: the science of magic. 4

Social & Political Issues

Ken Buckfire: Detroit bankruptcy [Honors alum].

Dr. Timothy Johnson: 50 years after Roe v. Wade [Honors alum and UM pro-

fessor].

Elizabeth Armstrong: social class on campus, author of Paying for the Party

[UM professor].

Petra Bartosiewicz: covering terrorism trials [Knight-Wallace Journalism Fellow].

Susan Murphy: innovations in Biostatistics for patient care [UM professor and

MacArthur Fellow]. 2

Lisa Harris: bioethics and reproductive rights [UM professor].

Howard Leaner: environmental activism [Honors alum].

Campus Questions

Mark Jaffe: medical school admissions trends [UM alum].

Jacques Mistral: real world connections for the liberal arts [Honors DeRoy

Visiting Professor].

[Donna Wessel Walker] Photos: Jacquelyn Turkovich

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Honors welcomes

new advisor!

In December 2013 the

Honors Program welcomed

Dr. Stephanie Chervin to our

staff to fill a new advisor

position specializing in pre-

health advising.

Dr. Chervin earned her Ph.D.

in Chemistry at Michigan,

followed by a series of post-

docs and research work in

the private sector; she had

been a pre-health advisor in

LSA’s Newnan Advising

Center for three years before

joining Honors.

In addition to doing general

advising, Stephanie offers

specialty advising for

students considering

medicine and other health

professions and gives

information sessions and

workshops on everything

from big ideals to practical

needs. We’re delighted to

have Stephanie with us!

[Donna Wessel Walker]

Honors Research and

Travel Grant

Recipients and

Scholarship Winners

Because of generous gifts we

are able to provide some

support to Honors students

for their research and travel

for study abroad or research

trips. Last year we distributed

a total of $27,443 to 58

Honors students travelling

around the world, presenting

their papers at professional

academic conferences, or

conducting important

research here in Ann Arbor.

We would like to especially

celebrate the following

scholarships and their

recipients for the 2013-14

year.

Wang-Gerber Honors

Scholarship for Study Abroad:

Given by Julia Wang and

Peter Gerber. Recipients:

Elisabeth Kryska, Stephanie

Leitzel, Anna Heim, and Bryan

Frederick. Honors students in

Prof. Barbara Anderson’s

“Health and Population in

South Africa” (Sociology 230)

course also received support

from the Wang-Gerber fund

a leader in the Coalition for

Tuition Equality, Michigan

Democrats, and the campus

chapter of the ACLU. Guay is

a highly decorated Honors

Classics major, having won

several Phillips Translation

Prizes for both Greek and

Latin. She is a 2014 Marshall

Scholarship nominee and is

teaching an Honors 135

minicourse on Homer’s

catalogue of ships in the Iliad.

The Morris and Lola

Wasserstein Scholarships:

Morris and Lola Wasserstein

Scholarships, given by

Honors alumnus Bruce

Wasserstein, provide support

for Honors students who

write for the Michigan Daily.

This year’s recipients were

Carlina Duan, Katherine

Steen, John Bohn, Austen

Hufford, Yardain Amron,

Hillary Crawford, Max Radwin,

Meaghan Thompson, Thomas

McBrien, and Omar

Mahmood.

[Henry Dyson]

Photos:

Francine Penekis, Pantanal, Brazil (top).

Bryan Frederick, La Laguna, Tenerife

(bottom).

for their summer trip to do

community health work in

South Africa: Rachel

Connolly, Rachel

Donabedian, Erin Gray, Clare

McLaughlin, Madeleine

Ordway, and Katherine

Plumley.

Braunstein Honors Fund:

Given by Samara H.

Braunstein. Recipients:

Aashna Sunderrajan, Daniel

Szvarca, Katherine Coppess,

Katherine Brill, Eli Cornblath,

Ashley Weber, Shoko Mori,

Hayley Sakwa, Christina

Naegeli, Anna Clinger, Kaitlin

Ma, and Charles Engelman.

Kennedy Research Awards

and Student Global

Experience Fund: Given by

John P. Kennedy. Recipients:

Tesneem Alkiek, In Taek Yeo,

Preeta Gupta, Theo Schear,

and Vincent Longo.

Hellmann Family Endowment:

Given by Joan Hellmann.

Recipients: Ann Soliman,

Maggie Grundler, and

Francine Penikis.

The Otto Graf Scholarship:

The Otto Graf Honors

Scholarship commemorates

the contributions of our first

Director. Recipients are

selected from an extremely

competitive pool of worthy

candidates for work that

most fully exemplifies the

educational ideals of the

Honors Program. The 2014

Otto Graf Scholars are Meg

Scribner and Ana Guay.

Scribner is a double Honors

major in Political Science and

Women’s Studies; she also is

GOLDWATER AND

ASTRONAUT WINNERS

Michigan continues to

enjoy outstanding success

in winning Goldwater

Scholarships, the top

undergraduate award for

students pursuing STEM

research careers. Michigan

is currently tied with Cornell

for 8th on the national list

with 63 Goldwater scholars

over the past 25 years.

Even more remarkable is

the string of Goldwater

Scholars from U-M’s Math

Department, which has

enjoyed at least one

scholarship winner in every

year but one

since 2002.

That streak

was continued

this year by

Joseph Richey

from Parkville,

MO. A double major in

Honors Mathematics and

Computer Science, Richey

won this prestigious award

while just a sophomore.

Created in 1987 to honor

the Mercury 7 astronauts,

the Astronaut Scholarship

shares the Goldwater’s

mission of promoting the

early careers of future

researchers in various STEM

fields. An

Honorable

Mention in this

year’s

Goldwater

competition,

Nirbhay Jain of

Toledo, OH was one of two

U-M winners of the

Astronaut Scholarship. Jain

is currently a senior in

Honors Chemistry applying

for MD-PhD programs to

pursue biophysics research

in medicine.

The LSA Honors Program

partners with the new

College of Engineering

Honors Program in

recruiting nominees for

these top STEM

scholarships. We are proud

to celebrate Aaron Priluck’s

Goldwater and Astronaut

Scholarships

as well.

Priluck is a

senior in

Chemical

Engineering and plans a

biomedical research career.

U-M’S FIRST BEINECKE

SCHOLAR SINCE 2006

Stephanie Leitzel of Romeo,

MI became U-M’s first

Beinecke Scholar since

2006. Established in 1971

to honor the legacies of

Edwin, Frederick, and Walter

Beinecke of Yale University,

the scholarship provides

financial aid for students in

the humanities and social

sciences. Leitzel is currently

writing her

Honors thesis

in History on

Celtic identity

in the late

middle ages.

Having

already studied in Scotland,

she is U-M’s nominee for

the Mitchell Scholarship to

continue her studies in

Ireland after graduation.

KATHRYN DAVIS

PROJECTS FOR PEACE

Zeinab Khalil of Toledo, OH

won a $10,000 grant from

Kathryn Davis Projects for

Peace to work with Syrian

refugee women in Istanbul,

Turkey. Khalil was a

featured speaker at this

year’s Honors graduation

ceremony, having double

majored in Honors

International Studies and

Middle Eastern and North

African

Studies. She

served as

president of

the U-M

Muslim

Student Association, and

worked with human rights

organizations in Egypt and

at the Century Foundation

in New York. Khalil is one

of U-M’s nominees for the

2014 Rhodes and Marshall

Scholarships.

FULBRIGHT AND NSF

GRADUATE FELLOWSHIP

WINNERS

Fulbright is the premier

international scholarship

offered by the U. S. State

Department. In 2013 we

counted seven Fulbright

Scholars among our recent

graduates: Kevin Binder

(Honors Psychology and

International Studies 2013 -

Turkey), Stephanie Chen

(Honors Environment and

EEB 2012 - China), James

Hammond (Honors History

and Microbiology 2013 -

Ghana), Conor Lane

2014 2014 2014 National National National Scholarship Scholarship Scholarship Winners Winners Winners

5 12

Engelman:

Winner of

National

Geographic

Award

Senior Charlie Engelman

recently won the National

Geographic Channel’s

Expedition Granted

contest. The Braunstein

Honors Fund recipient will

receive $50,000 to develop

20-30 short, science-based

online videos, with

explorations spanning a

climb in the California

redwoods to flying a

paramotor (a motorized,

steerable paraglider).

Engelman’s project

proposal was chosen over

700 competitors, receiving

a majority of nearly

400,000 votes cast.

Finalists were chosen

based on “the projects’

originality, ability to make

an impact on the local

and/or global community,

and viability.”

Engelman’s project is

called “Get Pumped About

Nature!” Learn more at

“World By Charlie” (http://

www.youtube.com/user/

WorldByCharlie).

[Jeri Preston] (Continued on page 10)

News from

the Honors

Community

This has been a year of

change for Honors Housing

with the closing of South

Quad for a year-long

renovation. We packed up,

hauled boxes across East

Madison, and re-claimed a

new space for our community:

West Quad. As we worked

together to make West Quad

our own, we explored other

spaces as well – both on and

off campus. Here is a brief list

of highlights from Honors

Housing during the 2013-14

academic year.

The Campus Corner

The University of Michigan is

as vibrant as ever with a slew

of cultural events and exciting

gathering places. Catering to

Honors residents’ interests,

the HRAs planned trips to

numerous University Musical

Society (UMS) events,

including Grammy-winner

Joshua Bell and the School of

Music Theater and Dance’s

spring production of Les

Miserables. As part of the

Martin Luther King Day lineup,

the HRAs hosted their annual

discussion, “Your Role in

Social Change.” This event

serves to spark conversation

among both campus- and

Ann Arbor- community

members about ways to enact

Program notes from an HRA

Photos: Jacquelyn Turkovich

during the 2013-14 year. To

pay homage to the city’s

automobile history,

students attended the

famous Detroit Auto show

in January. They attended

Miss Saigon at the beautiful

Fisher Theater. Hockey fans

visited the Joe Louis Arena

to cheer on the Red Wings

in their shoot-out victory

over the Capitals. For out-of

-state students, these

multiple trips offered a first

glimpse into this city space.

Overall, the 2013-14

academic year was a busy

one for Honors Housing. As

we return to South Quad,

we’re excited to boast the

largest returning class in the

history of the Honors

Program! After a year of

exploring new spaces and

communities, we are taking

that adventurous spirit back

to our original home. We

visited, we interacted, and

we had fun – lots of it!

Honors Housing is the place

(and space) to be. [Brianna Kovan, HRA]

Photos from top:

Second City at The Ark,

Book Store Tour of Ann Arbor,

Last Days at Blimpy Burger, and

Studying for Great Books

social change locally. Of

course, the year wouldn’t have

been complete without an ice

skating night at Yost Ice Area.

Explore Ann Arbor

This year, the HRAs focused

event planning around the

local gems in Ann Arbor.

These events introduced

incoming Honors students to

Ann Arbor, a place near and

dear to our hearts. Residents

attended the annual Ann

Arbor Folk Festival, saw a

comedy show at The Ark,

tasted delicious gelato from

Iorio’s, and listened to slam

poetry during the “Diversity

Monologues” at Literati

Bookstore. While this is just a

sample of what Ann Arbor has

to offer, Honors Housing

interacted with the city more

than ever before!

Dive into Detroit

Honors students also visited

historic gathering places in

and around the Motor City

Through generous donations

from our alumni, we are able to

recognize the accomplishments

of our most outstanding

graduates. Each year the Voss,

Goldstein, and Kennedy Awards

are presented to top students at

a special awards ceremony

before Graduation. This year we

added a new award, the

Terrence McDonald Award for

Archival Research, given by

Honors alumnus, John Rapaport

in honor of the outgoing LSA

Dean.

Virginia Voss Awards: The Voss

Awards are given by the family

of this Honors alumna in

recognition of fine writing in

academic, creative, and

journalistic work.

Creative Writing Award:

Julianne Potter, Creative Writing

and Literature program in the

Residential College. She is

currently living in Cleveland, her

hometown, pursuing

philanthropic work.

Academic Writing Award:

Eliana Fenyes, History. Fenyes

currently lives in Boston and is

pursuing a Masters in Library

and Information Science.

Julia Gantman, English. She is

currently living in northern

California volunteering with

Worldwide Opportunities on

Organic Farms.

Grace Goudiss, History. She

currently lives and works in New

York City.

Julia Hickey, Anthropology.

Hickey currently lives and works

in Ann Arbor.

Elise Huerta, Asian Languages

and Cultures. Huerta currently

teaches high school English in

Shanghai, China.

Trisha Paul, English. A revised

version of her thesis was recently

published as Chronicling

Childhood Cancer: A Collection

of Personal Stories by Children

and Teens with Cancer and is

commercially available. Paul gave

a reading of her book at Literati

Bookstore in September.

Emily Riippa, History. Riippa is

now a graduate student in U-M’s

School of Information.

Alyssa Slayton, Anthropology.

Kennedy Awards: The Kennedy

Awards are supported by

generous donations from Honors

alumnus, John P. Kennedy, in

honor of his parents.

Patricia Kennedy Award for the

study of English literature: Ryan

Zaluzec. A dual degree graduate

in music performance (clarinet),

Zaluzec is currently pursuing a

PhD in English Literature at

Princeton.

John J. Kennedy Award for

literary scholarship and creative

writing in poetry and prose:

Samuel Walker, English, Creative

Writing Program.

McDonald Award: New this year,

the Terrence McDonald Award

for Archival Research honors the

many contributions made by

Thurnau Professor of History,

former LSA Dean, and current

Director of the Bentley

Historical Museum, Terrence

McDonald. This year’s award

was given by Honors alumnus

John Rapaport, who wrote his

own thesis under Prof.

McDonald’s direction. The

award went to Cameryn Clark,

who made extensive use of U-

M archival collections in her

Anthropology thesis. Clark is

currently pursuing a Masters in

Material Culture and Artefact

Study at the University of

Glasgow, Scotland.

Goldstein Prizes: Since 2002

the Honors Program has given

awards to outstanding

graduating seniors with

generous support from the

Goldstein family: Ellen, Joseph,

Paul, and Laura. The Goldstein

Prizes reward excellence in

nine areas: humanities, creative

arts, physical sciences, life

sciences, mathematical

sciences, social sciences, public

policy and service,

humanitarianism, and

teaching. The prizes are

named for distinguished U-M

alumni and associates in these

areas.

(Continued on page 13)

Honors Program Award & Scholarship WinnersHonors Program Award & Scholarship Winners

6 11

(Honors Latin American and

Caribbean Studies, History, and

Spanish 2013 - Colombia),

Amre Metwally (History and

Middle Eastern and North

African Studies 2013 - Turkey),

Kristin Schroeder (Honors

German and Arts and Ideas

2009 - Germany), Cydney

Seigerman (Honors Chemistry

and Spanish 2013 - Spain).

The National Science

Foundation Graduate Research

Fellowships go to top STEM

PhD students in various fields.

This year 11 Honors students

received these prestigious

fellowships: Lisa Barrett

(Evolutionary Anthropology

2013, now at Rice), Alex Carney

(Mathematics 2012, Marshall

Scholar, now at Stanford),

Adam Dingens (Microbiology

2013, now at the University of

Washington), Aaron Goodman

(Chemistry 2012, now at MIT),

Jonathon Hunacek (Physics and

Astronomy 2013, now at Cal

Tech), Judy Jinn (Ecology and

Evolutionary Biology 2012, now

at Cal Berkeley), Elizabeth

Keenan (Chemistry 2013, now

at UNC Chapel Hill), Molly

Logue (Mathematics 2014, now

at Wisconsin - Madison), Tanvi

Ratani (Chemistry 2012, now at

Cal Tech), Caitlin Vander Weele

(Biopsychology, Cognition, and

Neuroscience 2011, now at

MIT), Cassondra Vernier

(Ecology and Evolutionary

Biology 2012, now at

Washington University Medical

School in St. Louis).

[Henry Dyson]

(Continued from page 5)

Kickoff at Hill Auditorium Kickoff at Hill Auditorium

10 7

National

Scholarship

Winners

Continued

First Year Book: Men We Reaped by Jesmyn Ward Men We Reaped is a memoir writ-

ten by Jesmyn Ward, a graduate of

UM’s MFA program; her previous

book, Salvage the Bones, won the

National Book Award in 2011. This

book is the story of Ward’s own

life, intertwined with the stories of

five young men dear to her who

died in tragic circumstances, all in

a span of a mere four years. Ms.

Ward tackles a number of issues,

including racism, masculinity, and

poverty, but filters it all through

the lens of her own life experienc-

es. It is a fascinating, provocative

book, full of the kind of scholarly

thought that we want to immerse

our students in. It is also a book

that we think you’ll enjoy reading

for its own sake, as we in Honors

did. As always, we used the book

as the basis of the morning’s activ-

ities during Honors Kickoff. We

were fortunate to have with us two

distinguished faculty members to

discuss the book: Alford Young of

Sociology gave a sociopolitical

perspective, and Anne Gere of

English and the Sweetland Writing

Center pointed to the powerful

emotional effects created by the

author’s stylistic choices. Our stu-

dents’ re-

sponses to

this book

and the fac-

ulty talks

were over-

whelmingly

positive,

leading to

many en-

gaging and productive conversa-

tions at this year’s Honors Kickoff

event.

[Gayle Green]

7

On Friday, August 29, Honors

welcomed the Class of 2018 for

a day of activities with a Kickoff

breakfast on Ingalls Mall.

Nearly 400 first-year students

assembled in Hill Auditorium, as

Professor James Kibbie,

University Organist and Chair of

the Organ Department in the

School of Music, Theatre &

Dance, played Widor’s Organ

Symphony No. 5, and led us in

singing The Yellow and Blue,

and The Victors.

Graduation at CrislerGraduation at Crisler Honors graduation ceremonies

took place at Crisler Center on

May 2, 2014. Prior to the

ceremony, guests and family

enjoyed a jumbotron slide

show of over 250 photos

submitted by the graduating

class, and enjoyed a student

procession as the class entered

and took their seats.

Key note speaker, Trisha

Wittkopp* (Associate Professor

of Ecology and Evolutionary

Biology, and of Molecular,

Cellular, and Developmental

Biology, and Honors Alum (BS

Cellular and Molecular Biology,

1997)) addressed the class, as

did student speakers Rachel

Hampton (BA Political Science),

Zeinab Khalil (BA International

Studies) and Raymond Strobel

(BS Chemistry).

Presiding over roll call and the

presentation of certificates

were Professor Timothy McKay

and Associate Director Donna

Wessel Walker. .

The Honors Calendar

Parents Weekend: John U. BaconParents Weekend: John U. Bacon

Director Tim McKay welcomed

the group to historic Hill.

Professors Anne Gere and

Alford A. Young remarked on

the Summer Book, Men We

Reaped (see right). The class

assembled for group book

discussion and lunch, then

joined teams for an all-campus

photo scavenger hunt

orchestrated by the Honors

RAs. The day ended with ice

cream under the tent on Ingalls

Mall.

During the summer of 2014

we had the pleasure of

working with our fifth cohort

of Honors Summer Fellows.

Drawn from disciplines

across the liberal arts, this

year’s research topics ranged

from how we avoid

distraction, the impact of

fresh water microbes on the

carbon cycle, to the role of

women in Christianizing

Viking-age Sweden, to the

genetic adaptations of high

altitude human populations

in Peru and Nepal. The HSF

program remains at the heart

of Honors support for upper

division students.

Throughout the summer, we

met regularly as a group,

both to discuss our research

projects and to learn about

research, writing, and

academic lives. Highlights

included the kickoff camping

trip (there’s nothing like two

days of intensive research

discussions in the woods),

visits with a dozen senior

faculty members, realizing

that there will never be

enough time for research

and writing, and making

‘three minute thesis’

presentations in the

university’s podcasting

studios. Now that the

summer is done, our

HSF students are deep

into thesis writing: we

can’t wait to read the

scholarship they’ll

produce by the spring.

[Tim McKay]

HSF Summer Camp. Photos by Courtney Weber

Students and families had

barely said goodbye when we

welcomed them back to

campus for Parents Weekend,

Friday September 19.

Guests gathered in Angell Hall

to hear speaker John U. Bacon*

speak on the importance of

collegiate sports. The Honors

Alum (BA History, 1986) also

encouraged students to

complete their thesis work,

sharing his personal success

with the capstone project and

its impact on his career.

Following the talk, faculty and

staff met attenders in the

Perlman Honors Commons for

light refreshments and a book

signing by Bacon.

*See Alumni Profiles

on the Honors website.

Calendar articles: Jeri Preston

Photos 3,5,6: Jacquelyn Turkovich

Honors Alumni Bookshelf

Each year, we continue to

expand our Honors Alumni

Bookshelf. We were able to

add more than a dozen new

titles to our shelves in 2014.

Our latest acquisition is a

book written by recent

alumna, Trisha

Paul (BS 2014,

English), titled

Chronicling

Childhood

Cancer: A

Collection of

Personal

Stories by

Children and Teens with

Cancer. Paul is now a medical

student at U-M Medical

School (see companion story

on page 2).

While we are glad we were

able to add so many titles this

past year, we are always

interested in adding even

more. If you are published,

we would like to know about

it, so that we can include your

book on the Honors Alumni

Bookshelf. Please contact

Jacquelyn Turkovich at

jacqzac@umich.edu with your

publication information.

[Jacquelyn Turkovich]

A letter from

the Director

As an astrophysicist, I have

spent decades trying to

comprehend scale. The Earth is

dauntingly large, the solar

system enormous, the Milky

Way colossal, and the universe

cosmic. Holding billions of

galaxies in mind while

retaining the glorious

individuality of each – right

down to its stars, planets, and

billions of human lives –

requires imaginative powers I

have struggled for decades to

develop. So far, I have failed.

But as with so many things, the

effort brings the reward. This

fall I am sharing some of the

fruits of this imaginative effort

with first year students in a

new Honors Core course called

Deep Time: The Science of

Origins. In it, we explore

several centuries of efforts to

comprehend the origins of the

Earth, life, and the universe,

stretching our minds in an

Tessa Adzemovic (BA French,

2013) has been dancing her way

through Mostar, Bosnia and

Herzegovina, teaching dance

and creative movement to

children in former war zones.

Through her organization,

Bridging Mostar Youth, children

of low-income backgrounds and

some with special needs learned

to dance across ethnic and

religious divides. In June, she

received word that a grant

would extend her work through

local leadership. Tessa is

currently back in the US,

pursuing a medical degree.

Read more about her story on

the Honors website:

lsa.umich.edu/honors/alumni/

alumni profiles. Do you have a

story? Let us know!

[Jeri Preston]

the intellectual experience of

all of our students.

At the same time, we must

attend to the unique needs

of each student, helping

them to recognize how the

scale which makes Michigan

daunting also provides a

place for everyone. The

exceptional academic

advising provided by Honors

staff makes this happen.

Honors advisors share their

decades of experience with

each student, whether

selecting their first courses,

defining a personalized

major, finding a thesis

advisor, preparing for

medical school, or applying

for a Rhodes scholarship. As

Director, I get to see first-

hand both the exceptional

effort our advisors put in and

the personal impact it has on

students.

So here is my challenge for

you. When you think about

the Honors program,

imagine the rich

complexity of a four-year

undergraduate experience

as a student. Perhaps

reflect on your own. Try to

draw forth some details:

thousands of class

meetings of dozens of

courses, clubs joined and

led, hundreds of books

read, late night

discussions about free will

and determinism. Now

take it up in scale. Imagine

all of that diverse

intellectual activity,

personal growth, and plain

fun expanded to fill the

lives of 450 others: a small

village, a little universe of

spectacular individuals

every year. Honors has

been doing this for more

than five decades. During

that time, we’ve had more

than 25,000 students

spend more than 100,000

years with us in Honors.

This is Michigan!

We do this as well as we

do because we’re a

community, a little

universe of our own, built

of current and former

students, faculty, staff, and

friends of Honors. Every

day I strive to comprehend

the whole, combining the

shape of the program

across the college with the

particulars of individual

student lives. This act of

imagination never fails to

evoke a smile.

What happens here in

Honors is remarkable; a

testament to the power of

community and

commitment. We are

continually grateful for the

role you have all played in

creating the community, and

I remain thrilled to be a part

of it.

Cheers, Tim McKay

9 8

effort to encompass the entire

13.8 billion year drama.

Imaginative work is always

generative, and these efforts to

wrap my mind around the

cosmos pay off here on

campus too. One of the

defining features of the

University of Michigan is scale.

We educate tens of thousands

of students in thousands of

courses. While the Honors

Program provides a smaller

community within the universe

that is Michigan, it is still large.

At any time, the Honors staff

works to provide personal

attention to each of our 1800

students. We are reminded of

the scale and sweep of this

task at collective events like

Honors kickoff and the

opening celebration for the

newly remodeled South Quad

dining facility. Holding

thousands of students in our

minds and providing for their

collective needs while still

attending to the glorious

individuality of each is perhaps

Michigan’s greatest challenge

as an educational institution.

My personal encounters

with Honors students

begin at summer

orientation, during which

I meet for an hour with

every group of incoming

students. This is my one

chance to talk with them

all, to hear about their

backgrounds and goals

as we try to imagine

together what the

coming four years might

bring. Through the year, I

get to know hundreds of

students in my courses.

Reading their work and

interacting with them in

discussion gives me the

chance to know them more

deeply. Over the summers, I

spend much of my time

working with the Honors

Summer Fellows. Working

with these advanced

students as they develop

their theses provides me

with my most intense

window into the lives of

Honors students.

Every student in Honors

should engage deeply with

the educational

opportunities the universe

of Michigan provides. To

make that happen, the

Honors staff must be able to

comprehend the whole,

creating an environment

where thousands can thrive.

Our new Honors Core

curriculum represents a

major effort to ensure that

the program writ large can

serve the needs of a large

and diverse student body.

The Core provides an array

of remarkable new courses

intending to knit together

WELCOME TO THE

INCOMING

CLASS OF 2018

2014 Entering Honors

students: 451

Out of state: 52% (up from

45% in 2013)

In state: 48%

Women: 58%

Men: 42%

ACT median range: 32-34

SAT median range: 1420-

1500

But numbers tell only part

of the story. We’re looking

for motivated students who

are a good fit for the

Honors Program. So we

require all students

interested in Honors to

write an essay, choosing

from among 5 prompts.

This year, 1982 students

wrote the essay to apply to

Honors, a 30% increase

from 2013. Reading

applications and essays is

an ever-growing, time- and

labor-intensive process, but

each year we are rewarded

with a gifted and dedicated

group of young people

who bring their

considerable talents to

U-M and the Honors

community.

[Gayle Green]

Professional Connections: LinkedIn®

Did you know you can

search for contacts

demographically on

LinkedIn? Go to

Members, Search,

Advanced Search, and

use the tool bar in the

left column for

Location, as well as

Industry, Company,

and more!

Holding thousands of students in our

minds and providing for their

collective needs while still attending

to the glorious individuality of each is

perhaps Michigan’s greatest

challenge as an educational

institution. —Professor McKay

Postcards Home: Alumni Profiles