Honors 2021 Annual Newsletter

HONORS COLLEGE ISSUE 8 / NEWSLETTER

HONORS COLLEGE

INSIDE FROM THE DEAN 1 FROM THE DEAN LOOKING TO THE FUTURE 2 PREVOST SCHOLARSHIP 3 STAFF UPDATES Few will have fond memories of the last year. The worst pandemic in a century 8 STUDENT SPOTLIGHTS stopped the world almost instantly. As the anxiety and uncertainty of those first few 10 TORCH INTERNSHIP months gave way to the long, wearying grind of living through a pandemic, the 11 HONORS EVENTS Honors College showed resilience and even triumph. Perhaps we should steal from 14 COURSE SPOTLIGHTS Dickens and say that last year was both the worst of times and the best of times. 16 WEEK OF WELCOME First, the worst: so many things were canceled so suddenly last spring. The Graduate 20 HONORS AMBASSADOR Q&A Dinner, Medallion Ceremony, and Commencement, all were gone in a flash. Our 21 EVENT SPOTLIGHT first study abroad trip to Germany canceled and classes suddenly switched to 22 AWARDS & GRADUATION remote; the office locked up; students sent home. Capstones completed remotely. It saddened me not to see the graduating seniors earn the accolades that they worked so hard for. I was deeply affected by their loss. But the best appeared fairly quickly. Not only did last year’s seniors complete their Capstones under extreme circumstances, but they also submitted some of the most advanced and developed work the College has seen. As we moved through summer, planning Week of Welcome events that were COVID-safe required multiple versions of events and Ocean’s Eleven levels of planning (a little bit more of the “worst”). Yet the years of building community and establishing traditions in Honors would pay off. Running large-scale COVID-safe events takes lots of staffing, and the Honors Mentors stepped up to the plate. Honors freshmen may have had distanced, elongated versions of traditional events, but they were the only students on campus to have any in-person welcome events. The Honors community made a true welcome possible, and our commitment to building community in the classroom helped as well, as Honors Freshmen had the common text and their shared experiences in HON 101 and EH 105 to bond over. More sadness: in May we also had to say farewell to Beth Wilson. After many years of excellent service, she left Honors to spend time with her family. Unfortunately, we never got to have a proper farewell party; she went home when the office closed in March and was never able to return due to COVID-19. But Honors marches on. Later in the summer, we were happy to welcome Nicole Hughes, formerly the Study Abroad Coordinator, into the Honors Advisor position. Nicole has really taken hold of the position and given it new energy and style. More of the best: even with the pandemic, we’re moving in new directions. For the first time, UAH has a Fellowship Advising office, housed in Honors. Jennifer Staton, a UAH graduate with years of private sector experience, was happy to return and begin the long process of recruiting and advising students on earning prestigious national scholarships. The College also secured its first major gift: The Stanley E. Prevost Honors Scholarship. Mr. Prevost endowed the scholarship to create an “Honors within Honors” program, where students who earn the scholarship fulfill a more rigorous Honors Curriculum with the possibility of a year of graduate funding upon completion. Nobody will look back on 2020 fondly, but the Honors College can say it did far more than survive: somehow, we managed to build upon our strengths and set out in new directions. As the world emerges from the pandemic, we feel proud of our ability to weather the crisis and look forward to growing and expanding our programs. Dr. William Wilkerson 1 Dean, Honors College

HONORS COLLEGE our Honors College apart from all others. To my INTRODUCES knowledge, there is no other “Honors within PREVOST SCHOLAR Honors” program that includes both a scholarship PROGRAM and a link to graduate education. We can never express all of our gratitude for this gift, which will Article by: Dr. Wilkerson, Honors Dean eventually fund an entire cadre of Prevost Scholars. The program is intended to target top STEM I am pleased to announce a major gift from Stanley students within the Honors College, following E. Prevost to the Honors College. On January 20, the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) broad 2021, Mr. Prevost presented us with a $100,000 gift definition of STEM fields. These students will to fund the Stanley E. Prevost Honors Scholarship. have the opportunity to apply in their second year This is the first of several gifts that we hope will and must submit a plan of study, a thesis field, eventually total $1 million. Mr. Prevost is a co- a potential graduate/career path and an essay founder of Phase IV Systems Inc., in Huntsville as part of the application process. In addition, where he also served as Vice President until its students must have accrued at least 18 Honors sale. He is a longtime benefactor to UAH and to hours by the beginning of the third year and a the Honors College. minimum 3.75 GPA to be considered. Applications It was a pleasure to develop this program with Mr. are reviewed by the Executive Council of the Prevost. Stan and I share a vision of a rigorous, Honors Council. well-rounded, research-grounded education. The scholarship will be an incentive to Honors The Prevost scholarship will function as a kind of students to apply for and to stay in the Program. “Honors within Honors” program by requiring Prevost Scholar awards will be given in addition more Honors hours and a more demanding to any scholarships students already receive; capstone thesis. Students who complete these therefore, this honor will not replace student requirements are eligible to carry the scholarship scholarship amounts already established. forward for one year of graduate study at UAH. We are looking forward to our first class of Prevost This is a unique and singular program that sets Scholars next fall, and we are especially excited to introduce them to their benefactor, Stan Prevost. Stanley E. Prevost and Linda Wallace present UAH Honors College with a gift to fund the Prevost Scholar Program. From L-R are UAH Provost Christine Curtis, UAH President Darren Dawson, Vice President for University Advancement/Executive Director of UAH Foundation Mallie Hale, Honors College Dean Dr. William Wilkerson, Linda Wallace, Stanley E. Prevost, Trevor Garnett, Tiffany Dinh and Anjan Naranaswamy. 2

HONORS COLLEGE WELCOMES | Nicole Hughes If you’ve been to the Honors lobby this year, chances are you have seen a new, yet familiar, face: Nicole Hughes, formerly the Director of Study Abroad, is now our new Honors Advisor. In this role, Nicole provides academic advising for all Honors students on course selection, registration, career goals, class concerns, future schedules, and more. On top of managing the application and review processes for the Honors Study Abroad Grant for Airfare (SAGA), Nicole also oversees Peer Advisors, Honors Ambassadors, the Mentor Program, and Honors Tutors. As a first-generation college student, Nicole experienced firsthand the impact of a dedicated academic advisor and strong mentorship in academia. “Without encouragement, I may not have been exposed to such a diverse array of thoughts, perspectives, and possibilities that came from timely mentorship, challenging academic work, and study abroad opportunities,” said Nicole. “Recognizing the importance of advisors in my own life, I’ve always embraced the opportunity to step into this role for students as they prepare for a rapidly changing world. As an Honors Academic Advisor, I try to deepen this impact by supporting students in finding a path that is specialized to their goals while building awareness of all opportunities.” Having worked in Education Abroad for almost five years before joining the Honors College, Nicole also studied abroad herself for one semester as an undergraduate at the University of Granada, Spain. After graduation, she returned to Spain with the North American Language and Culture Assistants Program, hosted by the Ministry of Education in Spain, teaching in a high school for an academic year. As Honors Advisor, Nicole is able to combine her passions for student advising and study abroad that greatly benefits Honors students.

MEET THE NEW Peer Advising is one of the many useful services the Honors College provides students: you are able to talk to someone about your Honors course selection, planning, and guidance, but with a student rather than an advisor. The Honors College welcomed three new Peer Advisors this year: Cameron Persky, Ben Hornyak, and Eli Brothers! Cameron is a Microbiology major with minors in Chemistry and Health & Nutrition, and she provides peer advising for all majors within the College of Science. Eli is the Honors College’s Engineering Peer Advisor, who is majoring in Electrical Engineering with a minor in Mathematics. Ben, a Digital 4

PEER ADVISORS Animation major, arguably covers the most ground in terms of advising, as he can provide guidance for majors within the Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (AHSS), Business, Education, and Nursing colleges. Peer Advisors can gauge your progress toward obtaining your Honors diploma and certificate from a personal standpoint. They are fellow Honors students who have been through it all before and can provide first-hand advice on certain subjects. Make an appointment with the Peer Advisors to discuss your Honors courses! 5

The Honors College is pleased HONORS ESTABLISHES to introduce its new Fellowship NEW FELLOWSHIP AND and Graduate School advising GRADUATE SCHOOL program, available to all UAH ADVISING OFFICE students. Fellowship Advisor Jennifer Staton advises students toward the fellowship that suits Throughout her career, which interested in applying to graduate individual needs and interests. involved living in the U.K. to get a school, graduate fellowships, Master’s degree at the University and undergraduate scholarships. As a UAH History major, Jennifer of Leeds and spending nearly Through one-on-one advising applied for a Fulbright English a decade in the defense and sessions, students are equipped Teaching Assistantship in her aerospace industries, Jennifer with the tools necessary to identify senior year. She credits the remembered how helpful it the perfect graduate program or mentorship of Dr. David Johnson, was to have that guidance and fellowship, manage application Director of Global Studies and mentorship as an undergraduate deadlines, and write competitive Associate Professor of German, student who wanted to live application essays. for even knowing about this abroad after graduation. Now, as opportunity in the first place--let Fellowship Advisor, she can to do “We want to develop UAH alone preparing for the application the very same for Honors students. and the Honors College into and campus interview. At the a destination for students who time, there was no central point Reading The Mitten to Class 2a at desire prestigious graduate of contact for fellowships or Grundschule Klein Hehlen degrees, research-oriented scholarships at UAH. careers, or international education at the post-graduate level,” said For the Fulbright, Jennifer Dr. Wilkerson, Honors Dean. “We spent a year in Celle, Germany have some of the best students as a teaching assistant at the in the state and even the region, Grundschule Klein Hehlen, which but we’ve struggled to get them proved to be a life-changing the national recognition that they experience. “It was simultaneously deserve, because these awards the most fulfilling and frightening require so much careful planning step I had taken up to that point and guidance. This office and in my life,” Jennifer recalled. “I Jennifer’s work are essential for think back on certain events, like reaching this goal.” reading Where the Wild Things Are to my 2a class or creating first No matter the major, there is a grade activities for The Snowy fellowship for every student, and Day, and I’m still amazed that I did Jennifer’s job is to help match all of that.” professional, research, or personal interests with the right fellowship or graduate program for you. Whether students want to study or teach abroad, conduct graduate- level research, or participate in undergraduate internships, fellowship advising will point them 6

JENNIFER STATON Fellowship Advisor 7

CAPSTONE STUDENT SPOTLIGHT: HARLEIGH BASS Article by: Harleigh Bass Hi! My name is Harleigh. I’m a senior Digital Animation major with two minors in Game Design & Development and a Computer Languages & Systems. For my Capstone project, I’m working with several students as part of UAH’s new INCLUDE program, which is an interdisciplinary undergraduate experience that brings students from all over the university together to answer Grand Challenges that may affect our future and help prepare society for new opportunities. I’m using my teammates’ research to create a Virtual Reality (VR) program depicting an Earth-based spaceport that could exist in the next 30 years. This visualization conceptualizes the look and feel of an Earth-based spaceport that could train commercial space travelers and simulate experiences to engage society’s interest in a future space ecosystem. I’m introducing the spaceport’s featured amenities to support a mixed-commercial and mixed-government customer base, along with hands-on activities inspired by NASA missions. In Fall 2020, I began my Capstone learning the game engine Unreal Engine 4 and about space in general from my teammates, who all range from Psychology, to Philosophy, and to Industrial & Systems Engineering majors! This semester, I’m working with another amazing animation student named Elizabeth Berhow, who is a 3D artist working on environment creation and visual development. I’m a technical artist: while I am creating some 3D assets, I’m in charge of the programming, special effects, and overall functionality of the program so it knows how to respond to the user in VR. This is the pilot year for the INCLUDE program, sponsored by Dr. Bryan Mesmer in ISEEM. It was challenging at first working with a new art medium and not knowing as much about space as my tech-based team members, but with our Project Manager Anna Shipman leading us, no one felt out of place for long. From putting trust in my team on a challenging subject, to networking with real industry mentors, INCLUDE has easily been my most enriching project. I have a few people to thank for getting me here. To Dr. Hamsa Mahafza in Education and Dr. William MacKenzie in Business, who both got me to create my first VR program. And most importantly, to my Capstone mentor and dedicated professor Vinny Argentina in the Arts department, who is always there believing in my abilities and keeping my head on straight. Here’s to blowing expectations out of the water, so more students can join the INCLUDE program next year! Concept art of the VR Spaceport’s Hub by Elizabeth Berhow. 8

SAGA STUDENT SPOTLIGHT: JACOB DE LEON Article by: Jacob De Leon but if there’s any advice to be found here, I would summarize it as this: where there’s an opportunity, My name is Jacob De Leon, and I’m a senior in take it. It may not be quite what you expect, but the Aerospace Engineering. In my junior year, I had best things never are; it may take a bit of effort to the opportunity to study at the City University make everything work, but all the best things do. of Applied Sciences in Bremen, Germany (aka Hochschule Bremen or HSB for short) via a 9 partnership program between UAH and HSB. I originally heard about the exchange program because I attended meetings required for MAE 200 credit. Though I was interested, I wasn’t fully convinced to go until I attended a SAGA informational meeting, where I met a bunch of other Honors students who had traveled abroad and shared their advice and experiences. Their encouragement, plus the good fortune of getting the SAGA airfare grant, helped me decide to go. There were some hardships, though. The courses offered by HSB were part of the Master’s Studies program, which led to some complications as an undergraduate student. (Big thanks to Ms. Hughes and Frau Conrad-Juhls for helping me navigate that.) I also wasn’t prepared for a pandemic to cut my time abroad short. Despite this, there were still many positives. In the Spring, I interned at ExxpertSystems, a small contracting company for Airbus, where I worked with hydraulic and high-lift systems. The people there were amazing beyond words. Even when the pandemic hit, Airbus closed down, and the company was considering furloughing employees, my manager worked with me and the CEO to make sure that my internship still met UAH’s OCS internship requirements. And, of course, I enjoyed traveling whenever I could. I had the opportunity to eat hamburgers in Hamburg and Berliners in Berlin (the foods, not the people), though the most memorable times were the more spontaneous ones, such as day trips to the Freimarkt in Oldenburg, the Weihnachtsmarkt in Osnabrück, and the Burgmannentage in Vechta. In the end, I’m glad I went. It may have just been random chance that I heard about this program,

TORCH TECHNOLOGIES SEEKS HONORS STUDENTS FOR INTERNSHIPS Article by: Dr. Wilkerson, Honors Dean The Honors College has reached an agreement with Torch Technologies and the UAH Rotorcraft Systems Engineering and Simulations Center (RSESC). According to the agreement, qualified Honors students receive priority notification of internships at Torch. While being an Honors student may not guarantee someone an internship at Torch, it is certainly nice to know that local firms like Torch are coming to our Honors College to find top recruits. Positions at Torch range from electrical and computer engineering, to data analysis and business strategies, and even grant and contract writing. Torch Technologies is a mid-sized, locally-based, employee-owned high-tech research firm. Recently named a top 100 defense company, they are excellent corporate citizens and have a strong community and culture. They have donated to other areas of UAH and invested quite a bit of time in getting to know the Honors College. When the pandemic lifts, we will almost certainly be partnering with them to support research fairs and other events on campus. We are happy with the immediate opportunities this agreement provides our Honors students, but we also hope to form more partnerships like this with other research firms in the Huntsville area. 10

HONORS EVENTS TOWER BUILDING CHALLENGE Saturday, September 18, 2020 Students teamed up to build towers from dried pasta noodles in this second installment of Saturday Showdowns. POPSICLE CHALLENGE Saturday, September 12, 2020 In the first challenge of September Showdown, students competed by building a bridge out of popsicle sticks. “Even with COVID-19, the Honors EGG DROP Saturday, September College was able to host amazing 26, 2020 events. Some of my favorites In the last September include Morton Takeover, Fall Blitz, Showdown, students Make a Skate, Adopt a Rock, and created their own the Thanksgiving Event. Hosting egg-protecting kits huge events safely was difficult to protect an egg in because we needed to make distress. sure that students can socially distance and occasionally needed to restrict attendance. I have found that Honors freshmen were really enjoying any activity that involved painting or using your hands to build something. For example, some of our most popular events included making a longboard, painting a rock, painting canvases, or tie-dyeing masks. I enjoyed painting rocks in Adopt a Rock the most because it was a low-stress project that can turn out really well. - Trevor Garnett Community Leader 11

ADOPT A ROCK FALL BLITZ Friday, February 19, 2021 Friday, October 23, 2020 Students created rock Honors let loose with a friends during the fall day of outdoor fun, popular Adopt a Rock which consisted of tie-dye, event at the Franz MPR inflatables, a water balloon war, and sports. HONORS EVENTS MORTON TAKEOVER 3 Saturday, November 14, 2020 Honors students competed in Esports tournaments for League of Legends, Rocket League, and Smash Brothers Ultimate in Morton Hall 12

CHILL WITH THE CLS Saturday, February 27, 2021 Students had the chance to relax with the Community Leaders playing Smash Brothers, Scrabble, Blackjack, and coloring. HSC BLOOD DRIVE Friday, February 26, 2021 The Honors Service Corp donated blood for LifeSouth. EGG HUNT Friday, March 23, 2021 Honors students got a visit from the Easter Bunny! Lucky individuals found golden eggs in the dorm halls. 13

HON 301: Reacting to the Past Honors seminars are usually popular courses, but had before,” recalled Dr. Sears. “Several had seen Dr. Christine Sears’s HON 301: Reacting to the Past Loyalists as the ‘bad guys,’ but learned that Loyalists (RTTP) filled up almost immediately on the first day wanted what was best for their country (England), just of registration. And it’s easy to see why: this seven- as Patriots did. So, seeing other points of view is a big week, one-credit Honors course utilized the enhanced part of the game.” learning benefits of a standard RTTP format, with the added COVID-19 twist of remote learning. Honors student Lydia Stehle agrees. “There was plenty of discourse between the opposing sides, and Dr. Sears’s RTTP was set in 1775-76 New York and as a ‘Moderate’ character, it was fun to see which focused on teaching about that time period through side was more persuasive and passionate about their practicing public speaking, persuasion, use of beliefs,” Lydia said. “I think my favorite part of the evidence, and collaboration. Students worked to class, though, was how into their characters people “win” the vote whether to support reconciliation got; everyone was true to their character sheet, and with England or push for independence. Students acted as someone would have in the 1770s.” assumed roles of New Yorkers of Mobs in that time period as particular Loyalists, Patriots, stood out moderates, to Honors working men freshman and women, or Andrew enslaved people, Baumgardner: all of whom had “I was their own agendas. mobbed and threatened of Essentially, being tarred and feathered students “ran” lest I vote against my the class. They morals. The situation felt surprisingly real elected a Speaker and I actually felt somewhat afraid.” who maintains Teaching an online RTTP had its own set of challenges, though remote instruction actually ended the Provincial up being beneficial. Dr. Sears noticed that an online RTTP alleviated some students’ speaking anxiety, Congress of New especially given that they had to present speeches over the course of the semester that advanced their York, which was the class’s characters’ goal or agenda. She went on to credit her amazing students for making this unique course setting throughout the course. Additionally, students so successful. read primary sources from the period, such as works by John Locke and Thomas Jefferson, to add historical context of the period’s political arguments and describe actual events guiding the founding of the United States. “Many students reported that they learned far more about Loyalists and their concerns than they 14

TTheAPoRweAr of TWransEforSmaTtioOn inVER’S EDUCATED Every year, incoming freshmen are required to take her classmates had been aware of since birth, she EH 105, an introductory English course that centers didn’t let the shame of her ignorance prevent her on a common text. This year, freshmen evaluated intellectual growth. While [Tara’s and my] journeys to Tara Westover’s memoir Educated, an account of education were different, we both had to accept our the author’s experience growing up in a survivalist own ignorance in order to move beyond what we Mormon family in Idaho and putting herself through didn’t understand,” said Rose. higher education. “I really enjoyed reading about how education had the power to transform Westover into someone Educated earned a place on several 2018 “Best Of” capable of achieving her goals,” Robin recalled. “In lists due to Westover’s gripping storytelling of her her story, Tara Westover demonstrated that a person’s childhood: stockpiling canned peaches, packing background does not have to limit what they can a “head-for-the-hills” bag in anticipation of an achieve in life. [...] Westover’s story shows us how impending government invasion, and self-treating education has the power to transform anyone who injuries at home because of her father’s refusal to go seeks it.” to hospitals. But it is Westover’s complicated journey through higher education that becomes at fault with “ In her story, Tara Westover her family’s beliefs, and the dichotomy between her family’s survivalist lifestyle and Westover’s education demonstrated that a person’s becomes a prevailing theme in the book. background does not have to limit what they can achieve in life. [...] EH 105 traditionally tackles the common text’s Westover’s story shows us how themes through teaching basic critical analysis skills to incoming freshmen. Because everyone ”education has the power to reads the same book, the course opens doors to different perspectives and experiences. For transform anyone who seeks it. instance, Biochemistry major Robin Russo recalled that the most memorable EH 105 discussion about 15 Educated fittingly centered around memory itself. “Dr. Wilkerson was my EH 105 instructor, and something that I really enjoyed...was that he brought in a lot of outside sources and material to help better understand the text,” said Robin. “Many of the outside sources...were philosophers who could better explain an abstract concept that we were studying in class that week, such as memory. [...] [A]fter we analyzed Westover’s memory throughout the story, we looked to philosophers to gain a better understanding of what memory actually is, and that discussion has changed how I think about memory.” Westover’s educational transformation proved to be one of the most prevalent themes that impressed students. Civil Engineering freshman Rose O’Leary related to Westover’s journey through higher education: “Although [Tara] was ignorant to common world events that

2020: A DIFFERENT HONORS WEEK OF WELCOME Community Leader Tiffany Dinh recounts a very different type of Week of Welcome for 2020. Community Leaders Tiffany Dinh, Randy Brenner, Anders Kinney, and Trevor Garnett look for Honors freshmen in trees during WoW. 16

Week of Welcome (WoW) is arguably the most important event run by the Honors College all year. For Honors students, it is their first step into truly immersing themselves into the Honors community; I can cite my first WoW to helping me find my place at UAH. WoW leaves a large impact on freshmen. It is a week where they build the foundations of their next four years at UAH: learning about Honors, making friends, and really seeing what it means to be UAH Charger! As a Community Leader (CL), it is my duty to help cultivate the next generation of Honors Chargers and carry on the torch of facilitating meaningful experiences for these students. When given this role, I never expected I would have to do it all during a pandemic. Traditionally, the Honors College has a set plan for our WoW, but COVID-19 flipped the script. Every event had to be reexamined to ensure the safety of our students. As safety guidelines and discoveries changed, so did our WoW plans. While there was more distance, masks, and Zoom calls, I would say this WoW was just like any other. Remote and in-person students still had the WoW experience: all Honors traditional events were hosted and more! As usual, freshmen loved the Honors Service Corps Painting event, a time where students get to decorate canvases that will adorn the hallways of the Honors building for that year. But, I think the most popular and biggest event was the “Distance,” or Dinner, with the Dean. Besides being the kickoff of the Honors WoW, it really is the first time freshmen get to interact with the Honors College community from their peers, Honors Mentors, Honors Ambassadors, to our Honors Dean, Dr. Wilkerson. Despite having to constantly revisit our plans and reschedule our events, this WoW was a blast! 17

DISTANCE WITH THE DEAN Thursday, August 13, 2020 Through some creative social distancing maneuvers (color-coded small groups, masks, and pool noodles!), this year’s “Distance” with the Dean was a resounding success. HONORS SERVICE CORPS CANVAS PAINTING Saturday, August 15, 2020 Freshmen let their inner da Vinci shine through the Honors Service Corps’ Canvas Painting event. 18

GREAT EXPEDITION Monday, August 17, 2020 Caption: You’d never tell this was a mandatory event through the many fun outdoor events that students attended! WOWGeneral Photos 19

Q&A WITH HONORS AMBASSADOR JOSHUA HUGGINS Every newsletter, we like to highlight an Honors Joshua Huggins, Honors Ambassador Ambassador. This year, we talked with Joshua Huggins, a junior majoring in Earth Systems communicate with students and ensure prospective Science (with Atmospheric Science and students get the same experience in an online Meteorology concentrations), about what it’s environment. We have tried to get together been like being an Ambassador during a very socially-distanced when we can to show our different year. Originally from Charleston, SC, support for each other and get out of the house! Josh is a third-year Honors Ambassador and a Being an Honors Ambassador is being a part of a second-year Honors Mentor. Josh is currently family. A family leaves no one behind. the lead Ambassador, and he also recently won Q: What is your advice for students interested in Ambassador of the Year. learning more about Honors Ambassadors? Q: What are your main duties as Honors A: If you are interested in becoming an Honors Ambassador? What do you see as your most Ambassador, we hold an information session important role? each year in late September/early October that A: As an Honors Ambassador, it is our job to assist goes into more detail about who we are and what in student recruitment and outreach for the Honors we do. Being an Honors Ambassador is a full College. We help out on Preview and Discovery calendar year experience, so we only bring on new Days to answer any questions from prospective Ambassadors in the Fall Semester. students and families, and we also email admitted Honors students to provide additional information from a student’s perspective. Our most important role is being the face of Honors recruitment, as our stories as current students are extremely important and valuable to prospective students. Q: What is your favorite thing about being an Honors Ambassador? A: I take a lot of pride in being able to provide my experience in Honors as a foundation for new students to help get them excited about the opportunities to come. I love the camaraderie that I have built with my other ambassadors and the relationship I have built with the Honors staff. Q: What kinds of challenges have been presented to you (both as a student and as Ambassador) this year during the pandemic? A: COVID-19 has really changed the plan of attack for being an Ambassador as our normal “appearances” at Preview Days could not happen. We have expanded our options on how to better 20

THANKSGIVINGEVENT SPOTLIGHT: Although 2020 saw a lot of changes for the Fall semester, Honors made a significant effort to make sure students were a part of the community. Thanks to sponsorship of Honors Faculty Fellow David Chan, we hosted a Thanksgiving Feast Friday, November 13 at Morton Hall. Students celebrated an early Thanksgiving before the holiday break with boxed lunches, outdoor games, and general camaraderie. Students were invited to list what they were thankful for, play oversized Jenga and Connect Four outside, and just be able to socialize with one another on a socially-distanced sunny afternoon. Being able to host events such as the Thanksgiving Feast in a safe manner became increasingly important as the COVID-19 health precautions restricted the extent of on-campus social gatherings. The Honors College took these precautions seriously and managed to host an event that brought together the Honors community, despite these unprecedented times. Friday, November 13, 2020 Students enjoyed a boxed lunch, oversized Jenga and Connect Four, and general cheer on a sunny fall day for the Honors Thanksgiving Feast. 21

AWARDS AND ACCOLADES: Celebrating Our Students on Honors Day In spite of an unconventional academic year, our Honors students went above and beyond. Congratulations to all of our student awardees! HONORS COLLEGE STUDENT AWARDS Highest Academic Achievement Vasudhasri Devarasetty (Fall 2020) Anna Rodgers (Spring 2021) Dean’s Award for Outstanding Service Allana Schafer Honors Junior Service Award Jack Brockman Honors Ambassador of the Year Joshua Huggins Honors Mentors of the Year Grace Kimbro Hailey Palacios Outstanding Service to Honors Housing AshLee Christenson Jason Kuhn EXTERNAL AWARDS Matthew Isakowitz Fellowship Johns Hopkins University Alay Shah Applied Physics Laboratory Summer Internship DAAD RISE Summer Internship Alencia Hall Thomas Nguyen NOAA Hollings Scholarship Barry Goldwater Scholarship Emily Wisinski Declan Brick HudsonAlpha BioTrain Summer Gilman Scholarship Internship C. Meyer Gulledge Alexa Nolan DoD SMART Scholarship National Science Foundation Savannah Baron Research Experience for Alencia Hall Undergraduates (NSF REU) Brooklyn Kelly Robert Schickling Wesley Hong 22

AWARDS AND ACCOLADES: Celebrating Our Students on Honors Day cont. FALL DIPLOMAS Adam McFry Jordan Berhow College of Science College of Engineering Mitchell Belomy Thesis Title: “The Domino Effect” Thesis Title: “Balloon Burst Model College of Arts, Humanities, & Advisor: Ms. Beth Allen for Titan Rover Deployment Social Sciences Mission” Thesis Title: “Examining the Dust FALL CERTIFICATES Advisor: Dr. Matthew Turner Bowl as a Failure of American Agriculture” Jennifer Nix Jared Boggs Advisor: Dr. Stephen Waring College of Science College of Engineering Thesis Title: “Evaluation of Thesis Title: “A Framework for Laura Bowman NMR Methodologies CPMG Detection and Classification College of Nursing and NOESY for Metabolomic of Rogue RF Emissions using Thesis Title: “What I Wish I Had Application” Software Defined Radio” Known: A Qualitative Study Advisor: Dr. Sharifa Love-Rutledge Advisor: Dr. Earl Wells Exploring Concerns and Needs of NICU Parents During the Transition SPRING DIPLOMAS Joseph Bonucchi Home” College of Science Advisor: Dr. Darlene Showalter John Michael Baggett Thesis Title: “Why Fewer College of Engineering Tornadoes Occurred in 2020” Elizabeth Croft Thesis Title: “NASA Challenge Advisor: Dr. John Mecikalski College of Arts, Humanities, & Moon-Buggy Frame Comparison” Social Sciences Advisor: Mr. David Fikes Samuel Bowling Thesis Title: “‘Hello. We are here. College of Science Listen.’: Marginalized Memories Shelby Bagwell Thesis Title: “Detecting WHIM and Silenced Stories in Literature College of Science Filaments Via Quasar Backlights” of the U.S. South” Thesis Title: “The Evolution of Advisor: Dr. Massimiliano Advisor: Dr. Joe Conway NASA’s ER-2 and Its Instruments” Bonamente Advisor: Dr. Stephanie Wingo Vasudharsi Devarasetty Amanda Brannen College of Science Kylie Bain College of Science Thesis Title: “Developing Bacillus College of Nursing Thesis Title: “Language Immersion subtilis for producing post- Thesis Title: “Medication Simulator” translationally modified protein- Adherence in Outpatient Advisor: Mr. Nicholas Diliberti based therapeutics” Pharmacies” Advisor: Dr. Tatyana Sysoeva Advisor: Dr. Rebecca Davis Jonathan Bryan College of Engineering LeAnn Guess Kerri Ballance Thesis Title: “TAM 5 Model College of Nursing College of Arts, Humanities, & Construction in Plane Maker and Thesis Title: “Medication Crushing Social Sciences Record Flight in X-Plane 10” and Indoor Air Pollution” Thesis Title: “A Siren, a Advisor: Dr. Brian Landrum Advisor: Dr. Azita Amiri Shapeshifter and a Serial Killer Walk Into a Bar” Matthew Buker Josiah Lane Advisor: Dr. Alanna Frost College of Engineering College of Science Thesis Title: “A Framework for Thesis Title: “My Genetic Code Detection and Classification and What It Says About Me” of Rogue RF Emissions using Advisor: Dr. Judy Cooper Software Defined Radio” Advisor: Dr. Earl Wells 23

Rebecca Campbell Jonathan Drake C. Meyer Gulledge College of Arts, Humanities, & College of Engineering College of Engineering Social Sciences Thesis Title: “Rocket Flight Thesis Title: “Toppings Refinery Thesis Title: “Thinking Makes It So” Simulation with Monte Carlo Retrofit” Advisor: Ms. Anna Weber Uncertainty Analysis” Advisor: Mr. Ralph Quigley Tien Chau Advisor: Dr. David Lineberry College of Engineering Japheth Hayman Thesis Title: “Protein Diffusion Susan Duron College of Engineering Profiles Studied for Collagen- College of Engineering Thesis Title: “Feedstock Alginate Composite Hydrogels” Thesis Title: “NASA Moonbuggy Processing for Extraterrestrial Advisor: Dr. Kyung-Ho Roh Competition: Rider’s Workout Metal Additive Manufacturing” Darrel Chew Reference Guide” Advisor: Dr. Judy Schneider College of Engineering Advisor: Mr. David Fikes Thesis Title: “Modeling the Austin Higginbotham Dynamics of a Spiky Anisotropic Matthew Fletcher College of Business Particle Over a Surface” College of Science Thesis Title: “The Curious Case Advisor: Dr. Isaac Torres Diaz Thesis Title: “Artificial Neural of Firm Performance: Why Do Joshua Conway Network Based Approach for Companies Reverse the Year College of Engineering Malware Detection” Order of their Graphs in Annual Thesis Title: “Cubesat Reaction Advisor: Dr. Tathagata Mukherjee Reports?” Wheel Simulation” Advisor: Dr. Wei-Cheng Shen Advisor: Dr. Matthew Turner Brenna Flynn Rosemary Cortelli College of Engineering Clara Hochmuth College of Arts, Humanities, & Thesis Title: “2020-21 AICHE College of Science Social Sciences Student Design Competition: Thesis Title: “Case Study of the 12 College of Engineering Naphtha Processing” April 2020 Tornado Outbreak over Thesis Title: “Spaceport Human Advisor: Mr. Ralph Quigley the Southeastern U.S.” Factors: Integrating Psychological Advisor: Dr. Kevin Knupp and Systems Engineering Maxwell Fox Principles in Spaceport Concepts” College of Science Sara Kaparos Advisor: Dr. Bryan Mesmer Thesis Title: “A Mosquito College of Arts, Humanities, & Matthew Cox Population Model with Four Social Sciences College of Engineering Positive Equilibrium Points And Thesis Title: “The Tales of the Thesis Title: “Investigation of Sterile Insect Release” Bard” Dusting Hole Film Cooling on a Advisor: Dr. Shangbing Ai Advisor: Ms. Anna Weber Transonic Turbine Blade Tip with a Squealer” James Frame Jacob Kicheloe Advisor: Dr. Phillip Ligrani College of Engineering College of Engineering Austin Davis Thesis Title: “Autonomous Mortar Thesis Title: “CubeSat Reaction College of Engineering Remote Control Center” Wheel Simulation” Thesis Title: “Comparing Noise Advisor: Dr. Earl Wells Advisor: Dr. Matthew Turner Mechanisms & Entropy in Tent- map Circuits” Seth Graham Jacob Klingbeil Advisor: Dr. Aubrey Beal College of Engineering College of Engineering Thesis Title: “A Framework for Thesis Title: “Electric Vehicle 24 Detection and Classification Health Monitoring System” of Rogue RF Emissions using Advisor: Mr. Dennis Hite Software Defined Radio” Advisor: Dr. Earl Wells Travis Korby College of Arts, Humanities, & Social Sciences Thesis Title: “Changing Perception of Queer Theatre” Advisor: Dr. Chad Thomas

Jonathan Kovarna Sydney Norris Nicholas Schragal College of Business College of Science College of Science Thesis Title: “A Comparison of Thesis Title: “Searching for Thesis Title: “Hunting for Isolated Corporate Practices in Compliance Isolated Warm Gas Clouds in the Warm Gas Clouds in the Virgo Before and After Sarbanes-Oxley” Virgo Cluster of Galaxies” Cluster of Galaxies” Advisor: Mr. Tobias Mendelson Advisor: Dr. Ming Sun Advisor: Dr. Ming Sun Phillip Lane Nathan Olson Austen Seidler College of Arts, Humanities, & College of Business College of Science Social Sciences Thesis Title: “The Effect of Thesis Title: “Automated Code College of Science Minimum Wage Increases on Testing” Thesis Title: “Epistemic Blindspots Poverty in the United States” Advisor: Mr. Kevin Preston and Gödel’s First Incompleteness Advisor: Dr. David Allen Theorem” Owen Seidler Advisor: Dr. Andrew Cling Blaise Phillips College of Science College of Engineering Thesis Title: “Novel Gamification Andrew Lisy Thesis Title: “UAV Cross Atlantic of Coding Education” College of Science Flight Handbook” Advisor: Mr. Nicholas Diliberti Thesis Title: “The Art of Figure Advisor: Dr. Brian Landrum Drawing” Peter Sizemore Advisor: Ms. Kathryn Jill Johnson Tori Phillips College of Engineering College of Engineering Thesis Title: “Personal PCR: Saul Lopez Thesis Title: “Using Liquid Spectroscopy” College of Science Chromatography Mass Advisor: Dr. Aubrey Beal Thesis Title: “Team Makeup Spectrometry to Study Changes and Its Contribution to Different in Metabolomic Cycles Related to Christopher Smith Types of Deliverables within the Diabetes” College of Engineering Computer Science Field” Advisor: Dr. Bernhard Vogler College of Arts, Humanities, & Advisor: Dr. Harry Delugach Social Sciences Anna Rodgers Thesis Title: “Trade Study Design Dawson Loveless College of Arts, Humanities, & Optimization for *REDACTED* College of Science Social Sciences Advisor: Dr. Christina Carmen Thesis Title: “Analyzing Chandra College of Education X-ray Observations of the Infalling Thesis Title: “Fostering Culture Madison Smith Galaxy Group NGC 4839 in the and Language Visibility by College of Engineering Nearby Coma Cluster” Integrating Multicultural Literature Thesis Title: “Morality in an Advisor: Dr. Stephen Walker in the Classroom: A Case Study” Apocalypse: A Character Analysis Advisor: Dr. Hamsa Mahafza using Kant and Maslow” Sam Lukins Advisor: Dr. Gaines Hubbell College of Science Allana Schafer Thesis Title: “Automated Code College of Engineering Jacob Smith Testing” Thesis Title: “Organic Synthesis College of Science Advisor: Mr. Kevin Preston and Characterization of Poly(L- College of Arts, Humanities, & glutamine) Social Sciences Christopher Nguyen Advisor: Dr. Carmen Scholz Thesis Title: “Plasmonic Heat College of Engineering Generation in Arrays of Au Thesis Title: “A Framework for Robert Schickling Nanoantennas Using Quantum Detection and Classification College of Engineering Dots as Markers” of Rogue RF Emissions using Thesis Title: “Composite Lattice Advisor: Dr. Seyed Sadeghi Software Defined Radio” Structures for Application in Advisor: Dr. Earl Wells Aircraft Components” Advisor: Dr. Brian Landrum 25

Hannah Smitherman Luke Worley College of Arts, Humanities, & College of Science Social Sciences Thesis Title: “A Review of Artificial Thesis Title: “Factors Influencing Intelligence in the Medical Field” Trust in Automation” Advisor: Dr. Nathan Tenhundfeld Advisor: Dr. Nathan Tenhundfeld SPRING CERTIFICATES Frederich Stine College of Engineering Andrew Guillory Thesis Title: “Development and College of Science Evaluation of an FPGA-based Thesis Title: “Identification and Proof of Work Miner for Power Analysis of Massive Galaxies with Efficiency, Performance, and Cost” High Star Formation Rate” Advisor: Dr. Earl Wells Advisor: Dr. Ming Sun Elizabeth Thomas Jason Kuhn College of Arts, Humanities, & College of Engineering Social Sciences Thesis Title: “Viewing Cross Thesis Title: “What’s So Special Cultural Approaches to Climate About Fanfiction?” Change” Advisor: Dr. Gaines Hubbell Advisor: Dr. David Johnson Will Thomason Micajah Schweikert College of Science College of Engineering Thesis Title: “Transition Thesis Title: “Steady State of Combinations in Java” Transient Analysis of a Variable Advisor: Dr. Harry Delugach Drag System Implemented on UAH’s Submission to NASA’s Theodore Tran Student Launch Initiative College of Engineering Competition” Thesis Title: “UAS Data Collection Advisor: Dr. David Lineberry for Disaster Response” Advisor: Mr. Jerry Hendrix Owen Trippany College of Engineering Thesis Title: “AICHE 2021 Design Project” Advisor: Mr. Ralph Quigley Dana VanAntwerp College of Engineering Thesis Title: “Commissioning a Pyris 6 Differential Scanning Calorimeter” Advisor: Dr. Judy Schneider Kayli Wood College of Engineering Thesis Title: “Revitalizing Labs for Physics 115” Advisor: Dr. Themistoklis Chronis 26

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U.S. Postage PAID Huntsville, AL Permit No. 283 Honors College 301 Sparkman Drive Frank Franz Residence Hall Huntsville, AL 35899 The University of Alabama in Huntsville is an EEO/AA/Title VI/Title IX/Section 504/ADA/ADEA institution in the provision of its education and employment programs and services. 03.20 An Equal Opportunity University HONORS COLLEGE uah.edu/honors