News
Mon, 04/21/2025
Seeing the whole elephant: Mary Klayder and a career centered on students
Mary Klayder's decades-long career, which concludes this May, has touched thousands of lives, most notably through her student-centered approach that has redefined what mentorship can mean in a university setting.
Wed, 02/12/2025
2025 cohort of University Scholars announced
The 22 selected students to be part of the program's 44th cohort receive a scholarship, are assigned a faculty mentor to support their academic endeavors and engage with a topic of contemporary interest as part of an interdisciplinary seminar course.
Tue, 02/11/2025
Scientifically strategizing the ups and down
Honors Faculty Fellow James Blakemore crafted his seminar, "Success, Failure, and Science," based on the expectations young people might have about being first-year undergraduate students.
Tue, 02/11/2025
First mentors, friendly faces
Seminar assistant and honors ambassador roles give honors students a chance to represent the program and lead among their peers.
Tue, 02/11/2025
Two Blessings boost honors emergency fund
With their generous contribution to the University Honors Program Emergency Aid Fund, Anne and Bill Blessing are calling on other donors to make matching gifts to support honors students facing significant challenges.
Tue, 02/11/2025
Fall events put students in touch with alumni
In two panels last fall, alumni in the medical and legal fields shared their own stories, illuminating the possibilities while providing professional guidance.
Tue, 02/11/2025
Connected to community
An evolution of the HNRS 195 seminar brings mid-career college students into the KU Honors fold with service opportunities.
Thu, 09/19/2024
Creative collaboration brings honors student’s literary vision to three-dimensional life
kYOU Magazine, founded by honors student Rachel Paese and funded in part by an Honors Opportunity Award, included a staff of fifteen students who shared in the publication's mission “to be a spotlight on identity [and] an homage to creativity.”
Wed, 09/11/2024
Program celebrates outstanding contributions of student, faculty at annual convocation
The University Honors Program recognized one student and four faculty members for their unique contributions to the program at Honors Convocation, a kickoff event for first-year honors students.
Tue, 06/04/2024
Common Cause-born partnership leads to pair of internships
During the spring 2024 semester, when two Friends of the Kaw internships were launched to give honors students the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in the nonprofit space.
Wed, 01/31/2024
Honors alumnus caters giving to student needs
Alumnus and frequent donor to the program Caleb Bobo credits his habit of giving to experiences gained as an undergraduate and his the examples of generosity modeled by his parents.
Wed, 01/31/2024
Honors student’s academic development tied to personal interests in art, mentorship
Pharmacy major Sivani Badrivenkata traces the development as a researcher, a mentor, and even an artist can be back to support received during her time in the University Honors Program.
Wed, 01/31/2024
Early development the focus for former interim dean, first-time honors instructor
We chatted with Dr. Colombo, Director of KU’s Schiefelbusch Institute for Life Span Studies and former interim dean of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, about his personal connection to the honors program, his first-year honors seminar, and the importance of research opportunities.
Wed, 01/31/2024
Alumni help recent grad on road to governor’s office
A position in Governor Laura Kelly's office serves as a pleasantly surprising endpoint to a post-graduate job search for 2023 graduate Caroline Sharp, who was championed by a strong network of fellow honors alumni.
Wed, 01/31/2024
Encouraging far-reaching ideas and nearby adventures
Connection and fearlessness are values Dr. Nathan Wood brings to his work as an associate professor of history, and ones that informed his role as 2023's University Scholars seminar instructor.
Fri, 11/10/2023
Commonalities key to Phi Beta Kappa’s transition to the honors program
With its emphasis on recognizing academic excellence and providing interdisciplinary experiences for its student members, Phi Beta Kappa has proven a natural partnership with the University Honors Program since January 2022.
Wed, 07/26/2023
Student’s journey begins and ends unconventionally at honors program home
Offered by KU’s School of Public Affairs & Administration and led by Honors Faculty Fellow Thom Allen, last spring's UBPL 735 Site Planning and Design gave students the chance to rethink Nunemaker Center, the program's iconic home.
Tue, 05/16/2023
Course on culture and health draws students beyond the pre-health population
GIST 211 Culture and Health, Honors — which cross-lists as AAAS 204 and GEOG 202 — was introduced at KU by Dr. Katie Rhine, an Honors Faculty Fellow and associate professor in the Departments of African & African-American Studies and Geography & Atmospheric Science.
Wed, 02/01/2023
Professor reflects on his time as Honors Faculty Fellow: “Don’t hesitate”
“One of my favorite things to say is just ‘be kind’ ... I’m where I am because people were kind.”
Wed, 02/01/2023
Committed KU alums find reason to give in relationships
The Alan and Maria (Abatjoglou) Stearns Opportunity Fund supports opportunities for students who demonstrate financial need, as well as for those from marginalized backgrounds.
Wed, 02/01/2023
Gender disparities in chess, STEM focus for faculty fellow
In his honors first-year seminar and the KU Chess Club, Kyle Camarda asks students to scrutinize issues of equity
Wed, 02/01/2023
Key into Public Service Scholar pursues four majors with one goal: helping others
Atadurdyyeva has made the most of her time at KU, pursuing four majors along with two minors and three certificates at KU.
Wed, 02/01/2023
Honors students, faculty, and staff travel to Tanzania for Global Humanities Institute
Last summer, five honors students joined Honors Faculty Fellows and program staff members for a two-week conference exploring topics of social suffering in Africa and the African diaspora.
Wed, 02/01/2023
KU Honors staff take on management of Phi Beta Kappa
Responsibilities for KU's chapter of the prestigious liberal arts and sciences honorary society officially transitioned to the University Honors Program in 2022.
Fri, 10/14/2022
Retired KU leader returns to teach philanthropy-focused honors course
In Citizen Philanthropy, a seminar-style course reintroduced to honors students this fall, former chief of staff to the provost Linda Luckey shares her extensive history in activism and organizing with students looking to make non-profit involvement core to their careers and lives.
Tue, 10/11/2022
12 KU students selected for 2022 Millennium Fellowship
Twelve KU students will participate in a leadership development program overseen by the Millennium Campus Network in partnership with United Nations Academic Impact. As part of the fellowship, the students will partner with Friends of the Kaw on two river cleanup efforts this fall.
Wed, 07/27/2022
How one maternity health researcher got started in honors
This past year, a University Honors Program alumna Dr. Toluwalasé Ajayi received research funding from Google to reduce health disparities experienced by women of color.
Wed, 07/27/2022
Family and faculty helped alumna ask the right questions
Reardon, currently a professor of sociology at University of California, Santa Cruz, founded the Science & Justice Research Center (SJRC), whose mission is to encourage students and researchers in STEM disciplines to think about questions of justice in their work.
Wed, 07/27/2022
Honors student sees collaboration as essential to energy research
Jonah Stiel put the principle of synthesis to work as a 2019 participant in the Beckman Scholars Program, which provides selected KU undergraduates with a 15-month mentored research experience in chemistry or biology.
Wed, 07/20/2022
Shared efforts lead to United Nations Academic Impact membership
On July 6, the University of Kansas became the next institution to join United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI), a global network of more than 1,500 institutions of higher education.