There’s more to Honors than taking one course a semester. Honors study is designed to prepare you to do innovative work in our complex, global society. You can pursue one or more Honors pathways (or “tracks”) that each require Honors courses and an applied learning experience such as research, study abroad, or service-learning.

Most students start on the Scholar pathway. You also can pursue Honors Leadership, Law and Public Policy, design-your-own interdisciplinary Honors path, or, in some cases, earn Honors in your major. Some students think outside the box and design their own interdisciplinary Honors degree.

Not sure which path in Honors is right for you? Wondering what other opportunities Honors can offer? If you have any questions, first check out the current students page of the Cohen Honors College website. Then stop by Shocker Hall Building A or email the Honors academic advisor, Jessica Raburn Jessica.raburn@wichita.edu, to make an appointment.

Remember, if you have general questions, including questions about the computers and Shocker Hall facilities, you always can email honors@wichita.edu.

Best wishes for the semester ahead!

Kimberly Engber

Dean, Dorothy and Bill Cohen Honors College 

Noell Birondo, Associate Professor and Chair of the Philosophy Department, has been awarded the American Philosophical Association's 2019 Essay Prize in Latin American Thought. 

The Essay Prize in Latin American Thought is awarded to the author of the best unpublished, English-language, philosophical essay in Latin American thought.

Eligible essays must contain original arguments and broach philosophical topics clearly related to the experiences of Hispanic Americans and Latino/as. The winning essay will be published in the APA Newsletter on Hispanic/Latino Issues in Philosophy.

All honors students are invited to submit their papers and presentations to the 2020 Great Plains Honors Council Conference held at Wichita State this year! Faculty also are encouraged to nominate student work.

• You may request that your work is submitted as competitive or non-competitive.
• Up four students may be entered into the poster competition, one in each of 4 disciplinary categories, and one student may be nominated for the prestigious Boe paper award.
• An unlimited number of non-competitive posters and oral presentations may be submitted.
• This is a student -friendly conference. If you’ve never presented before, this is a great place to start!
• Submissions to the conference are made by the Honors Director/Dean. Send your poster or paper abstract and all information required for submission (including your preference for competitive or non-competitive) to honors@wichita.edu.

This interdisciplinary undergraduate academic conference is open to all members of the Great Plains Honors Council. The Honors College will cover the cost of registration for WSU honors students who are presenting. Students will be present from the entire Great Plains region. This is a priceless opportunity to share your research, ideas, and work with your peers outside of Wichita State. 

In addition to the opportunity to present, attendees will be able to choose from a selection of exciting excursions and activities. 

To learn more about the conference and presentation opportunities, visit www.wichita.edu/gphc2020.

Our new President Jay Golden has requested two Honors town halls—one with students and one with faculty/staff—before he has his retreat with campus leaders in early February. Please make time to attend this important first conversation, hear President Golden’s vision for the university, and share your ideas or questions.

Honors Faculty/Staff Town Hall with President Golden

Tuesday, January 28^th 4:15-5:00pm

Shocker Hall Room 134 – Multi-Purpose Room

Honors Student Town Hall with President Golden

Tuesday, January 28^th 5:00-6:00pm

Shocker Hall Room 134 – Multi-Purpose Room

The Kansas Undergraduate Research Day at the Capitol event is an opportunity for students to present their research experiences to state lawmakers in Topeka on March 4, 2020. WSU takes up to 5 students each year, and up to 40 students total represent the state’s public four-year institutions.

Please visit wichita.edu/undergradresearch for more information and to apply.

The Outstanding Cohen Honors Student Award recognizes a high-achieving senior leader who takes on challenges and demonstrates commitment to academic excellence in Honors. Awards are presented each year at the spring Senior Honors Banquet. For more information, visit the Current Students section of the Honors webpage and click on Outstanding Honors Student Award.

 Eligibility Requirements 

• Graduating Senior who has completed at least 90 credit hours by the end of the summer prior to award being selected
• Active standing in Honors 

The National Academy of Inventors Annual Meeting has an exhibit for student innovation. Students that get accepted receive free registration (up to 3 students per team). The WSU Institute for Innovation will contribite to additional costs for any student or team accepted.  Apply.  If you have questions, contact Dean Jeremy Patterson, Institute for Innnovation.

Please join us for our annual Rie Bloomfield Organ Series Organ Workshop from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 25, in Wiedemann Hall. Our guest performer and teacher is Hentus van Rooyen, professor of organ at Bethany College in Lindsborg. He will play a variety of pieces on the great Marcussen organ and then invite organ and piano students alike to try out the instrument! Admission is free. Refreshments will be served.

Conceived and selected by artist and filmmaker Zoe Beloff and film curator Rebecca Cleman, this film series accompanies Beloff’s multimedia installation "Emotions Go to Work," elaborating on its central themes, concerns and ideas. Each screening will be accompanied by notes created by the series curators. Screenings will be held on select Fridays between Jan. 24 and March 20, and locations will alternate between the McKnight Art Center and mamafilm at The Lux downtown.

The film series kicks off at 6 p.m. tonight (Jan. 24), in 210 McKnight with the theme "Sentient Objects." In these two films, technology and infrastructure rise up and rebel. These technological and engineered objects, clocks, typewriters, vehicles, even bridges, are the very things that normally grease the wheels of capitalism and keep everything running efficiently. In full scale revolt, are they acting out what we, the workers, can only dream of? To turn on our bosses and refuse to follow orders? Should we join with the machines, or should we run for our lives?

Featured films for Jan. 24:

"Ha! Ha! Ha!" (1934) directed by Dave Fleischer (7 min.)

"Maximum Overdrive" (1986) directed by Stephen King (98 min.)

On Feb. 21, Beloff will be here in person to answer questions and participate in a post-screening discussion.

Emotions Go to Work: The Film Series is presented by the Ulrich Museum of Art and co-hosted by mamafilm independent microcinema.

All screenings are free and open to the public. 

Full Film List

Save the date and help spread the news that the call for presentations for the 7th Annual Gender & Sexuality in Kansas Conference on Friday, March 13. Find more information and the CFP link at: https://www.wichita.edu/genderconference

We invite submissions of original research and scholarship from any discipline.

Submit a 200-300-word summary of your proposed presentation including topic and/or research questions, methodology and a summary of findings or main themes to be addressed in the presentation.

Presentation formats include traditional presentations are oral with a length of 15-20 minutes, and include a visual aid of some sort (power point, video, poster). Workshops may be longer and usually include an interactive component. Presenters may be individuals or groups.

The deadline for submissions is Sunday, Feb. 16.

This year’s keynote will be Sarah Deer, citizen of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation of Oklahoma, professor at KU in the School of Public Affairs and Administration and 2019 National Women’s Hall of Fame inductee.

We hope that you will consider submitting a proposal and share information about the conference with your fellow students, colleagues and others across campus or the Wichita community who may be interested.

Contact Shocker Sociology at 978-3280 or email Jodie Hertzog at jodie.hertzog@wichita.edu with any questions.

To schedule an Honors Advising Appointment email Honors@wichita.edu or Jessica.Raburn@wichita.edu. If you happen to be in the Honors College or nearby when a question occurs to you, please feel free to stop by to see if the Honors Academic Advisor can visit with you immediately.  

-Jessica Raburn, Assistant Director and Academic Advisor