Dr. Kevin Kehl was selected dean and Dr. James Huff and Dr. Jim Miller were chosen as faculty fellows following a leadership restructure in the Honors College last year.

The changes came after Dr. Mike James, previous dean of the Honors College, retired after 47 years with the university. The rest of the college's leadership team includes Dr. Scott Adair, academic director of Honors Symposium; Debbie Baird, administrator; and Kristina Chance, assistant to the dean.

Huff, associate professor of engineering from the College of Sciences, and Miller, associate professor of communication from the College of Arts and Humanities, were named the first two-year appointees as Honors College Faculty Fellows beginning Aug. 1, 2020, through May 2022.

Huff is providing leadership in areas associated with Honors student research, fellowships, scholarships, service learning, Alpha Chi and related assessment. Miller is leading the evaluation of curriculum, Honors Student Association, Trustee Scholars, alumni relations, recruiting and related assessment. Huff and Miller are both teaching Honors classes.

“I am pleased that Dr. Kevin Kehl has agreed to serve as the new dean of the Honors College,” said Marty Spears, provost and chief academic officer. “Dr. Kehl is passionate about helping students from all colleges and programs of study achieve their goals. He is committed to continuing the tradition of strong leadership in the Honors College and empowering the faculty fellows to develop and pursue a vision for the future of the Honors College at Harding.”

The Honors College and Alpha Chi co-hosted the first-ever Harding University Undergraduate Research Conference (HURC) April 15-16 in the Heritage building.

The conference featured 28 students participating from 27 disciplines across campus who presented scholarly work. More than 100 attendees participated in the conference, both in-person and virtually, and heard presentations on topics ranging from media bias to metaphysical mysteries of C.S. Lewis, and microglia to pediatric bullying education.

Dr. Kristopher Kyle, a 2005 alumnus of Harding and assistant professor of linguistics and the director of the Learner Corpus Research and Applied Data Science Lab at the University of Oregon, opened the conference with a virtual keynote presentation.

“I have heard some people say that academics at Harding are a hidden gem,” Dr. James Huff, associate professor of engineering and Honors faculty fellow, said. “I want our academic story to be seen and appreciated for the gem that it truly is, and the HURC is one way to make the story of academic research well-known and understood within our campus culture."

The Honors College L.C. Sears Collegiate Seminar Series, in partnership with the Harding University American Studies Institute, hosted alumnus, author and investigative reporter Jerry Mitchell for a virtual lecture event on Tuesday, Sept. 8. President Bruce McLarty presented Mitchell with an honorary Doctor of Laws Degree after the presentation.

Mitchell’s presentation featured his most recent book “Race Against Time,” which was released through Simon and Schuster on Feb. 4. Reena Evers-Everette, daughter of civil rights activists Medgar Evers and Myrlie Evers-Williams, joined Mitchell for a Q&A following the lecture.

Throughout his career, Mitchell’s stories have helped put four Ku Klux Klan members and a serial killer behind bars, exposed injustices and corruption, and prompted investigations, state reforms, and the firings of corrupt boards and officials. He is a Pulitzer Prize finalist, a longtime member of Investigative Reporters and Editors and a winner of more than 30 other national awards, including a $500,000 MacArthur “genius” grant. His memoir, “Race Against Time,” tells the story of his pursuit of unsolved murder cases from the Civil Rights era, leading to convictions in some of the nation’s most notorious murders.

In 2019, after three decades working for the Clarion-Ledger, Mitchell founded the Mississippi Center for Investigative Reporting, a nonprofit that exposes corruption, malfeasance and injustices, investigates cold cases, empowers citizens and raises up the next generation of investigative reporters.

The Honors College added a thesis track this year for students planning to graduate with honors distinction. Three seniors completed honors thesis projects in spring 2021.

John Lim’s honors thesis was titled, “Hybridized spirituality in Singaporeans Christians.” His thesis advisors were Dr. James Huff and Dr. Jon Singleton, and his finished work was evaluated by professionals from fields inside and outside of the university. John graduated in May as an Honors College Graduate with Distinction with a major in interdisciplinary studies. Lim recently took a job as minister at the Pasir Panjang Church of Christ in Singapore.

Nathan McClaran’s honors thesis was titled, “Defining the opportunities and challenges of Internet of Things devices in relation to criminal investigations.” His thesis advisor was John Stone. Nathan graduated in May as an Honors College Graduate with Distinction with a double major in computer engineering and criminal justice. McClaran will begin a doctoral program in computer science at Texas A&M in the fall and will serve as a research assistant.

Jacob Taylor’s honors thesis was titled, “In His image and into His likeness: Human nature’s theosis in C.S. Lewis’s ‘Till We Have Faces: A Myth Retold.’” His thesis advisor was Dr. Mac Sandlin. Jacob graduated in May as an Honors College Graduate with Distinction with a major in interdisciplinary studies.

Ten more students are scheduled to complete an honors thesis in fall 2021.

By Maren Bonham, Bison staff

The Honors College updated its policies for how students maintain their enrollment in the college. Beginning in fall 2021, students will be required to report every semester how they are involved in the academic offerings of the Honors College, and/or how they are involved in leadership and service to the college, campus, or community.

The policy will be implemented for new honors students in fall 2021. Students enrolled prior to fall 2021 are exempt from the new guidelines but are encouraged to meet the expectations. Maintaining a 3.25 GPA remains a requirement for continued enrollment in the college for all students.

Under the new policy, students must earn at least one unit from either the academic or leadership and service areas each semester. Academic units include completing an honors course, contract, capstone or thesis, and other options. Leadership and service units can be earned for many activities, including serving as an elected officer for a campus organization, serving as a peer guide for first-year Bible course, leading a spring break mission, or attending at least six Honors Council sessions, just to name a few. See the Honors College website for a complete list of engagement possibilities.

Students who do not meet these requirements in a semester will be placed on Honors College probation the following semester. Students who do not meet the expectation in a second semester will be unenrolled from the Honors College and may reapply for admission the next semester.

The college also streamlined its policies for graduating from the Honors College. Beginning for new students in fall 2021, the college will offer two levels of graduation instead of three. Students can be Honors College Graduates or Honors College Graduates with Distinction. See the Honors College website for a list of requirements for each level of graduation.

The Honors College administration made two changes to the honors curriculum that will take effect in 2021-2022.

First, the Honors College discontinued its interdisciplinary studies major. The major was created 12 years ago and allowed honors students to create with a committee of advisers specialized majors that were not available at Harding. Three years ago, the University College started a similar major available to all students. To avoid confusion, the Honors College created a track for honors students in the University College’s interdisciplinary studies major and discontinued its major with the same name. Honors students who are interested in the interdisciplinary studies major should contact Dr. Heath Carpenter in the University College.

Second, the Honors College created a new course, HNRS 4750 (Selected Topics). The course will allow faculty members across campus to offer specialized courses in their fields of study to honors students for honors credit. Faculty who are interested in offering a course should contact Dean Kevin Kehl.

Dr. Usenime Akpanudo and Dr. Ginger Blackstone won the 2021 Faculty Scholars awards from the Arkansas Eta Chapter of Alpha Chi. The awards were presented at the inaugural Harding University Undergraduate Research Conference in April.

Akpanudo and Blackstone were selected by faculty from across campus and were evaluated based on their record of scholarly contributions, commitment to mentoring the next generation of scholars, and written endorsements from student members of Alpha Chi. Each recipient received $1,000 in professional development funding, the opportunity to share their scholarly perspective in chapel during the 2021-22 academic year, and are nominated to honorary membership in Alpha Chi.

Akpanudo is an associate professor and director of research initiatives in the Cannon-Clary College of Education at Harding University. He teaches graduate-level courses in Research Methods, Data-Driven Decision Making, Advanced Statistical Techniques, and Cultural and Sociological Issues in Education. Akpanudo conducts research on social vulnerability from a cultural context and schools as organizations. He also provides instructional support in research methodology and data analysis for the McNair Scholars program and the physician assistant program at Harding University. He is the founding faculty advisor for the Journal of Graduate Education Research (JGER),

Dr. Blackstone is an associate professor in the Department of Communication and serves as the news director for the weekday live student newscast, “Live at Five.” She graduated from Harding with a B.A. in Radio/TV in 1991 and worked in the business for 19 years, including 13 years as a producer and supervising/executive producer at CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta. She received two Peabody Awards, an Emmy, an Edward R. Murrow Award, and a Columbia-duPont.  Her Ph.D. dissertation completed at the University of Florida was honored with the Harwood Dissertation Award from the Broadcast Education Association. She published a textbook and has presented multiple award-winning papers at national academic conferences.

Seniors Mary Grace Golden and Alicen Wilcox are the first recipients of the Trey Carlock Rising Scholar Award. The award was announced at the inaugural Harding University Undergraduate Research Conference in April.

This award recognizes two students annually who plan to attend a research-focused graduate program. They are selected based on their commitment to a Christ-centered career in scholarship, trajectory of scholarly activity, and demonstration of presenting research at an academic conference in the next year. The recipients receive a grant of $1,300 to present their research at a major academic conference.

Wilcox, a biochemistry and molecular biology major, is on track to graduate from the Honors College with distinction in May 2022. She has plans to pursue a Ph.D. in biology.

Golden, a double major in public administration and communication studies, is on track to graduate from the Honors College with distinction in May 2022. She has plans to pursue a master’s degree in organizational communication and to continue in a Ph.D. program.

Trey Carlock was a student in the Honors College from 2009-2012. He graduated summa cum laude with intent to pursue graduate work in neuroscience research. He pursued theological studies at Trinity Forum Academy as a research fellow, L'Abri in Switzerland, and at Harvard University where he was a research intern with Dr. Ellen Langer on her famous study on human happiness. Trey wanted more Harding students to consider scholarly advancement through research affiliations and publication, academic conferences and graduate studies at research institutions.

The fund was established by Trey and his family prior to Trey’s untimely death in 2019.

Six honors students won awards for their research presentations at regional and national conferences in 2020-2021.

Alpha Chi National Honor Society

Two students were recognized at the Alpha Chi national conference in April. Senior John Lim, an interdisciplinary studies major, received the Clark Youngblood prize in philosophy and world religions. His presentation was titled “Hybridized Spirituality in Singaporean Christians.” Senior Pedro Navarette, a computer science major, received the award for the top presentation in the sciences. His presentation was titled “Comparative study: MongoDB vs Elasticsearch.”

Great Plains Honors Council

Senior John David Stewart, an integrated marketing communication major, won a Britt Poster Award for his presentation titled, “Harding students, GAC attendance, and stress” at the March conference of the Great Plains Honor Council, which serves collegiate honors programs in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas.

Arkansas Idea Network of Biomedical Research Excellence

Junior Alicen Wilcox. a biochemistry and molecular biology major, won first place in biology at the INBRE conference in November. Alicen's presentation was titled, “Microglia display partial recovery after TDP-43 stimulation.” Wilcox works with Dr. David Donley on research funded by Arkansas INBRE. In addition to Wilcox’s first place award in biology, junior Darby Mohon, a biochemistry major, was awarded an honorable mention in chemistry, and senior Abby Bankhead, a biomedical engineering major, was awarded an honorable mention in physics.

By Madison Scott

Morgan Proffitt, an integrative studies major who graduated with honors in May and served as Student Association President in 2020-2021, will begin graduate work this fall at Princeton Theological Seminary to pursue a Master of Divinity.

Founded in 1812, PTS is one of the most prestigious theology schools in the world. Proffitt said many theologians she admires attended PTS, including Karl Barth, Charles Hodge and Jeff Chu.

“A lot of ideas and movements in theology have happened because of people at PTS, so when I was applying I really just did not think I would get in,” Proffitt said. “It was more kind of like a, ‘I really respect this institution and the work that it has done, and I would be honored to be a part of the legacy of it.”

After completing the rigorous application process, Proffitt received acceptance and a Seminary Fellowship, which is a full-tuition scholarship and a $4,000 annual housing stipend. Dr. Heath Carpenter, Proffitt’s academic adviser, said he was not surprised that she was accepted.

“She’s very hard-working and bright, so I’m not at all surprised she’s having the success that she is,” Carpenter said.

Proffitt said she has always been interested in ministry and learning more about her faith, the Bible and theology. After talking to Carpenter about her interests, she decided on an integrative studies major with concentrations in education, biblical studies and humanities.

Proffitt said she sees herself using this graduate degree to practice practical forms of ministry and to later pursue a Ph.D. She said having a master’s in divinity could lead her to a number of different career paths, including professor, minister, pastor, or chaplain.

“It’s just a really good preparation for people going into ministry who want a lot of theological training and background and want to know how to translate theology into really practical explanations, as well as application to the world around us, kind of like taking these really big, abstract thoughts and working to make them accessible for people,” Proffitt said.

Through the Honors College, Proffitt said she has been able to take classes that push her to think critically, and she has been able to complete individualized assignments and projects that fit her unique degree. For instance, she completed an honors contract with Dr. Amy Qualls, associate professor of English, in spring 2021 that included an annotated bibliography for resources she could use for graduate school.

“I think the Honors College in general is really awesome for preparing people for graduate school because they... help you think and consider really important, valuable skills,” Proffitt said.

Twenty students graduated from the Honors College with distinction in 2020-2021. To graduate with distinction, students must maintain a 3.5 GPA throughout their college work, complete a minimum of four honors courses and/or honors sections of courses, complete a minimum of four honors contracts, and complete an approved Honors capstone or thesis project.

The 20 students are listed below with the title of their capstone or thesis project.

Coral Ann Brantly (mechanical engineering)

“Vital Variance Detection Device: Portable Medical Instrumentation for Majority-World Hospitals”

Matthew Thomas Emlaw (computer science)

“Leading the Development of the Game Node”

Ilse Manuela Ghent (political science)

“Catching Feelings: A Feeling Thermometer of Congress”

Nathaniel C. Hawes (mechanical engineering)

“The Creation and Testing of Computational Aircraft Design Tools”

Katelyn Anne Jewett (child life and Spanish)

“Continuing to Fall Through the Cracks: How Healthcare Professionals Can Improve Their Care for Hispanic Populations”

Lim Jun Xian John (interdisciplinary studies)

“Hybridized Spirituality in Singaporean Christians”

Emma Claire Little (accounting)

“Reflective Analysis of Remote Teamwork and Leadership within a Simulated Business Environment”

Emory Grace Malone (biochemistry and molecular biology)

“Heat-treated titanium surfaces exhibit antimicrobial properties”

Nathan Ray McClaran (computer engineering)

“Defining the Opportunities and Challenges of Internet of Things Devices in Relation to Criminal Investigations”

Pedro Navarette (computer science)

“A Comparative Study: MongoDB vs Elasticsearch”

Timothy Gracen Partlow (mechanical engineering)

“Design and Implementation Guide for Flight Controls in the SAE Aero Competition”

Hannah Elizabeth Plumlee (communication sciences and disorders)

“COVID-19’s Lasting Effects on the Field of Audiology”

Namon Barnes Pope (integrated marketing communication)

“Visual Marketing and Black Students at a Private, Faith-Based, Predominantly White Institution”

Annesly Young Pruitt (English)

“The Face of Love: An Augustinian View of God and Narrative in C.S. Lewis’ ‘Till We Have Faces’”

Benjamin Parker Pruitt (biochemistry and molecular biology)

“The Biochemical Mechanisms of The Sugar Addict’s Brain”

John David Stewart (integrated marketing communication)

“Investigating Factors That Influence Students’ Use of an Exercise Facility at a Faith-Based University”

Jacob Ross Taylor (interdisciplinary studies)

“Hylomorphism and Theosis in ‘Till We Have Faces: A Myth Retold’ by C.S. Lewis”

Adrianna Walls (computer science)

“Encoder-Decoder Models for Natural Language Processing”

Martha Grace Weaver (medical humanities)

“The Sustainability of Women’s Reproductive Healthcare: A Comparative Policy Analysis of Private vs Public Insurance in the 21st Century”

Erin Rose Weiss (social work)

“The Patchwork Patient: An Analysis of Gender Inequities within American Health and Healthcare"

The Honors Student Association, which consists of every student enrolled in the Honors College, elected officers on April 30 to lead during the 2021-2022 academic year.

The officers are: President Ellie Shelton, Vice President Emma Bartch, Secretary Rebecca Brackney, Treasurer Grant Countess, Activities Director Megan Sledge, Communication Director Abby Shoemaker, and Service Director Sawyer Longley.

Last year’s officers were President Everett Kirkman, Vice President Matthew Emlaw, Secretary Elizabeth Dillard, Treasurer Thomas Beckham, Historian Ellie Shelton, Activities Director Emma Bartch, Service Directors Easton Davis (fall 2020) and Ethan Brazell (spring 2021), and Communication Director Mak Oviedo-Rodriguez (fall 2020).

The 2020-2021 officers led the Honors SA in a number of activities, including:

• Etiquette Dinner at Searcy Country Club featuring Lori Sloan
• Career Day with the Center for Professional Excellence that included resume reviews and LinkedIn headshots
• Podcast featuring Dr. Travis McNeal discussing mental health during the pandemic
• Speaker event with New York Times best-selling ghostwriter Dr. Tiffany Yecke Brooks
• Service project: sent 500 handwritten encouragement notes to widows and widowers across the country
• Service project: Canned food drive for Sparrow's Promise
• Consulted administrators on changes to honors curriculum and enrollment policies
• Revised the Honors Student Association constitution

The Honors Student Association mailed in December nearly 500 handwritten encouragement letters to widows and widowers across the country who are connected to Harding.

The idea came from James 1:7, where James reminds his readers that pure and faultless religion includes looking after widows and orphans. Easton Davis, who served as the Honors SA service project director in fall 2020, said this was uniquely important during the pandemic, when many were living in quarantine with little social contact.

“The goal was that the nostalgic act of opening a letter and reading a couple words of encouragement from a fellow Bison in some way mimicked the warmth of a hug or a face-to-face conversation,” Davis said. “Hopefully we induced a feeling that a family Zoom or a Facetime call could never have and maybe, just maybe, that feeling at least led to a smile.”

The names and addresses were collected from Harding’s alumni office. The Honors SA solicited letters from students across campus and mailed the letters before Christmas break. Davis said several recipients wrote letters back to the students, thanking them for their encouragement and offering advice and wisdom about school, relationships, and faith.

Honors Symposium resumed this summer with five full sessions of 50 students each after not meeting last year because of Covid-19. This is the first time the Honors College has offered five sessions of Honors Symposium.

This summer's symposium sessions were open to students who graduated high school this year and could not attend Honors Symposium last summer. The two-week academic experience is usually offered to students who just finished their junior year of high school. 

In previous years, students from more than 40 states and six foreign countries have attended the Honors Symposium. For more information about Honors Symposium, visit the Honors College website.