Message from the Dean
Greetings!
I stepped into the Interim Dean role at the Honors College in June of 2023 after having served as an Associate Dean since 2018. I am grateful for the strong, innovative foundation created by outgoing Dean (and Presidential Honors Professor) Sylvia Torti, along with our incredible faculty and staff, and look forward to working on behalf of our students in the coming year.
The Honors College offers something unique in a world flooded with rapidly accumulating information, and where narrow expertise becomes more and more prevalent. In the Honors College, we ask students to read closely, to slow down, to be more mindful, more reflective, and to take a broader and more multifaceted perspective.
We ask students to communicate with one another across divides, to explore their own and others’ minds. We ask students to think about some of the hardest challenges in our world – climate change, inequality, division – with flexibility and the lenses of diverse disciplines. Our talented students become cutting-edge experts, able to contribute to their fields. But we also ask that they remain capable generalists, who are able to comprehend and communicate across disciplinary lines.
We aspire to graduate engaged citizens, prepared to build good lives for themselves and others.
I’m delighted to be a part of this vision, and welcome hearing from all of you with a stake in the future of our college!
Sincerely,
Dean Monisha Pasupathi
We believe in...
An education that transcends disciplinary and ideological boundaries and teaches you to engage with wicked problems, in collaboration with peers.
A liberal arts tradition that supports your growth and education as a whole person - the life you will lead, not just the career you will seek.
The value of reflection, dialogue, and diversity for forging a better future for us all.
As an Honors Student, Completing the Honors Degree Means…
You will complete a curriculum focused on teaching you how to apply different perspectives on issues, drawn from diverse disciplines and value frameworks.
You will engage in scholarly or creative work in your discipline at the cutting edge of your field, a unique opportunity that comes from being at a major research university.
You will participate in learning communities that connect you within Honors, across the campus and community, and support your growth. You also have the opportunity to live in Honors specific housing.
You will have access to special interdisciplinary curricular and co-curricular opportunities, including integrated minors, praxis labs, and unique elective courses (e.g., novel-writing).
We Look For…
Intellectually curious, motivated students with a concern for the world around them. Students come from all majors and all 50 states.
If you are a curious, motivated person with a demonstrated investment in intellectual breadth as well as depth, and want to make the world a better place, please apply!