, in this issue, explore the AI Ethics Iron Bowl, learn about College Student Congress awardee Vivian Gates, celebrate Astronaut Day and discover upcoming opportunities.
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Auburn Honors students prepare for the AI Ethics Iron Bowl
Auburn University and the University of Alabama will come together on April 22 for the inaugural AI Ethics Iron Bowl, a full-day academic competition focused on the ethical challenges surrounding artificial intelligence (AI). The event will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Auburn in Birmingham (AIB) Building.
The competition will feature honors students from both universities participating in a multi-round debate based on real-world AI case studies. Throughout the semester, participating students have studied AI dilemmas involving bias, privacy, surveillance, automation and the responsibilities of technologists and policymakers. |
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Celebrating Auburn's Astronaut Scholars with an astronaut
Members of the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation (ASF) visited Auburn University this past March to celebrate current and former Astronaut Scholars and promote the foundation’s nationally competitive scholarship program.
ASF President Colleen Middlebrooks, Corporate Development Manager Morgan Toney and retired NASA astronaut Dominic Anthony “Tony” Antonelli made their first visit to campus, joined by Jeff Haars (’85), vice president and program manager of space exploration at Amentum.
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Gates selected for the Henry Clay Center’s College Student Congress
Vivian Gates, a junior majoring in law and justice with a minor in German with the College of Liberal Arts, has been selected to represent Alabama at the Henry Clay Center’s College Student Congress, a highly competitive, two-week leadership and public policy program that selects only one student per state.
A native of Greenville, Alabama, Gates is among a national cohort of high-achieving students chosen to engage in hands-on legislative simulation, policy debate and civic leadership training in Lexington, Kentucky and Washington, D.C. Her selection marks the second consecutive year an Auburn student from the political science department has been chosen for the program, a distinction Gates sees as a reflection of Auburn’s academic strength.
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Inside Cater Hall: Meet the Honors student associates and Honors ambassadors
Cater Hall is home to the Auburn University Honors College, but it is the students and staff inside who bring the historic space to life. As visitors walk through the doors of Cater, their first encounter is usually with two types of student workers: associates, who staff the front desk, and ambassadors, who speak with prospective students about their Honors College experience.
These Honors students come from cities across the country and represent a wide range of majors, bringing distinct perspectives to their work. As associates and ambassadors, they draw on their own Honors experiences to enrich and strengthen the broader Honors community.
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Guest Director's Corner with Dr. Benjamin Fagan
Happy April to everyone in the Honors College! With the semester nearly over, I’m now approaching the end of my first academic year as Assistant Director for National Prestigious Scholarships. We’ve made a number of important strides this year, including educating our campus community about the many opportunities available, helping students produce over fifty applications and celebrating successes like a Rhodes Scholarship finalist and a Goldwater Scholarship winner.
While classes may be coming to a close, April is an ideal time for our students to start thinking about NPS opportunities they may want to pursue this fall. One of the largest and most prestigious programs that students may want to consider is the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. The Fulbright program is the world’s largest and oldest academic exchange program and supports thousands of students from the U.S. as they spend a year abroad in one of over 140 countries around the world. Undergraduate and graduate students in their final year of study at Auburn may apply for a Fulbright in order to pursue a graduate degree abroad, conduct an independent research project or serve as an English teaching assistant. Some Fulbright awards require
knowledge of a foreign language, but many awards have no such requirement. |
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Cup at Cater - The Last One!April 22 | 8 a.m. - 11 a.m. | Cater Hall
We’re wrapping up the semester with our biggest Cup at Cater yet—more food, bigger breakfast items and all the coffee you love.
This is our final Cup at Cater of the semester, so don’t miss your chance to fuel up before we see you again next year. |
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Need a break from textbooks and Canvas notifications? Come chill with a good book — no grades, no pressure, just the pure joy of reading.
Grab a book, read it at your own pace and return it when you're done — all on the honor system. It’s your space to explore stories, escape into new worlds or just vibe with a cozy read. The best part? These books are all chosen by Honors staff.
Stop by the Collective Library in the Honors Study Room in RBD and discover your next favorite read today!
With every newsletter, we’ll spotlight a standout title from the Collective Library. Keep an eye out for fresh recommendations and hidden gems you won’t want to miss! |
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This issue's book is ...The Intern by Michele Campbell
“The story follows a young woman who lands a prestigious internship with a powerful judge … but she is hiding a huge family secret. This book was intriguing, suspenseful and kept me guessing until the very end!”
This book was entered into the Collective Library by Amy Flynn, Academic Advisor.
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Honors invites faculty to apply for Research Venture Lyceum Design fellowshipThe Auburn University Honors College invites faculty to apply for the Honor Your Teaching: Research Venture Lyceum Design Fellowship, a program supporting the creation of innovative, introductory research experiences for undergraduate students. Through the fellowship, faculty will design a one-credit Research Venture Lyceum to be offered as HONR 1087 in Spring 2027.
Research venture lyceums are small, highly interactive courses that introduce students to research or creative work through semester-long projects completed in close collaboration with faculty mentors and peers. Each one-credit
lyceum typically enrolls up to five students and uses a satisfactory–unsatisfactory grading format, creating a low-stakes environment that encourages intellectual exploration and early engagement in research.
Selected fellows will participate in three structured course design sessions during Fall 2026 with guidance from Honors College academic affairs staff. The fellowship is open to tenure-track and non-tenure-track faculty from all disciplines, including those new to honors teaching. Faculty interested in mentoring emerging scholars and designing impactful undergraduate research experiences are encouraged to apply. |
Honors students interested in graduate school encouraged to participate in NNE
Have you ever considered graduate school? Are you curious about grad school and the research and internship opportunities that are out there to help you gain real world experiences in your field? Graduate education can offer knowledge and training for you to enhance your skill sets in a variety of research areas. The National Name Exchange (NNE) is a program to help you learn about, apply to and succeed in graduate school. It is currently open for enrollment.
What is NNE?
The NNE is a program hosted by the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS), a membership organization representing nearly 500 universities in the United States and Canada, whose goal is to inform high performing undergraduate and master’s students about opportunities available in graduate school. The Graduate School at Auburn University works with the NNE and CGS to ensure that students are aware of the opportunities presented by graduate education.
How to Participate
It is FREE, QUICK and EASY to participate in the NNE. Only representatives from participating universities will access the information you provide using the secure web site. These representatives might contact you after the NNE registration cycle is complete and give you with information about their graduate programs, research/internship opportunities and more. NNE enrollees are also eligible for other benefits including application fee waivers from some institutions, resources about graduate education, networking opportunities, social media communities and more. |
Conference Travel Grants
The Honors College is excited to support our students’ research endeavors by providing funding for students’ independent research projects through our Conference Travel Grants. Students conducting research in any field are welcome to apply.
The Honors College conference travel grants are designed to provide funding to Honors College students who are presenting at regional, national or international academic conferences. Honors College students applying for this grant may be awarded up to $500 to support the travel costs associated with presenting at a conference. Conference Grant:
Honors Research Conference Grant – Fill out form
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Honors co-sponsorship programFaculty, departments, colleges and students may now request the Honors College to co-sponsor an event or program. The sponsorship may help cover the costs of food and refreshments, speaker honoraria or venue expenses.
The deadline to request Honors College co-sponsorships of events is the 15th of each month. We will review the request and respond about availability of funds by the first of the following month. Please keep in mind this timeline when requesting funds. |
University of Arkansas hosting a virtual seminar centered on crisis communications
Crisis situations leave little room for mistakes, and clear communication often matters as much as the response itself.
This May, the University of Arkansas is partnering with Honors Arkansas and state leaders to offer a virtual crisis management course focused on how high-stakes decisions are made, and Auburn Honors students are invited to join.
Students will learn directly from city and state leaders, industry professionals and business executives who have navigated real emergencies and reputational challenges. Guest speakers will include leaders from the Office of the Governor, the Office of the Attorney General, the Arkansas National Guard, Walmart, Arkansas Children's Inc., a leading public relations agency, and universities and nonprofit organizations across the state.
The course emphasizes practical skills in communication planning, stakeholder engagement and media strategy during high-pressure situations. By working through realistic case studies, students will develop localized response strategies designed to protect public trust and organizational credibility. Auburn Honors students who might be interested in taking the seminar or sitting in on certain presentations, are encouraged to join. Please contact Dr. Laura Stevens if you are interested.
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Call for undergraduate research participants
Are you considering engaging in an undergraduate research project or perhaps pursuing an Honors Thesis? If you answered yes to either, then you may be interested in potential opportunities in our lab. Our lab (Dr. Lepczyk, Dr. Gitzen, Dr. Fantle-Lepczyk) focuses on ecological and conservation questions covering a range of topics with a goal of providing data (information) to assist in policy, planning and management that ultimately aid in the conservation of nature.
We use a variety of methods to answer questions, including from the disciplines of economics, social science, biology, computer science, mathematics and ecology. In the past, students have used economic analyses of invasive species, social surveys of fishers, synthetic (complete) reviews of invasive species diet, taxonomic bias in textbooks, analyses of trail (game) camera imagery, field surveys of wildlife and simple model building.
We encourage students to give presentations, apply for fellowship/grant opportunities and author/coauthor products (including journal articles). We work with students across many departments on campus and at different undergraduate stages, but do encourage students earlier in their academic journey to consider applying as it provides more time to become involved and work on a project. If you are interested, please contact Dr. Chris Lepczyk (lepczyk@auburn.edu).
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It's news to me!Do you have news to share? Auburn University Honors students, faculty and staff are encouraged to submit news, updates and stories to our newsroom. Your news might be posted on our website and our social media! Learn more and submit your story today through the button below. |
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