, in this issue read about our NPS event, hear from Dr. Stevens and learn more about upcoming events and opportunities.
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Inaugural NPS Aspirant Event a Success
On December 3, 2025, over fifty students and faculty gathered at the Hotel at Auburn University for a luncheon celebrating our National Prestigious Scholarships Aspirants and their Outstanding Mentors. Students who apply to one or more nationally prestigious scholarship receive the designation of NPS Aspirant. Each Aspirant identifies a member of the Auburn community who has supported them during their academic journey, who receives the designation of NPS Outstanding Mentor.
During the 2025 fall semester, thirty-eight students applied for nationally prestigious scholarships. These students represent twenty-eight majors across seven colleges. Many students applied to multiple opportunities. All told, our Aspirants submitted fifty-one applications to nineteen scholarship programs. |
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Become an Honors Peer Mentor
The Honors Peer Mentorship Program is a lifeline for incoming Honors College freshmen helping to ease the transition into the Honors College and university life by grouping new students with experienced upperclassmen. New students have a contact from the first day they arrive on campus to help them navigate this new step in their lives.
Mentors are paired with a small group of first-year students with whom they interact throughout the summer and fall semester. In addition, there will be some responsibilities during the spring semester.
If selected as a mentor, you will be required to participate in the following:
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One spring training session: Sunday, March 22, 3-5 p.m. and Sunday, March 29, 3-5 p.m.
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Hold space in your schedule for HONR 1087: Honors Mentor Lyceum (1-hour credit) (Class will be Tuesdays, 3:30-4:30 p.m.)
For more information or if you have questions, please contact Whitney Comer at wrc0024@auburn.edu. |
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Finding the Origins of Auburn Honors
Happy new year to the Auburn Honors Community. I hope that all of you are returning from the holidays feeling rested and ready for the spring semester.
Like many of you, I’ve spent some time this past week sorting through old things, with hopes of organizing belongings and discarding objects I don’t need anymore, but this annual activity also provides opportunities to reconnect with my past. For me, this experience was true of some old family photographs, but also of a folder I was handed in December of historic files from Auburn’s Honors College.
The folder I read through included old issues of CHPS: Newsletter of the Congress of Honors Program Students, which a few years later became The Honors Eagle. The earliest issue in the folder, dated May 12, 1983, provides a fascinating glimpse of the origins of Auburn’s Honors College, before it was even formally established as an academic program. First and foremost was an invitation to an afternoon tea, where Dr. David Lewis from the history department “will speak on the importance of a collegiate Honors Program.” |
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Cup at CaterJanuary 7 | 9 - 11 a.m.
Start the new year with a Cup at Cater! Stop by for free coffee and breakfast snacks and kick off the semester with friends and good vibes! |
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Honors Open HouseJanuary 12 | 4 - 5 p.m.
Curious about what the Honors College has to offer this spring? Join us for our Open House and explore exciting opportunities! Meet our team and discover how Honors can enhance your Auburn experience! |
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Honors Contracting WorkshopsJanuary 13 | 10 a.m.
January 15 | 2:15 p.m.
January 16 | 1 p.m.
Interested in course contracting? Creating a course contract is a great way for Honors students to receive Honors credit in their non-Honors classes by adding an extra learning component to the class outside of the work already expected from them. Choose from one of the three available dates. All are hosted by our student associates in the Cater conference room. |
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Dinner Discussions with the DirectorJanuary 22 | 5:15 p.m.
During Dinner Discussions with the Director, Dr. Stevens hosts an informal dinner in Cater Hall with up to ten Honors students and one featured guest. Discussion will be focused on a "big question" posed by the guest or on the topic, "How I got here."
The discussion with Dr. White will focus on the question: What should the role of the military be in a democracy? Dinner will be Mellow Mushroom pizza and salad. Chairs for dinner will be filled on a first-come, first-serve basis. Sign up below if you would like to attend. |
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Phi Beta Kappa Lecture: Ed YongJanuary 29 | 5:30 p.m. | The Hotel at Auburn University
The Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society will host a free lecture and book signing with Ed Yong. Yong is a Pulitzer Prize-winning science reporter whose fascinating presentations on animals and the natural world are infused with humor, joy, wonder and infectious enthusiasm. |
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Congress Executive Officer PositionsJanuary 12 - 31, 2026
Applications and campaign videos are open for submission from January 12 at 6 p.m. to January 31 at 11:59 p.m. Positions open included are President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and SGA Liaison. More information will be provided at the Interest Meeting on January 12 at 6 p.m. in ACLC 108 after the General Meeting or interestee parties may contact Louisa Forbes (lmf0039@auburn.edu). |
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Congress General MeetingJanuary 12 | 6 p.m. | ACLC 108
Join the general meeting to kick off the spring semester and to see what Honors Congress has in store for January!!
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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 Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer
"If you apply the principles, this book will change the pace of your life! John Mark Comer provides practical solutions for simplifying your schedule and embracing a more soulful way of living. Must read for anyone who feels 'busy'!"
This book was entered into the Collective Library by Savannah Baker, Honors Academic Advisor. |
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Phi Beta Kappa Initiates New Members
This past November, Auburn University’s chapter of the Phi Beta Kappa honor society, Gamma of Alabama, held its first initiation ceremony since the chapter moved into the Honors College last year.
Phi Beta Kappa (PBK) is the nation’s oldest academic honor society, with membership reserved for a small percentage of undergraduates at a fraction of all degree-granting institutions. Founded in 1776 at the College of William and Mary, the society is devoted to excellence in the traditional liberal arts and sciences and to freedom of inquiry, embracing the motto “Love of Learning is the Guide of Life.” In 2001, the national organization of PBK selected Auburn University to shelter a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa after a rigorous, multiyear review. Since then, the Gamma Chapter of Alabama has initiated several hundred undergraduates into the society. |
Research Support and Conference Travel GrantsThe Honors College is excited to support our students’ research endeavors by providing funding for students’ independent research projects through our Research Support and 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 on their research 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
The Auburn Honors Research Support Grant typically provides between $500 and $1500 to assist with the costs of conducting research. Examples of eligible costs include laboratory supplies or travel to conduct experiments or perform field research.
Research Support Grant: Honors Research Support Grant: 2026-2027 – Fill out form
To learn more about each grant, visit our website via the button below. |
Honor Your Teaching FellowshipFaculty interested in creating new Honors courses should consider applying to the Honor Your Teaching Fellowship. You may read more about this fellowship program on our website. Applications can be submitted via this
form by Tuesday, February 10th.
For questions, please email Suzanne Hunter, Associate Director of Academic Affairs, sap0005@auburn.edu. |
Each spring, the Honors College looks forward to the opportunity to celebrate and honor our hard-working students, faculty, volunteers and alumni.
The Eagles of Excellence Awards seek to recognize those who have gone above and beyond, in the Honors College and at Auburn University, in the realms of leadership, research, service and teaching. We need your help in recognizing our outstanding students!
You may submit multiple award nominations. Self-nominations are welcomed and encouraged. Incomplete submissions will not be considered.
You can find detailed descriptions of each award,
on our website, or you can refer to the online nomination form.
Winners will be announced at the Eagles of Excellence Awards Ceremony April, 2026.
Nominations are due Monday, February 2nd, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. |
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 1st of the following month. Please keep in mind this timeline when requesting funds. |
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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. |
Undergraduate Research Fellowship (URF) submissions open soonThe submission period for 2026-2027 URF will be open from January 10, 2026, until February 15, 2026.
Students can select from year-long, two-semester, one-semester, and summer fellowships. The starting semester can be Summer 2026, Fall 2026, or Spring 2027, and the fellowship period can be up to the end of the Spring 2027 semester.
Interested students are encouraged to identify a faculty mentor and discuss potential research projects. In the URF program, a faculty member can mentor one UR student fellow at a time. If the faculty mentor agrees, the student and mentor can submit a joint application through the
URF online portal.
Click
here
for more information about the URF program, including eligibility, application, and frequently asked questions.
For assistance and additional inquiries, please contact Lorenzo Cremaschi, Director of Undergraduate Research, at UNDGRES@auburn.edu.
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