, in this issue read about the new SEC athletics course, learn about our research grants and find out about upcoming events and opportunities.
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A new shared academic experience across the SEC
Auburn athletics is no stranger to dramatic upsets such as the classic "Kick Six" and "Bo Over the Top," but the biggest changes at the moment are taking place off the field or court. The structure of collegiate sports is now facing new challenges stemming from the transfer portal, NIL, legal battles, conference realignments and policy shifts.
This era of transformation presents challenges, but also extraordinary opportunities, especially for students eager to understand or even influence the future of college athletics.
This fall, honors colleges and programs at ten SEC universities—more than half of the conference— are joining forces to offer a first-of-its-kind academic experience exploring the business, legal and media dimensions of modern college athletics. |
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Fueling Discovery: Honors Undergraduate Research and Conference Grants
On any given day, Honors students can be found conducting laboratory experiments, poring over archival documents, engaging with community partners or preparing presentations for academic conferences. These undergraduate research experiences are defining moments of their Honors College careers.
However, as a high-impact, immersive experience, undergraduate research often comes with financial barriers—from equipment costs to travel for fieldwork or academic conferences—that can prevent students from fully participating
To make it easier for students to engage more deeply in scholarly work and take the next step in their academic development, the Honors College has expanded its research grant program to offer two types of funding: Research Support and Conference Travel Grants. This program ensures financial support so students can take meaningful ideas, implement them, and share them across campus and the world. |
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Mark your calendars—Tiger Giving Day is March 25!This Tiger Giving Day the Honors College at Auburn University is raising $10,000 to support students participating in undergraduate research, a transformative experience that fosters critical thinking, innovation and academic growth while advancing preparation for employment or graduate school.
Watch our social media feeds the day of for more information on our project and be sure to share with your friends and family. Together we can make a difference in supporting Honors students participating in undergraduate research.
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Honors student Wyatt Devine earns top honors in Justice Challenge
The Honors College is proud to recognize Wyatt Devine for his outstanding performance in the Justice Challenge, an immersive program designed to prepare future leaders in food, agriculture and the natural and human sciences.
In late January, Devine joined students from across the country for a two-day Sustainable Agriculture Justice Hackathon. The intensive experience challenged participants to collaborate, think critically and develop innovative solutions to real-world issues at the intersection of sustainability and justice in agriculture.
Following the competition, judges named Devine first overall among all participants. He also earned first place in systems thinking, first place in the STAR method, and tied for second place in community focus—an impressive sweep that highlights both his analytical skills and commitment to people-centered solutions.
Devine’s success reflects the values of the Justice Challenge and the Honors College’s emphasis on interdisciplinary learning, leadership and impact-driven problem-solving.
Congratulations, Wyatt, on this well-deserved achievement. |
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Celebrating Student Scholarship: The Honors Academic Showcase
I hope our students, faculty and staff have returned from spring break refreshed and ready for the exciting weeks ahead. One highlight on the horizon is a new event designed to celebrate the remarkable work of our Honors students.
This is the Honors Academic Showcase, which will take place on Tuesday, April 14 at mid-day, in the Brown-Kopel Engineering Student Achievement Center. The showcase is designed to highlight the breadth of intellectual and creative work produced by Honors students—from scientific research to artistic expression.
To our students, I encourage you to submit an application to present your work at this showcase. The deadline is March 20, and you can apply via the button below. |
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We welcome a wide range of presentation formats, including:
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Poster presentations
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Model or design displays
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Media-documented performances
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Projects may highlight research, service, design or artistic work.
This kind of event can be an excellent rehearsal for presentation at a national conference. It will also be a wonderful opportunity for us to come together from our various scholarly disciplines and learn about the exciting projects Honors students are pursuing across this university.
To all of our students, faculty and staff, I also would like to welcome you to attend this event, browse the exhibits and talk to our student presenters about their work. Honors is devoted to fostering community and intellectual exchange across disciplines. I hope this event provides a meaningful opportunity for us to gather, celebrate our students’ work and learn from one another. |
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Auburn Iron PourMarch 26 | 3-4 p.m. | 3D Arts Studio Building
Honors students (up to 25 attendees) are invited to a private workshop with the visiting artist, Jen Torres. She will lead them in carving non-objective sculptural tiles out of blank scratch blocks prior to the pour. This is an accessible activity requiring zero experience or artistic background, just a willingness to be creative and participate. Students must register! |
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Honors Congress Art GalleryMarch 18 | 3:30 p.m. | Cater Hall
See work submitted by other Honors Congress students! |
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Dog Walking Volunteer OpportunityMarch 21 | 12:30, 1 and 1:30 p.m. | CARE Humane Society
Volunteer with Congress to walk some dogs and show them some love! |
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Honors Formal: Starry NightMarch 28 | 6 p.m. | Auburn Alumni Center
All Honors students at Auburn University are invited to join Congress for a night of dancing and celebrating a year of hard work at Honors Formal 2026: Starry Night.
We will have refreshments, music and tons of fun. The event will be Saturday, March 28th 6-9 p.m. at the Auburn Alumni Center.
Tickets are $20 for individual purchase and $35 for pairs. Your date does not have to be in the Honors College to attend. You should Van-GO to formal! Hope to see you there!
Tickets can be purchased with the link below. |
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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 Art of Letting Go: Stop Overthinking, Stop Negative Spirals, and Find Emotional Freedom by Nick Trenton
"This book helps readers better understand their feelings and emotions, while also emphasizing self-forgiveness when we make less-than-ideal decisions in life. I especially appreciate that it provides step-by-step actions for developing healthy boundaries.
During a time when scholars may find it difficult to reach out and connect, this book offers tools to calm the mind and encourages a shift in how one views oneself and their relationships with others. I believe it could be a meaningful and supportive resource for them."
This book was entered into the Collective Library by Bryant Smith, Programs Coordinator. |
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Honors Student Associate applications are openWant to build leadership skills, support your peers and make a meaningful impact in the Honors College? Apply to be an Honors Student Associate! Applications open March 17 and close March 31. In person interviews will take place in April. Interested students can apply through the button below.
Students must be in good standing with the Honors College to apply. Don’t miss your chance to join a great team, represent Honors and help shape the student experience! Questions can be directed to Emily Prim (ekp0006@auburn.edu) or Taylor Mullins (
tmd0052@auburn.edu).
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Honors College Study & Travel Scholarships – Fall 2026
Planning to study abroad or participate in a study/travel experience in Fall 2026? The Honors College is awarding scholarships to support your journey!
How to Apply:
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Log in to the AUSOM system.
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Complete the High Impact Practices application.
🗓 Application Deadline: March 20
If you have questions, contact Whitney Comer at wrc0024@auburn.edu. |
Submit your work for the inaugural academic showcase. Deadline is March 20
The Honors College is launching its first-ever Academic Showcase, and we want your work to be part of it. This new event celebrates the creativity, research and innovation happening across campus—from design projects and artistic work to research, performances and service initiatives. Students may present in a variety of formats, including posters, media‑documented performances and model displays. Help us make the inaugural showcase unforgettable.
The submission deadline is March 20! |
HONR 1077 Peer Instructor applications for Fall 2026 now openInterested in giving back to our incoming class of Honors students? Apply to be a Freshman Exploration Peer Instructor.
Peer Instructors are an integral part of class, helping students navigate their first year in Auburn and in Honors. They provide an informed voice, serving as representatives of the Honors student experience. The responsibilities of a Peer Instructor include but are not limited to: attending class, attending meetings with their instructor, co-facilitating classroom discussions, communicating with students and representing Honors through an upperclassman perspective.
Honors Peer Instructor positions are available to students who are in good standing, currently enrolled in the Honors College and who have successfully taken Freshman Exploration.
Peer Instructors will be enrolled in an Honors Lyceum course and receive credit for their experience.
Applications close April 4, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Apply through the button below. |
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 15 of each month. We will review the request and respond about availability of funds by the 1 of the following month. Please keep in mind this timeline when requesting funds. |
Undergraduate Research and Honors Theses
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 to 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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