, in this issue read about our networking event, learn about our new Goldwater scholarship winner and find out about upcoming events and opportunities.
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Preparing students for success beyond the classroom
The art of networking goes beyond exchanging business cards or rehearsed introductions. It involves learning how to communicate with confidence, listen with intention and engage in conversations that build lasting professional relationships. For students, mastering this skill is an important step toward future academic and career success.
Earlier this semester, the Honors College hosted a Professional Networking Event, offering students an opportunity to practice professional communication skills and connect with local professionals across a range of fields. Designed as both a learning experience and a confidence-building exercise, the event allowed students to apply networking strategies in a welcoming, real-world setting. |
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Auburn Honors engineering student named as Goldwater Scholar
Eirik Mulder’s work at the intersection of aerospace engineering and computer science has earned him one of the nation’s top undergraduate research honors — the Goldwater Scholarship.
The Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship supports outstanding undergraduate students pursuing research careers in mathematics, science and engineering. It awards up to $7,500 annually.
Mulder, a senior in the Honors College set to graduate in 2027, is pursuing a concurrent degree in aerospace engineering and
computer science. The honor adds to a growing list of accolades, including designation as a University Space Research Association Distinguished Undergraduate, an
Astronaut Scholar and a NASA Alabama Space Grant Consortium recipient.
Mulder helped lead an Auburn team to a No. 1 finish in the United States and a top-10 global ranking in NASA’s Global Trajectory Optimization Competition, an international event typically dominated by graduate students and professional researchers. |
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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 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. |
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| Improving Honors Spaces
For this Director’s Corner, I would like to update the Auburn Honors community about actual corners: that is, the material spaces that we are fortunate to have dedicated to the Honors College. These of course include Cater Hall, which provides offices for most of our staff as well as a home base for our operations and planning, but there are also two spaces the university has set aside for Honors students: a study room in the RBD library and the student lounge in the basement of Broun Hall. We are in the midst of a series of improvements to all of these spaces—some still in the planning stages, and some almost complete—with the goal of providing more and better opportunities for our students to gather, study, socialize and rest.
Anyone walking through campus will know that Cater Hall, one of the university’s oldest and most beautiful buildings, has undergone a good deal of renovation this year, and it now has a new roof along with updates to other elements of the exterior. New columns and repairs to the juliet balcony over the front door will be added this summer, leaving the building fully protected from the elements while retaining its historic character. Following these updates to the exterior will be some modest internal renovations, which will maximize our office spaces and allow us to make more effective use of the building’s beautiful front rooms. Our parlor will become a small and gorgeous classroom for admissions presentations, book club
classes and other meetings. |
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Week of Service ReunionApril 9 | 6-7:30 p.m. | Upper Quad Lawn
Join ACT with Honors on the Upper Quad Lawn for food, games, music and Week of Service fun. |
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Honors Academic ShowcaseaApril 14 | 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. | Broun Kopel Grand Ballroom
The Honors Academic Showcase highlights the impressive work of Auburn Honors students from across disciplines—research projects, creative work, service and civic engagement, internships and more. Join us to celebrate the achievement of our Honors community during our inaugural Academic Showcase this April. |
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Congress General MeetingApril 6 | 6 p.m. | ACLC 208
Join Congress for the last general meeting of the semester. |
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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 ...Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann
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his book tells the story of mysterious deaths surrounding the Osage tribe during the 1920s. The Osage became the richest people in America due to ongoing consequences of the Indian Removal Act, which placed them on oil-rich land in Oklahoma. Law enforcement scandals and coverups inspired former Texas Ranger, J. Edgar Hoover, to create a federal undercover police force that we now know as the FBI. They uncovered what is believed to be the deadliest conspiracy in American history. I chose this book because this one mystery laid the foundation of federal government power after the Civil War when America was still learning how to act like a united country. It’s also way better than the movie!"
This book was entered into the Collective Library by Paige Wetzel, Business & Administrative Service Coordinator II.
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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 include application fee waivers from some institutions, resources about graduate education, networking opportunities, social media communities and more. |
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 upperclass 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 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. |
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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