Whom to Contact

Sandra K. Shumaker
Director of the Gerald and Carol Vovis Center for Research and Advanced Study
2 East South Street
Galesburg, IL 61401-4999
309-341-7387
309-341-7166 (fax)
E-mail: skshumaker@knox.edu

College Honors

Studying the situation of refugee women in Mexico and Denmark. Developing a stainless steel clamp to use in surgery. Taking on WYSIWYG to design a program that uses simple mark-up language. Imagine the possibilities.

Laurel Tippe '13
Double major in music and educational studies

As part of her Honors project, Laurel attended two large women's music festivals, interviewed musicians (photo above: Laurel, center, with musicians from Emma's Revolution), and combined the information with her study abroad experience in Guinea. Ultimately, the project will be a cross-cultural comparison of female musicians using music to make themselves heard about important social and political issues. Read more about Laurel's Honors project

Your independent research, scholarship, and creative work are supported by our nationally-recognized Honors Program, which was cited as one of two model programs in the nation by the federal Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE).

Honors may be undertaken as early as your junior year though most projects are conducted during the senior year. As a candidate for Honors, you'll obtain the endorsement from your department and complete three to five credits (two, in special cases) of advanced study under the supervision and guidance of an interdisciplinary faculty committee.

Application process and eligibility guidelines

At the end of your project, you'll defend your thesis or creative project or have it critiqued before a qualified outside examiner, modeling the dissertation defense of many grad programs. Often, Honors projects can jump start you into a meaningful career or top-notch grad program.

Recent Honors Projects

Biochemistry

Synthesis of phosphonic acid utilizing lesquerella oil as a starting material

Biology

Analysis of global antibiotic resistance
Function of intersectin 1 (ITSN1) on embryo development of Xenopus laevis
In vivo imaging of Xenopus laevis development using an ultra-compact MRI
Transcription analysis of UV-irradiated Dictyostelium Discoideum through RNA sequencing

Chemistry

Synthesis and characterization of iron catalyst precursors to support redox-active ligands
Synthesis and properties of novel 1,3-Dioxolane and 1,3-Dioxane champhorylsulfonyl oxaziridines

Computer Science

STEM outreach program for middle school students (presented at the Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education Conference)

Creative Writing

E-book containing creating writing, digital photographs, audio clips, and a memoir to create a coherent and in-depth exploration of a grandfather's life

Environmental Studies