Honors Program News
Volume VI, Issue 1
July 2013
Honors Highlights
USCA Welcomes New Honors Cohort
Twelve outstanding new students
joined the Honors program in the
fall of 2012. Incoming freshmen
are: Amaura Brandt, Peyton
Burger, Jonathan Drew, Will
Hoffmann, Anna Holt, Melissa
Lane, Samantha Lisek, Kayce
VanPelt, and Linda Zheng.
The following are continuing
students joining the program:
Honors Students, 2012-13 cohort with Chancellor,
Dr. Sandra Jordan. Left to right: Kayce VanPelt,
Amaura Brandt, Peyton Burger, Will Hoffmann,
Linda Zheng, Jonathan Drew, Aubrey Danielson,
Sam LaMunion, Dr. Jordan, Micah Hurtt,
Samantha Lisek, Anna Holt, Melissa Lane
Aubrey Danielson, Micah Hurtt,
and Samuel LaMunion.
Message from the
Director

Awards to Honors
students

Improvements to the
“Lair”, the Honors
students lounge

Honors students
featured in the news

New Honors course
offerings
Inside this issue
Dr. Chad L. Leverette
Director of the USC Aiken Honors Program
Greetings from the USC Aiken Honors Program! It
has been another awesome year for our students!
The Honors students continue to represent the best and the brightest on our campus
earning numerous awards and scholarships that are detailed in this newsletter. We welcomed in 12 new Honors students this year. This year’s cohort includes students with a
broad range of talents including a USC Aiken Women’s Basketball Player (Amaura
Brandt) and a highly skilled cellist (Micah Hurtt). These 12 students plan to pursue degrees in Nursing, Chemistry, History, Biology, Psychology, and Exercise Sports Science.
We also celebrated the graduation of 11 Honors students this year. Congratulations to
these students! Finally, we have an exciting new program that we are offering this year
called the Washington Semester Program. Details regarding this program are included
in this newsletter. I am very excited about our upcoming academic year! As always,
please contact me if I can help in any way!
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Thank you HSC members
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Honors lounge
2
Research Day
3
Graduating Seniors
3
Dr. Jordan hosts events
4
Outstanding Senior Student
4
In the News
5
Washington Semester
Program
5
Magellan /other awards
6
New course offerings
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And…
Welcome New
Members of the
Honors Steering Committee
Thank You!!!
We wish to thank the following out-going members of
the Honors Steering Committee for their service to the
Honors Program.
Joining the Honors Steering Committee in the
academic year 2013-2014:
Dr. William Harpine,
Department of Communications
Dr. Thayer McGahee
School of Nursing
Dr. Linda Heraldo-Gacad,
School of Nursing
Dr. Michelle Vieyra
Department of Biology/Geology
Dr. William Jackson,
Department of Biology/Geology
Dr. Charmaine Wilson
Department of Communications
A hearty THANK YOU to all of you for your invaluable
service to the Honors Program!
Improvements to the Honors Students Lounge
T
he “Lair”, as it is known to the Honors program students, is a coat of paint, colors chosen by the students. There was work
favorite locale on campus for these hardworking students.
done on the computers and adjustments to temperature control.
A new coffee pot, specialty creamers, and replacement office
supplies were also added that should make this a more inviting
space.
This lounge is a key benefit for the Honors students and they
make it their own very personal place. This includes decorations
to the room at various times . The Halloween door this year was
certainly a creative triumph! (Thanks Amy He)
The Honors program faculty and staff listen to requests from
those using the lounge and try very hard to implement ways to
make this an even better and more comfortable place.
An improvement to this space in the past year included a new
New Honors program T-shirts provided to all incoming students
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Research Day 2013
A
Silver Medal in Oral Presentations
For Humanities/Social Sciences won by
Honors Students
Brianna Arnone and Jennifer Gilmore
pril 12th was the date of Research Day 2013.
More than 40 students participated in one of
the three presentation categories; Oral Presentations
in Humanities and Social Sciences, Oral Presentations
in Sciences, and Posters.
The Student Activities Center was a busy place with
students making presentations and displaying posters
all afternoon until the awards ceremony at 4:00 pm.
Many of the faculty and staff worked hard to make
this event a success, and everyone involved is grateful
for the continued support of Research Day by USC
Aiken alumna, Ms. Celeste Suggs.
The following Honors students gave presentations at
Research Day: Brianna Arnone, Jennifer Gilmore,
Michelle Pakla, Kayla Pruitte, Tayler Rodgers,
Katherine Layne, Stephan Albrecht, Karlota Duffy,
Rachel Roberts, Priscilla Simon and Emily Bush.
English majors Brianna Arnone and Jennifer Gilmore
collaborated on an oral presentation. The title of
their project was “A Poet, A Potter, And A
Slave” (faculty mentor, Dr. Thomas Mack). Congratulations to these Honors Students on their Award, the
Silver Medal in the Humanities and Social Sciences
category!
Brianna Arnone and
Jennifer Gilmore with
award presenter
Dr. Jeff Priest,
Executive Vice Chancellor
For Academic Affairs
Recognition for Graduating Senior Honors Students
At Academic Convocation, to signify successful completion of the USC Aiken Honors Program, all graduating Seniors
were presented with plaques. Honors pins and stoles to wear at graduation were given to these students at the
Honors Reception hosted by Chancellor Jordan .
Graduating Senior Honors Students
Bradleigh C. Birchmore—Fall 2012
Brianna E. Arnone—Spring 2013
Asheeba Baksh—Spring 2013
Anna E. Blizard—Spring 2013
Emily R. Bush—Spring 2013
Karlota T. Duffy—Spring 2013
Tomas Greizinger—Spring 2013
Olivia K. Melton—Spring 2013
Frank B. Morris—Spring 2013
Michelle M. Pakla—Spring 2013
Priscilla S. Simon—Spring 2013
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In her first year as Chancellor, Dr. Sandra J. Jordan hosted two events for
the students in the Honors Program.
On October 9, 2012 the VIP Room in the Convocation Center was the location of “Honors Dinner with the Chancellor” for the new Honors cohort.
Dr. Jordan also hosted a reception for all Honors students on May 1, 2013
in the SAC Mezzanine. On this occasion, the graduating seniors were presented with Honors pins and stoles.
Tomas
Greizinger
Outstanding
Senior
Student
Planning to go on to graduate
school in this country, Tomas is
grateful for the opportunity he was
given here at USCA Aiken.
Besides doing extremely well in his
courses of study, Greizinger has
been active in many student and
community organizations during
his stay here. He is on the Student
In May of 2013, Tomas Greizinger Advisory Board for USC Aiken’s
graduated summa cum laude from School of Business Administration
USC Aiken with a Bachelor of Scion which he has been both Vice
ence degree in business adminPresident and President. He has
istration.
also been a member of the Student
Scholar. He has studied abroad in
USC Aiken has an ongoing relation- Government Association and
Berlin and Prague and speaks five
served this year as a Chancellor’s
ship with Mr. Greizinger’s
languages: Slovak, English, Czech,
hometown, Stara Lubovna in Slo- Ambassador.
Polish, and German.
vakia. Tomas is the fifth student
Recipient of the Hallman Values
from his hometown who has
Congratulations to this Honors
Award in 2012, inducted into the
attended USC Aiken, and the
Student on an exemplary academic
Robert E. Alexander Leadership
fourth of these students to receive Hall of Fame in 2013, Tomas also
career here at USC Aiken!
the Outstanding Senior award
received an undergraduate
(including his older brother Brano). research grant as a Magellan
Samuel LaMunion
elected Student
Government
President for
AY 2013-2014
Honors Students’ Special Participation in
Commencement Exercises
Remarks by Senior Student—Tomas Greizinger
University Mace—Samuel R. Lamunion
Academic Banner—College of Sciences—
Breanna K. Marshall
Student Marshals—Samantha L. Lisek and
Kayla E. Pruitte
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Honors
Students in the
News
student who spent 8 years in the Air
Force before coming to USC Aiken.
The front page of the Living on the Go
section of the
Chemistry major Adam Port was
Aiken Standard
awarded the Ronald E. McNair Distincarried an artiguished Scholar Award for
cle called “Fairy
“exemplifying the spirit of hard work,
Tales” in which
dedication, and
Kayla Pruitte,
excellence in all
Communicaaspects of his
tions major, was
work”. His
quoted in length since she had reMcNair research searched in depth how fairy tales
project was tiaffect the material Hollywood productled “What the es in her Honors enriched English
Fukushima
class. Pruitte believes that, having run
Should We Do: Analyzing the Costs of out of original ideas, Hollywood is
the Fukushima Daiichi Disaster and
simply rewriting old fairy tales making
Japan’s Reaction”. An article in the
them more sexualized and more relaAiken Standard featured this Honors
tionship based.
Honors student Olivia Melton, also a
Communications major,
was noticed by
the press for her
contributions to
a fund raising
event called
“The Upside
Downs of Aiken”
to bring awareness of those affected
by Down Syndrome. Parents and professionals came together to support
each other and to educate the public
concerning Down Syndrome.
An Exciting New Opportunity for Our Students:
The Washington Semester Program
the monuments, explore the museums, and experience the
international flavor of the world's most powerful capital.
Administered by the
South Carolina Honors
College at the University of South Carolina
Columbia, the South
Carolina Washington
Semester Internship
Program (WSP) gives
students in universities and colleges
across the state of South Carolina the opportunity to spend a
semester working and taking classes in Washington DC, gaining
valuable experience while earning academic credit toward their
degrees.
The WSP is a state-wide program available to qualified students
attending 14 different universities in South Carolina. Students
must be Honors students to participate, but this program is
open to all majors.
There are 12 placements per year; nine of these placements are
with U.S. Senators or Congressmen from South Carolina. Other
positions range from History majors interning at the Smithsonian to Sociology majors working with the Children’s Defense
Fund.
Students that are chosen from USC Aiken will spend a semester
in D.C. Housing will be provided that is only a couple blocks from
the Supreme Court. Students will pay USC Columbia tuition and
housing which is only slightly higher than USC Aiken. Students
will also receive a $2500 stipend for participation in the program. While in D.C., students will complete 15 credit hours of
coursework. Two of the classes can be used at USC Aiken for
General Education Humanities and Social Sciences credit.
In DC, Washington Semester Program Fellows get firsthand experience with the political process, obtaining skills that will help
prepare them for careers in virtually any sphere. In the past,
Washington Semester Program Fellows have attended important events, such as the inauguration ceremonies, White
House arrival ceremonies for visiting head of states, joint sessions of Congress, and arguments before the Supreme Court.
Recent seminars have featured meetings with White House personnel, the Deputy Attorney General, cabinet secretaries, senior
TV network correspondents, lobbyists, embassy officials and
other national leaders. Students also meet interesting and influential people, establishing contacts for personal and professional networking. But it's not all work! Students have time to tour
An informational session will be held on Friday, Aug. 30, 2013 at
1:00 pm (B&E room 140). The application deadline for spring
2014 is Thursday, September 19, 2013. For more information,
visit the following website: http://schc.sc.edu/
thehonorsexperience/academics/
washingtonsemesterprogram.aspx
(Description of the WSP from the USC Honors College Website)
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Honors students continue to earn top awards across campus and throughout the
USC system. In the academic year 2012-2013, USC Aiken had eleven students selected as Magellan Scholars. Three of these were Honors program members. Brianna
Arnone, Jennifer Gilmore, and Taylor Rodgers were recognized as Magellan Scholars in the Fall of 2012. This program enriches the academic experience of undergraduates through research opportunities in all disciplines of study.
And other awards…..
At Academic Convocation in April of 2013 Tomas Greizinger, Samuel Lamunion, and Olivia Melton received Who’s
Who Awards for the year 2012—2013.
Outstanding Student of English—Frank B. Morris
Outstanding Student of Philosophy—Michelle Pakla
Outstanding Student of Studio Art—Michelle Pakla
Outstanding Student of Mathematics and Computer Science—Dillon Gooding
Also at Academic Convocation, Dr. Edward J. Callen, Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychology and a
member of the Honors Steering Committee, was presented the University Service Award.
Congratulations to all!!!
HONS 101 Fall 2013
“Introductory Cultural Studies of China” (Dr. Linda Wang)
MW 1-2:15 in H&SS 215
Humanities. (3) (Prereq: Admission to Honors Program) The HONS 101 course is
the common first-year course of the Honors Program. It is offered each academic year and is meant to introduce students to the craft and concepts involved in
interdisciplinary knowledge production. This year, we are offering “Introductory
Cultural Studies of China”. This course is designed to expose students to the very
fundamentals of Chinese culture. The course will also explore the geographic
uniqueness of China, which has influenced China’s agriculture and population
settlement patterns. Current economic reform and government policies of China
will also be discussed.
technology behind genetic engineering will be introduced in a way that is appropriate for all majors. Students will be asked to use critical thinking to analyze
some of the studies addressing the potential environmental and health risks of
GMOs.
HONS 201F Spring 2014
“Sustainability and Education”, (Dr. Laura Quaynor),
From college campuses to city halls, from boardrooms to bedrooms, sustainability is the latest “mega-trend.” Within the field of education, the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has identified the
current decade (2005-2014) the decade of sustainability in order “to integrate
the principles, values, and practices of sustainable development into all aspects
of education and learning in order to address the social, economic, cultural and
environmental problems we face in the 21st century.”
HONS 201D Fall 2013
“South by Southwest”, (Dr. Drew Geyer), W 11-11:50, H&SS 216
The South and the Southwest are two of the most storied regions of the United
States. Both culturally and historically, these two regions have done much to
shape the American experience. This course will compare and contrast the
South and Southwest by exploring their respective depictions in film and in
fiction.
HONS 201G Spring 2014
“Human Rights in the Information Age”, (Prof. Natalia Bowdoin)
This course will examine basic concepts of the human rights framework and the
ways in which new developments in information technology have hindered,
helped, or raised new issues for human rights actors, researchers, perpetrators
and victims of human rights abuses. Topics will include, but are not limited to:
freedom of expression, access to information, censorship, the "digital divide",
privacy concerns, intellectual property rights, rights of assembly and association,
the "youtube effect", hate speech, women's rights, minority rights, the cyber-sex
trade, the impact of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), security and terrorism.
HONS 201E Fall 2013
“Genetically Modified Organisms: Promise or Peril?”, (Dr. Nathan
Hancock), Th 1:40-2:55, Sci 213
(Starting on Aug. 22, 2013 and ending on November 7, 2013)
This colloquium will expose students to the science and debate associated with
the development and use of genetically modified organisms (GMO). The basic
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Honors Program
USC Aiken
471 University Parkway
Aiken SC 29801
Honors students participate in a unique learning community that enjoys small classes and independent
study under the direction of USC Aiken's best teacher-scholars in a program that cultivates critical thinking,
analysis and creative expression.
Our Honors Program is a
proud member of the
National Collegiate
Honors Council
Honors Program Director
Dr. Chad L. Leverette
ChadL@usca.edu
803 641 3291
The 2013-2014 Honors Program Steering Committee:
Dr. Ed Callen
Dr. Drew Geyer
Dr. Doug Kuck
Dr. Thayer McGahee
Dr. Sanela Porca
Dr. Windy Schweder
Dr. Michelle Vieyra
Dr. Charmaine Wilson
To Keep in Mind….
All Honors students will get together for the first meeting of the year on Wednesday, August 21 from 2 to 3:30 pm
in the Business and Education Building room 140. This meeting will provide an opportunity to meet and welcome
new Honors students, get news about fall Honors events, and receive a copy of the 2013-2014 Honors handbook. All
Honors students are required to attend.
If you are a rising senior, you should have already submitted your Capstone intent form in the spring semester. Remember that you must submit your Honors Capstone proposal by midsemester of the semester before you graduate. You will need to complete and submit the Capstone Project Proposal Form which can be found at
http://web.usca.edu/honorsprogram/honorscourses.dot. Graduating seniors will present their work late
in the semester they graduate.
For all Honors Students who will be here for academic year 2013-2014….Please provide us with a photo, which we
can use on the webpage listing Honors students and also so that we have something to use in various publications
(like this one!). You can email a photo to Dr. Leverette at ChadL@usca.edu or to Dale McCarthy at
DaleM@usca.edu. Thanks!
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Established in 1991 and expanded in 2005, USC Aiken's Honors Program offers academically talented,
highly motivated students opportunities for enriched learning experiences both in and outside the
classroom.
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