What Former Students have to Say about Murray State Honors
Honors participation places you in an environment of intelligent, highly-motivated individuals,
something which is just as valuable as the curriculum itself. The confluence of different outlooks,
backgrounds, and opinions serves to expand one's own horizon. This expansion helps to develop
empathy, communication, and other social skills that are valuable long after the program itself is over. - Eli Hooten, PhD, Chief Technology Officer, GameWisp, Inc.
The Socratic method employed in Honors seminars afforded me the opportunity to better develop my
writing and critical thinking skills. Writing the thesis my senior year was particularly beneficial. In
graduate school, I write numerous scientific critiques and grants. The thesis encouraged me to think
about how to construct scientific language and to think critically about my research. – Rebecca
Cunningham, Amgen Scholar in Cellular Biology at Washington University, NSF Fellowship Winner
Honors at Murray provided me with a positive learning environment and support system of other
talented students to rely on throughout undergraduate study. Such lasting friendships and networks
help this generation of college students become the next generation of leaders in their field. -- Jessica
Moore, Ph.D. Candidate at Vanderbilt University Department of Chemistry
Murray State's Honors Program allowed me to work closely with professors and mentors and to
interact regularly with like-minded but intellectually-challenging peers. HP used the same model that I
would later encounter in my PhD training. In short, Honors at Murray laid the groundwork for my career.
– Scott Morgan, Assistant Professor of Psychology, Drew University
The most memorable discussions of my college career were all with students or professors in
Honors. The classes, conferences, and road trips lend themselves to “getting to know you”
conversations that are a lot deeper than just small talk. – Sarah Rivers Cofield, Federal Curator,
Maryland Archeological Conservation Laboratory
The Honors curriculum better prepared me for graduate coursework in electrical engineering. Many of
the seminars focused on developing critical thinking and communication skills, both through active
discussions in the classroom and scholarly writing, which allowed me to better develop and
communicate my own research effectively. These skills gave me a significant advantage in graduate
school, and continue to pay dividends today. -- NIck Hooten, PhD Electrical Engineering.
I studied Kant and Goethe in Germany, presented academic work in New Orleans and Chicago, and
discussed most classwork in small groups. The amazing thing was that I was able to do all this at a
regional university. – Major Mike Arnett, MD, FS, DMO, Battalion Surgeon, 1st BN, 5th SFG
The small, seminar type class setting offered in Honors helped prepare me for the engagement and
participation levels expected in my graduate programs.
- Dr. Whitney Peake, Vitale Professor of Entrepreneurship, Western Kentucky University
The Honors seminar environment promotes scholarly debate and discussion covering a wide range of
topics. Participating in an organization that promotes this kind of intellectual diversity and allows
students the freedom to really engage with the classroom material was a critical part of my
undergraduate experience, and was extremely beneficial to my graduate coursework and career. –
Lauren Allard, MPA, Consultant with Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse
Services