On Friday, September 22nd, roughly 15 Honors students joined Dr. Kevin Fridy in the McKay Hall common room for a coffee conversation. In this more intimate setting, the students discussed, “How are power, privilege, and politics reflected in disaster vulnerability?” Over coffee, tea, and muffins, the students engaged in a conversation about the topic, which was tied directly to the recent experiences all of the participants had with Hurricane Irma.
Honors BBQ Social
To welcome new Honors Program students to UT, the Honors Program Directors, with the help of the Honors Council and the Honors Office staff, organized a BBQ Social at the new Honors dorm, McKay Hall. The social was catered by Holy Hog BBQ, an award winning Tampa based restaurant. We had a DJ, games, and great food. Over 250 students showed up to enjoy this welcome event.
Making News – Ally Marter
UT Honors student and Marine Science major, Ally Marter, was recently highlighted on the UT home page for her work this summer with SeaTrek. Marter was the lead biologist for a group of 150 high school students who lived on boats and spent their time scuba diving, sailing, hiking, and studying marine science.
Honors Activities- The Bruce R. Jacob-Chris W. Altenbernd Criminal Appellate American Inn of Court
Eight UT Honors students recently began their involvement with the Bruce R. Jacob-Chris W. Altenbernd Criminal Appellate American Inn of Court. Inns of Court are organizations designed to improve the skills and abilities of lawyers, judges, and, in some cases, law students. Thanks to connections UT faculty have with the Bruce R. Jacob-Chris W. Altenbernd Criminal Appellate American Inn of Court, UT pre-law students in the Honors Program are able to attend the Inn of Court.
Faculty member Kristen Foltz recently sent the following about the students’ orientation this semester:
On a personal note, I saw several of them speaking with a few of the judges from the Second District Court of Appeal (2nd DCA) last night. I was very impressed by our students’ professionalism. They handled the pressure beautifully and one judge even encouraged them to apply for internships at the courthouse!
Conferences – Caitlin Nordheim
This summer I had the incredible opportunity to present my research on the morphology of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, a highly contagious pathogenic fungus that is causing mass amphibian decline worldwide, at the Ecological Society of America’s Annual Meeting in Portland, OR. I was able to attend thanks to funding from UT’s Honors Program. Through various poster presentations, oral sessions, and symposia, I was exposed to a broad variety of current ecological research. In between the organized talks, I got to meet scientists from all over the country and was able to inquire about their research methods, backgrounds, and ask for advice for the future. While I have presented my research at a regional undergraduate conference in the past, it was a very different experience at the national level. While presenting my poster, I got to network and brainstorm with established scientists about future work and potential collaboration. Overall, the Ecological Society of America’s Annual Meeting helped me to better prepare for my future science career.
Honors Symposia – Dan Walden – Pirates!
Making News – Maya Patel
UT Honors student Maya Patel was recently highlighted on the UT website for her summer trip volunteering with Global Dental Relief. Maya spent several weeks in Kenya helping with dental procedures for children.
