Student Updates
Special Guest Lecture- Princeton University Professor, Stephen Kotkin
Join the National Merit Scholars and University Honors Program communities for a virtual talk delivered to the University of Idaho by renowned scholar of history and international affairs, Professor Stephen Kotkin (Princeton University), at 3-5 p.m. Tuesday, April 26, in TLC 050. Professor Kotkin’s talk is titled “Ukraine, Russia, China—and the World,” and could not be timelier. This event is delivered virtually in TCL 050 and the audience can interact with the guest speaker via the Zoom technology in the room.
Immediately following the talk, from 4:30-5 p.m., students and audience members will have a chance to chat about the talk with Dr. Erin Damman (Program of International Studies, and Faculty Fellow Distinguished Scholarships Program, University of Idaho) and enjoy light snacks.
Honors Thesis Presentations
Come support the Honors students who are completing their Honors thesis this semester! Honors thesis presentations are open to the public and free of charge.
Christopher Hoang: "Examination of the Variables Linking the Economy and Stock Market After a Financial Recession”
- Date/Time: 9 a.m. Monday, May 9, 2022
- Location: IRIC Step Auditorium
Trevor Woodward: “Non-classical Mereology and Metaphysical Explanation”
- Date/Time: 2 p.m. Monday, May 9, 2022
- Location: IRIC Step Auditorium
Melina Liedtke: “Genetic Monitoring of Sonoran Pronghorn (Antilocapra Americana sonoriensis)”
- Date/Time: TBD
- Location: TBD
Academics
Honors Academic Advising
Looking to meet with us for Honors Program Academic Advisement? Email honors@uidaho.edu to set up an appointment.
Fall 2022 Honors Courses
Read an updated list of Fall 2022 Honors courses.
Registration for Honors Program students opens at 3 p.m. Wednesday, April 13.
Having trouble registering for your honors course? Email honors@uidaho.edu for assistance.
Honors Program Co-Curriculars
The Looking Glass
Submit your work to The Looking Glass. They accept art, photography, poetry, short stories, research, etc., and are looking for people to submit their creative and academic works! Submit your piece, along with this form, to honors@uidaho.edu to be considered for the upcoming edition.
Student Ambassadors
We are looking for students to represent the University Honors Program at recruiting events! Serving as an Honors Student Ambassador for two semesters is an approved Engaged Learning Experience.
If you have a semester under your belt at the University of Idaho and are interested in the opportunity to become an Honors Student Ambassador, email honors@uidaho.edu.
Distinguished Scholarships
Announcing a New Critical Language Scholarship
Interested in Learning Arabic, Chinese or Russian? CLS Spark is a pilot virtual initiative for U.S. undergraduate students to learn languages essential to America’s engagement with the world. Designed to leverage best practices in online language learning developed by the CLS Program during the pandemic, CLS Spark provides American students the access and opportunity to start their language learning journeys even when these critical languages may not be offered on their campuses or when they may have responsibilities that limit their ability to go overseas. Participants will spend an academic year learning either Arabic, Chinese or Russian through online classes and activities facilitated by native speakers at a host institution abroad.
A program of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, the Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program and CLS Spark are part of a U.S. government initiative to expand the number of Americans studying and mastering foreign languages that are critical to national security and economic prosperity.
The application is now live and available online.
Applications are due by 5 p.m. Pacific time Thursday, May 26, 2022.
If you are interested in this opportunity, reach out to Dr. Damman for more details at dsp@uidaho.edu.
Upcoming Distinguished Scholarships Deadlines
CLS Spark
CLS Spark is a pilot virtual initiative for U.S. undergraduate students to learn languages essential to America’s engagement with the world. Designed to leverage best practices in online language learning developed by the CLS Program during the pandemic, CLS Spark provides American students the access and opportunity to start their language learning journeys even when these critical languages may not be offered on their campuses or when they may have responsibilities that limit their ability to go overseas. Participants will spend an academic year learning either Arabic, Chinese or Russian through online classes and activities facilitated by native speakers at a host institution abroad. Participants in CLS Spark will receive automatic consideration as semifinalists for the CLS Program’s 2023 overseas summer institutes, if they choose to apply.
Website: clscholarship.org/spark; Foundation Deadline: May 26, 2022
Mitchell Scholarship
Full-cost scholarship for 1 year of post-bachelor’s degree research or study in any discipline offered at any university in the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, have earned a bachelor’s degree before beginning study as a Mitchell Scholar, and be 18-29 years of age on Oct. 1.
Website: us-irelandalliance.org/scholarships.html; Campus Deadline: Aug. 26, 2022; Foundation Deadline: Sept. 30, 2022
Fulbright U.S. Student Program
Full-cost grants in participating countries outside the U.S. for individually designed study/research projects or for English Teaching Assistant Programs. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, have earned a bachelor’s degree before obtaining the grant, and have proficiency in the language of the host country, if required. University must evaluate candidate.
Website: fulbrightonline.org/; Campus Deadline: Sept. 6, 2022; Foundation Deadline: Oct. 11, 2022
Schwarzman Scholars Program
Full-cost scholarship for one-year master’s program at Tsinghua University in Beijing in one of three disciplines: public policy, economics and business, international studies. All classes will be taught in English. Applicants must have demonstrated academic excellence and leadership potential and be at least 18 but not yet 28 years of age. No citizenship or nationality requirements.
Website: schwarzmanscholars.org/; Foundation Deadline: Sept. 20, 2022
Interested in Exploring Your Options?
Are you interested in learning more about the Distinguished Scholarships Program and identifying prestigious scholarship opportunities that may fit your interests and qualifications? If so, please feel free to join the program coordinator, Dr. Damman, for her noon to 3 p.m. Wednesday open office hours in ISUB 321. Learn more about the Distinguished Scholarships Program or email Dr. Damman at dsp@uidaho.edu.
Community Corner
Become a McNair Scholar
The McNair Scholar program is for low-income first generation and/or underrepresented students who are interested in pursuing graduate school. McNair Scholars receive resources and tools to successfully continue in graduate degree programs. Some of the benefits include:
- Research experience
- Faculty mentorship
- Preparation for graduate and doctoral study
- Summer internships
- Introduction to culturally responsive research
- Workshops based on Indigenous pedagogies
- Graduate school access skills
The application deadline to become a McNair Scholar is Friday, April 29, 2022.
Funding Opportunity for Undergraduate Research
Applications for the IHHE Research and Extension Experiences for Undergraduates (REEU) mini-grant awards for 2022 are being accepted until the deadline of 5 p.m. Wednesday, May 4, 2022.
Eligibility: U of I undergraduate students must be enrolled full time in any major. Qualified students must have completed coursework for the first year of their majors, with a minimum of 16 credit hours of STEM-based courses.
Award and Conditions: Awards consist of $500 or $1,000 to support research projects. We anticipate offering as many as 10 awards at $500 and five awards at $1,000.
Applicants must be working with a faculty or industry mentor to develop and submit a research proposal focused on plant, animal or human health in complex, managed ecosystems. While applications must be broadly relevant to this topic, we will consider applications from any area of STEM. The award can support a project to be conducted during summer 2022 or fall 2022.
Awards may be used to support research (supplies, instrument time, travel to field sites, etc.) but cannot be used to support travel to conferences for research presentations (for this we direct you to the Office of Undergraduate Research travel grant program).
SI-PASS is Hiring
Are you a student with strong academic performance who wants to help your peers succeed? The SI-PASS (Supplemental Instruction-Peer Assisted Study Sessions) program is recruiting SI-PASS Leaders for the Fall 2022 semester! This is a great opportunity for you to get paid to provide academic support to your peers in challenging courses, develop partnerships with faculty, and gain leadership skills in an important role at the University of Idaho. Below are some of the qualifications:
- Overall GPA of 3.0 or above
- An A or B in the selected course
- Full semester commitment and ability to attend supported course
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
- Passion for providing academic support to students
Current courses in need of SI-PASS Leaders:
- ANTH 100
- BIOL 114, BIOL 115, BIOL 227
- CS 120
- MATH 143, MATH 160, MATH 170
- STAT 251
You can apply on Handshake: SI-PASS Leader Position. Priority deadline is Friday, April 15, so apply as soon as possible to be considered!