The Honors Program at Sweet Briar College The Honors Program at

The Honors Program
at Sweet Briar College
Fall 2013 • Alumni and Parent Newsletter
Welcome to a New Academic Year in Honors!
We are thrilled to welcome 80 new firstyear Honors students in the Class of 2017!
The Honors Program is off to a busy start
as always and we welcome this opportunity to share a few highlights of the program with Honors friends, alumni, and
the parents of current Honors students.
- Jill Nelson Granger (left), Director of The Honors Program and Julie
Hemstreet (right), The Honors Program Associate Administrator
Honors Program Students
Receive Many Awards at Opening Convocation
Honors Program students made a great showing at this year’s opening
convocation, which marks the official start of the academic year. The
All-College Awards recognize students in all class years.
Lydia Ethridge ’15 and Laura Patlan ’16 were named Emilie Watts McVea
Scholars, given to the highest academically ranked student in their
respective classes; Khirsten Cook ‘15, was named a Manson Scholar
in recognition of her high academic standing, distinctive qualities of
leadership and contribution to student life; Lilian Tauber ’14, was
named a Mary Kendrick Benedict Scholar in recognition of her high
academic standing, personal integrity and service; Gabriela Herrera
’15 received the Mary MacKintosh Sherer Awarded given to rising juniors
who are recognized as leaders and scholars and posses outgoing and
cheerful qualities; Emily Dallas ’16 received the Rickards Award, given
to members of the sophomore class who demonstrate the potential for
leadership, academic excellence and community involvement.
Several Honors Program students also received departmental academic
prizes: Lydia Ethridge ’15 received the Laura Buckham Book Award
in recognition of excellence in
the French language; Allissa
Abdelwahed
’14
received
the Irene Mitchell Moore
Scholarship, given to students
who intend to pursue careers in
public service; Sarah Gray ’15
received the Kenmore Scholar
Award, given to a student
who is recognized by the
government department for
academic excellence.
- Award winners Khirsten Cook ‘15
and Gabby Herrera‘15 on their way
to Opening Convocation.
2013-2014
Pannell Honors Scholars
The sophomore class Anne Gary Pannell
Merit
Scholarship
awardees
have
embarked on their projects of research,
writing, personal and intellectual inquiry,
and career exploration. Eleven students
in the class of 2016 received a Pannell
scholarship that includes a merit award
applied to sophomore year tuition and
funds to carry out a project designed by
the student.
Jessica Barry is studying Latin epigraphs;
Emily Dallas is learning about and
volunteering with adaptive sports
organizations; Julia Eckstine is studying
eating disorders and learning about
advocacy for the disease; Lydia Fleck
is investigating the physics of sports;
Kiersten Garcia is developing training
guides for 4-H clubs in Virginia; Katriana
Jorgensen-Muga is traveling to Costa
Rica to investigate public health systems;
Emma Kiely is exploring and writing
about coffee and tea cultures; Mariah
Miller is learning about pony rescue
operations and advocacy; Sarah Nunn
is researching the phenomenon of
“fanfiction”; Laura Patlan is studying far
eastern ceramics; Caroline Shepard is
traveling to Costa Rica to investigate the
basics of medicine in another culture.
- Award winner Lilian Tauber ‘14, at the
Ice Cream Social after the ceremony
The Honors Program at Sweet Briar College • Fall 2013 Alumni and Parent Newsletter
Honors Program GraduatesWhere are they now?
Kathryn Alexander, Class of 2011,
completed a Fulbright English Teaching
Assistantship in Turkey and is now a
graduate student at Duke University.
She is a second year student in the PhD
program in Political Science at Duke.
Kat was recently caught on video at
an SBC soccer game talking about
anchovies, hazelnuts, and soccer...
among other things. Check it out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDdSnJqIzpI
Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference
of Undergraduate Scholarship
The 15th annual MARCUS Conference was
held on campus Saturday, October 12.
More than 90 students from 17 colleges,
including Sweet Briar, participated in the
presentation sessions throughout the day.
The conference provides a forum for our
students to showcase their research and
to gain first-hand experience in hosting
an academic conference. It also provides
a wonderful opportunity for visiting
families to see and experience academic
engagement in action!
First Year Honors KIVA Project
This fall, first year Honors students are engaged in a hands-on, mindson, service project that connects them to the world and to each other.
Honors teamed up with the y:1 program to set up a project that
introduces students to the KIVA organization. Funded by a generous
grant from President Jo Ellen Parker, the KIVA project is teaching
students about micro- lending as well as the geography and culture of
people who are served by the KIVA organization. Each student made
a micro-loan of $25, through KIVA.org, to a woman in a developing
country, to help achieve her goal of educating herself or her children,
starting or expanding a small business, or helping to improve her village
or community. Through this experience students have the opportunity
to think reflectively about their own personal priorities and missions,
and, in sharing these values-based decisions, to learn more about their
new Sweet Briar friends and classmates. The project also connects
the Honors Program students to one of the most important goals of a
Sweet Briar education: “Sweet Briar College prepares women to be
productive, responsible members of a world community.”
- Jessica Barry ’16
- Kaitlyn Cartwright ’14
- Marcelle Coronel ‘17
Honors Program Student Council
We welcome Savanna Klein to The Honors Program Student Council this fall! Savannah is a new Class of 2016 representative. The
HPSC is going to be sponsoring a panel discussion to help first year
students understand the final exam process at the college level,
and the particulars of finals at SBC. The HPSC has two main goals
for this year: to support students' academic endeavors and to build
community within the Honors Program and at the College.
- Maria Cuevas ’14 (center)
The Honors Program at Sweet Briar College • Fall 2013 Alumni and Parent Newsletter
Honors Summer Research
Eleven students and ten faculty mentors spent eight weeks on campus this summer engaged in research and scholarship
across the disciplines. Students were housed in the Green Village and enjoyed the time for focus provided by summer
research. The director of the 2013 Honors Summer Research Program was Dan Gottlieb, associate professor of psychology,
who completed his two-year term this summer. Tony Lilly, assistant professor of English, was selected as the next director
and he will lead the program in 2014 and 2015.
Ashley Baker '15, worked with chemistry professor Rob Granger on "Artificial Photosynthesis: A Study of Novel Copper Catalysts"
Kaitlyn Cartwright '14, worked with chemistry professor Abraham Yousef on "The Synthesis of Novel Phenanthroline
Derivatives"
Rebecca Dalley '14, worked with biology professor Janet Steven on "Evidence for Low Genetic Variation in Interrupted Fern, and Implications for Clonal Growth"
Moriah Donaldson '15, worked with engineering professor Scott Pierce on "Phantom Limb Pain: A Different Approach
to Treating a Common Problem"
Anna Donko '14, worked with Spanish professor Pam DeWeese on "The Absurd Manifested through Humor in Virgilio
Piñera's Avant-Garde Theatre"
Katlyn Fleming '14, worked with chemistry professor Abraham Yousef on "Synthesis of Phenanthroline Derivatives
for Anticancer Studies"
DJ Gallagher '15, worked with classics professor Bryce Walker on "Examining the Relationship between Women's
Status and Healing in Hippocratic Medicine"
Jennifer Gray '13, worked with history professor Lynn Laufenberg and classics professor Eric Casey on "Sparring With
Stereotypes: Demystifying Women and Power in Antiquity"
Amy Kvien '15, worked with economics professor Sherry Forbes on "Bank Branching Trends in Urban Areas after the
Great Recession"
Fumin Li '15, worked with engineering professor Bethany Brinkman on "3D Visualization of Sweet Briar House Using
AutoCAD"
Lilian Tauber '14 worked with history professor Lynn Laufenberg on "American Values vs. American Interests: US
Foreign Policy in Egypt and Morocco"
Honors on Facebook!
The Honors Program supports a Facebook page and a Facebook group!
“Like” our Page to keep in touch
with news of interest. “Join” our
Group to get announcements about
upcoming events and news bits!
Who do you think is the biggest Fan
of the Honors Program? Share your
ideas with us on Facebook!
- Summer Honors (left to right) Kaitlyn Cartwright, Jennifer
Gray, Katlyn Fleming, Rebecca Dalley, Ashley Baker, Moriah Donaldson, Amy Kvien, Anna Donko, Lilian Tauber, DJ Gallagher
The Honors Program at Sweet Briar College • Fall 2013 Alumni and Parent Newsletter
Senior Honors Thesis Research
Twelve seniors are pursuing a Senior Honors Thesis Research project in their major. Students who successfully
complete the challenging, year-long thesis project are awarded Departmental Honors in their major and are
recognized at commencement.
Spencer Beall (French) - “From Revolution to Renaissance: Examining the Resurgence of French Cultural Pride
Through the Establishment of France’s First Museums”
Anna Donko (Spanish/modern languages) “New Female Voices in Spanish American Theater”
Kaitlyn Cartwright (chemistry) - “Anti-Cancer Drug Design: Combination Compounding”
Katlyn Fleming (biochemistry and molecular biology) – “Anti-Cancer Drugs: Nutrient Tagging”
Kathleen McGregor (international affairs) “China’s Actions in East Asia and the Effect on the International System”
Emma Merritt-Cuneo (international affairs) “Examining the Political and Social Origins of Genocide in Bosnia”
Rebecca Merves (anthropology) “Fashion for Dogs: What it Reveals about Human-Animal Relationships”
Anna Richards (anthropology) “Food Talk: An Analysis of the Way Women Talk about Food”
Kaitlin Schaal (biology) “The Effect of Fluctuating Alkalinity on the Evolutionary Trajectory of Emiliana huxleyi”
Brieanah Schwartz (philosophy) “The Nature of Politics in Aristotle and Machiavelli”
Lilian Tauber (history) “The Dream Palace of the People: The Development of Political Rights in Egypt and Morocco”
Kathryn Zimmerhanzel (art history) – “Berlin’s Art World: History, Identity and the Market for Contemporary Art”
EXTRA! EXTRA!
- Hannah Beall ‘17
(above) and Kaitlin
Schaal ‘15 (left) along
with fellow Honors
students, Anna Donko
'14 and Emily Dallas
'16, sat on a panel to
talk about The Honors
Program during the
Williams Associates
Luncheon, held during
Homecoming and Parents Weekend.
- President Jo Ellen Parker
speaks to Terrerai Trent,
this year’s Common Reading
speaker who addressed the
y:1 and Honors students.
- For her work with the Honors
Summer Research Program,
Fumin Li ‘15 (left) created
a 3D model of Sweet Briar
House under the direction of
engineering instructor Bethany
Brinkman. The model can
eventually be used online for
historical preservation and
virtual tours.
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