Latest News

Congratulations to the Class of 2024!

Over the past four years, our Honors students have explored contemporary societal challenges from the perspective of their chosen discipline. They have actively engaged with course material, developed discipline-specific expertise, and applied their skills through their individual scholarly pursuits, culminating in an original capstone project.

We have no doubt that our Commonwealth Honors Scholars will play an integral part in making the world a better place and we look forward to their future accomplishments! Please join the Honors College in congratulating the Class of 2024!

Student News

During this year's Honors Convocation, the Jennifer W. Mulnix University Honors Program Service Award was presented to Fiona Marques. Each year, this award is presented to a student who has provided outstanding service to the Honors College during the academic year. Thank you, Fiona, and congratulations!

Research awards

The Honors College would like to congratulate the following students on receiving awards from the Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) and the Honors College to fund their proposals. We are so proud of you and cannot wait to see all the great things you discover!

Summer 2024

Ellie Cook – English and Communication

• Supervisor: Caroline Gelmi
• Title: Evolving Feminism in The Hunger Games Series

Amélie Duval – Chemistry and Biochemistry

• Supervisor: Sivappa Rasapalli
• Title: Microwave Mediated Synthesis of Quinazolinone Natural products of Peganum harmala for Medicinal Chemistry Applications

Elijah Facchiano – Chemistry and Biochemistry

• Supervisor: Sivappa Rasapalli
• Title: A Two-pronged Medchem Approach via Synthesis of Plumbagine Analogues for Anti-hyperglycemic and Anti-bacterial Applications

Fiona M. Marques – Psychology

• Supervisor: Judith Sims Knight
• Title: How do Psychologists and Therapists Develop Treatment Plans?

Anamika Menon – Mechanical Engineering

• Supervisor: Caiwei Shen
• Title:  Exploring the Activation of Carbon Fibers Fabrics for Application as Electrodes in Structural Supercapacitors

Abid Neron – Bioengineering

• Supervisor: Tracie Ferreira
• Title: Smart Microparticles for Targeted On-Demand Drug Delivery

Mia Oliveira – Biology

• Supervisor: Micheline S. Labrie
• Title: Quantifying Efficacy of a Floating Treatment Wetland in Long Pond, Centerville, MA

Mehul Puri – Bioengineering

• Supervisor: Milana Vasudev
• Title: Suicide Vectors for the Deletion of Gliding Gene, gldB in Cellulophaga Lytica

Hallie Thatcher – Nursing

• Supervisor: Mirinda Tyo
• Title: Symptoms of Burnout in Nurses Working During the Covid-19 Pandemic Compared to New Graduate Nurses Entering the Workforce after the Covid-19 Pandemic

Kayli Vieira – Chemistry and Biochemistry

• Supervisor: Wei-Shun Chang
• Title: Developing an Ultrasensitive Biosensor to Probe Proteins with Metallic Nanoparticles

Spring 2024

Veronica Bock – Bioengineering

• • Supervisor: Traci Ferreira
  • Title: Generating a Zebrafish with GFP Expression in the Heart

Mary Goodrow – Bioengineering

• Supervisor: Traci Ferreira
• Title: Examining the Effect of Vitamin D on Melanoma

Erica Leventhal – Nursing

• Supervisor: MaryElizabeth Vieira
• Title: Physical Activity Interventions in Middle-Aged Sedentary Women and Cardiovascular Disease

Chelsea Martinez – Nursing

• Supervisor: Kristen Sethares
• Title: Perceived Barriers to Medication Adherence in Latinos with Hypertension Using the World Health Organization Multidimensional Adherence Model

Mehul Puri – Bioengineering

• Supervisor: Milana Vasudev
• Title: Suicide Vectors for allelic exchange in Cellulophaga Lytica

Faith Unwin – Sociology

• Supervisor: Lisa Maya Knauer
• Title: The Impacts Green Spaces Have on Mental and Physical Health: Buttonwood Park and Riverside Park

Fall 2023

Maya Arruda – Biology

• Supervisor: Robert Drew
• Title: Gene Expression in Anemonefish: Bryoporin, Thioredoxin-Like Protein, and Epithelial Splicing Regulatory Protein 2

Aiden Morgado – Bioengineering

• Supervisor: Tracie Ferreira
• Title: Optimizing Fibroblast Growth Media to Differentiate into Osteoblasts

Alejandra Ponce Lopez – Psychology 

• Supervisor: Dr. Kristen Sethares
• Title: Imposter Syndrome and Diversity

Honors faculty and staff news

Selected by students, the APEX Mentor of the Year Award is presented annually to a faculty member who has provided outstanding mentorship to students working on their senior capstone project, the APEX. This year, this honor was presented to Professor Traci Ferreira during the Honors Convocation on April 24th. Thank you, Dr. Ferreira, and congratulations!

Chosen by the Honors Student Council, Kristin Kadlec was awarded the Robert G. Darst University Honors Program Service Award during this year's Honors Convocation. This award is given to a faculty or staff member in recognition of outstanding service to the Honors College during the academic year. Thank you, Kristin, and congratulations!

Dr. Alfonso Mercado visits Honors Abnormal Psychology Course!

Dr. Mercado, Psychology Professor at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, recently visited our Honors Abnormal Psychology students to discuss Trauma and Abuse in the U.S. Asylum and Immigration System: Realities of the U.S. Mexico Border.