HP student Leslie Hamby's Independent Project is part of a report on state-wide methamphetamine abuse commissioned by UK President Lee T. Todd, Jr. Get more details on this report here. Leslie is now in her third year as a pharmacy student at UK.

Dr. Bill Rayens of the Honors Program and Statistics department was selected as a Chellgren Endowed Professor. Chellgren Professors are UK faculty members who are outstanding teachers and researchers, each with a compelling interest in undergraduate innovation and excellence. To be named a Chellgren Endowed Professor, a faculty member must propose a specific innovative project aligned with the mission of the Chellgren Center that will be the focus of the professor's scholarly agenda during his or her tenure as a Chellgren Professor.

The Office of Undergraduate Education is very pleased to announce that Dr. Frank Ettensohn, Professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, has agreed to serve as the next Director of the Honors Program. In addition to his record as an accomplished researcher, Dr. Ettensohn's two most distinguishing attributes are his teaching experience and his administrative background; each will benefit the Honors Program. Dr. Ettensohn has garnered a reputation as an extraordinary teacher who brings great passion to undergraduate education. His record reflects a broad and diverse commitment to teaching. Dr. Ettensohn's distinguished career as a teacher-scholar and his diverse service and administrative experience at UK afford the Program the kind of distinguished leadership that the Honors Program deserves.

The Honors Program is pleased to have the support of UK Faculty across disciplines in student research. For a full list of HP Independent Project Advisors for 2007-2008, click here.

Incoming Honors students should mark their calendars for the following orientation events:

• Friday, August 1, Saturday August 2 -- HPSC Summer Luau. (Attendance is optional but highly recommended.) Informal Friday-Saturday overnight for new Honors Program students. Students stay in the Honors dorm and participate in mini-colloquia (discussion-based seminars) and social activities. Contact Lesley Mann for more information.
• Saturday, August 23: 9:00 - 10:30 a.m., Singletary Center for the Arts -- Coffee and Donuts Family & Faculty Orientation. (Attendance is optional but highly recommended.) Meet other student and their families; be introduced to the Honors Program faculty and staff; get some useful tips about a successful start in the Honors Program and at UK.
• Tuesday, August 26: 5:00 - 7:00 p.m., Classroom Building, Room 106 -- New Honors Student Orientation/Pizza Party. (Attendance is Mandatory.) Gather to meet the professor of your Honors class, meet your fellow students, eat pizza, and discuss Anne Lamott's "Bird by Bird" which you should have purchased and read.

All students are required to sign up for the Honors Program listserv to receive important announcements via email. I recommend that students use their university-assigned email address for this list. To sign up, simply send a message to listserv@lsv.uky.edu with "SUBSCRIBE HONORSPROGRAM firstname lastname" in the body (leave out the quotes and substitute your name!). You will receive a confirmation email which will contain a link that confirms your subscription to the list.

The Honors Program Mentoring Program gives incoming Honors students the opportunity to get informal advice, guidance, and friendship from a current HP student through shared attendance at Honors Program lectures, movie nights, and social events. If you'd like to be matched up with a current Honors Program student to get the inside scoop on all things Honors and UK-related, please email Meg Marquis with your name, email address, dorm for Fall 08, major, and interests/hobbies, by July 1, 2008.

View the Fall 2008 Proseminars schedules.