Dr. Jennifer Nelson to lead Honors Program

Dr. Jennifer Nelson, professor in the Department of English, has been appointed director of the Honors Program. Dr. Nelson succeeds Dr. Shirley Shultz Myers, long-time director of the Honors Program.

Dr. Nelson brings a wealth of knowledge to the Honors Program after decades of experience within the program itself, as former chair of the English department, and involvement in numerous committees including the Honors Council. Her deep commitment to interdisciplinary teaching and curiosity in various disciplines and connections between the fields, and creativity will continue to strengthen the Honors Program. This interdisciplinary work is evidenced in her publications in Shakespeare, British literature, modern culture, manual rhetoric, Deaf studies and disability studies. Service learning and community engagement with social justice and inclusivity are among the important values that Dr. Nelson brings to the program, along with fostering increased faculty connections with Honors students and how to create a robust social and intellectual community.

The selection committee for this position consisted of Dr Khadijat Rashid, Dr. Paige Franklin, Dr. Deborah Schooler, Dr. Geoffrey Whitebread, and Dr. Miako Villanueva.