JMU Honors College

We are thrilled to welcome Allison Fagan to her new role as Associate Dean of the Honors College! 🎉

Allison comes to us from the English department, where she taught courses in contemporary Latina/o and African American literature. She has also researched and taught about the challenges writers of color meet in the publishing industry. She brings a wealth of knowledge and passion with her, and we have no doubt she’ll make an amazing impact on the Honors community!

We are so thankful to Fawn-Amber Montoya for her time with us at the Honors College. Dr. Montoya served as our Honors Associate Dean for 5 years, and after guiding us with wisdom and dedication, she’s stepping into a new chapter to dive deeper into her research and teaching in the JMU History Department. Please join us in thanking her for her transformative leadership and wishing her the best in this exciting new journey! 💜💛

If you have a favorite memory with Dr. Montoya, share it in the comments below!

Please join us in welcoming John W. Lee II to his new role as our Honors Director of Engagement and Assessment! 🎉

John started as the Assessment Specialist and Doctoral Assistant for the Honors College in the Fall of 2022. Since then, he’s become an integral part of our team. From his experience as a commissioned officer in the United States Armed Forces to his strong academic record, John brings a wealth of experience and passion to his new role. We’re thrilled to see the positive impact he’ll make!

We are incredibly grateful to Alysia Davis for her years of dedicated service to the JMU Honors College as our Director of Student Engagement. Her passion, commitment, and guidance have made such a lasting impact on our community. As she embarks on her new adventure as the First Lady of Fairmont State University, we wish her all the best! 💜💛

Do you have a favorite memory with Dr. Davis? Share it in the comments below!

Congratulations to our Honors College Graduates!

Last Thursday, we recognized our graduates at the Honors Medallion Ceremony, which is held at the end of each semester. Thank you to all attendees for celebrating our graduates with us!

Graduates, your dedication and academic excellence have led you to this momentous achievement. Embrace the opportunities ahead. We look forward to seeing the impact you will make in your chosen fields — we can't wait to see what the future has in store for you!

Happy summer break, JMU Honors! A huge shoutout to our incredible student workers and staff for their dedication and hard work throughout the year! You've made this semester amazing, and we're incredibly proud of you. Can't wait to reunite with everyone in the fall! 🎉💜💛

JMU Honors took a field trip to Montpelier this past weekend! They explored and learned about the histories and legacies of James and Dolley Madison, the Enslaved Community, and the Constitution! Thanks everyone for coming out!

Graduating Seniors ONLY are invited to attend a meet-and-greet event with Honors College alumni! Each attendee may bring a guest. Snacks will be provided. Wine purchases must be made on your own, and you must be legal drinking age to imbibe. If you plan to consume wine, plan for your transportation (e.g., designated driver guest, shuttle, or Uber). RSVP through the link in our bio!🍷

GRADFEST SCHEDULE! Everyone can treat themselves to food from 12:00-2:00 (first come, first served), play yard games, and make Honors College tie-dyed t-shirts from 2:00-4:00 (limited sizes available, while supplies last)! No RSVP is necessary - we'll see you there! 🥳💐

Everyone is invited! Let's all celebrate our graduating seniors together! Seniors, you'll have the opportunity to decorate your cap, pick up your Medallion Ceremony tickets (and, if applicable, Honors Leadership cords), complete the Exit Survey, and enjoy other fun activities. No RSVP is necessary - we'll see you there! 🥳

If you love planning events and want to help the Honors College continue to develop fun and engaging programs for our community, consider joining the Honors Program Board! The application is available below:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd8WOo-mJxor-HmnzRf9gJWOF_NJRrl8eDvsa6T11BcqnDhKQ/viewform

JMU Honors College and Furious Flower Poetry Center are thrilled to announce a reading by award-winning poet, curator, and author Mahogany L. Browne on Thursday, April 4, at 5:30 p.m. in Grafton/Stovall Theatre at James Madison University.💛💜💐

Mahogany L. Browne, selected as Kennedy Center’s Next 50 and Weseleyan’s 2022-23 Distinguished Writer-in-Residence, the Executive Director of JustMedia, Artistic Director of Urban Word, a writer, playwright, organizer, & educator. Browne has received fellowships from Arts for Justice, Air Serenbe, Cave Canem, Poets House, Mellon Research & Rauschenberg. She is the author of recent works: Vinyl Moon, Chlorine Sky, Woke: A Young Poet Call to Justice, Woke Baby, & Black Girl Magic. Founder of the diverse lit initiative Woke Baby Book Fair, Browne’s latest poetry collection, Chrome Valley, is a promissory note to survival and is available from Norton Spring 2023. As she readies for her stage debut of Chlorine Sky at Steppenwolf Theater in Chicago, Illinois, she drinks coffee while living in Brooklyn, NY. She is the first-ever poet-in-residence at Lincoln Center.
This event will be live-streamed and recorded. It is free and open to the public.

The Honors Leadership cords are here and available for purchase! They are $8, please Venmo -JMU. The following students are eligible to purchase a cord:
-Seniors who are members of MHLC, HPB, and Honors Ambassadors
-Seniors who are Honors College student employees
-Anyone who has ever served as a Teaching Fellow

Calling all graduating seniors! Want to learn more about the Presidential Engagement Fellowship? An information session will be held on Thursday, March 28th, from 9:30 to 10:30 AM in the Hillcrest Conference Room. You can meet current engagement fellows and ask about their experiences in their office placements. We hope to see you there!

For Students- Conversations with the Experts: The Latino/a/x Experience as an Undergraduate Research Topic:

On Friday, March 22nd, from 1:00-2:30 in Taylor 405, faculty from James Madison University, Duke University, University of North Carolina- Charlotte, University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill and Virginia Commonwealth University will meet with undergraduate students at James Madison University in a conversation regarding student’s research and proposed research related to the Latino/a/x experience in the United States. The invited scholars will share their current research topics in a large group setting. They will discuss how the relevance of their work and the variety of audiences reached by their work can be models for undergraduate students. After the large group, in small discussion groups, JMU students will engage in an informal brainstorming session with visiting scholars. Students will share their research topics and experience regarding Latinx populations. Visiting scholars will discuss how these topics can be applied to long-term research and professional development. If you are a student interested in attending the event, please fill out this survey:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfFua9gthyHVwTg4P9EoczUFrfPhVtgtTlZBsA-sgL-cTCwpw/viewform

Wishing all our Honors students a fantastic Spring Break! Take this time to relax, recharge, and enjoy the beautiful weather. We look forward to seeing everyone back soon! 🌷💐

Come visit us at Hillcrest this Saturday! We will be hosting a Choices event where you can meet and ask questions with faculty, staff, and students! Grab a refreshment and get to know the Honors College! We will be there from 1-4. We can't wait to see everyone! 💜 For directions to our building, use the link below:
https://tinyurl.com/dbsppj2v

Friends and Fans of the Honors College, we cannot thank you enough for helping us make this year's Giving Day a success! Because of your gifts, we'll be able to provide scholarship opportunities, course enhancements, off-campus summer enrichment experiences, and more for our wonderful students. Thank you for sharing our Honors joy!

Late night breakfast celebration to mark the final hour of 2024 Giving Day. Give before the clock strikes midnight!

This Giving Day, Dean Blackstone wanted to find a way to thank several Honors students who’ve shown exemplary leadership and engagement in their time at JMU. Today, Honors had the privilege of hosting President Alger and his wife, Mary Ann Alger, along with these 7 wonderful students in Hillcrest! Mr. and Mrs. Alger discussed engagement, student leadership and the role it plays in advancing the JMU vision, and personal reflections on the importance of this community.

Thank you to Mr. and Mrs. Alger for helping us give back to our students, and thank you to our engaged leaders who’ve changed our community for the better!

ONLY 8 HOURS LEFT TO MAKE YOUR GIFT!!!

When you donate to Honors, you get to choose which fund to support. These funds directly impact our students and help us provide transformative opportunities and experiences. Remember, the only gift too small is none at all!

The Honors College brings together JMU students from all majors to build community through distinctive and challenging educational experiences. Our students, parents, faculty, and alumni help make the Honors College home for so many students at JMU.
You can help learning to move beyond the classroom by supporting faculty-mentored student research, study abroad opportunities and course enhancements. These transformative learning opportunities show students how their education transcends campus and encourages them to become more engaged, productive and responsible leaders.

GIVE LIKE A DUKE today, and
show your love to the Honors College.

The JMU Honors College Experience https://www.jmu.edu/admissions/explore/index.shtmlFounded in 1908, James Madison University is a public university located in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. J...

We’re down to 7 DAYS until Giving Day 2024, and The Honors College is counting on people like you to help us unleash potential and ignite possibilities for our students. Your gift directly supports faculty-mentored student research, study abroad opportunities and course enhancements. These transformative learning opportunities show students how their education transcends campus and encourages them to become more engaged, productive and responsible leaders.

Stay tuned throughout this week to see how Giving Day makes an impact on Honors College students, and visit givingday.jmu.edu for more info.

Want a chance to work closely with a faculty mentor?
Undergraduate research assistants (RA) learn research skills, develop surveys, collect and clean data, and analyze results while working with a JMU faculty mentor on an in-depth project.
Learn more here:
https://www.jmu.edu/cob/research-experience-for-undergraduates/index.shtml

Headshots! If you are looking for professional headshots, stop by the Honors College the week of February 19th. Time slots will be available on Monday, Thursday, and Friday. Use the sign-up genius below to secure a spot! 📸
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E4FA8AB2FABFCC70-47766873-honors

This study abroad will be open to Honors and non-honors students. Students do not have to speak Spanish for this study abroad. The course is HON 300: Global Leadership: Spanish Intellectuals. It will be a four-week course, with the first and last week online. More information can be found at:
https://www.jmu.edu/global/abroad/programs/jmu-spain-latinx-hon.shtml

We are looking for students to serve as Honors Ambassadors! Access the application at https://tinyurl.com/HONSpr24AmbassadorsRecruit.
The application will close at 11:59 p.m. on January 31. Spread the word, and please consider applying!

Happy Holidays from the Honors College! We hope everyone has a wonderful winter break; we can't wait to see everyone back next semester💛💜