Honors Programs at Penn State Brandywine

Honors Programming at Penn State Brandywine

Sun, 01 Sep 2030 17:17:49 -0500

Welcome! We encourage you to explore and learn about our innovative courses and programming that promote the honors mission of academic excellence with integrity, building a global awareness, and opportunities for leadership and civic engagement.

Left: Penn State Brandywine Honors Coordinators Dr. Laura Guertin and Dr. Myra Goldschmidt
Right: Honors group photo at the Washington Monument during a trip to the Solar Decathlon, October 2007.

Below, view a short video filled with images of our honors activities!

We've expanded our Literary Launch!

Thu, 01 Aug 2030 08:44:33 -0500

Our scholars have much to say about our common read! Each semester, we select a different book to explore new topics, new characters, and new locations. Our scholars have demonstrated such a strong passion for reading our honors program selections and other titles. This has led us to "launch" an entire blog dedicated to our Literary Launch program! Be sure to visit the blog and explore.

Visit the Literary Launch blog for the Penn State Brandywine Honors Program.

Spring 2010 Vairo Selection

Mon, 28 Jun 2010 20:45:12 -0500

Diane Paolo (May 2010, Business major) selected Richard Branson's Business Stripped Bare: Adventures of a Global Entrepreneur. Diane explains why:

This book is great, especially for business majors. Sir Richard Branson demonstrates that business and entrepreneurship is creative, fun, and fascinating. In this book, Branson takes the reader on a personal tour of how he built the Virgin brand from a student newspaper at the age of 16 to the global multi-billion dollar enterprise that it is today. Branson is a man of vision and action--what he thinks, he does. It's an exciting ride from his early days interviewing rock musicians for his student paper to building airlines (Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Blue), telecommunications systems (Virgin Mobile) and lifestyle brands (Virgin Active). Read it and you can't help but feel inspired.

Helping Haiti - helping supply an elementary school

Wed, 28 Apr 2010 20:34:28 -0500

Brandywine honors scholars sold pretzels outside of WalMart to raise funds for school supplies for an elementary school being rebuilt in earthquake-damaged in Haiti. The students raised $3,711.

PSUBW press release on the event was written by honors scholar Eileen Fresta: LINK to story

In photo, from left to right: Eileen Fresta, Evan Kroboth, Lavanya Mookerjee

Sara Neville wins campus Undergraduate Research Award

Thu, 15 Apr 2010 10:49:12 -0500

Sophomore Sara Neville has been named the winner of the Penn State Brandywine Undergraduate Research Award for 2009-2010. Each year, one student from the campus is selected for excellence in undergraduate research. Since Summer 2009, Sara has presented at three national conferences (one in DC on Capitol Hill) and been a lead author on a peer-reviewed journal presentation. Her research focuses on the creation of a Google Earth QUEST - Questioning and Understanding Earth Science Themes. Be sure to visit her website to view her creative accomplishments, and learn about her experiences through her blog that details The QUEST of an Undergraduate Researcher.

This award is a new award for the campus, with Sara being the second recipient. The first recipient of the award was Schreyer Scholar Lindley Jones for her thesis work on the development of the International Charm jewelry line.

Congratulations, Sara! (Sara received word that she won the award when she was in Washington DC, presenting at the Council on Undergraduate Research's Posters on the Hill event.)

Recent Awards for Honors Scholars

Thu, 15 Apr 2010 10:44:11 -0500

The Spring 2010 semester was filled with honors and recognitions for our honors scholars!

Recent inductees into Sigma Tau Delta, the International Honors English Society: June Carfagno

Recent inductees into Phi Kappa Phi, the nation's oldest interdisciplinary honor society: Ben Bean, Jackie Glace, Diane Paolo

The Penn State University President's Freshman Award: Jeremy Lim, Allison Rodina

Congratulations!

Sara on Capitol Hill for CUR's 2010 Posters on the Hill

Tue, 13 Apr 2010 15:04:59 -0500

Posters on the Hill, by the Council on Undergraduate Research, April 13, 2010, Washington DC. Sophomore Sara Neville was selected as one of 60 undergraduates from across the nation and across all disciplines to present her research to senators, representatives, their staffers, and representatives from funding agencies. Sara also had the opportunity to have a meeting with Congressman Sestak's Legislative Assistant for Education. Sara is the first student from our campus selected to present in this prestigious event. You can read about her experiences in Washington DC on her undergraduate research blog. Congratulations, Sara!

Scholars present at 2010 NRHC in Harrisburg, PA

Sat, 10 Apr 2010 14:58:24 -0500

Northeast Regional Honors Council Conference, April 8-11, 2010, Harrisburg, PA.

Seven of our scholars presented the following papers:

Fathers and Race: A Look at Barack Obama, by Taj Magruder
An Indoor Living Wall: How and Why A Home Can Have A Fresh, Local, Sustainable Supply of Herbs, by Alyce Dilauro (currently at University Park)
The Urban Center in Cyberpunk Anime, by Andrew Shaner
Rebel Music: Asserting Identity Through Reggae, by Benjamin Bean
Educational Repercussions of Mountaintop Removal Mining, by Jackie Glace
Contract Law, Legal Ethics and a Changing Music Industry, by June Carfagno
Marilyn Manson: Cult Idol or Cultural Icon? by Chelsea Gilliam

Two scholars honored in Penn in Hand

Fri, 02 Apr 2010 19:57:49 -0500

Penn in Hand is Penn State Brandywine's literary magazine. Published once a year, Penn in Hand contains poems, short stories, essays, artwork, and photography submitted by Penn State students, staff and faculty.

Two honors scholars were recognized for their outstanding contributions to Penn in Hand. Benjamin Bean was selected as the second place poetry winner for his entry, "Quiet." Lavanya Mookerjee was selected as the third place poetry winner for her entry, "Of Kaleidoscopes and Time."

Congratulations, Ben and Lavanya!

Philadelphia Disease Tour

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 20:49:33 -0500

On April 1, 2010 (no fooling!), the honors scholars went on a journey into Philadelphia to further explore the honors theme for the semester and make connections to the Literary Launch. It only seemed appropriate that with a theme of "Academics and Pandemics," we would visit the Mutter Museum (the museum of medical oddities). In addition, our common read of "Bring Out Your Dead" led us to a tour of Laurel Hill Cemetery. View our photos of some of the day's highlights, which included a picnic lunch in the cemetery!

Dana wins MAASA Undergraduate Essay Award

Mon, 29 Mar 2010 18:22:28 -0500

Writing and defending her Schreyer Honors thesis was not the end of celebrating her research accomplishments. Fall 2009 graduate Dana Gibson (pictured below) presented her research, "'Am I Your Slave?': William Parker and The Freedman's Story," at the Mid-Atlantic American Studies Association Conference in March 2010. The surprise for her at the conference was the announcement that she was selected as the winner of MASSA's Undergraduate Roundtable Best Undergraduate Essay award.

Congratulations, Dana, for this significant achievement! Please click here to read the news announcement about her award.

Don presents at TLT Symposium

Sat, 27 Mar 2010 18:05:39 -0500

Former Cooper Honors Scholar Donald Hennig co-presented with Dr. Laura Guertin at Penn State University's Teaching & Learning with Technology Symposium on March 27, 2010. The 50-minute presentation, titled "Using Google Earth to Facilitate Student Learning in Multiple Disciplines," featured Google Earth projects completed in Spring 2009. Don showcased and discussed examples of his projects from GEOSC 021H (Honors Earth & Life course), the Genographic Project and Great Feuds in Science. Conference abstract can be viewed on the TLT Symposium website.

Honors alumni discuss "Bring Out Your Dead"

Mon, 22 Mar 2010 19:19:52 -0500

Alumni from the Cooper and Schreyer Honors Programs at Brandywine and University Park gathered with current students and former honors administrators at The Towne House Restaurant in Media, PA. The group gathered for fine food and a great discussion on the spring semester Literary Launch, "Bring Out Your Dead."

Above: Dr. Karen Hill (former Honors Coordinator) and Dr. George Franz (former Director of Academic Affairs). Below: Honors alumni pose for a group photo. Front row, left to right: Toni Hoffman, Michele McClellan. Back row, left to right: Dan McGarity, Leah Semmelhaack, Paul Hurych, Devin Zuczek.

Sara in San Francisco and Philly

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 17:52:42 -0500

Sophomore Sara Neville isn't waiting until her senior year to dive into undergraduate research. In Summer 2009, Sara was selected to participate in the National Science Foundation's GeoTeach Program through a workshop on Transforming Earth System Science Education. Through her research with the program, she presented her research at two national conferences.

Presented at the American Geophysical Union (AGU) Annual Conference, December 2009, San Francisco, CA

Neville, S., & L. Guertin. 2009. Using a Google Earth QUEST to improve Earth science, reading, and geographic literacy. EOS Trans. AGU, Fall Meet. Suppl. Abstract ED53A-0533. (LINK to abstract)

Presented at the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) Annual Conference, March 2010, Philadelphia, PA

Neville, S., & L. Guertin. Going on a Google Earth QUEST. National Earth Science Teacher Association Share-A-Thon. March 19, 2010.

Recent honors peer-reviewed publications

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 19:51:59 -0500

They say things come in threes.... and here are three recent publications from our honors scholars. These manuscripts are peer-reviewed and in journals read by a wide audience. The research in these papers was begun during honors options, honors courses, or honors independent study projects.

DiLauro, A., Meyers, T., Guertin, L.A. 2010. The value of extending the honors contract beyond one semester: a case study with Smithsonian Dinosaurs. Honors in Practice, 6: 109-115. Undergraduate student lead authors.

Neville, S.E., Guertin, L.A. 2009. Integrating Google Earth with the QUEST for Earth Science Literacy. The Earth Scientist, 25(4): 31-34. Undergraduate student lead author.

Woodruff, J.B., Acuna, E.B., Silano, R.L., Guertin, L.A. 2009. Enhanced podcast of Pennsylvania tree biodiversity in Ridley Creek State Park. Journal of the Pennsylvania Academy of Science, 83(2/3): 90-93. Undergraduate student lead authors.