Honors College Launches New Futures Hub to Expand Support for Students

Philip Thomas

Monica Moore, director of premedical and healthcare planning, visits with student Olivia Franklin.

This spring, the Honors College is launching its new Futures Hub to provide a variety of services, from workshops to one-on-one mentoring, that help honors students prepare for the 21st-century workforce. Four staff members will work to ensure that U of A honors students' undergraduate years are GREAT, meaning that their college career includes the Global experiences, Research, Engagement, Academics and the Trajectory planning that will lead to a successful and fulfilling life at the U of A and beyond. 

"Too often, honors education in the U.S. is associated with traditionalism rather than innovation," said Honors College Dean Lynda Coon, who has worked for two years to realize her vision of an honors student success team. "We want to produce nimble graduates imbued with an entrepreneurial spirit regardless of their field. Our new Futures Hub offers students individually-designed, interdisciplinary undergraduate experiences that will make them nationally competitive in their chosen fields." 

Futures Hub staff will welcome honors students at a virtual open house on Thursday, February 18. Students will get a chance to hear more about what the Hub has to offer and to interact with the Hub staff and hear about the services they will each be offering. Students, you can join via Zoom at this link.

The Futures Hub will have four staff under the leadership of Honors College Associate Dean Jennie Popp. Staff will focus on helping honors students create challenging interdisciplinary academic plans; navigate honors thesis research; explore study abroad, internship and entrepreneurial opportunities; find appropriate professional development workshops; and prepare for the job market and for graduate and professional studies. 

Futures Hub staff members:

Louise Hancox, director of career innovation, will help students find their career trajectory and their next step after the U of A. She will then assist them in assembling the portfolio of professional skills, entrepreneurial and creative immersion, internship experiences and professional mentor relationships to be sought-after candidates by the nation's top graduate institutions and employers. 

Chelsea Hodge, director of grants and research innovation, is the Hub's point person for helping honors students leverage their opportunities for research and study abroad. She will assist students in navigating the research process, including exploring thesis topics and finding research mentors and thesis committee members. She will also coordinate the Honors College's extensive study abroad grant program, helping students find programs that meet their needs. Currently, the Honors College provides more than $1 million per year in research and study-abroad support. 

Monica Moore, director of premedical and healthcare planning, will primarily support students pursuing premed and other tracks leading to work in a variety of health care settings, one of the Honors College's largest student populations. Working with campus and community partners, Moore will build upon the foundation she has laid in recent years to see that U of A students acquire meaningful experiences and pursue the rigorous academic paths needed to become highly competitive applicants for medical school, graduate studies and professional positions. Moore will also support honors students who are exploring potential majors. 

John Treat, director of interdisciplinary and curricular learning, will assist the deans in ensuring that the Honors College continues to recruit top scholars to lead seminars on cutting-edge topics. The goal is to stretch students beyond the single silo of one major or college so that they become broad, innovative thinkers. He will also work to match students to honors courses and top professors outside of their majors and colleges, encouraging academic risk-taking and the out-of-the-box thinking that drives innovation. Finally, he will work with students preparing for a variety of graduate careers. 

 "The Futures Hub aims to transform the U of A honors learning process from a series of boxes to be checked into a portfolio-building experience that carries students to their next goal," said Honors College Associate Dean Jennie Popp. "Through the work of the Futures Hub, the Honors College will expand its partnership with the U of A's six college honors programs to ensure that honors students have the best possible support in preparing for life after the U of A." 

Located on the second floor of Gearhart Hall, a new Futures Hub office space will welcome students soon, but several in-person and virtual workshops are already planned for the semester and staff are available for either in-person or online student appointments. A new Honors Student Hub site is growing daily, offering students a wide variety of information organized under the GREAT framework. Current honors students, use your uark.edu credentials to log into this site.