About Us

Kate Tennis, a female-presenting individual, smiles at the camera

Katherine Tennis, Ph.D
Faculty Director, University Honors Program
katherine.tennis@du.edu | 303-871-2237

  • Bio

    Kate Tennis is the director of the Center for Undergraduate Scholarship and Honors and the Faculty Director of the Honors program. She is a Teaching Associate Professor at the Josef Korbel School of Global and Public Affairs. Kate began her career at the University of Denver in 2017 after serving as an EU Borders Visiting Scholar at the University of Victoria and completing her Ph.D. program at American University.  Her academic areas are interdisciplinary in nature; her scholarly work spans multiple research areas including migration, population research, economic development, and human security.  Her book, Outsourcing Control: The Politics of International Migration Cooperation, was published by McGill-Queens University Press in December 2020.  Kate has served in a variety of professional and leadership capacities during her time at the University. These include her leadership as the faculty director of the Undergraduate Research Center, service on Faculty Senate, supporting the DU Undergraduate Research Journal as a faculty mentor, and supervising student theses.

  • Schedule Honors Advising with Kate

    Kate advises on:

    • Honors Contracts
    • Distinction/Research

    Office Hours: http://calendly.com/khtennis  

Kira Castle, a female-presenting individual, smiles at the camera

Kira Castle
Assistant Director, University Honors Program
kira.castle@du.edu | 303-871-2035

  • Bio

    Kira Castle is the assistant director for the University Honors Program. She is a native Midwesterner who joined the University of Denver community in October '21. Kira is a proud alumna of a small liberal arts college in Michigan called Kalamazoo College, where she majored in English/Creative Writing and Economics & Business. She also holds a master’s degree in Higher Education Leadership from Western Michigan University. She has worked in higher education for over a decade in a variety of roles, including program management, admissions, academic advising, and orientation. 

  • Schedule Honors Advising with Kira

    Kira advises on general Honors requirements.

Honors Student Staff

 

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Amanda McKellips '27
Honors Program Assistant
 

Rhianna Lewis smiles at the camera

Rhianna Lewis '26
Honors Activities Coordinator
 

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Muqit Matin '26
Honors Recruitment Coordinator

 

 

Emma Reger smiles at camera

Emma Reger '28
Honors Marketing Assistant
 

Sophia Wismar smiles at the camera

Sophia Wismar '28
Honors Activities Coordinator

Faculty Profile List

  • Honors Council

    2025-2026 Honors Council Members

    Phil Chen, Ph.D
    Assistant Professor
    College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
    Department of Political Science

    Richard Colby, Ph.D
    Teaching Professor
    Director of First Year Writing
    University Writing Program

    J. Michael Daniels, Ph.D
    Professor
    College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
    Department of Geography and the Environment

    Skyler Kasnoff '27
    Student Representative
    Majors: Environmental Science, Public Policy

    Sarah Krohn '27
    Student Representative
    Major: Environmental Science
    Minors: Socio-Legal Studies, Writing Practices

    Lapo Salucci, Ph.D
    Teaching Associate Professor
    Josef Korbel School of Global and Public Affairs
    Institute for Public Policy Studies

    Matthew Taylor, Ph.D
    Professor
    College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
    Department of Geography and the Environment

    Benjamin Williams, Ph.D
    Assistant Professor
    Daniels College of Business
    Department of Business Information & Analytics

  • Current Honors Faculty

    2025-2026 Honors Faculty

    Julia Baldassari, L.S.W.
    Academic Advisor
    Office of Academic Advising
    HNRS 3000: Into the Unknown

    Russell Brakefield, M.F.A.
    Teaching Assistant Professor
    University Writing Program
    HNRS 2400: Poetry as Social Activism

    Elizabeth Campbell, Ph.D
    Professor
    College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
    Department of History
    HIST 1320: European Culture in the World Wars

    Kira Castle, M.A.
    Assistant Director
    University Honors Program
    HNRS 1000: Honors Summit

    April Chapman-Ludwig, M.A.
    Teaching Associate Professor
    University Writing Program
    ASEM 2861: Taboo Tales--Cultural Literacy Through Fairy Tales
    WRIT 1733: Honors Writing

    Sara Chatfield, Ph.D
    Associate Professor
    College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
    Department of Political Science
    PLSC 2703: Women, Gender, and the Law

    Phil Chen, Ph.D
    Associate Professor
    College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
    Department of Political Science
    HNRS 2400: American Racial Politics Beyond the Black/White Divide

    Christy Cobb, Ph.D
    Associate Professor
    College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
    Department of Religion
    HNRS 2400: Gender and Memory in Early Christianity: The Legacy of Mary Magdalene

    Richard Colby, Ph.D
    Teaching Professor
    Director of First Year Writing
    University Writing Program
    WRIT 1733: Honors Writing

    J. Michael Daniels, Ph.D
    Professor
    College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
    Department of Geography and the Environment
    GEOG 1264 & 1266: Global Environmental Change I & III

    Jared del Rosso, Ph.D
    Professor
    College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
    Department of History
    HNRS 2400: Denver Wilds

    George DeMartino, Ph.D
    Professor
    Co-Director, Global Economic Affairs
    Josef Korbel School of Global and Public Affairs
    INTS 1500: Contemporary Issues in the Global Economy

    Dong Dinh, Ed.D
    Director, First-Generation Experience
    First@DU
    HNRS 2000: Extreme Academics

    Robert Gilmor, Ph.D
    Teaching Associate Professor
    University Writing Program
    WRIT 1733: Honors Writing

    Helen Hazen, Ph.D
    Teaching Professor
    College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
    Department of Geography and the Environment
    HNRS 2400: Reproductive Geographies

    W. Scott Howard, Ph.D
    Professor
    College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
    Department of English & Literary Arts
    HNRS 2400: Shakespeare's Americas

    Lindsay Lawton, Ph.D
    Director
    Scholar Development & Fellowship Advising
    HNRS 2401: Adventures in Fellowships

    Rachel Lim, Ed.D
    Assistant Director, Undergraduate Programs
    Daniels College of Business
    HNRS 2000: Extreme Academics

    Runchao Liu, Ph.D
    Assistant Professor
    College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
    Department of Media, Film, & Journalism Studies
    MFJS 2270: Activist Media

    Leah McFail, M.S.
    Assistant Director
    Leadership Studies
    HNRS 3000: Into the Unknown

    Danny McIntosh, Ph.D
    Professor
    College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
    Department of Psychology
    ASEM 2454: Psychology of Religious and Spiritual Practices

    Daniel Melleno, Ph.D
    Associate Professor
    College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
    Department of History
    ASEM 2406: Myths of Medieval Encounters

    Logan Middleton, Ph.D
    Teaching Assistant Professor
    University Writing Program
    HNRS 2400: The Why of Work

    Thomas Nail, Ph.D
    Professor
    College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
    Department of Philosophy
    PHIL 2182: The Making of the Modern World

    Maik Nwosu, Ph.D
    Professor
    College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
    Department of English & Literary Arts
    HNRS 2400: Migration & Diaspora Narratives

    Laura Perille, Ph.D
    Executive Director
    4D Experience
    HNRS 2000: Extreme Academics

    LP Picard, MFA
    Teaching Professor
    University Writing Program
    WRIT 1622: Advanced Rhetoric & Writing
    WRIT 1733: Honors Writing

    Savannah Pine, Ph.D
    Fellowships Advisor
    Scholar Development & Fellowship Advising
    HNRS 2000: Extreme Academics
    HNRS 2401: Adventures in Fellowships

    Virginia Pitts, Ph.D
    Director of University Teaching
    Office of Teaching & Learning
    HNRS 2000: Extreme Academics

    Trace Reddell, Ph.D
    Professor
    Director of Emergent Digital Practices
    College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
    Department of Media, Film, & Journalism Studies
    ASEM 2460: Psychedelia in the Age of AI

    Naomi Reshotko, Ph.D
    Professor
    College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
    Department of Philosophy
    PHIL 2260: Philosophical Approaches to Perception & Reality

    David Riche, Ph.D
    Teaching Associate Professor
    University Writing Program
    WRIT 1622: Advanced Rhetoric & Writing
    WRIT 1733: Honors Writing

    Lapo Salucci, Ph.D
    Teaching Associate Professor
    Josef Korbel School of Global and Public Affairs
    Institute for Public Policy Studies
    PPOL 1910: Introduction to Public Policy

    Susan Schulten, Ph.D
    Professor
    College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
    Department of History
    HIST 1510: War and the Presidency

    Geoffrey Stacks, Ph.D
    Teaching Professor
    University Writing Program
    WRIT 1622: Advanced Rhetoric & Writing
    WRIT 1733: Honors Writing

    Don Sullivan, Ph.D
    Associate Professor
    Director, Environmental Awareness LLC
    College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
    Department of Geography and the Environment
    GEOG 1265: Global Environmental Change II

    Kate Tennis, Ph.D
    Associate Teaching Professor
    Josef Korbel School of Global and Public Affairs
    Director, University Honors Program
    HNRS 1000: Honors Summit
    HNRS 2000: Extreme Academics
    INTS 1700: Intro to International Politics

    Kate Willink, Ph.D
    Professor
    College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
    Department of Communication Studies
    COMN 2450: Between Memory and Imagination

    Wayne Yeung, Ph.D
    Assistant Professor
    College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
    Department of Languages, Literatures, & Cultures (Chinese)
    ASEM 2777: Stranger Things: Monsters, Spirits, & the Supernatural from Asia