About Us
Katherine Tennis, Ph.D
Faculty Director, University Honors Program
katherine.tennis@du.edu | 303-871-2237
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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
Kira Castle
Assistant Director, University Honors Program
kira.castle@du.edu | 303-871-2035
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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.
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Schedule Honors Advising with Kira
Kira advises on general Honors requirements.
Honors Student Staff
Amanda McKellips '27
Honors Program Assistant
Rhianna Lewis '26
Honors Activities Coordinator
Muqit Matin '26
Honors Recruitment Coordinator
Emma Reger '28
Honors Marketing Assistant
Sophia Wismar '28
Honors Activities Coordinator
Faculty Profile List
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Honors Council
2025-2026 Honors Council Members
Phil Chen, Ph.D
Assistant Professor
College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
Department of Political ScienceRichard 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 EnvironmentSkyler Kasnoff '27
Student Representative
Majors: Environmental Science, Public PolicySarah Krohn '27
Student Representative
Major: Environmental Science
Minors: Socio-Legal Studies, Writing PracticesLapo Salucci, Ph.D
Teaching Associate Professor
Josef Korbel School of Global and Public Affairs
Institute for Public Policy StudiesMatthew Taylor, Ph.D
Professor
College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
Department of Geography and the EnvironmentBenjamin 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 UnknownRussell Brakefield, M.F.A.
Teaching Assistant Professor
University Writing Program
HNRS 2400: Poetry as Social ActivismElizabeth Campbell, Ph.D
Professor
College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
Department of History
HIST 1320: European Culture in the World WarsKira Castle, M.A.
Assistant Director
University Honors Program
HNRS 1000: Honors SummitApril Chapman-Ludwig, M.A.
Teaching Associate Professor
University Writing Program
ASEM 2861: Taboo Tales--Cultural Literacy Through Fairy Tales
WRIT 1733: Honors WritingSara Chatfield, Ph.D
Associate Professor
College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
Department of Political Science
PLSC 2703: Women, Gender, and the LawPhil 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 DivideChristy 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 MagdaleneRichard Colby, Ph.D
Teaching Professor
Director of First Year Writing
University Writing Program
WRIT 1733: Honors WritingJ. Michael Daniels, Ph.D
Professor
College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
Department of Geography and the Environment
GEOG 1264 & 1266: Global Environmental Change I & IIIJared del Rosso, Ph.D
Professor
College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
Department of History
HNRS 2400: Denver WildsGeorge DeMartino, Ph.D
Professor
Co-Director, Global Economic Affairs
Josef Korbel School of Global and Public Affairs
INTS 1500: Contemporary Issues in the Global EconomyDong Dinh, Ed.D
Director, First-Generation Experience
First@DU
HNRS 2000: Extreme AcademicsRobert Gilmor, Ph.D
Teaching Associate Professor
University Writing Program
WRIT 1733: Honors WritingHelen Hazen, Ph.D
Teaching Professor
College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
Department of Geography and the Environment
HNRS 2400: Reproductive GeographiesW. Scott Howard, Ph.D
Professor
College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
Department of English & Literary Arts
HNRS 2400: Shakespeare's AmericasLindsay Lawton, Ph.D
Director
Scholar Development & Fellowship Advising
HNRS 2401: Adventures in FellowshipsRachel Lim, Ed.D
Assistant Director, Undergraduate Programs
Daniels College of Business
HNRS 2000: Extreme AcademicsRunchao Liu, Ph.D
Assistant Professor
College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
Department of Media, Film, & Journalism Studies
MFJS 2270: Activist MediaLeah McFail, M.S.
Assistant Director
Leadership Studies
HNRS 3000: Into the UnknownDanny McIntosh, Ph.D
Professor
College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
Department of Psychology
ASEM 2454: Psychology of Religious and Spiritual PracticesDaniel Melleno, Ph.D
Associate Professor
College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
Department of History
ASEM 2406: Myths of Medieval EncountersLogan Middleton, Ph.D
Teaching Assistant Professor
University Writing Program
HNRS 2400: The Why of WorkThomas Nail, Ph.D
Professor
College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
Department of Philosophy
PHIL 2182: The Making of the Modern WorldMaik Nwosu, Ph.D
Professor
College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
Department of English & Literary Arts
HNRS 2400: Migration & Diaspora NarrativesLaura Perille, Ph.D
Executive Director
4D Experience
HNRS 2000: Extreme AcademicsLP Picard, MFA
Teaching Professor
University Writing Program
WRIT 1622: Advanced Rhetoric & Writing
WRIT 1733: Honors WritingSavannah Pine, Ph.D
Fellowships Advisor
Scholar Development & Fellowship Advising
HNRS 2000: Extreme Academics
HNRS 2401: Adventures in FellowshipsVirginia Pitts, Ph.D
Director of University Teaching
Office of Teaching & Learning
HNRS 2000: Extreme AcademicsTrace 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 AINaomi Reshotko, Ph.D
Professor
College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
Department of Philosophy
PHIL 2260: Philosophical Approaches to Perception & RealityDavid Riche, Ph.D
Teaching Associate Professor
University Writing Program
WRIT 1622: Advanced Rhetoric & Writing
WRIT 1733: Honors WritingLapo Salucci, Ph.D
Teaching Associate Professor
Josef Korbel School of Global and Public Affairs
Institute for Public Policy Studies
PPOL 1910: Introduction to Public PolicySusan Schulten, Ph.D
Professor
College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
Department of History
HIST 1510: War and the PresidencyGeoffrey Stacks, Ph.D
Teaching Professor
University Writing Program
WRIT 1622: Advanced Rhetoric & Writing
WRIT 1733: Honors WritingDon 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 IIKate 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 PoliticsKate Willink, Ph.D
Professor
College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
Department of Communication Studies
COMN 2450: Between Memory and ImaginationWayne 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