About Us

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 International Studies. 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
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.

Faculty Profile List

• Honors Council

  2024-2025 Honors Council Members

  Tessa Appel '25
  Student Representative
  Major: Biological Sciences
  Minors: Chemistry, Psychology

  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

  Matt Gordon, Ph.D
  Professor
  Ritchie School of Engineering and Computer Science
  Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering

  Helen Hazen, Ph.D
  Teaching Professor
  College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
  Department of Geography and the Environment

  Gavin Hood '25
  Student Representative
  Major: Psychology
  Minors: Biological Sciences, Leadership Studies, Political Science

  Heidi Melton, MM
  Assistant Professor
  College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
  Lamont School of Music

  Pamela Miller, Ph.D
  Teaching Professor
  College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
  Department of Psychology

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

  Susan Schulten, Ph.D
  Professor
  College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
  Department of History
  Department of Gender & Women's Studies

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

• Current Honors Faculty

  2024-2025 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

  Angelo Castagnino, Ph.D
  Associate Professor
  College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
  Department of Languages, Literatures, & Cultures
  ITAL 2201: Modern Italian History/Fiction

  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

  Richard Colby, Ph.D
  Teaching Professor
  Director of First Year Writing
  University Writing Program
  WRIT 1733: Honors Writing
  WRIT 2650: Digital Rhetorics

  Paula Cole, Ph.D
  Teaching Professor
  College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
  Department of Economics
  ECON 1020: Economics--A Critical Introduction

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

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

  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: The Human Population--Sustainability & Social Justice

  M. Roger Holland, M.M., M.Div
  Teaching Associate Professor
  Director of The Spirituals Project
  College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
  Lamont School of Music
  ASEM 2736: Spirituals and the Blues

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

  Chad Leahy, Ph.D
  Associate Professor
  College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
  Department of Spanish Language, Literary & Cultural Studies
  HNRS 2400: Cervantes and the Canon

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

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

  Lisa Pasko, Ph.D
  Professor
  College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
  Department of Sociology and Criminology
  ASEM 2666: Murder in America

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

  LP Picard, MFA
  Teaching Professor
  University Writing Program
  HNRS 3000: Into the Unknown
  WRIT 1622: Advanced Rhetoric & Writing
  WRIT 1733: Honors Writing

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

  Chiara Piovani, Ph.D
  Associate Professor
  College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
  Departments of Economics, Gender and Women's Studies, Asian Studies
  ASEM 2748: What We Eat Matters--The Political Economy of Food

  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 International Studies
  Institute for Public Policy Studies
  PPOL 1910: Introduction to Public Policy

  Jonathan Sciarcon, Ph.D
  Associate Professor
  College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
  Department of History
  HNRS 2400: Native Plants in Urban and Suburban Ecosystems

  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 International Studies
  Director, University Honors Program
  HNRS 2000: Extreme Academics
  INTS 1700: Intro to International Politics

  Erika Trigoso, Ph.D
  Teaching Professor
  Director, Undergraduate Geography Program
  College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
  Department of Geography and the Environment
  GEOG 1264: Global Environmental Change I
  GEOG 2511: Principles of Sustainability

  Benjamin Williams, Ph.D
  Assistant Professor
  Daniels College of Business
  Department of Business Information & Analytics
  HNRS 2400: Chance Encounters--Statistics in Everyday Life