About Us

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

Katherine Tennis, Ph.D
Faculty Director, Center for Undergraduate Scholarship and Honors
katherine.tennis@du.edu | 303-871-2237
Office Hours: http://calendly.com/khtennis 

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 Assistant 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.

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

Kira Castle
Program Manager, University Honors
kira.castle@du.edu | 303-871-2035
Honors Advising Appointments: http://calendly.com/kiracastle 

Kira Castle is the program manager 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.

Faculty Profile List

  • Honors Council

    2022-2023 Honors Council Members

    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

    Shannon McKinney, MFA
    Professor
    College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
    Department of Theatre

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

    Lisa Pasko, Ph.D
    Associate Professor
    College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
    Department of Sociology and Criminology

    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

    Emma Seel '24
    International Studies & Political Science

    Robin Tinghitella, Ph.D
    Associate Professor
    College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
    Department of Biological Sciences 

    Luke Venezia '25
    Applied Computing & International Studies

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

  • Current Honors Faculty

    2022-2023 Honors Faculty

    Angelo Castagnino, Ph.D
    Associate Professor
    College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
    Department of Languages, Literatures, & Cultures
    ITAL 2201: 20th Century Italian History & Culture

    Cara DiEnno, Ph.D
    Director, Center for Community Engagement to advance Scholarship & Learning (CCESL)
    Adjunct Faculty
    College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
    HNRS 2400: Community Engaged Scholarship

    Graham Faust, Ph.D
    Professor
    College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
    Department of English and Literary Arts
    HNRS 2400: Beautiful Investigations

    Helen Hazen, Ph.D
    Teaching Professor
    College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
    Department of Geography and the Environment
    GEOG 2401+ HNRS 2400: The Human Population--Sustainability & Social Justice

    Carol Helstosky, Ph.D
    Associate Professor
    College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
    Department of History
    Department of Gender & Women's Studies
    HIST 1360: World War I

    Douglas Hesse, Ph.D
    Professor
    College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
    Department of English and Literary Arts
    ASEM 2499: Mountains--Ecology, Imagination, Aesthetics, & Challenges

    Roger Holland, MM, M.Div
    Teaching Assistant Professor
    College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
    Lamont School of Music
    Interdisciplinary Research Institute for the Study of (in)Equality
    ASEM 2736: Spirituals and the Blues

    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

    Rachael Liberman, Ph.D
    Teaching Associate Professor
    College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
    Department of Media, Film, and Journalism Studies
    MFJS 2210: Introduction to Media and Culture

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

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

    Thomas Nail, Ph.D
    Professor
    College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
    Departments of Philosophy, Gender and Women’s Studies
    PHIL 2182: The Making of the Modern World

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

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

    Bin Ramke, Ph.D
    Professor
    College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
    Department of English and Literary Arts
    ENGL 1110: Literary Inquiry–The Pastoral

    Lapo Salucci, Ph.D
    Teaching Associate Professor
    Josef Korbel School of International Studies
    Institute for Public Policy Studies
    PPOL 1910: Hard Choices in Public Policy

    Nancy Sasaki, Ph.D
    Teaching Professor
    College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
    Department of Biological Sciences
    BIOL 1270/1271/1272: Living in a Microbial World I/II/III 

    Susan Schulten, Ph.D
    Professor
    College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
    Departments of History, Gender and Women’s Studies
    HIST 1510: War and the Presidency

    Jonathan Sciarcon, Ph.D
    Associate Professor
    College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
    Department of History
    Center for Judaic Studies
    Department of Gender and Women’s Studies
    HNRS 2400: Native Plants in Urban & Suburban Ecosystems

    Don Sullivan, Ph.D
    Associate Professor
    Director, Environmental Awareness LLC
    College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
    Department of Geography and the Environment
    GEOG 1266/1267: Global Environmental Change II/III

    Kara Taczak, Ph.D
    Teaching Professor
    College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
    Department of Gender and Women’s Studies
    HNRS 2400: Reflection and Contemplation

    Matthew Taylor, Ph.D
    Professor
    College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
    Department of Geography and the Environment
    Interdisciplinary Research Institute for the Study of (in)Equality
    HNRS 2400: Che Guevara

    Kate Tennis, Ph.D
    Assistant Teaching Professor
    Josef Korbel School of International Studies
    HNRS 2400: Extreme Academics
    INTS 1700: Intro to International Politics

    Erika Trigoso, Ph.D
    Teaching Associate 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

    Robert Urquhart, Ph.D
    Associate Professor
    College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
    Department of Economics
    ECON 1020: Economics–A Critical Introduction

    Aleysia Whitmore, Ph.D
    Assistant Professor
    College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
    Lamont School of Music
    Interdisciplinary Research Institute for the Study of (in)Equality
    MUSC 1012: Music, Society, and Culture