HONORS COLLEGE COMMUNIQUE: JUNE 2023

 

Hello from the Honors College! In partnership with Academic Advising, we are sending a monthly Honors College Communique on the Advising listserv, in which we will send short updates about:    

 

1. Honors opportunities open to all students  

2. A highlighted benefit of being an Honors College member  

3. A student highlight from your advising areas  

4. Contacts within Honors for more information  

Honors News: 

Three Honors College students were among the five UTSA students to receive a Fulbright Award to travel in 2023-2024 academic year! Madeline Morales, was selected to travel to Sweden, Eliesha Perez was selected to travel to Thailand, and Axa Soria was selected to travel to Mexico. Read article here. Have a student in mind you think might be a good candidate? Let us know! Learn more about Fulbright here. Dr. Drew Chapman is the Director of the UTSA Office of Nationally Competitive Awards & Fellowships, and is the contact for the Fulbright Student Program.

Honors Opportunities for All Students: 

Did you know non-Honors students can take Honors courses? It’s simple! Non-Honors students with 3.3 GPAs or higher are eligible; they fill out this form for each course. We enroll them and then confirm via email. Below are some of the super cool Fall 2023 courses. Please share this opportunity with any of your students that might be interested!

· GEO 2113.002, CRN 24334, Fundamentals of GIS, TR 2:30-3:45pm, traditional in-person, S. Cannon

o Maps are an integral part of our modern world, satellites, data science, and GPS tracking have made the art of map making an essential tool for industries and governments. Any organization that needs to understand spatial and temporal patterns in an ever-changing world utilizes Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for location, navigation, data management, and spatial (geographic) analysis. GIS is a computer-based tool that uses spatial data to analyze and solve real-world problems that can be shared in the cloud and available almost anywhere on Earth. This is a beginner to intermediate level course for students who want to learn how large amounts of data are managed, used, and analyzed by the government, business, arts, and sciences. You will have hands-on experience using the industry’s leading GIS technology to create and edit maps, collect data, and analyze spatial data. We will review how maps are utilized to understand Green Infrastructure Planning, which affects our communities, watersheds, wildlife habitats, and parks. Information learned during this course will be utilized in a capstone project based on a topic of your interest suitable for spatial analysis. Prerequisites: CS 1173 is recommended.

· HON 3233.007, CRN 23023, Socially Sustainable Public Places, W 10am-12:45pm, mix of in-person & online, N. Bagheri

o In Socially Sustainable Public Spaces adapts an interdisciplinary lens to explore the creation of socially-sustainable urban public spaces around the globe. We begin by questioning whether the concern for the social sustainability of cities is anything new. Through a critical historical and contemporary review of the ways in which the concept of social sustainability has been developed and practiced in international contexts, we identify and appreciate various relations to making socially-sustainable cities and community-powered public spaces. We experience public spaces first hand – in San Antonio, San Marcos, and Austin. Relying on our own lived-experiences and the theoretical framework learned in this class, together, we explore, examine, and evaluate the fundamental elements that bring such places to life and equip people to fuel lasting change.

· HON 3233.008, CRN 23024, Feminist Cartographies, TR 1-2:15pm, traditional in-person, S. Fernandez

o This special topic course is collaborative and experiment-driven where students will explore and critically analyze a wide variety of border women’s literature and border issues with geographical materials and digital tools having an emphasis in the Texas-Mexico borderlands within various genres and its intersectional, geographical, and historical contexts. Students will enhance in close and distant reading and literary critic through a transnational feminist framework to comprehend, identify, discuss and analize different narrative forms of women’s experiences living and perceiving borderland spaces and geography. Similarly, students will explore a series of methods to convert these excerpts into multilingual geohumanities data to create multilinear narratives using digital storymap techniques and platforms. Relevant social, historical, cultural readings, digital material, visual aids and interviews with writers, critics and creators will be included to help students in their comprehension of the distinct perspectives from which these works were written and their relationship with border cultures, as well as technical workshops of the digital technologies that will be used during the course. Overall, students will engage in interdisciplinary and innovative thinking and knowledge production at the intersection of border and feminist studies, literary analysis, and digital mapping.

· HON 3233.009, CRN 23025, Texas: A State of Many Worlds, R 1-3:45pm, traditional in-person, J. Santos

o Despite long-prevailing stereotypes of Texas as the land of cowboys, cattle and oil, for thousands of years, the lands that now comprise the Lone Star state have been a dynamic crossroads of the world’s peoples and nations. Texas history, along with expressions of diverse identities have recently been vigorously argued over. Using history, literature, journalism, art, and media, this seminar will explore the global narratives of humanity that have populated, shaped, and transformed Texas into a land of many nations that will play an integral role in modeling the future of the United States.

· HON 3233.010, CRN 24060, Peace & Justice, MW 1-2:15pm, traditional in-person, M. Webb

o How can peace and justice be most effectively pursued both personally and communally? Is peace primarily the absence of conflict or something more? To what extent is justice a process, an outcome, or an objective standard? By studying approaches to conflict transformation, restorative justice, and transformative justice, students will explore models for pursuing peace and justice in situations of conflict and in the aftermath of severe harms. Students will participate in a learning exchange with students at Dominguez State Jail as part of the UTSA Philosophy and Literature Circle.

· HON 3233.011, CRN 24157, Collaborative Web Mapping, TR 2:30-3:45pm, traditional in-person, J. Joseph

o Mapping allows for social and environmental issues to be better understood, and for better solutions to be proposed. This is especially true when the mapping is interactive and on-line, so that stakeholders (which in some cases may be every person living in a region) can add observed data, propose solutions, and can see all information and proposals in real-time. Case studies include the homelessness crisis in Modesto, California; barriers to hate crime and hate incident reporting in urban areas of the United States; child well-being in various parts of the world; air pollution due to local combustion processes; urban noise pollution, and more. The student will learn the science behind on-line mapping, the capabilities of relevant open source software, and how to use ESRI proprietary software for developing maps on-line. The student will have the opportunity to develop a collaborative on-line mapping website for a region and issue they have identified, or that they select from a list provided by the instructor. The student must obtain consent of the instructor to register (JOHN.JOSEPH@UTSA.EDU)

· HON 3233.012, CRN 24472, Trailblazers & Disruptors, T 4-6:45pm, online only at set time, M. Arreguin Anderson

o Students will explore the various theories and scholarship to identify characteristics of individuals whose life and actions align with established definitions of creativity and giftedness. Students will conduct a case study to explore diverse manifestations of complex thinking.

· HON 3233.013, CRN 24473, Medical Humanities, TR 1-2:15pm, traditional in-person, L. Sarafraz

o Medical Humanities is an interdisciplinary field of study that uses the resources provided by the humanities (e.g., philosophy, ethics, literature, history, religion), social sciences (e.g., political science, anthropology, psychology, sociology, social work, health geography), and the arts (e.g., theater, film, visual arts) as a lens for examining issues in health, illness and its care, medicine, and medical education. MHU4813 explores crucial questions about health, well-being, medicine, environment, gender, race, and social inequality in the twenty-first century. Through a philosophical study of historical texts, scientific and clinical data, literature, and first-person narratives, students will examine definitions of health, illness, and well-being; the strengths and limitations of science and medicine in making sense of illness; disparities in global burdens of disease; the relationship among health, illness, and narrative; and gendered, racialized, and cultural differences in the experiences of illness and the practices of healthcare and medicine.

· HTH 3513.003, CRN 22942, Community Health, TR 4-5:15pm, traditional in-person, E. Gandara Garcia

o Building on the basic community health course and redesigned for Honors students, this course will provide an in-depth understanding of community health problems and how organizations -- public, private and voluntary health agencies -- work together to improve the health and wellbeing of communities. Students will learn to apply health theories and models to solve community health issues.

· MAS 2053.901, CRN 21378, Mexican American Music Performance Practicum, T 1-3:30pm, traditional in-person (downtown), R. Cruz

o Ensemble course specializing in Afro-Latinx and all genres of Mexican American music. This Course focuses on refining performance technique and style, examines the historical development of Afro-Latinx and Mexican American music genres, their cross-cultural interactions and influences in their migration into the US, and music as an integral part of Latinx/Chicanx society, culture, education, and economy. Repertoire will vary from semester-to-semester, ranging from: Mariachi, Conjunto, Tejano, Chicano/a/x Hip Hop, and modern fusion, and will incorporate each ensemble’s respective instrumentation. Open to students interested in production and industry, distribution of Latinx music, recording, marketing, public relations, performance/event planning.

· WRC 4123.002, CRN 23231, Beyond Instagram and TikTok: Real Worls of Making News, T 2-3:15pm, mix of in-person & online, D. Abdo

o Are you a news hound? Like to keep up with the latest trends? Visualize yourself in front of the camera or behind it? If so, this course is for you. “Beyond Instagram and Tiktock: The Real World of Making News” is a hands-on, real-world experience in interviewing, writing, designing, and producing news and human- interest content. Students will write, design, and produce their own publication. In this course, they will also collaborate with The Paisano student journalists to produce articles for the print and online editions of The Paisano newspaper and Paisano Plus magazine, and they will have the opportunity to develop content for web podcasts, and create multimedia on-the-scene reports and interviews. Students will also tour the presses where the publications are printed, and they will learn from professionals in the fields of law, design, and commercial publications.

· WRC 4123.004, CRN 24243, Growing Our Own: Gardening for Resilience, W 10am-12:45pm, traditional in-person, L. Ratcliffe

o What can a garden grow? In this course, we’ll cultivate answers together. We will visit community gardens across the Alamo City, exploring how they are addressing food insecurity and inequity within neighborhoods, on school campuses, and beyond. We will meet and interview leaders in the local food movement, work hands-on at an established garden or urban farm, and investigate how local gardening intersects with global environmental issues. Through discussions and reflective journaling, we will consider the possibilities and challenges of small-scale gardening to address these large-scale problems. By the end of the semester, you will complete a project (e.g., a short film, podcast episode, a policy proposal, or advocacy campaign) that answers the question that started the course: what can a garden grow?

Highlighted Benefit for Honors College Members: 

New Honors Freshmen & AIS – It’s new student orientation & advising time! While our Honors FTICs are not required to take Honors AIS, we encourage them to do so. Our Honors AIS count for both the core and the first experience credit in Honors...and we have some great topics offered! (Note: Sections H5H and H6H are reserved for COS Honors, APPEX, and ESTEEMED students) 

· AIS 1203.H2H, CRN 19644, Sci Fi and the Social Sciences, MW 9-9:50am, mostly in-person & some online, J. Herasta. In this course, students will explore the social sciences through the lens of science fiction. Students will read sci fi novels, and a number of short stories and few essays. All of these works revolve around how social sciences have been imagined by sci fi writers or how these disciplines have influenced their writings in other ways. We will discuss what the social sciences are, what they can do and can’t do, what they say about the future of humanity and what role they might have in stimulating real-world future research. Novels will include Foundation by Isaac Asimov, Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. LeGuin, and Who Fears Death? By Nnedi Okorafor. We will explore sci fi from different periods in its history from a diversity of authors.

· AIS 1203.H3H, CRN 19645, Science in Society, MW 10-10:50am, mostly in-person & some online, C. Witt. Since the dawn of man, there seems to have been an innate sense of curiosity and drive to explain to natural world. Man’s search for answers has directly shaped the beliefs and norms of societies for millennia. Reciprocally, the beliefs and norms held by a given society have directly shaped the kinds of questions asked, as well as the kinds of answers that were considered acceptable at the time. Exploring the nature of this two-way interaction reveals histories that can be quite unexpected and often amusing. For example, who would have thought that the first institution of modern science, The Royal Society of London, devoted much of their research effort to proving the existence of witches? One hundred later, the investigation into the mystery of electricity led to an unfortunate (and certainly underpaid) lab technician serving as a human conduit in an experiment on electrical conductance. Ouch. On the other hand, historical exploration of the relationship between science and society also exposes some of the darkest episodes in human history. For example, the ‘new science’ of eugenics inspired one of the most horrific episodes in history, the Holocaust. And one of the most remarkable feats in science, speaking strictly from a scientific achievement standpoint, led to the devastation of two Japanese cities with over 200,000 deaths in a matter of minutes. From the humorous and fascinating, to the tragic and transformational, this class explores episodes that illustrate the intertwined relationship between science and society. Because the very nature of this class is multidisciplinary, it offers something of interest for every major with ample opportunity for deep dives into personal projects to enrich any student’s career path.

· AIS 1203.H4H, CRN 19646, Global Community, T 2:30-3:45pm, mix of in-person online, M. Newell. The events of the past few years have emphasized the significance of global connections. The pandemic, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, climate change: these are challenges that cross borders and necessitate global responses. And, in a more mundane sense, we are all part of global society, from the clothes we wear, to the coffee we drink, to the ideas we think about, and the culture we take part in. While all Academic Inquiry and Scholarship courses seek to orient first-year college students to university life and their fields of study, this course goes further by examining academic debates and current events concerning the consequences of globalization, including global cultural, economic, and political interactions, and ending with a look at enduring global challenges, such as crime, corruption, and climate change.

· AIS 1203.H7H, CRN 24477, Culture, Biology and Health, MW 12-12:50pm, mostly in-person & some online, K. Harrell. Medical Anthropology is a field of research that draws on the four major subfields of anthropology—biological, cultural, linguistic, and archaeological—and examines the intricate relationship between health, illness, human well-being, and culture. Using a global perspective, students are invited to embrace a biocultural perspective as they delve into an understanding of health and illness that goes beyond the biological dimension. Students explore key elements of healing systems including healing technologies and healer-patient relationships. We will focus on three broad themes this semester:  1. The biocultural basis of health; 2. a critical and interpretive analysis of sickness, health, and healing; and 3. applications of anthropology to health and medicine-related careers.

 

Student Highlight: Toan My Le, Junior, major in Architecture in the College of Engineer and Integrated Design

· Architecture major

· 2021 Traditional Terry Scholar

· First-generation Vietnamese immigrant student; first-generation college student 

· Vice President, American Institute of Architecture Students  

· Best Freshman Award - UTSA School of Architecture

· Citymester, Leadershape, and Alternative Breaks participant

· Current intern at MP Studio Landscape Architecture

· Former Architecture Intern under UTSA Real Estate, Construction & Planning Department 

· Recently returned from Honors College's Japan Study Abroad, and currently preparing for Costa Rica's Sustainable Living program as well as Italy's Urbino Architecture Study Abroad

· Hobbies: drawing, petting cats, working out, biking 

· Future plans: pursuing an MS in Architecture at the U.K and learning Japanese

Best Regards,  

Alegra Lozano, Director of Counseling, Honors College, alegra.lozano@utsa.edu

Jill Fleuriet, Honors College Acting Dean, jill.fleuriet@utsa.edu

Honors email: honors@utsa.edu

Honors advising email: honors.advising@utsa.edu

Honors Experiential Learning Lab: https://honors.utsa.edu/academics/experiential-learning-lab.html