Welcome to Honors Perspective 2015–16. We are celebrating another outstanding academic year in the Irvin D. Reid Honors College. In this issue you will learn about the mission and accomplishments of Honors students and alumni. From research at the North Pole to Peace Corps missions in Africa to becoming entrepreneurs in Detroit, the Honors community is making an impact both locally and globally.

What’s Inside Greetings

Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and Youtube.Visit: honors.wayne.edu

For Honors students, the city is a classroom.Top photo: Eastern Market Botton photo: Lecture @ the Detroit Institute of Arts

honors.wayne.edu

Greetings from the Dean

Honors represents the very best this great university has to offer in a comprehensive program that promotes student achievement, academic excellence, successful graduation and launch on a career.

Honors is the place for students who want not only an outstanding college education but who also want to make a difference in the world. Students bring their gifts, talents and aspirations to Wayne State in Detroit, a home we are proud of, and where the potential for change is profound.

The Irvin D. Reid Honors College is city-based and service-oriented; we promote excellence and challenge our students to engage the world around them as problem-solvers and leaders. Our curriculum invites students to inform themselves about what it means to be citizens of this city, this country, and the world; we give our students the tools to be catalysts for innovation and improvement and the skills necessary to create powerful solutions.

The women and men who are students here - with the generous support and guidance of faculty, staff, friends and alumni - are inventing a shared future which we can all take justafiable pride.

Irvin D. ReidHonors College

The Irvin D. Reid Honors College is named for the ninth president of Wayne State University and is city-based and service-oriented. The Honors College provides Wayne State’s highest achieving undergraduate students the opportunity to become members of an engaged and dynamic academic community through a curriculum that is challenging, innovative and interdisciplinary. Honors courses enrich undergraduate education, providing a unique set of experiences that integrate our four defining pillars: community engagement, service-learning, undergraduate research and career exploration.

honors.wayne.edu

About Honors

The University Honors curriculum enriches students’ academic work while focusing on engagement and making a difference in the community through service and service-learning. Benefits of joining the Honors College include being part of an innovative community of scholars, having access to service-learning courses, to world-class research institutions and career development opportunities. Honors students are able to register for classes before other WSU students and have access to private scholarship opportunities as well as access to Honors housing options in The Towers and Atchison Hall.

Freshman majors for 2015-16 academic year: 67% Liberal Arts and Sciences 15% Engineering 8% Fine, Performing and Communications Arts 7% Business Administration 3% Education, Social Work

“We are pleased to welcome the largest incoming class ever of Honors students. These high achieving scholars chose Wayne State and we look forward to providing them with a remarkable undergraduate experience.”

540 Honors freshman in 2015, the largest incoming Honors class to date 

Honors community college transfer students enrolled for Fall 2016

~Dean Jerry Herron, Fall 2015

Number of undergraduate Honors students at WSU

175

2,377

Students taking part in the Honors Induction Ceremony during Festifall in August.

Community

Honors students arrive on campus eager to contribute to their new community. But before they can help, they must first understand the city. This is why Honors students spend their first year immersed in the history of Detroit and comtemporary issues in the city.

The City and Citizenship, Honors’ two-semester freshmen signature course, focuses on Detroit’s past, present, and future, including its strengths and its challenges. The first year culminates in a group research project tackling community concerns such as poverty or illiteracy. Our students don’t just present the problems; they brainstorm solutions.

Key to the course is the Cultural Passport, which takes students out of the classroom and into the community – to museums, theatres, performance halls, and neighborhoods.

“In my first year I experienced the city first~hand.

I see Detroit as an inspiration~ to grow and succeed.”

Building Year 1

Discovering Eastern Market

Attending Hamlet at the Detroit Opera House

ServiceYear 2

After two semesters studying the community, Honors students enter their second year ready to serve.

The Honors College service-learning program takes volunteering to the next level. In collaboration with community partners, students roll up their sleeves and bring what they learn in the classroom into direct engagement with the world.

Local organizations become learning laboratories, providing an environment in which students test classroom principles and theories in addition to working with community organizations and clients to leave behind something of value to all concerned. Upon returning to the classroom, faculty set the tone for guided discussion and reflective assignments that tie field experience to coursework. Students report a better understanding of course concepts when they make connections to real-life situations.

Community Partners include Detroit Public Schools, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Detroit, Earthworks Urban Farm–Capuchin Soup Kitchen, Forgotten Harvest, The Greening of Detroit and Habitat for Humanity.

Honors students devote more than 6,000 hours each year to service and service-learning.

Engaging through

Detroit Tutoring Fellows volunteer at Detroit Public Schools

Discovering Eastern Market

Lending a helping hand at Gleaners Food Bank.

Research

Wayne State is a nationally recognized urban center of excellence in research and one of only 10 public universities in major American cities holding the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching’s designation a doctorial university with “highest research activity,” as well as the foundation’s most comprehensive classification for community engagement.

Whether Honors students are headed for graduate school or straight into a career, hands-on research and creative projects provide crucial preparation for the future. The third-year focus is on developing individual projects in collaboration with full-time faculty mentors. Research@Honors provides students with the resources they needs. Through workshops and advising, Honors students learn how to apply for undergraduate research awards, find faculty mentors, present their work at conferences, and much more.

Honors students work in world-class labs and hospitals, with non-profits in education, public health and the arts, on business innovation at TechTown, and in community development.

Engaging through

Year 3

Laskshmi NerusuRegulation of Maternal Fetal Mucosal Immunity

by HEXIM1 and Extrathymic AIRE in Pregnancy

honors.wayne.edu

In November 2015, more than 50 Honors students presented research findings at the WSU Undergraduate Research and Creative Projects Conference. The conference, sponsored by the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) at WSU, included oral presentations and poster sessions featuring student research and creative projects.

Students who undertake research learn how to identify a problem; create and test a hypothesis; and present results. Hands-on experience prepares students for graduate school and employment opportunities. It also allows students to contribute to the ever-changing knowledge base within their chosen fields.

Students interested in learning more about undergraduate research opportunities should visit: honors.wayne.edu/research

Poster presentation: Owen PierceUrban Flooding in the City of DetroitRead about Owen’s findings on p. XX

Poster Presentation Nathan ReddmannUltrasonic Echolocation Device for Assisting the Visually Impaired

“I’m amazed at the research opportunities I have as an undergraduate. The innovation and collaboration at WSU is unparalled.” - Owen Pierce

CareerFrom the moment Honors students set foot on campus, they are working toward their careers through building an ePortfolio, engaging in service-learning and research, and networking with professors and student groups.

Year four includes a senior thesis - researched and written in collaboration with a faculty member - and active preparation for graduate school or employment.

Many Honors students begin their senior year having spent a considerable amount of time and effort in their chosen fields, either through service-learning or through research and creative projects. They will have formed close bonds with senior faculty members who will offer advice and provide valuable recommendations.

In addition, through seminars and mentorship events, the Honors College provides opportunities for students to meet and talk with alumni who have gone on to shine in academia and the world beyond. We ensure Honors students are headed toward future success.

Building

Year 4

Innovation and excellence

Ashura MollaPressurized Metered-Dose Inhaler

Formaulations of Polyamidoamine/siRNA Dendriplexes for Lung Cancer Treatment

Honors graduates May, 2016

Start ProgramsHonors

Wayne MD is a new program that guarantees admission to Wayne State’s School of Medicine and Irvin D. Reid Honors College for 10 students each year.

• Four years of paid undergraduate tuition• Four years of paid School of Medicine tuition*• Four years of paid undergraduate room and board costs in university housing• Cutting-edge research and field experiences with renowned faculty mentors

Benefits of Wayne MD include:The Honors College is proud to partner with academic departments through our pre-professional Start Programs. These innovative programs put students on their chosen career track from day one at WSU.

Keep reading for more about the benefits of Wayne Med-Direct and the B-Start program

Wayne Med-Direct

Visit individual program websites for details about each major and information session schedule.

Preference is given to students from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds who are interested in studying health disparities.

*Subject to the School of Medicine’s holistic admission process

KeKePopy Aziz

B Start is an innovative five-year program that guarantees admission to the Master of Business Administration (MBA) program in the Mike Ilitch School of Business Administration at WSU.

Students complete a bachelor’s degree in business and an MBA in just five years. B Start trains future leaders in business by emphasizing mentoring and research opportunities.

B-Startnis a respected, accredited program that keeps students on the edge of their seats as well as give s them the chance to learn in the field. Students can select from 13 optional business concentrations to develop further expertise in an area of your choosing for a highly customized MBA.

Wayne B Start

Start ProgramsHonors

Students show off their WSU Pride at Eastern Market

KeKePopy Aziz

e-Portfolio

Starting in Fall 2014, Honors students create and maintain an e-Portfolio as a record of their progress through the program. An e-Portfolio might include writing samples, photos, videos, research projects, observations by mentors and peers, as well as reflective thinking.

Using a free web-based platform, students hone their tech skills while creating an easily-accessible record of academic progress and achievements throughout their time in the Honors College.

For a 21st century student, an e-Portfolio is an extension of a traditional resume that provides future employers with a complete portrait of learning and academic training as students progress towards their future goals. The e-Portfolios are excellent means to create online/virtual presence for an individual as a tech-savvy, active creator of content.

“An e-Portfolio is a reflection of the student as a person undergoing continuous personal development.”

-Minakshi Lahiri, Honors College Instructional Technology Specialist

honors.wayne.edu eportfolio-showcase

Honors

Kelli Garvey

Popy Aziz

Honors Student Spotlight

In fall 2015, Honors transfer student Katie Krupp had a research opportunity so unique that she needed to pack her warmest clothes. Krupp, a Geology major, spent 10 weeks aboard the United States Coastguard icebreaker USCGC Healy conducting research at the North Pole with a team of scientists from US GEOTRACES. Her research included collecting water samples from the Bering and Arctic Seas to measure the level of radioactive lead and polonium.

The team she was on used a CTD rosette (photo right) to capture water from specific sampling stations. Samples were also taken from ice cores, snow, melted pond water, and from beneath the ice.

Krupp said living aboard the USCGC Healy was quite an experience. There were special events to keep up the crew’s morale, including an open mic and trivia night, talent show, and even a sumo wrestling competition. She also said it was nice be to “unplugged” from social media and the internet, which was unavailable for a majority of the trip.

Hon

ors

Stud

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potli

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Adventure in the Artic Katie Krupp, class of 2016

“The most valuable aspect of being an Honors student is the extra research projects required. I was able to learn so much by conducting my own research, and the experiences I have gained has definitely helped prepare me for graduate school.”

- Katie Krupp

Honors Student Spotlight

Katie Krupp, class of 2016 Spotlight on Service

Second-year Honors student Popy Aziz is a robot designer, photographer, illustrator, and an avid reader. As the first member of her family to attend a four-year university, she joined the Honors College as a Detroit Urban Scholarship recipient with the goal of majoring in Computer Science.

Popy graduated from Detroit International Academy (DIA), an all-female public high school after her family moved to Detroit from Bangledesh when she was 10. A program in high-school planted the seeds for her passion: robotics.

For her first-year Honors service project, Popy volunteered with Michigan Engineering Zone (MEZ), working with DPS schools (including her alma mater) mentoring robotics teams to prepare for their FIRST Robotics Competition. “I help them with different techniques, prototyping, programming,” she said. During the intense robot design season, Popy often spends every weeknight mentoring her team from DIA. Team building, along with the chance to show creativity and develop technical knowledge are part of what attracts students to compete in FIRST Robotics.

“Wayne State gave me a place to belong . . . I have met students from so many cultural backgrounds–it’s amazing.” - Popy Aziz

Popy Aziz, class of 2020

Popy is a Peer Mentor for the Comerica Scholars Learning Community. She meets with six students each week to help them navigate through their first year at WSU. She also volunteers for the Muslim Inter-Scholastic Tournament (MIST), a program through Royal Oak based Michigan Muslim Community Council. MIST organizes local high-school student competitions that foster creativity, communication and encourage community leadership.

TalentHonors

As members of a learning community, Honors students work hard and deserve to celebrate. In March, 2016, we did just that with our First Annual Honors Talent Show and Art Exhibit. Ten acts impressed the audience of 200 as well as the Honors judges, including Dean Herron, Kevin Piotrowski and senior lecturers Beth Fowler and Rashida Harrison.

A truly diverse array of student talent including:

Melodytroit an all-inclusive a capella group Warrior String Quartet performing works by Aaron CoplandMoksha performing Indian and modern dance formsPoet Dalia Ibrahim read an original poem about familyNader Rayyan’s balancing actASD Bhangra performing an energetic Punjabi dance Justine Valka performing a tribute to David BowieWayne State Warrior Bhangra DanceWayne ki Awaaz a premier South Asian Fusion a capella group, blending East and West in musical melodies

First place went to the Wayne State Warrior Bhangra Dance

Dale Thomas and Marcella Verdun, the Detroit Fellows Tutoring Project co-coordinators, were awarded the Alumni Association’s 2015 Faculty Service Award. The Faculty Service Award is given to WSU faculty “whose professional or civic efforts have brought about a greater appreciation of the University’s contribution to community service.”

The Detroit Fellows Tutoring Project is housed in the Honors College and is a service-learning program which trains WSU students as tutors for kindergarten through second grade Detroit Public School students who need additional help in reading. WSU students tutor children one-on-one for several hours each week and receive credit and a unique learning experience in return.

Thomas and Verdun, who spent their careers in DPS as a reading coordinator and elementary school principal, respectively, were chosen to receive the Faculty Service Award.

ServiceSpotlight on Detroit Fellows Tutoring Project

http://honors.wayne.edu/get-involved/detroit-fellows

Dale Thomas (left) and Marcella Verdun are presented with a Faculty Service Award by WSU President Wilson

“Service is definitely one of the things that our university supports, endorses, and is committed to, and I am very proud to be a part of that commitment from the university, especially from Honors.” ~Marcella Verdun

WSU students who have served as tutors in DTF900

DPS children who have improved reading skills through DTF

4,200

50,000Hours of one-on-one tutoringDTF has coordinatedsince 2006

Honors EnergyMatthew Tukel has his hands full. The 21-year-old Wayne State Honors student is in the process of selling 313 Energy, an energy drink he created at 17, to a local beverage distributor. He spends weekends building drones and just finished a three-year stint at Park Family Healthcare, a Detroit clinic serving low-income patients.

Tukel’s 313 Energy was born in an entrepreneurship class at West Bloomfield’s Frankel Jewish Academy. Tukel and a classmate set out to create a marketable product that would give back to the community. Brainstorming ideas, they agreed “Detroit needs energy.” That idea started the process of bringing 313 Energy to life as the all-natural, low-calorie, Detroit-based energy drink that donates 11 cents of every can sold to the Detroit Public Schools Foundation. “The drink not only energizes the consumer, it energizes DPS students through donations,” Tukel said. In 2014, 313 Energy was awarded a prestigious Champion of Education award from the Detroit Public Schools Foundation.

Another interest of Tukel’s is drone technology. When he realized WSU did not yet have a student interest group, he founded Detroit Aerial Innovations (formally Detroit Drone), which aims to promote and facilitate technology, entrepreneurship and craftsmanship as it relates to the rapidly growing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) sector. Students are provided the knowledge, resources and materials needed to construct their own UAV models. Visit detroitai.org to watch Tukel’s drone video of Detroit from a bird’s-eye view.

A third-generation WSU student, the university is in Tukel’s genes. His father and grandfather are alumni of WSU’s School of Medicine, and his mother is an alumna of WSU’s speech-language pathology program. Tukel’s younger brother, Connor, is enrolled in the Honors College as well.

Tukel’s goal is to be a surgeon and explore entrepreneurship and technology within medicine. His major is Near Eastern Languages, and he plans to attend the WSU School of Medicine in fall 2017.

Matthew Tukel, class of 2017

Service Overseas

Biology major Ram Palepu is looking forward to his second summer as a health intern in India. Ram was born there and still has many family members in the country. He and his family moved to the US when he was age 5, eventually landing in Troy, MI. Ram plans to attend medical school in 2017 and work in public health.

Ram will spend his second summer in rural Surat, India as a director with public health organization Dr. Interns (drinterns.org). Dr. Interns is a non-profit organization dedicated to bridging the gap between disparities in global healthcare by increasing accessibility and awareness. Ram will work in a free clinic with patients who are often living in poverty. “I am exposed to creative ways to approach health problems with patients at the clinic, for example some patients do not connect diet with overall health. They may see food in a cultural or religious way, not necessarily tied to physical wellbeing.”

Since India has the highest rates of diabetes of any country, Ram educates patients on how to decrease consumption of sweets, rice and alcohol. He sees a clear connection between education and health disparities. “Growing up in Troy I didn’t see many public health problems. My service-learning in Detroit and internship in rural India have opened my eyes to the correlation between education and healthcare.”

“One of the best things about being an Honors student is being surrounded by other motivated students.”

-Raghuram Palepu

Raghuram (Ram) Palepu, class of 2017

Wayne@

Honors Community of Scholars (COS) students are a unique and distinct group who excel not only academically, but within their community. COS students volunteer to serve food to the elderly and homeless, paint schools, and participate in neighborhood clean-ups within the city of Detroit. Since its beginning in 2010, COS students has provided more than 47,000 community ser-vice hours resulting in an economic impact valued at more than $1,000,000.

• Volunteer work • Social networking• Academic achievement

honors.wayne.edu/communityofscholars

Each summer, COS students work with Habitat for Humanity to build and rehabilitate homes in Detroit.

In August 2015, 200 incoming COS -students partnered with Habitat for Humanity on Blitz Build Detroit, the first of many service-learning projects for the academic year. 

During four days, WSU CoS students helped build five new homes and rehab five existing homes in the Morningside Community on the east side of Detroit. Students participated in everything from swinging hammers to coordinating registration.

Community of Scholars is a merit-based learning community within the Irvin D. Reid Honors College. COS has more than 420 first year students active in service-learning projects. Students who are part of COS have access to special resources and are invited to a wide range of professional and social events.

Blitz Build

Scholars DayHonors

The Honors College begins recruiting efforts for the next academic year by hosting Scholars Day’s each fall and winter. This is an invitation-only event for prospective Honors students.

Current Honors students act as Scholars Day guides

WSU President Wilson welcomes students to Scholars Day

Scholars Day attendees also compete for additional scholarship awards.

Every student who participates in Scholars Day will be consid-ered for membership in the Irvin D. Reid Honors College.

For deadlines, application materials and frequently asked questions please visit: honors.wayne.edu/scholarsday

honors.wayne.edu/scholarsday

It is a wonderful experience to meet these outstanding students when they attend Scholars Day. This is our opportunity to share all that this great university has to offer. For example, WSU is the most diverse student body in Michigan.

~Jerry Herron, Dean of the Irvin D. Reid Honors College

One previous essay question invited students to write on this topic: “If you could witness any historical event, what would it be and why?”

Wayne State’s most promising first-year applicants and their parents and guests attend an opening ceremony hosted by Dean Herron, followed by a sample lecture and presentations by current Honors students. Then there is an Academic Resource Fair hosted by faculty and current majors from all colleges. Prospective Honors students write an essay and take part in a group interview session, followed by a walking tour of campus.

Scholars Day attendees write their essays

AlumniSpotlight onEvan Caramagno, class of 2016

Brothers and WSU alumni, Nicholas (BS Dance and BA Film ‘14) and Evan Caramagno (Business Administration ‘16) found their entrepreneurial spirit at WSU. The brothers used resources including Blackstone Launchpad and faculty mentorships to start a multimedia company, CaraMedia, in 2013 (caramediaproductions.com).

Nicholas worked in video production for several years before he and Evan launched CaraMedia, and today they have six employees based in midtown. They create digital content including commercial and small business video content, websites and aerial

footage. Their respective interests and talents make a perfect partnership—Nicholas runs the creative side and Evan is the business manager.

CaraMedia is currently producing promotional videos for several departments at WSU as well as a multi-part documentary, Dance On Detroit, now airing on Detroit Public Television.

One important business skill Evan honed as an Honors student is patience. “Service-learning with Detroit Tutoring Fellows taught me patience more than anything. That is an experience now used in his business every day.

“The opportunities we have access to in Detroit and at WSU have given us the ability to seamlessly transition from students to entrepreneurs.”-Evan Caramagno

Evan incorporated CaraMedia into assignments for several classes. His Honors thesis was a CaraMedia business plan he designed with two professors. “That experience made me look at our business from every aspect and was invaluable in building CaraMedia.”

AlumniSpotlight on

Carol is a University Honors graduate with a BS in Psychology and a minor in Biological Science. Since graduating, she has been working as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Tanzania, where she teaches Biology and Chemistry at Uroki Secondary School. She has also been involved in community outreach programs related to public health issues such as HIV/AIDS, malaria, and nutrition.

The focus of Carol’s service has been girls’ empowerment, primarily Huru interventions. “Huru” means freedom in Kiswahili, and is a program to give a life changing freedom to girls

in East Africa. Stigma regarding menstruation is omnipresent, and girls living in poverty often miss about 50 days of school per year due to a lack of sanitary supplies, further increasing the academic gap between girls and their male peers. Huru interventions provide menstrual, sexual health, HIV/AIDs, and STI training to youth in Kenya and Tanzania. Huru interventions greatly decrease the number of girls missing school during their menstrual periods, and create generations of empowered females.

Carol also has organized a group of girls involved in “Maua Mazuri” (Beautiful Flowers) to empower girls using the arts. The lessons focus on HIV/AIDS and self-confidence through singing, acting, dancing, creative writing, drawing and painting. They just completed a mural at school for their final project, and are on the way to graduating 20 confident young women in June, 2016.

honors.wayne.edu/alumni

Carol Noronha, class of 2014

Honors graduate Annemarie Yaldo offered words of congratulations and encouragement as one of the Commencement speakers during the Winter Commencement Ceremony in December, 2015.

Yaldo graduated Summa Cum Laude with University Honors while earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish Language and Literature from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

She participated in a range of service projects during her time at Wayne State, taking part in Alternative Spring Break in Detroit, teaching English to middle and high school Chinese students during a summer service-learning project in China, and tutoring students at the Woodbridge Community Center her freshmen year.

While tutoring at Woodbridge Community Center, she was part of a group of students who organized a book drive for the community center’s library.

“While my group was tutoring, we noticed there was a serious need for books,” she said. “We made a presentation in front of both classes of Honors 1000 and asked for book donations from anyone who could. As a result, we got a ton of books that we were able to donate.”

After graduation, Annemarie headed to an internship in Cuenca, Spain, to become an English Language Assistant in the schools. Upon her return, she worked as a tutor for children and adults at the Centro de San Jose in Southwest Detroit. Annemarie began law school in June.

Graduating with Honors Annemarie Yaldo, class of 2015

Turning Loss into Inspiration

Honors Sophomore Alyssa Krieger was age 16 when her father passed away. Thanks to his willingness to be an organ donor, doctors were able to successfully use her father’s lungs to save another person’s life.

Six months later, Krieger’s family received a letter from the recipient. “It really impacted me in the way that I was experiencing my dad’s death,” she said. Now, she is turning her grief into a passion for raising awareness about organ donation.

She started volunteering with the Gift of Life organization as part of her senior project in high school, and has organized multiple outreach efforts in the community. Thanks to her latest effort with WSU’s sorority group Alpha Gamma Delta, she helped WSU win the Gift of Life Michigan Campus Challenge for the fifth consecutive year with 504 student donor registrations. Students signed up to be either organ, tissue, or eye donors. Alyssa also appeared on Fox 2 Detroit with Nicholas Giannamore, a double-kidney transplant recipient, during the Campus Challenge.

Do you know?• A single person can donate up to eight organs, and can improve the lives of up to 50 people through tissue donation.• There are more than 123,000 people are currently on the organ transplant list in the US, 3,500 of whom reside in Michigan• It takes just 30 seconds to sign-up to donate at giftoflifemichigan.org or through the Secretary of State

Krieger (second from left) and Alpha Gamma Delta member presented with a trophy for their efforts.

Alyssa Krieger, class of 2018

Breaking News Aleanna Siacon class of 2019

Honors freshman and aspiring political correspondent Aleanna Siacon broke the record for the most stories published in Wayne State’s student newspaper, The South End, in a single semester. Siacon is majoring in journalism and political science and minoring in peace and conflict studies. “I was writing three to four stories a week and by the end of the semester I had 37 pieces,” said Siacon. “The way things are going right now, as the features editor, I will probably break my own record by the end of the winter semester.”

Siacon said that one of her favorite experiences was visiting the CNN spin room for the Democratic debate in Flint, MI. “I got to sit alongside the people who have careers that are exactly what I want, and I got to interact with them

and talk to them, and it was the best experience because I want to be an international political correspondent.”

Siacon will spend the summer as an editorial/photography intern at Hour Detroit magazine.

Floods Inspire Research

In August 2014, metro Detroit was drenched with two days of steady rainfall, resulting in flooded streets, freeways and homes. When Owen Pierce’s Detroit basement flooded, the civil engineering major who is part of the Honors Community of Scholars (COS) wondered how this could happen in a modern city with a drainage system in place.

That question turned into a research project he presented at the fall 2015 Undergraduate Research and Creative Projects Conference, under the guidance of faculty mentor Michael Howard Schrader. Pierce’s research found the flooding was primarily due to the abundance of impervious surfaces in the city. His hypothesis was that replacing some concrete with grass could significantly reduce the chances of flooding. To test his theory, Pierce analyzed the impact of replacing center lane stretches of pavement in major Detroit streets with grass medians. He measured center lanes and then calculated the runoff rate for the center lane, first as pavement and then as grass.

By taking into account the different types of storm intensities that could possibly occur, and the different stretches of road that he believes would be available to use, Pierce determined the reduction could be from 55,701,288 to 112,626,33 gallons of storm water per day, or 3–7% saved from entering the combined sewer system. Pierce received one of six awards for poster presentations at the Undergraduate Research and Creative Projects Conference.

Owen Pierce, a McNair Scholar, is currently the secretary of the WSU Chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers. He graduated from Cass Technical High School and plans to attend graduate school in fall 2017.

Owen Pierce class of 2017

“Just making a small change to the center lanes of seven major roads in Detroit can have a significant impact, I want to share these findings with Detroit city leaders.”

Scholarships and Awards

Donors Bill and Madge Berman with Dean Herron (at right).

Irvin D. Reid with a scholarship recipient.

Each fall the Honors College partners with our friend Bill Berman to host a scholarship dinner where donors meet with students and we celebrate the financial support our students receive.

Many Honors students receive scholarships – either university-supported or privately funded. These awards are important because they help us recruit and retain the most accomplished and ambitious, this enriching the reservoir of talent in Honors and raising the bar for academic excellence.

“The scholarships I’ve received are important to me because they indicate that the university and my community are willing to fund my education in order to allow me to better myself for the future.”

- Trevor KirschHonors Engineering Major

Make a Gift

The Honors College is fortunate to benefit from the generosity of many alumni and friends whose donations help sustain our various programs and provide much-needed financial support to our students.

Through gifts of all sizes, our donors help the next generation of Honors College students achieve their goals. While many students receive university-supported scholarships, most Honors students still significant need - for tuition costs and educational expenses. Your investment helps us recruit and retain the outstanding

women and men of the Honors College - ambitiuos students who are helping build a future we can all be proud of.

Giving to the Honors College is easy! Simply visit go.wayne.edu/give-honors or call Kelley Stokes, Associate Director of Development for the college, at 313-577-1671.

Right now, all gifts to the Honors College count toward the university’s $750 million goal for Pivotal Moments: Our Campaign for Wayne State University. The campaign name reflects the greatest benefit of your support: knowing that you will help create pivotal moments in the lives of our students.

Irvin D. Reid Honors CollegeWayne State University2100 Undergraduate Library 5155 Gullen Mall Detroit, Michigan 48202

Nonprofit postage ID