November 1997
CAS Honors Program at Milestone
The College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) Honors Program introduced 42 new members at an October 9 reception, bringing the number of CAS Honors Program students to a new high.
"This is a milestone year," says Program director Monica McAlpine. "This year's group of newly admitted students numbers 42 -- the largest group so far, and our total enrollment has surpassed 100 students for the first time."
In addition, McAlpine predicts 12 to 14 honors students will graduate in May, 1998. "The total number of Honors Program graduates will be about twice what it has been in the past, so this will be a turning point for the program," McAlpine adds.
The new students have already shown their desire to achieve before stepping foot on campus. They have studied or speak sixteen languages. Collectively, they are the recipients of 20 scholarships, and have earned a combined 67 college credits through advanced placement courses taken in high school. Before coming to UMass Boston, they had excelled at sports, tutored, performed in theatrical and musical productions, built their own computers, and volunteered for causes close to their hearts. They come from the Boston area, but also have roots in countries such as the Ukraine, Nigeria, Poland, Albania, China, Japan and Bosnia.
At the Honors Program reception, the Robert H. Spaethling prize, given annually in honor of a beloved teacher of honors courses, is awarded to students who have taken at least four honors courses, maintained grades in the summa cum laude range, and who exhibit special intellectual curiosity and achievement. Colin Ward and Bejamin Tucker were awarded the prize this year.
Ward is a nationally ranked pairs ice skater who entered the University with a Chancellor's Scholarship for Excellence in the Arts. He recently designed an individual major in architectural history and social psychology with his mentor, Prof. Nancy Stieber of the art department.
Tucker, who joined the Honors Program as a sophomore last year, was ranked at or near the top of his honors classes, where his insightful classroom participation was noted by his professors. Tucker is a computer science major.
What makes the extra effort of the Honors Program worth it? Senior Donna Roveto, now in her fourth year with the Honors Program, says that it is the chance to study more specialized topics, the enthusiasm of the professors, and students who are eager to learn. "Students in the Honors Program develop a camaraderie. The class size is small, and that lets us get closer to the professors. I think that interaction is the best part," she adds.
Helping McAlpine run the Honors Program this year are Prof. Louis Ferleger of the economics department, assistant director; Shingo Moriyama, administrative assistant; and Paul Roach, graduate assistant.