The Madison College Honors Program held its 10th anniversary presentations on Dec. 6. Dr. Julia Haseleu, Honors Program Director, began with an introduction and opening remarks.
“The Madison College Honors Program is a college-wide, project-based program. Qualified students work with an Honors Supervising Faculty Member to develop, over the course of a semester, an academically rigorous Honors Project that allows the students to explore more in-depth a topic in the faculty member’s discipline,” Haseleu informed the audience.
The Honors Program is like a class you create for yourself whether it be a research paper, an experiment, invention, a book or business. It’s up to each student.
Projects earn degree credits and become a competitive part of a resume that leads to scholarships, internships, job opportunities and transfer to other colleges like Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
First up for the honors program presentations was student Vania Rocha, presenting “Brazil Bliss Food Truck Gluten Free” with Supervising Faculty Member Tony Molina Rivas. Rocha created a full business plan for a food truck that will sell gluten free Brazilian cheese bread, Pão de Queijo.
Rocha was followed by student Zander Smith with Supervising Faculty Member Todd Bowie presenting “For the Funk Music Album III.” Pulling inspiration from groups of the 60s and 70s, Rocha combed it with modern workstations and processes. Traditional analog instrumentation was recorded to recreate the sound of classic funk.
Next up was Hawa Nayaga. “Data Access in Africa / Burkina Faso” was her topic with Supervising Faculty Member Jocob Eapen in Electrical Engineering Technology.
Nayaga explained an issue she knows well and provided a low-power solution designed to improve internet access and data sharing in Burkina Faso, an African country overcoming challenges in communication and research access with decentralized solutions.
Student Danielle Hatfield presented “Recruit and Keep K12 Teachers” from a college campus in Eau Claire where she studies human resources while also working as an administrative assistant.
Over the last 10 years, 1,046 students have participated in the Honors Program with more than 365 faculty members completing the three-hour supervisor training. Ninety-four programs across the college are part of this program.
If you’re someone wants to take your education to the next level, enroll in the Honors Program and work one-on-one with an instructor on a project of your design. Contact the Honors Program Director, Dr. Julia Haseleu, [email protected] to learn more.