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Dear Alumni and Friends,
Here we go—the end of another successful school year is fast approaching. Students’ schedules are filling up with final projects and papers, and for some, graduation celebrations and the start of the next chapter they will write are looming on the horizon. Spring is always a busy season in the University Honors Program, but I wanted to pause and share a few highlights from this exciting time.
This spring, our Honors in Paris study abroad class spent spring break exploring the history, art, food, and culture of one of the world’s great cities. Our faculty continue to design new and innovative courses that challenge students to think creatively and critically. Student life remains vibrant, with events like a recent Game Night hosted by one of our pioneering students, made possible through a small grant to foster community. And Jax, our therapy dog, is wrapping up his freshman year—bringing cheer and a welcome sense of home to our students along the way.
As we enter the final weeks of the semester—with plenty of hard work still ahead—it remains an honor and a privilege to do this work alongside our faculty and staff on behalf of our students. We wish you a bright, warm, and productive spring.
Go Big Red!
Tyler R. White, PhD
Faculty Director, University Honors Program
Paris
Honors Students Visit Paris for Spring Break Trip
Twenty-five Honors students explored the history and culture of the renowned city of Paris over spring break. The students visited several of the city's top sites including the Notre Dame Cathedral, the Eiffel Tower, and the Louvre. Andrew Swanson, a second-year journalism major, said this about the trip, “Not only has this Honors class helped me achieve my dream of going abroad, but it also gave me a remarkable perspective of Paris and what makes it special.”
Jax
Jax, an English Lab, Joins the Honors Program
Honors welcomed a furry new staff member this year—Jax, an English Labrador! Jax serves as a therapy dog, a job where he brings endless smiles to the students of the Honors Program. Originally bred to be a show-dog, Jax was disqualified for being too happy and wagging his tail too much. His happy disposition and tail-wagging have proven popular with students, though. Jax brings joy and comfort everywhere he goes, and Honors students are happy to have him in the community.
Game Night
Elijah Shirley Wins Grant to Host Community Building Event
Often, the Knoll common spaces are filled with students working on homework or scrawling notes across whiteboards as they prepare for upcoming exams. On the evening of April 6, however, the Knoll lobby was abuzz with chatter and rolling dice as students settled in for a night of board games, good food, and time with friends.
Elijah Shirley, a first-year philosophy major, had the idea for a board game-focused community building event when he was asked to come up with a mock proposal for The Contribution Project in an Honors class. The Contribution Project is an organization that awards grants to individuals aged 14-25 in order to help them launch projects and events focused on community building.
“We were just supposed to do a practice proposal, but I ended up actually submitting it to The Contribution Project,” Shirley said.
Shirley’s idea was simple. He planned to buy as many board games as he could, invite Honors students to come together and play them, and then give the games out to participants at the end of the night. After he received a $400 grant from The Contribution Project, he thought it would be fun to provide food in the form of Raising Cane’s chicken fingers for attendees as well.
“I think there is this stigma that helping your community has to be a big commitment,” Shirley said. “But I am a college student, so I thought about easy ways I can contribute to my community every day. The first thing that came to mind was just spending time with my friends.”
Shirley said he hopes the event gave students a stress-free space away from the pressure of homework and exams. “I hope they can take the moment to relax and play board games with friends, and they walk away with a stronger sense of community,” he said.
According to Shirley, Honors encourages him to think about how he can make a positive impact on his community and the people around him. “The Honors community itself is very dedicated to building a safe space for everybody,” he said. Shirley’s work embodies the value that Honors places on community and inclusion.
Over 70 students attended the event, taking the opportunity to engage with their peers outside the classroom. Forming meaningful connections is a key part of the Honors experience, and events like Shirley’s provide ample opportunity for students to develop friendships. “The value of community building events comes down to being able to feel like you have a place, and being comfortable coming out and forming new connections with other students,” said Ibrahim Shaikh, a first-year biochemistry major.
At the end of the night, those in attendance agreed the event was a success. What started as an abstract Honors project turned into meaningful action thanks to Shirley and The Contribution Project Grant. Many attendees walked away with new friends and an appreciation for the chance to unwind before the end of the semester.
Forum
E.N. Thompson Forum on World Issues Tackles Finding Connections
The Honors Program is proud to coordinate the E.N. Thompson Forum on World Issues at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. This speaker series provides an opportunity for students and community members to hear leading voices on range of issues. The 2025–2026 season centered on the timely and unifying theme of Belonging: Finding Connection in a Lonely World. Through a combination of keynote events and smaller, student-centered Cooper Conversations, the Forum created a layered experience that connected global perspectives with personal and local engagement.
The fall semester introduced this theme through both campus dialogue and nationally recognized speakers. One of the season’s major events on October 14 featured Dr. Vivek H. Murthy, the 19th and 21st U.S. Surgeon General, who spoke about the growing public health crisis of loneliness. Drawing on his research and national initiatives, Murthy emphasized that social connection is not just a personal experience but a critical component of overall health and well-being. His talk framed loneliness as a systemic issue, encouraging both individual and institutional responses.
On November 18, communication strategist Orly Israel presented “Belonging is a Practice, Not a Place.” Through his work facilitating dialogue and connection, Israel highlighted the importance of intentional listening and meaningful conversation in building authentic relationships. His message reinforced the idea that belonging is something we actively create through our daily interactions.
The fall featured Cooper Conversations that introduced the themes of loneliness and connection to university students and community members in a more intimate setting. A September 18 film screening featured short films from the WHO Social Connection Series, encouraging reflection on how relationships shape well-being across cultures. In October, “The Ethics of Loneliness” challenged students to consider whether social isolation should be treated as a public health issue, while November’s “Moving Together” highlighted the role of fitness and shared activity in building community.
In the spring, a new partnership expanded the Forum’s scope while maintaining its focus on connection and community. On February 17, Ignite Lincoln, presented in partnership with The Foundry and Firespring Foundation, featured 11 community members and 6 nonprofit leaders sharing ideas and stories centered around their own personal stories of belonging.
The season concluded on March 31 with social entrepreneur Shaylyn Romney Garrett, who delivered “America’s Upswing” at the Lied Center. Drawing from her co-authored book, Garrett explored how the United States has historically moved from division toward greater social cohesion, and how those lessons might guide the present moment. Her talk offered an evidence-based perspective on rebuilding connection and strengthening civic life.
Complementing these large-scale events, the Spring 2026 Cooper Conversations invited students into more intimate, discussion-driven spaces. Megan Helberg drew on Holocaust history through her speech “Walk the Walk: Belonging, Shared Responsibility, and the Power of Invitation,” to explore why some communities chose to extend protection and connection while their neighbors turned away. In February, the conversation shifted to “Intergenerational Connection.” Aging experts discussed how relationships across generations can strengthen both communities and healthcare systems. The series concluded on March 11 with “A Seat at the Table,” where local entrepreneurs demonstrated how shared meals and intentional gathering spaces can cultivate connection, culture, and belonging.
In addition to the keynote events and Cooper Conversations, two book clubs organized through NCLUDE provided an opportunity for deeper engagement with the Forum’s themes. Open to students, faculty, staff, and community members, the groups read and discussed Dr. Vivek H. Murthy’s Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection and Shaylyn Romney Garrett’s The Upswing: How America Came Together a Century Ago and How We Can Do It Again. These discussions allowed participants to extend the ideas presented on stage into ongoing dialogue, reflecting on how concepts such as social connection, belonging, and civic renewal apply to everyday life.
Together, these events reflect the mission of the E.N. Thompson Forum on World Issues to bring diverse perspectives on global and public policy issues to Nebraska while encouraging meaningful dialogue. Supported by the Cooper Foundation and hosted in partnership with the Lied Center, the Forum continues to create space for students and community members to engage deeply with the challenges of building a more connected and inclusive society.