George F. Whitworth Honors Program

Honors Life at Whitworth

Recent:

Margaret Byle

As a Christian in the science field, these two dominant fields have always been a big part of my learning and worldview. During our time at Cambridge, we read a book by Yuval Harari titled Sapeins. In this book, Yuval Harari is attempting to tell the story of science throughout human history. I observed that in this attempt, Harari is guilty of placing science in a bubble, ignoring big changes going on in the world, specifically around the Scientific Revolution. This realization, paired with my strong passion and fascination for science and religion, led me to desire to be able to better prove that these two fields are not in conflict.

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May 6, 2025

Mu Mu Dun

Scientific discoveries can often seem intricate and challenging to digest. Clear communication ensures these ideas are accessible to a wider audience, including those lacking a scientific background. This enhances public insight and respect for science. Whether discussing health, environmental challenges, or innovative technologies, the public often encounters choices that require scientific understanding. By conveying information effectively, scientists can empower people to make well-informed decisions that can benefit both their lives and society as a whole.

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May 6, 2025

Lizzie Berns

My research is specifically looking at Whitworth and how they treat sexual violence on campus. I looked into what resources and programs there are for sexual violence survivors on this campus or any education about what sexual violence is for the rest of the student body. What I found was scarce, not only the research around Christian colleges and sexual assault, but also the resources on this campus for students.

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May 6, 2025

Caleb Flegel

As the world increasingly deals with the presence of Climate Change, we will increasingly need quality research to understand how it will affect the ecosystems that surround us. For this reason, this project is a collaboration with an existing research team investigating the effects of a changing climate on small aquatic ecosystems such as ponds. In the past, the associated research project has focused primarily on the effects of increasing pond temperatures. But, water oxygen saturation is another key indicator of ecosystem health. Not only does oxygen saturation directly affect the well-being of pond flora and fauna, but it also is affected by a warming climate.

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May 2, 2025

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Sigma Xi: Five new Honors students inducted

Sigma Xi Five new Honors students inducted This semester, five honors students were inducted into the Sigma Xi branch at Whitworth. Sigma Xi is a well-respected National Research Honors Society that supports quantitative research aimed at positively advancing society, according to Dr. Aaron Putzke.  The five students added this semester include Eleanor Jeffers, Casey Moddrell, Kendall Sandhop, Corrine Vasiloff, and Ethan Worth. While this organization has traditionally focused on STEM fields, Whitworth has made a goal to include other disciplines with quantitative research. This allows Whitworth’s chapter to be more inclusive with students that are both in

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December 5, 2022

Water Rights Research Project: Celia Hagey

As an English Writing major, I am constantly asked the question, “what are you going to do with your degree?” The answer, as I have discovered during my time in Whitworth’s honors program, is that the possibilities are far more wide-reaching than even I would have guessed as I declared my major in 2019. Eighteen-year-old literature-loving me would not have anticipated using my writing skills to interpret and communicate water law— but that’s exactly what I did throughout the fall of 2021. HN300, or the community-based research honors seminar, is a class that divides honors students into

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March 26, 2022

Ryan B. and Lisa H. Present their Research at Genetics Society of America Conference in Washington DC

            During the summer 2019 and continuing into the school year, we worked in the developmental biology lab of Dr. Aaron Putzke here at Whitworth University. We worked on a project that was presented at an international conference by Dr. Putzke and that we presented at the regional Murdock College Science Research Conference in November of 2019. Our project has now been accepted to be presented by us at The Allied Genetics Conference in Washington DC in April. Our project has also led to a paper that we contributed to and is being submitted to the G3

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March 10, 2020