Schreyer Scholars explore interests through Distinguished Honors Faculty Program

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The demands of major-specific coursework and research can often make it challenging for students to explore disciplines beyond their specific field of study. To support Penn State Schreyer Scholars in exploring their interdisciplinary interests, the Schreyer Honors College created the Distinguished Honors Faculty Program (DHFP).

This program provides Penn State faculty members with the opportunity to share their unique interests and ongoing research projects with a group of Scholars. Rather than a lecture-style lesson, students participate in an interactive, open dialogue with faculty.

To encourage cross-disciplinary connections, the DHFP recruits faculty members from a wide range of academic colleges, and encourages Scholars of all majors to attend these conversations. This benefits both the Scholar participants and faculty members, as Scholars are able to learn about a new topic, while faculty members can discuss their area of expertise with students from diverse academic fields.

The Schreyer Honors College associate dean for academic affairs, Laura Rotunno, credited the program’s ability to encourage intriguing conversations without the added burden of academic pressure.

“The DHFP is an opportunity for students to investigate something without investing a long period of time. It invites Scholars into a conversation without the high stakes of having to write a paper or get a grade for it. Not only do you participate in a good discussion, but you're connecting with a professor you might not have gotten to connect with before,” Rotunno said. “I would really describe it as similar to the best classroom discussion that you’ve ever had.”

The topics of the DHFP sessions vary depending on which faculty member is leading that conversation, with recent sessions focusing on AI (artificial intelligence), the Supreme Court, global research, and ancient history. The honors college holds about eight DHFP events per semester, with each conversation lasting around 90 minutes.

The program is funded through support from Penn State alumni Art and Betty Glenn. Having served on the external advisory board for the honors college, Art said he wanted to give back to the Schreyer community and create new opportunities for Scholars to explore their multi-faceted interests. Thus, students of all academic majors are encouraged to attend any DHFP event, as there is no preparation or background knowledge needed to participate.

For fourth-year Scholar Chiara Safina, the rare opportunity to meet students and faculty outside of her academic college was what inspired her to attend a DHFP event.

As an international relations and history major, Safina participated in a session focused on AI and the future of technology. She shared how fascinating it was to learn about a topic that is not normally taught within her courses and discover how AI impacts different career fields.

“The benefit of this program is the ability to connect with other students who are not within your major. When I am taking honors courses, I am normally surrounded by political science and international politics students. It was so interesting to meet students from different majors and hear their opinions about this topic,” Safina said. “Everybody was able to draw connections to AI and how this technology will affect everyone’s future careers.”

While many academic programs tend to take place in a lecture hall or conference room, a large majority of the DHFP conversations are held at different food establishments across downtown State College.

Second-year Scholar and computer science major Arayn Sabnekar explained how this unique setting was what initially drew him to participate in a DHFP event. To Sabnekar, the program perfectly captures the authenticity and curiosity of conversations held over a shared meal.

“In my family, everyone always meets at the dinner table, and that's where we have the best conversations about topics that we find interesting. So, the DHFP mirrors that perfectly, but here in State College for students,” Sabnekar said. “It lets Scholars and faculty have dinner together, talk about something new and fascinating, ask questions, and learn in a more casual environment.”

Attending multiple DHFP sessions throughout his time at Penn State, Sabnekar said he enjoys having an outlet to learn about disciplines outside of his computer science background; the program has enriched Sabnekar’s knowledge across different research fields.

“My favorite part of the DHFP is learning about topics that I have never learned in-depth before. For example, I learned that 3-D printing can be used to create artificial reefs in the ocean for fish. Then, at another session, I learned about different Supreme Court opinions,” Sabnekar explained. “I’m in computer science, I have nothing to do with any of these topics, but it's really awesome to gain new perspectives on these different industries.”

The program typically includes eight to 10 faculty members from diverse fields, with recruitment occurring each spring, and vacancies being filled on a rolling basis.

Information sciences and technology (IST) professor Shomir Wilson wanted to participate in the DHFP in order to build connections with Scholars and have the space to discuss topics outside of the IST curriculum.

“I really wanted to get more engaged with the honors program, as the students I have interacted with have been so great to work with in the context of research and teaching. I saw this program as an opportunity to have open-ended conversations with students on topics that really interested me,” Wilson shared. “The program allows for informative, free-flowing discussions where I can provide advice on personal experience and interests rather than just delivering content to students.”

Faculty members have also expanded their knowledge through these conversations. While faculty members are the ones leading each conversation, they are not immune to learning something new from the student participants.

As a professor in the political science department, Michael Nelson recently led a DHFP conversation focused on the Supreme Court and judicial law. Despite his extensive knowledge and expertise, the Scholar attendees at the event pushed Nelson to view this topic in a brand-new light, he said.

“I talk about the Supreme Court with political science majors all the time, but it's fun to get to talk about it with students from different backgrounds. Because the DHFP includes such a broad group of students, you get different questions than when you're teaching majors in that field. It really made me think about the topics in different ways,” said Nelson. “It makes you wonder about how you might present the information that you teach every day in a way that's interesting to students who aren't studying the topic.”

In addition to the DHFP acting as an excellent networking opportunity for Scholars and faculty, Rotunno emphasized how the program celebrates the inherent unity and interconnectedness between different academic disciplines. Whether pursuing a career in STEM or the humanities, the DHFP showcases how Scholars are united in their common curiosity and commitment to lifelong learning.

“The fact that we're having STEM students at a Supreme Court event, and humanities folks at an AI conversation, attests to the fact that Schreyer students are curious and have a wide range of interests. This program is a way to tap into that very heart of who you are,” Rotunno said. “The DHFP also proves how interconnected the world is, because no matter the topic, students from all backgrounds have a place where they fit.”

Penn State faculty members that are interested in participating in the DHFP should contact Laura Rotunno at ler12@psu.edu.