March 2004

Briefly speaking: Davis Honors Challenge

	Professor Terence Murphy shares his enthusiasm for plant biology with Rangashree Varadarajan when her honors biology class takes a field trip to his lab. (Debbie Aldridge/UC Davis)

Real-world issues and the complexities of collaboration create an exciting learning environment for students participating in the Davis Honors Challenge.

Each year almost 400 UC Davis students -- most of them freshmen and sophomores -- take part in this unique program, giving them the opportunity to take more challenging classes, interact with top faculty and team with other highly motivated students.

The program offers participant-only sections of regular courses and free-standing seminars. The honors sections may cover supplementary material or include field trips, for example.

Nontraditional topics

Seminars count toward general education requirements, but are far from traditional. The seminar topics include, for example, "The Practice of War in the Modern World," "What is Creativity and Where Does It Come From?" and "Water Reuse Issues in California: From the Toilet to the Tap and Back Again."

As Rangashree Varadarajan, a second-year biological sciences major from the Bay Area, explains, seminars are also unique because of how they are conducted.

Postgraduate researcher Joline Shu talks with Davis Honors Challenge students, right to left, Rangashree Varadarajan, Wendy Ward, Renee Singh, Lisa Chan and Kate Kokosinski during their visit to a research lab. (Debbie Aldridge/UC Davis)

"It's really one of the best classes I've taken since I've been here," she says of a seminar she took last year exploring how America acts during times of war and conflict. "The professor is really just there to facilitate the class, and I like that a lot."

Students collaborate, make presentations

Seminar professors do not stand in front of a large class and lecture. Instead, the experience is more like that found in the workplace. The faculty member oversees a class of about 20 students who tackle topics by organizing themselves into groups, gathering information and then presenting findings to classmates.

"It gives them a really nice chance right away to interact with high-level faculty members in a small group experience," says Jessica Utts, the program's interim director.

Unlike many honors programs, entry into the Davis Honors Challenge is not based on grades or entrance exam scores, but on an essay application. Students are chosen based on their motivation, their willingness to work in teams and their desire to have an active role in their education.

First-year students interested in joining Davis Honors Challenge for their sophomore year must submit their application by April 28.

Top of page

Return to previous page