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Honors Program Student Spotlight: Matthew Spencer

University Honors Program

Jazz pianist and historian Elmer Gibson (left), an Honors Forum regular, discussed his work with students during jam breaks with his friend Herman Burney at Forum on Sept. 29.

Jan 8, 2026

Fall 2025 University Honors Forum In Review

Last fall, the University Honors program continued its tradition of inviting a range of speakers to campus to impress upon students the importance of differing, interdisciplinary, and global perspectives.
University Honors Program and University Scholars Program Fall 2025 graduates stand around the University seal in Talley Student Union for a traditional group photo after their Senior Recognition Ceremony on Dec. 9, 2025.

Jan 8, 2026

Congratulations, University Honors Program and University Scholars Program Graduates!

The staff of the University Honors Program (UHP) extends their most sincere congratulations to the fall graduating class of 2025! University Honors Program and University Scholars Program seniors have worked hard to achieve their goals at NC State, and the UHP wishes them the best of luck in all of their future endeavors.
From left, Richard L. Blanton Outstanding Capstone Award winners Sahana Ramamurthy, Aubrey O’Quinn, and Justin Kacher, and Alex Miller Outstanding Scholar Award winners Andrew Hoyek, Jordan Holcomb and Sai Vaddi hold up their award certificates in front of a projector screen.

Jan 8, 2026

University Honors Program Recognizes Fall 2025 Blanton and Miller Award Winners

To recognize students that have gone above and beyond during their time at NC State and in the UHP, the program awards a select group of graduating seniors each semester with either the Richard L. Blanton Outstanding Capstone Award or the Alex Miller Outstanding Scholar Award.

Graduating senior Isaac Paolino addresses honored guests and his peers in the University Honors Program from the stage podium as the invited student speaker for the Program’s Senior Recognition Ceremony on Tuesday, Dec. 9.

Dec 15, 2025

University Honors Seniors Reflect on Lessons Learned

“We didn’t just complete the requirements. We learned how to learn. We learned how to walk into something unfamiliar and get competent quickly. We learned how to ask good questions, how to think across disciplines, and how to approach problems from multiple angles.” 
University Scholars Program alum Evelynn Wilcox ‘25 was recently invited to speak to a First Year Honors Seminar class about the undergraduate research that inspired her winning entry to NC State’s 2025 Envisioning Research Image Contest.

Dec 2, 2025

Honors Program Alumni Spotlight: Evelynn Wilcox

When Evelynn Wilcox submitted her entry to the Envisioning Research Image Contest in the spring semester of 2025, she was still a fourth-year student in the final term of her Biological Engineering Bachelor of Science degree program. The annual contest opened for 2025 on Jan. 13, and the last day to submit was April 25…
Grace Lowder smiles for the camera as she and her fellow University Honors Program students hike Exit Glacier in Kenai Fjords National Park in late May.

Dec 2, 2025

The Last Frontier: University Honors Students Take On Alaska

For two weeks during the early summer months, students from the University Honors Program traveled throughout Alaska, engaging with the great outdoors and immersing themselves in unique cultural and natural landscapes.
University Honors student Osarobo Obasuyi explains her undergraduate research to an attendee of the Comparative Medicine Institute's "Think, Collaborate and Do" Ideation Event in August.

Nov 11, 2025

How Research Reshapes Futures: Comparative Medicine Institute – University Honors Program Fellows Reflect

For a select group of University Honors Program students, the summer of 2025 was more than just another academic break — it was a defining chapter in their educational and research journeys.

National Geographic photographer Andy Mann, guest of the University Honors Program, spoke to Honors Forum students and other campus community members on Monday and Tuesday, Sept. 8-9.

Nov 5, 2025

UHP Guest Lecturer Andy Mann Promotes Passion and Interdisciplinary Connection in Student Pursuits

Andy Mann is a director, National Geographic photographer, marine conservationist and story-teller who spoke to Honors students this semester on Sept. 8-9.

University Scholars Program alumna Dr. Keersten Ricks speaking about her career in diagnostic research and development for infectious diseases for the Honors Forum in August.

Nov 3, 2025

Honors Program Alumni Spotlight: Keersten Ricks

Keersten Ricks, an alumna of the University Honors Program, carries the title of Chief of Diagnostic Systems Division (DSD) at the United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID).

Matthew Spencer standing in front of Haedong Yonggungsa Temple in Busan, South Korea during a solo trip he took to Seoul and Busan after attending the SPACETIDE 2025 conference in Tokyo, Japan.

Oct 7, 2025

Honors Program Student Spotlight: Matthew Spencer

For Matthew Spencer, a University Honors Program junior studying aerospace engineering, aviation has always been part of his story.