Faculty

The Honors College has talented professors who love to inspire students. Outstanding teachers, prominent researchers, authors and scholars offer insights in their fields of study. Honors faculty represent a range of academic disciplines and are among the most innovative at Towson University.

 

Honors Faculty assembled at Honors Orientation

In the Classroom

Each term Honors College students have the opportunity to take over 40 Honors courses with excited and inventive Towson University faculty members. With course enrollments limited to 20 students and a focus on the seminar-style discussion format, students have the opportunity to build connections with faculty from day one on campus. The Honors College believes that the undergraduate experience is enhanced by a collaborative learning philosophy which encourages students and faculty to work side-by-side in the classroom.

Honors College seminars are proposed by faculty members with the specific intention of enabling students and faculty to examine areas that are not usually part of regular departmental offerings. Honors seminars provide a robust and collegial discussion environment that is intellectually demanding, and encourage undergraduate research, interdisciplinary perspectives, critical thinking, and global awareness. Honors seminars often deal with topics that are at the forefront of a faculty member's academic inquiry, and which have direct relevance to world in which we live.

“ Honors students strive to leave each class meeting with more in their 'academic cups' than they entered with, to the point that those cups will begin to spill over and thereby inspire excellence in those around them. ”

Professor John Sivey, Department of Chemistry & Forensic Science

Faculty-Led Research

Honors students work one-on-one with TU faculty in the pursuit of Honors electives like internships, independent studies, and thesis writing. Faculty supervision allows Honors students the opportunity to gain valuable experience engaging in work which will prepare them for graduate study or the workforce. 

In the Admissions Process

Honors College faculty who spend their time teaching Honors students are the best equipped to assess a prospective student's readiness for success in the Honors classroom. Each year, over 50 TU faculty and staff assist in the Honors College application review process by reading incoming freshman and transfer student applications. This effort allows the Honors College to take a holistic approach to assessing applications and ensure that all applicant-submitted material is considered by one or more reviewers.

“ Honors College students are creative, hard-working young people who are truly concerned about building their futures.  They seize opportunities and become discerning thinkers.  I enjoy working with Honors students because they are dedicated to developing their talents, exploring new interests, and contributing to their communities. ”

Michael Elliott, Honors Faculty Director and Professor of Sociology

Honors College Professor of the Year

Each year, graduating Honors students are invited to nominate a TU faculty member for Honors College Professor of the Year.

The Class of 2026 selected Prof. Jacob Hovind as the Honors College Professor of the Year.

Jacob Hovind Headshot Photo

Dr. Hovind is Associate Professor in the Department of English. After earning his PhD in Comparative Literature at Emory University, he started at TU in 2011. He has taught a wide range of classes, including “Film and Literature,” “Literature of Global Experience,” and two Honors seminars, one in Ethical Issues on the topic of “Literature of Violence and Reconciliation” and the other on “21st-Century East Asian Cinema.” Dr. Hovind’s research includes several book chapters with Cambridge Scholars Press and University of Edinburgh Press and journal articles in peer-reviewed publications such as Comparative Literature, Partial Answers: Journal of Literature and The History of Ideas, and Senses of Cinema. He has presented his work all around the world, including Germany, France, Ireland, Mexico, and Portugal, and has a book project forthcoming on “The Films of the South Korean filmmaker Hong Sang-soo." Currently, he serves as a Journal referee for Comparative Literature and Modern Language Review, the English Department Honors Thesis coordinator, and an Advisory Board Member for the Jewish Studies Minor. Dr. Hovind is also a frequent reviewer for Honors College admissions and has served as a judge for the Celebration of Scholarship and Learning.  

Past Honors College Professors of the Year