Our Timeline

A graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and the University of Cincinnati, Dr. Cobane holds a doctorate in Political Science. Previously, he spent time at NATO Headquarters in Belgium, and was the AAAS Defense Policy Fellow assigned to the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Stability Operations at the Pentagon. He has participated in numerous study abroad programs and received four teaching awards.

Lindsey was a 2001 Rogers Scholar, 2002 Kentucky Governor’s scholar, and a WKU Spirit Master from 2005-2007. She worked five years at the Honors College as Coordinator of Student Recruitment, one year at the Russell County Tourist Commission, and Director of the Russell County Public Library.

The Honors College surpasses its targets from the Challenging the Spirit Strategic Plan for 2007/08-2011/12, with over 1,200 scholars enrolled and an average ACT score of 29 for the 2011-2012 academic year.

Honors scholar Cory Dodds (BA, Political Science, 2013) is the first WKU student to become a finalist for the George Mitchell Scholarship Program. Cory went on to complete his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center. Cory currently serves as Coordinator of Nationally Competitive Opportunities at WKU’s Office of Scholar Development, helping scholars achieve their dreams of studying abroad through nationally competitive scholarships and fellowships.Read more

Sarah Schrader (BS, Biology, Chemistry, and Honors Self-Designed, 2014) is WKU’s first finalist for the prestigious Rhodes, Marshall, and Gates-Cambridge scholarships. She was awarded a Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship for science research in 2012 and conducted research in the Summer Undergraduate Research Program at the Sackler Institute at NYU. Sarah is currently pursuing her MD and PhD degrees in Microbiology through the Weill Cornell/Rockefeller/Sloan Kettering Tri-Institutional MD-PhD Program. She plans to pursue a research career as a geneticist, collaborating with scientists in China and other Mandarin-speaking areas.

During the 2014-15 year, six students receive Fulbright awards and WKU ties for third in the nation of Master’s Institutions. Learn more

For the first time in the College’s history the average ACT/SAT of the incoming first year class exceeded 30/1300. Those scores correspond with an estimated percentile of Top 3% of all tests taken that year.

The new 67,000-square foot building is dedicated on October 23. The building houses the Honors College, Office of Scholar Development, Chinese Flagship Program, Study Abroad & Global Learning, Office of International Programs, Kentucky Institute for International Studies, International Enrollment Management, International Student Office, and English as a Second Language International, in addition to classrooms, study rooms, and a thesis defense room. Click here for a video tour of the HCIC.

A leader in nutrition and scientific innovation focused on yeast-based technology, nutrigenomics, and algae, Alltech partnered with the Chinese Flagship Program to provide internships to select WKU scholars. The internships feature 30 hours of internship responsibilities and learning about China’s unique business environment, as well as 10 hours of one-on-one language instruction, at Alltech’s facilities in China. The two inaugural interns were Honors scholars Alexis Corbin (2018, Geography/Environmental Studies and Asian Religions & Cultures) and Megan Laffoon (2017, Biology). Read more

The Chinses Flagship Program grant is renewed by the National Security Education Program for four years. Learn more

Meteorology student Dallas McKinney of Mayfield, KY (2020) is one of 120 undergraduate students selected for the Ernest F. Hollings Undergraduate Scholarship. He will receive up to $9,500 to support two years of academic study and a paid summer internship at a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) facility. Read More

Economics and Spanish student Loandria “Andi” Dahmer of Fisherville, KY (2019) has been selected as a 2018 Harry S. Truman Scholar, and she is the first student from WKU to earn this honor.  She will receive $30,000 for graduate school and opportunities for professional development to prepare her for a career in public service leadership. Read More

During the 2018-2019 academic year, Dr. Michael Smith, a professor from the Biology Department, served as Acting Executive Director of the Mahurin Honors College while Dr. Cobane was an American Council on Education Fellow.