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Director | Advisors | Campus Contacts | Office Staff | Student Assistants |
Honors advisors meet with and counsel current and prospective Honors Students. They help students with questions related to their academic record and progress; they also assist with applications for prestigious scholarships, internships, international studies, and graduate school. Honors Advisors help students find opportunities and experiences to be more engaged in their learning and the university community. Additionally, the Honors Advisors offer specialized services such as advising during Preview, extended office hours, and e-mail support. A writing tutor is also available to review scholarship applications and class papers. If you would like to schedule an appointment with an honors advisor, please call 352-846-6083.
Director
Dr. Kevin Knudson
Dr. Kevin Knudson, known to his students as Dr. K, was born in Wisconsin, but grew up in Winston-Salem, NC. He earned a B.S. in mathematics from the Honors Program at Virginia Tech in 1990; he was also inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. He completed his Ph.D. in mathematics at Duke University in 1996. Dr. Knudson received a postdoctoral fellowship from the National Science Foundation which he used to work at Northwestern University. His first tenure-track job was at Wayne State University in Detroit, MI; after three years he left for a position at Mississippi State University. In his seven years at MSU, Dr. Knudson rose to the rank of professor of mathematics and was appointed associate director of the Shackouls Honors College. His primary responsibilities were the creation of the Honors Undergraduate Research Program and the direction of MSU’s Distinguished Scholars Program. He also served as acting director of the College in the fall of 2008. Dr. Knudson was appointed Director of the University Honors Program and Professor of Mathematics at UF in July, 2009.
The author of over 20 papers and a research monograph, Dr. Knudson works in the field of algebraic topology. His current research interests are in the areas of computational topology, topological data analysis, discrete Morse theory, and the homology of linear groups. When he is not thinking about math or the Honors Program, Dr. Knudson enjoys tennis, yoga, cycling, cooking, and reading. He is an avid baseball fan (although he has no talent for the game) and a coffee snob. He also folds origami and plays the dulcimer. He is married to book artist Ellen Knudson; they have one son, Gus.
For more information about Dr. K, please visit his homepage or find him on Facebook.
Email: kknudson@honors.ufl.edu
Advisors
Mr. John Denny - Associate Director, Advisor
John Denny came to the University of Florida in 2001 as Assistant Dean of Students and Director of Disability Resources. He was instrumental in opening the Disability Resource Center at Reid Hall, the first-ever designated center for students with disabilities at the University of Florida. He joined the Honors Program as an Assistant Director in 2006. In addition to academic advising, John's duties included serving as admissions liaison for the Honors Program, coordinating the Dual Enrollment and the Honors in Paris Program. John is an alumnus of the University of Florida, earning his bachelors degree in Psychology in 1992. After working in community mental health for two years he attended the University of South Florida where he completed his Master of Social Work. John interned at the Moffitt Cancer Center after receiving a scholarship in Oncology Social Work from the American Cancer Society. He has six years experience in health care providing medical social work services. John is currently pursuing his Ph. D in Higher Education Administration at UF's College of Education. He is an avid music lover who enjoys playing guitar, hiking and kayaking.
Mr. Denny can answer questions regarding: The Honors Program, General Advising, Dual Enrollment, Undergraduate Research Database, Honors Admission, Honors in Paris, National Merit appeals, and Fulbright Scholarships.
Email: jdenny@honors.ufl.edu
Ms. Regan Garner - Assistant Director, Advisor
Regan came to the Honors program by way of the Office of Admissions, where she was employed for five years. In her capacity as Assistant Director and National Merit recruiter in that office, Regan enjoyed working closely with prospective Honor students and their families. She has a BA in Classical Studies and a M.Ed. in Social Foundations from UF. Her research interests are desegregation and the socioeconomic and racial components of the American public school experience. A Gainesville resident for over ten years, Regan is always available to "talk town" and will happily recommend local restaurants, coffee shops and entertainment to anyone interested in trying something new.
Ms. Garner can answer questions regarding: The Honors Program, General Advising, Honors Professional Development, Honors Ambassadors, The Washington Center Internship, Study Abroad in Lancaster England, Honors Internship Credit, and Prestigious Scholarships
Email: rlgarner@ufl.edu
Ms. Melissa Johnson - Assistant Director, Advisor
Melissa received a BA in Classical Studies and History and an MEd in Higher Education Administration from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro where she was a Katherine Smith Reynolds Merit Scholar and Phi Beta Kappa initiate. Currently she is pursuing her PhD in Educational Technology at UF. Her research interests include several aspects of the undergraduate experience, most recently involvement with science research and involvement in leadership opportunities. She has been a cluster facilitator for the LeaderShape Institute, currently serves on the Directorate Board for the Commission on Admissions, Orientation, and First-Year Experience for the American College Personnel Association, and is the vice president and conference host for the Florida Collegiate Honors Council. She has published several articles related to first-year experience courses and recently contributed to a book chapter on undergraduate research.
Ms. Johnson can answer questions regarding: The Honors Program, General Advising, Honors Professional Development, Lateral Admission, Honors Daily Opportunities Listserv, Preview Orientation, SHO, Honor Societies, and University Scholars Program.
Email: mjohnson@honors.ufl.edu
Campus Contacts
Ms. Sherry Tornwall
Sherry Tornwall is an advisor for the Honors Program and for the Preview Program, and she is a lecturer for the Mathematics Department. In the Mathematics Department she is the coordinator for MGF 1106, Mathematics for Liberal Arts Majors.
Ms. Tornwall can answer questions regarding: General Advising
Email: tornwall@math.ufl.edu
Ms. Kellie Roberts
Kellie Roberts is an Advisor for the Honors Program and the Interim Director for the Dial Center for Written and Oral Communication in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. She also coaches the nationally
competitive UF Speech & Debate Team. In 2003, she was presented the Distinguished Service Award from the American Forensics Association and in 1996 she was honored as the Florida Communication Association's Teacher of the Year. She co-teaches several honors classes including Speaking and Writing for Premed Students and Speaking and Writing for Engineers.
Ms. Roberts can answer questions regarding: General Advising and Preparing for Prestigious Scholarship Applications and Professional Schools
Email: kroberts@cwoc.ufl.edu
Dr. Haywood Smith Ph.D.
Dr. Smith is an Advisor for the Honors Program and works in the Astronomy Department. His area of research is in methods of analyzing stellar parallaxes and proper motions to determine the luminosities of different types of stars. He teaches introductory astronomy and courses in the history of astronomy.
Dr. Smith can answer questions regarding: General Advising
Email: hsmith@astro.ufl.edu
Office Staff
Ms. Fran Green - National Merit Coordinator, Office Manager
Ms. Green is the Honors program office manager. She has been with the Honors Program for 6 years. Fran graduated with her AA from Santa Fe Community College and now attends UF, majoring in Eastern Asian Languages.
Ms. Green can answer questions regarding: National Merit and National Achievement
Ms. Green's National Merit hours are:
MTWR 10am-12pm and by appointment
Email: fgreen@honors.ufl.edu
Ms. Carol Blankenship - Program Assistant
Carol came to the University of Florida in 2005 and is the program assistant for the Honors Program. She welcomes visitors to the Honors Program and can answer general questions regarding advising and learning opportunities.
Email: cblankenship@honors.ufl.edu
Mr. Jonathan Ohlrich - Database Administrator
Mr. Ohlrich is the Honors Program database administrator. He is a graduate student majoring in Computer Engineering.
Mr. Ohlrich can answer questions regarding: Honors Databases
Email: johlrich@honors.ufl.edu
Student Assistants
Student Assistants can answer any general questions about the Honors Program.
Iftekhar Akter is majoring in Electrical Engineering with a minor in Economics
Bethany Mihalik is majoring in Environmental Science with a minor in Portuguese
Sey Park is majoring in Microbiology.
