Honors Teaching Faculty - Seminars & Thesis Courses
Dr. Steven Hall
Clinical Assistant Professor - Student Success Center
HONS 3393 - H1: Introduction to Honors Thesis
HONS 4493 - H1: Honors Senior Thesis or Project
Ph.D. English, Idaho State University
Phillip Homan
Instruction Librarian
HONS 3391 - 01: Honors Seminar "Look it Up! How Librarians Know Everything"
Professor
Subject: Economics
Dr. Shannon Kobs Nawotniak
Associate Professor - Geosciences and University Honors Program Director
GEOL 1100 - H1: The Dynamic Earth
HONS 3393 - 01: Introduction to Honors Thesis
HONS 4493 - 01, 02 and 03: Honors Senior Thesis or Project
PhD Geosciences, State University of New York at Buffalo
Research interests: physical volcanology, computational fluid dynamics, high performance computing
Dr. Kobs Nawotniak investigates the connection between process and produce in volcanic eruptions, ranging in scale from the origins and underpinnings of monogenetic volcanic fields through eddy-scale mixing in eruption columns. She is currently Geology Co-Lead on the NASA FINESSE project and Deputy PI on the NASA BASALT project, both of which use terrestrial lavas to investigate planetary volcanoes.
Dr. Brandon Peecook
Assistant Professor - Biology and Assistant Curator Vertebrate Paleontology - Idaho Museum of Natural History
HONS 3391 - 05: Honors Seminar "Mass Extinctions"
2016, PhD: University of Washington, Seattle
2009, BS: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Dr. Denise Tambasco
Director - TRIO McNair Scholars Program
HONS 4493 - H2: Honors Senior Thesis or Project
PhD Educational Leadership, University of California - Davis (2017)
Dr. Tambasco is a native of California, a first generation college student, and a McNair alum. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Chaminade University of Honolulu, with a minor in English Literature which she earned during her year abroad at University of Essex, England. After graduating, Denise worked at NYU School of Medicine in the microbiology department as a research technician. During her time at NYU, Denise discovered that she was passionate about education and decided to change career paths. Denise earned her Master’s degree in Education, and a secondary teaching credential in Science from National University. After teaching middle school math and science, Denise joined a non-profit youth development program where she served as the Program Director. Her work in this comprehensive program was designed around helping youth envision goals for their future — whether that was college, vocational school or another path — and then work toward those goals within a structured support network. In 2017, Denise earned her Doctorate in Educational Leadership at University of California, Davis. Denise’s educational philosophy is student-centered and strength-based.Denise is also a photography instructor, loves to travel, and sing.
Dr. Xiaoxia "Jessica" Xie
Assistant Professor - Mathematics
HONS 3391 - 04: Honors Seminar "The Pandemic in Math"
Ph.D. Mathematics, Auburn University, 2014