Honors Unbound and Common Read

Honors Unbound

Every two years we select a theme as a community focus, which will then be used to shape our calls for Interdisciplinary Honors Seminar topics, assemble faculty panels, and select our guests for lectures, as well as determine our Common Read selection.

This is a way for us to ensure that our interdisciplinary approach to learning is sustained not only in formal and curricular structures, but also through our co-curricular, extra-curricular, and social programming. It is also a way to set a habit of being a life-long learner who is interested in the multiplicity of ways that various issues and topics manifest themselves in our lives—from personal to political, work to leisure, and across all cultures and communities.

The thematic focus for 2026-2028 is modern medicine: the quest for cures and the ethical dilemmas.

Common Read

Each year we select a common reading (monograph or novel) that is intended to spark discussion, exchange, and connections across the disciplines in a thematic way.

The reading is mandatory for our incoming first-year students and highly recommended for all Honors College students, as it will be required reading in select interdisciplinary honors seminars, and is used to foster a community-wide discussion focused on a contemporary social issue or theme, which changes every two years, that is deeply intertwined with social impact and inclusive excellence. The Common Reading approach has been a longstanding program at Rutgers and within the Rutgers honors community, and remains one of the most high-impact approaches to learning and involvement that we offer.

Through deep reading and related discussion and exploration in Honors coursework, students develop traits and non-cognitive skills, such as critical thinking, empathy, collaboration, respect, problem solving, persistence, understanding, and introspection—skills that will help students learn how to transform their ideas into action so they may contribute meaningfully to society and develop their purpose.

2026-2027 Common Read

Photo of Dr. Nuila and his book The People's Hospital

Dr. Ricardo Nuila’s The People's Hospital: Hope and Peril in American Medicine has been chosen as the Honors College’s 2026–2027 common read by a committee of Honors College students and faculty.

The following is excerpted from the author's agency bio (see full bio):

"Over his decade-long career as a practicing physician, Dr. Ricardo Nuila’s first-hand experiences have fueled his writing on health disparities, healthcare policy, and the interface between art and medicine. His stunning debut, The People’s Hospital: Hope and Peril in American Medicine [...] details the stories of five Houstonians unable to access healthcare in his hometown of Houston, TX, [...]

"Each patient eventually lands at Ben Taub Hospital, the county hospital where Dr. Nuila has worked for over a decade. Nuila delves with empathy into the experiences of his patients, braiding their dramas into a singular narrative that contradicts the established idea that the only way to receive good healthcare is with good insurance. As readers follow the movingly rendered twists and turns in each patient’s story, it is impossible to deny that the US healthcare system is broken—and that Ben Taub’s innovative model, which emphasizes people over payments, could help reimagine the path forward [...].

"Dr. Nuila is an associate professor of medicine, medical ethics, and health policy at Baylor College of Medicine, where he directs the Humanities Expression and Arts Lab [HEAL] program. His work and research on the use of arts and humanities in medical practice have been supported by the Association of American Medical Colleges, and he has received fellowships for his writing from MacDowell, Yaddo, the Logan Nonfiction Program, and the Texas Institute of Letters. His features and essays have appeared in Texas Monthly, The New York Times Sunday Review, VQR, The Atlantic.com, and the New England Journal of Medicine. His short fiction has appeared in Best American Short Stories, McSweeney’s, Guernica, and other magazines."

Begin Reading This Summer

First-year students will engage with The People’s Hospital this summer through online conversation and during Welcome Week, when Dr. Nuila will come to campus and students will meet in discussion groups. Themes from the book will be incorporated into all Honors College mission courses this fall and spring.
Returning students are encouraged to also read The People’s Hospital this summer, as it will be required reading in select Interdisciplinary Honors Seminars throughout the year and serve as a focal point for numerous co-curricular and extra-curricular events and programs that are open to all. Returning students on campus will also be invited to hear Dr. Nuila speak and ask their questions.

Where to Find the Book

All students are expected to acquire The People's Hospital by Ricardo Nuila. There are many ways you can access the book at a low cost (or free). Here are a few options:

Libraries

Find a copy at your local library.
Download the Libby App or go here to find The People's Hospital at your local library as an e-book or audiobook.

Bookstores

Audible

You can find the book on Audible, available with a subscription. If you don't already have a subscription, there is a free trial!

Instructions for engaging in our community-wide online discussion are forthcoming.

Additional Resources

Recommend a Book for the Common Read

Each year we assemble a committee of students, faculty, and interested staff who will work within some prescribed parameters to choose the Common Read work. If you would like to participate on the committee, please connect with one of the following Honors College team members:

Trip McCrossin, Residential Faculty Fellow | Department of Philosophy
Kathleen Sadowsky, Assistant Advising Dean | School of Arts and Sciences

The time commitment includes attending a meeting every other week during the selection process in the spring semester, plus reading time. Involvement includes reading agreed-upon works, discussions and deliberations, and final selection voting. Once the choices are narrowed down to the final three or four books, all committee members receive a free copy of each for their work and efforts.