Features

A geology major spent summer in Houston focusing on Red Planet

Sophie Benaroya had long dreamed of working at NASA.

“I’ve been interested in planetary science since I was a kid,” said Benaroya, a School of Arts and Sciences and Rutgers Honors College senior at Rutgers University-New Brunswick. “I just didn’t think NASA was an option.”

Each year, the Honors College recognizes students who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to service—an integral part of our mission. Please join us in congratulating and thanking this year’s outstanding Changemaker Award recipients, who have served in their communities in New Brunswick, New Jersey, and beyond:

Caroline Kratka

As in past years, first-year Honors College students created more than 50 social innovation projects this fall to help improve the lives of others. As they demonstrated our mission—Curiosity. Knowledge. Purpose.—through their projects, they also learned to work together to refine, articulate, and present their ideas in a compelling and persuasive manner. 

Every semester, first-year Honors College students join together in the interdisciplinary mission course, the Forum. With a strong focus on critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration, creativity, and public speaking, the Forum provides first-year students an opportunity to develop invaluable skills while working with their peers from a variety of academic backgrounds. By focusing on the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals, students tackle real-world issues with business and technology applications.

The Honors College mission course, the Forum, challenges first-year students to develop projects designed to address societal issues that could also become sustainable, profitable ventures. The Fall 2016 Forum was extraordinary—approximately 70 social innovation ideas were created and from those 14 were chosen to be presented to peers and a panel of judges who work with startups and Fortune 500 companies alike.

First-year students who took the Honors College Forum this fall created more than 50 exceptional social innovation projects—14 teams were chosen to present their projects in front of the full Forum gathering and a panel of professional judges from academia and industry.