Matthew is a Program Coordinator for the Honors Academy, advising current and prospective students, and assists in Honors Academy stakeholder reporting. He graduated from Texas A&M University with a dual B.A. in English-Creative Writing and Philosophy in 2014 and again in 2016 with an M.A. in American Literature. He graduated from the University of Houston with a Ph.D. in American Literature, where he studied contemporary war fiction and its impact on writers and readers with post-traumatic stress disorder.

What is your passion?

One of my many passions is jiu jitsu. I got into the sport during the six months between the end of high school sports and the move to college. In that short period, I knew I wanted to reach the rank of black belt, but it would be 16 years before I did so, with much of that intervening time going to my graduate studies rather than any kind of sport. Jiu jitsu began as a way to stay healthy, but it grew into a daily, 5 AM-wake-up dedication as I progressed, merging with another of my passions: teaching.

How did you get started?

When I started, the idea of playing chess with the body (i.e. exercising strategy and countermoves rooted in the physical advantages and limitations of your person) interested me, but I am surprised now by how deeply in-tune one must be with the mind–body connection to fully embrace excellence in the sport. Your body is a limitation on the moves and countermoves you want to implement against your opponent, but your knowledge of the various positions and attacks can also be a limit on your athleticism, speed, and strength. You have to train both, simultaneously, if you want to use your intellect and physicality to their fullest potential.

The best athletes aren’t the best jiu jitsu practitioners and the smartest people aren’t, either, it’s those who can coordinate both. As a coach, I focus on getting students to trust their bodies as well as their brains, to experiment in attack and defense in order to push themselves to levels of skill and fitness they couldn’t imagine before walking on to the mats.

What’s next for you with this passion?

My future goal for my involvement in the sport is simple, continue teaching and learning until my body can’t do it anymore, which is something (I hope) is still a ways away.

What advice do you have for someone looking to learn about this topic?

My advice for anyone looking to get into the sport is to be consistent with the time you commit to it (whether two days a week, or two practices a day) and understand that the soreness and bumps and bruises get better (or, well, more familiar) with time—but only if you keep showing up! There’s a catchy phrase my own coach uses that I like to employ: “It’s not about who’s the best, it’s about who’s left.”

In other words, don’t worry about consciously improving; you’ll get better through attendance and that growth is not always overt. And if your idea of fun isn’t trading sweat with another person while they try to break your arm, I want this to be an advertisement for trying something new, ideally using a skillset you haven’t yet developed. Encouraging a breadth of knowledge and experience in that portfolio we call our brains is never time wasted. You don’t know what you don’t know, and your favorite thing ever could still be out there waiting for you to take an interest in it.

Amanda R. Scott has 26 years of service within the Texas A&M University System and joined the Hagler Institute for Advanced Study in May 2016. As Associate Director, Amanda provides administrative support for the Director and oversees many administrative functions of the Institute, including the evaluation of Hagler Fellows and the management of multiple graduate fellowship programs under the Institute’s umbrella. She especially values supporting students in the Institute’s fellowship programs and collaborating with departments across campus.

Amanda holds a Bachelor of Science degree (1999) and a Master of Science degree (2002) in Nutrition from Texas A&M University. She began her professional career as a Proposal Administrator for the Texas A&M Research Foundation and later transitioned to a position with the AgriLife Extension Service in the Department of Nutrition and Food Science at Texas A&M University. In this role, she provided leadership and administrative oversight for a federally funded nutrition education program.

Throughout her career, Amanda has received four awards for meritorious service, most recently the President’s Meritorious Service Award from Texas A&M University in 2020.

Amanda and her husband, Travis, who is also a Texas A&M graduate, will celebrate 26 years of marriage this year. They have one daughter who is currently a sophomore in the Mays Business School at Texas A&M University.

To view a list of previous recipients, please visit https://honors.tamu.edu/faculty-involvement/faculty-recognition.html#directors-award. 

Claire Carly-Miles earned her PhD from TAMU in 2008 and was eager and honored to return as a faculty member in 2016.

During her time as TAMU faculty, she has taught over 100 course sections of Core Curriculum–Communication courses, acted as coordinator for both English 210 Technical and Professional Writing–involving curriculum redesign, the adaptation and creation of an Open Educational Resource (OER) textbook, and the mentoring of 20 graduate assistant teachers new to teaching–and English 203 Introduction to Writing about Literature–involving curriculum redesign, the creation of a new OER, the curation of other open- and unlimited-access reading materials, and the creation of ancillary materials to complement the OER and provide literature instructors with activities and assignments that promote best practices in the field.

In addition to her commitment to teaching, Dr. Carly-Miles has also performed significant service for the English Department, the former College of Liberal Arts, and the current College of Arts and Sciences. She has served on numerous department, college, and university committees, including search committees for new faculty members, the Faculty Senate, and the Senate’s Core Curriculum Council.

In 2022-23, she received the Provost APTF Teaching Excellence Award, she is a Provosts Innovative Teaching Fellow for ‘24-‘26, and in ‘25, she received the Association of Former Students Teaching Excellence Award for the College of Arts and Sciences.

Prior to teaching at Texas A&M, she taught English and Women’s and Gender Studies at various universities and community colleges including Baylor University and Washington University in St. Louis. She hails from Marfa, Texas.

To view a list of previous recipients, please visit https://honors.tamu.edu/faculty-involvement/faculty-recognition.html#wells-fargo-honors-faculty. 

Dr. Niki Ritchey is an Instructional Associate Professor in the First Year Engineering (FYE) program and worked for Heat Transfer Research, Inc as a research engineer prior to joining TAMU in Fall 2019. She teaches introductory programming with python, engineering mechanics, and Hullabaloo U courses in the FYE program, a numerical methods course in the Civil Engineering department, and HONR 101 and 102 courses on the Aggie Core Values for the Honors Academy.

Dr. Ritchey became course coordinator for ENGR 102 in Fall 2021 where she leads a team of faculty in teaching introductory programming to around 5000 students each fall. In 2023 she became the student organization advisor for the ENGR TA Organization (TAO) which serves to communicate with and provide help to all FYE students and peer teachers.

Dr. Ritchey won both the Engineering Teaching Impact Award and the Adair New Advisor of the Year Award in Spring 2024. She was awarded an OER grant from the Provost’s office for 2025 – 2026 to curate a free textbook for ENGR 102 students.

Dr. Ritchey strives to provide a high-quality education for her students, and to help them develop good academic habits, a love for learning, and excitement for their future careers. She is passionate about teaching and learning; her favorite part of being a professor is interacting with students and seeing them learn and grow into amazing members of the Aggie community. Dr. Ritchey is fortunate to be a part of their lives and contribute to their academic and professional development.

To view a list of previous recipients, please visit https://honors.tamu.edu/faculty-involvement/faculty-recognition.html#wells-fargo-honors-faculty. 

Dr. Petersen is an Instructional Associate Professor in the Marine Biology Department on the Galveston campus. She was appointed Chair of the Galveston campus Undergraduate Research Program in 2019. She offers undergraduate research scholarships to Galveston students, collaborates with the TAMU Office of Undergraduate Research, provides support for Galveston URS thesis students, UGR scholarship recipients and promotes the undergraduate research program to future students.

Every semester, she further mentors undergraduate research students in her own research lab. She was the 2024 recipient of the William Paul Riker faculty award for outstanding achievement in teaching, research and student relations.

To view a list of previous recipients, please visit https://honors.tamu.edu/faculty-involvement/faculty-recognition.html#unterberger-award. 

by Devkumar Banerjee ’29

What is the WHIT Program?

The WHIT Program (Weekly Hands-on Independent Tutoring) is a nonprofit that provides free, one-on-one tutoring to children in the foster care system. College volunteers meet with students regularly to help them build skills in core subjects and, just as importantly, confidence in themselves as learners.

How did you get involved with the WHIT Program?

I first heard about the WHIT Program through an email shared within the Texas A&M community that encouraged students to apply as tutors for children in foster care. 

I had already worked as a tutor throughout high school, so the opportunity immediately stood out as a meaningful way to use that experience to support students who face challenges many of their peers do not.

What is the honor you are receiving from the WHIT Program?

I am honored to have been selected as The WHIT Program’s Tutor of the Year. The award recognizes one volunteer tutor from partner universities across Texas who demonstrates dedication to their student, helps them make academic progress, and actively supports WHIT’s mission of expanding educational opportunities for children in foster care.

What has been your favorite part of the experience?

My favorite part has been watching my students’ confidence grow over time. Some of the most meaningful moments are not when a problem is solved perfectly on the first try, but when a student who once said “I’m just bad at this” is willing to lean in, try again, and eventually say, “I can do this.” Seeing that shift in how they see themselves as a learner has been incredibly rewarding.

How has this impacted what you hope to do in your future as a student and professional?

I’m especially interested in the intersection of computer science and medicine, and the WHIT program has strengthened skills that will matter regardless of what I choose to pursue, such as empathy, dedication, patience, teamwork, and the ability to explain complex ideas in a simple and accessible way. This program has also reinforced my desire to keep service at the center of whatever I do, whether that’s in research, healthcare, technology, or a combination of those fields.

What advice would you have for fellow students looking to get involved in the community?

Start with something that matches your strengths and your sense of purpose. Even one or two hours a week will go a long way! 

For me, tutoring was a natural fit because I already enjoyed teaching, and WHIT gave me a way to use that in a context that really matters. 

I’d encourage other students to look for opportunities like WHIT where they can build meaningful relationships, grow personally, and help make educational opportunities more equitable for others.

Upsets in college athletics traditionally describe the shocking outcome of a single game, when an underdog defeats a perceived favorite. Yet viewed holistically, college athletics as an institution is experiencing arguably its most disruptive era ever—a sustained, systemic upset. Colleges and universities now face new challenges stemming from the transfer portal, NIL, legal battles, conference realignment and policy shifts.

Honors colleges and programs at ten universities in the SEC—more than half of the conference—are coming together to offer a forum on the future of college athletics. The initiative helps undergraduate students understand the rapidly evolving landscape of the modern game, including legal ramifications, revenue sharing, athletic department budgeting, licensing, sports marketing and journalism.

By bringing together perspectives from multiple institutions, the forum offers rare insight into both campus-level operations and the broader, conference-wide forces reshaping college athletics. The result is an exceptional workforce development opportunity that provides students with unparalleled, cross-institutional exposure to the business, legal and media dimensions of the sport.

As part of this partnership, Texas A&M will offer a brand new course for the Fall 2026 semester, HONR 489 – Collegiate Athletics taught by Dr. Jason Penry, a professor of the practice and industry consultant. Penry has tracked the evolution of college athletics since his 2008 dissertation on forecasting financial trends. The class will cover areas like roster building and resource allocation, revenue generation and fundraising, D1 athletics beyond the SEC, and federal legislation, and will include a facility tour of Kyle Field.

“The last five years have fundamentally rewritten the playbook for college athletics,” said Texas A&M’s Jason Penry. “I look forward to using this forum as a platform to analyze the seismic shifts and to explore scenarios for the future of the industry.”

During the 2025 SEC Honors Conference hosted in Fayetteville, Arkansas, honors leaders from all participating institutions came together to propose expanding this approach through a conference-wide collaboration, creating a broader, shared conversation about the future of college athletics.

“Honors colleges across the SEC are deeply collaborative, knowing that our students will be peers and partners in the next phase of their professional lives, whether that takes place in med school, law school, graduate school, industry or public service,” said Lynda Coon, dean of the University of Arkansas Honors College. “This SEC Honors forum provides perfect fodder for honing professional skills among an ambitious, conference-wide cohort of honors scholars.”

The hybrid course offers virtual plenary sessions in which students learn directly from athletic leaders and experts. Each honors college will also host colloquia focused on the unique sports culture of its institution and provide in-person tours of athletic spaces. Such comprehensive exposure—both within and across universities—is exceedingly rare and equips students from diverse majors, including business, pre-law and journalism, with a competitive edge few undergraduates receive.

Universities participating in the forum include:

-The University of South Carolina
-Auburn University
-Louisiana State University
-Mississippi State University
-Texas A&M University
-The University of Alabama
-The University of Arkansas
-The University of Kentucky
-The University of Missouri
-The University of Oklahoma

For more information on the course, email Dr. Jon Kotinek in the Honors Academy at jkotinek@tamu.edu.

In the post below, Junior Supply Chain Management Major Sadie Bubeck ’27 from Katy, Texas describes how her course contract project for SCMT 364 – Operations Management provided an opportunity for creative and meaningful engagement with the material.

by Sadie Bubeck ’27

Why did you decide to pursue an Honors contract for this course?

I wanted to get more out of the class than just the regular assignments since Supply Chain is my major. The Honors contract gave me a chance to connect what I was learning with my own interests, especially since I am passionate about supply chain management. I also thought it would push me to be creative and not just memorize material.

What did your contract project involve?

My project was building a board game that explains and walks through the steps along a supply chain. I designed the rules and game pieces to cover topics like inventory, logistics, and production delays. I spent a lot of time playing it with friends and tweaking the game to make sure it was fun but still accurate to real-life scenarios. The best part was seeing everyone learn while playing and having fun. 

How does this project relate to your personal and/or career interests?

I’m majoring in supply chain, so this project felt like it was made for me. I love solving problems, and creating the board game let me break down complex ideas in a way anyone could understand. Since I hope to work in supply chain roles after I graduate, being able to make tough concepts relatable is a skill I know will come in handy.

What advice would you give to other students interested in pursuing an Honors Course Contract?

Pick a project that excites you and connects with your goals. It really helps to work on something you care about because you’ll stay motivated. Also, reach out to your professor early with your idea; they can give great advice to help you shape your project. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box and try a format that feels meaningful or fun.

In the post below, Sophomore Biology Major Kaycie Banton ’28 from Burnet, Texas describes how her course contract project for COMM 203 – Public Speaking provided an opportunity for self-reflection.

by Kaycie Banton ’28

Why did you decide to pursue an Honors contract for this course?

I wanted to pursue an Honors contract for COMM 203 with Dr. Nic in order to develop a deeper understanding of public speaking, as this is something I really struggled with in the past (I am still not perfect but much better now!). I wanted to find a way to integrate public speaking with my personal goals and interests in a way that was beneficial for personal growth and future endeavors.

What did your contract project involve?

My contract project consisted of putting together a ten to fifteen minute speech that blended non-profit dental organizations and public speaking. I was assigned three readings, the first one was an excerpt from “Language as Symbolic Action” by Kenneth Burke and focused on the “Terministic Screens” essay. This reading helped me think deeper about speech.

The second reading was geared more towards non-profit dental work. This reading was a research article in which a team observed a non-profit nutritional organization and put together successes and pitfalls they saw in the organization. This reading helped me see what can make a non-profit successful, and also recognize some aspects that are often overlooked, but tend to be the true culprit of issues. In the case of this article, the organization was structured more corporate-like, which led to less of a non-profit atmosphere and therefore, less productivity and more disunity among staff.

The third reading was “The political function of narrative in organizations” by Dennis K. Mumby. This reading helped me to understand how stories impact the way we view organizations. For my speech, using these three readings as my sources, I spoke about what factors can play into the success of a non-profit organization. I used references and experiences from a non-profit organization in my hometown and compared them with the second reading’s examples. I also used the knowledge I gained from the first and third readings to explain how speech can influence non-profit organizations, and can either promote their success, or contribute to their degradation. Overall, my goal for the speech was to tie in how speech can influence non-profit activities, what types of speech can help a non-profit be more successful, and how we, everyday people and volunteers, can positively contribute to the success of non-profits with our words and speech.

How does this project relate to your personal and/or career interests?

My parents founded two dental non-profit organizations, and growing up, I was always volunteering with them. Over the years, I have really found a love for this work, and the programs my parents founded and now run. I hope that in the future (and now!), I can positively contribute to the success of these organizations in a way that allows us to help as many people as efficiently and compassionately as possible. I am currently studying biology (major) and public health (minor), and hope to become a dentist so that I can help with providing care at these non-profit organizations.

What advice would you give to other students interested in pursuing an Honors Course Contract?

I would say that you should look at an Honors Course Contract as a way to deepen your understanding of the class and subject. Do not look at it as a check in the box, but really a way to have a full and fruitful academic experience. I really enjoyed this Honors Contract experience. I truly felt challenged in the readings I was assigned, and Dr. Nic really helped me to take the next step both in my reading comprehension and especially in my public speaking skills. I was excited that we were able to tie in public speaking and dental non-profit organizations in a way that will and is benefiting my personal life.

In the post below, Junior Biology Major Maitreyi Dighe ’27 from Katy, Texas describes how her course contract project for PBSI 209 – Psychology of Culture and Diversity provided an opportunity to better understand how culture shapes various dimensions of psychology.

by Maitreyi Dighe ’27

Why did you decide to pursue an Honors contract for this course?

After Dr. Mochinusi’s introduction to the course, Psychology of Culture and Diversity, I knew this subject was one I wanted to pursue in greater depth. The intricacies of how culture can play a role in understanding different dimensions of psychology was very interesting to me, and having the opportunity to explore this through my honors contract was one I was very excited to engage in.

What did your contract project involve?

My contract project involved a literature review and the beginnings of a research paper about how the age of arrival in a new country can play a role in cultural adaptation. I specifically focused on a case study, and this involved learning how to start a research study, and write a corresponding paper. I learned and completed the steps needed to begin a research project and am conducting research through surveys and interviews to compile for a paper. Additionally, I completed a literature review and introduction for this paper.
 

How does this project relate to your personal and/or career interests?

Research has been a large part of my university experience as I do research in a neuroscience lab at the medical school. I wanted to expand my knowledge by undertaking research in the field of psychology because I am passionate about both physical and literature research. When brainstorming what I wanted to do as my honors contract for this course, I began thinking about this research topic and I felt myself get increasingly excited about the complexities I would get to explore. I enjoyed learning about both human development and the impact of culture on psychology when I was in high school. This made the opportunity to consider both dimensions in one project even more intriguing. I believe these are dimensions that are very important when communicating with people from different backgrounds, and I saw this project as an opportunity to grow my knowledge and curiosity about these topics.

What advice would you give to other students interested in pursuing an Honors Course Contract?

Let your curiosity take a front seat! Honors contracts are special because there is no specific checklist to be filled. The honors program is a place for curious minds and the honors contract allows you to take this curiosity to the next level. My biggest piece of advice is to do something you are passionate about and see where it takes you. I did not expect this contract to become the project it has today, but I am so excited to see where it leads.