Honors Program in Consciousness, Creativity & Meaning

In this section

OVERVIEW

Might a deeper understanding of consciousness, fueled by enhanced creativity, provide greater purpose and meaning to our lives?

We are excited to offer this groundbreaking course of study and look forward to exploring its ideas with you during your college journey. The Coolidge Otis Chapman Honors Program at Puget Sound is a vibrant intellectual community that builds academic and personal relationships through collaborative learning, great conversations, exciting events, and social activities.

We are seeking motivated students with a wide range of passions who are eager to ask big questions about the human experience:

What does it mean to be human?
How do we know what we know?
In the face of the existential crises facing us, where might we look to create meaning?

CCM Components

A one-year residential requirement with additional opportunities to live in our Honors communities.
A dynamic interdisciplinary minor in Consciousness, Creativity & Meaning, which is compatible with and complements any major or course of study.
An individual thesis completed in conjunction with your academic major.

ALUMNI

Emma Elder ’18

"The Honors Program at Puget Sound allows students an extra level of challenge and engagement in their education. They will be part of a cohort of students who are passionate about learning, and will be provided with fun extracurricular opportunities for learning outside of the classroom."

SAMPLE COURSES

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MEET THE FACULTY

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Alisa Kessel

Professor, Politics and Government

kessel@pugetsound.edu

Prof.

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George Erving

Professor, Humanities and English and Susan Resneck Pierce Professor of Humanities and Honors

gerving@pugetsound.edu

In order to examine how literary arts advance ideas about the self, Prof. Erving researches British Romantic period history and literature. His courses focus on European intellectual history and English literature.

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Suzanne Holland

Professor, Religion, Spirituality, and Society, John B. Magee Professor of Science and Values, and Director, Bioethics

sholland@pugetsound.edu

Prof. Holland teaches courses in ethics and values, including topics in gender studies and bioethics. Her research interests include ethics in human genetics, biotechnology, religion, and culture.

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Kriszta Kotsis

Professor and Chair, Art and Art History

kkotsis@pugetsound.edu

Prof. Kotsis studies images of Late Antique and Byzantine women, and teaches courses on Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Western Medieval, and Islamic art, and art historical methodology.

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John Wesley

Professor and Chair, English

jwesley@pugetsound.edu

Early modern English literature is the primary focus of Prof. Wesley's research and teaching. He teaches courses on Shakespeare, Milton, the Bible as literature, and the history of the English language.

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David Latimer

Professor and Chair, Physics

dlatimer@pugetsound.edu

Prof. Latimer's research interests primarily lie in nuclear and particle theory, with an emphasis on neutrino phenomenology, and in novel ways to assess the particle properties of dark matter.

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Alison Tracy Hale

Professor, English

ajtracy@pugetsound.edu

A widely published scholar and author, Prof. Hale focuses her research in early American literature, with emphasis on the American gothic, the early novel, pedagogical practices, and the early Republic.

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Aislinn Melchior

Professor, Greek, Latin, and Ancient Mediterranean Studies

amelchior@pugetsound.edu

Prof. Melchior's research explores violence and its effects and justifications, both ancient and modern. She teaches Ancient Greek and Latin, classical materials in translation, and also teaches in the Honors Program.

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EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING

Ways our students learn through experience:

Emily Wright ’22, summer 2019 internship with USGS
Amanda Melin ’20, summer 2019 NASA grant, wastewater analysis
Lukas Karoly ’21, summer 2019 research on Vorticella
Kylie Gurewitz ’20, summer 2019 research on meditation
Kate Gladhart-Hayes ’20, summer 2019 research on nuclear waste on indigenous lands

AFTER PUGET SOUND

What some of our alumni are doing:

Samantha Lilly ’19, Watson Fellow, "Understanding Suicidality Across Cultures"
Meadow Poplawsky ’19, Fulbright Teaching Assistantship, India
Nicholas Navin ’19, Fulbright Teaching Assistantship, Indonesia
Annie Lamar ’19, Stanford University (classics and computer science)
Megan Sanders ’19, U.S. State Department (foreign service officer)
Andrew Brandt ’18, University of Texas - Austin (architecture)
Helen Tschurr ’19, University of Wisconsin - Madison (law school)
Madeline Brown ’18, George Washington University (public policy and gender studies)
Megan Schowalter ’17, Teach for America
Ada Smith ’17, Japan Exchange and Teaching Program
Rachel Anderson ’17, Peace Corps, China
Sam Scott ’17, Seattle Children's Research Institute (clinical research associate, pediatric cancer)

Puget Sound Podcast: Kyra Zapf '21

Kyra does a deep dive into European history as she describes her summer research project on 16th-century clothing and portraits.

Campus

Community

Students

Raising the Roof

Students build a tiny house to help reduce homelessness

Puget Sound Podcast: Rachael Shelden

Rachael Shelden ‘12, M.A.T.’13 describes her Puget Sound journey, from participating in the Honors Program, to completing her graduate studies in the School of Education, to working in the Center for Writing, Learning, and Teaching.

FACILITIES

LANGLOW HOUSE

Built in 1908, Langlow House is an optional residence for sophomores in the Honors Program, including singles, doubles, and triples, as well as multiple common areas.

THOMAS HALL READING ROOM

This special reading room in Thomas Hall is available to students in the Honors Program and provides a dedicated area for our students to study and hang out.

THOMAS HALL HONORS FLATS

Junior and senior honors students are eligible to live in the Thomas Hall Honors Flats, which feature singles, as well as a full kitchen, common areas, and access to the Reading Room.