The Department of English enthusiastically supports our students pursuing college
honors within the Fulbright School of Arts and Sciences. Our faculty regularly offer
honors sections to courses across the undergraduate curriculum from freshman year
through senior year. Our faculty work one-on-one to support students in the major
working towards honors thesis defenses and multiple faculty serve proudly on the Honors
Council.
If you've not checked out Honors lately, take some time to look at what we have ot
offer. In the past, there was a departmental option for honors students, but we now
have a much more robust Fulbright Honors program with broader support. You can find
out more by visiting the Fulbright Honors site.
“When I was a student at the University of Arkansas, I was part of the Honors Program
and a dedicated member of the English department. I majored in English with a concentration
in creative writing and minored in Italian, which enriched my studies and supported
my study abroad experiences. During my time in the English program, I received the
Felix Christopher McKean Poetry Prize, and my work was published in the seventh edition
of The Diamond Line. I also worked as a writing intern for Fulbright College, where
I published several articles in both digital and print formats. In addition, I conducted
research on adaptation formats for several courses, as well as on Dante’s Divine Comedy
and other translated works. For my honors thesis, I wrote a collection of poetry and
prose that included one poem in Italian and a short story that reflects my interest
in narrative structure and character development.
I am currently a 2025–2026 Fulbright Research Fellow in Italy, living in Palermo,
Sicily. My research focuses on the Maxiprocesso, the Mafia Commission trials, and
the transatlantic history of the Mafia. I am examining how legal procedures and judicial
systems in both the United States and Italy shaped these trials, as well as how American
media has portrayed the Mafia compared with its stark reality. My research is ongoing,
but I share occasional updates on my personal blog, where I also write about travel,
daily life, and a range of personal interests. My professors in the English Department,
the Italian Program, and the Honors College encouraged me to pursue the Fulbright,
and their support played an important role in my application.”
Honors Student Spotlight: Sidney Ward
"Being a part of the English Honors program was a highlight of my time at the University
of Arkansas. I majored in English and Political Science with a minor in Legal Studies
and was involved in the Honors Program, which allowed me to pursue internship opportunities
in Washington DC and Galway, Ireland. Through my English major, I was able to intern
with Magdalene Serenity House, which inspired my honors thesis about barriers impacting
women reentering society post-incarceration. Dr. Leigh Pryor Sparks was extremely
influential during my time in English, both through her courses in incarceration rhetoric
and her support as my thesis adviser. These experiences furthered my interest in a
legal career.
Currently I am a second-year student at Georgetown University Law School in Washington
DC. During my time in law school, I have interned at the Georgetown Prisons and Justice
Initiative, Department of Justice Office of Legislative Affairs, and the House Judiciary
Committee. I am also a staff editor on Georgetown's American Criminal Law Review.
During the summer of 2026 I will be interning in New York City exploring an interest
in corporate law.
The time I spent in English led me to where I am today and I will always be grateful
for the support and encouragement I received from the Department of English and Honors
Program."
Honors Student Spotlight: Timothy Luft Jr.
"I thoroughly enjoyed my time in the Honors English program where I majored in English literature with a concentration in Medieval
literature. I am particularly thankful for the unique opportunity to work one-on-one
with my professors as a participant in the program. My professors in the honors program fostered and encouraged my interest in medieval literature and challenged
me to develop my skills in research, analysis, and writing, and I am especially thankful
for Dr. Joshua Smith and Dr. Jo Candido. In my senior year, I wrote and defended an
honors thesis that analyzed John Steinbeck's posthumously published adaptation of Malory's
Le Morte d'Arthur. I found the honors thesis to be one of the most challenging and rewarding tasks I have ever completed,
and I am so thankful for the opportunity to try my hand at some literary scholarship.
After I graduated, I taught high school English in Little Rock for a year, and I am
currently a law student at the University of Arkansas. The Honors English program uniquely prepared me for my legal studies by teaching me the importance
of comprehensive reading and research and helping me to refine my writing over those
four years. I cannot recommend the Honors English program enough."
