The EKU Honors Program is revered by counterparts for its prolific number of panel presentations at conferences, widespread faculty involvement and for the manner in which the program is organized and integrated with the campus community.

Any of the program's graduates will tell you the program's national reputation is a direct result of the family atmosphere nurtured by the only director in its 13-year existence.

Recognizing that contribution to the University's academic community, the EKU Board of Regents recently honored Dr. Bonnie Gray by creating an endowed directorship.

On numerous occasions, Gray has been asked by a regional honors association to seek its presidency. "It's flattering, it's tempting," she acknowledged, "but it's not the right thing to do with my time. My time needs to be spent here with the EKU program and our students."

That investment has paid off in graduates like Kathy McCormick, a 1993 graduate from Dayton, Ky., who went on to earn a doctoral degree in nuclear physics and now works as a researcher with the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, a nuclear physics research laboratory in Newport News, Va.

"I found Dr. Gray and all of the Honors faculty to be very encouraging," McCormick said. "They really influenced my personality and were role models for me in different ways. They opened my eyes to new ways of thinking and to subjects that I'd never thought about before, and they cared for me and the other students when our families were far away.

"Dr. Gray's strong leadership made the Honors Program great. It takes a special kind of person to be able to meld together people from all different kinds of backgrounds and levels and make the experience rewarding for everybody. The Honors Program made a huge difference in my life. Without it I'd be a totally different person, both academically and personally."

Gray deflected the credit to faculty who have taught in the program and to administrators who have given their unwavering support. Through the years, 150 different faculty members have mentored senior thesis projects. Besides teaching Honors classes, faculty also work closely with all student panels in preparation for conference presentations.

If Gray takes any credit, it's for having the good sense to give faculty free creative rein to do what they do best. "These are all professors with a wealth of disciplinary knowledge," she said, "and it wouldn't make sense for me to dictate to them what or how to teach."

In addition to teaching Honors classes, professors work closely with all student panels in preparation for conference presentations, serve as mentors for senior projects and advise the quick recall team.

Gray's counterpart at Murray State University, Mark Malinauskas, said the widespread faculty participation in EKU's Honors Program "convinces me that they are persuaded the program and its objectives are meritorious. Frankly, I know of no other program within and without the Commonwealth that enjoys such strong faculty support."

EKU's Honors Program is designed for intellectually promising students who seek a strong grounding in the liberal arts along with their more specialized major. The 28-credit-hour program includes course work in the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences, with emphasis on effective communication, development of critical thinking skills and integration of knowledge across academic disciplines.

"Since the program requires a thesis and strong writing, thinking and speaking skills and requires the students to work in small groups where there is interdependence," graduates of the program are particularly attractive to prospective employers and graduate schools, Gray said.

Honors Program students also enjoy numerous educational field trips and other extracurricular activities and regularly participate in panel discussions at state, regional and national conferences. In fact, Eastern's involvement at regional and national conferences routinely surpasses any other institution.

"Our program has a national reputation because of the opportunities that we provide our students," Gray said. "It's unusual for undergraduates to make presentations at national conferences. Most other colleges and universities are sending only two or three students."

Because of the numerous field trips to major cities around the U.S., graduates of EKU's Honors Program, most of whom come from rural areas and small towns, grow in cultural awareness. During a typical field trip to a large city - it was New York City in March - the students enjoy arts events and visit museums and other historical sites.

On many occasions, Honors students and faculty are allowed to bring friends and family members as guests. "My philosophy is one of inclusivity, rather than to make it an elite group. We've tried to broaden the program, and let others benefit from it."

Eastern's extensive participation in the conferences is made possible by funds from the Paul S. McBrayer Endowed Scholars Program and a gift from Jane and Charles Boyer, Prospect.

Students with excellent academic backgrounds are invited to apply for the program. National Merit finalists and semifinalists are automatically accepted. Beyond that, students with high school grade point averages of 3.5 or better on a 4.0 scale and with at least a score of 26 on the ACT will be given priority. Other students demonstrating the potential for outstanding academic performance also will be considered. The program has a current enrollment of 320.

"Anyone who wants to join the Honors Program who doesn't already have another scholarship gets the Honors Scholarship," which covers half of tuition and fees for up to eight semesters, according to Gray. All Honors Program students get a Book Award, which covers all books for up to eight semesters.

For more information about EKU's Honors Program, contact Gray at 859-622-1403, or visit www.honors.eku.edu.