Dunlevie Honors Colloquia
Honors Carolina students meet on weekday evenings each semester to discuss a broad interdisciplinary topic of their own choosing.
The sessions begin with a social gathering, followed by a presentation from a distinguished faculty scholar who shares ideas, discoveries, and challenges related to the topic at hand. The presentation is followed by open discussion and Q&A with the presenter.
Spring 2025
HNRS 325.001 | The Ethics of Business
Mondays, 6:30–8:00 pm.
1.5 credits, P/F. Open to 2nd, 3rd, and 4th year Honors Carolina students
The global nature of doing business in the 21st century has led to increased scrutiny of how companies conduct themselves both publicly and privately – what causes they support, who they hire, with whom they do business, what initiatives they prioritize, etc. Corporations and organizations must define (and redefine) their core values and principles to satisfy both consumers and investors. And they must do so in a way which balances their ethics with the goal of being a successful business.
This semester, we’ll host faculty and alumni speakers who will talk with us about topics related to the ethics of business – ranging from social advocacy and diversity to human rights and environmental stewardship. Along the way, we should consider not just the role of the business entity in the development and application of ethical principles, but also the role individual employees, shareholders, and customers.
This talk + discussion seminar meets 9 Monday evenings throughout the semester, with presentations by faculty or guest speakers followed by conversation.
The 1.5-credit hour course is P/F only, and is open to 2nd, 3rd, and 4th year members of Honors Carolina.
Spring 2024
HNRS 325.001 | Into the Matrix? The Rise of AI
Mondays, 6:30–8:00 pm.
1.5 credits, P/F. Open to 2nd, 3rd, and 4th year Honors Carolina students
Recently, we’ve witnessed a rapid increase in the development, usage, and awareness of artificial intelligence, and seen its impact on industries ranging from communications to business, entertainment, art, healthcare, and more. While the anticipated benefit of new and emerging technologies cannot be overstated, many have voiced concerns over our control of AI – with the darkest fear being the rise of sentient non-human systems which turn against humanity, resulting in dystopian futures like those imagined in the Matrix and Terminator films. But are such fears warranted? Does the possibility exist that we might lose control of our own creation? What ethical limits should we consider and who makes the decisions?
The Spring 2024 offering of HNRS 325: The Dunlevie Honors Colloquium will dive into the AI discussion and address those questions and more. Our course will feature guest lectures from UNC faculty whose research and teaching touches on the topic of AI across a variety of disciplines.
This talk + discussion seminar meets 9 Monday evenings throughout the semester, with presentations by faculty or guest speakers followed by conversation.
The 1.5-credit hour course is P/F only, and is open to 2nd, 3rd, and 4th year members of Honors Carolina.
Spring 2022
HNRS 325.001 | Emerging Fields, Technologies & Careers
Mondays, 6:30–8:00 pm.
1.5 credits, P/F. Open to 2nd, 3rd, and 4th year Honors Carolina students
The Spring 2022 Dunlevie Honors Colloquium will investigate several emerging fields, technologies, and careers that are poised to dominate the future. New discoveries, business practices, laws, and changes in the global economy constantly create the need for new or evolving occupations and career specialties. Researchers on campus are already focused on many of these developing areas and will share with us their thoughts on the impact of anticipated growth in these fields. Topics to be discussed may include artificial intelligence, cryptocurrency, environmental politics, NFT’s & digital art, genetic epidemiology, serotonergic psychedelics, medical humanities, and robotics.
This talk + discussion seminar meets 9 Monday evenings throughout the semester, with presentations by faculty or guest speakers followed by conversation.
The 1.5-credit hour course is P/F only, and is open to 2nd, 3rd, and 4th year members of Honors Carolina.
Spring 2021
HNRS 325.001 | Civil Liberties and Civil Rights During a Public Health Crisis
Mondays, 6:30–9:00 pm.
Remote Only – Synchronous
1.5 credits, P/F. Open to 2nd, 3rd, and 4th year Honors Carolina students
The COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare the many challenges that come with managing a public health crisis. One significant concern is how we deal with issues of civil liberties and civil rights while trying to simultaneously mitigate the spread of an infectious agent. Who decides where to draw the line between protecting the population at large and preserving individual rights? What role should individuals play in helping to contain an infectious disease outbreak? What happens when voluntary measures aren’t enough? How can we ensure that policies and mandates don’t disproportionately affect any particular group?
In this class, we’ll look at historical examples of how governments and societies from other eras dealt with their own public health crises (the Black Plague in medieval Europe, HIV/AIDS in the late 1970s/early 1980s, etc.), examine the politicization of health policies and mandates, look at various forms of protest and protest movements centered around issues of public health, and consider how calls for social change are amplified and given voice during times of crisis.
The colloquium meets on Monday evenings. Talks are 7-8PM, followed by student-led discussions 8-9PM. Each talk will include one or more assigned reading(s).
The course carries 1.5 hours of both academic and Honors Carolina credit and is graded on a P/F basis. In order to achieve a passing grade, you will need to:
- attend at least seven lectures (the orientation session does not count toward this requirement)
- complete seven substantial forum postings
- co-lead one of the discussions
Fall 2019
HNRS 325.001 | Poverty and Economic Inequality in America
Tuesdays, 6:30–9:00 pm.
1.5 credits, P/F. Open to 2nd, 3rd, and 4th year Honors Carolina students
Over the past three decades, America’s most affluent families have added to their net worth, while those on the bottom have dipped into “negative wealth,” meaning the value of their debts exceeds the value of their assets. Viewed through an interdisciplinary lens—including economic, historical, artistic, political, and medical approaches—we will address the reality of poverty and income inequality in the United States. What are the causes, challenges, and manifestations of the growing wealth gap, wage disparities, food insecurity, homelessness, unemployment, etc? How do policy, education, and public awareness effect these problems?
The colloquium meets on Tuesday evenings. Pizza and conversation at 6:30PM, talks at 7-8PM, and student-led discussions from 8-9PM. Each talk will include one assigned reading. Students will post a forum entry for seven out of the eight talks and will co-lead one of the discussions. The course carries 1.5 hours of both academic and Honors Carolina credit and is graded on a P/F basis.
August 27: Orientation
September 3: Maureen Berner, Professor of Public Administration and Government (UNC School of Government), on What Is Poverty?
September 17: Jim Leloudis, Professor of History and Peter T. Grauer Associate Dean for Honors Carolina, on The North Carolina Fund and the Battle to End Poverty and Inequality in 1960s America
October 1: T. William Lester, Associate Professor of City and Regional Planning, on The History, Politics, and Economics of The Minimum Wage in America
October 8: Jeremy Moulton, Associate Professor of Public Policy, on “Like Parent Like Child?”: A Discussion of the Intergenerational Transmission of Wealth and Education and its Implications for Social Mobility
October 22: Melissa Jacoby, Graham Kenan Professor of Law (UNC School of Law), on Inequality: Lessons from America’s Bankruptcy System
October 29: Keith Payne, Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, on Inequality and Subjective Status: Why Economic Inequality Is More Than Economics
November 12: Amelia Gibson, Assistant Professor (UNC School of Information and Library Science), on What They Don’t Know: Power, Marginalization, and Responsibility in the Information Society
Other meetings: TBA
Spring 2019
HNRS 325.001 | Monumental Art
Wednesdays, 6:30–9:00 pm.
1.5 credits, P/F. Open to 2nd, 3rd, and 4th year Honors Carolina students
This semester’s Dunlevie Honors Colloquium will explore monumental art. How have cultures past and present chosen to memorialize and commemorate their history through both privately and publically commissioned works of art. What events and what people have traditionally been so remembered? What happens when old monuments clash with modern concerns and understanding? How has the defacing and toppling of monuments overwritten history (consider the statuary of the Soviet era and its eventual fate at the end of the cold war or the erasure of the identifying cartouches of past Egyptian pharaohs by their successors)? We will approach this issue through the perspectives of art theory, geography, politics and history. We will go back to the ancient worlds of Egypt, Greece and Rome and forward to the new memorials of our own time including the National Memorial for Peace and Justice sometimes known as the national lynching memorial in Montgomery, Alabama. Included among our eight presenters will be a panel of undergraduate students currently conducting research on memorialization in the American South, Northern Ireland and South Africa.
The colloquium meets on Wednesday evenings. Pizza and conversation at 6:30PM, talks at 7-8PM, and student-led discussions from 8-9PM. Each talk will include one assigned reading. Students will post a forum entry for seven out of the eight talks and will co-lead one of the discussions. The course carries 1.5 hours of both academic and Honors Carolina credit and is graded on a P/F basis.
January 30: Tatiana String, Associate Professor of Art History, on royal monuments in Tudor England. This will be a live Skype talk from Winston House where Professor String is leading the spring Honors Semester in London.
February 6: Konrad Jarausch, Lurcy Professor of European Civilization, History, on memorializing Germany from Empire to Weimar Republic to Third Reich to Communism to Western democracy.
February 13: Adam Hasan, Aisling Henihan, and Melanie Langness, UNC undergraduates, on their research on memorialization in South Africa, Northern Ireland, and the American South.
February 27: Daniel Sherman, Lineberger Distinguished Professor of Art History and History, on monuments, war, memory, and forgetting in 20th-century France.
March 20: Lauren Jarvis, Assistant Professor of History, on contesting monuments in post-apartheid South Africa.
April 3: Cecelia Moore, University Historian, and James Leloudis, Professor of History and Peter Grauer Associate Dean for Honors Carolina, on Silent Sam, race and memory at Carolina.
April 10: Jennifer Gates-Foster, Assistant Professor of Classical Archaeology, on monuments, authority and traumatic memory in the ancient world.
April 17: Erika Serrato, Postdoctoral Fellow in French, on memory and resistance in Caribbean art.
Fall 2018
HNRS 326.001 | Translational Skills
W, 6:30–9:00 pm.
1.5 credits, P/F. Open to 2nd, 3rd, and 4th year Honors Carolina students
This seminar will help you prepare to take what you have learned in college and put it to work after graduation. The colloquium combines practical workshops on preparing resumes, crafting cover letters, and sharpening interviewing skills with illuminating talks by distinguished alumni who share their experiences from both sides of the job search.
The seminar meets 5 times on Wednesdays with a social gathering (pizza and drinks) at 6:30 pm and a talk from 7:00–9:00 pm. In addition, students will complete an individual consultation with an Honors Carolina Professional Development and Career Coach as well as attend 3 Honors Go Anywhere Events (alumni dinners, coffees with alumni, dinners with faculty, employer information sessions, alumni panels, etc.). The course is P/F, worth 1.5 academic / honors credit hours, and is open to 2nd, 3rd, and 4th year students. You may take both HNRS 325 and 326 in the same semester for a total of 3 academic credit hours and 3 honors credits.
Spring 2018
HNRS 325.001 | Thinking about Extraterrestrial Life
Wednesdays, 6:30–9:00 pm.
1.5 credits, P/F. Open to 2nd, 3rd, and 4th year Honors Carolina students
This semester’s colloquium will be a bit different from earlier incarnations. We will be organizing our lectures around our Morehead-Cain Alumni Visiting Distinguished Professor’s month long visit to the Chapel Hill campus. Dr. John Lattanzio is an exobiologist from Monash University, Australia. He will be delivering three talks on exobiology and the prospect of extraterrestrial life. We will use those talks as the core of the colloquium adding five lectures from our own faculty. The course counts for both 1.5 hours of academic credit and 1.5 hours of honors credit. We will be meeting on nine Wednesday evenings. The gathering begins at 6:30PM for pizza and drinks. The talk will run from 7-8PM and will be followed by student-led discussions. In order to achieve a passing grade, you will need to attend at least seven lectures (the orientation session does not count toward this requirement), complete six substantial forum postings, and co-lead one of the discussions. All three lectures by Professor John Lattanzio will be public lectures and held in Murphey 116 (Discussion rooms will be provided). The other five talks will be held, as usual, in 039 Graham Memorial Hall.
January: 10: Orientation
January 24: Christian Illiadis, Physics and Astronomy, on “We are all made of stardust”: Cosmic Furnaces and the Origin of the Elements
February 21: Chris Martens, Marine Sciences, on Extreme Microorganisms
February 28: Tyler Curtain, English and Comparative Literature, on Imaging Alien Others
March 7: Nicholas Law, Physics and Astronomy, on the Search for Exoplanets
March 21: John Lattanzio (Murphey 116)
March 28: John Lattanzio, Monash University (Murphey 116)
April 4: John Lattanzio, Monash University (Murphey 116)
April: 18: Kevin Reese, Slavic Languages and Literatures, on How Soviet ideology shaped and influenced depictions of alien life in Soviet science fiction
Fall 2017
HNRS 325.001 | The Rise of the New Nationalisms
Tuesdays, 6:30–9:00 pm.
1.5 credits, P/F. Open to 2nd, 3rd, and 4th year Honors Carolina students
In an age of accelerating globalization, we have witnessed a decidedly counter-movement—the rise of a new wave of varying forms of nationalism and nativism. From Russia to the United States, from Europe to the Far East, these new political and social phenomenon have rewritten the international landscape. We will examine the origins and development of these movements with talks from faculty from diverse fields including Geography, History, Sociology, European Studies, Asian Studies, Economics, and Political Science. Our speakers include Charles Kurzman, Sarah Shields, Robert Jenkins, Michelle King, John Pickles, Andrew Perrin, Michael Hunt and Rajiv Maluste (from London Honors). Some representative titles include: “The Invention of Nationalism in the Middle East and Beyond,” “Nativism and Nationalism in Modern America,” “Brexit and the Separatist Movements of Europe,” “The Rise of Turkish Nationalism,” and “The New Russian Influence in Europe.” There are few topics timelier than this one, and we have a splendid group of faculty to help us navigate through these complex issues.
The seminar meets 9 times on Tuesdays with a social gathering (pizza and drinks) at 6:30 pm, a talk from 7:00–8:00 pm and student-led discussions following until 9:00 pm. The course is P/F, worth 1.5 academic / honors credit hours, and is open to 2nd, 3rd, and 4th year students. You may take both HNRS 325 and 326 in the same semester for a total of 3 academic / honors credit hours. Please contact Ritchie Kendall at rkendall@email.unc.edu for enrollment in HNRS 325.
August 29: Organizational Meeting
September 5: Charles Kurzman, Sociology. The Invention of Nationalism in the Middle East and Beyond.
September 19: Sarah Shields, History. Erdogan and Turkish Identity.
September 26: Robert Jenkins, Political Science. The New Russian Influence in Europe.
October 10: Michelle King, History. Modern Chinese Nationalism and the ‘Century of Humiliation’.
October 12: Rajiv Maluste, Economics and Political Science, Honors Semester in London. Brexit and the Separatist Movements of Europe.
October 24: John Pickles, Geography. Globalization and its Discontents.
November 14: Andrew Perrin, Sociology. Nativism and Nationalism in Modern America.
November 28: Michael Hunt, History. Trump and the Crisis of Nationalism.
HNRS 326.001 | Translational Skills
W, 6:30–9:00 pm.
1.5 credits, P/F. Open to 2nd, 3rd, and 4th year Honors Carolina students
This seminar will help you prepare to take what you have learned in college and put it to work after graduation. The colloquium combines practical workshops on preparing resumes, crafting cover letters, and sharpening interviewing skills with illuminating talks by distinguished alumni who share their experiences from both sides of the job search.
The seminar meets 5 times on Wednesdays with a social gathering (pizza and drinks) at 6:30 pm and a talk from 7:00–9:00 pm. In addition, students will complete an individual consultation with an Honors Carolina Professional Development and Career Coach as well as attend 3 Honors Go Anywhere Events (alumni dinners, coffees with alumni, dinners with faculty, employer information sessions, alumni panels, etc.). The course is P/F, worth 1.5 academic / honors credit hours, and is open to 2nd, 3rd, and 4th year students. You may take both HNRS 325 and 326 in the same semester for a total of 3 academic credit hours and 3 honors credits. Please contact Shandol Hoover at schoover@email.unc.edu for enrollment in HNRS 326.
Spring 2017
HNRS 325.001 | The Culture of Global Sports
W, 06:30-09:00. Instructor(s): James Leloudis. Enrollment = 75.
The Olympic Games in Rio have highlighted how complex a phenomena global sports can be. Issues of the political implications of competitive sports, human rights concerns (clenched fists and other forms of symbolic protest), religious conflict (refused handshakes), moral questions concerning drug use and sexual violence and the economic gains and losses from mounting the games emerge again and again. We will approach global sports from a range of disciplinary perspectives.
HONORS CAROLINA STUDENTS WITH 60+ CREDIT HOURS ONLY. PASS/FAIL COURSE.
James Leloudis is Professor of History, Associate Dean for Honors, and Director of the James M. Johnston Center for Undergraduate Excellence at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He received his B.A. and Ph.D. at UNC, and his M.A. at Northwestern University. His chief research interest is the history of the modern South, with emphases on women, labor, education, race, and reform. He has published two books on these topics: Like a Family: The Making of a Southern Cotton Mill World (co-authored with Jacquelyn Hall, Robert Korstad, Mary Murphy, Lu Ann Jones, and Christopher Daly; University of North Carolina Press, revised edition, 2000), and Schooling the New South: Pedagogy, Self, and Society in North Carolina, 1880-1920 (University of North Carolina Press, 1996). With support from the Spencer Foundation, he has also completed a major oral history project on school desegregation.
January 25: Rita Balaban, Economics. The NCAA as an Economic Cartel
February 1: Jonathan Weiler, Global Studies. The Public Financing of Sports Arenas
February 8: Ricky May, alumnus. Sports and Entrepreneurship
February 15: Kevin Guskiewicz, Exercise and Sport Science. Sports Medicine and Sports Injuries
February 22: Barbara Osborne, Exercise and Sport Science. Women in the Global Sports Workplace
March 1: Matthew Andrews, History. Sports and the Global Anti-Apartheid Movement
March 22: Charlie Battle, alumnus. Bringing the Olympics to Atlanta
March 29: Mike Egan, alumnus. The Economics of Professional Sports
April 12: Travis Tygart, alumnus. The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency and the Policing of Global Sports
Fall 2016
HNRS 325.001 | The Urban Experience
W, 06:30-09:00. Instructor(s): Ritchie Kendall. Enrollment = 75.
An examination of the rise of the modern city and the challenges and opportunities that it offers. We will look at patterns of urbanization worldwide, at the impact of climate change on large, coastal populations, urban planning and urban governance, the lived experience of the city, and more. Our approach as always will be interdisciplinary with speakers from history, American studies, Asian studies, anthropology, city and urban planning, environmental studies, geography, law and health affairs.
HONORS CAROLINA STUDENTS WITH 60+ CREDIT HOURS ONLY. PASS/FAIL COURSE.
Associate Professor of English and Comparative Literature, Ritchie Kendall joined the UNC faculty in 1980. He holds a BA in English from Yale University (1973) and an MA and PhD in English from Harvard University (1980). His specialty is in English Renaissance drama with an emphasis on the socio-economic dimensions of early modern theater. He has taught Honors courses in Shakespeare, Elizabethan and Jacobean drama, comedy and social class, epic and drama, and early modern ideas of entrepreneurship.
August 24: Mai Nguyen, City and Regional Planning. Spatial Inequality in the Modern City
August 31: Greg Gangi, Environmental Studies. Urban Sustainability in Europe
September 7: Lawrence Babb, Geography. Climate Change and Cities
September 14: Robert Allen, American Studies. Main Street, North Carolina
September 28: Nikhil Kaza, City and Regional Planning. What is a Good City?
October 12: Robin Visser, Asian Studies and History. The Chinese Eco-City and Urbanization Planning
October 26: Rachel Willis, American Studies. Planning for Transportation in Port Cities
November 2: Nina Martin, Geography. Immigration and Urbanization
November 16: Michael Webb, Center for Urban and Regional Studies. Urban Revitalization
November 30: Banu Gokariksel, Geography and Global Studies. Religion and Everyday Urban Life in Turkey
HNRS 326.001 | Translational Skills: From Academy to Market
W, 06:30-09:00. Instructor(s): Ritchie Kendall. Enrollment = 50.
This seminar will help you prepare to take what you have learned in college and put it to work after graduation. The colloquium combines practical workshops on preparing resumes, crafting cover letters, and sharpening interviewing skills with illuminating talks by distinguished alumni who share their experiences from both sides of the job search.
OFFERED ANNUALLY IN THE FALL SEMESTER. FOR JUNIOR AND SENIOR MEMBERS OF HONORS CAROLINA ONLY. PASS/FAIL COURSE.
Associate Professor of English and Comparative Literature, Ritchie Kendall joined the UNC faculty in 1980. He holds a BA in English from Yale University (1973) and an MA and PhD in English from Harvard University (1980). His specialty is in English Renaissance drama with an emphasis on the socio-economic dimensions of early modern theater. He has taught Honors courses in Shakespeare, Elizabethan and Jacobean drama, comedy and social class, epic and drama, and early modern ideas of entrepreneurship.
Spring 2016
HNRS 325.001 | People on the Move: Global Migration from the American South to the Middle East
W, 06:30-09:00. Instructor(s): Ritchie Kendall. Enrollment = 75.
This seminar examines the pressing migration trends across the world and urges students to question where and why migration is happening. There are 191 million migrants and 21 million refugees across the world. What combination of political and economic factors are driving people to undertake dangerous journeys in pursuit of better lives? While migration is relevant to almost every academic discipline, there are few “migration” scholars. This course will attempt to create a space for discussing the topic through the lens of many disciplines including law, economics, history, public policy, and global politics.
HONORS CAROLINA STUDENTS WITH 60+ CREDIT HOURS ONLY. WORTH 3.0 HOURS OF HONORS PROGRAM CREDIT, BUT ONLY 1.0 HOUR OF ACADEMIC CREDIT (PASS/FAIL).
COLLOQUIUM MAY BE TAKEN NO MORE THAN TWICE FOR PROGRAM CREDIT.
Associate Professor of English and Comparative Literature, Ritchie Kendall joined the UNC faculty in 1980. He holds a BA in English from Yale University (1973) and an MA and PhD in English from Harvard University (1980). His specialty is in English Renaissance drama with an emphasis on the socio-economic dimensions of early modern theater. He has taught Honors courses in Shakespeare, Elizabethan and Jacobean drama, comedy and social class, epic and drama, and early modern ideas of entrepreneurship.
January 13: Orientation
January 20: Niklaus Steiner, Global Studies
January 27: Claude Clegg, African and African American Diaspora
February 3: Suzanne Shanahan, Duke University, Kenan Institute
February 10: Michelle King, History
March 2: John Pickles, Geography
March 9: Sarah Shields, History
April 6: Hannah Gill, Institute for the Study of the Americas
April 13: Peter Coclanis, History
April 20: Deborah Weissman, UNC School of Law
