Honors students will have great opportunities this year to enrich their academic experience in the UAB Honors College through this year’s Honors Faculty Fellows Program, beginning this month. Honors Faculty Fellows are full-time UAB faculty members who design and facilitate one-of-a-kind year-long projects that provide stimulating academic enrichment opportunities through experiential learning activities.
Members of the 2020-2021 cohort of Honors Faculty Fellows include Paula Chandler-Laney, Ph.D., associate professor & director, PhD Program; Robin Gaines Lanzi, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Health Behavior; Kevin McCain, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Philosophy; Katherine Meese, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Health Services Administration; Lynn Stover Nichols, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Family, Community and Health Systems; Erica Rinker, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of World Languages and Literatures; and Cathy Roche, Ph.D., associate professor, Department of Family, Community, & Health Systems. Selected by a committee of honors students, the fellows each receive a $2,000 budget to support programming for their projects.
Read below to learn more on how each faculty member plans to spend their fellowship.
Paula Chandler-Laney, Ph.D.
School of Health Professions
“Food for Thought”
Dr. Paula Chandler-Laney poses the question, “How do we use nutrition science research to inform health outcomes and population wellness?” Join Food for Thought, an informal discussion led by Dr. Chandler-Laney that will enable students to tackle a new question at each meeting, encourage discussion about our collective experiences, and learn how to use the scientific process to understand the role of nutrition in health and wellness.
“No prior experience? Not true! Nutrition and wellness impact all of us,” Chandler-Laney says. “This activity is designed for Honors students who want to learn more about science as a profession and for those who are curious about how science is used to address real world problems.”
Robin Gaines Lanzi, Ph.D.
School of Public Health
“Mental Health Ambassadors”
In fall 2019, as a new Honors Faculty Fellow, Dr. Robin Gaines Lanzi launched the UAB Mental Health Ambassadors (MHA) Program, a peer-to-peer mental health promotion program, in partnership with Dr. Angela Stowe, UAB Director of Student Counseling Services, and Juhee Agrawal, a recent Honors graduate. Dr. Lanzi returns for another year as an Honors Faculty Fellow, facilitating important mental health initiatives that focus on mental health awareness, resiliency, and self-care. Students will receive instruction and training in mental health awareness and promotion, suicide prevention, active listening, motivational interviewing, and program design and development. After being trained, students will be eligible to become a Mental Health Ambassador by proposing, developing, and implementing mental health promotion campaigns for students across campus and social media platforms.
“We are in some deeply challenging times,” Lanzi says. “The goal of Mental Health Ambassadors is to positively impact the campus mental health climate and build a culture of resiliency. One of the best ways to do this is from within – with the students for the students.”
Kevin McCain, Ph.D.
College of Arts and Sciences
“Food, Film, and Philosophy”
Food, Film, and Philosophy. The name says it all. Dr. McCain will lead these Honors events where students will watch popular movies from different genres including sci-fi, comedy, drama, etc. and discuss philosophical themes that arise in the movies. No training in philosophy required.
“There are two primary goals for these events,” McCain said. “The first is to help students see that some of the most entertaining features of movies arise from the philosophical issues they explore. The second is to have fun thinking and talking through some of these issues with one another.”
Katherine Meese, Ph.D.
School of Health Professions
“Message in a Movie”
Dr. Katherine Meese poses three thought-provoking questions: “Don't understand why things are going poorly with your roommate? Do you always end up doing the work on a group project? Is the same thing always "happening to you?" Meese will begin Lunch at the Movies with a quick evidence-based overview of a leadership or behavioral concept, then analyze the concept by watching movies, television shows or the news. Topics are geared to help students develop frameworks and skills to become better leaders, including conflict, negotiation, motivation and leadership.
“Once you understand patterns of behavior, you can better navigate and chart the course you want,” Meese said. “Students should attend the series because it is like free executive coaching, which is $300/hour – well worth your time.”
Lynn Stover Nichols, Ph.D. (left)
School of Nursing
Cathy Roche, Ph.D., R.N. (right)
School of Nursing
“Ethics Café 2.0”
Drs. Lynn Nichols and Cathy Roche will facilitate Ethics Café 2.0, a continuation of the successful “Ethics Café” series introduced by Dr. Nichols in fall 2019. Students will explore and discuss a variety of timely ethical issues through interactive, engaging and fun activities. Participants may earn an Ethical Scholar Certificate, based on the number of events attended throughout the semester.
“Ethics Café 2.0 is designed to enrich and enhance ethical decision-making behavior,” Roche said. “Attendees will be prepared to address ethical dilemmas in academia and professionally in their future careers.”
Erica Rinker, Ph.D. 
College of Arts and Sciences
“Culture-bound? Culture Bound!”
Dr. Rinker will host Culture-bound? Culture Bound!, a concept that will explore small-group discussions of on-campus and online cultural events at a “shared table.” Students will discuss the events as a group, either in-person or virtual. They will work together to unpack the content of the event itself, while examining their assumptions or restrictions compared to their own cultures.
“I look forward to working with students to highlight how hearing from artists in their own words and witnessing performances help to liberate us from certain cultural confinements,” Rinker said. “Participation in Culture-bound? Culture Bound! programming aims to support our Honors students in their efforts to move beyond their classrooms and the presuppositions of their own cultures. It will also nourish a life-long interest in engagement with support of visual and performing arts.”
For questions or inquiries to apply for 2021-2022 cohort, contact the Associate Dean of the Honors College, Dr. Kristine Hurst-Wajszczuk at
