Honors Student Listserv
Coming up in the Honors College
- 10/15: CLASS Honors Fall Colloquium
- 10/15: HICH & CARE: Guest Speaker Event
- 10/16: Grand Challenges Forum
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EVENTS & OPPORTUNITIES
Grand Challenges Forum
The Grand Challenges Forum encourages students to think critically, discuss openly, and learn unequivocally. The New Grand Challenges Forum offers students, faculty, staff, alumni, and members of the local community a time to hear a wide range of lectures dedicated to a compelling theme. Fridays from 1-2 p.m. in the Honors College Commons.
Look for the fall 2026 schedule here.
Lyceum Lecture Series
The Lyceum Initiative hosts a Lecture Series each academic year, focused on a theme of special interest to its mission. The theme for 2026 is "The Declaration at 250!" Each talk in the 2026 Lecture Series will focus on one of the fundamental principles articulated in the Declaration of Independence, signed by delegates to the Continental Congress in July of 1776.
Look for the fall 2026 schedule here.
CLASS Honors Fall Colloquium: The Price of Capitalism
Who Pays the Price of Austerity?
The College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences Honors program will host a conversation with Clara Mattei on Thursday, October 15, from 4-6:30 p.m. at the Elizabeth D. Rockwell Pavilion in the M.D. Anderson Library.
Mattei, a professor of economics at the University of Tulsa, will discuss her book, "Permanent Austerity: The Price of Capitalism." The presentation will examine how inequality, economic policy, austerity, and political power shape daily life, as well as who benefits from current economic structures.
The event is free and open to all students, and a question-and-answer session will follow the lecture.
For more information, contact Wei-Yi (Wesley) Lee or go here!
Honors in Community Health & CARE: Guest Speaker Event
Honors in Community Health and CARE will host a guest speaker event featuring Dr. Padmavati Ramachandran on Thursday, October 15, from 5:30-7 p.m. in the Honors Commons. Dr. Ramachandran will discuss breaking the stigma surrounding mental health, community-based care, and the role of schizophrenia in mental health.
Energy Leadership Speaker Series
Join UH Energy on October 19, 2026, at 4:15 p.m. at the UH Hilton Waldorf-Astoria Ballroom E for a conversation on "Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Energy" with Jim Gable, vice president of innovation and president of Technology Ventures at Chevron. Hear firsthand insights on the trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping the future of the energy industry. Open to all UH students, faculty, and staff.
The Honors College Pitch Party
The Honors College will host an information session on its 2026–2027 study and travel opportunities from 4-5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 20, in the Honors College Commons.
Questions? Contact Ben Rayder at btrayder@central.uh.edu.
Trick or Trials: Community Court Watch Costume Party
Students with Community Court Watch have been working since the summer to build a sustainable, impactful, community-lifting court watch program.
To celebrate, connect, and recruit students, we are hosting an in-person costume and pizza party on Wednesday, October 21, from 5:30-7 p.m. in the Martel Room at the Honors College.
Demystifying the Literature Review Webinar
The Office of Undergraduate Research and Major Awards will host an online workshop on literature reviews on Friday, October 23, 2026, at 2 p.m.
The session will cover the definition and purpose of a literature review in the research process, along with tips on how to get started. Registration is required.
For more information, click here.
BuildEquity
The BuildEquity Student Consulting Program bridges University of Houston students and local entrepreneurs to solve business challenges and foster growth for underrepresented small businesses across the Houston region.
A collaborative effort among the BuildEquity Entrepreneurship Program, Impact Hub Houston, and UH’s Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship/RED Labs, the program offers students hands-on consulting experience while driving measurable impact for local ventures.
Session Schedule:
Oct. 9: 11 a.m.–2 p.m. | CBB, Room 524
Oct. 23: 11 a.m.–1 p.m. | CBB, Room 328
Nov. 6: 11 a.m.–1 p.m. | The Ion (off campus)
Civic Houston Internship Program (CHIP) | Spring 2027
The University of Houston's Hobby School of Public Affairs is accepting applications for the Civic Houston Internship Program (CHIP), which offers hands-on public service internships during the fall and spring semesters.
Open to juniors, seniors, and recent post-baccalaureates across all majors, the program grants 3 hours of upper-level public policy credit. Participants work an average of eight hours a week for 15 weeks in government offices, non-profits, campaigns, or private sector offices, while also meeting four times a week, maintaining a daily journal, and completing a term paper.
Priority Application Deadline: Monday, November 9, 2026
For questions, please contact Jessica Ruland O'Connor at jlruland@cougarnet.uh.edu.
Albert Schweitzer Fellowship - Virtual Informational Session
Join current University of Houston Honors Fellows on Friday, November 20, from 12-1 p.m. for an information session on the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship Houston-Galveston.
The yearlong service-learning program helps undergraduate and graduate students in health fields design, launch, and evaluate community projects for underserved populations across Texas. Participants work with local partners while receiving mentorship and professional development.
Attend to learn how to turn a passion for service into community impact.
Click to join the virtual informational session!
PAIR: Partnership for the Advancement & Immersion of Refugees
PAIR (Partnership for the Advancement and Immersion of Refugees) is a student organization at the University of Houston dedicated to empowering refugee youth and families in the Houston area through educational mentoring programs. These semester-long programs are held once a week (same time and day each week), depending on the availability of volunteers. Volunteers can choose between the Global Leaders Program and Global Learners Program, which are respectively held in high schools and middle schools. During these programs, volunteers get the opportunity to work with and tutor refugee students, guiding them in engaging lesson activities designed to help them read, speak, and write English.
The applications for the fall semester are currently available on PAIR's website.
If you have any questions about the organization, please reach out to pairuofh@gmail.com! You can also find more information on PAIR's Instagram page (@pairuh).
Volunteer with Big Sister Circle (BSC)
The Big Sister Circle, a joint project of the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship and Honors in Community Health, is recruiting volunteer mentors to support refugee women in Houston. Partnering with Amaanah Refugee Services, the initiative aims to address healthcare and social disparities.
Volunteers will conduct weekly check-ins, educational sessions, and social activities with participants while contributing to data-driven research for Undergraduate Research Day.
No prior experience is required, and all backgrounds are welcome. Female applicants who speak Dari, Farsi, Pashto, or Arabic are strongly encouraged to apply. Volunteer applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.
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TRAVEL & SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Learn In Spain
The University of Houston Department of Psychology is offering a study abroad course, "Learn in Spain," led by Professor Elena L. Grigorenko in May 2027. Students enrolled in the program can earn three course credits through study in Houston and up to 10 days immersed in Spanish culture. The program offers hands-on learning through exploration of historic sites, local traditions, and daily life. Program fees will be announced at a later date. To qualify, applicants must be UH students in good academic standing.
Interested students can complete an interest form here!
PowerHouse Texas Energy Policy Fellowship
Applications are now open for the PowerHouse Texas Energy Policy Fellowship (spring 2027), a paid, full-time opportunity at the Texas State Capitol. Fellows work in bipartisan Texas House or Senate offices, researching energy legislation while engaging with scientists, industry leaders, and policymakers. Open to STEM and environmental science undergraduates (2 plus years completed), graduate students, and recent graduates. Fellows receive $4,100/month, a $700 relocation stipend, and health benefits. Rolling application deadlines: August 30, October 15, and November 30, 2026.
Provost's Undergraduate Research Scholarship (PURS) Program: Spring 2027
The Provost's Undergraduate Research Scholarship (PURS) program provides undergraduate students with the opportunity to participate in a semester-long research project under the direction of a UH faculty mentor. Recipients will receive a $1,000 scholarship to conduct part-time research (six to seven hours/week) with their faculty mentor. Sophomores, juniors, and seniors from all majors with a minimum 3.0 GPA are eligible to apply.
Submission Deadline: November 2, 2026
Energy Scholars Program 2027
The UH Energy Scholars Program provides a $6,000 scholarship to students for conducting an energy-related faculty-mentored research project in the spring, summer, and fall of 2026. Participants will conduct their research part-time (six to seven hours/week) during the spring and fall semesters and full-time during the summer. This program is open to students of all disciplines who are interested in working on a research project related to energy or sustainability. Scholarships will be awarded to continuing sophomores and above with a minimum 3.0 GPA. Students graduating in the spring or summer of the program year are not eligible.
Date: Spring-Fall, 2027
Submission Deadline: November 2, 2026
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RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES
Digital Phenotyping Research Study
The Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Houston is seeking female students aged 18 and older to participate in a three month Digital Phenotyping Research Study examining how smartphones and wearables track stress, cognitive status, and mental well-being in real time. To learn more, click here. To be eligible, you must be a female student at the University of Houston and must not be pregnant, on daily prescribed medications, or recently hospitalized. Contact smarri@cougarnet.uh.edu for more information.
To sign up, click here!
Valuing Social Time - Research Survey
Participate in a 10-minute, anonymous University of Houston research survey exploring how college students spend and value their social time across in-person interactions, online connections, and AI chatbots. Eligible participants must be UH students aged 18 or older, and completing the voluntary survey offers an optional entry into a raffle to win one of four $25 Amazon gift cards. Contact Alexander Matthews at agmatthe@cougarnet.uh.edu with any questions. Visit the survey link here to participate.
The survey ends December 30, 2026.