The Honors Council Lecture Series is an annual series featuring 12 lectures from Bemidji State University faculty members, providing a platform for them to share their research and creative scholarship.
Our mission is to foster the values of inquiry, connection, sharing and transformation within our Honors program and beyond. These lectures offer a unique opportunity for the Honors community, BSU students and the greater Bemidji community to come together and dive deep into fascinating and complex ideas. It’s a chance to expand your horizons and engage in meaningful discussions.
Fall 2026 Lectures
Six honors lectures will be presented in the Fall 2026 semester. Honors students are expected to attend at least two lectures and write reflections based each experience.
Insights from Emotional Intelligence Training for STEM Teachers in High-Need Schools
Come hear from faculty in multiple departments about the results of a five-year project. The goal of this study was to document how teachers used a multi-year training on emotional intelligence in their personal lives, professional lives, and made a difference in their classroom. We will share the methods and findings from the study.
Lecturers: Dr. Jenna O’Dell, Dr. Todd Frauenholtz, Dr. Rebecca Hoffman, Dr. Sarah Cronin
Date: September 30 at 6 p.m.
Location: A.C. Clark Library 327
What Do Women Want? Evolving Representations of Women in Popular Romance Novels
This presentation explores popular romance novels and their impact on issues of gender, representation and culture in our society.
Lecturer: Dr. Rucha Ambikar
Date: October 6 at 6 p.m.
Location: A.C. Clark Library 327 and Zoom (passcode: honors)
Improving Engineering Design with Artificial Intelligence
This presentation will demonstrate the use of AI to assist in the engineering design process.
Lecturer: Dr. Brian Hemmelman
Date: October 13 at 6 p.m.
Location: A.C. Clark Library 327 and Zoom (passcode: honors)
Anishinaabeg in Space
This talk will challenge dominant narratives of the inevitability of space colonization, instead pointing to Ojibwe modes of ecological relations to provide a way forward for humanity as we look to the stars.
Lecturer: Dr. Niiyokamigaabaw Deondre Smiles
Date: October 27 at 6 p.m.
Location: A.C. Clark Library 327 and Zoom (passcode: honors)
Beyond What’s Broken: Appreciative Democracy and the Search for a Better Way to Govern
What if strengthening democracy began by asking not only what is broken, but what is already working? Dr. Shawn E. Schooley introduces Appreciative Democracy, an emerging approach to understanding how democratic institutions and communities can foster collaboration, trust, engagement, and human flourishing.
Lecturer: Dr. Shawn Schooley
Date: November 4 at 6 p.m.
Location: A.C. Clark Library and Zoom (passcode: honors)
Songs that Moved Ships: The Historical Practice of Sea Chanteys
Sea chanteys surged into contemporary pop culture with 2021’s viral #ShantyTok, but their roots lie in work aboard 19th-century tall ships. Explore their history and experience how they bring people together!
Lecturer: Corinne Galligan
Date: November 17 at 6 p.m.
Location: A.C. Clark Library and Zoom (passcode: honors)