The 2020 spring semester marks an all-new season of Major Insight, Miami University's official student-centered podcast featuring the personal journeys and academic achievements of highly accomplished students. This new season also welcomes a new host, Miami honors student Peter Everett, who will use the podcast as a platform to help current and prospective students and parents get a clearer sense of how the college experience can develop in positive and productive ways. "So many students, especially incoming students, feel lost or unsure about how their college education can apply or inform their futures," Everett says. "Major Insight helps provide students with a road map, or at least the inspiration, to find their way by hearing about the experiences of others. This podcast is about telling those kinds of stories." These stories unfold over conversations with students who talk about choosing a major, finding strong faculty mentorship, completing innovative research projects, navigating campus life, their plans after graduation, and more. The first season of Major Insight already includes numerous episodes with the original student-host, Jacob Bruggeman, who passed on his role to Everett during a special season two premiere, which discussed the value of studying the humanities as a way to succeed in college and in life. "Peter will be an excellent host," Bruggeman says. "I know that the podcast is in good hands, and I'll look forward to listening to future episodes." James Loy, Major Insight producer, also echoed Bruggeman sentiments about this new chapter. "We've already met so many inspiring and focused students who have such clear ideas of who they are, who they want to become, and how they hope to influence their chosen careers and fields," Loy says. "Now we're excited to highlight many more of these amazing stories by continuing to showcase the full breadth and depth and quality of experiences found all across this campus." Major Insight can be heard on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever podcasts are found.

Miami University Students Receive Undergraduate Summer Scholars Award. The USS program enables Miami undergraduates to conduct research or other creative scholarly activities in close collaboration with a faculty mentor during the summer term. With its primary goals on student-centered learning through mentored research, the program aligns with Miami's focus on offering "active, engaged educational experiences for our undergraduates.

While following her dream to become a criminal prosecutor, Reagan Brown has learned how to craft eloquent arguments, how to stand up for her beliefs, and how to keep cool in intense situations. As a comparative religion and psychology major, she has studied the controversial views of the Westboro Baptist Church during a faculty-led project designed to understand religious extremism. On this episode of Major Insight, Reagan also talks about the value of understanding different viewpoints, the power of empathy to change the world, and more. Major Insight is a production of Miami University. This is where we showcase our students and how they transform academic subjects into lifelong passions. Join us wherever you listen to your podcasts and discover these students journeys. Quick External Listen Links: Major Insight Ep.15 on: Apple Podcasts, https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/using-empathy-to-understand-religion-and-the-law-ep-15/id1478030910?i=1000465918811 Google Podcasts, https://play.google.com/music/m/Dhbb75d2wwme2gqrztxafeyig3a?t=Using_Empathy_To_Understand_Religion_and_the_Law__Ep15-Major_Insight Spotify, https://open.spotify.com/episode/7N38jkRjaBwZh0KRkGyShA Stitcher, https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/reframemiamiohehs/major-insight?refid=stpr

Miami University awarded degrees to students during fall commencement exercises Friday, December 13, 2019 at Millett Hall.

Miami University students who are ranked in the top three percent of undergraduate students within each division for first semester 2019-20 have been named to the president's list recognizing academic excellence.

The Mid-American Conference announced its weekly basketball awards on Monday. For Miami, senior forward Bam Bowman was named MAC East Co-Player of the Week. It is the first MAC honor of the season and second for his career. Bowman really came on in the second half of Miami's 79-67 victory over Mississippi Valley State on Sunday. He had 16 points on 7-for-9 shooting and also got six offensive rebounds. For the game, Bowman had a team-high 20 points and just missed a double-double with eight rebounds, seven of which were offensive.

Miami graduate students from Project Dragonfly have been invited to present as featured speakers at the 16th Annual World Community Conference at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden Dec. 14, 2019. Sponsored by the Zoo and Miami University's Project Dragonfly, the conference showcases the work of students who have conducted inquiry projects in communities across the U.S. and at key conservation sites around the world.

Twelve extremely accomplished first-year students from across the country and around the world comprise Miami University's inaugural class of the Presidential Fellows Program. Miami University's premier scholarship, the Presidential Fellows Program offers recipients a merit award to cover tuition, fees, room and board. Students also will receive a one-time academic enhancement fund of $5,000 for activities such as study abroad or professional conferences.

Graduate students from Miami University's Project Dragonfly will travel to Australia, Thailand, Baja, Belize, Borneo, India, Kenya, Hawai'i, Paraguay and Namibia, where they will engage in action projects on vital human and ecological issues.

Miami University's Project Dragonfly has admitted a new cohort of students to its Advanced Inquiry Program (AIP). The AIP combines web-based graduate coursework through Miami University with face-to-face experiential learning at some of the nation's premiere community learning institutions.

Miami University doctoral students have been awarded fellowships from the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP). They are three of 2,000 students nationwide, out of more than 12,000 who applied, to receive the prestigious award. The fellowship recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students who are pursuing research-based master's and doctoral degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. It provides three years of support with a $34,000 annual stipend and a $12,000 cost-of-education allowance, among other benefits.

The Solar Decathlon Design Challenge, formerly called Race to Zero, is an annual competition open to students from collegiate institutions worldwide. The competition encourages students to work with builders, developers, community leaders, and other industry partners to meet stringent design requirements and create marketable, affordable concepts. Teams compete in a range of residential and commercial project types. Jurors evaluate projects in ten contest categories: Energy Performance; Engineering; Financial Feasibility & Affordability; Resilience; Architecture; Operations; Market Potential; Comfort & Environmental Quality; Innovation; Presentation. Sixteen Miami students from architecture and mechanical engineering majors collaborated in the 2019 Race to Zero competition studio. The studio fielded two teams in the first phase of the competition. In February, their progress entries were selected to be among the 48 finalist teams representing 34 institutions from the U.S. and internationally. The Miami students presented their final proposals at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) April 13-14 in Golden, Colorado. Miami's team won top awards in their divisions: Elementary School team - 1st Place; Attached Housing team - Outstanding Undergraduate Achievement.

Miami University Awards Miami-Hughes Internships

High Achieving Students Choose Miami University

Miami University Student Emily Shirley Featured in National Media

Miami University First-Year Student Named Golden Pen Award Winner

The following people recently were initiated into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation's oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines.

Miami University Students Choreograph Spring Concert