WKU News

The Honors College at WKU launched its first-ever speaker series on Thursday (Feb. 22) with a guest who tackled some of the toughest subjects in higher education. Dr. Sarah Mahurin, dean of Timothy Dwight College at Yale, gave a lecture titled “Narratives of (and in) Higher Education” to more than 100 WKU faculty, staff, students and community guests.
 
Mahurin is the first female dean of Timothy Dwight College at Yale. She previously served as a visiting professor of English and African American studies at Wesleyan University. Originally from Bowling Green, Mahurin earned her undergraduate degree from Harvard University in English and American literature and her doctorate from Yale’s English department.
 
The speaker series, which focuses on issues in higher education, is intended to serve WKU as a platform to address contemporary issues on American campuses.
 
“We are honored to host such a scholar as Dr. Sarah Mahurin as our inaugural guest in our speaker series,” said Dr. Craig T. Cobane, Honors College at WKU executive director. “Dr. Mahurin not only boasts an impressive and extensive set of credentials but represents the community of Bowling Green in an unprecedented way in her post at Yale. Hosting Dr. Mahurin as our first speaker in the series sets the bar very high for those who must follow. We look forward to hosting our WKU family and the community of Bowling Green for subsequent lectures.”
 
Mahurin’s talk focused on the narrative of higher education, drawing on personal experiences during her time at Harvard as an undergraduate. Mahurin also referenced such text as “Theme for English B” by poet Langston Hughes, which she provided copies of for the audience to follow along. She tied different perspectives to each piece she referenced and how they may apply to those young adults entering college.
 
The Honors College will continue to host this speaker series annually each spring semester. Details, including date, time and location of each talk in the series will be released in the weeks leading up to the event.
 
For information, visit www.wku.edu/honors or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
 
About the Mahurin Honors College: Prior to becoming the Mahurin Honors College (MHC), an honors program was established at WKU in 1963. The original program evolved over the years, and as a result of continued growth in academic quality, size and overall institutionalization of the program, WKU’s board of regents transitioned the program into an honors college in 2007 – the first of its kind in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The MHC serves over 1,300 scholars, includes 14 administrative professionals and seven faculty members, offers more than 250 honors courses and graduates more than 200 scholars annually. The average incoming ACT/SAT score for freshmen is 30/1300, ranking the college in the top 3 percent of the nation.

Contact: Caitlin Greenwell, (270) 745-3020