4 students hanging out at the Illini Union outdoors on a warm day

James Scholar Honors Program

Challenge yourself to impact the future.

Spring 2024 Honors Plans for Current James Scholars

It is time to submit your Honors Plans for Spring 2024. Please access the form on the James Scholar Canvas page.

Plans must be submitted by Feb. 9 at 11:59 p.m.

Self-Nomination

AHS students who would like to begin the self-nomination process to become a James Scholar must meet the following requirements:

  • Earned a 3.50 cumulative Illinois GPA.
  • Completed at least one semester on the UIUC campus, including 12 graded hours.
  • Have no history of academic integrity violations.
  • Not be a 2nd semester junior or beyond (unless the student has received permission to remain an undergraduate for a fifth year).

Provided those requirements are met, students can begin the Self-Nomination process during the first 2 weeks of the fall or spring semester.

PLEASE NOTE: Students beginning the Self-Nomination process in the SPRING semester must complete TWO Honors Plans to earn James Scholar designation for the academic year.

The Self-Nomination process is as follows:

  • Student meets eligibility requirements above.
  • Please complete the Self-Nomination Form (https://forms.illinois.edu/sec/29845476.) prior to the 2nd Friday of the semester. The deadline for Spring 2024 is Jan. 26 at 11:59 p.m. No late forms will be accepted.
  • After AHS reviews the form, the student will receive an email giving them access to the Canvas site for AHS James Scholars.
  • Via the Canvas site, the student will submit an Honors Plan (or two) by the fourth Friday of the semester. The deadline for Spring 2024 is Feb. 9 at 11:59 p.m. (If student is self-nominating in the spring semester, they must submit TWO honors plans).

DEADLINES for Spring 2024

Submit Self-Nomination Forms: Jan. 26 at 11:59 p.m.

Submit Honors Plans: Feb. 9 at 11:59 p.m.

Submit i-Program completion certificates: May 10 at 11:59 p.m.

Submit i-Program and any other required essays: May 10 at 11:59 p.m.

Volunteer supervisors complete volunteering documentation: May 10 at 11:59 p.m.

Requirements for the James Scholar Honors Program

  • Enroll in at least 12 graded credit hours each fall and spring semester
  • Maintain at least a 3.50 Illinois GPA 
  • Complete one honors project every fall and spring semester. (You do have the option to skip the fall semester and complete two in the spring, but I don’t advise that for your first semester on campus.)

Honors projects 

In general, honors projects are opportunities for students to expand their academic experience either in or out of the classroom. Please visit the Requirements page for an overview of the options for completing an honors project.

For students beginning their first semester on our campus, a few honors project options would be most appropriate. Click below to find out specifics. 
 

AHS James Scholars in the 2023 Undergraduate Research Symposium

  • Samuel Adeoye, Systematic Review of Nutrition mHealth Hypertension Intervention for Resource Limited Populations
  • Anastasia Adjei, An Investigation of Air Pollution, Diet Quality, and Antioxidant Intake on Adipose Tissue Inflammation
  • Afnaan Afsar Ali, Understanding the Role of a Socially Assistive Robot to Successfully Age in Place
  • Madison Barrera, Relationship between Caregiver Education and Expressive Language in Children with Down Syndrome
  • Divya Bhookya, Accessing Health Information: Challenges & Solutions Among People Aging with Vision Loss
  • Lauren Couri, The Relationship between Physical Activity and Cognitive and Motor Skills in School-Aged Children
  • Kalia Davis, The Effects Diet and Air Quality Have on Systemic Inflammation and Childhood Asthma
  • Maya Dye, Advice from Aging With a Disability: A Qualitative Study on Wisdom
  • Meghan Gibbons, Limiting Chronic Volume Overload for Patients on Hemodialysis Via Short-term, Home-Delivered Low Sodium Meals and Dietary Education
  • Aneesa Goyal, Microbial Protease Supplementation Potentiated the Early Net Exposure to Postprandial Amino Acids in Healthy Adults
  • Daniela Hernandez, Spanish-English Bilingualism: A Reward or Penalty in Healthcare?
  • Melinda Jara, The Effects of a Remote Social Engagement Program in Caregivers of Persons with Dementia: A Case Study Approach
  • Abigail Keasler, Relationship between Caregiver Education and Expressive Language in Children with Down Syndrome
  • Abigail Keck, An Investigation of Personality, Physical Activity, and Heart Rate Variability
  • Isabella Lau, Effects of Background Music Familiarity on Children’s Word Recognition
  • Emma Mueller, The Relationship Between Levels of Communication and Features of Autism in Children with Down Syndrome
  • Favour Ojerinde, Differences In The Development Of Disability Among African Americans And Its Contributing Factors
  • Noah Olivero, Technology Support for Online Interventions that Prioritize Social Engagement
  • Holly Panfil, Aging Effects on ERSPs During Strategic Attention
  • Aditi Patel, Implications of Conversational Agents on Loneliness of Older Adults: A Mini-review
  • Atlas Pilchen, Effects of Background Music Familiarity on Children’s Word Recognition
  • Annalisa Ranallo, Resilience in the Case of Individuals with Long-COVID
  • Eve Rubovits, Analysis of Study Using MyVoice to Collect Data on Youth Caregiving Experiences and Perspectives
  • Natalia Rzepa, Aging Effects on ERSPs During Strategic Attention
  • Rahil Sadruddin, Exploring Self-Efficacy for Physical Activity Among Cancer Survivors Participating in a Virtual 12 Week Program
  • Emilie Schramer, A Review of Sex-Based Differences in Individuals with Misophonia
  • Brandon Snipe, Analyzing Older Adults’ Interactions with Voice Assistants: Implications for Improving Adoption of Novel Technologies
  • Leyna Tran, Effects of Background Music Familiarity on Children’s Word Recognition
  • Alexandra Trekas, Associations Between Discourse Production and Cognitive Performance in Persons with Mild Cognitive Impairment
  • Anna Vanisko, Analysis of Study Using MyVoice to Collect Data on Youth Caregiving Experiences and Perspectives
  • Lauren Vicencio, Daily Sound Level Exposure for Preterm Infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
  • Ashley Yun, The Relationship Between Levels of Communication and Features of Autism in Children with Down Syndrome