Odyssey
Professorships are part of a competitive process to fund specific, term-limited
projects.
The Hendrix College Office of Engaged Learning has announced
five Odyssey Professorships awarded to seven members of the Hendrix faculty.
The terms for these awards will begin June 1, 2025.
Odyssey Professorships are an extension of the Hendrix Odyssey
Program, the College’s nationally recognized engaged learning initiative for
students. Individual faculty members or small groups of faculty members may
apply on a competitive basis for the professorships, which carry an endowment
to support faculty projects that create new engaged learning opportunities,
such as undergraduate research, for students. Faculty proposals are recommended
by the Committee on Faculty and approved by the President. Odyssey
Professorships are usually held for a period of two to three years.
“The Odyssey Professorships exemplify Hendrix’s dedication to faculty development and student engagement through immersive, hands-on learning experiences,” said Associate Provost for Engaged Learning and Professor of Politics Dr. Kiril Kolev. “This year’s projects will connect students with global and local challenges, from exploring anticancer treatments in Ecuador to addressing rural healthcare inequities in Arkansas. They will engage in interdisciplinary research, experience diverse cultural contexts, and participate in real-world problem-solving — whether through Model UN, contemplative studies in India, or research on nature connectedness. These opportunities reflect the power of a liberal arts education to inspire curiosity, collaboration, and meaningful impact both in and beyond the classroom.”
The Cynthia Cook Sandefur Professorship (2025-2028) was awarded to Dr.
Andres Caro of the Department of Chemistry for Empowering Future Scientists:
Exploring Ecuador’s Anticancer Flora and Tackling Cancer Cell Resistance Through
Collaborative Research.
The goal of this Odyssey Professorship is to enhance undergraduate
learning in biochemistry by immersing students in the exploration of natural
compounds with potential anticancer properties and novel anticancer treatments.
Their approach also aims to cultivate critical thinking, cultural awareness,
and research skills essential for our students’ future pursuits. To achieve
these goals, they will establish two undergraduate research projects. The
first, titled “Research Experience for Undergraduates in Southern Ecuador,”
will be conducted in collaboration with UAMS and the University of Loja in
Ecuador. It involves four weeks of summer field research in Southern Ecuador,
where students will collect native plants traditionally used for medicinal
purposes, perform anticancer bioassays, and engage in cultural immersion with
local communities. The second project, titled “Resistance Against Ferroptosis
in Cancer Cells,” will support academic-year research exploring the biochemical
mechanisms of resistance to new anticancer drugs that promote ferroptosis, a
type of cancer cell death. By emphasizing hands-on, inquiry-based learning, the
professorship will offer students valuable opportunities to engage in
real-world biomedical research.
A Charles Prentiss Hough Professorship (2025-2026) was awarded to Dr.
Daniel Edquist-Whelan of the Department of Politics for Model United Nations.
This one-year proposal will support up to 16 students enrolled in Hendrix’s Model UN and Model UN Mentoring courses to attend the 2025 American Model United Nations Conference in Chicago in November. Students will represent Switzerland and will be seated on four UN General Assembly committees: the UN Security Council, the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs, and the International Court of Justice. The AMUN conference typically hosts around 70 colleges and universities each year who send 1,000 students representing 110 countries.
The Dr. Brad P. Baltz & Reverend William B. Smith Professorship
(2025-2028) was awarded to Dr. William M. Gorvine of the Department of
Religious Studies for Religion, Contemplative Studies, and Health.
This professorship explores the Asian religious and cultural contexts
from which contemporary contemplative modalities, such as mindfulness and
compassion training, have emerged and with which these popular techniques have
traditionally been associated. It will bring global awareness to campus through
the residency of a well-educated Tibetan monk currently training in traditional
Tibetan medicine. It will also involve a faculty-led global awareness trip for
students to northern India to learn about religious healing and Tibetan medical
treatment. In addition, it will allow students to present and to benefit from
professional development opportunities at an undergraduate conference
supporting Asian studies in the liberal arts. Additionally, the professorship
will facilitate revisions to the “Buddhist Contemplation” course, the “Yoga
Past and Present” course, and the development of a new offering on “Buddhism,
Health, and Wellness.” Finally, it will allow for protected time for faculty
research and writing aimed at a new book that will survey the field of
contemplative studies with reference to the value-systems, cultural frameworks,
and histories that have informed it.
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Another Charles Prentiss Hough Professorship (2025-2026) was awarded
to Dr. Peter Kett of the Department of Chemistry and Dr. Rick Murray of the
Department of Biology for Becoming Part of the Solution: Opportunities for
Hendrix College Pre-Med Students to Address Healthcare Inequity in Arkansas.
Healthcare outcomes in Arkansas rate poorly when compared with other
states in the U.S. This is particularly true for the two in five Arkansans who
live in rural counties, where rates of infant mortality, obesity, food
insecurity, and child poverty are all higher than in urban parts of the state.
Though the reasons for rural healthcare inequity are complex in nature, the low
number of physicians in rural counties in Arkansas is a significant factor.
Aside from financial incentives, getting medical and pre-medical students
engaged and invested in rural communities has been shown to increase the
likelihood of them practicing medicine there. This Odyssey Professorship will
provide opportunities for Hendrix pre-med students to take part in a shadowing
program and service trip in rural Arkansas. Through these experiences the
students will learn about the unique healthcare challenges that exist in rural
parts of the state and be motivated to become part of the solution of
addressing rural healthcare inequity in Arkansas.
The James and Emily Bost Odyssey Professorship (2025-2028) was
awarded to Dr. Jennifer Penner and Dr. Carmen Merrick of the Department of
Psychology for Returning to Nature: Improving Nature Connectedness,
Wellbeing and Conservation at Hendrix College.
This professorship will engage students in the exploration of two
major societal issues — the challenge of improving human wellbeing and the
challenge of conserving biodiversity and healthy ecosystems. Research suggests
that a key factor in addressing both issues is a psychological, cultural, and
physical connection to nature, collectively referred to as nature
connectedness. The aim of this professorship is to develop activities, spaces,
and learning and research experiences that facilitate nature connectedness in
an effort to improve wellbeing and environmental concern on campus. Primary activities
include: 1) travel abroad experiences —two immersive experiences in Costa Rica
to cross-culturally explore the relationship between nature connectedness and
conservation practices and to identify an intervention to implement locally; 2)
research experiences — a campus wide survey to assess our community’s nature
connectedness and conservation commitment and a formal research project to
assess the impact of structured, outdoor activities on participants’ wellbeing;
3) an outdoor classroom — the creation of an outdoor classroom on campus, and
4) a new course with optional travel abroad module in Costa Rica.
About Hendrix College
Founded in
1876, Hendrix College is featured in “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools
That Will Change the Way You Think About Colleges” and celebrated among the
country’s leading liberal arts colleges for academic quality, engaged learning
opportunities and career preparation, vibrant campus life, and value. The
Hendrix College Warriors compete in 21 NCAA Division III sports. Hendrix has
been affiliated with the United Methodist Church since 1884. Learn more at www.hendrix.edu.
“… Through
engagement that links the classroom with the world, and a commitment to
diversity, inclusion, justice, and sustainable living, the Hendrix community
inspires students to lead lives of accomplishment, integrity, service, and
joy.” —Hendrix College Statement of
Purpose