Dr. Abayomi Animashaun, Assistant Professor of English, is teaching WRT 110: Honors Composition (“The Immigrant Experience in America”) in fall 2025.

Dr. Michael Baltutis, Professor of Anthropology, Global Religions, and Cultures, teaches courses on the classical and contemporary Hindu and Buddhist traditions of India and Nepal. His research is connected to the years he spent living in and traveling through this region and includes articles on the use of political propaganda by the former king of Nepal during the 2006 People’s Movement (during which he was under house arrest for three weeks); the worship of the demonic deity Bhairav by the indigenous Newar people of Kathmandu; and the annual festival of the god Indra as it is celebrated in text and practice throughout South Asia.

Dr. Baltutis is teaching Global Religions 110: Honors World Religions (GC) (XC) in fall 2025 and spring 2026.

Courtney Bauder is the Director of the Social Justice Program in the School of Public Affairs and Global Engagement, where he teaches classes in social justice, issues of diversity, and global studies. He has traveled all over the world, including Central America, East Africa, Asia, and throughout Europe, and he has led study abroad programs in an array of locations that include Australia, Croatia, Greece, and New Zealand. He is passionate about helping students to experience the world through study abroad.

In 2014, Bauder received the College of Letters and Science Global Education Award, and he was the recipient of the 2016 Honors Outstanding Teaching Award.

This fall, Bauder will once again collaborate with Dr. Sabrina Mueller-Spitz from the Department of Biology to co-teach HNRS 175Q: Honors Seminar (“Justice and the Environment”) (XS). He is also teaching “Global Issues,” one of the HNRS 475: Honors Senior Seminar offerings, in spring 2026.

Dr. Laurence Carlin is Dean of The Honors College at UW Oshkosh. His research focuses on seventeenth- and eighteenth-century European philosophy and science.

In fall 2025, Dr. Carlin is teaching two versions of HNRS 175: Honors Seminar (he is co-teaching “Power” with Dr. Steve Szydlik, Professor of Mathematics, and he will teach “Social Forces” on his own). In spring 2026, he is teaching Philosophy 206: Honors: Ethical Issues in a Diverse Society. 

Over J-Term, May-Term, and again in June 2026, Dr. Carlin will lead six-credit study abroad programs in London, England, where he will be teaching HNRS 275Q: Culture Connection (XC) along with Philosophy 106: Honors Ethics (XC).

Dr. Stewart Cole, Professor of English and Environmental Studies, is teaching Environmental Studies 103: Honors Introduction to Environmental Studies (GC) (XS) in spring 2026.

Dr. Cole’s scholarly research focuses on representations of animals, human animality, and ecological ideas in modern and contemporary British and Irish literature. Recent publications have appeared in the peer-reviewed journals Studies in the Novel, ISLE: Interdisciplinary Studies in Literature and the Environment, and LIT: Literature Interpretation Theory and in the essay collection Literature and Meat since 1900 (Palgrave, 2019). He is also a poet; his second poetry collection, Soft Power, was published by Goose Lane Editions in 2019. For more about Dr. Cole, visit stewart-cole.com.

Laura Carnahan, Geography Lecturer and Teaching Assistant Professor for The Honors College, is teaching HNRS 175: Honors Seminar (“Natural Hazards”) in fall 2025. She is also teaching GEOGRAPHY 121-A05L: Weather and Climate, an Honors-specific Lab component of a four-credit Honors Elective, in spring 2026.

Dr. Erin DeMuynck, Associate Professor of Geography, is teaching Environmental Studies 103: Honors Intro to Environmental Studies (GC) (XS) in fall 2025.

Dr. Adam Diller, Assistant Professor of Radio-TV-Film, is teaching HNRS 275: Culture Connection in fall 2025. 

Dr. Scott Emmert, Professor of English, is teaching English 229: African American Literature (ES) (XC) in fall 2025 and spring 2026.

Dr. Robert Feldman is an Associate Professor of English. In addition to English 228: Honors Modern American Literature (XC), which he is teaching in fall 2025, he teaches American Romanticism and Modern Drama, two upper-level courses for English majors. Feldman was the 2020 Honors Outstanding Teaching Award recipient for English 228, the same class for which he received the award in 2014.

Dr. Adrienne Frie, Associate Professor of Anthropology, teaches courses on archaeology and biological anthropology. Her research is focused on the archaeology of pre-Roman Europe, particularly prehistoric human-animal relations and imagery in Slovenia, where she lived and worked for several years. She has done archaeological fieldwork in the Pacific Northwest and Wisconsin, as well as Spain, Slovenia, and Cyprus.  

In spring 2026, Dr. Frie is teaching Anthropology 202-A02L (XL), the Honors-specific Lab component for the Intro to Biological Anthropology.

Heidi Hansen, School of Nursing and Health Professions, is teaching NUR 216: Honors Health Practices with Diverse Populations (ES) (XC) in fall 2025.

Douglas Haynes, Professor of English, earned his MFA in creative writing from Southern Illinois University Carbondale. He is a nonfiction writer and poet whose many publications include his recent books Every Day We Live Is the Future: Surviving in a City of Disasters (University of Texas Press) and Last Word: Poems (Finishing Line Press).

Professor Haynes is teaching WRT 310: Honors Advanced Writing (XK) in fall 2025.

Dr. Monika Hohbein-Deegen, Professor of German and the German Program Coordinator, School of Public Affairs and Global Engagement, is teaching GERMAN 251: Honors Germanic Culture and History in Text and Film (GC) (XC) in fall 2025 and spring 2026.

Michael Jasinski, Associate Professor of Political Science, is a scholar of international relations and comparative politics. He has a special interest in political conflict processes as well as the politics of Eastern Europe and former Soviet states, including Russia and Ukraine. He is a veteran of US Armed Forces who spent several years on assignments in former Soviet states in pursuit of nuclear disarmament and military cooperation.

Dr. Jasinski is teaching HNRS 175Q: Honors Seminar (“International Conflict”) (XS) in fall 2025.

Dr. Stephen Kercher, Professor of History, is teaching History 216: Honors Topics in History (“Reagan’s America) (XS) in spring 2026.

Dr. Kathryn Klein, Assistant Professor of English, is teaching HNRS 275: Culture Connection (XC) in fall 2025.

Dr. Samantha Looker-Koenigs, Associate Professor of English, is teaching WRT 310: Honors Advanced Writing (XK) in spring 2026.

Dr. Nadia Louar is Professor of French, Public Affairs and Global Engagement.

She is teaching HNRS 475: Honors Senior Seminar (“Pursuits of Happiness”) in fall 2025 and HNRS 275Q: Culture Connection (XC) in spring 2026.

Dr. Susan Maxwell, Professor of Art History, is teaching Art 115: Honors Understanding the Arts in fall 2025.

Dr. Elsbeth (Misty) McPhee, Professor of Biology, is a behavioral ecologist and conservation biologist with expertise in the reintroduction of captive-reared wildlife back into their native habitats. She has worked with species as diverse as beach mice and Galapagos mockingbirds and is a member of the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership (WCEP), a group that is working to establish a population of endangered whooping cranes in central Wisconsin.

Dr. McPhee is teaching HNRS 475: Honors Senior Seminar  in spring 2026.

Dr. Michelle Michalski is Professor of Biology, School of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. She is teaching Biology 108: Honors Biological Concepts, a five-credit Honors elective, in fall 2025.

Dr. Sabrina Mueller Spitz, Associate Professor of Biology, is once again teaming up with Mr. Courtney Bauder from the Social Justice Program this fall to co-teach HNRS 175: Honors Seminar (“Justice and the Environment”) (XS).

Dr. Adam Ochonicky, Associate Professor of English in the School of Media, Arts, and Communication, serves as the Coordinator of the Professional Writing Minor and is also Chair of the Experiential Learning Committee

In fall 2025, Dr. Ochonicky will team-teach HNRS 175: Honors Seminar (“Mediated Lives”) (XS) with Dr. Mike Van Esler from Radio-TV-Film. This semester and again in the spring, he will also teach HNRS 275: Culture Connection (XC).

Dr. Kimberly Rivers, Professor of History, is teaching HNRS 275: Culture Connection (XC) in fall 2025 and spring 2026.

Dr. Andrew Smock, Associate Professor of Radio-TV-Film, is teaching HNRS 175: Honors Seminar (“Media Effects”) (XS) in fall 2025.

Dr. Sarinda Taegnoi Siemers is Professor of Economics in the School of Business. She is the recipient of two Honors Outstanding Teaching Awards (2017 and 2022).

Dr. Siemers is teaching Economics 208: Honors Microeconomics (XS) in fall 2025.

Dr. Mike Van Esler, Associate Professor in the Department of Radio-TV-Film, is team-teaching HNRS 175: Honors Seminar (“Mediated Lives”) (XS) in the fall with Dr. Adam Ochonicky from English. In spring 2026, he is teaching HNRS 475: Honors Senior Seminar (his theme is forthcoming!).

Dr. Van Esler is currently serving his second term on the the University Honors Council.

Dr. Lisa Volkening, Teaching Assistant Professor of Communication Studies, teaches courses in argumentation, visual rhetoric, and public speaking. Her research interests include environmental communication and the rhetoric of social change.

She is teaching Communication 112: Honors Introduction to Public Speaking in fall 2025 and in spring 2026.

Dr. Robbie Wagoner is Associate Professor of Philosophy. He is also a member of the Faculty Senate Executive Committee.

Dr. Wagoner is teaching Philosophy 102: Honors Introduction to Philosophy (XC) and HNRS 475: Honors Senior Seminar (“Anger”) in fall 2025.