University Honors Program

By Tara McLoughlin

Are you starting to consider how to spend your summer? The Berry Summer Thesis Institute is an incredible opportunity that you should consider. Every summer the University of Dayton hosts driven honors students from any major to conduct research before the start of their junior year. If there is a  topic you are exceptionally interested in, the program provides a $2,000 fellowship, funding for research, and housing here on campus in the summer to dive into the research alongside others who are likewise focused on furthering their research. 

Hear from two past summer BSTI students, Nicolina Valore and Philip Cicero, on how incredible this opportunity has been for them and their academia. The impact this program can have is limitless. A popular outcome is discovering a career path and higher education that comes with research. Nicolina, an environmental biology major, said “The biggest impact the BSTI program has had on me is that it showed me what a research environment looks like. I want to pursue a PhD and eventually start my own research so being able to see what that would look like was extremely helpful in discerning my career path.” Similarly, Philip who is majoring in English and History, explained “The biggest impact the BSTI program has had on me is helping me determine that I want to do research beyond my undergraduate. Thanks to BSTI, I have begun to apply to masters programs in rhetoric to continue my education and research that started in BSTI.” This program is a fortunate opportunity to help any student who may be looking for guidance on where to take their career path and possibly higher education. 

The program is not all work and no play. Nicolina participated in the program this past summer, and one evening her cohort took a trip to TopGolf. She remarked, “It was such a fun way to spend a Tuesday evening and we all were able to hang out and take a break from research.” Philip’s cohort from 2022 had a spontaneous movie-watching night where his group watched the Notebook!

When asked why they would recommend the BSTI program, their responses were nothing short of honest and positive. Nicolina said, “I would recommend the BSTI program because it not only allows students to get involved in research, but it provides them with a unique opportunity to strengthen relationships with professors and other students. Being able to work on research over the summer at UD is such a fun and fulfilling thing to do and it opens so many new doors for students to expand their research. This program was also a great way to get a head start on applying for graduate school and pursuing an Honors thesis is a great way to experience what graduate school will look like.” Philip, recognizing the daunting sound of research, said “I would recommend the BSTI program to prospective students because it is a great opportunity to learn about academic research, the ethical importance behind research, and try something new! You also get to spend time over the summer with students also working on research, and you form strong friendships with them!” Nicolina and Philip  have made incredible memories and tremendous research in areas they are passionate about. 

The BSTI program is competitive and highly regarded here at the University of Dayton. It comes with rave reviews from past students, and if you want to conduct an honors thesis this is an opportunity that you should highly consider. Applications are open now and will close on February 9th. If you have any questions or would like to learn more about the program please visit our Honors Program website or contact Dr. Dorian Borbonus at dborbonus1@udayton.edu.