Throughout its history, the University Honors Program (UHP) has served its students well, providing them with academic opportunities, experiential learning, and a strong community of peers who strive for excellence while journeying to discover their individual vocations. At the University of Dayton, the UHP isn’t just a shortcut to early scheduling or a passive label that one receives as a freshman and eventually adds to the resume. It’s a commitment to grow, flourish, and then contribute to the common good by utilizing the resources and guidance provided as fertile soil.
Dr. Pat Palermo grew up in New York City, attending Fordham University for his undergraduate studies in history and later earning a Ph.D. in American History at SUNY Stonybrook. In 1971, he began his work at UD as a professor of history. Known for his excitement and radicality, Palermo advised students on why and how they should approach protesting the Vietnam War. Just eight years later, Palermo won the professor of the year award and was asked to found the UHP.
Provost Brother Joseph Stander requested the creation of the UHP because he saw intellectually gifted students who lacked direction and cultivation. He hated the thought of students’ gifts going to waste, or worse, that they be used in self-centered or individualistic ways. Though the early Honors Program was only 30-35 students per class, Palermo says it was a place to “celebrate academic excellence within community,” just as he envisioned. He stressed the importance of striving for the virtue of excellence while leaving ego at the door. These students were picked solely by GPA and standardized testing scores coming out of high school, and entry was not possible after. With this, the UHP was, “cloistered,” says Palermo, but tight-knit and dedicated to each other.
These first honors students blazed the trail by not just being intellectual frontrunners, but also “active leaders in service.” As these first cohorts once exemplified, the UHP challenges students with big questions that necessitate action. For honors students, intellectual achievement always culminates in service of the other. “The more you do that, the more Marianist it is,” says Palermo. While working with the UHP, he had deep faith that academic excellence could be integrated through the Marianist pillars of Faith, Mary, Community, Mission, and Inclusivity, and he saw the UHP as the medium with which to get there.
After 25 years as director of the UHP, Palermo shifted to teaching full time as a professor in the history department. Finally, in 2012, Palermo took his much deserved retirement, but is still involved in many ways on campus as a respected thought leader and mentor. That same year, Palermo was honored with the title Distinguished Service Professor by the University for his accomplishments as director; two of these being that every student who applied to Harvard Law from the UHP got in, and 100% of students who applied for graduate school got a fellowship.
Today, the UHP stands as a testament to historic growth. Thanks to the foundation laid by Palermo and the early cohorts the program has been able to retain its original values while adapting to the urgent needs of the present. It has transformed from a small, test-based enclave into a diverse engine of the common good, supported by a greater community of staff, faculty, and generous donors. Because of this growth, the program is now able to include more voices and give every student the opportunity to access resources that were once reserved for the few. In doing so, the UHP ensures that while its methods may change, its mission remains the same: to produce graduates who do not just possess knowledge, but who have the wisdom to use it for others.
Dr. Pat Palermo grew up in New York City, attending Fordham University for his undergraduate studies in history and later earning a Ph.D. in American History at SUNY Stonybrook. In 1971, he began his work at UD as a professor of history. Known for his excitement and radicality, Palermo advised students on why and how they should approach protesting the Vietnam War. Just eight years later, Palermo won the professor of the year award and was asked to found the UHP.
Provost Brother Joseph Stander requested the creation of the UHP because he saw intellectually gifted students who lacked direction and cultivation. He hated the thought of students’ gifts going to waste, or worse, that they be used in self-centered or individualistic ways. Though the early Honors Program was only 30-35 students per class, Palermo says it was a place to “celebrate academic excellence within community,” just as he envisioned. He stressed the importance of striving for the virtue of excellence while leaving ego at the door. These students were picked solely by GPA and standardized testing scores coming out of high school, and entry was not possible after. With this, the UHP was, “cloistered,” says Palermo, but tight-knit and dedicated to each other.
These first honors students blazed the trail by not just being intellectual frontrunners, but also “active leaders in service.” As these first cohorts once exemplified, the UHP challenges students with big questions that necessitate action. For honors students, intellectual achievement always culminates in service of the other. “The more you do that, the more Marianist it is,” says Palermo. While working with the UHP, he had deep faith that academic excellence could be integrated through the Marianist pillars of Faith, Mary, Community, Mission, and Inclusivity, and he saw the UHP as the medium with which to get there.
After 25 years as director of the UHP, Palermo shifted to teaching full time as a professor in the history department. Finally, in 2012, Palermo took his much deserved retirement, but is still involved in many ways on campus as a respected thought leader and mentor. That same year, Palermo was honored with the title Distinguished Service Professor by the University for his accomplishments as director; two of these being that every student who applied to Harvard Law from the UHP got in, and 100% of students who applied for graduate school got a fellowship.
Today, the UHP stands as a testament to historic growth. Thanks to the foundation laid by Palermo and the early cohorts the program has been able to retain its original values while adapting to the urgent needs of the present. It has transformed from a small, test-based enclave into a diverse engine of the common good, supported by a greater community of staff, faculty, and generous donors. Because of this growth, the program is now able to include more voices and give every student the opportunity to access resources that were once reserved for the few. In doing so, the UHP ensures that while its methods may change, its mission remains the same: to produce graduates who do not just possess knowledge, but who have the wisdom to use it for others.