Cooke Elected President of Southern Regional Honors Council

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Posted on August 20, 2020

Joy Washington

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Dr. Kathy Cooke, the founding dean of the University of South Alabama Honors College and USA professor of history, has been elected to serve as president of the Southern Regional Honors Council, a coalition of honors scholars in the Southern region.

As the current vice president, Cooke will become president for the 2021-22 academic year during the National Collegiate Honors Council convention, to be held in Charlotte, N.C., in March.

“I am honored to be elected and look forward to leading this great organization,” said Cooke.

From 2006-17, Cooke was a member of the Northeastern Regional Honors Council. When she came to South, she joined the Southern Regional Honors Council, which falls under the National Collegiate Honors Council. She also has held the faculty representative position in both regions.

Once she is president, Cooke is looking forward to continuing the work of creating a more diverse student body population in the organization.

“I am committed to helping the Southern Regional Honors Council develop its leadership in inclusivity and diversity in higher education and Honors Colleges, particularly,” Cooke noted. “Based on the current context, I want to make sure we are paying attention to true authentic opportunities for any student to take advantage of in our region.”

The SRHC helps student members network with students and faculty from other universities in the Southern region.

“There are several cool things about this organization,” Cooke said. “Students are able to submit their research at the annual conference, learn about important scholarships, and build critical thinking and leadership skills.”

Cooke emphasizes preparation for high school students who want to be ready to apply to the USA Honors College or any Honors College.

“I suggest they nurture their intellectual curiosity by being curious about the community and world around them, the people in the world, different foods, the past and present, the arts, current, and future technology,” she said. “I am intellectually curious and this tendency has led me to want to work with students in this area. I work with students in a particularly compelling way with the ability to create unique experiences for them, which I have learned from over the years.”

Students also have opportunities to apply for SRHC funding to participate in the NCHC Partners in the Park program, which provides week-long experiences in national parks. They are also able to submit literary work to the organization’s literary magazine, Sanctuary.

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