Get to know us:
Dean Rhonda Phillips
As you walk through the Honors College and Residences, you will find most faculty and staff doors wide open. We hope this open-door policy will spur new ideas, thoughtful discussion and enhanced feelings of community.
Remember, Not all learning happens in the classroom; it could happen in a hallway!
Don't hesitate to talk with your professors. They love to discuss their research and can help guide you in your scholarly journey as an academic mentor.
To help you get to know our team, we will occassionally feature articles about faculty members and their research. If you're interested in their field of study, use this information to strike up a conversation. They may be looking for undergraduate researchers to assist them in their work.
We begin with Dean Rhonda Phillips.
In addition to leading our scholarly community, Dean Phillips is a busy researcher. She focuses on issues of sustainability, economic development/planning and community well-being. Phillips is currently working with a team of Honors College students on the "Happy West Lafayette" project.
Her team helped an international organization roll out an
app-based survey to track the happiness levels of local residents. The research will reveal what residents need to feel more content in their daily lives. It will also provide valuable feedback to the city regarding its amenitites. Eventually, the data could be used to inform public policy and guide decisions about how resources are allocated.
In September, Phillips will travel with her team of Honors College students to present their findings at the International Society for Quality-Of-Life Studies conference in Innsbruck, Austria.
Phillips is the author or editor of 24 books and a three-time
Fulbright recipient. As a Fulbrighter, she worked with local communities in Northern Ireland and Panama on development projects.
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