The SCSU faculty that teaches within the Honors College boasts an impressive array of talents and skills. Each of our professors are talented and/or awarded teachers and educators, and all Honors College classes are purposefully small to ensure comfortable skill building.
On top of that, our professors excel in research and creative activities. From peer-reviewed research articles to managing state-of-the-art laboratories to publishing books to curating educational events and music ensembles, our professors are true professionals.
Additionally, our professors are active participants in their academic communities. From collaborative field research to organizing and hosting international conferences, to mentoring graduate students, to chairing governing boards of societies and journals, our professors are in the mix! This professional know-how is a part of the educational experience in the SCSU Honors College.
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Our Staff
Dr. Sarah Roe
Honors College Director
Fall Office Hours
Tuesdays: 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Wednesdays: 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Thursdays: 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. (Zoom)
In-person (BU 442) and virtual (Zoom) meetings are available. Contact roes1@southernct.edu to schedule an appointment.
Dr. Roe shines both inside and outside the classroom. In 2023, Dr. Roe received the CSCU Board of Regents System-wide Teaching Award! In 2025, Dr. Roe (with Provost Irwin and Dr. Broadbridge) received a prestigious NEH (National Endowment for the Humanities) award to bridge the gap between science and humanities education at SCSU. Congratulations Dr. Roe!
Most Recent Publication:
Roe, Sarah M. & Elyse Zavar. “Understanding the Role of Wrongdoing in Technological Disasters: utilizing ecofeminist philosophy to examine commemoration”. Studies in History and Philosophy of Science, Volume 87: 158-167.
Most Recent Conference Presentation:
North American Congress for Conservation Biology. University of British Columbia, Canada June 2024. Presentation: “In Defense of a Defense of Deep Ecology: what values, policy, and shifting worldviews can do for conservation science”
Dr. Gayle Bessenoff
University Honors Thesis Committee Chair
Fall Office Hours
Tuesdays: 4:45 p.m. - 5:45 p.m.
Wednesdays: 4:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Thursdays: 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
In-person (EN D042) and virtual (Zoom) meetings are available. Contact bessenoffg1@southernct.edu to schedule an appointment.
Interesting Fact/Current Event:
In my spare time, I like to garden, bake, and make art.
Recent Publication to Highlight:
Bessenoff, G. R. (in prep). Morningness bias: An experimental study on social perceptions of early risers (larks) vs late risers (night owls)
Recent Activity or Conference Presentation to Highlight:
Mingrone, A., Stiver, K., & Bessenoff, G. R. (2021, November). The role of anonymity on pro- and anti-social behavior in online gaming. Poster presented at the New England Psychological Association Conference.
Dr. Miranda Dunbar
Honors College Assistant Director and Professor of Biology
Fall Office Hours
Mondays: 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Tuesdays: 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Thursdays: 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
In-person (JE 240) and virtual (WebEx) meetings are available. Contact dunbarm1@southernct.edu to schedule an appointment.
Interesting Fact/Current Event:
I love being in nature and have nearly 20 years of experience researching wildlife around the globe. One of my personal goals is to visit 50 different countries before I turn 50 years of age!
Recent Publication to Highlight:
Kotecki, K., Wilkinson, G., and M. Dunbar. In prep. Evidence of heterothermy in vampire bats; Ingala, M., N. B. Simmons, M. Dunbar, C. Wultsch, K. Krampis and S. L. Perkins. 2021. You are more than what you eat: Differential enrichment of microbiome functions across bat dietary guilds. Animal Microbiome 3:1-17.
Recent Activity or Conference Presentation to Highlight:
Annual trips to the jungles of Central America where I do my research.
Kotecki, K. and M. Dunbar. Vampire bats: Hot or not? 2024. North American Society for Bat Research. Guadalajara, MX.
Dr. Jessical L. Kenty-Drane
Fall Office Hours
Mondays: 7:15 p.m. - 8:15 p.m. (WebEx)
Tuesdays: 1:45 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.
Tuesdays: 1:45 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.
In-person (ENG C030C) and virtual (WebEx) meetings are available. Contact kentydranej1@southernct.edu to schedule an appointment.
Jorge Melendez
Fall Office Hours
Mondays: 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Wednesdays: 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Thursdays: 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
In-person meetings are located at BU 442. Contact melendezj16@southernct.edu to schedule an appointment.