Dr. Jeffrey Hunt Appointed Director, University Scholars Program

Dean Douglas Henry has announced the appointment of Dr. Jeffrey M. Hunt, Senior Lecturer in Classics, as Director of the University Scholars Program, one of four academic initiatives of Baylor's Honors College.

Dr. Hunt holds a B.A. in Greek and Latin from Baylor (2003) and a Ph.D. in Classics from Brown (2009). Since joining Baylor’s faculty in 2008, he has accrued an exemplary record as a teacher and scholar, inspiring students in and out of the classroom while also maintaining an active research agenda. Associated with the University Scholars Program since 2013 as assistant and then associate director, Dr. Hunt has demonstrated, according to Dean Henry, a highly capable administrative hand over this past year as Interim Director.

Dr. Hunt's colleagues describe him as “one of our finest teachers” and praise his “ability to nurture and challenge students and [to] encourage their character formation.” They acknowledge his scholarship as outstanding with, for example, his co-authored book Classics from Papyrus to the Internet (2018) winning “the coveted PROSE award in the field of Classics.” They also recognize him as “an adaptable and mature leader who brings significant experience” to his perspectives and service, and as a colleague known for “generosity of spirit” and for “collaboration and bridge-building.”

Dr. Hunt shares commitment to a Christian academic community guided by Baylor's mission and the Honors College vision. Dean Henry says, "For his willingness to serve and lead in an important role calibrated to purposes we embrace together, I’m grateful. He deserves our congratulations and commitment to working together so that the University Scholars Program and its students thrive."

Established in 1973, the University Scholars Program provides honors students the freedom to pursue a challenging, interdisciplinary major tailored to their unique interests within the context of a liberal arts education. UNSC majors pursue work in multiple fields across the arts and sciences for an educational experience that is both versatile and unique. This study includes the selection of one or more areas of intellectual concentration; an Exit Interview, in which students create an independent reading list; and a thesis project, in which students conduct research under the direction of a faculty mentor. Students in recent years have graduated with impressive placement rates in top graduate programs, medical and law schools, and places of work.