<div dir="ltr"><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;line-height:normal;font-size:medium;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">To:       UCR faculty members </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;line-height:normal;font-size:medium;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">From:   Begoña Echeverria, Howard H Hays, Jr. Chair, Faculty Director of University Honors</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;line-height:normal;font-size:medium;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Re:       Call for Fall 2026 University Honors First-Year Ignition Seminars </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;line-height:normal;font-size:medium;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;line-height:normal;font-size:medium;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Dear Colleagues,</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;line-height:normal;font-size:medium;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;line-height:normal;font-size:medium;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">I hope this quarter is treating you well.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;line-height:normal;font-size:medium;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;line-height:normal;font-size:medium;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">University Honors is now accepting applications to teach Fall 2026 First-Year Ignition Seminars. These courses constitute a vital part of our Honors curriculum, which focuses on our three Pillars of Excellence: Promoting Creativity and Innovation, Cultivating a Culture of Contribution, and Celebrating Diversity and Global Citizenship.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;line-height:normal;font-size:medium;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;line-height:normal;font-size:medium;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Details of the First-Year Ignition Seminars are provided below:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;line-height:normal;font-size:medium;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;line-height:normal;font-size:medium;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Ignition seminars are taught during fall quarter and are small, interdisciplinary courses generally limited to 15, first-year, University Honors students representing majors from various schools and colleges. Depending on the specific topic chosen by the faculty member, the ignition seminar will satisfy a student’s humanities breadth requirement (HNPG 16), social sciences breadth requirement (HNPG 17), or humanities or social sciences breadth requirement (HNPG 18). Classes meet for three hours each week with an emphasis on reading the literature, oral presentations, essays, and papers to prepare students for the rigor of subsequent Honors coursework and their eventual Honors capstone project. Faculty members selected to teach an ignition seminar will receive a $5,000 stipend with student evaluations of teaching submitted to their home department.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;line-height:normal;font-size:medium;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;line-height:normal;font-size:medium;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">To apply to teach an ignition seminar in Fall 2026, please fill out an <u>application by Friday, February 27:</u></span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:rgb(150,96,125)"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;line-height:normal;font-size:medium;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;line-height:normal;font-size:medium;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><a href="https://ucrhonors.wufoo.com/forms/university-honors-ignition-seminar-proposal-f26/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">https://ucrhonors.wufoo.com/forms/university-honors-ignition-seminar-proposal-f26/</span></a><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:rgb(34,34,34)"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;line-height:normal;font-size:medium;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;line-height:normal;font-size:medium;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><u><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Decisions will be made no later than March 27, 2026.</span></u></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;line-height:normal;font-size:medium;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;line-height:normal;font-size:medium;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">If you would like more information about University Honors, please visit </span><a href="http://honors.ucr.edu/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">honors.ucr.edu</span></a><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">. I would also be happy to discuss the program or the ignition seminars with you in person or via Zoom. Send me an email at </span><a href="mailto:honorsdirector@ucr.edu" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:rgb(150,96,125)">honorsdirector@ucr.edu</span></a><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> if you would like to schedule a time to meet.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;line-height:normal;font-size:medium;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:rgb(34,34,34)"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;line-height:normal;font-size:medium;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Thank you for your ongoing commitment to our undergraduate students and to University Honors.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;line-height:normal;font-size:medium;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;line-height:normal;font-size:medium;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Sincerely,</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;line-height:normal;font-size:medium;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;line-height:normal;font-size:medium;font-family:Aptos,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Begoña</span></p></div><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><h2 style="color:rgb(34,34,34);margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:18pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;background-image:none;background-position:0% 0%;background-repeat:repeat"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Dr. Bego</span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">ñ</span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">a Echeverria</span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><u></u><u></u></span></h2><p style="color:rgb(34,34,34)"><i><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Howard H Hays, Jr. Chair<u></u><u></u></span></i></p><p style="color:rgb(34,34,34)"><i><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Faculty Director of University Honors<u></u><u></u></span></i></p><p style="color:rgb(34,34,34)"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">University Honors | University of California, Riverside<u></u><u></u></span></p><p style="color:rgb(34,34,34)"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><a href="https://pronouns.org/" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank">My pronouns</a>: she/her<u></u><u></u></span></p><p style="color:rgb(34,34,34)"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p style="color:rgb(34,34,34)"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Office: (951) 827-5323 | <a href="mailto:honorsdirector@ucr.edu" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank">honorsdirector@ucr.edu</a>  <u></u><u></u></span></p><p style="color:rgb(34,34,34)"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><a href="http://honors.ucr.edu" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank">Web</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ucrhonors/" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ucrhonors/" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank">Instagram</a> | <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8432027/" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/UCRHonors" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank">X</a> | <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcaDsxSSCyARIW-AQ1k6_Jg" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank">YouTube</a><u></u><u></u></span></p><p style="color:rgb(34,34,34)"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Ally To: <a href="https://out.ucr.edu/" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank">LGBTQ</a> | <a href="https://sdrc.ucr.edu/" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank">SDRC</a> | <a href="https://usp.ucr.edu/" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank">USP</a><u></u><u></u></span></p><p style="color:rgb(34,34,34)"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p style="color:rgb(34,34,34)"><img border="0" width="342" height="61" src="cid:image001.png@01DB8907.85738B40" style="width:3.5625in;height:0.6354in"></p></div></div></div>