Helping students reach their full potential is more than a job for Kate Bruce, professor of psychology and director of the Honors Scholars Program at UNCW – it’s an all-consuming mission.

Bruce has served as director of the Honors Scholars Program since 1999. Her background in animal behavior, human sexuality and AIDS is firmly rooted in research and scholarly work that has involved a number of undergraduates in honors projects. This background helped her propel the Honors Scholars Program in a direction that is flourishing today with high-level undergraduate research. She was also instrumental in developing the Center for the Support of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships (CSURF), which is housed in the Honors Program. In addition to helping match faculty researchers with undergraduate students, Bruce championed the need for funding to send students to national conferences and to support student research projects around the world.

“Kate’s involvement in securing travel support for undergraduate students to attend and present at research conferences with their faculty has helped make their college experience special. Her efforts are just one example of UNCW’s total commitment to providing students with the best learning experience possible,” said Max Allen, the Chancellor’s chief of staff.

Despite her busy schedule, Bruce makes time to mentor a number of graduate students and directs honors projects for undergrads.

Brooke Poerstel is a research and graduate student who works under Bruce at CSURF as well as in the Department of Psychology, where Bruce serves as a mentor for her master’s research and thesis.

“Dr. Bruce has always given me her full attention and support while still allowing me to grow and learn independently,” said Poerstel. “She has been a fantastic mentor and boss, but she has also become a very good friend of mine.”

Bruce’s commitment to fostering academic excellence reaches beyond the UNCW campus to North Carolina, the region and the nation. She is 2007 president of the National Honors Council, and she formerly served as president of the Southern Regional Honors Council (SRHC). She chaired the SRHC conference, as well as last year’s National Regional Honors Council conference in Philadelphia.

Bruce is also fostering the growth of a scholarship endowment for honors students. The Levy-Bruce Honors Scholars Endowed Scholarship created in 2005, recognizes the outstanding work of Bruce and Honors Scholars Program founder Diane Levy in establishing and building the Honors Scholars Program at UNCW.

“These two women stand as great examples of the academic excellence in teaching and research that make this institution great,” said Chancellor DePaolo.

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