Fund: Kathleen Harris Scholarship for University Honors Fund Department: Undergrad Student Financial Aid D02089 Purpose: Undergraduate Student Support Fund Purpose: This Fund shall be administered by the Office of Financial Aid and be used to provide student support in University Honors. BACKGROUND Kathleen Harris was the Associate Director and one of the first staff members for UCR’s University Honors when the program started in the late 1980’s. Having recently obtained her PhD at the time, she connected easily with the undergraduate students in the program. She broke down barriers between professors and students, and through her respect for students as individuals she showed them a path to claiming their passions and realizing their worth. She is passionate about education abroad from personal experiences, and she encouraged the Honors students to spend one year abroad – helping them with applications, preparations, and logistics along the way. Her insistence on the value of study abroad shaped the lives of many Honors students who had life-changing experiences. She also believed in providing a variety of learning experiences for students outside of the classroom and she created many avenues for students to explore various topics both at UCR and off-campus. Kathleen is extremely open-minded, and by her example her students learned to see points of view and possibilities that had been closed to them before. She possesses an innate sense of fairness, justice, altruism, and a belief in exchange of ideas (aka "education") that is integral to a just society, and she encouraged students to be active participants in this exchange. She helped to shape students’ sense of self and their worldview, and was a true role model and mentor. After UCR, Kathleen went on to work at other universities and organizations, helping students with admissions and receiving scholarships to support their studies. Her impact is still remembered by UCR alumni today, and this scholarship is a testament to her positive influence on campus and beyond. Steve Nuñez ’92 was part of the inaugural class of the Honors program at UCR. He and his wife Dawn along with fellow inaugural Honors program participants, Heather Bentley, Tim Hickey and Mark Grimes wish to support students at UCR by naming a scholarship in honor of former Honors staff member Kathleen Harris. GENERAL PURPOSE This Fund shall be administered by the Office of Financial Aid and be used to provide student support in University Honors. CRITERIA AND SELECTION PROCESS The selection process shall be administered by the Office of Financial Aid. The award shall be used to provide support for students meeting the following criteria: 1. Be an undergraduate-level student in University Honors. 2. Be participating in an education abroad program within the next 12-18 months.