Freel Graduates With Honors From CMU

2017 May 18

Central Methodist University recognized just under 400 bachelor's degree recipients during its Commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 13. Out of them all, however, only eight individuals completed CMU's Honors Program - receiving special recognition both before Commencement and during the ceremony.

Graduate Bethany Freel, from Sedalia, Mo., was one of the eight CMU students to graduate with honors. Her honors senior thesis was titled, "The Effect of Bisphenol-A on Olfactory Memory Formation in Drosophila melanogaster."

The Honors Program empowers students through alternative educational opportunities, according to Dr. Richard Bradley, program director and professor of history. These alternatives come in the form of Honors classes, which include greater exploration and rigorous analysis of course content. Emphasis is on oral and written communication, as well as critical thinking, Bradley added.

Students must have a 3.5 or above grade point average from their high school, and/or an ACT score of 26 or higher to qualify for the CMU Honors Program. Students with a GPA of 3.0 and who rank in the top 10 percent of their high school class may petition the Honors committee for admission into the program.

After being accepted, they must maintain a 3.5 or higher GPA, and complete 12 credit hours of Honors coursework in order to graduate with Honors. Three of these hours must be the Honors senior thesis, which must be publically defended before a committee including the University's Academic Dean, President, and the Director of the Honors Program.

Freel graduated from CMU with a Bachelor of Science Degree in biology.