Oct. 24, 2025
Photo by Logan Jackson
Like many undergraduate students just beginning their research journeys, Nora Pryor was tasked with reading multiple research papers and articles in 2022 when she first began working with Heather Hennkens, an associate professor in the University of Missouri Research Reactor (MURR) and the College of Arts and Science.
Just two years later, Pryor found her name – along with other collaborators – on a published research article.
“One of the first assignments Dr. Hennkens gave me was to read a ton of papers, and I remember poring over them and having to email her because I didn’t understand a lot of what I was reading,” said Pryor, a senior chemistry and romance languages (French) double major who is pursuing the Honors Certificate. “It’s really cool to look back at that growth. I’m just very blessed and am definitely grateful for the research experiences I’ve been able to have at Mizzou.”
Pryor was originally connected with Hennkens through the Discovery Fellows program. Discovery Fellows begin research during their first semester on campus. The scholarship, offered to incoming Honors College students, can last for up to two years. Students who receive the scholarship work closely with Honors College staff to find the perfect research fit. Every Discovery Fellow is also part of a research-based Honors College course that prepares them for their research placement. The Honors College awards around 15 Discovery Fellow scholarships each academic year.
The Discovery Fellows program is primarily funded through the Chancellor’s Fund for Excellence, as well as other smaller funding sources.
“I owe so much of where I’m at to the fact that I got involved early,” Pryor said. “I love the continuity, and I’ve enjoyed being able to start a project and see it all the way through.”
For many students, the research placement lasts throughout their entire time at Mizzou. A key part of the program is centered on forging invaluable connections between students and their faculty mentor.
“I think that’s the great thing about this program – students can work on something they’re really interested in,” John Wigger, the Noble E. Cunningham, Jr. Professor of History and affiliate faculty in the Honors College, said. “Their research through the Discovery Fellows program is something that they truly are invested in, and it’s also a program that allows them to gain new skills. Students work in-depth with primary sources and work long term on a project where they can really build those research skills.”
Students from all majors are able to participate in the Discovery Research program. It’s a feature that makes the program incredibly unique. Discovery Fellows come from all fields and each research project is distinctive.
Learn more about the incredible research that Discovery Fellows have participated in and why those experiences have made an impact on their time at Mizzou.
- Taylor Forillo – Textile and Apparel Management with mentor Caroline Kopot
- Michael Hark – Business and Music
- Arya Kalathil – Chemistry
- Leyton Lawing – Anthropology and History with mentor John Wigger
- Luke Marx – Biological Sciences
- Nora Pryor – Chemistry and Romance Languages
- Amy Winkler – Nursing
- Derek York – Chemical Engineering with mentor Kiruba Krishnaswamy
- Discovery Fellows Mentors – Caroline Kopot (assistant professor of textile and apparel management); Kiruba Krishnaswamy (associate professor of chemical and biomedical engineering); John Wigger (Noble E. Cunningham, Jr. Professor of History)
