Please join the Office of Undergraduate Studies in welcoming Eric Fort, PhD, Chemistry Department, as the new director of the Aquinas Scholars Honors Program. The program is our university-wide undergraduate honors program, representing nearly 5 percent of the undergraduate population.
Fort's involvement with the program started in 2001 when, as a St. Thomas undergraduate student, he became an Aquinas Scholar himself. After graduating from St. Thomas in 2005, Fort pursued graduate work and then returned to campus in 2010 as a faculty member. In 2013, he joined the faculty board of the Aquinas Scholars, serving five years in this role before being selected as director.
Fort will follow Steve Laumakis, PhD, Philosophy, who led the program for 10 years. One highlight of Laumakis’ legacy is the Aquinas Scholars living/learning community, which is now a key feature of the program for first-year students.
Although Fort was on sabbatical during 2017-18, he spent time preparing for his director role by shadowing Laumakis and speaking with many stakeholders around campus. He hopes to build on the program’s existing strengths and continue to support this talented community of students as they make an impact on and off campus.
If you would like to learn more about the Aquinas Scholars, you can visit the program’s website or reach out to Fort.
