Barrett faculty Dr. Diane Gruber showing something on a screen

Our faculty

Barrett Honors Faculty are 45+ scholars exclusively dedicated to honors education across four campuses and online.

Barrett honors faculty

The Barrett faculty, known as the Honors Faculty Fellows, are a distinguished cohort of master teacher-scholars who perform the essential teaching, mentoring and leadership roles that help make Barrett, The Honors College widely recognized as the gold standard in honors education.

The award-winning interdisciplinary Honors Faculty Fellows are deeply committed to sharing their scholarly passions with honors students in the classroom and beyond. The HFFs work closely with Barrett students on research and creative projects. Through these activities and as advisors for Barrett student organizations, the HFFs support the desire of Barrett students to connect locally, nationally and globally to address the most urgent challenges of our time.

The Honors Faculty Fellows meet students during their first week at the university, teach them in their foundational honors course and continue to guide them over the entirety of their undergraduate education. This strong and sustained mentorship is a hallmark of the Barrett experience.

Barrett student at graduation holding a microphone with faculty in the background

Barrett student and Faculty Honors Advisor

Faculty Honors Advisors

In addition to the advisor in their major and their Barrett Honors Advisor, honors college students also benefit from the support of a Faculty Honors Advisor (FHA). FHAs are ASU professors across all four university campuses and online who, in addition to their primary faculty responsibilities, have chosen to be the point-person for honors college students in their academic department. FHAs can help honors college students identify thesis topics and find an appropriate thesis director, offer advice on research and internship opportunities and provide general mentorship to the Barrett students in their field.

Strength in numbers

Also critical to the success of Barrett students are the over 3,300 ASU faculty, representing 16 academic units outside the honors college and across all 4 campuses and online, who teach honors sections of classes in their departments, offer honors contracts in their non-honors courses, and serve as thesis advisors. The investment of these dedicated individuals helped over 1,400 students graduate from the university with honors college distinction in 2025-2026, and they reflect the underlying philosophy that the honors educational experience is delivered in partnership with all of ASU’s academic units.

Faculty Spotlight

Dr. Robert Niebuhr

Honors Faculty Fellow/Teaching Professor

What are you currently reading, discussing, or thinking about (in your classroom, your research and/or your personal life)?
The decline of Yugoslavia in the latter half of the Cold War and AI in higher education.

What idea or question has been especially interesting in your classroom lately?
How detrimental AI is for higher education and learning.

What is one moment with Barrett students that has stayed with you?
Seeing my students present their theses at national conferences, such as the World Social Science Association annual meetings.

What would you like prospective students to know about today’s Barrett's students?
They have the opportunity to pursue research opportunities and broadly expand their ability to learn and engage with the ASU community.

Is there anything else you would like a prospective student to know about Barrett?
Barrett is a place where you can develop relationships with your peers and learn from experts who together strive to foster open minds throughout the Barrett community. Engagement in discussion, critical reading, and writing are still vital skills that will pay dividends in the future.

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