About Us
Mission Statement
The mission of the Fort Hays State University Honors College is to foster students’ engagement with their academic fields, the campus, the community, and the world. Through a diverse and enriching educational environment on campus and online, the Honors College creates professional and personal opportunity, develops citizen-leaders, and advances FHSU’s core values.
Welcome to our Tiger home - the Fort Hays State University Honors College
The Honors College at Fort Hays State University was created with one goal in mind: to see you succeed. We know students like you want to be challenged, meet your highest goals, and find your greatest potential. If you have passion, enthusiasm, curiosity, and want to maximize your undergraduate experience, we invite you to explore the FHSU Honors College.
We provide students with unique leadership opportunities, a customizable Honors experience, and dedicated attention to growth and development. We will provide you with support every step of the way– from scholarship opportunities to personal guidance. You are far more than just a grade-point average. Our admissions process considers the whole person: your interests, experiences, and inner drive – your unique, adventurous, and curious “you.”
The fundamental goal of the FHSU Honors College is to help you become your own
best advocate. We want to accompany you as you develop your proven talent into academic, professional, and personal goals, and then help you demonstrate your success in the most effective ways – to the campus, the community, graduate schools, future employers – wherever those goals may take you. The Honors College is a special part of the FHSU Tiger Family, and we hope to share it with you.
Kevin S. Amidon, Honors College Director
Kathay Johnson, Honors College Academic Program Specialist
Every gift matters in creating a stronger Fort Hays State University.
To designate a gift for the Honors College, select “Other” designation
and type “Honors College” in the text field.
Meet the Honors College Staff
Kevin S. Amidon
Director
ksamidon@fhsu.edu
785-628-4748
Picken Hall 123A
Kevin Amidon serves as Director of the Honors College at Fort Hays State University, where he is also Professor of Modern Languages and Instructor of Philosophy.
He studied German, economics, history, musicology, and art history in Ann Arbor, Freiburg, Princeton, Frankfurt am Main, and Berlin, and received his Ph.D. in Germanic Languages and Literatures at Princeton University in 2001. He has published a wide range of articles on critical theory, gender history and theory, eugenics, race theory, evolutionary thought, the Frankfurt School, German and American history, opera, theater, and pedagogy. His current research projects include further work on cultures of persuasion in the German biological sciences 1890-1945, and on the philosophy of music in mid-twentieth century Germany and its consequences for critical theory. During 2003-2004 he was a Postdoctoral Fellow of the Berlin Program for Advanced German and European Studies at the Freie Universität Berlin. He has won major university awards for his teaching three times during his career. Beyond his university duties he performs regularly as a violinist with the Hays Symphony, often as concertmaster, and pursues his hobby restoring and maintaining classic European automobile and motorcycle engines.
Professor Amidon’s repository of open-access publications can be found at: https://works.bepress.com/kevin_amidon/
Track Kevin's scholarly activity at Google Scholar, and you can learn more about all of his many interests at https://kevinsamidon.com.
Kathay Johnson
Assistant Director
kljohnson2@fhsu.edu
785-628-4744
Picken Hall 123B
Kathay is a two-time Fort Hays State University graduate, earning her Bachelor's degree many years ago and graduating in 2023 with a Masters of Science in Education, in Higher Education Student Affairs. She is fiercely dedicated to helping her Honors "nuggets" discover their own unique path to success and committed to always keep learning about the challenges our students face and the best ways to support them. She was awarded Honorable Mention for the National Collegiate Honors Council's 2020 and 2023 Award for Administrative Excellence. Despite what Kevin always says ("I have the fancy title, but she does all the work.") they are a great team and both love the opportunity to work with so many amazing students.
Chesney
Success & Engagement Coordinator
Chesney is a senior majoring in Marketing. During the summers, she works as a lifeguard and teaches swim lessons. One of the highlights of her college experience has been the friendships she has built on campus, which have made her time here especially meaningful. Looking back, she wishes she had stressed less from procrastination, but she has learned to balance things along the way. In her free time, Chesney enjoys reading, watching movies, and spending time with the friends who have made her college years so memorable. If you have any questions or would like to chat about anything, feel free to stop by her office! (PH 123C)
Samantha
Recruitment & Outreach Coordinator, Honors Ambassador
Samantha is a senior pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Biology with a minor in Music. Her love of music brought her to FHSU, where she plays violin with the Hays Symphony and also performs in the marching band. She is active in the Natural Resources Club and enjoys reading, writing, camping, hiking, and playing D&D. Sam is happiest when spending time with friends or spending time outdoors. A devoted fan of M*A*S*H, she has watched all 11 seasons at least three times and has a wall at home decorated with quotes from the show.