Dr. Mary Stone Appointed as Interim Honors Program Director

Dr. Mary Stone was appointed Interim Honors Program Director at the beginning of the semester after Dr. James Snyder stepped down from the position, leaving her the responsibility to head the program for a one year appointment. 

“I’m providing the opportunity, helping with the resources, coordinating, making sure that they’re having these opportunities and positive experiences,” said Stone, who has taught psychology at Marist for a decade.

Stone has had a history in the honors program since she began her time at Marist. Coming into the institution in 2014, Stone was asked by a student to be a faculty mentor for their research. 

When students found out Dr. Snyder stepped down, concern spread across the honors students. Dr. Stone assures his appointment was essential and his involvement in the honors program is still very active in a broader aspect.  

“He’s still very much part of the honors program,” Stone said.  

Snyder has taken a new role in the recently created position of the Dean of Academic Engagement. “Under its umbrella is the honors program, which is a huge component of it.”

The position Snyder took on creates the opportunity for a greater blending of all programs at Marist College. “Greater coordination, greater integration between the main pillars of the undergraduate education,” Stone said. 

The progression of Stone filling Synder’s empty seat was natural and a logical advancement. “It was the easiest thing to do to ensure there wasn’t a gap in the service,” Stone said. “Rather than waiting to have a hiring process and not have someone serving in the role for some time, they thought it was best to appoint me as interim.”

Students selecting a faculty mentor is one of the most dynamic and integrated aspects of the honors program. It allows students to excentuate natural fits, rather than force pairings. 

“A student identifies a faculty member on campus that they have formed a relationship with and really respect and wants to get to know better and they’ll ask them if they’re willing to be their faculty mentor,” Stone said. 

The Director and Assistant Director of the honors program walk faculty through the process of what being a mentor means if they are new to it, just like Stone did when she first was asked. 

Stone’s decade of experience in school psychology and time as adjunct and visiting professor at Fordham University built on her ability to rise from mentor to assistant director of the honors program. 

Marist College provides a dynamic education from the moment a student enters the institution to the final honors thesis. 

“[The program’s] reflective of the broader college at large. It’s about 10% of the college population, which is consistent with the national statistic. There’s over 500 [students], in the program,” Stone said. 

However, Marist differs from many other institutions when it comes to the honors program demographics. “By and large most of our students start their college career as honors students,” Stone said. 

Stone also added that the program has a more diverse student body compared to the Marist population as a whole. 

The honors program is inclusive of all majors, so having a diverse Honors Council, representative of all schools is important, especially in understanding the honors thesis students pursue. 

It’s the responsibility of the students mentor and honors council representative to ensure the thesis is meeting the requirements set by the honors program.

Stone’s position as interim is defined as such, provisional, awaiting reevaluation, but she’s eager to continue to display the students work come the Dec. 2 thesis exhibit in the student center.