The MESI Certificate in the Honors College teaches happiness as a life skill and provides Honors students with the tools to improve their performance, relationships, health and happiness. Through innovative coursework, workshops, local and global service projects, and guest speakers, the MESI Certificate trains students in mindfulness, self-awareness, self-management, empathy and compassion and prepares them for a life of personal and professional integrity and engagement.
Certification
- To earn this 15-credit certificate, students will participate in classes examining how to engage successfully in today’s world from multiple disciplinary angles including the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences.
- Students will participate in workshops, retreats, and local and global Compassion in Action service-learning activities. Leaders in business and industry, as well as community leaders and researchers in the field, will engage with our MESI cohort to discuss the value of emotional and social intelligence, the ability to be fully present, and the importance of community engagement in their own work and life.
- Students may pursue an original research project related to the MESI certificate for their Honors thesis.
Course Components
- Honors Classes in Social Sciences, Humanities, Natural Sciences with a MESI focus (9-10 credits)
Currently taught, or in development: HONORS 280 The Good Life (Shier); HONORS 290 The Science of Leading a Richer Life (Gerber); HONORS 390 the Practice, Science and History of Mindfulness (Gerber); this list will be expanded. - Community Engagement “Compassion in Action” (3 credits)
Examples: Service trips to foreign countries, local community service opportunities with the Center for Civic Engagement. - Workshops / Retreats (2-3 credits)
Experts in MESI Research and Practice (including Honors alumni and friends), along with WSU faculty, challenge students to deepen their understanding of the evolving research on MESI and inspire students by sharing their own experiences of practicing Compassion in Action in professional settings and in their personal lives. - Student Capstone Project / Honors Thesis (optional)
Incorporate a MESI focus or component in the Honors thesis or capstone course in the major. - Continued Self-Reflection
This can take the form of journaling and reflection papers and will be a shared characteristic for all components of the MESI certificate.
The MESI Certificate will help prepare graduates not only for the next phase in their careers, but for life. Being socially and emotionally aware and being able to manage the stress that is an inherent part of our daily lives will help build resilience, happiness, and a more engaged community.”
M. Grant Norton, Dean of the WSU Honors College
Sample of Course Descriptions
Spring 2026
- Honors 370.01 – Food and Culture by Tekla Schmaus
- Food and cooking are deeply entwined with so many aspects of human society and culture, and yet we rarely stop to think about what we’re putting in our mouths. In this course, we’ll use food as a lens to focus on different topics in the social sciences. We’ll cover some historical topics: the domestication of plants and animals, the way the spice trade tied into colonization and globalization, and the role of food in industrialization. Then we’ll move on to more contemporary issues like food and the environment and food sovereignty. Throughout the semester, we’ll also think about how food creates family and community, and how it’s used in nation-building. We should also have some opportunities to do some eating and try each other’s cooking.
- Honors 380.01 – Irish Poetry: Crossings by Colin Criss
- Irish poetry, it seems, is always at a crossing. I say this in two senses—poems in Ireland are always trying to move across something perilous, and poems in Ireland are always facing a choice, as at an intersection.
- In this course, which will be largely a survey of contemporary Irish poetry, we will think about the intersections of many things with poetry: history, politics, violence, colonization, globalization, nationality, and so on. We’ll read pre-modern and modern Irish poems as a foundation and begin to think about what an Irish poem is. Then, we’ll think about 21st century Irish poems, and what influences they lean into and lean away from.
Who runs the MESI Certificate?
Robin Bond
Assistant Dean, Honors College
- Director, Mindfulness-Based Emotional and Social Intelligence
- MBSR – Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, Level 1 Teacher
The MESI Certificate helps students from any major – pre-med to business to criminal justice – improve their marketability and job performance while becoming more compassionate human beings and leaders in their respective fields.
Testimonials
The path to medical school has been stressful. I remember days when my mind would be racing so quickly I couldn’t put all my thoughts into words. My doctor suggested the practice of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), citing evidence for its use in preventing physician burnout.
I took Dr. Gerber’s Honors 390 course in an attempt to find a solution. It was an amazing semester to say the least, and an incredible opportunity for self-improvement with a reaching effect to those around me. My outlook was brighter, my mind was calmer, and my reactions were softer. I’ve discussed my MBSR habits multiple times in my medical school interviews, and the panels are excited to hear about this self-regulatory process and its impact.
The Honors College recognizes that school is more than just a pursuit of knowledge – it is also a pursuit of self.
Joanne Kunze, WSU Honors College Alumna
By applying concepts, I learned in Honors 280 – The Good Life, I can definitively say I’ve become a happier person. Being happy for myself has enabled me to be the person I want to be for others. I’ve become a better teammate, a better tutor, a better friend, and a better leader.
Kyler Little, WSU Honors College Student, Student-Athlete, WSU Cross Country & Track
If you have any questions please reach out to our Assistant Dean, Robin Bond at rsbond@wsu.edu.