Components of the MESI Certificate

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. They 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.
Kyler Little

Kyler Little
WSU Honors College Student
Student-athelete, WSU Cross Country and Track

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.

  • 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.

Commit to pursuing the MESI certificate >>

Sample of Course Descriptions

Fall 2024

Food for Thought: The Philosophy of Food
Taught by David Shier

It’s hard to think of anything more central to human existence, human cultures, and the human experience than food, so it’s not surprising that there are plenty of philosophical issues concerning the production, distribution, preparation, and consumption of food.

Here’s a menu for the semester:

APPETIZERS: An overview of philosophy featuring a primer on ethical theories, plus a look ahead at some key philosophical issues about food.

MAIN COURSE: Ethical issues about food, including animal products (e.g., ethical veganism), the environmental impact of our food choices (e.g., the locavore movement), biotech in food production (e.g., GMOs), the conditions of food workers, and hunger and food insecurity, among others. We will discuss these issues in terms of both the food choices we make as individuals and the policy choices we make as societies. We will critically explore arguments for and against the various positions on these ethical issues.

SIDES: In smaller portions that add variety to our fare, we will discuss a range of other food issues, including mindful eating, aesthetic dimensions of food, and the expression of personal and cultural identities through food.

DESSERT: In the final two weeks, students will do in-class presentations on group projects they’ve completed during the semester. These projects will focus on either (1) the strategic adoption of a significant change in food choices, (2) research on a food-related issue not covered in the class, or (3) a set of food-related community-engagement activities. While there will be a very short summary paper submitted, the main graded work of this project is the presentation itself.

Food and Culture
Taught 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.