Pavlis Honors College Blog

Author: Jack Schall

Meet the 2026 Pavlis Honors College Dean’s Scholarship Recipient: Elizabeth Kornexl

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“The Honors Program has taught me so much about self-reflection. It’s helped me grow as a professional and as a person, giving me tools to break down complex situations and identify the best path forward. Also, the people and staff involved are absolutely incredible—many of them have become mentors to me throughout my time in the Honors College.”

Elizabeth working on a setup for WMTU.

That sense of growth, connection, and purpose is exactly what defines Elizabeth Kornexl, the 2026 recipient of the Pavlis Honors College Dean’s Scholarship.

Awarded annually, the Dean’s Scholarship recognizes students who have made meaningful contributions to the Honors College while actively strengthening its community and visibility. Elizabeth exemplifies this mission through her leadership, mentorship, and deep engagement across campus.

As a member of the Pavlis Honors College Undergraduate Student Advisory Board (USAB), Elizabeth plays an active role in shaping the student experience. From organizing events that connect students with alumni and industry mentors to fostering spaces where students can build community, her impact is both intentional and lasting.

“My proudest moment would be the first time I planned and ran my own event for the Honors College,” she shares. “Seeing the students show up, relax, and connect with the people around them was gratifying. I love knowing that I have had a positive impact on somebody’s day, and giving people an opportunity to make new friends is always satisfying.”

Beyond Pavlis, Elizabeth brings the same energy and curiosity to her work in the Advanced Metalworks Enterprise. There, she combines technical skill with hands-on problem-solving, contributing to projects that push her beyond the boundaries of a traditional mechanical engineering curriculum.

Elizabeth holding an axe
Elizabeth proudly displays her horseman’s axe.

“This year’s challenge is to design a horseman’s axe,” she explains. “Our design turned out really well—we had a lot of fun testing it on some watermelons. We’re excited to see how we place! The other project the team is completing is materials testing on extruded aluminum with varying levels of silicon and magnesium. The project has given me insight into so many different areas of material science I never would have learned from my ME curriculum.”

Faculty and staff across the Honors College have recognized Elizabeth not only for her technical abilities, but for her systems thinking, leadership, and commitment to community. Whether in the classroom, on her Enterprise team, or through student leadership, she consistently brings together engineering practice, organizational insight, and a genuine passion for helping others succeed.

For Elizabeth, the value of her experience comes down to one thing: getting involved.

“Enterprise has been the most fun and rewarding academic experience I have ever had,” she says. “The engineering challenges presented have been intense, and they pull you completely outside the scope of your normal degree program. I have met some pretty awesome people, too. I highly recommend joining as soon as possible—I certainly wish I had started when I was a freshman.”

Her advice to incoming students is simple but powerful:

“Do as much as you possibly can. Try everything, get involved, and meet amazing people. Tech is full of so many opportunities to find something you’re passionate about.”

As the eighth recipient of the Pavlis Honors College Dean’s Scholarship, Elizabeth Kornexl joins a distinguished group of student leaders who embody the spirit of the program. Her dedication, curiosity, and commitment to building community reflect the very best of what it means to be a Pavlis student.

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Learning Through Failure in the Honors Seminar

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In our society, we often view failure as something negative, but that mindset needs to change. Progress requires risk, and when we take risks, failure is inevitable. It is okay to fail. Each setback offers a chance to learn and grow. Got rejected from a school you hoped to attend? Reflect on what you might strengthen in your next application. Didn’t make the team? Let that motivate you to train harder and try again next year. Received a disappointing grade on a major assignment? Use it as an opportunity to visit office hours and better understand where you struggled.

Here are two assignments from Michigan Tech’s Honors Seminar, HON 3150, in which students reflect on past failures and reframe them in a positive light.

Failure Resume

First, we have Connor Nunn’s “Failure Resume”, in which individual students create a resume of recent notable failures. 

Connor Nunn

  • Second Year Chemical Engineer, Second Year Questioning My Life Choices.  

EDUCATION FAILS 

  • Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI BS, Chemical Engineering (WHY?!?!), Expected Spring 2028, More like Spring 2030
  • GPA: That of A Genius Burnout Diploma (?)
  • Bay City Western High School, Auburn, Michigan GPA: Too Scared to Look 
  • Honors On accident, AP Failure, Senior Yearbook Staff Member, June 2024 

SKILLS OF FAILURE

  • MATLAB (I just cry looking at code)
  • Chem (I freeze on exams)
  • Floor Time (I am a pro) 

EXPERIENCE IN WORK 

Marketing Assistant (PHC, Enterprise Program), Houghton, MI, 2025 – Present

  • Major time commitment that is hard to juggle
  • Forgetful, squirrelly brain making forgetting to inform employer of completed tasks prevalent
  • Dyslexic nature making an employer’s job a living hell

Rozsa Center, Houghton, MI 

  • Ad-libbing my way through a job
  • Somehow not being chased out with a broom (somehow a success?) 
  • Using my charisma to be close with bosses as to be “fired” 5 times on October 4th, 2025 between 3 and 5pm

McDonald’s, Auburn, MI, 2022-Present 

  • Attempting to wrangle my fellow crew members to get sh!t done since 2022
  • Mistakes made in order taking: 2,539?
  • Pounds of food/product waste caused by me: 1.4×103
  • Times yelled at by customers: I lost count after 10,000 

LEADERSHIP & INVOLVEMENT 

President, MTU Building Government, East Hall, East Hall Association, 2025 – Present 

  • No clue how I got here 
  • I forget what I am talking about halfway through talking about it

Tech Crew Lead, Bay City Western High School’s yet again dissolved theater program 

  • Too focused on production goals to properly train my successors 
  • Was an inefficient link between crew, actors, and directors, causing the director to get fired

TIME SINKS 

The Yearn for the Outdoors • Rock Hoarding • Digital & Film Photography and Development 

Failure Story

Next, we have Shuang Gao’s “Failure Story”, where she walks us through one of her failures and the insights that followed. Here is her story.

Last November through December, I worked on a new product concept board for my Marketing class. The project was about developing a creative idea and presenting it as if it were a real business concept. After completing it, I decided to take a big leap and enter the Husky Pitch Competition. A campus-wide event where students present entrepreneurial ideas to a panel of judges.

At first, I didn’t realize how competitive the event would be. When I arrived, I quickly noticed that almost everyone else was a graduate student or a senior with business experience. I was the only first-year student there. That realization alone made me nervous, but it also motivated me to do my best. I spent hours rehearsing my five-minute pitch, revising my slides, and trying to anticipate questions the judges might ask. I practiced in front of friends, in front of the mirror, and even recorded myself to catch any mistakes.

When the day of the competition finally came, I was excited but also terrified. As I stepped onto the stage, the bright lights hit me, and my heart started racing. My hands were slightly shaking as I held the microphone. I began my pitch confidently, but halfway through, the nerves took over. My voice trembled a little, and I stumbled over a few words. I could feel my face getting warm, and I knew I wasn’t performing as smoothly as I had practiced. 

Even though I tried to recover, I knew I had lost some momentum. When the presentations ended and the winners were announced, my name wasn’t called. For a moment, I felt disappointed. I had worked so hard, and I was a little sad to see others walk away with awards and recognition. But as the event continued, I realized something important. Listening to the other presenters opened my eyes to how much I could learn. Their projects were detailed, their delivery confident, and their experience showed. Instead of comparing myself negatively, I decided to treat it as inspiration. A few participants even came up to me afterward and complimented my idea. They said it was creative and showed promise. That encouragement meant a lot to me.

Although I didn’t win, I walked away with a certificate of participation, valuable experience, and a new perspective. I learned that failure isn’t always a loss, it can also be a feedback. It showed me where I could improve, but it also proved that I was brave enough to take a risk. Looking back, I’m genuinely glad I entered the competition. That moment of failure became a small but meaningful step toward confidence and growth.

Taking risks is essential, and failure is an unavoidable part of taking those risks. This assignment gave students the chance to reflect on their own experiences and rethink what failure means to them. By looking closely at moments that felt discouraging, they were able to recognize what those experiences taught them and how they helped them grow. Students enjoyed this process, and it shows that anyone can benefit from taking time to reflect on past failures and reframe them as meaningful steps forward.

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Inspiring Educators: Shane Oberloier and Laura Kasson Fiss Honored for Teaching Excellence

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Innovation and student-centered learning are at the heart of the Pavlis Honors College, and two of its faculty leaders have recently been recognized for embodying those values. Dr. Shane Oberloier, director of the Alley Makerspace, and Dr. Laura Kasson Fiss, faculty fellow in the Pavlis Honors College, have each been honored with 2025 CTL Instructional Awards.

Dr. Laura Kasson Fiss received the Curriculum Development and Assessment Award. In addition to teaching Pavlis Seminar II: Tell Your Story, she serves as Chair of the Curriculum and Assessment Committee for the Pavlis Honors College and is an Associate Teaching Professor in Humanities. She is also a researcher and author, with her most recent book, The Idler’s Club: Humour and Mass Readership from Jerome K. Jerome to P. G. Wodehouse.

For Dr. Laura Kasson Fiss, the most rewarding part of teaching is watching students gain confidence and ability, especially in those moments of discovery. Some of her fondest memories come from the lasting relationships she builds with students — “where you meet a student later in life and they tell you something that you told them or they learned in class.” She also enjoys when a student’s question challenges her to articulate her own assumptions.

Dr. Marika Seigel, Dr. Laura Kasson Fiss, Dr. Kette Thomas, and Dr. LaReese Wolfenbarger at the CTL Awards Lunch & Learn

Her approach to building strong connections with students centers on respect and empathy. She believes in taking students seriously and recognizing that they may have complex lives outside the classroom. 

“A lot of students have things in their personal lives that faculty may not know about. It is important to be willing to help, but accept that you do not have complete control over a student’s situation.”

Dr. Laura Kasson Fiss

Dr. Shane Oberloier received the Large Class Teaching Award. In addition to serving as an assistant teaching professor in Electrical and Computer Engineering, he is the director of the Alley Makerspace and the advisor of the Open Source Hardware Enterprise. Beyond campus, he is a co-founder of Keweenaw Ecological Innovations and also shares his work through his personal website, oberloier.com, and his podcast Locked in My Office @ MTU.

For Dr. Shane, the most rewarding part of teaching is what he calls “the cascading effect of knowledge.” As he explains, “I teach a class of 80, and that class of 80 goes out and carries on this information and knowledge. It’s exciting to see the effect—and the uncertainty—of where this will take students and what will result from that.”

One of his fondest teaching memories dates back to very early in his career and reflects his commitment to openness and vulnerability with students. “Early on, when I was teaching—still a grad student, with a class of maybe 100—I asked students what they were most nervous about before an exam, and in return I shared what I was most nervous about. I told them I was most nervous about becoming a dad. This was before I told my parents, and the students thought it was interesting that I shared that part of my life with them.”

Dr. Darnishia Morris and Dr. Shane Oberlier at the CTL Awards Lunch & Learn

His approach to building relationships with students centers on authenticity. He strives to embody the ideas he teaches, particularly in the areas of creativity and making. 

“I live my life around making things—it’s part of my appearance and personality—and that helps get my students more interested in making. Any idea you want to share with students, you have to embody yourself. They’ll immediately see if you’re just trying to sell them something.”

Dr. Shane Oberloier

At the Pavlis Honors College, teaching is about more than sharing knowledge — it’s about inspiring curiosity, fostering growth, and building lasting connections. Dr. Shane Oberloier and Dr. Laura Kasson Fiss embody these values in everything they do. From empowering students to explore, create, and take risks to designing thoughtful curriculum that sparks discovery, their dedication makes a lasting impact on the Pavlis community. We celebrate their achievements and the difference they make in students’ lives every day.

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