Samford University Fellows

Welcome to the new Samford University Fellows Program site. Here you can learn more about the special features of this highly-competitive program: innovative liberal arts courses, unique international study opportunities, undergraduate research support, and the chance to develop close working relationships with the very best faculty on campus.

The University Fellows Program is not for everyone – fewer than 7% of Samford freshmen will be admitted each year. The courses will be demanding and the expectations will be high, but the rewards will be great (and we are not just talking about the two-week trip to Rome!). As a University Fellow, you will take courses with other highly-motivated students, and you will be mentored by faculty and administrators to become intellectual leaders on campus. You will also be given special opportunities to study overseas, and the university is committed to providing you with research support that will help you get into the best graduate schools in your field.

If you have any additional questions about the University Fellows Program, please feel free to email us at universityfellows@samford.edu. We look forward to getting to know you!

Dr. Chris Metress
Director, University Fellows Program

Our Faculty

Dr. Michael Janas

B.A., Boston College, 1987
M.A., University of Georgia, 1989
Ph.D., University of Iowa, 1994

Dr. Janas is an Associate Professor and head of the rhetoric division in the Department of Communication Studies. He has been at Samford since 1993. For 12 years he was the director of Samford's debate program. During his time as director, Samford qualified 12 teams for the National Debate Tournament and won more than 15 tournaments, including the District VI tournament four times. He won the 2004 District VI Coach of the Year and the 2005 Southeast Central CEDA coach of the year. He was also the 2001 Southern Forensics Association Educator of the Year and the 2005 DSR-TKA National Service Award.

Our Students

Annika ( Shell Rock, IA )

High School: Homeschool
Major : Classics

Last summer, Annika studied Pre-Roman Archaeology at Cambridge University in England with Dr. Gillian Carr. While in England, she was able to explore Stonehenge and other Neolithic monuments, with inside access not typically given to tourists. She is looking forward to moving South and leaving the cold weather of Iowa behind!