News

Lee University’s Kairos Scholars Honors Program recently celebrated its 20th anniversary during the school’s Homecoming festivities. The event was attended by approximately 40 graduates, current students, and faculty, providing a space for Kairos members of both the past and present to witness how impactful Kairos has been in the life of our community and reflect on their time in the program.

The Kairos Scholars Honors Program was founded by Dr. Matthew Melton in 2003 and included 29 Lee freshmen and sophomores. Since then, the program has reached well over 300 students from nearly 40 different majors. 

The event included a special guest, Dr. Timothy Passmore, who was the first student president of the program. After graduating, Passmore earned a Master of Letters degree at the University of St. Andrews and then a Master of Arts and a Doctor of Philosophy in political science from the University of Colorado, Boulder. Passmore now serves as an assistant professor of political science at Virginia Military Institute.

Melton, the founder and former director of Kairos, also attended the event and provided a brief framing speech on the founding and development of the Kairos Honors Program. Melton, formerly the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Lee University, now serves as a vice president at the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).

In 2017, Dr. Thomas Pope, professor of political science, was appointed the new director of the Kairos Honors program and has expanded it to include interdisciplinary academic courses, student-led chapel services, and more opportunities for peer fellowship.

Lee’s Kairos program is an interdisciplinary group of intellectually curious students seeking to grow in scholarship and character while building meaningful friendships with one another and serving their broader community.

For more information, or to apply for the program, email [email protected].