Dr. Stephen Andes Named Honors Program Director  

EUGENE, Ore. – Bushnell University has named Dr. Stephen Andes, professor of history, as the new director of the Song Nai Rhee Honors Program. Andes succeeds psychology professor Dr. Erin Mueller, who helped establish and grow the honors program.  

As he steps into the role, Andes said that he is committed to building on the strong foundation she created. “I plan to continue Dr. Mueller’s fine work,” he shared. “She laid the foundation. Anything that we build will be cemented in what she started.” 

Looking ahead, Andes envisions the Honors Program cultivating what he calls “a community of courageous Christian explorers.” 

“I want them to become like astronauts who have to leave the earth, exploring the great unknown, but rooted in wisdom, faith, and service,” he said. 

For Andes, that exploration is grounded in community. He believes students should connect with trusted Christian mentors, develop deep friendships with fellow honors students, and grow in the spiritual formation and discipleship they receive at Bushnell as they encounter new ideas and challenging questions. 

“The program should prepare students to move intellectually beyond familiar or comfortable Christian environments,” Andes said. “Honors students should be willing to ‘step through the door’ into difficult questions, unfamiliar disciplines, and perspectives that may initially seem threatening. But this isn’t some sort of intellectual rebellion, but rather it’s courageous exploration rooted in faith.” 

Andes also highlighted one of the program’s defining strengths: its flexibility. Rather than following a separate, rigid curriculum, honors students complete projects within the courses they are already taking, tailoring their program to their academic interests and career goals. 

“Bushnell’s program allows students to try on the honors program within the classes they are already taking,” he said. “There is flexibility in how students can create an honors project within each class in consultation with faculty. One honors contract doesn’t have to look the same as another, but can be tailored to each class and discipline.” 

Andes joined Bushnell’s faculty in 2023 after more than a decade at Louisiana State University. He holds a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Oxford and is the author of numerous books and scholarly works focused on Latin American history, global studies, and the history of Christianity. 

His enthusiasm for leading the honors program reflects a passion that has shaped much of his academic career. While studying at Oxford, Andes helped lead the Graduate Christian Union, where faculty and graduate students regularly gathered to discuss how their research intersected with their Christian faith. 

“In my educational life I’ve always been engaged in this idea of how to connect the life of the mind to the life of Christian faith,” Andes said. “This is something I’ve been excited about for a long time.” 

As director, he hopes to encourage students to embrace curiosity, pursue meaningful questions, and see learning as an important part of their Christian calling. “I’m delighted to be an intellectual cheerleader, to challenge Bushnell students to reach beyond thinking about college as a video game, always just leaving up or speed-running it (as Dr. Srader has aptly put it), and to generally have fun stoking holy curiosity,” he said. 

The Song Nai Rhee Honors Program provides academically motivated students from every major the opportunity to deepen their education through interdisciplinary scholarship, faculty mentorship, and Christ-centered intellectual engagement. 

Visit our website to learn more about the Song Nai Rhee Honors Program.