In Professor Jon C. Herron’s classroom, Honors Huskies learn to ask better questions, link ideas across fields and carry that curiosity far beyond the lab 鈥� the hallmark of the UW Honors Program. Students describe Herron the same way, year after year: curious, humble and life-changing.
A longtime lecturer and now teaching professor in biology, Herron earned his Ph.D. at the 天美影视传媒 and has taught at the UW ever since. He鈥檚 had a lasting impact on students and graduates of the and is the first . His classes, often filled with non-science majors, explore evolution, human behavior and how we understand the world.
Learning to think like a scientist
鈥淎s a political science major, I don鈥檛 get too much science in my coursework,鈥� said Kylie Knowles, 鈥�22. 鈥�Herron鈥檚 course made me think about humans differently and was applicable outside the classroom. I can take this skill with me for the rest of my life.鈥�
Herron bridges fields and builds confidence, meeting students where they are and encouraging them to question, connect and push beyond perceived limits. 鈥淚 was nervous about his class,鈥� said psychology major CaraLee Rose Howe, 鈥�20. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 think of myself as a 鈥榮cience person.鈥� Dr. Herron was compassionate and spent a lot of time answering my questions. I felt more confident after his course.鈥�
That confidence extends beyond the classroom. When Howe asked for a recommendation, Herron met with her to learn her goals, connected her with a researcher in her area of interest, and helped her secure a research assistant role. 鈥淢y Honors experience wouldn鈥檛 be the same without his influence,鈥� she said.
His lectures are dynamic and conversational. 鈥淗e morphs the curriculum every day to questions students ask,鈥� noted neuroscience and public health double-major Olivia Brandon, 鈥�23. 鈥淗e鈥檚 humble, approachable and committed. He encouraged us to challenge far-fetched ideas and rethink models we assume are correct.鈥� After class, she added, 鈥淚 found myself diving into Darwinian logic and viewing everyday reasoning and behaviors in a new way.鈥�
For Herron, science isn鈥檛 memorization; it鈥檚 cultivating one鈥檚 curiosity, noticing patterns, asking 鈥渨hy鈥� and embracing uncertainty. 鈥淗e makes every student feel seen and heard,鈥� said psychology major Elise Aydelott, 鈥�21. 鈥淗e encourages us to ask weird questions and goes off-schedule to explore them. It鈥檚 obvious that his number-one concern is that we learn and stretch our thinking.鈥�
Accessibility and care are hallmarks of his teaching. 鈥淗e鈥檚 extremely enthusiastic and dedicated,鈥� said electrical engineering major Lucas Beidler, 鈥�22. 鈥淵ou can tell he cares about you and your learning. He鈥檚 a fantastic lecturer 鈥� clear, concise and always ready for questions.鈥�
Students also note the sense of belonging he creates through mentorship, flexibility and small acts of kindness. 鈥淟ast quarter I had to travel for my internship,鈥� Knowles recalled. 鈥淚 was concerned about missing class, but Dr. Herron was more than understanding and made sure I could keep up.鈥�
Across decades of teaching, Herron has inspired generations of Huskies to stay curious and to treat the scientific method not only as a tool for discovery, but as a way of thinking about life. 鈥淗e truly goes above and beyond every single class,鈥� Brandon said. 鈥淚 looked forward to every lecture.鈥�
In the Honors Program, where interdisciplinarity and inquiry define the student experience, Professor Herron exemplifies the kind of teaching that changes how students see the world 鈥� and themselves.
Blog post by Danielle Holland // Video by Jayden Becles, Kirsten Atik, Danielle Holland