Jupiter Campus Welcomes Incoming Class to Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College for Fall 2025

Florida Atlantic University’s John D. MacArthur Campus welcomed the incoming class of freshman and transfer students to the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College (WHC). The new class, comprised of 214 students, is one of the largest on record for the WHC. Their profile showcases the high academic standard of the college, with at least 14 National Merit Scholar finalists included in the cohort.

During the orientation activities, new students and their families spent the day on campus, learning about the wealth of resources available, how to become engaged members of the campus community, and what they can look forward to during their years at Florida Atlantic, as they train to become the leaders and global citizens of tomorrow.

Closing remarks were presented by FAU President Adam Hasner. He galvanized the incoming class to take advantage of being an Owl during a momentous time in the university’s history—as it was recently designated one of only 21 universities nationwide to be both a "Research 1 (R1) Very High Spending and Doctorate Production" university and an "Opportunity College and University," designated by the new Carnegie Classifications .

Many of the new students were drawn to the Wilkes Honors College by the world-class biomedical research hub also located on the MacArthur Campus. During their time at Florida Atlantic, they will have opportunities to participate in research with some of the world’s experts in neuroscience and biotechnology at the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience, the FAU Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute, or the Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology. As a well-rounded liberal arts and sciences honors college, they will also engage with arts, humanities, social sciences and business curriculum, including hands-on learning experiences through internships and study abroad.


FAU President Adam Hasner gave the closing remarks during the Fall 2025 new student orientation for the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College.