Honors College News and Notes

WAU Hosts ‘Declaration at 250’ Conference (June/July 2026)

Washington Adventist University’s Honors College recently welcomed scholars, students, educators, and members of the public for “The Declaration at 250: Historical Context. Contemporary Relevance,” a five-day conference commemorating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

Held June 30–July 4, the conference brought together distinguished historians, legal scholars, and thought leaders from a wide range of institutions. Featured presenters represented George Washington University, the Museum of the American Revolution, the Library of Congress, and the Thomas Jefferson Foundation at Monticello, alongside faculty from Seventh-day Adventist institutions including Andrews University, Pacific Union College, Oakwood University, and Washington Adventist University. Additional participants included leaders from the General Conference and North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists who discussed the impact the Declaration had on early SDA leaders and the role it has played in our church as a whole. Through keynote presentations, panel discussions, and workshops, attendees explored the Declaration’s historical origins, philosophical foundations, legal significance, religious dimensions, global influence, and enduring relevance.

Taking advantage of the university’s proximity to the nation’s capital, attendees also participated in immersive educational visits to Monticello, the Library of Congress, and other historic sites, connecting scholarly discussion with the places where the story of American independence unfolded.

“Our goal was to create an experience that extended beyond the pages of a historical document,” said Dr. Jonathan Scriven, Associate Director of the Honors College and conference organizer. “As a Seventh-day Adventist University, we believe it is important to engage history thoughtfully and honestly—celebrating the Declaration’s enduring ideals of liberty, equality, and human dignity while also recognizing that the nation has not always lived up to those principles. Understanding both its aspirations and its imperfections helps us better appreciate our history and challenges us to continue advancing the principles it so powerfully articulated.”

Hosted by the WAU Honors College, the conference reflected the university’s commitment to academic excellence, civic discourse, and the thoughtful exploration of ideas that continue to shape public life both in the United States and around the world.

WAU is grateful for the support they received for this event from the Sligo Seventh-day Adventist Church, the Columbia Union Conference, Founders’ First Freedom, and the Versacare Foundation,

For a full list of presentations and panels (including presenter biographies), visit the event website here.

WAU to Host Model United Nations Summer Camp (July 2026)

One of the highlights of each academic year is the annual CAPITALMUN conference hosted by the WAU Honors College, a conference that attracts high school students from around the region to the WAU campus for a multi-day Model United Nations experience. This year, for the second summer in a row, CAPITALMUN is expanding to include an MUN Summer Camp for middle school students. Details about the conference can be found here.

Columbia Union Academy Students Attend Global MUN Conference (February 2026)

18 students from Columbia Union Academies joined more than 3,000 other high school students from around the world at the 2026 The Hague International Model United Nations (THIMUN) conference last week in The Hague, Netherlands. The students served as diplomatic delegates for the country of Slovakia and the League of Arab States, a non-government organization that is part of the United Nations. During the week-long conference, delegates participated 11 U.N. committees that debated over 30 global issues ranging from the link between international terrorism and organized crime to measures to use artificial intelligence combat climate change to ensuring access to education for children. The Washington Adventist University Honors College coordinated the trip through their Center for Global Programs.

Student delegates came from six academies – Blue Mountain Academy, Highland View Academy, Pine Forge Academy, Shenandoah Valley Academy, Spencerville Academy, and Takoma Academy. Beginning in November of 2025, the delegates meet via Zoom with Dr. Jonathan Scriven, Associate Director of the WAU Honors College, to prepare for the conference. During 8 pre-session meetings the delegates learned the formalities of MUN debate, researched and prepared official Resolutions for the topics in their committees, and worked on speeches and questions that they would use at the conference.

For four full days delegates discussed and debate their topics. The debates were spirited and often included strong statements from delegates from the various countries. By the end of the conference, each committee was able to pass a number of resolutions — all of which were designed to find a solution to a specific global problem.

In addition to attending THIMUN, the group spent one day visiting Amsterdam where they visited the Anne Frank museum and had a chance to explore the city. On Sabbath, January 31, the group attended the SDA Church in The Hague and helped create the service for the morning. 

“It is so rewarding to facilitate this kind of once-in-a-lifetime experience for students,” said Dr. Scriven. “Each year I look forward to taking the students to THIMUN and I am so pleased to have a group of students from SDA sitting alongside some of the biggest and well-known international schools in the world. We look forward to continuing to provide this kind of education and global experience for students in the coming years.”

The WAU Honors College actively participates in Model United Nations through its MUN program, which allows university students to participate in national and global conferences each year, including the International Labor Organization MUN (MUN-ILO) conference held at the U.S. State Department. The Honors College also hosts a conference for high school students each Spring called CAPITALMUN. This year’s CAPITALMUN conference will be held on the WAU campus on March 30-31. Please contact Dr. Scriven at jscriven@wau.edu for more information.

WAU Honors College hosts Peacemaking Conference (September 2024)

On Saturday, September 14, the WAU Center for Law and Public Policy hosted a conference to commemorate the United Nations’ International Day of Peace, which is celebrated each year in September. The conference was titled ‘Doing Justly: Peacebuilding in an Unequal World’ and featured presentations from thought leaders, advocates, practitioners, and scholars from organizations including Washington Adventist University, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) and the GC Public Affairs and Religious Liberty department. See full story in the Adventist Review

Honors College Faculty and Administration attend G20 Interfaith Meetings in Brazil (Summer 2024)

In June and August of this year, two faculty members from the WAU Honors College attending the G20 Interfaith Forum meetings in Brazil. Nicholas Miller, Professor of Law and Religion and Jonathan Scriven, Associate Director of the Honors College and Professor of International Relations, were invited to attend two meetings, one in Belem and one in Brasilia. At the meetings, Professor Miller led a working group to create guidelines and protections for native and indigenous peoples around the world. More to come on this subject in the near future.

Honors College Students Lead Church Service in Belfast, Northern Ireland (May 2024)

Honors College heads the England for Summer Classes (May 2024)

WAU Honors College students spent two weeks in the United Kingdom as part of the Honors College’s Study-on-Location program. One of the highlights of the trip was a of The Kilns, the former home of C.S. Lewis in Oxford, England. Lewis, most known for The Chronicles of Narnia series, spent almost thirty years of his life in Oxford where he was a professor at Oxford University’s Magdelane College(opens in a new tab). While at his home, which is now a popular destination for tourists and researchers, the group took a private tour of the residence followed by a special lecture by Oxford University Professor and renowned author Dr. Michael Ward(opens in a new tab), author of The Narnia Code(opens in a new tab), a breakthrough book that has won awards and wide recognition. In the book Ward argues that each of the books in the Narnia series reveals how each story has insights and meaning that derive from the biblical, classical and medieval significance of the seven plants. For more than an hour, students listened and dialogued with Dr. Ward as he explained in detail the process that led to his new ‘discovery’ about the hidden meanings of the Chronicles of Narnia. Read the full story here.

WAU hosts Religious Liberty Conference and Participates in Dinner on Capitol Hill (April 2024)

Tuesday, April 30, was a busy day for the WAU Center for Law and Public Policy and the WAU Branson Fellows. It began with a full-day symposium titled ‘Evangelicals and Politics: Current Issues in Historical Perspective’ and finished with a dinner on Capitol Hill at the Dirksen Senate Building sponsored by the North American Division’s Office of Public Affairs and Religious Liberty. Pictured to the left is are the Branson Fellows with US Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), who was honored at the dinner. Read the full story here.

WAU Students win Awards at International Labor Organization MUN Conference at the U.S. State Department (February 2024)

On Friday, February 23, 2024, 16 students from Washington Adventist University participated in the first International Labor Organization Model UN conference (Model ILO) held at the U.S. State Department in Washington, DC.  The event was looking at model legislation that would protect workers and employees from harassment and discrimination in the workplace.  WAU students ended up winning three of the five awards given at the conference to the student participants. WAU is the only SDA college of university that participates in Model United Nations. If you are interested in political studies or international relations, contact us at honorscollege@wau.edu. 

Mock Trial Team Competes in Regional Finals in Washington, DC (February 2024)

Pre-Law students from Washington Adventist University participated in the American Mock Trial Association (AMTA) Regional Finals Tournament on February 16-18 at American University in Washington, DC. The DC Regional is one of 32 regional tournaments held across the country. Over the course of three days, the team competed in four full trials — representing both prosecution and defense — in the case of State of Midlands v. De la Porta and Cameron. WAU competed in four trials against Howard University, Swarthmore College, the University of Scranton, and Virginia Tech University. WAU is the only SDA college or university that competes in the American Mock Trial Association. If you are interested in studying law, contact us at honorscollege@wau.edu.

Center for Law and Public Policy Branson Fellows Participate in National Justice Conference (October 2023)

From September 28th through October 1st, more than 200 individuals across denominations, including the six Branson Fellows from Washington Adventist University, assembled at the North American Division in Columbia, Maryland, to attend the annual Conscience and Justice Convention. Under the leadership of Edward Woods III, PARL Director of the Lake Region Conference, this year’s theme was When the Church Comes to Town, “Promoting Liberty, Pursuing Justice.” The conference probed the question, “As we seek to promote liberty and pursue justice, who are we assuming the position for?”

Honors College and Center for Law and Public Policy Announces new Roy Branson Fellowships Program (August 2023)

We are pleased to announce the creation of the Roy Branson Fellowships, a stipend-supported program for undergraduates in the Washington Adventist University Honors College who are interested in careers in law and public policy. The Fellowships will be administered by The Center for Law and Public Policy, connected with WAU since it was founded by Professor Roy Branson in 1998. The 2023/24 academic year will celebrate 25 years that the Center has been a part of the University. In an effort to both affirm its mission and honor its founder, The Branson Fellowships will:

• • provide opportunities for Honors College students to intern/work directly with local and national civil rights and religious leaders on a variety of legal and public policy issues,
  • provide up to eight students with a stipend of $2,500 per semester/$5,000 per year based on 8 hours of work per week, renewable on an annual basis.
  • involve activities such as legal and policy research, communications and social media support, drafting of research memorandums and policy analyses, support of legal and policy conferences and webinars, and lobby visits to national and international entities,

The Branson Fellowships are made possible through support from the WAU Administration, the WAU Honors College, the Center for Law and Public Policy, and generous donations from supporting individuals and organizations.

Legal Webinar Provides Insights for Aspiring Attorneys (November)

On November 30 the WAU Center for Law and Public Policy hosted a webinar titled “Lives in the Law: Stories of faith and practice in government, private practice, and church work.”  Four Adventist attorneys talked about their work and how faith — particularly Adventist faith — plays a role in what they do on a daily basis. The lawyers on the panel represent a variety of practices — from church work, to healthcare, to Federal prosecution, to criminal defense — and each had very interesting perspectives on how being an Adventist affects, and even shapes, their work. You can watch the video of the webinar here:

Visit to Embassy of the State of Libya (October 2022)

On Friday, October 28, a group of Washington Adventist University students visited the Embassy of the State of Libya in Washington, DC. The student group was part of the WAU Model United Nations program that is housed within the Honors College at WAU. This year’s MUN team will represent the State of Libya at the National Model United Nations (NMUN) conference in Arlington, Virginia this weekend. At the embassy, students met for over an hour with members of Libya’s diplomatic team, including Sultan A. Salem and Ahmed Alshanta, both of whom are part of the academic and cultural attaché team at the embassy.

‘Constitution Day’ 2022 (September 2022)

The Honors College, the Center for Law and Public Policy, and the International Religious Liberty Institute of Andrews University will present a presentation and lecture on Saturday, September 17, 2022 as part of WAU’s ‘Constitution Day’ programing. The event, titled ‘The New Supreme Court and Religion — Constitutional and Prophetic Perspectives’ will be held at Sligo SDA church at 4:30pm.

4th CAPITALMUN Takes Place on WAU Campus (April 2022)

On April 14 the WAU Honors College hosted the 4th Annual CAPITALMUN conference on the campus of Washington Adventist University. This year’s conference welcomed delegations from 38 countries and included students from Adventist and public high schools in Maryland and Pennsylvania. The conference began with an Opening Ceremony that featured a Keynote Address by the Honorable Marianne Laruelle, the Political Counselor for the Belgian Embassy in Washington, D.C. Ms. Lareulle stressed the importance of international cooperation around the world when dealing with important international issues. The Opening Ceremony also included an emotional testimony from 19-year old Sultana Amani, a refugee from Afghanistan who, along with her entire family, was on one the last planes out of Afghanistan last August. She encouraged the attendees to remember the plight of those who are living through very difficult times around the world, saying ‘we are all humans — when one person suffers, we all suffer.’

WAU Honors College Announces Historic Law Partnership (February 2022)

This marks the first time that an Adventist college or university will grant law school credits toward an undergraduate degree and the announcement comes on the heels of a newly re-designed pre-law curriculum that continues to allow students in any major to complete a Pre-Law pre-professional program. For more details you can find the full story here.

WAU Honors College and Columbia Union Academy Students Participating in International Model United Nations Conference (January 2022)

Academy students from Columbia Union academies participated in The Hague International Model United Nations(opens in a new tab) conference (THIMUN) which began on Monday, January 24, 2022. THIMUN is one of the oldest and largest Model United Nations conferences in the world, attracting students from more than 150 international high schools from around the world.

Participation at the THIMUN conference is organized by the WAU Honors College as part of WAU’s Center for Global Programs. This is the second year that students from the Columbia Union have participated in THIMUN. The Columbia Union delegation continues to be the only delegation to THIMUN that involves students from Seventh-day Adventist schools. See the full story here.

WAU participates in National Model United Nations (NMUN) conference, Meets with Belgian Embassy staff (November 2021)

A group of students from the WAU Honors College participated in the National Model United Nations Conference in Washington (NMUN-DC) November 5-7.. The WAU team represented Belgium and discussed and debated issues in 5 different conference committees. This is the first time that a Seventh-day Adventist university has participated in a National MUN conference. WAU was one of more than 40 colleges and universities participating in the conference.

On Friday morning, just before the start of the conference, the WAU team traveled to the Belgian Embassy in Washington to discuss their committee topics with members of the Belgian diplomatic staff. For more than an hour students discussed a wide range of policies with Jan De Pauw, the Deputy Chief of Mission, and Marianne Laruelle, the Chief Political Counselor at the embassy. The photo on the left — which includes WAU students and Mr. De Pauw and Ms. Laruelle — was sent out through the Belgian Embassy’s Instagram page minutes after the photo was taken.

“This is what Nation’s Capital learning is all about,” said Dr. Jonathan Scriven, the Director of WAU’s Model United Nations program. “We see Washington as the ‘Gateway to the World’ and the NMUNDC event provides our students with the opportunity to engage with hundreds of other students from around the country to try to solve real, global problems. And these opportunities are right here in our back yard.”

David Holland (Harvard Divinity School) gives 3rd Annual Adventist Archives Lecture. (October 2021)

On October 22, 2021, Professor David Holland delivered the 3rd Annual Adventist Archives Lectureship lecture. Holland is the John A. Bartlett Professor of New England Church History and Harvard Divinity School and is an expert on Ellen G. White and early Adventist History. Professor Holland, himself a Mormon, brought a unique and interesting perspective to this year’s Adventist Archives Lectureship. His full lecture and the Q&A the followed can be seen below.

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New Space on Campus for the  Honors College (August 2022)