Gatton Academy Students Contribute to Global STEM Discussions through Summer Experiences

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Educational opportunities for students at the Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky do not stop when classes let out for the summer.  Two-thirds of recent graduates and students returning for the fall semester will participate in some form of learning through the school’s summer research and internship program.

Highlights of the summer 2012 program include seven participants in Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) programs, 35 students studying abroad focusing on research and culture, and unique public and private industry partnerships via ten-week research internships in some of the nation’s most premier programs.

The Gatton Academy’s program begins in late November each preceding year with faculty and staff members promoting summer programs.  Students prepare applications as early as the winter break for some of the most competitive STEM-based summer programs available not only to high school students, but undergraduates as well.

Derick Strode, assistant director for academic services at the Gatton Academy, coordinates the school’s research and internship programs.  He explained the variety and depth of these experiences distinguish these students from their peers at both the high school and undergraduate level.

“This summer, our students are pursuing answers to research questions across STEM fields,” Strode said.  “They are active participants in cultures on four continents.  They are in their own hometowns shadowing the doctors and engineers they looked up to as children.  Our summer program encourages students to follow their passions for science, math, and learning, and get a taste of what it means to be a contributing citizen and professional in the broad STEM community.”

One such student is Lydia Brothers, a class of 2012 graduate from Madisonville.  Brothers is interning at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, this summer in missions operations.  She will focus on crew operations and training for the International Space Station (ISS).

“I’m working with the people who create the procedures that the astronauts actually execute,” Brothers explained.  “We ultimately use the procedures to train the astronauts to carry out tasks and experiments while they are on mission.”

Brothers’ internship at NASA is combines features of her coursework at the Gatton Academy in engineering, physics, and computer science.

“In my work, not only do you have to have a good understanding of how all the machinery works but also provide the information in the same format that an astronaut sees it in, which is computer programming,” Brothers said.

Brothers’ first experience at the Marshall Space Flight Center came as a middle school student when she went to space camp.

“I would have never thought that sitting around learning about the ISS that one day I would be working with people on a daily basis who help run it,” she said.  “It’s like a dream come true.”

Strode noted that the success in students’ summer exploits can be drawn directly back to the preparation students receive at WKU.

“Lydia is a perfect example of a student who embraced the rich research opportunities available at WKU and applied hard work to her passions,” Strode said.

Brothers participated in research during the entirety of her two years at the Gatton Academy with WKU’s Department of Physics and Astronomy under the mentorship of Drs. Louis Strolger and Edward Kintzel.  Additionally, she interned in summer 2011 at the University of Tennessee’s Space Institute.  Her research for that experience was recognized by the Siemens Competition.

“Many of the summer research programs that our students apply to accept only five to ten percent of their total applicants,” Strode said.   “In such competitive programs, the Gatton Academy students compete so well for coveted spots because they engage in research that goes far above and beyond their coursework.”

91% of the students who graduated in the Gatton Academy’s class of 2012 had participated in a mentored research project while studying at the school—almost entirely under the tutelage of a WKU faculty member.

“These are students that love to learn.  Whether it’s the middle of the semester or the middle of summer, these are curious students,” Strode said.

Contact: Derick Strode, (270) 745-6565.

A full listing of Gatton Academy students’ summer plans are listed after the jump.

Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REUs)

Seven Gatton Academy students are participating in Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) this summer.   One of the most selective of summertime opportunities, REUs are funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and offer students full-summer research opportunities with travel, food, and lodging provided as well as generous stipends.

Fairfield REU in Mathematics and Computational Science at Fairfield University, Connecticut

• Lukas Missik (’12) of Danville (Mentor: Dr. Amali Rusu)

University of Arizona’s REU in Environmental and Earth Systems Research at Biosphere 2

• Lori Lovell (’12) of Florence (Mentor: Dr. Shirley Papuga)

Summer Research Experience in Investigative Biotechnology REU at Western Kentucky University

• David Sekora (’12) of Franklin (Mentor: Dr. Michael Collyer)

Land Use/Land Cover in the Mammoth Cave Upper Green River Watershed REU at Western Kentucky University

• Garrett Barnes (’13) of Frankfort (Mentor: Dr. Matthew Nee)
• Barry “Cole” Blair (’13) of Sandy Hook (Mentor: Dr. Rajalingam Dakshinamurthy)
• Wayne Schmitt (’13) of Jeffersonville (Mentor: Dr. Wei-Ping Pan)
• Lara van der Heiden (’13) of Carlisle (Mentor: Dr. Cathleen Webb)

International Research Experiences for Scientists

Two students are participating in a National Science Foundation-funded International Research Experiences for Scientists program at the National Chung Hsing University in Taichung, Taiwan.  This program, on the same level as an REU, offers students fully paid travel to Taiwan, food, lodging, and a stipend.

• John Biechele-Speziale (’13) of Grayson (Mentor: Dr. Shing-Yi Suen)
• Linda Cruz  (’13) of Carrollton (Mentor: Dr. Shing-Yi Suen)

Biechele-Speziale’s project uses modified-surface ITO glass and electric currents to test adsorption and desorption of Bisphenol-A.  Cruz is studying water filtration methods using plant waste such as water bamboo and banana peels in order to filter out heavy metal ions.

DAAD RISE Program (Germany)

Daniel Dilger (’12) of Union has been selected for the Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst (German Academic Exchange Service) Research Internships in Science and Engineering (DAAD RISE) program in Dortmund, Germany.   He is working with a German PhD student on a project called “Preserving Confidential for Multiagent Systems,” which aims to allow databases to share data without revealing private information.  In particular, Dilger is developing a model which tests the reasoning and privacy-preserving abilities of the program.  As part of his award, he receives pay from the DAAD at 650€ per month this summer, as well as health insurance, a paid trip to Heidelberg, and a Rail Pass for travel in Germany.

NASA

Lydia Brothers (’12) of Madisonville is interning in the Missions Operation building at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, AL.  As an applicant through the NASA SOLAR system, Brothers received a ten-week research internship that includes a $7,000 stipend and the chance to work with crew operations and training for the International Space Station.  Brothers is working under the mentorship of NASA scientist Mercedes Galloway.

Victoria Cain (’13) of Glasgow joins a nationwide group of 40 young women at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas for one week this summer where they will work alongside female NASA engineers and interns to design a mission to Mars.  These students will work in collaborative teams doing hands-on activities and presenting their projects to NASA personnel and community leaders as participants in the NASA Women in STEM High School Aerospace Scholars (WISH) program.

Cincinnati Children’s Hospital SURF Program

Samantha Hawtrey (’12) of Union is interning with Dr. John Harley, Director of the Division of Rheumatology at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, through the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF).  The ten-week internship includes a $3200 stipend.

Kentucky Biomedical Research Infrastructure Network (KBRIN)

Brandon Farmer (’12) of Paris has received a ten-week internship in the KBRIN Undergraduate Summer Biomedical Research Program.  One of only 18 selected students, Farmer is completing his internship at the University of Louisville in the Nephrology Department and the Kidney Disease Program under the mentorship of Dr. Syed Khundmiri.  As part of his award, he receives a $3500 stipend, free housing, and travel money to present his results at a scientific meeting.

West Virginia IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (WV-INBRE)

Alonna Ballinger (’13) of Jetson is completing a nine-week internship through the WV-INBRE program performing biomedical research at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia.  As part of her award, Ballinger receives a $4500 stipend.

Student Conservation Association (SCA)

Two Gatton Academy students have been selected for National Conservation Crews with the SCA.  These crews of volunteer teens from across the country take hands-on action to preserve America’s national parks, forests, and wildlife refuges.  Jordan Currie (’12) of Rockfield is repairing a hiking trail with her crew in Palmer, Alaska.  William Johnson III (’13) of Elkton is volunteering at Voyageurs National Park in northern Minnesota.

Gatton Academy Research Internship Grant Recipients

Thirteen rising seniors were chosen to receive Gatton Academy Research Internship Grants to support research work this summer.  The 2012 recipients are listed below:

• David Brown (’13) of Central City is continuing his research with Dr. Hemali Rathnayake in WKU’s Department of Chemistry.  His project in the organic nanoparticle field uses functionalized polymers to produce organic solar cells.
• Leah Cannady (’13) of Brandenburg is working with engineer Thomas McQuary at the US Army Corp of Engineers at Fort Knox.  Cannady is studying enegy savings resulting from the implementation of geothermal systems.
• Meaghan Dunn (’13) of Flaherty is continuing research with Dr. Rodney King in the WKU Department of Biology.  Dunn’s project involves using recombineering to introduce a mutation into Erwina, a bacteriophage with similar characteristics as E.Coli, to see if the mutation affects the phage’s ability to undergo an infection cycle.
• Nicholas Fedorka (’13) of Danville is continuing his research with Dr. Bangbo Yan of the WKU Department of Chemistry this summer.  Fedorka’s work is in the synthesis of metal organic framework materials with potential applications in the removal of toxic metals in waste water.
• Matthew Gonzalez (’13) of Brodhead will continue his research work with Dr. Rajalingam Dakshinamurthy in the WKU Department of Chemistry.  His project is on the development of a reliable, clean, and eco-friendly chemical process for the synthesis of gold nanoparticles.
• Emily Gordon (’13) of Paducah is continuing her research work with Dr. Ivan Navikov of WKU’s Applied Physics Institute.  Gordon is on the n3He project, which studies the weak portion of the nuclear binding force.
• Ryan Gott (’13) of Bowling Green is continuing research with Dr. Stacy Wilson of WKU’s Department of Engineering.  His electrical engineering project seeks to create a pressure switch for flexible circuits.
• Chiraag Kapadia (’13) of Madisonville is researching at the Owensboro Cancer Research Program under the mentorship of Dr. Uma Sankar.  He is studying the role of calmodulin dependent protein kinases in stem cell biology.
• Madison Preece (’13) of Owensboro is on a research internship at the Owensboro Cancer Research Program under the mentorship of Dr. Keith Davis.  Her project continues an ongoing investigation on high-dose Vitamin C treatments as a potential cancer treatment.
• Sibi Rajendran (’13) of Frankfort is researching under the mentorship of Dr. James Geddes at the University of Kentucky’s Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center.  Rajendran’s project is examining the hypothesis that calpain 7 activation contributes to cell death following elevations in intracellular calcium.
• William Roach-Barrette (’13) of Wellington is researching at the Morehead State University Space Science Center under the guidance of Dr. Benjamin Malphrus.  Roach-Barrette has joined an ongoing team of scientists and students who are collaborating to build an electronic design and software environment to control tiny satellites and their science packages.
• Samuel Saarinen (’13) of Shelbyville is continuing research with Dr. Claus Ernst in the WKU Department of Mathematics and Computer Science.  On an NSF-funded project, Saarinen joins a group of researchers investigating DNA using knot theory.
• Alexandra Sunnenberg (’13) of Lexington is working with Dr. Jeffrey Osborn in the University of Kentucky’s Department of Biology.  Sunnenberg’s project examines the expression of mitochondrial DNA in a back cross model of spontaneous hypertension.

NCSSSMST Student Research Conference

Six Gatton Academy students are presenting research this summer at the National Consortium for Specialized Secondary Schools of Math, Science, and Technology (NCSSSMST) Student Research Conference at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, IL.  From June 20-23, these students will join 94 other students from across the country to share their research work through oral and poster presentations.  Gatton Academy representatives and their presentation titles are:

• David Brown (’13) of Central City will give a  presentation titled “Novel Π-Conjugated Organic Macromolecules for Electronic Devices”
• Meredith Doughty (’13) of Bowling Green will present “Physical and Molecular Characterization of Bacteriophage TinaFeyge”
• Meaghan Dunn (’13) of Flaherty will present “Discovery and Genomic Characterization of Bacteriophage KyKar”
• Ryan Gott (’13) of Bowling Green will present “Creating a Pressure Switch for Flexible Circuits”
• Natascha Richardson (’13) of Ravenna will give a presentation titled “MadamMonkfish, a Novel Mycobacteriophage Isolated from Ravenna, Kentucky”
• Duncan Wood (’13) of Maysville will present “Dynamical Field Equations that Couple a Morris-Thorne Wormhole to an Expanding Cosmology”

National Youth Policy Summit

Two Gatton Academy students are participating in the National Youth Policy Summit at the Keystone Science Center in Keystone, Colorado.  This year’s summit on Energy Infrastructure takes place from June 9-16 and brings together 40 of the brightest students from across the nation to come up with proposed policy solutions for the world’s energy needs.  The following Gatton Academy students will participate:

• Sibi Rajendran (’13) of Frankfort
• Lauren Shields (’13) of Lexington

Experiences Abroad

This summer, 35 Gatton Academy students will travel internationally for research, language acquisition, culture study, and credit-based study abroad.  Students will be in China, England, Germany, Morocco, and Taiwan.  International research experiences are listed in the former section; other international experiences are:

National Security Language Initiative-for Youth (NSLI-Y)

Paul Fleischmann (’12) of Crestwood has received an NSLI-Y scholarship for six weeks of intensive Arabic study in Morocco.  The scholarship covers all program costs, travel to Morocco, tuition, housing with a host family, activities, and more.  These merit-based scholarships are for high school students studying less commonly taught languages.

Confucius Institute China Experience 2012

Charvinia “Kesi” Neblett (’13) of Russellville traveled with 27 other WKU community members to Beijing’s North China Electric Power University for two weeks during June with the Confucius Institute at WKU.

England

For the second year, the Gatton Academy has partnered with Harlaxton College in Grantham, England to offer a five-week study abroad course.  The following students will study Introduction to Literature under the direction of Dr. Tom Hunley of the WKU Department of English.  Students will study romantic poets in the Lake District, Dracula in Whitby, the Brontës on the famed moors near Haworth, and Shakespeare in London’s Globe Theatre, just to name a few of many stops:

• Cecily Allen (’13) of Danville
• David Brown (’13) of Central City
• Lindsey Burke (’13) of Louisville
• Victoria Cain (’13) of Glasgow
• Leah Cannady (’13) of Brandenburg
• Roxanne Coburn (’13) of Nortonville
• Richard “Daulton” Cockerell (’13) of Prospect
• Miranda Cruse (’13) of Independence
• Eileen Doan (’13) of Paducah
• Matthew Gonzalez (’13) of Brodhead
• Ellen Green (’13) of Henderson
• William “Blake” Hawley (’13) of Cloverport
• Erica Johnson (’13) of Louisville
• William Johnson (’13) of Elkton
• Alison Jones (’13) of Henderson
• Chiraag Kapadia (’13) of Madisonville
• Shane Masuda (’13) of Hebron
• Charvinia “Kesi” Neblett (’13) of Russellville
• Miranda Parrish (’13) of Bardstown
• Erica Plummer (’13) of Paris
• Natascha Richardson (’13) of Ravenna
• Matthew Ruffner (’13) of Irvine
• Samuel Saarinen (’13) of Shelbyville
• Lauren Shields (’13) of Lexington
• Gabriel Smith (’13) of Burkesville
• Melissa Smith (’13) of Guthrie
• Paige Volpenhein (’13) of Florence