Since 2010, the Gatton Academy has offered students the ability to pursue summer research experiences through the Gatton Research Internships Grants (RIG) program.  Made possible through the generous support of Mr. Carol Martin “Bill” Gatton, the program offers competitive grants to Gatton Academy students between their junior and senior years to support summertime research internships across the Commonwealth and the world.  By providing a funding mechanism, the program directly creates new avenues for growth and exploration.  Throughout the summer, we are sharing insights from students who are the recipients of our 2012 grants.

Rising senior Nicholas Fedorka of Danville has spent his summer working in the WKU Department of Chemistry under the mentorship of Dr. Bangbo Yan.  Nicholas is studying water as a potential energy source through his research on the synthesis and structure of a metal organic framework.
1.     What does research mean to you as a young person interested in STEM?

As a young person interested in STEM this research experience means a lot to me. It’s a taste of what I could be doing for the rest of my life.  In STEM there are many options for possible careers. Chemistry and research are two very promising ones for me. I am doing both. Through this research I get more experience, and through that experience I grow in my understanding of myself  and what I want to do.

2.       How is this different from the way you think most high school students spend their summers?

This is quite different from most high-schoolers’ summer. While many such people may have a summer job, it probably has nothing to do with what they aspire to be or how they hope to contribute to society. I’m doing exactly what I want to do through my work: I’m doing science.

3.       What are you looking forward to the most about your second year at the Academy?

By far I am looking forward to taking university classes again. I look forward to once again having a rigorous and rewarding education.
4.       What do you aspire to achieve in the next ten years?

I hope to discover what I want to do with my life, as in what sort of science I want to do.  This means getting degrees, doing research, publishing papers, and making myself more than competent at my chosen profession.
5.       How does this research experience or internship fit into your educational and professional goals?

This research experience fits quite nicely into my educational goals.  I want to get as much education as possible in what interests me. I find chemistry interesting, and by getting hands-on, actual, “real life” experience, I am getting an excellent background in it.

Since 2010, the Gatton Academy has offered students the ability to pursue summer research experiences through the Gatton Research Internships Grants (RIG) program.  Made possible through the generous support of Mr. Carol Martin “Bill” Gatton, the program offers competitive grants to Gatton Academy students between their junior and senior years to support summertime research internships across the Commonwealth and the world.  By providing a funding mechanism, the program directly creates new avenues for growth and exploration.  This summer, we’re sharing first-hand student experiences in a series we call Summer 5Q. 

Rising senior Madison Preece of Owensboro spent her summer at the Owensboro Cancer Research Program working under the mentorship of Dr. Keith Davis.   Her project studied cell death after possible cancer treatment.  We had a chance to catch up with Madison earlier this summer.

1. How is your summer different than other high school students’ summers?

My summer experience is different than other high school students because with my research position I am not just working to make money, I am investing in my education and in my future. Specifically, my research will help me stand out among other applicants to top universities.

2.  Will you be using your research experience as a launching point for any particular applications, competitions, or scholarships?

I will be using this research experience as a launching point to enter the Siemens Competition this fall. It will also help me stand out during the college application process.

3. What do you aspire to achieve in the next ten years?

In the next ten years, I aspire to complete my education and become a physician. My passion is for helping others. My goal is to open free clinics in Myanmar for the civilians who are being attacked because of their religious affiliations.

4. How does the Gatton Academy help Kentucky from your point of view?

From my perspective, the Gatton Academy helps improve Kentucky’s educational image. By recently being selected as Newsweek’s #1 public high school in America, it illustrates that when our bright students are combined with excellent leadership, teaching, resources, and opportunities that great educational milestones can be reached. With such an outstanding education, students from Kentucky can truly impact the world.

5. What do you love most about the Gatton Academy?

What I love most about the Gatton Academy is the opportunity to live in a learning-oriented environment with other high school students who share my passion for science and mathematics. We all strive to do our best and push others to do the same. At my old high school, I never had the chance to make friends who are so much like me.

Since 2010, the Gatton Academy has offered students the ability to pursue summer research experiences through the Gatton Research Internships Grants (RIG) program.  Made possible through the generous support of Mr. Carol Martin “Bill” Gatton, the program offers competitive grants to Gatton Academy students between their junior and senior years to support summertime research internships across the Commonwealth and the world.  By providing a funding mechanism, the program directly creates new avenues for growth and exploration.  Throughout the summer, we are sharing insights from students who are the recipients of our 2012 grants.

Samuel Saarinen of Shelbyville spent his summer investigating knot theory and polygons as they pertain to modeling viral DNA.  His research was conducted in the WKU Department of Mathematics and Computer Science under the guidance of Dr. Claus Ernst.  We had a chance to catch up with Sam earlier this summer.

1.  How is your summer of research different from most high school students’ summers?

On the surface, this really is like what most high school students do with their summers. I have a job which I show up to every morning, I read in the afternoons, and I pursue my hobbies on the weekends. Except that my job is thinking of things that nobody has ever thought of before, the books I read are mostly on knot theory or computer programming, and my hobbies include designing fonts, creating videogames, and studying great works of art.

2. What does research mean to you as a young person interested in STEM?

This research is an opportunity to begin to understand the machinations of science. I get experience working with real issues in this field of study, and I get a feel for the nature of the work involved. Additionally, this research has proved invaluable to my continuing education; I have learned a huge amount both about the specific work surrounding my research, and tangential areas that have a strong application to this work.

3.  What do you aspire to achieve in the next ten years?

In the next ten years, I want to get a Ph.D., publish a game that I developed, and visit a country whose primary language is not English.

4. What do you most look forward to about your second year at the Gatton Academy?

I am looking forward to everything that I loved about the first year. I’m looking forward to hard classes, new ideas, smart professors, and genius friends.

5.  What do you love most about the Gatton Academy?

How can I sum up in just a few words something that really has to be experienced? The Gatton Academy is a school, a family, a lifestyle, and a playground. If I had to say exactly what it is that I loved most, I would say that I loved the freedom. Freedom to try things, like making movies, or writing music. Freedom to be who I am, without retribution for being abnormal. But most of all, freedom to excel; the freedom to become more than I am.

Since 2010, the Gatton Academy has offered students the ability to pursue summer research experiences through the Gatton Research Internships Grants (RIG) program.  Made possible through the generous support of Mr. Carol Martin “Bill” Gatton, the program offers competitive grants to Gatton Academy students between their junior and senior years to support summertime research internships across the Commonwealth and the world.  By providing a funding mechanism, the program directly creates new avenues for growth and exploration.  Throughout the summer, we’re sharing insights from students who are the recipients of our 2012 grants.  Today we resume the series and check in with Emily Gordon. 

Emily Gordon of Paducah has spent her summer at the Applied Physics Institute located at the Western Kentucky University Center for Research and Development under the mentorship of Dr. Ivan Novikov.  Emily’s research is in the preparation and execution of computational simulations using the Monte Carlo approach to study P-violation in neutron scattering.

1. What part of your summer experience are you enjoying most?

What I most enjoy about this summer experience is the chance to dedicate all of my time to research. During the school year, I have to scramble for time to work on my research between classes and homework. The summer allows for complete immersion into a problem, which is very rewarding.

2.      Will you use this research experience as a launching point for any particular applications, competitions, or scholarships?

This fall, I will use my research experience to enter the Siemens Competition and Intel Science Talent Search. I will also apply for the SMART Scholarship.

3.     What does research mean to you as a young person interested in STEM?

To me, research is a way of making some part of the science world better known. Research is taking mystery out of science and replacing it with wonder and awe.

4.      What are you looking forward to the most about your second year at the Academy?

I am most looking forward to ushering in a new group of students to take over the junior class. I can’t wait to see what these new students will add to the Academy culture!

5.     What do you love most about the Gatton Academy?

Typical high schools have a very set curriculum that all students must follow. There is a formula for everything from lunch schedules to taking the bus home. Gatton is the opposite: the Academy experience is different for every student, and tailored to their STEM interests.

Since 2010, the Gatton Academy has offered students the ability to pursue summer research experiences through the Gatton Research Internships Grants (RIG) program.  Made possible through the generous support of Mr. Carol Martin “Bill” Gatton, the program offers competitive grants to Gatton Academy students between their junior and senior years to support summertime research internships across the Commonwealth and the world.  By providing a funding mechanism, the program directly creates new avenues for growth and exploration.  This summer, we’re sharing first-hand student experiences in a series we call Summer 5Q. 

This summer, William Roach-Barrette of Frenchburg is working in the Morehead State University Space Science Center designing code for a nanosatelltite.  The project he is working on is called MicroLogo Project: An electronic design and software environment to control tiny satellites and their science packages.

1. What is the part of the summer experience you are enjoying most?

I love working in an aerospace lab with other students that share my interests. By working in these labs I not only have access to professionals who share my interests, but to the tools I need to preform my required research.

2. How is this different from the way you think most high school students spend their summers?

A majority of my friends spend their summers working at day jobs or watching television, not building and coding satellites. This scholarship has provided me an opportunity to work in my scientific field of interest, something I don’t think other students get the opportunity to do.

3. Will you be using this research experience as a launching point for any particular applications, competitions, or scholarships?

The end goal of my research is to develop a computer language that is usable by high school, or younger, students as a learning tool designed to teach the basics of satellite programing.  If successful I would like to use it to apply for such competitions as the Siemens Competition and the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair.

4. How does this research experience or internship fit into your educational and professional goals?

I love being able to incorporate my love for space science with my love for computer science, and this internship does just that. I first have to design a working part for a satellite, and then write code that takes advantage of that particular part. This helps incorporate both my interests into one.

5. What are you looking forward to the most about your second year at the Academy?

I can’t wait to get back to the Academy to start my second year. Not only do I get to pursue new sciences, such as chemistry and physics, I also will start taking more advanced courses in areas like computer science and logic.