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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.

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A student at the Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky at WKU has received a national scholarship to study in Morocco this summer.

Paul Fleischmann of Crestwood has received theNational Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) scholarship. The NSLI-Y, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, offers scholarships to high-achieving high school students to learn critical languages in overseas immersion programs. Scholarships include all program fees, travel to and from the program site, housing and activity fees for six weeks during the summer.

Fleischmann, the son of Maria and Randall Fleischmann, is a second-year student at the Gatton Academy. He has studied Arabic for three semesters with Khaldoun Almousily, instructor of Arabic in WKU’s Department of Modern Languages. Through the NSLI-Y award, he expects to gain an additional year’s worth of language proficiency this summer.

“I am so grateful to have been awarded this scholarship,” he said. “It is a unique opportunity, and will give me both knowledge and experience to help with my future.”

Fleischmann aspires to become a research scientist in chemistry and to use his Arabic skills to study environmental issues concerning fossil fuels in a region that has some of the largest oil reserves in the world.

“Paul is a bright student and overall genuine individual,” Almousily said. “The NSLI-Y scholarship will assist him in achieving his ambitious professional goals and learning the Arabic language and culture. I look forward to seeing what the future holds for him.”

Fleischmann spent several weeks working on his application for the NSLI-Y scholarship with Dr. Melinda Grimsley-Smith, Coordinator of International Scholarships in the Office of Scholar Development.

“Many meetings to revise my essays with Dr. Grimsley-Smith both strengthened my application and made the process a great experience,” Fleischmann said.

“It is a real pleasure to work with students like Paul. There’s a good amount of ambition hiding under his laid-back exterior,” Dr. Grimsley-Smith said. “He brings all of his academic and personal interests together in a compelling way, and clearly conveys a strong sense of purpose in his writing. In short, he demonstrates the recipe for success in competitions like NSLI-Y.”

This will be the second international experience for Fleischmann. Over the 2012 winter term, he traveled to Costa Rica to conduct research at the Cloudbridge Nature Reserve with WKU Biology Professor Keith Philips, as well as another Gatton Academy student and a Gatton Academy alumnus to investigate the Gunnera-Nostoc Symbiosis. Students identified populations of Gunnera on the reserve, harvested samples and dissected portions to determine if bacterial symbionts were present. He has also been involved with research under the direction of Dr. Ouida Meier of the Department of Biology investigating local wastewater as a source for cave and karst and groundwater pollution.

About the Office of Scholar Development: The Office of Scholar Development is committed to helping WKU students in all majors and degree programs develop the vision, experience and skills to be independent, engaged scholars. OSD welcomes the opportunity to work with students interested in the National Security Language Institute for Youth or other similar opportunities. Contact: Dr. Melinda Grimsley-Smith, (270) 745-5043.

About the Gatton Academy: The Gatton Academy offers a residential program for bright, highly motivated Kentucky high school students who have demonstrated interest in pursuing advanced careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Approximately 60 students each year are admitted to the program through a competitive selection process. Instead of spending their junior and senior years in traditional high schools, students enroll in the Gatton Academy and live in a uniquely dedicated residence hall. The goals of the Gatton Academy are to enable Kentucky’s exceptional young scientists and mathematicians to learn in an environment that offers advanced educational opportunities and to prepare them for leadership roles in Kentucky.  At the end of two years, Gatton Academy students earn at least 60 college credit hours in addition to completing high school. Contact: Corey Alderdice, (270) 745-6565.

Contact: Melinda Grimsley-Smith, (270) 745-5043.

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Four second-year students at The Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky recently shared research findings at The National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR).

Lydia Brothers, from Madisonville, Andrea Eastes, from Mayfield, Keaton Smith, from Alexandria, and Erin Walch, also from Alexandria, presented at the annual conference, held March 29-31, 2012, at Weber State University in Ogden, Utah.

NCUR promotes undergraduate research, scholarship, and creative activity in all disciplines. The conference provided undergraduate scholars in all fields and from all types of institutions of higher learning a forum to share the results of their work through posters, presentations, performances and works of art.

Derick Strode, the Gatton Academy’s assistant director for academic services explained that the conference was a new venue with a diverse audience for students to share their research.

“What we found is an open-minded forum that welcomes quality student projects from a wide-array of disciplines,” Strode said. “This is important because it allows our students a chance to collaborate with others who think about problems in very different ways than scientists or mathematicians.”

Established in 1987, the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) has consistently been one of the largest national conferences for promoting undergraduate research, creative, and scholastic achievement. This two to three-day annual event draws hundreds of talented students representing over 400 colleges and universities nationally.

For Brothers, the variety of backgrounds and viewpoints can lead to interdisciplinary thought and discovery.

“I think the greatest value of NCUR to a student researcher was the availability of so many people who were involved in such a wide range of fields,” Brothers said. “Having researchers from such varied backgrounds who are truly interested and willing to challenge you with questions or provide you with alternate methods to improve your conclusions really gives you something positive to take back to the lab.”

An additional portion of NCUR includes plenary sessions led by nationally prominent speakers sharing their perspectives on educational policy, various programs and initiatives, funding opportunities for undergraduate research efforts, and career development.

Four out of five Gatton Academy graduates participate in a faculty-sponsored research project during their time at the Academy.  The Gatton Academy supports students in such endeavors not only as a means of academic growth but also extending the program’s mission of providing rigorous learning experiences.

Keep reading to learn more about students’ research and comments from their faculty mentors.

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The Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky at Western Kentucky University was named a finalist in Intel Corporation’s 2012 Schools of Distinction Awards in the high school category for its excellence in science.

The Intel Schools of Distinction program recognized The Gatton Academy for its achievement in science, providing a rich curriculum incorporating hands-on investigative experiences that prepare students for 21st century jobs. The Gatton Academy’s program encourages student achievement in sciences and engineering, while simultaneously helping students become knowledgeable consumers of news and data in order to grow as engaged leaders and informed citizens.

The Gatton Academy is the first Kentucky school to become a finalist in the program since Intel introduced the program in 2006.  The other finalists in the high school science category are Boston Latin School in Boston, Mass., and Ossining High School in Ossining, N.Y.

“The schools selected as Intel Schools of Distinction are leaders in preparing their students to become America’s next generation of thinkers and doers,” said Shelly Esque, vice president of Intel’s Corporate Affairs Group and president of the Intel Foundation. “Intel is recognizing these schools as exemplary models of what can be achieved through hard work and innovation in the areas of math and science.”

The Gatton Academy, along with the 17 other finalist schools at the elementary, middle, and high school level nationwide, will receive a $5,000 award from the Intel Foundation and a trip to Washington, D.C., in September, when six schools will be named Intel Schools of Distinction. These six schools will each win an additional $5,000 from the Intel Foundation and a package of goods and services with a total value of approximately $500,000 split among the schools.

Dr. Tim Gott, director of The Gatton Academy, noted that it is an incredible honor for the school to be selected as an Intel Schools of Distinction finalist.

“It is a major affirmation of the work our students have accomplished over the past five years,” Gott said. “Our partnership with WKU has opened exceptional opportunities.  From exploring the micro-world of genomes to the macro-world of dark matter in the universe, the classroom and research experiences here have allowed students the chance to enrich their education in powerful ways. This environment continues to equip our students to be the future leaders in STEM fields.”

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The recognition by Intel is part of a growing portfolio of honors for The Gatton Academy.  Each year since 2009, the school has been recognized among “Public Elites” American high schools by Washington Post education columnist Jay Matthews.  In 2011, the Academy ranked fifth among all U.S. high schools in Newsweek’s annual survey of “America’s Best High Schools.”

Intel Schools of Distinction serve as outstanding examples of leaders in preparing tomorrow’s innovators, noted Corey Alderdice, the assistant director for admissions and public relations at The Gatton Academy.  Alderdice served as the lead author on the school’s application for the award.

“One of the unique elements of The Gatton Academy’s application was that our program serves as an extension of each of the commonwealth’s public high schools,” Alderdice said. “We are proud to offer an innovative curriculum within a residential program for many of Kentucky’s brightest young minds.  We take equal pride in continuing the good work of the educators from students’ sending schools, who have already done so much to challenge, inspire, and engage them.”

One of the six schools will also be selected as “Star Innovator,” will receive $25,000 from the Intel Foundation, and additional prizes and services from sponsors.

Intel’s sponsorship of the Schools of Distinction Awards is part of the Intel® Education Initiative, a sustained public-private partnership with governments in more than 50 countries. Through this $100 million a year initiative, Intel delivers programs which improve the effective use of technology to enhance 21st century skills and encourages excellence in mathematics, science and engineering. For more information, visit: www.intel.com/education.

For more information on the Intel Schools of Distinctions Awards visit: www.intel.com/education/schoolsofdistinction.

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Since 2006, WKU has led the state in recognition by the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program. This year, WKU placed among the top producers of Goldwater Scholars in the nation.

Michael Crocker, a second-year student in the Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science from Bowling Green,; and Clarice Esch, an agriculture major and Gatton Academy alumna from Somerset, received scholarships to continue original research.

Lukas Missik, also a second-year student in the Gatton Academy from Danville, received an Honorable Mention in the national competition. Charles “Chadd” Coomer, a biology and chemistry double-major from Louisville, was WKU’s third award winner this year.  Universities may nominate up to four students each year.

The students’ success stems from the emphasis placed on undergraduate research at WKU and in the Gatton Academy. Goldwater Scholars are selected based on their academic performance and potential for a research career.

“These students should be commended for demonstrating their future potential effectively through their outstanding research essays and research productivity to date,” said Dr. Kevin Williams, Goldwater faculty representative and associate professor of chemistry.

Each of the students worked closely with their mentors and the Office of Scholar Development to develop cogent applications, submitting numerous drafts over the course of several weeks. “The faculty who have effectively mentored these students in research and the classroom should be applauded for their efforts,” Dr. Williams said.

Established by the U.S. Congress in 1986 to recognize the former senator from Arizona, the scholarship program identifies and honors students who excel in and are pursuing research careers in the sciences, mathematics and engineering. Winners receive $7,500 annually with which they can pay for undergraduate tuition, fees, books and room and board.

WKU is one of 24 institutions where each scholar nominated was recognized by the program. Out of more than 1,100 applicants nationwide, only 282 were selected as scholars and fewer than 200 others received Honorable Mention recognition.

WKU President Gary A. Ransdell commended the students on their willingness to take on ambitious research projects.

“The success these students demonstrate through this recognition shows what can happen when you pair excellent students with a caring, wonderful faculty and the support system available at WKU,” he said. “This is a tribute to their hard work and determination and the guidance and support of their faculty mentors.”

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With 269 presentations, the 42nd annual WKU Student Research Conferencewas the biggest in the event’s history as Saturday’s event at Gary A. Ransdell Hall featured 146 papers, 111 posters/exhibits, six performances/videos and six spotlight presentations.

A total of 184 undergraduate students and 85 graduate students were primary authors this year, and an additional 151 students were co-authors. A total of 154 faculty members served as mentors, providing expert instruction and guidance to student researchers and artists.

Among the undergraduate participants in the conference were 69 Honors College students and 32 students in the Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky.  Among the students honored, 9 current Academy students were recognized and 4 alumni saluted for their findings.

Student participants represented 33 departments and programs from all colleges: Agriculture; Architectural and Manufacturing Sciences; Art; Biology; Business; Chemistry; Communication; Communication Disorders; Computer Science; Consumer and Family Sciences; Economics; Educational Administration, Leadership, and Research; Engineering; English; Folk Studies and Anthropology; Gender and Women’s Studies; Geography and Geology; History; Interdisciplinary Studies; Management; Mathematics and Computer Science; Modern Languages; Music; Nursing; Philosophy and Religion; Physics and Astronomy; Political Science; Popular Culture Studies; Psychology; Public Health; Social Work; Sociology; and Theatre and Dance.

Award recipients included the following students noted below (faculty mentor in parenthesis).  Current Gatton Academy students’ names are listed in green.  Academy alumni are marked with an asterisk (*).

Undergraduate Students

  • Jessica Williams, Department of Theatre and Dance; Best Undergraduate Performance in the Humanities, Session 1 (tie) — Rhythm of My Sole (Professor Amanda Clark)
  • Kyle MacDonald, Department of Music; Best Undergraduate Performance in the Humanities, Session 1 (tie) — Olympia, a Musical Composition for Wind Ensemble (Dr. Michael Kallstrom)
  • Victoria Gilkison*, Department of Biology; Best Undergraduate Paper in the Natural Sciences, Session 1 – Stable Isotopic Analysis of the Upper Green River in Hart County, Kentucky (Dr. Albert Meier)
  • Leah Frazier*, Department of Biology; Best Undergraduate Paper in the Natural Sciences, Session 2 — Stimulation of Cell Migration in Corneal Endothelial Cells (Dr. Ken Crawford)
  • Ashley Coulter, Department of English; Best Undergraduate Paper in the Humanities, Session 3 — Pale in Comparison: Dissent within Alice Walker’s In Search of Our Mothers’ Gardens (Dr. Sandra Hughes)
  • Cody Nimmo, Department of Art; Best Undergraduate Paper in the Humanities, Session 4 — Change: Altering How We Perceive an Environment through Sculpture (Professor David Marquez)
  • John “Jack” LeSieur, Department of Folk Studies and Anthropology; Best Undergraduate Paper in the Social Sciences/Services, Session 5 —Cultural Resources at Kyrock, Kentucky: An Initial Assessment (Dr. Darlene Applegate)
  • Brenna Tinsley, Department of Biology; Best Undergraduate Paper in the Natural Sciences, Session 6 — The Ecological Roles of Podostemum ceratophyllum and Cladophora in the Habitat and Dietary Preferences of the Riverine Caddisfly Hydropsyche simulans (Dr. Scott Grubbs)
  • Rebecca Crouch, Department of Mathematics and Computer Science; Best Undergraduate Paper in the Natural Sciences, Session 7 — Chutes and Ladders with Markov Chains (Dr. Melanie Autin)
  • Shelby Rader*, Department of Geography and Geology; Best Undergraduate Paper in the Natural Sciences, Session 8 — Ion Selectivity Studies on Umbite (Dr. Aaron Celestian)
  • Anne Walsh, Department of Art; Best Undergraduate Paper in the Humanities, Session 9 — Call Me Ishmael? The Subject of Jackson Pollock’s Portrait of H.M. (Dr. Guy Jordan)
  • Nathan Bishop, Department of History; Best Undergraduate Paper in the Humanities, Session 10 — Willis v. Walker: Good Faith Alone Is Not the Test (Dr. Patricia Minter)
  • Taylor Sang, Department of English; Best Undergraduate Paper in the Humanities, Session 11 — Crusader for Transparency (Dr. Sandra Hughes)
  • Armando Sanchez, Department of Interdisciplinary Studies; Best Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Paper, Session 12 — Truth and Photography (Dr. Sara Northerner)
  • Shelby Overstreet, Department of Psychology; Best Undergraduate Paper in the Social Sciences/Services, Session 13 — STEM Career Switchers: Why Education? (Dr. Lisa Duffin)
  • Steven Calhoun, Department of Chemistry; Best Undergraduate Paper in the Natural Sciences, Session 14 — Synthesis, Structure, and Characterization of Two Polyoxometalate-Photosensitizer Hybrid Materials (Dr. Bangbo Yan)
  • Henry Uradu, Department of Biology; Best Undergraduate Paper in the Natural Sciences, Session 15 — The Winter-Active Dung Beetle Fauna of a Costa Rican Cloud Forest (Dr. Keith Phillips)
  • Jarrod Connally, Department of Economics; Best Undergraduate Business/Interdisciplinary Poster, Session 1 — Managerial Turnover in the English Premiership and the Subsequent Results (Dr. Dennis Wilson)
  • Ann-Alan Callahan, Department of Consumer and Family Sciences; Best Undergraduate Poster in the Humanities, Session 2 — Beading ’til They’re Cured (Ms. Sheila Flener)
  • Jesse Hazel, Department of Art; Best Undergraduate Poster in the Humanities, Session 3 — Humbling (Professor Laurin Notheisen)
  • Wesley Miller, Department of Art; Best Undergraduate Poster in the Humanities, Session 4 — Secular Nativity in Print – Exploring Origin(Professor Laurin Notheisen)
  • Akhil Ghanta, Shane Masuda, and Duncan Wood, Department of Physics and Astronomy; Best Undergraduate Poster in the Natural Sciences, Session 5 — Dynamical Field Equations That Couple a Morris-Thorne Wormhole to an Expanding Cosmology (Dr. Keith Andrew)
  • Elizabeth Gatten, Department of Biology; Best Undergraduate Poster in the Natural Sciences, Session 6 — Isolation and Characterization of Bacteriophage Magnolia (Dr. Rodney King)
  • Cynthia Tope*, Department of Chemistry; Best Undergraduate Poster in the Natural Sciences, Session 7 (tie) — Reactions of the Amino Acid Cysteine with Analogs of the Anticancer Drug Cisplatin (Dr. Kevin Williams)
  • Lori Lovell, Department of Biology; Best Undergraduate Poster in the Natural Sciences, Session 7 (tie) — Land Use and E. Coli / Fecal Coliform Violations in the Upper Green Watershed (Dr. Ouida Meier)
  • David Brown, Department of Chemistry; Best Undergraduate Poster in the Natural Sciences, Session 8 — Novel Î-Conjugated Organic Macromolecules for Electronic Devices (Dr. Hemali Rathnayake)
  • Andrea Eastes and Erin Walch, Department of Biology; Best Undergraduate Poster in the Natural Sciences, Session 9 — Nitric Oxide Synthase 3 Gene Regulation in Pulmonary Myofibroblasts (Dr. Nancy Rice)
  • Charles Coomer, Department of Biology; Best Undergraduate Poster in the Natural Sciences, Session 10 — Bacteriophage Classification Via PCR Analysis: An Alternative to Complete Genome Sequencing (Dr. Rodney King)
  • Brittany Crowley, Department of Psychology; Best Undergraduate Poster in the Social Sciences/Services, Session 11 — Examination of Self-Regulation Constructs as Explanatory Variables for Attendance and Performance (Dr. Steven Wininger)
  • Cortney Scott, Department of Agriculture; Best Undergraduate Poster in the Social Sciences/Services, Session 12 — Student Influences to Become an Agriculture Major at Western Kentucky University (Professor Thomas Kingery)
  • Kristin Wallace, Department of Consumer and Family Sciences; Best Undergraduate Poster in the Social Sciences/Services, Session 13 —Sephora: Men: A Pop-up Marketing Concept (Kristina Goff)
  • Caitlin Reyes, Department of Modern Languages; Best Undergraduate Poster in the Social Sciences/Services, Session 14 — Hispanic Outreach in Bowling Green, Kentucky: Defining the Needs of the Hispanic Community(Dr. Sonia Lenk)

Sammi Hawtrey, a Gatton Academy senior from Union, spoke about her experiences as a gifted student at the Capitol Rotunda to mark the celebration of Gifted Education Week in Kentucky.

My name is Samantha Hawtrey, and I am a senior at the Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Gifted education is of great importance to me personally, but also to the whole state of Kentucky. By investing in the 17% of school-aged children who are gifted and talented, Kentucky is doing itself a favor. With institutions like the Center for Gifted Studies, Kentucky Association for Gifted Education, and my own Gatton Academy, gifted education in Kentucky is already incredibly advanced. The improvement of Kentucky’s educational system does not merely mean raising standards at the lowest levels of achievement; it can also be greatly affected by removing barriers at the top.

You may wonder who I am to make such claims about Kentucky’s education systems. I am one of the 645,000 students currently enrolled in Kentucky public schools, and more specifically, I am one of the 111,000 gifted and talented students in Kentucky. I can personally vouch for the infinite possibilities created by gifted education programs throughout the state. As a student at the Gatton Academy, I have spent my junior and senior years of high school taking entirely college courses, conducting research, and studying abroad with peers who have a passion for learning. I have had the opportunity to study courses such as Bioinformatics, Organic Chemistry, Physics, Anatomy, and Computer Science. Last year I isolated a bacteriophage virus in a program funded by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. I have presented my work at the US Naval Academy in Maryland, HHMI’s research facilities in Virginia, and Western Kentucky University’s Research Conference in Bowling Green, Kentucky. I also coauthored a research paper that was published in the Journal of Experimental Secondary Science this fall. I am currently using fruit flies to conduct cancer research. I have been able to work with university professors in high-tech laboratories that few undergraduate students have access to. Last January I and fifteen other academy students studied biodiversity at Cloudbridge Nature reserve in Costa Rica. I live on the campus of Western Kentucky University with 124 students who are just as excited about learning as I am. I have access to supportive advisors who push me to make the most of every opportunity and equip me to do so. These two years at the academy have opened my eyes to a world filled with possibilities. There is no limit to what I can pursue except my own motivation. This incredible experience has radically changed my life, giving me the chance to reach my full potential and enabling me to discover my passion for the medical field, which I hope to enter someday.

When the importance of gifted education is properly acknowledged, the whole state of Kentucky will benefit. As young minds are allowed to pursue their passion for learning and maximize their potential early on, they will grow up to become better engineers, doctors, computer programmers, and teachers. By supporting gifted education now, we are ensuring a brighter future for Kentucky in the years to come. And that is something worth looking forward to!

To all the legislators, senators, decision makers and educators who have made gifted education in Kentucky possible, thank you.

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Two students in WKU’s Department of Physics and Astronomy received prestigious awards recently at the American Astronomical Society’s 219thsemiannual meeting in Austin, Texas.

Aaron C. Bell of Scottsville and Andrew Gott of Elizabethtown received Chambliss Astronomy Achievement Student Awards for their poster presentations at the conference. Often called the Super Bowl of Astronomy, the AAS winter meeting Jan. 8-12 attracted more than 2,700 astrophysicists, educators, students and journalists.

Dr. Louis Strolger, associate professor and Gott’s advisor, said several hundred undergraduate posters are presented at the conference and fewer than 10 Chambliss medals are awarded with the majority going to students from research universities.

Of the seven medals awarded this year, three went to students from Harvard University and two went to WKU, he said. WKU’s Kyle Cook, now a graduate student at Texas A&M, won a Chambliss medal in 2010.

“It is rare for an institution our size to garner one of these prestigious awards, let alone two in one year and three Chambliss awards in the past two years,” said Dr. Steven Gibson, assistant professor and Bell’s advisor.

Bell and Gott said the Chambliss awards validate the quality of WKU’s faculty and students and the high caliber research under way in the department. “These awards bring prestige to WKU and let everyone know that we do have an excellent Department of Physics and Astronomy,” Bell said.

Bell worked with Dr. Gibson on a project titled Dust Infrared Emission in an H2-Forming, Perseus-Arm Cloud. Bell’s interstellar research has focused on the formation of dense clouds of molecular gas that can collapse under their own gravity. Using infrared data from the Spitzer Space Telescope, Bell is examining how small dust particles aid the condensation of molecular hydrogen from less dense atomic gas. This transition is vital to the ongoing formation of new stars and planets in our own galaxy and many others.

Gott worked with Dr. Strolger on a project titled UBVRI Optical Monitoring of Supernova 2011fe in the Pinwheel Galaxy with the 1.3-meter Robotically Controlled Telescope. Gott has been examining data from an exploding star that has been one of the most important supernovae in recent history. Measuring its brightness over time will provide vital information about more distant supernovae being used to measure the expansion history of the universe — the subject of the recent Nobel Prize in physics, in which Dr. Strolger played a role.

Bell and Gott, both seniors and graduates of the Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky, plan to continue their research at graduate school. And both encourage other students to take advantage of the undergraduate research opportunities in their department and across the WKU campus.

“Students should know that if they’re interested in research, then approach your professors about it because there’s a strong chance they’ll get to work with them on a project,” Bell said.

Two other WKU students also had research presented at the AAS conference.

Jonathan Newton, a senior from Nicholasville, presented a poster onCandidate Sites for Cold H2 Formation in Cold HI Emission and Other Tracers. He has been using a survey with the Arecibo radio telescope in Puerto Rico (where he was a summer intern last year) to look for clouds of cold gas that are becoming denser and colder in preparation for forming new stars.

Research by Rebecca Brown, a Gatton Academy student from Nelson County, was featured in a poster titled Observations of 4 Blazars with the Robotically Controlled Telescope in 2011.

Contact: Steven Gibson, (270) 745-3019; or Louis Strolger, (270) 745-6204.

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More than 20 WKU student, five of whom are Gatton Academy students, presented research during the 2012 Posters-at-the-Capitol event Jan. 26 in Frankfort.

  • Aaron Bell, a Scottsville senior and Gatton Academy alumnus, presented “Dust Infrared Emission in an H2-forming, Perseus-Arm Cloud” with faculty mentor Steve Gibson.
  • Jade Boyle, a Glasgow senior, and Ashton Korfhage, a Bowling Green senior, presented “Cultural Design for African Children in Need” with faculty mentors Sheila S. Flener and Travis K. Wilson.
  • Andrea Eastes, a Gatton Academy student from Mayfield, and Lydia Brothers, a Gatton Academy student from Madisonville, presented “ZBLAN Glass: Improving Medical Imaging with Europium Doped HoF3 and SrCl2 Based Storage Phosphors” with faculty mentor Jackie Johnson.
  • Chris Carmichael, a Bowling Green senior, presented “A Novel Layered Metalloporphyrin Material” with faculty mentor Bangbo Yan.
  • Andrea Esterle, a Bowling Green senior, presented “Biosynthesis of Gold and Silver Nanoparticles Using Yucca filamentosa Plant Extract” with faculty mentor Shivendra Sahi.
  • Deanna Gipson, an Auburn senior, and Traci Walker, a Campbellsville senior, presented “The Culturally Competent Dental Team” with faculty mentor Barbara Bush.
  • Ryan D. Gourley, a senior from Evansville, Ind., and graduate students Kamal Humagain of Bowling Green and Sean T. Hutchison of Nashville, Tenn., presented “Using Satellite Remote Sensing Data to Describe Spatiotemporal Characteristics of Fire in Nepal” with faculty mentor John All.
  • Sherry R. Helm, an Eastview senior, presented “Analysis of RNA Mediated Antitermination in Erwinia Tasmaniensis Bacteriophage” with faculty mentor Rodney A. King.
  • Kayla Jenkins, a Bowling Green junior, and Chad Jones, a Brandenburg senior, presented “Decoding the Body” with faculty mentor Joseph Evans.
  • Alyssa Nantz, a senior from LaVergne, Tenn., and Mikell Nelson, a Louisville senior, presented “Dental Health Literacy: A Plea for Simplicity” with faculty mentor Rebecca G. Tabor.
  • Dillon Pender, an Elizabethtown senior, and graduate student and Lakshmisri M. Vangala of Bowling Green presented “Environmental Friendly Synthesis, Characterization and Bactericidal Activity of Starch-Encapsulated Gold Nanoparticles” with faculty mentor Rajalingam Dakshinamurphy.
  • Michael Powers, a Bowling Green senior, presented “Enhanced Nanoporous Minerals for Energy Processes” with faculty mentor Aaron Celestian.
  • Mary Spraggs, a Gatton Academy student from Danville, and Cheyenne Ullrey, a Gatton Academy student from Walton, presented “An Examination of Atmospheric Composition Data from Mammoth Cave National Park” with faculty mentor Matthew J. Nee.
  • Leslie Wilson, a Gatton Academy student from Munfordville, presented “Reactive Group Functionalized Silsequioxane Nanoparticles for Drug Delivery Applications: Synthesis, Characterization and Particle Morphology” with faculty mentor Hemali Rathnayake.

Posters-at-the-Capitol is intended to help members of Kentucky’s legislature and the Governor better understand the importance of involving undergraduates in research, scholarly and creative work.

Contact: Blaine Ferrell, (270) 745-8842.