Rachel Bowman, a Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky at WKU student from Murray, has been named a recipient of the Department of Defense (DoD) SMART Scholarship, a nationally-competitive award valued at over $250,000.

The SMART Scholarship (Science, Mathematics, and Research for Transformation scholarship) was established in 2006 by the Department of Defense to support undergraduate and graduate students pursuing degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics fields and to increase the number of civilian scientists and engineers doing research in Department of Defense laboratories.

Bowman is the first WKU student to be awarded the SMART Scholarship.

As a recipient of the scholarship, Bowman’s award will pay for full tuition and books at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she has chosen to pursue her Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering upon graduation from the Gatton Academy in May. Also included in the award is a monthly living stipend, annual summer internships at a Department of Defense laboratory, and a guaranteed career position upon graduation with her baccalaureate degree.

“I’m excited to receive the SMART scholarship because it allows me to focus on my studies at MIT while also getting a hands-on learning experience during the summer as an intern with the DoD,” Bowman said. “Once I graduate, I will be able to give back to the country while also pursuing an area I am truly passionate about.”

Bowman’s research with the Department of Defense will center on the creation of new, sustainable energy sources.

Bowman’s has conducted two separate research projects as a student at the Gatton Academy at WKU. Her first project was overseen by Dr. Eric Conte of the Department of Chemistry. According to Conte, Bowman worked on the preparation of silicon nanoparticles for use as surface templates for sensors of organic molecules.

“Rachel was a very enthusiastic young researcher, and I am proud of her achieving this prestigious award,” Conte said.

Bowman’s second faculty-sponsored research project was overseen by Drs. Peter Hamburger and Bruce Kessler of the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science.  Working with Luke Akridge, a Gatton Academy alumnus and current WKU undergraduate, the aim of this project was “to develop a modern technique for teaching matrix transformations on the plane that incorporates works of visual art and computer programming,” said Hamburger.

The results of this project have been accepted for publication and for presentation at the Bridges Organization’s international conference this summer, Hamburger added.  The generated movies and images from this project can be viewed online at http://www.wku.edu/~bruce.kessler/.

“My preparation from the Gatton Academy is the reason I was able to pursue the SMART scholarship,” Bowman said. “By allowing me to take advanced courses in math and science and do research, the Gatton Academy and WKU have given me the excellent foundation I needed to receive and maintain the SMART Scholarship.”

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 careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Sixty students each year are admitted to the program through a competitive 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 Gatton Academy residence hall. The goals of the Gatton Academy are to enable Kentucky’s exceptional young scientists and mathematicians to learn in an environment which offers advanced educational opportunities and to prepare them for leadership roles in Kentucky.  Taking courses offered by WKU, their classmates are fellow Gatton Academy students and WKU undergraduate students. At the end of two years, Gatton Academy students will have earned at least 60 college credit hours in addition to completing high school. The Gatton Academy also seeks to provide its students with the companionship of peers; to encourage students to develop the creativity, curiosity, reasoning ability and self-discipline that lead to independent thought and action; and to aid students in developing integrity that will enable them to benefit society. For more about the Gatton Academy, visit www.wku.edu/academy.

For more information, contact Derick Strode at (270) 745-6565.

Two Gatton Academy students have been selected to participate in nationally competitive summer research programs.

Sarah Pritchett, a junior from Clark County, has been accepted to the EarthWatch Institute’s Student Challenge Awards Program for a summertime research expedition.  She will be working with a team of researchers to study volcanism and tectonics at the Northern Rio Grande Rift in the Sangre de Cristo, Jemez, and Sandia Mountains near Albuquerque, New Mexico.  The program will last from June 14 – June 28, 2009.

Stephanie Burba , a senior from Larue County, has been admitted to the U.S. Department of Energy’s summertime Pre-Service Teacher program.  As a member of the program, Stephanie will be doing research at the Argonne National Laboratory near Chicago, IL from June 1 – August 7, 2009.  The Pre-Service Teacher program is for those who have already decided on a teaching career in one of the STEM areas.  Stephanie will work side-by-side with scientists and engineers on projects related to the Argonne National Laboratory’s research programs, and she will benefit from the mentorship of a Master Teacher who is already teaching in K-12 education and who is familiar with the research work.

As part of its mission to provide exceptional learning opportunities, the Gatton Academy encourages students to participate in high-level, sponsored research during the academic year and summer.  Research opportunities afford students unique learning opportunities outside of the traditional classroom.

For additional information, contact Derick Strode, Coordinator: Research, Internships, and Scholarships, at 270.745.6565.

Though students at the Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky are already experiencing life as university students through the residential program’s advanced curriculum, they are demonstrating that challenging coursework and preparation are also keys to ACT success.

Gatton Academy students at Western Kentucky University, along with almost 43,000 of their peers, participated in Kentucky’s first mandatory testing of all high school juniors through the ACT. Gatton Academy students received an average composite score of 28.3 out of a possible 36 points on the exam — a full 10 points ahead of the statewide average. In the individual subjects, Gatton Academy students scored an average of 27.7 in English, 28.6 in mathematics, 27.8 in reading and 27.8 in science.

Gatton Academy Director Tim Gott explained the results of the ACT are tied to academic experiences students received in the program. “One factor that we feel contributes to this increase is the high level of rigor and relevance of the coursework our students receive at the Gatton Academy and WKU. While we want to focus on helping students across all aspects of their lives, we are very pleased to see tangible results on the ACT.”

Statewide, the 42,929 public school juniors taking the exam received an average composite score of 18.3. In the individual subjects, students scored an average of 17.3 in English, 18.1 in mathematics, 18.5 in reading and 18.7 in science.

Juniors taking the ACT are assessed based on benchmark scores. A benchmark score is the minimum score needed on an ACT subject-area test to indicate a 50 percent chance of obtaining a B or higher or about a 75 percent chance of obtaining a C or higher in the corresponding credit-bearing college courses, which include English Composition, Algebra, Social Science and Biology. These scores were empirically derived based on the actual performance of students in college. The College Readiness Benchmark Scores are: English 18, Mathematics 22, Reading 21 and Science 24.

Dr. Christopher Bowen, Assistant Director of Counseling Services, noted the strength of Gatton Academy students in all subjects, not just science and math. “The variety of academic options at the Gatton Academy allows students to study not only STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) subjects but also a variety of other subjects at the highest levels. Students are able to branch out beyond core content, the result of which is a well-rounded, balanced student who is ready for advanced study at the university level. It’s not just STEM scores rising. It’s all four scores.”

Compared to other secondary institutions in the state, the students at the Gatton Academy fared substantially. As a student body, Gatton Academy students were more than 3.5 points ahead of the state’s most successful schools: DuPont Manual (24.8), Beechwood (23.5), North Oldham (22.7), Highlands (22.1) Paul Laurence Dunbar (21.5), Louisville Male (21.5), The Brown School (21.4), Henry Clay (21.1), and South Oldham (21.0).

This is not the first time Gatton Academy students have experienced a college admissions test. As part of the Gatton Academy admissions requirements, students must complete either the ACT or SAT during their sophomore year. Members of the junior class entered the program with average ACT composite scores of 26.5 and math scores of 26.6.

Corey Alderdice, assistant director of admissions and public relations, said that familiarity with the test played an important role in students’ success on the exam. “The majority of students across Kentucky taking the ACT were doing so for the first time. Gatton Academy students not only have taken the test on multiple occasions – many as early as seventh-graders through the Duke Talent Identification Program – but also realize that repeated interactions with the exam often produce better results.”

About the Gatton Academy

The Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky 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. Sixty students each year are admitted to the program through a competitive 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 Gatton Academy residence hall.
Taking courses offered by WKU, their classmates are fellow Gatton Academy students and WKU undergraduate students. At the end of two years, Gatton Academy students will have earned at least 60 college credit hours in addition to completing high school.

The goals of the Gatton Academy are to enable Kentucky’s exceptional young scientists and mathematicians to learn in an environment which offers advanced educational opportunities and to prepare them for leadership roles in Kentucky. The Gatton Academy also seeks to provide its students with the companionship of peers; to encourage students to develop the creativity, curiosity, reasoning ability and self-discipline that lead to independent thought and action; and to aid students in developing integrity that will enable them to benefit society.

For more about the Gatton Academy, visit www.wku.edu/academy.

More WKU news is available at www.wku.edu and at http://wkunews.wordpress.com/. If you’d like to receive WKU news via e-mail, send a message to WKUNews@wku.edu.

For information, contact Corey Alderdice at (270) 745-2971.