Academics – Page 3 – The Gatton Academy News

Five Gatton Academy Seniors Recognized as National Semifinalists in 2011 Siemens Competition

November 1, 2011 | Academics, News, People, Research, Students, WKU | No Comments

[fblike]

Five second-year students at WKU’s Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky have been recognized by the Siemens Foundation as national semifinalists in the 2011 Siemens Competition in Math, Science & Technology.

Five second-year students at the Gatton Academy have been recognized as national semifinalists in the 2011 Siemens Competition in Math, Science & Technology. (WKU photos by Clinton Lewis)

Keaton Smith, a senior from Alexandria, was recognized in the individual competition. Andrea Eastes, a senior from Mayfield, and Lydia Brothers, a senior from Madisonville, along with Lori Lovell, a senior from Florence, and Samantha Hawtrey, a senior from Union, were honored in the team category.

As the nation’s leading original research competition in math, science and technology for high school students, the Siemens Competition is administered annually by the College Board, and awards scholarships to students in both individual and team categories.

An all-time record 2,436 students nationwide registered to enter the 2011-12 Siemens Competition for an unprecedented 1,541 projects submitted. Approximately 300 semifinalists were recognized.

Reaching the semifinalist stage of this competition puts any student into an elite crowd of the nation’s top high school-aged researchers. To achieve this accolade, students each committed hundreds of hours outside their course schedules researching, writing their reports and refining drafts with their mentors.

Derick Strode, the Gatton Academy’s coordinator for research, internships and scholarships, said research not only serves as an important part of the Academy experience, but also is the springboard to future pursuits.

“Independent research allows motivated high school students a chance to explore a passion and try out a possible career path,” Strode said. “While young, these students are also proving they are ready to make serious contribution to research questions that affect our society.”

(more…)

By Corey Alderdice

Academy Alumni Co-Author Findings in Journal of Chromatography B

October 24, 2011 | Academics, Alumni, News, People, Research, WKU | No Comments

[fblike]

Congrats to alumni Camille Turner and Zach Laux on having their research findings they co-authored with faculty at WKU published in the Journal of Chromatography B. This journal publishes papers on developments in separation science relevant to biology and biomedical research including both fundamental advances and applications.

By Corey Alderdice

Academy Seniors Share Research at Argonne National Laboratory

October 24, 2011 | Academics, News, People, Research, Students, WKU | No Comments

[fblike]

by Will Bickett, Academy Avatar

A group of second-year students at the Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky at WKU presented their physics research at Argonne National Laboratory’s Annual Undergraduate Symposium.

Will Bickett, Lydia Brothers, Andrea Eastes, Christian Jolly, and Ben Rice, along with a group of other WKU students were selected by the Department of Physics and Astronomy to share their findings.Students not only got the chance to tour the immense facility and see firsthand the ground-breaking research being done there, but also to give talks about their research and attend a variety of other presentations.

The Argonne National Laboratory is the oldest and one of the most prestigious of the nation’s research facilities. With its roots reaching back to the Manhattan Project, Argonne has been the birthplace of countless discoveries and marvels of human innovation. Since 1946, Argonne National Lab has vastly broadened its initiatives to include Hard X-Ray Sciences, Leadership Computing, Materials for Energy, Electrical Energy Storage, Alternate Energy and Efficiency, Electrical Energy Storage, Nuclear Energy, Biological and Environmental Systems, and National Security. The Laboratory also houses the Argonne Tandem Linac Accelerator System or (ATLAS) which is the world’s first superconducting particle accelerator and the Advanced Photon Source or (APS) which is a massive synchrotron X-Ray research facility that produces the world’s largest and brightest X-Rays.

“The APS was by far one of the most impressive research facilities I’ve ever seen,” said Jolly. ” The sheer amount and variety of research done was very inspiring to me as an upcoming astrophysicist. Surprisingly enough, I also really enjoyed the biology talks done at the conference. They were fascinating and very well done.”

Jolly wasn’t the only one who enjoyed the conference and the lab though. All the students vastly appreciated the opportunity to participate in an event at one of our nation’s most prominent research labs.

The trip was hardly all work and no play though. Students lived like Chicagoans and dined on Giordano’s famous Chicago-style stuffed pizza, Portillo’s Hot Dogs, and other fine Chicago favorites. As a reward for their excellent work in presenting on Friday, Students were set free in the Windy City on Saturday to be blown about and throughout. After being dropped off on Chicago’s number one tourist attraction or Navy Pier, Academy students bought Chicago Go-Cards and set out. Traveling by trolley, students rode in style through the crowded streets while listening to the bizarre and insightful facts provided by the fabulous tour guides. Students also ascended to the tops of both the sky-scraping Willis Tower and John-Hancock Building, placing themselves at the paramount of the famous Chicago Sky-line. Academy students, being typical nerds, finished up the day exploring the first planetarium built in the Western Hemisphere, Adler Planetarium, and the U.S.’s largest indoor aquarium, Shedd Aquarium.

When asked about the trip, Eastes added that the research and social experiences for the trip were “world class.”

“Argonne is world class facility where cutting edge research is taking place every day,” Eastes said. “Seeing where this is happening and learning about exciting research being done by other undergraduates while sharing my research was a fantastic experience. The icing on the cake was definitely having time to explore Chicago, visit places like the Hancock building, the skydeck, the shed aquarium, Navy Pier, Adler planetarium, and have pretty amazing trolley tours of the city.”

So if you ever find yourself with the chance to visit the Chicago area, be sure to stop by Argonne, you might need security clearance first though and check out those world class facilities. Also, swing by downtown Chicago and see the sights, but be sure to never ask for ketchup on your hot dog.

Visit these links if you want to learn more about:

The Argonne National Lab: http://www.dep.anl.gov/index.html

The Jeweler’s Building or other famous Chicago Architecture: http://www.chicagoarchitecture.info/Building/1064/35-East-Wacker-Drive.php

Adler Planetarium: http://www.adlerplanetarium.org/

Or Shedd Aquarium: http://www.sheddaquarium.org/

By Corey Alderdice

A Quick Mathematica Guide for Students

October 5, 2011 | Academics, News | No Comments

by Tyler Clark

Mathematica is a high-powered computer mathematics tool. Many universities have a student edition available for download free of charge (WKU is one of these universities). WKU also has it installed on all computers in open labs (MMTH, library, COHH computer lab, FSH computer lab, etc.).

I recommend that students take advantage of Mathematica to help with checking their answers and exploring different problems to better understand the general aspect of a certain concept. Trig students may want to graph different variations of the sine function to determine what is going out in relation to the period, phase shift, vertical shift, and altitude. Mathematica will allow you to graph several different functions on one plot.

Calculus students may want to check their understanding of differentiating the inverse trigonometric functions. They may also want to check to make sure they got the right answer to an integral problem. Mathematica can perform both of these actions.

Although Mathematica is very useful, it really does no good if you do not know how to use it. I am working on a help file for students that can be downloaded at http://www.tylerclark12.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Mathematica-Help-File.pdf. It will be uploaded as I make changes. Please let me know if this file is helpful to you or not.

By Corey Alderdice

Biotechnology Certification Program Applications Due September 23

September 22, 2011 | Academics, News, Research, WKU | No Comments

[fblike]

Please note the announcement regarding the fall Biotechnology Certification Program. Completing this program is a great pathway to make yourself competitive for hard-to-get research spots in Biotechnology laboratories on campus. This experience is recommended to any student interested in doing Biotech Research (however, if you are participating (or did last year) in the Genome Discovery and Exploration Program, you should not apply. Your research experience includes the same skills taught through the Biotechnology Certification Program).

Please note the application deadline is September 23. Applications are available at http://www.wku.edu/biotechnology/certification_program.php.

FALL SEMESTER 2011

Biotechnology Certification Program

Learn more about Biotechnology
Develop hands-on molecular biology laboratory skills
Become engaged in research with a Biotech Center Faculty
Earn Biotech Certification

The WKU Department of Biology Biotechnology Center is pleased to announce that applications are now being accepted for our Biotech Certification Program. This program will provide practical training to students who wish to enter a research lab of a Biotech Center Faculty member. The training will enhance your career preparation in the life sciences and make you more competitive for jobs and graduate assistantships upon graduation. If this program appeals to you, please email your completed application to Naomi Rowland. You will be asked to indicate your availability on MTWHF afternoons (1:00-5:00 pm). The training requires a commitment of 2 days each week for approximately 2 hours each day. Contact Naomi Rowland or Dr. Rodney King for more information. Training sessions will start the 5th week of classes.

By Gatton Academy

Final Recommendations from Keystone National Youth Policy Summit Released

September 22, 2011 | Academics, News, People, Research, Students, Summer | No Comments

[fblike style=”standard” showfaces=”false” width=”450″ verb=”like” font=”arial”]This summer three Gatton Academy students were given the opportunity to attend and participate in the 2011 National Youth Policy Summit.

Seniors Rachel Metcalfe, Samantha McKean, and Melanie Hurst spent one week in Keystone, Colorado where McKean says they “worked together to create a blueprint for a solution to the current energy crisis.”

Today, The Keystone Center released the Final Student Policy Recommendations. Learn more about their thoughts on national energy innovation in the embedded document below.

By Corey Alderdice

NSLI-Y: Scholarships to Study Language Abroad

September 21, 2011 | Academics, International, News, WKU | No Comments

Are you interested in studying Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), Hindi, Korean, Persian (Tajik), Russian, or Turkish while living and studying abroad this upcoming summer? The National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) Scholarship is now open.

Previous language study is not a requirement. Students of all levels of language ability are encouraged to apply.

Eligibility Requirements:

U.S. citizen
15 – 18 years of age at start of the program (age varies by program – read more on the Languages and Programs page)
Enrolled in high school at time of application (Gap year programs available)
GPA of at least 2.5 on a 4.0 scale, or the equivalent
Immediate family members of individuals who work with the NSLI-Y program at the U.S. Department of State, American Councils, or one of the implementing organizations are not eligible.

The costs covered by the scholarship are:

Round-trip travel between the participant’s home region and the overseas host city
Travel from participant’s home region to the pre-departure orientation location
Tuition and academic materials
In-country support
Cultural activities
Pre-departure and re-entry orientations
Room and board
Secondary medical benefits
Visas

Interested?

These scholarships are very competitive, and as such, require diligent work ahead of time on one’s application. The deadline to apply is November 3, 2011, but applicants should get started on their application in September. If you are interested, please e-mail derick.strode@wku.edu and melinda.grimsley-smith@wku.edu to get started.

By Gatton Academy

[New Year, New Staff] Graduate Assistant, Academy Alum Tyler Clark to Assist with Academic Success

September 20, 2011 | 5Q, Academics, Alumni, News, People, Staff | No Comments

[fblike style=”standard” showfaces=”false” width=”450″ verb=”like” font=”arial”]

With the start of a new year at the Gatton Academy comes several new personalities to the staff. We are excited about these passionate and dedicated individuals who have joined our team. They come to us from different parts of the country with a host of varied experiences. Over the last few weeks, the staff has had a chance to get to know each other. It’s now your chance to meet the new faces behind the Academy. Each day this week, we’ll profile a new staff member.

Academy Avatars sat down with each new staff member to post ten questions in hopes of getting to know them better. Avatars came up with a few questions that they asked each person. Each Avatar also posed unique questions of their own choosing to ask as well.

Interview by Andrea Eastes, Academy Avatar

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I am 21 years old and currently pursuing my masters in mathematics. I graduated from the Honors College in May 2010. My thesis, entitled “Counting Locally Convex Topologies on a Totally Ordered Finite Set,” was directed by Dr. Tom Richmond and my second reader was Dr. Dominic Lanphier. I enjoy playing piano, reading, web design, etc. I am also senior editor of the AMS Grad Student Blog. — You can access my CV at http://tylerclark12.com/TylerClarkCV.pdf

2. Why did you decide to join the Gatton Academy staff?

Tim Gott offered me the position a bit ago. I met with him to discuss the position and found it a good fit. I will be able to help Gatton students learn and I will be able to do math simultaneously.

3. Are you excited for the coming year?

I am very excited for the upcoming year. I look forward to meeting all of the students and growing with them.

4. What role do you wish to play in the Gatton Academy students’ lives?

I want to be able to help mold students’ student skills to help them become more successful college students.

5. What are you looking forward to this year?

I am looking forward to getting to know the students and seeing them mature academically and emotionally.

6. How did being an Academy student affect you?

The Academy allowed for me to get a head start on college courses. Furthermore, it opened a lot of doors that provided me the opportunity to perform undergraduate research.

7. Do you think that having been through the experience of the Academy will help you to better serve the needs that students may have?

I feel that my experiences in the Academy will allow me to better understand needs of students. This will allow me to guide them to optimal learning.

8. Is there any advice that you’d like to give to students?

Students should take advantage of the resources on campus. Make sure you get involved in research you enjoy with a professor with whom you work well. Research is what will set you apart from other students.

By Gatton Academy

To Boldly Go… Abroad! Gatton Academy Announces International Experiences for 2011-12

September 8, 2011 | Academics, International, News, Summer | No Comments

[fblike style=”standard” showfaces=”false” width=”450″ verb=”like” font=”arial”]

Italy, Costa Rica, and England are the destinations for this year’s Gatton Academy international experiences. These experiences mark the fifth consecutive international travel/study series facilitated by the Gatton Academy. Each experience is described in brief below, with full details and applications found in the online brochures.

The Gatton Academy is also excited to announce a commitment of nearly $13,000 in scholarships for students who require additional financial assistance to travel and study abroad. Details on how to apply for international scholarships are listed below as well.

Italy

From January 4-16, 2012, up to thirty Gatton Academy students will explore the cities, culture, and history of Italy. Cities visited will include Venice, Rome, Florence, Assisi, Pompeii, Sorrento, Pisa, and Orvieto.

The cost for this year’s trip is priced at $2,250. (The overall program cost is estimated at $3,525 with the Gatton Academy supplementing $1,275 of the total cost through dedicated Winter Term funding.) This includes roundtrip airfare from Nashville, hotel accommodations in all destinations, breakfast and dinner while in Europe, admission to most historic sites and museums, and travel by chartered motor coach or train for excursions.

Full information and an application are available in the online brochure.

Students must submit a complete application, a passport-sized photograph, and an $800 nonrefundable deposit no later than Monday, October 10 to Julie Fryia in the Gatton Academy office. The remaining nonrefundable $1450 will be due no later than Monday, November 28. Space is limited to 30 students. Should there be an excess of interest, priority will be given to seniors first and names randomly drawn thereafter. In that case, refunds will be distributed to those not attending. Students must be eligible to return to the Gatton Academy for the spring semester 2012 to travel with the Italy experience. Eligibility will be determined at the 11^th week assessment. Students deemed ineligible will forfeit their $800 initial deposit.

Costa Rica

From January 3-18, 2012, sixteen Gatton Academy students will earn upper-level Biology credit while studying and performing biodiversity research in Costa Rica. Sites visited will include Cloudbridge Nature Reserve in the cloud forest of southern Costa Rica’s mountains, Hacienda Barú on the Pacific jungle coast, a night in a jungle camp, Manuel Antonio National Park, Isla del Caño for snorkeling, the artisan town of Sarchí, and one of the world’s most active volcanos—Arenal.

The cost for the trip will be $800. (The overall program cost is $2075 with the Academy supplementing $1,275 of the total cost through dedicated Winter Term funding.) This includes roundtrip airfare from Louisville, accommodations in all destinations, an average of two daily meals, admission and fees for all items listed in the itinerary, travel by chartered motor coach, and tuition for Biology 485 — Costa Rican Biodiversity Studies and Research (3 hrs.).

Full information and an application are available in the online brochure .

The application deadline is September 16, 2011. Students must submit a complete application and a 250-word essay by the deadline to Julie Fryia in the Gatton Academy office. Space is limited to eight males and eight females who will be selected based off of essay responses. Equal representation of the junior and senior classes will be sought. Students will be selected on Monday, September 26. The $800 nonrefundable program fee is due no later than Monday, October 10. Students must be eligible for return to the Gatton Academy in the spring semester 2012 to travel to Costa Rica.

The Harlaxton Experience

Tentative dates of July 17 – August 7, 2012 have been set for Class of 2013 students to earn English 200—Honors Introduction to Literature credit while exploring the literature and culture of the United Kingdom. Through study, students will develop an appreciation for literary practices, theory, and concepts. Based at Harlaxton College’s beautiful manor house campus in Grantham, England, students will visit locations throughout the United Kingdom, such as Whitby for the “In Search of Dracula” ghost walk, Bath, Salisbury, Stonehenge, the Bronte Parsonage and moors in Haworth, York, the Lake District, and London (sites visited are subject to change).

The cost for the trip is being planned at $3900. (Students who participate in an unfunded Winter Term learning opportunity will carry forth $1275 of dedicated winter-term funding to apply to the cost of the program, effectively lowering the price to $2625.) This includes roundtrip airfare from the United States, accommodations in all destinations, about half of the meals while in England, admission and fees to activities, historic sites, and museums, travel by chartered motor coach or trains for excursions, and tuition for English 200 — Honors Introduction to Literature (3 hrs.).

Full information and an application are available in the online brochure.

Students must submit a complete application, passport-sized photograph, and a nonrefundable $800 deposit no later than Monday, October 10 to Julie Fryia in the Gatton Academy office. The next nonrefundable payment of $1,000 will be due no later than Monday, November 28, and the final nonrefundable payment of $825 will be due no later than Monday, March 12, 2012.

Students interested in The Harlaxton Experience are required as a pre-requisite to have passed English 100—Intro to College Writing or have credit for English 100 through an alternate path, such as CLEP credit or by scoring a 29 or higher on the English section of the ACT exam.

Students interested in The Harlaxton Experience should not enroll in English 200 for the fall or spring semesters. Students must be eligible for return to the Gatton Academy in the fall semester 2012 to travel with The Harlaxton Experience.

Scholarship Opportunities

The Academy will provide eight scholarships to students who require financial assistance. Two full scholarships will be provided for The Harlaxton Experience and two full scholarships will be provided for our Italy trip. Additionally, four $800 scholarships will be provided that can be used for any of the three trips. Students wishing to apply for one of our international scholarships must submit the following items via hard-copy to Derick Strode no later than Monday, September 26:

a copy of their parents’ 2011 tax return;
a parental statement of need, and;
a student statement, not to exceed 500 words, describing her or his reasons for wanting to travel abroad, which destination they are interested in traveling to, as well as the impact they expect going abroad will have on their overall Gatton Academy experience.

Student scholarship selection will occur on or before Monday, October 10. Students receiving a scholarship will be required to perform community service in consultation with a staff member.

By Gatton Academy

Academy Students Begin the New School Year on the Right Foot

August 30, 2011 | Academics, News, WKU | No Comments

by Jon Warren, Academy Avatar

Yesterday marked the first day of classes for the 2011-2012 academic year at Western Kentucky University. For students in the Gatton Academy’s Class of 2013, this marked their first lectures in college classrooms. For the Class of 2012, it marks the beginning of a new year with even more challenging classes.

For seniors, increased rigor comes alongside additional flexibility in their schedule. As students complete basic requirements, they have the opportunity to tailor their interests within specific STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) disciplines and electives.

“I am excited about the flexibility that my fall schedule allows me to have,” explained Will Bickett, a senior. “I am really looking forward to learning in my courses this semester.”

Annie Wheeler, a returning senior, was equally excited about her professors in and out of STEM classes. “I am really excited about my English course with Dr. Guthrie. She seems like she is a very enthusiastic and interesting professor. I am also glad to be back in Calculus II with Dr. Neal,” she said.

Moving on with new classes often means leaving behind professors who encouraged and engaged students in their first year of study. According to senior Luke Yap, the change presents an opporunity to expand their networks and build new relationships. “I am super excited to be enrolled in another one of Dr. Lamphier’s courses and to be researching with Dr. Kessler. I am disappointed that I will not be taking classes with Dr. Ziegler, Dr. Ernst, Dr. Dahl, or Dr. Pesterfield. They were some of my favorite professors, but I am looking forward to a new semester and to hopefully find some new favorite professors,” Yap explained.

Les Wilson, a junior, was surprised at the faster pace of college courses. For many Academy students, this is one of the greatest changes to overcome in their first semester. By contrast, Wilson believes that the increased speed will allow him to learn and absorb classroom material better than at his home high school where he wasn’t challenged as much.

The environment is one very different from the one at the home schools of students. This environment can be a very challenging one for students, but the Academy staff is prepared for this reaction. Study hours are required for all juniors each evening as well as for seniors who need additional assistance in being academically successful. These study hours run from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. every evening and provide students with a designated time where they can study and work on coursework.

As the program enters its fifth year, both students and staff have a better sense of the expectations ahead. Corey Alderdice, Assistant Director for Admissions and Public Relations, stressed that every message up until this point has been about what the program will be like. At this point, the guessing game is over.

“We’re here to support students each step of the way,” Alderdice began, “but this is the moment where students become the key advocate for their academic success. We’re excited to see what they accomplish going forward.”

By Gatton Academy

Recent News

Category: Academics