Lydia Brothers records notes from a heat experiment at UTSI.
by Michael Crocker, Academy Avatar
Two students at Western Kentucky University’s Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky spent time over the summer exploring materials science with advanced medical applications.
Andrea Eastes (’12) and Lydia Brothers (’12) served as student researchers at the University of Tennessee Space Institute doing focusing their explorations on determining the applications of ZBLAN glass in medical fields.
The University of Tennessee Space Institute is a graduate study and research institution with a campus located “practically in the woods” Eastes said. “It was really nice to be around nature all the time.”
Eastes was also glad she “was able to get a little perspective on what grad school is like.” Academy students were part of a seven-week program at the UTSI where they worked alongside graduate and undergraduate students to characterize a particular type of glass ceramic, explained Brothers.
ZBLAN glass, or glass made of Zirconium, Barium, Lanthanum, Aluminum, and Sodium, was the topic of research “because it has capabilities of a storage phosphor which we were working with so that it could be used as an alternative to typical x-ray films,” added Eastes. She went on to explain that this allows the x-ray result to be stored digitally and removes the inconvenience of one-time-use x-ray films.
The research team, which included Eastes, Brothers, and several undergraduate and graduate students, worked with two types of the glass. According to Brothers, they worked to “evaluate how much light would be emitted from each particular sample at a number of different temperatures and percentages of a variable element.”
As well as the research that was done on the trip, Eastes also “really enjoyed getting to meet all the amazing people” on the campus, and she got to do everything from “singing like crazy people on karaoke night” to “canoeing and kayaking.”
Brothers enjoyed the experience as well and said she even got to “sit in on someone’s doctoral defense.”
Eastes says she learned the most about “the physics that is involved with something as simple as glass.” She also found that being able to work with such a variety of machines and being able to decipher the readings a great learning experience.
Both Brothers and Eastes enjoyed learning more about what graduate work will be like and getting to meet and become friends with other people interested in their fields.
Academy senior Lukas Missik ventured to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology this summer to participate in the Research Science Institute, a prestigious program run by the Center for Excellence in Education that admits 80 of the world’s most innovative young thinkers to MIT’s campus.
For three weeks, RSI students advance themselves in the STEM fields by designing unique research plans under the supervision of host laboratories at MIT. Lukas graciously provided insight into what this interesting program is about, and why junior students at the Gatton Academy should apply for it this year. Below, Missik answers some key questions concerning RSI at MIT.
1. What was the purpose of the program you attended this summer?
The Research Science Institute (RSI) is an international program run by the Center for Excellence in Education (CEE) and held at MIT. Its purpose is to educate rising high school seniors in developing and executing original research. Over six weeks, students work with a mentor on a research project, ultimately producing a final report and formal presentation. To enrich and facilitate this process, students take first week classes on subjects in the sciences and humanities, attend lectures by leading professors and researchers, and have access to many of MIT’s research facilities.
2. Did the program affect your future educational and career plans?
RSI has helped solidify my interest in computer science. I am now considering a major in CS with focus in Artificial Intelligence. The great thing about RSI is that it exposed me to the most exciting parts of many different fields of study. Even though we ultimately choose a specific concentration, RSI taught me to keep an open mind and work with other disciplines.
3. What was your favorite aspect of the program?
One of my favorite aspects of the program is its incredible diversity–in both students and ideas. There are students from all over the country and the world who provide unique cultural context to research and activities. There are people interested in almost every field of science that I was able to talk to. The community at RSI is definitely one of its strong points.
4. Why should interested students in our junior class at the Gatton Academy participate in this program?
Interested juniors should apply to this program because it provides an invaluable experience. It helps students learn how to perform high quality research and share their findings. Many successfully use their RSI research in competitions such as Siemens and Intel. RSI also connects them to an extensive alumni network which will help them in their professional careers. Participation in the Institute also looks great on a resume and increases the chances of getting accepted to top-tier schools like MIT.
Academy senior Rachel Metcalfe dialogues with fellow YPS conference participants.
by Michael Crocker, Academy Avatar
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.”
Students were selected based on their answer to an essay. Hurst says that before the program began a great amount of effort was put into research and idea development. “We had to research an energy topic as well as a stakeholder to represent at the conference,” she said. At the summit, Hurst noted she worked with 35 students and 3-4 main instructors in the topic area. She also worked with the representatives of the stakeholder companies.
McKean says that at the conference around 40 students from a variety of National Consortium of Specialized Secondary Schools of Math, Science, and Technology schools each were assigned a different company that had to do with energy. The group eventually completed an 80 page policy recommendation booklet.
The group loved the Colorado setting of the conference. The mountain landscape in which students studied was equally enjoyable to their research. “Colorado [was] beautiful,” according to Hurst. “We were at 10,000-12,000 feet the entire trip and was right up there with mountains.” Although she said it was cold, she enjoyed being able to “say we threw snowballs in June.”
Metcalfe said her favorite part of the trip was a late evening hike where they got to see the sunset over the mountains to the west. McKean added that “the mountains were a really nice reminder of what we were working toward, which is a cleaner, healthier environment.”
Because all three Aacademy students were assigned a different company and had different experiences they all took away different lessons.
Hurst found that the real-world applications of the program expanded just beyond content knowledge. “The most important thing I learned was how to compromise and negotiate so that everyone wins a little in the end,” she said.
McKean talked more about how much she learned about energy and how it relates to the economy. “I learned a lot about how different parts of the economy would suffer if we completely just dropped oil, which is a major reason why we haven’t yet.”
Metcalfe found having to take a side in the debate to be very enlightening. “I gained so much more knowledge about all the aspects of our national energy dependency, especially from interesting perspectives.”
As Adventure Week continues, juniors were exposed to even more aspects of the Academy, in particular, research.
On Monday afternoon, faculty from many academic departments at WKU including Psychology, Chemistry, Mathematics, Biology, and Physics, joined together in Florence Schneider Hall for the annual research fair. During this time, professors set up boards about their research on the second and fourth floor common areas so that students could not only learn more about what they are doing but also become involved in it.
Junior Erica Plummer said that she found the research fair “very helpful, and it assisted in motivating me to want to participate in research this semester at the Gatton Academy.”
She also commented on the wide diversity of the fields of study represented and how well professors explained their respective fields. In fact, there are not very many places where one can find a professor discussing his work on knot theory alongside one that is displaying his dung beetle collection.
Attending the fair also allowed students to talk to professors face to face about their research and ask any questions that they might have. Henry Uradu, a junior, commented that being able to have those conversations in person gave him a better idea about professors’ personalities and the meaning of their research. He also added that those connections are superior to just reading about research because he could “see exactly what they were working on and how many hours I would be required to put in weekly.”
While Henry found the diversity in the biology department which ranged from ecology to cancer research to nanobiology, Shane Masuda found the geology research and physics research to be particularly fascinating. Other students, such as Plummer found mathematics research to be where their interests lie.
Derick Strode, Coordinator for Research, Internships, and Scholarships, was the staff member behind this gathering twenty-five faculty members for the fair. He and Residential Counselor Sue Meador began organizing the fair in early July.
Strode spoke to the “display of their commitment that we had so many faculty join us on Monday.”
He also commented on the importance of the experience for both students and staff: “For Gatton Academy students, I want research to be a means of career exploration–a way to confirm what they’ve always wondered if they would enjoy. I want our students to find the thing that they love studying. Students who find this passion have fun with their research. It becomes an outlet, like a hobby. For the faculty who work them, it’s an awesome feeling to mentor a student who shares their same passions. In fact, many faculty say that having a Gatton Academy student work with them is like having a graduate student researcher.”
All in all, the research fair was a success for both faculty and students. Both were able to make meaningful connections with each other and many doors were opened for the possibility to do research this semester.
WKU Honors College student Clarice Esch, a Gatton Academy graduate, has been awarded an EPA fellowship.
WKU student Clarice Esch, a rising junior in the Honors College at WKU and a recent graduate of the Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky, has been awarded a Greater Research Opportunity Fellowship by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The daughter of Carol and Joseph Esch of Somerset, Esch is one of many successful scholars whose research at WKU has led to national recognition.
For the next two years Esch will receive nearly $50,000 in financial support, including a stipend, tuition payment, and an allowance for educational expenses, from the EPA as she completes her degree. As one of almost 40 students from around the country to receive this prestigious award, Esch will also receive funding for an internship between her junior and senior years. This fellowship, offered to promote careers in research, is open to undergraduate students who are pursuing degrees in an environmental field.
“I recognized that this was an excellent opportunity. I knew that if I received the fellowship it would fund my education, my research, and open many doors,” Esch said. “There was no reason for me not to apply.”
Research is central to Esch’s plans. An agriculture major with a concentration in horticulture, Esch plans to earn a Ph.D. and serve as a university faculty member or researcher in a government facility, like the EPA. This fellowship will allow her to travel to out-of-state conferences and meet other experts in her field across the country as she continues her research endeavors and begins to consider graduate programs.
While a student in the Gatton Academy, Esch began searching for a solution for the excess nitrogen from fertilizer that disrupts the flow of waterways. She is attempting to use nitrogen-fixing lichens as a solution.
“The lichens I work with are an excellent option because they are organic and potentially provide a sustainable supplemental source of fertilizer,” she said.
Even before her success in the EPA GRO competition, Esch’s research had received national recognition. This spring, she received an Honorable Mentionfrom the highly competitive and prestigious Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship Program.
Esch offers thanks to the staff of the Office of Scholar Development for their guidance, assistance and willingness to help. She is also grateful to her research mentor, Dr. Martin Stone, Leichardt Professor of Horticulture, for his support in the lab and classroom.
“Clarice Esch has distinguished herself academically, both in the classroom and in her research here at WKU,” Dr. Stone said. “Agriculture is at the center of sustainable food production and its impact on the environment. Clarice is passionate about the intersection of these two critical areas, and she represents the next generation of scientists that will tackle these important issues. We are proud of her and congratulate her on this most prestigious award. It is well deserved.”
Esch said she was “absolutely elated” when she heard the news that she had been selected as an EPA GRO Fellow. “Four walls could hardly contain me,” she said.
Daniel Dilger of Union, Luke Yap of Carrollton and Samantha McKean of Cecilia are working with Dr. Bruce Kessler, the Associate Dean of the Ogden College of Science & Engineering, to decrypt the notes released from the Ricky McCormick murder investigation.
In 1999, 41-year-old McCormick’s body was found in a field in St. Louis. Police found two encrypted notes in the victim’s pants pockets, which provide the only clues about the case.
The notes use a code based on numbers, letters and parentheses. The FBI’s Cryptanalysis and Racketeering Records Unit (CRRU) and the American Cryptogram Association have been unable to solve the code.
The Gatton group’s research will help develop a cryptographic analysis infrastructure to potentially break the code.
“We’re in the stage of trying to get strategies together based on reading cipher codes,” Dr. Kessler said.
Very little is known about McCormick aside from him being a high school dropout.
“Part of what makes the project so difficult is that we don’t know anything about Ricky McCormick’s personal life,” Dilger said. “There isn’t any information available like his writing style or family history that could help us guess at what he was writing.”
Those who knew him said he used the code many other times throughout his life, but no one could ever understand what it meant.
“We’ve got to get inside this guy’s head and figure out his language,” Dr. Kessler said. “So little is known about him anyway and it’s as if he just floated on the fringe of society.”
Dr. Kessler said decoding the notes could introduce new ideas about the case. There’s a chance McCormick’s death wasn’t even a murder.
The students researching are currently working on computer programs that could help them generate more information about the code.
“Since McCormick wrote the notes by hand the cipher is probably simple, but we don’t know what technique he used,” Dilger said.
The group’s research will continue into the fall semester, and the students hope to present their findings in a report at the Kentucky Academy of Sciences.
For Sarah Schrader, a student at WKU’s Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Sciencein Kentucky, her senior year of high school has been marked by significant accomplishments. Along with graduation invitations, college decisions and prom, Schrader has been continuing research, studying abroad and mastering a second language. When Schrader receives her diploma from the Gatton Academy on Saturday, she will do so with an added achievement to celebrate.
The Bowling Green student is among 141 outstanding high school seniors recently named2011 U.S. Presidential Scholars. Students selected for the honor have demonstrated outstanding academic achievement, artistic excellence, leadership, citizenship, service and contribution to school and community. U.S. Presidential Scholars will be honored for their accomplishments in Washington, D.C., from June 18-21.
“Receiving this honor means that something more is expected of me from this point on,” Schrader said. “It means that I must continue to strive for excellence, work toward achieving my dreams and, most importantly, use my successes to contribute something significant to the world. This journey is not one to be traveled alone.”
Schrader is in good company in the honor. The 141 U.S. Presidential Scholars include one young man and one young woman from each state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, and from U.S. families living abroad, as well as 15 chosen at-large and 20 Presidential Scholars in the Arts. The White House Commission on Presidential Scholars, appointed by the president, makes the selections.
Schrader becomes the first Gatton Academy student to be named a U.S. Presidential Scholar. She believes the traits needed to become a scholar were cultivated not only by her experience at the Gatton Academy, but also the people who have surrounded her during her high school experience.
“The support from staff and peers that I received at the Academy has allowed me to develop more confidence, and experiencing living away from home has molded me into a more independent person,” Schrader added. “Most importantly, the courses I have taken and people I have met during my time at the Academy have given me the chance to discover and begin to explore my interests and passions, from Chinese to chemistry to biological research; having a good idea of what I am passionate about will allow me to select the path that best suits my interests and steer myself towards a successful future.”
For the past 47 years, this prestigious program has honored more than 6,000 of the nation’s top-performing students. Of the three million students expected to graduate from high school this year, more than 3,000 candidates qualified on the basis of outstanding performance on the College Board SAT and ACT exams.
Each Presidential Scholar has invited his or her most inspiring and challenging teacher to travel to Washington, D.C., to receive a Teacher Recognition Award from the U.S. Department of Education and to participate in the recognition events. Schrader selected Dr. Liping Chen, an assistant professor of Chinese language and linguistics at WKU. Even as an experienced educator, Dr. Chen believes Schrader stands out among the many students with whom she has worked.
“Chinese, a difficult language for the thousands of American students I have taught over the years, seems so easy for her,” Dr. Chen said. “She has completely changed my view of language teaching and learning and forced me to rethink and reevaluate what I believe students can achieve with the language after one or two years.”
Dr. Chen isn’t the only person kept on their toes by Schrader’s talents. Tim Gott, director of the Gatton Academy, noted that even though he has grown accustomed to working with some of the nation’s best and brightest minds, Schrader is a rarity because of her strengths beyond the classroom.
“In 26 years of working with high school students, Sarah ranks as the strongest student I have ever encountered,” Gott said. “Her academic prowess, her work ethic, her passion for learning, her diverse interests, and her genuine humility mark her as a true role model of excellence.”
Schrader will continue her studies at WKU this fall, the first U.S. Presidential Scholar to do so. One of the main factors in her decision to continue at WKU was the Chinese Flagship Program, in which she will work toward superior-level proficiency over the next two years. Next spring, she will travel to Nanjing University for a semester abroad followed by a research internship at a Chinese university or company over the summer.
“These unique opportunities will allow me to continue to develop linguistic and cultural competence as well as gain experience working in a vastly different research environment, providing me with knowledge and skills that will prepare me for my future career,” Schrader said.
While her immediate future path is set, Schrader took time to reflect on the combined efforts of the Gatton Academy and WKU to help chart that course.
“I have been fortunate to have the continuous support and encouragement of outstanding faculty and amazingly talented peers,” she said. “Without these things, I would not have been able to achieve this recognition. So, I will continue on my journey with a thankful heart, always keeping in mind the tremendous efforts of those who work selflessly to help shape my future, while striving to live up to the high expectations that come with being recognized as a Presidential Scholar.”
Eight teams from five schools in Kentucky participated in the high school contest. Each team consisted of up to three students.
Nelson County finished first followed by St. Xavier and Warren Central. Other schools with teams competing were Shelby County Area Technology Center and Trinity High School.
Each member of the first-place team received a $1,000 scholarship. Nelson County team member Jon Owens will begin his undergraduate program in WKU’s Department of Mathematics and Computer Science this fall.
In the Gatton Academy individual competition, five students participated. David Sekora of Simpson County finished first followed by Austin Taing of Warren County and Keaton Smith of Campbell County. The top two finishers received a $1,000 and $500 scholarship, respectively.
The annual high school programming contest brings excellent students to the Computer Science program at WKU. Dr. Peter Hamburger, head of the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, plans to strengthen the collaboration with high schools to attract more students to the contest and WKU programs.
The contests are sponsored by the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Ogden College of Science and Engineering, and WKU.
Gatton Academy students Charlotte Humes, Brandon Kerr and Victoria Allen were selected for National Security Language Initiative for Youth Scholarships. (WKU photo by Clinton Lewis)
Brandon Kerr of Edmonton and Victoria Allen of Auburn, both studying with theChinese Flagship program at WKU, one of nine such federally funded programs in the country, were awarded the NSLI-Y scholarship for summer 2011 to study Mandarin for six weeks at Shanghai Normal University.
Charlotte Humes of Bardstown, who is studying Arabic, will be spending her summer in Morocco immersed in Arabic culture.
The NSLI-Y summer scholarship will cover all program costs, travel to the applicant’s destination, tuition, housing, activities, and more for six weeks. These merit-based scholarships are for high school students studying less commonly taught languages.
Brandon Kerr
“Brandon is very serious about Chinese and has impressed me deeply with his talent and motivation,” said Dr. Liping Chen, Assistant Professor of Chinese Language and Linguistics with the Chinese Flagship Program. “He is no doubt a rising star in the program.”
Kerr said that he was concerned that, without practice over the summer, he might lose the progress he has made so far with the language. Hoping to serve as a volunteer doctor after graduation, Kerr saw the potential for personal progress in continuing his studies this summer.
“I was really inspired by the winter program the Flagship took, and I wanted to get back to China as soon as possible. Learning the language will be critical for me if I want to work as a physician in a foreign country one day,” he said.
Victoria Allen
Allen, a first-year Gatton Academy student, hopes to someday work for an international organization focusing on environmental science. Allen was also offered an opportunity to spend her summer conducting research with theNational Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates(REU) program at WKU, studying the impacts of land use and land cover in the Upper Green River Watershed.
“Even though I am incredibly thrilled with this achievement, I have decided to decline the NSLI-Y scholarship. While both are extremely lucrative opportunities, I feel the REU will serve my major and future better,” she said.
Dr. Chris Groves, director of theHoffman Environmental Research Institute, said Allen’s work this summer “will be largely here at WKU working on some new methods to evaluate environmental impacts on landscapes. In general this work isn’t specifically China related, but we are going to utilize Victoria’s experience with the Chinese culture to explore how we can transfer this technology to Chinese settings.”
Dr. Groves said that they are also looking into having Allen present her work in Guilin, China, to his Chinese colleagues and work alongside the team for a few days as they work on how to apply the research in China.
“With Victoria’s interest in environmental sustainability issues combined with her Chinese skills working with the Flagship program, I was thrilled that she came to the Hoffman Institute seeking research opportunities this year,” Dr. Groves said. “She has already begun working on an evolving methodology to evaluate environmental impacts at the landscape scale, and with her experience this summer we will evaluate ways to utilize these methods in a Chinese context, where the scales of environmental challenges are enormous.”
Charlotte Humes
Humes said she applied because she loves Arabic and will be spending her summer in Morocco immersed in Arabic culture. Humes is also a first-year student in the Gatton Academy.
TheDepartment of Modern Languagesat WKU offers two years of Arabic courses. Courses are taught by Khaldoun Almousily, a native of Jordan, and a new Fulbright Language Teaching Assistant each year, giving students exposure to different dialects and the opportunity to delve deeper into cultural differences.
“Charlotte is an outstanding student who has dedicated herself to her academic pursuits. She has been one of the highest achieving students and is quick to grasp new material. Her proven abilities demonstrate that she truly is a worthy recipient of this prestigious scholarship,” Almousily said.
Humes, whose studies at the Gatton Academy are focused on chemistry, said that while other opportunities presented themselves that would advance her as a scientist, she felt that her participation in NSLI-Y would make her a better person.
“NSLI-Y is only one part language; it’s also one part culture. I will have the chance to learn about a whole new side of the world, to grow in understanding of their way of life. The program is very dedicated to broadening the global perspective of students they send,” Humes said.
The opportunity to volunteer in Morocco during the program also interested Humes.
“I believe I am most looking forward to these service opportunities; there have been many chances for community service offered to participants in past years, and the thought of being able to help others while there is immensely exciting,” she said.
About the Chinese Flagship:The WKU Chinese Flagship, one of nine Chinese Flagships in the United States, is sponsored by a federal grant through the National Security Education Program. The Language Flagship is a national initiative to create global citizens by bringing students to the professional, or superior, level of proficiency in any discipline. Students in the WKU Chinese Language Flagship program take intensive Chinese language courses each semester throughout their undergraduate career and participate in multiple funded overseas opportunities. Contact: Melinda Edgerton, (270) 745-5043 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting(270) 745-5043end_of_the_skype_highlighting
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 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 will have earned at least 60 college credit hours in addition to completing high school. Contact: Corey Alderdice, (270) 745-6565 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting(270) 745-6565end_of_the_skype_highlighting
Office of Scholar Development:TheOffice of Scholar Developmentis committed to helping students on all WKU campuses and 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 applying for international scholarships. Contact: Dr. Audra Jennings, (270) 745-5043 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting(270) 745-5043end_of_the_skype_highlighting.
Contact: Audra Jennings or Melinda Edgerton, (270) 745-5043 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting(270) 745-5043end_of_the_skype_highlighting.
Brittany Morgan of Glasgow, a junior in the WKU Honors College, and Sarah Schrader of Bowling Green, a student in the Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky, have been awarded prestigious Goldwater Scholarships. Clarice Esch of Somerset, also a student in the Gatton Academy, received an honorable mention in the highly competitive, national program.
“These awards show the emphasis we place on applied, practical research at the undergraduate level, from the Gatton Academy through our Honors College,” WKU President Gary Ransdell said. “The experience these students gain through research activity and interaction with faculty mentors will serve them well as they continue their academic careers and graduate to make a positive impact on the quality of life in our region.”
This success grows out of the efforts of both individual research mentors and WKU’s Goldwater faculty representative Kevin Williams. Dr. Williams, associate professor of chemistry and former Goldwater Scholarship recipient, took on the role of faculty representative in 2006. Additionally, the Gatton Academy, the Honors College and the Office of Scholar Development work to promote research endeavors and preparation for scholarship competitions.
Sarah Schrader
Sarah Schrader, the daughter of Michelle and Steven Schrader, said the process of applying for and receiving the Goldwater Scholarship has solidified her desire to pursue a career in research. In the lab with Dr. Rodney King, associate professor of biology, she has been discovering a new virus that can only infect bacterial cells and is characterizing it based on its DNA and physical properties.
Schrader plans to pursue a Ph.D. in molecular biology or genetics and to become a research scientist in genetics. She attributes much of her success to the Gatton Academy for the many opportunities that the program offers as well as the Office of Scholar Development for helping to refine her Goldwater Scholarship Application.
“I would also like to thank my research mentor, Dr. King, for the immense amount of support and encouragement he has provided me throughout my time working in his lab,” she said.
Dr. King said he was excited to learn that Sarah had won a Goldwater scholarship. “Sarah is one of the most academically gifted students I have encountered in my career,” he said. “She has an insatiable appetite for learning and a remarkable work ethic. She is self motivated and tremendously disciplined. It’s been a privilege to watch Sarah’s potential for scientific research blossom during her time at WKU. I’m very happy for her, and I’m very pleased that she has received such prestigious national recognition.”
Clarice Esch
Clarice Esch, the daughter of Carol and Joseph Esch, has been researching methods to utilize lichens to reduce the need for nitrogen-based fertilizers. Like Morgan and Schrader, she plans to pursue a Ph.D. after she completes her undergraduate career.
According to Esch, her research has shaped her thinking on her future. “Through this project,” she said, “I discovered a passion for conducting research and intend to continue conducting research throughout the rest of my college career and beyond.”
Esch is grateful for the support of her mentor, Dr. Martin Stone, Leichhardt Professor of Horticulture. Dr. Stone said that Esch is the most promising student that he has worked with in his career as a researcher.
“Her work ethic, attention to detail, and ability to grasp the concepts of our joint research over the past two years have been impressive,” he said. “But beyond her intellectual abilities, she is unassuming and a genuinely nice person to know in both the classroom and in the greenhouse. Students like Clarice come along infrequently in the career of a faculty member and I am fortunate to have worked with her.”
The Goldwater Scholarship Program seeks to recognize excellence in the sciences and to encourage talented students to pursue research careers. Dr. Williams said that being honored by the Goldwater Scholarship Program “is a testimony not only to classroom performance but also to potential and passion for a research career.”
For WKU students, he said, “the Goldwater awards are a validation of their potential as scientists”—potential that Dr. Williams believes others will continue to recognize as these students move toward graduate education and research careers.
The numbers support Dr. Williams’ assessment of the award. Colleges and universities must nominate students for consideration, and the program limits four-year institutions to four nominations each year. In 2011, 275 scholarships were awarded from nearly 1,100 nominees. Scholarship recipients receive $7,500 annually to cover undergraduate tuition, fees, books, or room and board.
About the Office of Scholar Development: The Office of Scholar Development is committed to helping students on all WKU campuses and 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 Goldwater Scholarship Program or other similar opportunities. Call Audra Jennings at (270) 745-5043 to schedule an appointment with the Office of Scholar Development.
About the Honors College at WKU: WKU is home to the only Honors College in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Created in 2007, the Honors College at WKU provides an intimate, highly selective learning environment where college-age gifted and high-achieving students can develop the skills to prepare them for success in the nation’s top academic and career opportunities. Contact: Drew Mitchell, (270) 745-2081
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 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. At the end of two years, Gatton Academy students will have earned at least 60 college credit hours in addition to completing high school. Contact: Corey Alderdice, (270) 745-6565
