Alumni – Page 5 – The Gatton Academy News

Gatton Academy Students Engaged in a Variety of Activities this Summer

June 8, 2010 | Academics, Alumni, International, News, People, Research, WKU | No Comments

While many high school students and graduates are spending their summer getting ready for college or enjoying weeks on the beach, Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky students and recent alumni will spend the coming weeks academically engaged, building off their experiences at the Gatton Academy.

Over half of the current Academy students and recent alumni have current plans to participate in an academic or career exploration during the months of June, July, and August that will take place across the world. Derick Strode, the Academy’s coordinator for research, internships, and scholarships expressed both the geography and educational experiences of these students will be wide-ranging.

“This summer, Gatton Academy students’ plans range from internships in their own Kentucky backyards to research experiences than span from the east coast to adventures abroad,” Strode said. “Gatton Academy students will be on several continents this summer, collecting experiences that will propel them to higher achievements.”

Summer time research projects and internships are important educational experience facilitated by the Gatton Academy because it allows student to explore a possible career field while staying active academically.

“Our students have the chance to experience research for a summer with the guidance of a professional researcher,” Strode said. “They have the opportunity to shadow the inner-workings of a professional in the field the student plans to work. These practical experiences allow our students a glimpse into the realities of their own personal goals, forcing them to question and answer whether the career they have in mind for themselves truly fits.”

“The Gatton Academy’s curriculum is designed for the ultimate challenge during the academic year,” Strode said. “Likewise, we ask our students to consider doing more with their summers than your typical student. By completing summer time projects, the door is metaphorically opened for our students as they apply for colleges, scholarships, and we expect eventually in their career searches.”

Summer 2010 experiences include:

Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REUs):

From South Dakota to Michigan to Kentucky, nine Gatton Academy students will be participating in full-summer REU programs this year. REUs are funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and offer students full-summer research opportunities with travel, food, and lodging provided as well as a generous stipend. Nationwide, only 5.1% of REU applicants are admitted into a program, making REUs one of the most prestigious and selective of summertime opportunities.

REU in Information Assurance Security (Cybersecurity), Dakota State University, Madison, SD

Sean Karlage (’10), of Edgewood

REU at the Space Physics Research Laboratory within the Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI

Sarah “Katie” Brown (’10), of Taylorsville

REU Mammoth Cave/Upper Green River Watershed Project at Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY

Sydney Combs (’11), of London
Zachary Laux (’11), of Elizabethtown
Sean Freeman (’11), of Hebron
Katherine Rush (’10), of Frankfort

REU in Investigative Biotechnology at Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY

James “Zac” Forshee (’10), of Franklin
Alexander Hare (’10), of Morehead
Margaret Matheny (’10), of Ashland

International Research Experiences for Scientists:

Two students have been selected to participate in an NSF International Research Experiences for Scientists program at the National Chung Hsing University in Taichung, Taiwan. This program, on the same level as an REU, offers students fully paid travel to Taiwan, food, lodging, and a stipend.

Opto-Electronic Polymer Laboratory, National Chung Hsing University, with Dr. Ru-Jong Jeng

Camille Turner (’11), of Radcliff

Membrane Separation Technology Laboratory, National Chung Hsing University, with Dr. Shing Yi Suen

Kia Allen (’11), of Georgetown

DAAD RISE Program (Germany):

Rebecca Brock (’10) of Rineyville has been selected for the Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst (German Academic Exchange Service) Research Internships in Science and Engineering (DAAD RISE) program in Brunswick, Germany. She will be doing biochemical research involving gold complexes. She will be synthesizing gold complexes and testing their effects biologically. Rebecca will receive pay from the DAAD at 650 Euro per month this summer, as well as health insurance, a paid trip to Heidelberg, and a Rail Pass for travel in Germany.

EarthWatch Student Challenge Awards Program:

Clarice Esch (’11) of Somerset has been accepted into the prestigious EarthWatch Institute’s Student Challenge Awards Program. She will be a part of a research team traveling to Cook’s Lake Reserve in Nova Scotia, Canada to perform research on the mammals of Nova Scotia. Clarice’s award includes full travel expenses, food, and lodging for her trip to Nova Scotia.

WKU Chinese Language Flagship Study Abroad:

Three Gatton Academy students will be traveling to Chongqing, China this summer for an eight-week, intensive language study abroad trip with the WKU Chinese Language Flagship program. Students will earn 12 hours of college credit for the academic work they will complete as part of the July and August trip.

Jason Ludden (’10), of Columbia
Jared Mink (’10), of East Bernstadt
Sarah Schrader (’11), of Bowling Green

Gatton Academy Research Internship Grant recipients:

Eleven rising seniors were chosen to receive Gatton Academy Research Internship Grants (RIG) from the Gatton Academy to support research work this summer. The 2010 RIG recipients and their research locations and projects are:

Derek Fox (’11), of Alexandria, will be researching artificial intelligence with Dr. Jeffrey Ward at Northern Kentucky University’s Department of Computer Science.
Victoria Gilkison (’11), of Lawrenceburg, will be working with Dr. Monte McGregor at the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources Center for Mollusk Conservation in Frankfort, KY. Torie will be studying the relationship of aquatic plants to existing water quality in streams and rivers and the resulting influence on the distribution of rare aquatic species.
Benjamin Howard (’11), of Morehead, will be working with Dr. Richard Schugart of the WKU Department of Mathematics and Computer Science on a mathematical research approach to a wound healing project.
Shelby Martin (’11), of Mt. Washington, will be working with Carly Sinderbrand and Dr. Bruce Schulte of WKU’s Department of Biology, assisting with a research project on the dominance-stress hypothesis in horse behavior.
David McChesney (’11), of Danville, will perform research with Dr. Seth DeBolt of the University of Kentucky Department of Horticulture at the Agriculture Science Center North in Lexington, studying cellulose synthase in plant proteins.
Justine Missik (’11), of Danville, will be working on a research project with Dr. Stuart Campbell of the Spallation Neutron Source at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Oak Ridge, TN. Justine’s project will be on the development of a user interface tool for analysis of protein dynamics using Quasi-elastic Neutron Scattering (QENS). Along with her award, Justine will also be spending a few days of her summer participating in the Sante Fe Institute’s course on Exploring Complexity in Science and Technology in Portland, OR.
Michael Phillips (’11), of Benton, will work with Dr. Matthew Nee of the WKU Department of Chemistry. Michael will be coding and testing a computational kinetic model for the reactions following aqueous nitrate photolysis.
Sarah Schrader (’11) of Bowling Green, will perform bacteriophage research with Dr. Rodney King of the WKU Department of Biology.
Won Suk “Josh” Song (’11) of Bowling Green, will do research with Dr. Kane Jennings of the Vanderbilt University Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. Josh’s research will be on surface properties of polymer films and will be titled “Responsive, Superhydrophobic Coatings.”
Courtney Vance (’11), of Williamstown, will work with Carly Sinderbrand and Dr. Bruce Schulte of WKU’s Department of Biology. Courtney will be assisting with a research project on the dominance-stress hypothesis in horse behavior.
Tina Stottman (’11), of Louisville, will be doing research with Dr. Kathryn Saatman at the University of Kentucky’s Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center. Tina will be assisting with a research project on lessening cell damage in traumatic brain injuries.

NCSSSMST Research Symposium:

Four Gatton Academy students will be presenting research this summer at the National Consortium for Specialized Secondary Schools of Math, Science, and Technology (NCSSSMST) Research Symposium at the Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, NJ. From June 6-9, these students will join 96 other students from across the country to share their research work through oral and poster presentations. Gatton Academy representatives and their presentation titles are:

Clarice Esch (’11), of Somerset, will present “Is Collema sp., a Gelatinous Lichen, a Sustainable Source of Nitrogen for Greenhouse and Nursery Crop Production?”
Desiree “Taylor” Harbin (’11), of Fairfield, will present “Nature’s Cabin: Altering the Design Process to Create a Sustainable Home”
Tyler Scaff (’11), of LaGrange, will present “The Phage and I: Isolating and Purifying a Bacteriophage and Annotating its Genome”
Natalie Schieber (’11), of Elizabethtown, will present “The Effect of Composition and Temperature on the Photolysis of Aqueous Nitrate Solution”

National Youth Policy Summit:

Four Gatton Academy students will be participating in the National Youth Policy Summit at the Keystone Science Center in Keystone, CO. This year’s summit on Energy Innovation will take place from June 13 – 19 and will bring together 40 of the brightest students from across the nation to come up with a proposal of policy solutions to the world’s energy needs. The following Gatton Academy students will participate:

Anthony Bates (’11) of Walton
Katie Goebel (’11) of Simpsonville
Jake Moore (’11) of Crittenden
Suzanne VanArsdall (’11) of Frankfort

Governor’s Scholar Program:

Four rising Gatton Academy seniors will be attending the Kentucky Governor’s Scholar Program this summer. These students are:

Gabrielle Fisher (’11) of Cynthiana
Tejas Sangoi (’11) of Owensboro
Tyler Scaff (’11) of LaGrange
Dana Wheeler (’11) of Louisville

Other Notable Summer Experiences:

Thomas Choate, a graduating senior from Bowling Green, will be doing research with Dr. Robert Choate of the WKU Department of Engineering. Thomas’ project will center on themography and building weatherization. He will be presenting his research at the InfraMation 2010 – Thermographer’s Conference in Las Vegas in November.

Michelle Compton, a graduating senior from Ashland, will be working with Dr. M.J. Wixsom at Guardian Animal Hospital in Ashland.

Amy Cordero, a graduating senior from Pikeville, will be taking classes through the University of Kentucky in Lexington.

Manuel Cortez, a graduating senior from Symsonia, will be observing Dr. James K. Turnbo and working at the Lone Oak Pharmacy in Paducah.

Thomas Delomas, a graduating senior from Lexington, will be taking classes through the University of Washington in Seattle.

Leah Frazier, a graduating senior from Russell, will be working as a Laboratory Technician at Brooks Eyecare in Greenup.

Lori Froedge, a graduating senior from Tompkinsville, will be working as a Teaching Assistant for the Center for Gifted Studies’ VAMPY (Verbally and Mathematically Precocious Youth) camp.

Emily Hall, a graduating senior from Nicholasville, will be returning this summer to Dr. Kathryn Saatman’s lab at the University of Kentucky’s Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center in Lexington to conduct research. Emily will be studying the traumatic brain injury of mice models with the
hope of finding proteins that inhibit cell death.

Justin Jatczak, a graduating senior from Hopkinsville, will be doing research with Dr. Kathryn Saatman of the University of Kentucky’s Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center in Lexington.

Jordan Jones, a graduating senior from Ft. Wright, will be return to the Wood Hudson Cancer Research Laboratory in Newport for her second summer. Jordan will be performing research in the cell culture
lab, working on finding a connection between two proteins that may be linked in cancer-signaling
pathways.

Holly Mitchell, a graduating senior from Salvisa, will participate in two writing workshops this summer in Iowa City, IA (the Iowa Young Writers Studio) and in Amherst, MA (the Juniper Institute for Young Writers).

Rohith Palli, a graduating senior from Lexington, will be doing research with Drs. John Rinehart and Michael Fried at the University of Kentucky’s Medical Biophysics Laboratory. Rohith will work to improve fluorescent tags on proteins and examine the improved tags’ effectiveness.

Savannah Price, a graduating senior from Louisville, will be volunteering at the Norton Suburban Hospital in Louisville.

Sarah Pritchett, a graduating senior from Winchester, will be volunteering with the Student Conservation Association for the second straight summer. This summer, she will be a part of a trail crew in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina.

Sean Stopher, a graduating senior from Louisville, will be doing a STEM-industry job at P.T. Hutchins in Louisville. Sean will be working with chemists to develop new products for the paint and coatings industry on a commercial consulting basis.

Nowelle Altman, a first-year student from Somerset, will be doing research with Dr. Steven Wininger of the WKU Department of Psychology. Nowelle plans to make a compendium of documented effective reading strategies and find the empirical evidence to support those strategies. This work will be applied to her research project next academic year with Dr. Wininger.

Kevin Andrew, a first-year student from Bowling Green, will be doing research on programming and iPhone development.

Claci Ayers, a first-year student from Bowling Green, will be volunteering as a part of the STriVe- Summer Teens Volunteer program at the Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, TN.

Anthony Bates, a first-year student from Walton, will be shadowing an optometrist at Wing Eye Care in Florence.

Anthony Bombik, a first-year student from Union, will be participating in the U.S. Space and Rocket Center’s Advanced Space Academy in Huntsville, AL. He will also be taking a class through WKU this summer and doing research with Dr. Claus Ernst of the WKU Department of Mathematics and Computer Science.

Corban Coffman, a first-year student from Lexington, will be participating in the three-week Summer Intensive theatre training program offered through the Kentucky Classical Theatre Conservatory in Lexington.

Gabrielle Fisher, a first-year student from Cynthiana, will travel to Washington, DC with Bluegrass Electric as a part of the Washington Youth Tour.

Katie Goebel, a first-year student from Simpsonville, will be shadowing at a veterinary clinic.

Desiree “Taylor” Harbin, a first-year student from Fairfield, will be participating in a Materials Science Camp at the Missouri University of Science and Technology.

Leah Hayden, a first-year student from Corydon, will be participating in a professional shadowing experience.

Andrew Kenady, a first-year student from Woodburn, will be attending the DigiPen Institute’s two-week Video Game Development Level 3 workshop in Redmond, Washington.

Madeline Lauzon, a first-year student from Owensboro, will be attending the 2010 Thespian Festival in Lincoln, NE. She will also be volunteering with the Theatre Workshop of Owensboro this summer.

Jae Lee, a first-year student from Hopkinsville, will be volunteering at the Jenny Stuart Medical Center in Hopkinsville. Specific department or doctors?

Jake Moore, a first-year student from Crittenden, will be participating in the Naval Academy Summer Seminar in Annapolis, MD.

Michael Phillips, a first-year student from Benton, will participate in the Naval Academy Summer Seminar in Annapolis, MD this summer in addition to his research at WKU.

Tyler Scaff, a first-year student from LaGrange, will also spend a part of his summer job shadowing at Baptist Northeast Hospital in LaGrange.

Shelby Stephens, a first-year student from Tompkinsville, will be shadowing…

Sarah Tariq, a first-year student from Ashland, will be volunteering at the King’s Daughters Medical Center in Ashland.

Jessica Thornsberry, a first-year student from Louisa, will be participating in the Robinson Scholars Program Writers’ Workshop at the University of Kentucky.

Miller Travis, a first-year student from Glasgow, will be working on a research project with the Electric Plant Board of Glasgow. He will also be taking a class through WKU.

Suzanne VanArsdall, a first-year student from Frankfort, will be volunteering in South Africa through the Projects Abroad organization. Suzanne will be working with a human rights lawyer, interviewing abandoned and abused children for two weeks. She will live with a host family.

Benjamin Venable, a first-year student from LaGrange, will participate in several leadership conferences and institutes, including the Youth Governor’s Conference at George Washington University in Washington, DC, the YMCA Youth Conference on National Affairs (CONA) is held at theYMCA Blue Ridge Assembly in Black Mountain, NC, and the Kentucky YMCA Youth Conference’s Leadership Training Conference in Jabez.

Paras Voras, a first-year student from Owensboro, will perform cancer research and shadow under Dr. Kishor Vora at the Owensboro Cancer Center.

Kelsey Wagner, a first-year student from Taylorsville, will be shadowing a veterinary at the Louisville Metro Animal Services’ Animal Care Center.

Celia Whelan, a first-year student from Bardstown, will perform this summer with the The Stephen Foster Story musical in Bardstown.

By Corey Alderdice

3 Gatton Academy Alumni to Participate in WKU NSF Grant For Biotechnology Research

May 27, 2010 | Academics, Alumni, News, People, Research, WKU | No Comments

Western Kentucky University’s Biology Department has been awarded its first Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) grant from the National Science Foundation.

The $300,000 grant will provide nine students, including three 2010 graduates of the Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky, intensive research training in WKU labs during the summer. The research program focuses on the interdisciplinary field of investigative biotechnology.

Students are assigned to a research project based on their interests. The projects are directed by WKU faculty mentors from Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics and Computer Science and the research topics encompass broad areas of biotechnology, including animal physiology, plant gene expression, microbiology, virology, biochemistry, protein structure and modeling, bioinformatics, neurophysiology and mathematical biology.

Students participating in the June 1-Aug. 6 program are: Melena Agyemang, Norfolk State University in Virginia; Mark Callaghan, California State University Monterey Bay; James Forshee, a Gatton Academy graduate from Simpson County; Alexander Hare, a Gatton Academy graduate from Rowan County; Hillary Jones, Georgetown College; Maggie Matheny, a Gatton Academy graduate from Lincoln County; Amanda Nolan, Stephen F. Austin State University in Texas; Stephanie Robey, Kentucky Community and Technical College System; and Shandrea Stallworth, Fort Valley State University in Georgia.

The students will work closely with their faculty mentor and interact with graduate students, post-docs, fellow undergraduates and research technicians. Students will participate in a series of Office of Scholar Development-sponsored workshops that will provide guidance on graduate school applications and grant writing and in a series of faculty-led seminars on reading professional literature and giving scientific presentations.

Through their participation in the WKU REU program, students will gain knowledge in a variety of research areas and develop the skills to prepare them for graduate studies. A major goal of the WKU program is to actively recruit undergraduates from groups that are under-represented in graduate education or from institutions with limited or no research facilities.

For information, contact Dr. Shivendra Sahi at shiv.sahi@wku.edu or Dr. Rodney King at rodney.king@wku.edu.

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 Rodney King at (270) 745-6910.

By Corey Alderdice

Gatton Academy Almuna Member of WKU All-Female Engineering Team in NASA Competition

May 26, 2010 | Academics, Alumni, News, People, Research, WKU | No Comments

Western Kentucky University’s Engineering Department is sending what may be the only all-female team to the NASA Lunabotics Mining Competition this week at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

“We’re probably not going to see a lot of girls at the competition and we will probably be the only all-girl team,” Bowling Green junior Christine Gries said of the May 25-28 competition. “It’s different working with all girls when you’re used to working with all boys and will probably be working with all boys in your professional career.”

Team ARTEMIS (Amassing Regolith with Toppers Engineers eMploying Innovative Solutions) is made up of eight females from all three engineering disciplines at WKU. The team built a robot that will be digging up regolith (lunar soil) and performing in different competitions in the process.

“It is a cool thing to work on an engineering project with all girls because it is such a male-dominated field,” said Brittany Logan, a sophomore from Englewood, Ohio.

The purpose of the Lunabotics Mining Competition is to engage and retain students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in a competitive environment that may result in innovative ideas and solutions, which could be applied to actual lunar excavation for NASA.

“The primary reason for WKU’s involvement in the competition is for our students to develop valuable engineering skills,” said Dr. Kevin Schmaltz, team advisor and associate professor of Mechanical Engineering. “Our experience has also been that WKU teams do very well in the competitions we enter.”

The other team members are mechanical engineering students Morganfield junior Amanda Huff, Smith Grove junior Whitney Tyree; civil engineering students Reynolds Station junior Sarah Bertke, Mount Washington junior Erica Rigney; and electrical engineering students Scottsville junior Maegan Young and Gatton Academy student Kaitlin Oliver of Central City.

This project, which began last fall, is being used by most of the students to fulfill their junior project requirement. Each person contributed something different to the robot.

“I was on the mechanical set team and my main focus was the hopper (the shovel) and getting the motor for the machine,” Huff said. “There is a certain weight limit to the machine. It has to be able to hold and move 1,500 pounds.”

“I was a part of the electrical sub team,” Young said. “We were in charge of all the electrical stuff. We had the motor controllers.”

For information, contact Dr. Kevin Schmaltz (270) 745-8859 or the Engineering Department at (270) 745-2461.

By Corey Alderdice

Academy Alumnus, WKU Students Ready To Begin Bike Ride Across America

May 24, 2010 | Alumni, News, People, WKU | No Comments

The Fijis Across America cross country bike ride for Alzheimer’s research will begin next week. fijis

The group, which includes five Western Kentucky University students, left Monday morning on their way to California. The bike ride will begin May 25 in Oceanside, Calif., and will end in mid-July in Yorktown, Va.

Riders from WKU are Tyler Jury (Gatton Academy ’08) of Elizabethtown, Chaz Vittitow of Louisville, Mitchell White of Bowling Green, Justin Cave of Glendale and Wade Haga of Lexington.

“We’ve gotten incredible support from our families, friends, WKU and the Alzheimer’s Association,” Jury said.

The group hopes to raise $75,000 to benefit the Greater Kentucky/Southern Indiana Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association and to increase local, state and national awareness as the students ride about 3,200 miles from California to Virginia. The fundraiser is being conducted in memory of Barrett Cummings, Jury’s grandfather.

So far the group has raised more than $20,500. As the students travel through nine states – California, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky and Virginia – they plan to participate in fundraisers and other events.

Jury said the group has been collecting stories of Alzheimer’s impact on families and will dedicate each day’s ride to a family.
Information about the trip, including videos, photos, blogs and route map, is available on the Fijis Across America website and Facebook page.

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 Tyler Jury at (270) 766-7121.

By Corey Alderdice

Full Video: Gatton Academy Third Annual Commencement (2010)

May 15, 2010 | Alumni, News, Parents, People, Staff, Student Success, Video, WKU | No Comments

Gatton Academy Third Annual Commencement (2010) from Gatton Academy on Vimeo.

Celebration of Commencement Weekend at Western Kentucky University continued on Saturday as The Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky honored its third graduating class of high school seniors.

Fifty-one students representing 37 counties from across the Commonwealth were recognized during the ceremony at the newly renovated Van Meter Auditorium. The ceremony not only celebrated the significant accomplishments of the program and its graduates over the last two years but also looked toward the infinite possibilities ahead.

Gatton Academy Executive Director Dr. Julia Roberts expressed the day’s events were both a celebration of the Class of 2010’s personal accomplishments and a starting point toward their work of creating a better Kentucky.

“Kentucky’s future is brighter today because you are graduates of the Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science,” Roberts said. “What wonderful contributions you will make in the fields of mathematics, science, engineering and technology. I look forward to hearing about your leadership in STEM fields in Kentucky and beyond in the not-so-distant future.”

WKU President Dr. Gary Ransdell lauded not only the graduates’ academic accomplishments but also the instruction they have received in becoming better leaders.

“I hope you’ve understood those lessons and values that allow you to command leadership positions,” he said. “And I hope you take with you the motto of this university: The spirit makes the master. I hope wherever you may go, that path leads back to Kentucky.”

Chris Guthrie, President of Trace Die Cast, Inc., delivered the commencement address. Guthrie also encouraged the graduates to enjoy a wide variety of life experiences; however, he advised them to make a difference in their state.

“We have a great state, and I challenge you to see more of it,” he said. “When the time comes to start your business, your medical practice or research institute, come back to Kentucky. We need your talent. Go out and experience great things and come back and help us build a better Commonwealth.”

Over the past two years, Gatton Academy students have taken advanced coursework in mathematics, science and other subjects at WKU in fulfillment of high school requirements and the Gatton Academy curriculum. In all, students have each earned more than 60 hours of college credit.

Gatton Academy Director Tim Gott shared his gratitude with attending faculty members for their role in making the program’s learning environment a challenging and rewarding experience for students.

“Of the many things these students have pursued, one particular area of significance is the opportunity to conduct research,” Gott said. “Many of the faculty with us today have mentored these students as they explored new techniques in chemistry, environmental issues in geography and geology, unknown frontiers in astronomy and physics, potential medical breakthroughs in biology, life-enhancing concepts in engineering and unique applications in math and computer science. Those who engaged in these research projects have truly brought relevance to the rigor.”

Three out of five graduates participated in a facilitated research project with university faculty members. Research accomplishments include WKU’s second Department of Defense SMART scholarship recipient, a student presentation before the Keystone Center’s National Energy Board, and a DAAD RISE scholarship winner.

Anna Walter, a graduating senior from Burlington, reflected upon her experience as an Academy student and the potential she and her classmates have to affect global change.

“The Academy has given us the opportunities we need not only to succeed in our chosen fields but also to excel in them by providing that extra little push to go from ordinary to the extraordinary,” she said. “It is that little extra that distinguishes the leaders from the followers, the innovators from the reproducers and the great from the average.”

In pursuit of those academic and personal goals, three out of five graduates plan to attend Kentucky higher education institutions with 8 continuing their studies at WKU.

In the fall of 2010, representatives from the graduating class will attend 20 schools across the United States: Belmont University; Cornell University; Georgia Institute of Technology; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Morehead State University; Mount Holyoke College; Princeton University; Purdue University; Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology; Stanford University; Transylvania University; Union University; University of Chicago; University of Delaware; University of Kentucky; University of Louisville; University of Tennessee, Knoxville; University of Washington; Vanderbilt University and Western Kentucky University.

Four-year scholarships totaling more than $10.3 million were offered to the graduating class, while more than $3.5 million in four-year scholarships were accepted.

Twelve members of the senior class were named Kentucky Governor’s Scholars. Ten members of the class were selected as National Merit finalists. In all, seniors completed a total of 1,948 hours of community service during their time at the Gatton Academy.

“These students have taken the most rigorous curriculum offered to any high school student in the nation,” Gott said. “They left the comfort of home and established a level of independence that will impact their lives forever. They have forged new friendships which will grow exponentially in the years to come. They have given themselves in community service throughout the state inspiring younger students, building new homes and expanding awareness of the opportunities in math and science. They will become the leaders of this great Commonwealth.”

Ryne Weiss, a graduating senior from Richmond, explained the role that students’ families, both genetic and created, had on their time as Academy students.

“This experience would not be possible if you didn’t have generous parents who would do the unthinkable and let you pursue the greatest academic opportunity available,” Weiss said. “Eventually, we will also see our Academy family again. They will be on the news, they will be on the cover of Nature, Popular Science or Time. We will see each other again and we will be proud, like family.”

By Corey Alderdice

Gatton Academy Honors Third Class of Graduates

May 15, 2010 | Alumni, News, Parents, People, Student Life, Student Success, WKU | No Comments

Celebration of Commencement Weekend at Western Kentucky University continued on Saturday as The Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky honored its third graduating class of high school seniors.