Staff – Page 3 – The Gatton Academy News

Residential Counselor Rose Nash Presents Master’s Thesis at Oxford Conference

September 2, 2010 | 5Q, Academics, International, News, People, Research, Staff, Student Life, Student Success, WKU | No Comments

Interview by Kelsey Wagner, Academy Avatar

The students of Gatton Academy are not the only high-achievers in Schneider Hall. Over this summer, Residential Counselor Rose Nash traveled to the esteemed Oxford University in England to present her Master’s thesis to a group of her academic peers. The Academy caught up with her and she answered a few questions about her presentation and her trip in general.

When did you go?

The conference was held the 11th through the 13th of July.

Why were you there?

I presented part of my thesis: A Loss of Connection: Science in Romanticism and Science Fiction at the fifth Global Conference of Visions of Humanity in Cyberculture, Cyberspace, and Science Fiction at Oxford University.

What kinds of things did you do while in England besides present at the conference?

At the conference, I presented and participated in discussions with other presenters about their theses. I got to know people from all over the world. I also spent 2 days in Oxford, where Tolkien and C.S. Lewis were from, and got to see where they studied and worked. I [spent time] in London touring for 2 days.

Would you share with us a little information about your thesis?

My thesis is the idea that modern science fiction is an extension of Dark Romanticism. The part I presented is connecting two of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short stories, “The Birth-mark” and “Rappiccini’s Daughter,” to Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451.

How did you feel about presenting?

Incredibly nervous! I was the only person there who wasn’t in the process of earning or already have a Ph.D. Once I was there, though, I really enjoyed it and got a lot of useful information for my thesis.

Which other theses stood out to you? Which were your favorites?

The ones on virtual worlds and how they impact how we communicate and how its changing, and what it really means to be human. Also, a lot of papers on the Cyberpunk movement. Cyberpunk is [a subgenre of] revolutionary stories in science fiction about changing things. Many authors tied into real-life cases like genocides in Africa, AIDS epidemics, and man’s want to not age or die. The constant use of science and the attempt to escape is really what it means to be human.

How many people presented at the conference?

Forty people presented from fourteen different countries [were in the audience], plus their family and friends. There were three days of presenting nonstop, with a social justice conference too.

What was your favorite part of the whole trip?

Meeting others in science fiction field. I met nice guy from Brazil, a guy from New Zealand, a girl from Norway, a cool girl from Vietnam, and girl from Czech Republic who was working in Greece.

Any final words you would like to leave us with?

It was really nerve-wracking, but–in the end–it was completely worth it.

By Corey Alderdice

[New Year, New Staff] Meet Residential Counselor Laura Huff

September 1, 2010 | 5Q, News, People, Staff, Student Life | No Comments

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 five questions that we asked each person. Each Avatar also posed five unique questions of their own choosing to ask as well.

Up next is Residential Counselor Laura Huff.

Interview by Sydney Combs, Academy Avatar

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

I had been part of the Gatton Academy staff for two years as a night clerk before applying for a residential counselor position. I decided to go for the position because I wanted to stay with the Academy after graduating college. I love working here and love the atmosphere. It seemed like the perfect fit for me.

2. Where did you attend college and what subjects did you study?

I attended Western Kentucky University and studied English with a concentration in creative writing. I did droadcasting as a minor and did most of the Asian Studies courses as well as studied Japanese for the last three years of my college education.

3. What are you looking forward to the most about the coming school year?

I’m looking forward to getting started and getting into a routine first of all. I’m also looking forward to getting to know not only the girls on my floor but the other students as well.

4. What do you think makes the Gatton Academy a unique educational experience?

There is no other high school in Kentucky like Gatton Academy. It’s a place where students from all sorts of different places, backgrounds, and cultures can come together and work toward their dreams. They learn more about the world, especially being on a college campus, where the atmosphere is entirely different.

5. What contributions do you hope to make to life at the Gatton Academy?

I hope to bring together people from different groups and different floors and to introduce some new things to the students that they may not have otherwise tried.

6. Do you have any unique hobbies?

I watch a LOT of Japanese dramas. In the past three years, I’ve seen over 250. They’re just so addicting and so many new ones keep coming out.

7. If you had a couple of hours to waste in an airport, what would you be doing?

Since I rarely travel, airports are a novelty for me. Whenever I do somehow get to be in an airport, I love just walking around looking at the stores and the strangely expensive things they sell there. It fascinates me that you can buy so much stuff in an airport.

8. What clubs are you interested in starting or sponsoring this year?

I think I’m going to be the Japanese Culture Club sponsor this year, but other than that, I’m free. If anyone has a club for which they need a sponsor, then come see me.

9. Why did you choose to major in your field?

I chose Creative Writing because I got to write. Writing stories is something I’ve done since childhood when I learned how to write, and it was all I had ever wanted to do up until I got in college. Things have changed a bit, but I still love writing and loved being able to just sit in class and write a random story.

10. In a fierce battle, who would win: Unicorns or Zombies, and why?

Hmm…unicorns have the advantage of being alive and faster, but zombies are already dead and develop superhuman strength to rip things apart once they are undead. Definitely zombies that would rip apart the unicorns.

By Corey Alderdice

[New Year, New Staff] Meet Residential Counselor Ian Oliver

August 31, 2010 | 5Q, News, People, Staff, Student Life | No Comments

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 five questions that we asked each person. Each Avatar also posed five unique questions of their own choosing to ask as well.

Up first is Residential Counselor Ian Oliver.

Interview by Brandon Kerr, Academy Avatar

1) Why did you decide to join the Gatton Academy staff?

I knew coming out of college I wanted to work with students in a college environment. Having attended a residential high school for gifted children myself, the Gatton Academy seemed a natural fit.

2) Where did you attend college and what subjects did you study?

I attended college at Clemson University (in South Carolina) and studied Physics and Astronomy.

3) What are you looking forward to the most about the coming school year?

I’m looking forward to getting to know the students and see what you do with the opportunity you’ve been presented. I’ve heard and read a lot of amazing things students have done in the past or are working on now.

4) What do you think makes the Gatton Academy a unique educational experience?

I don’t know of any other school that provides so much support and autonomy in allowing students to pursue their academic interests.

5) What contributions do you hope to make to life at the Gatton Academy?

I’d like to be a valuable resource for the students, and maybe share some outside experience.

6) What’s your favorite type of foreign food?

Burritos. Burritos count as foreign right?

7) If you could travel to any country, where would you go, and why?

England. A lifetime of English sentiment means traveling to England always feels like coming home.

8) How did you first find out about the Academy?

Representatives from the academy were at a residential life conference I attended.

9) What is your favorite TV show/movie?

I’m not much of a TV/Movie guy, but probably The Daily Show for TV and Grave of the Fireflies for movie.

10) If you could have any animal as a pet, which would it be, and why?

I was asked this the other day in an icebreaker and answered “Goliath Frog,” but honestly I think I dog is pretty hard to beat.

By Corey Alderdice

[New Year, New Staff] Meet Study Skills Coordinator Keely P’Pool

August 30, 2010 | 5Q, Academics, News, People, Staff, Student Life | No Comments

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 five questions that we asked each person. Each Avatar also posed five unique questions of their own choosing to ask as well.

Up next is Study Skills Coordinator Keely P’Pool.

Interview by Krysta Waldrop, Academy Avatar

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

I am very excited to be a member of the Gatton Academy staff this year, and I am looking forward to working with and interacting with all the students. I am a firm believer in gifted education and feel that gifted students should be given academic opportunities that will challenge them and enable them to maximize their potential. Knowing these values are incorporated into the mission of the Gatton Academy made me want to become a staff member so that I can contribute my knowledge and expertise in hopes of helping every student at the Gatton Academy be successful.

2. Where did you attend college and what subjects did you study?

I am actually an alumnus of Western Kentucky University. I have a variety of degrees from this university and am also currently working on my second Masters degree from Western. I graduated in 2006 with a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and a minor in Criminology. I also have my Master’s degree in Elementary & Gifted Education from WKU. I am currently finishing up my Specialist degree in Elementary Education with an emphasis in Gifted Education, and I am starting work on my second Master’s this fall in Library Media Education.

3. What are you looking forward to the most about the coming school year?

One of the main components I have missed most from my teaching career is interacting and working with students. I enjoy collaborating with students and watching them learn and be successful. I also enjoy learning about my students and forming positive academic relationships with them. Last year I worked at The Center for Gifted Studies and missed the interaction with students. So, now that I am at the Gatton Academy I am excited to once again work with students and do what I can to ensure that they will be successful.

4. What do you think makes the Gatton Academy a unique educational experience?

I think the main thing that makes the Gatton Academy a unique educational experience is that it allows gifted students from all across the state to interact and learn from each other in an environment that is extremely beneficial for them. It’s a completely different learning experience when you come from a classroom where you are the only gifted student to an environment where every student around you is gifted. The Gatton Academy experience allows gifted students to form a camaraderie among themselves because they understand each other. The educational experience is so much better when you share it with people who enjoy learning as much as you do, and that is the atmosphere that the Gatton Academy provides.

5. What contributions do you hope to make to life at the Gatton Academy?

I hope to make many positive contributions to life at the Gatton Academy. Among these contributions I hope to bring a supportive environment for all of the students I will be working with during the study hours. I also hope to show the students that I truly care about them and their academic success by making myself available as much as possible to meet their academic needs, whether it be proofreading a research paper, helping students review for an exam, or scheduling tutors for students who need some extra help in their classes.

6. Have you often worked with young adults in past jobs? (Also, if yes, what/who inspired you to work with people in that age group?

I taught fourth grade for two years at Oakland Elementary here in Bowling Green, even though those students are a little bit younger than the “young adult” category. I also taught a class at SCATS last summer called Nazi Germany & the Holocaust, which I taught to gifted middle school students. As far as my fourth graders, I have always wanted to teach and work with students, so I truly enjoyed working with students at that age especially when I was able to teach them content where they had to think critically about their problem solving. Concerning the SCATS students, I attended both SCATS and VAMPY when I was younger and knew that I wanted to teach a class at SCATS at some point. Nazi Germany and the Holocaust is a topic of interest for me, and I have traveled to some of the concentration camps in Europe. It was great to teach a topic to students who were interested and wanted to learn about a subject matter that I am passionate about.

7. Do you have any advice to give to the students that would have helped you at our age?

My advice for students would be to experience as much as you can (traveling, meeting new people, taking interesting classes, etc.) whenever you can because life is too short not to enjoy every moment. As far as academics, my advice would be to work hard and stay focused, even though there will be times when all you want to do is watch TV, relax, and hang out with friends. Hard work does pay off in the end, and it is totally worth it to do well the first time and enjoy your accomplishments.

8. What was your favorite subject in high school?

My favorite subjects in high school were history (because I had an AMAZING AP History teacher) and math (I took AP Calculus my senior year).

9. What has been the most memorable place to which you have traveled?

This is a really hard question because I am an avid traveler. I have been to 48 states (still need to go to Alaska and Hawaii) and 18 countries. If I had to choose I would say the most memorable place I have been to would be a tie between Ireland, Italy (Venice), Australia, and France (Paris).

10. Is there anything else about you that you would like the staff, students, or parents to know?

I would like everyone to know that my main goal is for every student at the Gatton Academy to be successful. I am available and willing to help the students in any way that I can and am more than willing to meet with students whenever they need me. Some interesting facts I guess would be that I am from a military family, I love to travel (which is obvious from the answer I gave in the above question), and I used to train horses when I was younger.

By Corey Alderdice

[Photo Album] Research Fair

August 27, 2010 | Academics, News, People, Photos, Research, Staff, Students, WKU | No Comments

Members of the Class of 2012 had the opportunity to connect with faculty members in the Odgen College of Science and Engineering and College of Education and Behavioral Sciences on Monday to learn more about research experiences available in the coming year. Read the full story online at: http://4n6.mobi/cZudSw

Photos by Suzanne Van Arsdall, Academy Avatar

[flickr album=72157624688712533 num=30 size=Square]

By Corey Alderdice

Gatton Academy First-Year Students Eager for Research Experiences

August 27, 2010 | Academics, News, People, Research, Staff, Students, WKU | No Comments

Dr. Claus Ernst discusses his research with an Academy first-year student.

by Michael Phillips, Academy Avatar

Derick Strode, Coordinator of Research, Internships, and Scholarships at the Gatton Academy, knows the subjects and conversations that get students excited about math and science.

Earlier this week, Strode invited a group of Western Kentucky University faculty members from Ogden College of Science and Engineering and the College of Education and Behavioral Science to the Academy to discuss with students their latest scientific discoveries. The conversations were meant to serve as a springboard for opportunities to participate is sponsored research throughout the coming year.

When students arrived at the research fair they quickly moved toward professors who taught subjects in which they shared an interest. A few students took a short break to explain why they were in such a rush.

Gabby Canant (Daviess, ’12) said she was very interested in research because she found it to be an outlet for her to learn new things.

Claire Croley (Whitley, ‘12) believed research would give her the ability to explore new ideas.

Nicholas Zolman (Montgomery, ’12) loves astronomy. He can’t wait to begin research and find out more about the universe.

Rachel Metcalf (Henry, ’12) thinks research will be an opportunity to explore her interests outside of the classroom.

The research fair marked the first occassion many student had to meet WKU faculty members.

Many seniors at the Gatton Academy were glad to see juniors taking such an interest in research. Sean Freeman (Boone, ’11) views research as a critical part of the Academy experience. “I enjoyed research because I was able to narrow down my interests to a specific area and tailor my Gatton academy experience accordingly,” he said. “I did research my first semester and I’m happy to see juniors to have the same opportunity.”

Dr. Cathleen Webb, head of the Department of Chemistry, worked with many Academy students during the Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) on campus this summer. She was to praise Academy students and their contributions. “Gatton students are very eager,” Webb noted. “I have a hard time keeping them busy.”

Dr. Webb also mentioned that the students’ abilities to learn new concepts were well above average.

Dr. Peter Hamburger, head of the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, along with Dr. Bruce Kessler, Associate Dean of the Ogden College of Science and Engineering and a professor of mathematics, also emphasized traits that make Academy students an asset to faculty members’ labs and projects.

Dr. Hamburger emphasized how unique Gatton students are in how open they are to ideas. He suggested that Gatton students also know how to utilize their natural talents in order to creatively approach problems. Dr. Kessler agreed that Gatton students were excellent students to work with.

Dr. Albert Meier and Dr. Scott Grubbs of the WKU Biology department have had multiple research experiences with Gatton students. While Dr. Meier acknowledged Academy students are only available for a limited time, he praised their commitment to research. “We can only expect the majority of students to be with us for two years but, they have outstanding dedication,” he said.

Overall the staff, faculty, and students counted the research fair as a success. Students left the session very eager to begin research this semester.

By Corey Alderdice

[Photo Album] Picnic with the President

August 26, 2010 | News, People, Photos, Staff, Student Life, Students, WKU | No Comments

Monday evening featured what has become an annual tradition. A picnic at the home of WKU President Dr. Gary Ransdell. Read the full story at http://4n6.mobi/aS2MnG

photos by Suzanne Van Arsdall, Academy Avatar

[flickr album=72157624813146660 num=30 size=Square]

By Corey Alderdice

Academy Students Connect with WKU President, Faculty at Annual Picnic

August 26, 2010 | News, People, Staff, Student Life, Students, WKU | No Comments

WKU President Dr. Gary Ransdell greets members of the Class of 2012.

by Kelsey Wagner, Academy Avatar

It has become a yearly tradition for the new arrivals at the Gatton Academy to travel to the home of Western Kentucky University President Dr. Gary Ransdell for a casual dinner on his front lawn as part of Adventure Week festivities. The picnic is generally held as a casual interaction between new students and staff, and serves as a great way for people to get to know each other in an informal setting.

Dr. Bruce Kessler, the Associate Dean of Odgen College and an Academy trigonometry professor, views the picnic as a great to ease students fears about interacting with faculty on campus.

“The students are all a little nervous right now, and I hope to reassure them that I’m actually a human being,” he said. “We’re here to reassure folks that it’s gonna be okay.”

Exemplifying the casual and friendly atmosphere upheld at the annual dinner, Kessler joked that “there are a few students who were complaining about the cost of textbooks. I said, ‘Hey, your trig book is free!’”

President Ransdell values this chance for building student-staff relationships, disclosing that “I want to get to know them personally and individually and I want them to grow confident and comfortable with the WKU experience. I want to lead by example and help lead the way for them to come to understand what we’re about as an institution and what they’re in for at the Gatton Academy experience. ”

As Ransdell mingled about the tables of dining juniors, patting them on the backs and making amiable conversation, he asked them about their experience so far. The cookout was a very friendly and comfortable setting, which, according to Ransdell, is a good thing. When asked why the President began the now-tradition of inviting new Academy attendees to the annual picnic, he said, “First of all, to get to know them. It’s an honor to have Gatton Academy students on our campus for the next few years.”

Apparently, lounging on the lawn of the leader for a luncheon is relatively commonplace, when it comes to letting the faculty get to know some of WKU’s most extraordinary people. “Just last week we had all of the first year international students here, and next week we’ll have all of the first-year honors students here,–about 3oo of them. Last week we had eleven teachers from China that are in our Confucius Institute that are teaching Chinese at local schools. We have lots of student and faculty groups here at the President’s home,” added Ransdell to the group.

Overall, the easygoing atmosphere and low-pressure, congenial spirit at the cookout was an equally good experience for both students and staff; they dined at the same tables, played each other in games of bocce ball and corn-hole, and generally got to know one another outside the meeting halls and classrooms.

“I had a great time interacting with kids at my table, and they were very sweet, and seemed nervous, but I think that’s to be expected,” noted Kessler.

Ransdell assures this is not the last interaction he will have with the Class of 2012 during their time on campus. “I’m just excited about this class of Gatton Academy students and cannot wait to get to know them,” he said.

By Corey Alderdice

Academy Staff Learn About Gifted Student Strategies at Leadership Retreat

August 26, 2010 | News, People, Staff | No Comments

Gatton Academy Staff at the Annual Retreat

by Kelsey Wagner, Academy Avatar

The staff members of the Gatton Academy met for two days at the All Saints Center in Leitchfield, KY, on the Rough River for their annual Staff Retreat earlier this month. The retreat, held on August 12th and 13th, featured three sessions with Dr. Tracy Cross, the Director of Gifted Studies at William and Mary University.

Dr. Cross, a former director of the Indiana Academy of Mathematics and Science, provided the staff with a “deeper understanding of high-ability students, in terms of social-emotional needs as well as academic needs,” noted Tim Gott, director of the Gatton Academy and attendee of the staff retreat.

Dr. Christopher “Pokey” Bowen, Assistant Director of Counseling Services, described Dr. Cross as “humble, knowledgeable, and down-to-earth.” Dr. Bowen also said that meeting Cross was the highlight of the trip, which also included open discussions and a concert performance by Sean Giddings, musician and Academy Residential Counselor.

This year, the annual trip wasn’t as much of a team-building experience between staff members given the majority of the staff was returning, although it did “build connections and camaraderie” among them according to Gott. Its focus was placed more on the students and gaining a better understanding of the best way to communicate with gifted/talented students. The sessions were a learning experience, with information gleaned about suicide prevention and the traits of such students.

Staff members participate in a workshop focusing on the social and emotional needs of gifted students.

The retreat was somewhat of a turning point for the direction the staff of the Academy heading into this new year in terms of the staff-to-staff and staff-to-student relationships. Bowen spoke of how meeting structure and communication between staff will become more inclusive. Also reported by Dr. Bowen were the staff’s plans for an “increase of communication with parents, students, and each other.”

After hearing Dr. Cross present his own research at the Staff Retreat, the staff and administration made plans to research gifted strategies themselves. In addition, Cross gave the Academy an informational binder full of resources and articles about teaching and fostering gifted students.

Of course, the retreat wasn’t all work and no play. Despite storms on the first day, Laura Huff, a new face this year and second floor RC, said that they also “hung out at the lodge, stayed up late, played cards, and went down to the river, and sat on the docks.”

Huff also met some members of the Academy personnel those two days. It was her first encounter with Pokey Bowen, Derek Strode, April Gaskey, and the coordinator for study skills, Keely P’Pool. Huff comments that she is “glad to be here,” and that she is looking forward to the upcoming school year. Gott agrees, reporting that the trip promoted “energy and synergy” and was a “good way to start a great year.”

By Corey Alderdice

[Video Blog] Gatton Academy First-Years Discover Research Opportunities During Fair

August 24, 2010 | Academics, News, People, Research, Staff, Students, WKU | No Comments

[Video Blog] Gatton Academy First-Years Discover Research Opportunities During Fair from Gatton Academy on Vimeo.

Faculty from Ogden College of Science and Engineering and the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences at WKU met with Class of 2012 students to discuss opportunities to engage in research.

By Corey Alderdice

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