Research – Page 4 – The Gatton Academy News

Eastes and Brothers Explore Materials Research, Grad School Options at UTSI

August 30, 2011 | Academics, News, People, Research, Students, Summer | No Comments

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.

By Corey Alderdice

Shelley, Crocker Pursue Chemical Research in Taiwan

August 29, 2011 | News, People, Research, Students, Summer, WKU | No Comments

Participants in the Taiwan research program spend some time outside of the lab.

by Andrea Eastes, Academy Avatar

For many Gatton Academy students, the previous summer was a global experience. With programs in China and the United Kingdom, students engaged other cultures as a group. Other students pursued their own paths in additional locations around the globe.

Seniors Ellis Shelley and Michael Crocker added Taiwan to the long list of places visited. During their time there, both were involved in chemistry research for ten weeks. The program was organized by Dr. Eric Conte of the Department of Chemistry at Western Kentucky University.

The program was part of a 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.

Michael Crocker was involved with research on synthesizing a polymer that can form a honey-comb shaped membrane on a substance then try to coat silica gel particles with that membrane. Coating the silica gel was in effort to modify the end group from OH to C18. Changing these properties enabled his group to attempt to purify phenol and bisphenol from water.

During his time in Taiwan, Crocker worked with another WKU student, Helen Thompson, and many Taiwanese Master’s and Ph. D. students under the same professor.

Shelley participated in a different research project. His work entailed optimizing protein purification methods using IMAM (Ionized Metal Affinity Membranes). Dr. Suen, the head of the Chemical Engineering Department was the main person Shelley worked with during his time overseas.

Research wasn’t the only thing that Michael and Ellis did while they were in Taiwan though. Crocker explained the pair also had the chance to visit locations throughout the country. “We were able to travel all through Taiwan from the large cities like Taipei to mountain hiking in eastern Taiwan.”

Ellis also added that his favorite part of the trip “was the friendships I made while there and the opportunity to experience a culture so much different from my own.”

Taiwan not only exposed the students to a different culture, but to how having a job in the field would be like. Shelley explains that it was as if he had “lived the life of a chemical engineering graduate for two months.”

Both were able to gain experience in the lab and work with equipment such as a SEM (scanning electron microscope) and IR. Crocker also said that doing original research at a very prestigious institution with students working toward their masters and Ph. D. degrees was very rewarding. Shelley also found the program quite rewarding, in fact, he and his two partners plan to publish their research later this year!

Crocker summed up the experience in an appreciate for learning more about diverse cultures. ’’I really enjoyed Taiwan. It was very different from the United States, and all of the differences were very eye opening for me,” he said.

The students found the trip not only to be an amazing research experience, but also a chance to learn about and become immersed in another culture as well as learn about graduate lifestyle.

By Corey Alderdice

5Q: Lukas Missik Attends RSI at MIT

August 29, 2011 | 5Q, Academics, News, People, Research, Student Success, Students, Summer | No Comments

Interview by Erin Walch, Academy Avatar

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.

For more information on the RSI experience at MIT, visit: http://www.cee.org/programs/rsi

By Corey Alderdice

Academy Students Dialogue with Peers, Industry Leaders at National Youth Policy Summit

August 29, 2011 | Academics, News, People, Research, Students, Summer | No Comments

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.”

By Corey Alderdice

Students Gain First Impression of Faculty, Academic Explorations at Annual Research Fair

August 23, 2011 | Academics, News, People, Research, Staff, Students, WKU | No Comments

by Andrea Eastes, Academy Avatar

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.

By Corey Alderdice

Clarice Esch Receives EPA Fellowship to Continue Research at WKU

August 16, 2011 | Academics, Alumni, News, People, Research, Student Success, Students, WKU | No Comments

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.

By Corey Alderdice

5Q: Anthony Gutierrez Studies Locomotor Dysfunction at WKU Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Center

August 4, 2011 | 5Q, News, People, Research, Students, Summer | No Comments

Since 2010, the Gatton Academy has offered students the ability to pursue summer research experiences through the Gatton Research Internships Grants (RIG) program. Made possible through the generous support of Mr. Carol Martin “Bill” Gatton, the program offers competitive grants to Gatton Academy students between their junior and senior years to support summertime research internships across the Commonwealth and the world. By providing a funding mechanism, the program directly creates new avenues for growth and exploration. Throughout the summer, we’ll share insights from students who are the recipients of our 2011 grants.

Anthony Gutierrez (’12) of Mount Washington is performing in Dr. Alexander Rabchevsk’s lab at the University of Kentucky’s Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center, studying locomotor dysfunction after spinal cord injuries.

1. Tell us a little about the research experience in which you are participating this summer that the Research Internship Grant is funding.

This has been a wonderful research experience so far. From the very first day I was experiencing the daily life of my lab, which revolves around Spinal Cord Injury. I have worked with equipment that cost $200,000 dollars, such as a Crysectioning Machine, which is used to cut small section of the spinal cord. Honestly, in these three weeks, I have experienced so much, yet I know there is still more to discover and work on. I have enjoyed my lab mates, as they are all fun to be around, yet they know how to get their work done and are willing to be patient with me and teach me how to do certain procedures. This is because my lab revolves around a certain motto: “Watch it, do it, teach it.”

2. What is the part of the summer experience you are enjoying most?

I believe the part of this summer experience that I enjoy the most is the freedom, as I don’t feel pressured to go to bed a certain time, or feel as if I have to go somewhere. I am on my own schedule, so I can study as long as I want, but I am also allowed to have free time. Also, I love how much time I spend on research, which is approximately 9 hours a day. It seemed like a lot at first, but I feel that I get a lot done in a day than I normally would with my old research, where I only stayed for 2 hours and only 2 times a week. So, I get a lot more done.

3. How is this different from the way you think most high school students spend their summers?

I know it is different by speaking with all of my old friends who are still in high school. I have been receiving the same answer, where they are usually working, going to GSP, or doing nothing at all. I can’t blame them, as I would probably be working a summer job if I didn’t attend Gatton, as I wasn’t exactly interested in research before the Gatton Academy. It seems that it changed my whole mindset towards summer, as all I wanted to do was take part in research.

4. How does this research experience or internship fit into your educational and professional goals?

I plan on attending Medical School, so this gives me a head start on my interest and resume. I plan on being a neurosurgeon or orthopedic surgeon, so both can deal with the spinal cord. As I am already learning clinical techniques, such as taking care of the patient pre and post-surgery, I am getting a head start on my education.

5. What are you looking forward to the most about your second year at the Academy?

I can’t wait to start up classes and meet back with all of my classmates. I enjoyed being with all of my classmates, and I truly do miss them this summer. As for classes, I can’t wait to start taking higher level biology classes.

By Corey Alderdice

5Q: Will Bickett Studies Doppler Shift Effects at WKU Applied Physics Institute

August 2, 2011 | 5Q, News, People, Research, Students, Summer, WKU | No Comments

Since 2010, the Gatton Academy has offered students the ability to pursue summer research experiences through the Gatton Research Internships Grants (RIG) program. Made possible through the generous support of Mr. Carol Martin “Bill” Gatton, the program offers competitive grants to Gatton Academy students between their junior and senior years to support summertime research internships across the Commonwealth and the world. By providing a funding mechanism, the program directly creates new avenues for growth and exploration. Throughout the summer, we’ll share insights from students who are the recipients of our 2011 grants.

William Bickett (’12) of Owensboro is conducting research this summer with Dr. Phillip Womble at WKU’s Applied Physics Institute.

1. Tell us a little about the research experience in which you are participating this summer that the Research Internship Grant is funding.

I have been working on subjecting samples to neutron radiation and measuring the emitted gamma-rays at various angles in my research over the summer. I’m doing this in order to get a better feel for how the Doppler Shift effects the readings of gamma ray based explosive detectors. My research requires me to do a large variety of things, from working in the machine shop, creating various components of our setup, to running complex and expensive equipment such as neutron generators.

2. Will you be using this research experience as a launching point for any particular applications, competitions, or scholarships?

I will ideally use my research to participate in the Siemens Competition, try for a Goldwater Scholarship, and several other endeavors.

3. How does this research experience or internship fit into your educational and professional goals?

This research experience has allowed me to get first-hand experience in the type of workplace that I hope to one day end up in.

4. What are you looking forward to the most about your second year at the Academy?

The thing I am looking forward to most about my senior year at the Academy is probably my new residential situation. ADA Room: Check, Cool Roommate: Check, Cool Suitemates: Check, Girls wing of the building: Check.

5. What do you love most about the Gatton Academy?

The thing I love most about the Academy is that its full of kids like me and that I feel like I belong there.

By Corey Alderdice

5Q: Tucker Joyce Continues Research Using Math to Explore Chronic Wound Healing

July 28, 2011 | 5Q, News, People, Research, Students, WKU | No Comments

Since 2010, the Gatton Academy has offered students the ability to pursue summer research experiences through the Gatton Research Internships Grants (RIG) program. Made possible through the generous support of Mr. Carol Martin “Bill” Gatton, the program offers competitive grants to Gatton Academy students between their junior and senior years to support summertime research internships across the Commonwealth and the world. By providing a funding mechanism, the program directly creates new avenues for growth and exploration. Throughout the summer, we’ll share insights from students who are the recipients of our 2011 grants.

Tennessee “Tucker” Joyce (’12) of Harrodsburg is working with Dr. Richard Schugart of the WKU Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, continuing his research that started at the beginning of his Academy experience.

1. What does research mean to you as a young person interested in STEM?

Research to me means that I can work creatively on a new, unsolved problem. It means that the work I am doing here can have an impact on the world and help people.

2. Tell us a little about the research experience in which you are participating this summer that the Research Internship Grant is funding.

This Summer I am doing research under Dr. Richard Schugart in the WKU Mathematics Department. I am working on part of an ongoing project involving a new model of the process of wound healing for chronic wounds. I am working mostly with the mathematical aspect of the problem, gaining qualitative results and estimating parameter values.

3. Will you be using this research experience as a launching point for any particular applications, competitions, or scholarships?

Yes, definitely. I plan on applying to the Siemens Competition, Intel Competition, and probably some others too. The research experience here lends itself naturally to such competitions and this is one of the great benefits of doing research.

4. How does the Gatton Academy help Kentucky from your point of view?

I feel that the Gatton Academy’s main benefit to Kentucky is to allow young people with potential to better use it. Graduates of the Gatton Academy are prepared to succeed in college more than they ever would be otherwise and will probably go on to improve Kentucky after college more than ever thanks to the opportunities they received at the Gatton Academy.

5. What do you love most about the Gatton Academy?

The thing I love most about the Gatton Academy is the idea that 128 of the most gifted students in the state are able to live and work together in one place. I feel that students as talented as those at the Gatton Academy can achieve much more when they can communicate with each other. The Gatton Academy creates a unique community in which this is possible and the opportunities that this provides are what I love about the Academy.

By Corey Alderdice

5Q: Rebecca Brown Monitors Blazars with WKU Department of Physics and Astronomy

July 26, 2011 | 5Q, News, People, Research, Students, Summer, WKU | No Comments

Since 2010, the Gatton Academy has offered students the ability to pursue summer research experiences through the Gatton Research Internships Grants (RIG) program. Made possible through the generous support of Mr. Carol Martin “Bill” Gatton, the program offers competitive grants to Gatton Academy students between their junior and senior years to support summertime research internships across the Commonwealth and the world. By providing a funding mechanism, the program directly creates new avenues for growth and exploration. Throughout the summer, we’ll share insights from students who are the recipients of our 2011 grants.

Rebecca Brown (’12) of Boston, KY is spending part of her summer working with Dr. Michael Carini of the WKU Department of Physics and Astronomy studying Optical Monitoring of TeV Candidate Blazars.

1. What does research mean to you as a young person interested in STEM?

To me, research is being able to produce new data. By doing research, you’re contributing something new to the scientific community.

2. Tell us a little about the research experience in which you are participating this summer that the Research Internship Grant is funding.

My research is in astronomy/astrophysics. I’m staying on WKU campus for five weeks continuing the research I started last semester. From 9 to 5 on weekdays, I work in the Physics and Astronomy Department reducing data from images of blazars taken from the Kitt Peak telescope in Arizona. The data I’m collecting is a measurement of the blazars’ magnitude, or brightness, which in turn indicates whether or not it’s actively consuming matter.

3. Will you be using this research experience as a launching point for any particular applications, competitions, or scholarships?

As part of the internship, I have to write a research paper. This paper closely follows those for Siemens competition entries, so I hope to use a polished version of the research paper to enter.

4. How does this research experience or internship fit into your educational and professional goals?

In the short-term, it allows me to catch up on the backlog of data the tends to accumulate with the pictures I’m working with by allowing me more consistent time to research. In the long-term, it gives me experience which will help me attain my career goals (astrophysicist and professor). In addition it ensures that I actually know what I’m getting into with my field, and won’t end up backing out halfway through a degree.

5. What do you aspire to achieve in the next ten years?

I’d like to attend a reputable college with a good astronomy department and eventually work my way up to a Ph.D. I would continue research along the way.

By Corey Alderdice

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