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June 6, 2011 | News, People, Research, Students, Summer | No Comments
April 13, 2011 | Academics, News, People, Research, Staff, Student Success, Students | No Comments
Three WKU students have been recognized by the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program. Since 2007, more students from WKU have been recognized by the Goldwater program than from any other college or university in Kentucky.
Brittany Morgan of Glasgow, a junior in the WKU Honors College, and Sarah Schrader of Bowling Green, a student in the Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky, have been awarded prestigious Goldwater Scholarships. Clarice Esch of Somerset, also a student in the Gatton Academy, received an honorable mention in the highly competitive, national program.
“These awards show the emphasis we place on applied, practical research at the undergraduate level, from the Gatton Academy through our Honors College,” WKU President Gary Ransdell said. “The experience these students gain through research activity and interaction with faculty mentors will serve them well as they continue their academic careers and graduate to make a positive impact on the quality of life in our region.”
This success grows out of the efforts of both individual research mentors and WKU’s Goldwater faculty representative Kevin Williams. Dr. Williams, associate professor of chemistry and former Goldwater Scholarship recipient, took on the role of faculty representative in 2006. Additionally, the Gatton Academy, the Honors College and the Office of Scholar Development work to promote research endeavors and preparation for scholarship competitions.
Sarah Schrader, the daughter of Michelle and Steven Schrader, said the process of applying for and receiving the Goldwater Scholarship has solidified her desire to pursue a career in research. In the lab with Dr. Rodney King, associate professor of biology, she has been discovering a new virus that can only infect bacterial cells and is characterizing it based on its DNA and physical properties.
Schrader plans to pursue a Ph.D. in molecular biology or genetics and to become a research scientist in genetics. She attributes much of her success to the Gatton Academy for the many opportunities that the program offers as well as the Office of Scholar Development for helping to refine her Goldwater Scholarship Application.
“I would also like to thank my research mentor, Dr. King, for the immense amount of support and encouragement he has provided me throughout my time working in his lab,” she said.
Dr. King said he was excited to learn that Sarah had won a Goldwater scholarship. “Sarah is one of the most academically gifted students I have encountered in my career,” he said. “She has an insatiable appetite for learning and a remarkable work ethic. She is self motivated and tremendously disciplined. It’s been a privilege to watch Sarah’s potential for scientific research blossom during her time at WKU. I’m very happy for her, and I’m very pleased that she has received such prestigious national recognition.”
Clarice Esch, the daughter of Carol and Joseph Esch, has been researching methods to utilize lichens to reduce the need for nitrogen-based fertilizers. Like Morgan and Schrader, she plans to pursue a Ph.D. after she completes her undergraduate career.
According to Esch, her research has shaped her thinking on her future. “Through this project,” she said, “I discovered a passion for conducting research and intend to continue conducting research throughout the rest of my college career and beyond.”
Esch is grateful for the support of her mentor, Dr. Martin Stone, Leichhardt Professor of Horticulture. Dr. Stone said that Esch is the most promising student that he has worked with in his career as a researcher.
“Her work ethic, attention to detail, and ability to grasp the concepts of our joint research over the past two years have been impressive,” he said. “But beyond her intellectual abilities, she is unassuming and a genuinely nice person to know in both the classroom and in the greenhouse. Students like Clarice come along infrequently in the career of a faculty member and I am fortunate to have worked with her.”
The Goldwater Scholarship Program seeks to recognize excellence in the sciences and to encourage talented students to pursue research careers. Dr. Williams said that being honored by the Goldwater Scholarship Program “is a testimony not only to classroom performance but also to potential and passion for a research career.”
For WKU students, he said, “the Goldwater awards are a validation of their potential as scientists”—potential that Dr. Williams believes others will continue to recognize as these students move toward graduate education and research careers.
The numbers support Dr. Williams’ assessment of the award. Colleges and universities must nominate students for consideration, and the program limits four-year institutions to four nominations each year. In 2011, 275 scholarships were awarded from nearly 1,100 nominees. Scholarship recipients receive $7,500 annually to cover undergraduate tuition, fees, books, or room and board.
About the Office of Scholar Development: The Office of Scholar Development is committed to helping students on all WKU campuses and in all majors and degree programs develop the vision, experience and skills to be independent, engaged scholars. OSD welcomes the opportunity to work with students interested in the Goldwater Scholarship Program or other similar opportunities. Call Audra Jennings at (270) 745-5043 to schedule an appointment with the Office of Scholar Development.
About the Honors College at WKU: WKU is home to the only Honors College in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Created in 2007, the Honors College at WKU provides an intimate, highly selective learning environment where college-age gifted and high-achieving students can develop the skills to prepare them for success in the nation’s top academic and career opportunities. Contact: Drew Mitchell, (270) 745-2081
About the Gatton Academy: The Gatton Academy offers a residential program for bright, highly motivated Kentucky high school students who have demonstrated interest in pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Sixty students each year are admitted to the program through a competitive process. Instead of spending their junior and senior years in traditional high schools, students enroll in the Gatton Academy and live in a uniquely dedicated residence hall. The goals of the Gatton Academy are to enable Kentucky’s exceptional young scientists and mathematicians to learn in an environment which offers advanced educational opportunities and to prepare them for leadership roles in Kentucky. At the end of two years, Gatton Academy students will have earned at least 60 college credit hours in addition to completing high school. Contact: Corey Alderdice, (270) 745-6565
April 4, 2011 | Academics, Alumni, News, People, Research, Student Success, Students | No Comments
The 41st Annual WKU Student Research Conference was the biggest in the eventʼs history with 135 paper presentations and performances as well as 80 poster presentations and exhibits March 26 at Gary A. Ransdell Hall.
A total of 149 undergraduate students and 66 graduate students were primary authors this year and an additional 112 students were co-authors. The undergraduate participants included 61 Honors College students and 29 students from the Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky.
A total of 124 faculty members served as mentors, and 33 departments from all colleges were represented among the conference participants.
The conference program is available online.
Academy students and alumni honored are noted in bold. Student Research Conference session winners included the following:
Undergraduate Papers
Undergraduate Posters
Contact: Rodney King, (270) 745-6910 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (270) 745-6910 end_of_the_skype_highlighting.
December 1, 2010 | Academics, Alumni, News, People, Research, Student Success, Students, WKU | No Comments
Gatton Academy students and alumni were honored for their research at the 2010 Kentucky Academy of Science (KAS) Annual Meeting. WKU hosted the conference Nov. 12-13.
The group’s 96th annual meeting broke a record with 775 registered attendees. This year’s meeting focused on Careers in Science — what students need to know to be prepared and how faculty can help with the preparation.
Dr. Cheryl Davis, a WKU biology professor, was elected vice president of the Kentucky Academy of Science.
Derick Strode, the Academy’s coordinator for research, internships, and scholarships, explained that Academy students shared their findings alongside other undergraduate students, graduate students, and professionals from across the Commonwealth.
“These students have taken on the additional challenge of research out of their passion for mathematics and science,” Strode noted. “To be honored among the best undergraduate scientists in the state of Kentucky is a true compliment to the level of commitment and hard work that these young students put forth in their research projects.”
Research, Strode explained, is a central component of the Gatton Academy experience. In all, three-out-of-every-four Academy students participate in a sponsored research project. Students are encouraged to share their findings at student and professional conferences.
“By sharing their research work at academic conferences and meetings such as the Kentucky Academy of Sciences, our students have a chance not only to share their findings but they also get to see and learn from other students and professional scientists from around the state,” Strode said. “These meetings give our students a chance to see the larger world of science and mathematics research and make valuable connections in the state’s STEM community.”
The following Gatton Academy students received awards for their paper and poster presentations:
2010 Undergraduate Paper Presentation Competition
For more information, contact Derick Strode at (270) 745-6565.
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.
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]
August 27, 2010 | Academics, News, People, Research, Staff, Students, WKU | No Comments
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.
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.
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.
August 12, 2010 | 5Q, News, People, Research, Students, Summer, WKU | No Comments
Michael Phillips (Marshall, ’11) is spending two months of his summer working full-time on a research project in the WKU Department of Chemistry under the direction of Dr. Matthew Nee.
Phillips has worked independently to code and test a computational kinetic model of reactions that occur when light hits snow and tracking the associated compounds. Through this project, Phillips has helped set up future experiments in Dr. Nee’s lab while gaining an enriched programming acumen, and learning lessons about chemical kinetics and modeling. Along with this project, Phillips has also been assisting a graduate student in building a temperature-controlled infrared sample cell.
Phillips is one of eleven students from the Gatton Academy’s class of 2011 who received a Research Internship Grant from the Academy for this summer. The Research Internship Grants are available to Gatton Academy students in the summer between their junior and senior years to support students during summer research experiences.
Recently, we caught up with Phillips in his Snell Hall lab to get a picture and see how his summer research was going:
1. Tell us a little about the project or program in which you are participating this summer that the Research Internship Grant is funding.
I’m collaborating with Dr. Nee on a project in which we are studying the chemical reactions that occur when light hits snow. Specifically, I am programming a kinetic model that shows the approximate concentration of each molecule at any given time. This program will be a very good gauge to use during lab work to determine if the kinetic model is accurate.
2. What is the part of the summer experience you are enjoying most?
The part that I am enjoying the most about this summer experience is getting to see some of the highly mathematical and computational portions of chemistry.
3. How is this different from the way you think most high school students spend their summers?
Most of my friends are staying home this summer. They are going to the drive-in, hanging out, and just having fun. Others are going to GSP and beginning to understand the college experience. I have already had a taste of the college experience and am now going on to experience what it is that professionals in academia do outside of the classroom.
4. Will you be using this research experience as a launching point for any particular applications, competitions, or scholarships?
I am currently discovering the possibilities that my summer research experience could lead to. Although, the skills that have been learned and applied will be necessary for any research project in the future.
5. How does this research experience or internship fit into your educational and professional goals?
I plan on furthering my education to being a professional theoretical physicist. Not being able to observe all of your work, it is frequently helpful to create computer models of what you want to observe and running simulations. The skills I have been applying in this project match perfectly with those required for such a task.
6. What are you looking forward to the most about your second year at the Academy?
I am looking forward to furthering my education in physics while taking University Physics II next semester. I also can’t wait for my friends to return to campus from their summer breaks.
August 10, 2010 | 5Q, News, People, Research, Students, Summer | No Comments
When Josh “Moose” Song (Warren, ’11) met Vanderbilt University’s Dr. Kane Jennings in the summer of 2007, he probably didn’t realize just how important the relationship would become.
From that first summer, when Song was a student in Dr. Jennings’ “Introduction to Nanotechnology” class at the Vanderbilt Summer Academy, Song has kept the lines of communication open with Dr. Jennings. This summer it is paying off.
Song has spent two months this summer performing Chemical Engineering research under Dr. Jennings’ guidance. Recently, Dr. Jennings wrote an update on Song’s summer research, gloating about his progress. “Josh is having a terrific experience in the laboratory. He is addressing a key hypothesis we have developed relating to water and ion transfer into superhydrophobic polymer films. I expect that in three more weeks, he will have enough results to make a conclusion regarding the hypothesis, which will help us immeasurably. The quality of his experimental work to date is outstanding,” he wrote.
Song is one of eleven students who were awarded the Gatton Academy’s Research Internship Grant this summer. The grant is available to Gatton Academy students in the summer between their junior and senior years to support students in research opportunities.
Song paused from his research recently to answer some questions:
1. Tell us a little about the project or program in which you are participating this summer that the Research Internship Grant is funding.
My research explores the use of super-hydrophobic films as protective coatings. In this application, we take advantage of how a simple spray of water (such as rain) entirely cleanses glass surfaces. More specifically, I am conducting research to explore the possibility of regaining the super-hydrophobic behavior after an event that causes its deterioration, such as the addition of ethanol into the water solution that is in contact with the film.
To characterize this behavior, I performed contact angles, surface tension, and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) measurements. Contact angles are the simplest way to observe surface properties of the films: the higher the contact angles, the more hydrophobic the film. Surface tension measurements helped us to visualize the difference between various solutions of certain ethanol percentages. Lower surface tensions will cause the super-hydrophobic behavior to break, while relatively high surface tensions will maintain the super-hydrophobic behavior. Lastly, EIS measurements give more detailed information about the surface than simple contact angle measurements. EIS can give much more insight into how the varying amounts of ethanol are interacting with the super- hydrophobic film.
Through my research, I was able to discover that super-hydrophobic behavior cannot be recovered even when only relatively small amounts of ethanol are added to the solution. Even 0.5% Ethanol seems unlikely that the film’s super-hydrophobic characteristics can be recovered. As I continue the research smaller percentages of ethanol will be explored and hopefully we will be able to see that some behavior can be recovered through the removal and diluting of ethanol from the solution at even lesser amounts of ethanol.
2. What is the part of the summer experience you are enjoying most?
Vanderbilt has a great program for talented youth called Vanderbilt Summer Academy and the university has done a great job of making me feel at home and allows me to interact with peers my age who have interests similar to mine. I have attended this program twice before, and it is a truly wonderful experience. The staff has also been very friendly and I am thankful that I am able to spend my summer doing something productive yet still enjoyable.
3. How is this different from the way you think most high school students spend their summers?
I think most high school students spend their summers doing things that, while entertaining, they cannot speak of with pride, saying that they helped make something happen. This summer, not only have I done research, I also helped Western Kentucky University’s Center for Gifted Studies organize the Summer Camp for Academy Talented Students and the Summer Program for Verbally and Mathematically Precocious Youth. I think that while it may have been a summer more taxing and challenging than most, I will be able to look back and say that I was able to do things that I could never have done during the school year, and therefore I think that I have had a more productive summer than most.
4. Will you be using this research experience as a launching point for any particular applications, competitions, or scholarships?
I am definitely looking to use this experience to apply for a few competitions which include the Intel Science Talent Search and the Siemens Competition. I believe that any research opportunity would be a fantastic addition to any college application, and my relationship with Dr. Kane Jennings from the Chemistry Department of Vanderbilt University, which goes back to three summers ago, will benefit me for many years to come whenever I need information about undergraduate, graduate, or postgraduate schools or various competitions or scholarships.
5. How does this research experience or internship fit into your educational and professional goals?
Chemical Engineering is one of the largest and, still, fastest growing areas in the STEM field, and I have also become interested in it. I think this is a great opportunity for me to realize what Chemical Engineering is not only in class but in the lab during the graduate school years.
6. What are you looking forward to the most about your second year at the Academy?
I am thrilled to meet my friends again and it feels as if I’m almost looking forward to going back home. The Academy has a great community and everyone in the building is friendly and helpful. I am also excited to help the juniors become accustomed to life and share my knowledge and wisdom with them.