You might say Cate Lauzon has become a pro at helping her daughters head off to college.
If not a pro, at least she’s had practice this week. Sunday marks the second time in less than seven days that one of her daughters is beginning college—for the first time. Though the elder is studying at Bellarmine University in Louisville, her youngest daughter Madeline is beginning her first year at the Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky at Western Kentucky University.
Madeline, along with 65 other Class of 2011 members, moved box after box of bedding, clothes, computers, and other items into Schneider Hall today as Adventure Week began on the WKU campus. The one-week program provides Gatton Academy students with the opportunity to ease into the transition of life on a university campus while getting to know their peers and classmates at the Gatton Academy.
Cate still smiled as she sorted through another box of her daughter’s possessions. “I’m kind of worn out. We’re at the end of a long week. I suppose I’d be more stressed out, but I’m just too tired.”
Though tired, she is very optimistic about the opportunity Madeline has ahead. “I want her to really expand her academic life,
she noted. “I want her to see what else is out there and possible that she hasn’t seen yet. I want her to get excited about all the areas she’s never been exposed to.”
Two floors below the Lauzon’s in Schneider hall, Camille Turner and her mother Carmen also continue the work of unpacking. When asked what she was most nervous about, she replied, “The work. Just going from the transition from high school to college.”
For many Gatton Academy students, they are leaving behind a traditional high school experience in favor of more challenging courses, the opportunity to conduct research, and making the most of being in a university environment. These are exactly the kind of opportunities Carmen believes her daughter will have as a student at the Gatton Academy.
“She’s always excelled in high school,” she said. “Camille’s always done well. There’s no apprehension, so I’m okay with it. I’m excited for her. Before she only did research, now she’s doing the real thing. She’s such a great kid, and she’ll be such a great student.”
The academic rigor is the element of the program that makes study at the Gatton Academy so unique. For Shawn Kelly, father of Kyle Kelly, he believes it’s the kind of challenge his son and other gifted students need most. “This is what we’ve been waiting for. This will open doors for him that he never, ever would have had. They need to be challenged.”
The mood around Schneider Hall on Sunday seemed to echo that enthusiasm. Cheryl Buhr, mother of Madeline Buhr, shared that she was not nervous. Instead, she seemed excited for her daughter and the experiences she’ll have. “I’m not really nervous,” she said. “I’m excited for (Madeline). I think this is a wonderful opportunity. The possibilities are just endless. I know that’s (the Academy’s) saying, but it’s true. The opportunities she’ll have here are nothing like she would have had in high school.”
For Susan Bowie, this marks the third year in a row she has helped a son move into Schneider Hall. John, her oldest son, was part of the first class of students selected to attend the Gatton Academy. A 2009 graduate, he will continue undergraduate work at WKU as his brother Michael begins classes at the Academy. For her, Adventure Week is about getting students into the right mindset for the coming year. “With this extra week, students have the chance to get prepared and know the expectations,” Bowie said.
Seeing the growth in the program since its inception only increases Bowie’s confidence in her son studying at the Academy. “I’m comfortable with it. I know he’ll be in good hands.”
Even as students make this transition, many see the newness of it as a chance to grow. For Kyle Kelly, it’s a chance to make a fresh start. “It’s just a blank slate,” he said. “I’m really looking forward to starting over, a new school with new challenges.”
Life at the Gatton Academy provides students the opportunity to become more independent. Others look to the possibility of making new friends. In fact, many have been counting down the days since they received admissions letters in the mail. “I had a countdown on my calendar,” noted Madeline Lauzon.
While there will quickly be work that needs completion and exams for which to study, students on the whole seem keen on what’s ahead. In the short term, though, sometimes the hardest part is simply realizing there’s not enough space in the room once the unpacking begins. “I brought too much stuff,” Lauzon said will a laugh.
Manuel Cortez of Graves County begins his second year this month as one of 120 academically-outstanding students in the Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky at Western Kentucky University. The academy’s goals are to provide Kentucky’s exceptional young scientists and mathematicians a learning environment with advanced opportunities, preparing them for leadership roles in Kentucky. The students have completed their junior year of high school and will finish their senior year continuing to live on the WKU campus and taking courses there. Next May, they will be high school graduates and will have earned at least two years’ college credit hours. Pictured with Manny Cortez are his parents, Gilbert and Desiree Cortez.
Manuel Cortez already had achieved an outstanding academic and extracurricular resume in his first two years as a student at Graves County High School. Then last summer he entered a unique dual-credit program on the campus of Western Kentucky University. What he hadn’t done in his first 16 years of life was to wash his own clothes.
“It was the first time I did laundry,” he said with a grin, on a recent visit home. “So, I was calling Mom and saying, ‘Okay, now how do you do this?’
As classes resume this month, “Manny” returns to Bowling Green as one of 60 academically-outstanding students selected statewide for the Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky at Western Kentucky University.
It’s designed to enable Kentucky’s exceptional young scientists and mathematicians to learn in an environment which offers advanced educational opportunities, preparing them for leadership roles in Kentucky.
The students now have completed their junior year of high school and will finish their senior year continuing to live on the WKU campus and taking courses there. Next May, they will be high school graduates and will have earned at least two years’ college credit hours.
“Our math class is all academy students, but for the rest of our classes, we’re just in them with everybody else and even the professors don’t know that we are also finishing high school at the same time,’ he said. “We all stay in a dorm together. It’s all like a family, a little community. It’s a great opportunity. It’s difficult, but at the same time it’s a lot of fun and I’m learning a lot of life lessons and college lessons, too.”
“The transition was good for him,” said his mother, Desiree Cortez. “We talked every night on the phone. What I really liked about it is they actually have a study hour and a curfew. The academy people told us they would be the mom and dad. They won’t let anyone come in without our permission.”
“There’s security where your coded ID card will only work in your own dorm, so you can’t go into other dorms,” said Manny.
“And they have chores,” said his father, Gilbert Cortez. “He has his day to mop and to sweep.”
In all, 130 students applied and were judged based on ACT/SAT scores, high school grades, awards, responses to essay questions, and letters of recommendation. Then 100 were invited for interviews with Academy staff members and representatives from across the commonwealth. In the end, 60 dynamic applicants emerged from the review process.
Even as sophomores, the gifted group carried an average ACT score eight points higher than the statewide average for graduating seniors.
Academics aside, “it is hard having him live away from home this early,” said Desiree. “I cried a lot and could cry right now if I think about it because I have to send him back and start all over again this year. We’re very close.”
“We miss him at home,” said Gilbert. “When we needed something fixed with the TV or DVD player, we’d just call Manny and say how do you work this thing? Now, his sister has to do those things,” he said with a laugh.
The program requires the students to visit home one weekend each month.
“I didn’t want to hold him back,” said Desiree.
“The opportunity that was presented to him was too good to turn down,” added Gilbert. “Plus the socializing and self-discipline through chores are valuable lessons.”
“The university pays for almost everything,” said Desiree. “It’s the equivalent of $30,000 or $40,000 as a scholarship.”
Manny said he also enjoys the camaraderie of talented students and tutoring. Study groups provide the chance to hear other students’ perspectives on classroom activities.
“Manny is an outstanding student and several teachers the high school were very disappointed for their own programs when Manny left for Bowling Green,” said long-time Graves County administrator Carla Whitis. “While we knew we’d miss him and his talents, we all knew he would be an outstanding success and would benefit from this wonderful opportunity,”
“We’re very proud of him in everything he does,” Gilbert said of his son’s achievements and personal growth. The proud father concluded, with a smile: “He doesn’t act like he’s 17. He just gets up in the morning and mows the lawn without anybody asking him.”
The Gatton Academy is Kentucky’s only state-supported, residential program for high school students with interests in science and math careers and the 14th such program in the nation. More information about the Gatton Academy is available online at http://www.wku.edu/academy/
The 2009-10 Student Life Handbook for Gatton Academy students is now available for download. Class of 2011 students received drafts of the document during Orientation. Please review the updated copy to ensure your understanding of revisions under academic expectations, graduation requirements, and student life policies.
Many components of the Handbook also apply to the Class of 2010. Class of 2010 students are exempt from the new GPA requirements regarding minimum GPA; however, they are required to adhere to previously established academic guidelines.
Any questions regarding academic policies should be directed to the Academy Acacdemic Coordinator April Gaskey. All questions regarding student life should be directed to Beth Hawke, Coordinator for Residence Life.
The 2009-10 school year isn’t even under way and yet we’re excited to announce several of the cities and sites Gatton Academy students will visit during our January 2010 Winter Term program in Greece. From January 2-13, 2010, Gatton Academy students will explore the cities, culture, and history of Greece. Further details will be announced in the coming days, so check back soon. The Greece Experience marks the third consecutive travel/study program facilitated by the Gatton Academy. Students traveled to Spain and Portugal in 2009 and Italy in 2008.
Meteora, Greece
Meteora
Meteora is an area in Thessaly (Central Greece) and Kalampaka is the city under the rock towers of Meteora. The thing that makes Meteora so special is the monasteries on the top of the rock towers. The monasteries, the amount of peaks to climb and the paths for hiking brings in Meteora the whole year many tourists.
The monasteries are built on rock pinnacles of deltaic origin, called ‘Meteora’, rising over 400m above the Thessalian plain. The pinnacles were created some 60 million years ago in the Tertiary period, emerging from the cone of a river and further transformed by earthquakes. The pillars are of brown sandstone. The Meteora Group of Monasteries comprises the following monasteries: Ascension of Jesus Christ; Transfiguration of the Saviour; Varlaam, Saint Nikolas Anapafsas; Roussanou; Holy Trinity; and Saint Stephan. These are built directly on the rock’s surface without foundations as such. Religious life, starting in the form of hermits dwellings, can be traced to around 1,000 AD. The first monastic community emerged in the 14th century, and was most successful during the 15th and 16th centuries. By the 17th century, the monastic population had dwindled to one-third of its original size. The site was bombed during World War II and many art treasures stolen. Details of the history of individual monasteries are available in the World Heritage nomination. The monasteries represent a unique example of monastic life since the 14th century. Since 1972 the monasteries have been restored and conservation work is carried out annually by specialists, including archaeologists, restorers, craftsmen and laborers. A variety of methods are used in the conservation work. The monasteries lie in an area within which different types of building work is prohibited or limited.
Vergina, Greece
Vergina
A highly important ancient city, certainly to be identified with Aegae, the first ancient capital of the kingdom of Macedonia, spreads over the low hills in the northern slopes of’ the Pierian range, between the modern villages of Palatitsia and Vergina. This city was the most important urban center in the region until the 4th c. BC. Here were to be found the ancestral sanctuaries of the Macedonians, and the palaces and the tombs (with their famous treasures) of the Argead dynasty, which traced its origins to the mythical hero Heracles and gave Greek history its most captivating figure, Alexander the Great.
Archaeologists were interested in the hills around Vergina as early as the 1850s, knowing that the site of Aigai was in the vicinity and suspecting that the hills were burial mounds. Excavations began in 1861 under the French archaeologist Leon Heuzey, sponsored by the Emperor Napoleon III. Parts of the Macedonian royal palace of Palatista were discovered. In 1937, the University of Thessaloniki resumed the excavations. More ruins of the ancient palace were found, but the excavations were abandoned on the outbreak of war with Italy in 1940. After the war the excavations were resumed and during the 1950s and 1960s the rest of the royal capital was uncovered. The Greek archaeologist Andronikos became convinced that a hill called the “Great Tumulus” concealed the tombs of the Macedonian King.
Veria, Greece
Veria (BEREA)
The capital city of the prefecture amphitheatrically built at the foot of Vermion Mountain. Forests and fruit-tree plantations thrive in the rainy climate of the area and the remains of historic and prehistoric agricultural settlements are evident. it is believed was named after Feronas, a general in the army
of Alexander the Great. The city’s golden age was during the 13th century and the subsequent economic and commercial activity resulted in the significant cultural and spiritual growth of the city. Christianity has a vulnerably long history here. Saint Paul preached in Veria (Acts 17: 1-13 of the New Testament) on two occasions, and a gaudy alcove shrine at the base of Mavromikhali marks the supposed spot of his sermons. But the town is more famous for fifty or so small medieval churches, mostly sixteen to eighteen century.
Thessaloniki, Greece
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki is undoubtedly the center not only of northern Greece but of the entire Balkans -as it has been since the time of the birth of Christ. It is an administrative and commercial center with its own distinctive intellectual and artistic personality, and it serves as a major cosmopolitan crossroads whose cultural influence is far-reaching. Thessaloniki is one of the oldest cities in Europe and it is also the second- largest city in Greece, after Athens, which is why Greeks often refer it as the country’s “co-capital”. The wealth of its surviving monuments has made it a living Byzantine art museum.
Delphi, Greece
Delphi
Delphi was considered by the ancients to be the physical and spiritual center of the earth. The shrine of Apollo, set nearly 2,000 feet up on the slopes of Mount Parnassus, exerts today a potent grip on the visitor. Here was the most respected oracle of antiquity. Even the most intelligent individuals who lived during the brilliant civilization of Athens believed implicitly in the responses of the god. These were given by the inspired priestess Pythia and were interpreted, usually with an ambiguous touch, by the priests. The site is breathtaking and the view from the top, down to the blue waters of the Gulf of Corinth, is spectacular. The drive will take guests by the sacred Castalian spring and close to the ancient site of Apollo’s sanctuary. Guests will then walk the sacred way, visiting the treasuries, the place of offerings, the Grand Temple of Apollo and the theater, with its splendid acoustics.
The Museum is housing many treasures. Omphalos, which marked the center of the world and the Charioteer, one of the finest pieces surviving from the fifth century B.C. are among the many wonders housed in the museum.
Ancient Olympia, Greece
Ancient Olympia
Olympia Greece was the site of the ancient Olympic Games, which were celebrated every four years by the Greeks. Olympia was situated in a valley in Elis, in western Peloponnisos (Peloponnesus), through which runs the Alpheus River. It was not a town, but only a sanctuary with buildings associated with games and the worship of the gods. Olympia was a national shrine of the Greeks and contained many treasures of Greek art, such as temples, monuments, altars, theaters, statues, and votive offerings of brass and marble. The Altis, or sacred precinct, enclosed a level space about 200 m (about 660 ft) long by nearly 177 m (nearly 580 ft) broad. In this were the chief centers of religious worship, the votive buildings, and buildings associated with the administration of the games. The most celebrated temple was the Temple of Zeus, dedicated to the father of the gods. In this temple was a statue of Zeus made of ivory and gold, the masterpiece of the Athenian sculptor Phidias. Next to the Temple of Zeus ranked the Heraeum, dedicated to Hera, the wife of Zeus. In this temple, probably the oldest Doric building known, stood the table on which were placed the garlands prepared for the victors in the games. The votive buildings included a row of 12 treasure houses and the Philippeum, a circular Ionic building dedicated by Philip II, king of Macedonia, to himself. Outside the Altis, to the east, were the Stadium and the Hippodrome, where the contests took place; on the west were the Palaestra, or wrestling school, and the Gymnasium, where all competitors were obliged to train for at least one month.The Archaeological Museum of Olympia, one of the most important museums in Greece, presents the long history of the most celebrated sanctuary of antiquity, the sanctuary of Zeus, father of both gods and men, where the Olympic games were born. The museum’s permanent exhibition contains finds from the excavations in the sacred precinct of the Altis dating from prehistoric times to the Early Christian period.
Corinth Canal
In the connection of continental Greece and Peloponnese, the Isthmus of Corinth cut by the famous canal of the same name, separates the Gulf Saronique of the Gulf of Corinth. 6343 meters long, 24.60 meters wide, the canal possesses walls achieving 79.50 meters in height the highest point.
Epidavrus Theater
The theater was constructed in the late 4th century BC. Originally it had 34 rows and was used for dramatic performances. The Romans added another 21 rows. Even in ancient times, the theater was considered to have great acoustics. The actors can be perfectly heard by all 15,000 spectators without the sound having to be amplified. The limestone rows filter the low-frequency sounds –such as the murmur of the crowd – but amplify the sounds from the stage. It still is one of the most beautiful open-air theaters. The view behind the scene was and still is an integrated part of the theater. The theater was discovered in 1970 and the excavation began in 1972.
Mycenae, Greece
Mycenae
High above the modern town of Mycenae are the ruins of an ancient city. The ruins of Ancient Mycenae date back to the second millennium B.C. Though most of the original city state has been destroyed over time, parts of the Acropolis that overlooked a fertile plains still remain. The Acropolis sits atop an impressive mountain and is flanked on either side by taller mountains forming a very formidable fortification for the site, as well as a very scenic view . The Lions Gate is the main entrance into the city. The lions, with their front paws on an alter of some sort was suppose to represent the mycenaean’s power. The entrance to the Treasury of Atreus at Mycenae is actually a circular tomb or tholos.
Athens, Greece
Athens (City Tour & the Acropolis)
Tour starts with a sightseeing of the main points of interest in Athens, both ancient and modern, of Athens. Guests have the opportunity of viewing from inside the bus Constitution square, the former Royal Palace, where the Evzones, members of the National Guard, keep watch in their traditional costume over the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Guests will have a quick stop at the Panathenaeum Stadium holding 70,000 spectators was built of Pentelic marble in 1895 for the first modern Olympic Games. Will then pass by the National Gardens and then along University Street with its neoclassical buildings, the Academy, the University and the Library, to Omonia Square, the centre of the modern city.
Upon completion of the city tour, guests will continue with the site of the Acropolis. On the natural fortress of the Acropolis, reinforced by the hand of man, stand the Propylaea, the temple of the Winged Victory, Erechtheion with the Porch of the Caryatids and, towering over all, and the majestic Parthenon. A winding path leads to the treasure of antiquity. Visible are the relics of the civilization of which we are the proud inheritors. From the top guests can see to the North Plaka quarters and the ancient Agora; to the East, Mount Lycabettus; to the South, the theater of Dionysus. This is where the tragedies of Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides were performed. Here also stands the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, which is used today in the Summer Festival.
Athens (The National Archaeological Museum) –
The National Archaeological Museum is the largest museum in Greece and one of the world’s great museums. Although its original purpose was to secure all the finds from the nineteenth century excavations in and around Athens, it gradually became the central National Archaeological Museum and was enriched with finds from all over Greece. Its abundant collections, with more than 20,000 exhibits, provide a panorama of Greek civilization from the beginnings of Prehistory to Late Antiquity. The museum is housed in an imposing neoclassical building of the end of the nineteenth century, which was designed by L. Lange and remodeled by Ernst Ziller. The vast exhibition space – numerous galleries on each floor accounting for a total of 8,000 square metres – house five large permanent collections: The Prehistoric Collection, which includes works of the great civilizations that developed in the Aegean from the sixth millennium BC to 1050 BC (Neolithic, Cycladic, Mycenaean), and finds from the prehistoric settlement at Thera. The Sculptures Collection, which shows the development of ancient Greek sculpture from the seventh to the fifth centuries BC with unique masterpieces. The Vase and Minor Objects Collection, which contains representative works of ancient Greek pottery from the eleventh century BC to the Roman period and includes the Stathatos Collection, a corpus of minor objects of all periods. The Metallurgy Collection, with many fundamental statues, figurines and minor objects. And, finally, the only Egyptian and Near Eastern Antiquities Collection in Greece, with works dating from the pre-dynastic period (5000 BC) to the Roman conquest.
The New Acropolis Museum
Athens (The New Acropolis Museum)
History – General Information
The New Acropolis Museum is a purpose built museum by architect Bernard Tschumi to house the archaeological findings related to the Acropolis Hill in Athens. It is located at the foot of the Acropolis. The construction of the Museum started in November 2004. As construction work neared completion, an operation to move the historic artifacts for a 400 meters distance from the Acropolis rock to the new museum started on October 14, 2007, involving three giant cranes. The movement of the artifacts to from the top of the Hill was called the Transfer of The Century. The Museum will exhibit approx. 4,000 artifacts. The overall budget of the Museum’s construction was 130 million of Euros.
The Concept
The design is about the clarity of an exhibition route expressed through three materials – marble, concrete, and glass. The museum, with its exceptional and significant collection of classical Greek sculpture, will be arguably one of the most advanced in the world.
Blue Sky: A Concept of Light
More than in any other museum, the New Acropolis Museum makes careful use of natural light.
People in Motion: A Concept of Circulation
The visitor’s route through the museum forms a clear three-dimensional loop. Movement in and through time, is an important aspect of this museum in particular. With more than 10,000 visitors daily, the path through the museum artifacts is designed to be of the utmost simplicity.
A Base, A Middle, and A Top
The base of the museum design ‘hovers’ over the existing archaeological excavations on pilotis. This level contains the entrance lobby as well as temporary exhibition spaces, retail space, and all support facilities. The middle is a large, double-height, trapezoidal hall that accommodates all galleries from the Archaic period to the Roman Empire. A mezzanine level includes a bar and restaurant with views toward the Acropolis, and a multimedia auditorium. The top comprises the rectangular Parthenon Gallery arranged around an indoor court.
Next up in our “Five Questions” series is a chat with Holly Mitchell, a Class of 2010 member from Mercer County. Like several Gatton Academy students this summer, Mitchell participated in research with the WKU Department of Geography and Geography. The Academy is excited to have a strong partnership with this and several other departments on campus. If you have been keeping up with our 5Qs in recent weeks, you’ll quickly see how rewarding the summer experiences can be.
1. Tell us a little about the project or program in which you participated.
I worked with Dr. May of the WKU Geology Dept, characterizing Mississippian-Pennsylvanian stratigraphy of the Shanty Hollow area. More specifically, we examined an incontinuity – or hole – in the rock formation from two separate sites. We generated an image of the ancient rock structure, quantifying the physical traits of the surface, measuring radioactivity, and using Strat Gen software to connect our data from the two sites.
2. What part of the summer experience did you enjoy the most?
I liked hiking as a part of my work. Also, the word fossiliferous: I must use it again, someday.
3. How is this different from the way you think most high school students spend their summers?
For the duration of my research, at least, I was not dancing in the woods at Camp Piomingo, tanning, working at Dairy Queen, vacationing the shores of Naples, cow tipping, whatever the average Kentucky teen does in July. My research was like a combination of class and wilderness tour, but better in that digging was permitted.
4. How does this research experience or internship fit into your educational and professional goals?
I am leaning toward environmental studies as part of an interdisciplinary major. Learning about the planet in any fashion informs me so that I may take a more holistic approach to study and work.
5. What are you looking forward to the most about your second year at the Academy?
The release of Blake Butler’s Scorch Atlas, the possibility of trips to the farmers’ market this year, the Green Club’s second stretch, Where the Wild Things Are, taking Biological Anthropology at last, new kids, new languages (maybe): it will happen.
As our “Five Questions” series continues, we chat with Katie Rush, a second-year student from Franklin County. Like many Gatton Academy students, Katie has taken advantage of numerous study abroad opportunities available through WKU. Though the Academy offers a travel program during the Winter Term, many students study abroad through departmental programs in January, May, and summer.
1. Tell us a little about the project or program in which you participated?
Well, I am currently participating in the the CCSA London Summer Program, consisting of about 150 college students from across the U.S. taking classes while living in London for a month. My particular class is about Jane Austen, one of my favorite authors in the whole wide world! Not only does the class have very few actual meetings, but there are no real organized group activities, encouraging participants to sightsee in London in small groups, as well as to take weekend trips through Europe.
2. What is the part of the summer experience did you enjoy the most?
I’ve definitely loved everything about it! My favorite weekend trip was to Germany, to visit some friends that my family hosted on their trip to Kentucky my sophomore year. For our course, we visited Chawton Cottage,
where Jane Austen lived for most of her writing career, which was basically amazing. And my favorite thing about London is the amazing variety of things to do! There are a million different shows every night, a huge variety of places to visit (can I give a shout-out to free museums?), and (of course) very good places to eat.
3. How is this different from the way you think most high school students spend their summers?
Since it is a college trip, there is a completely different level of freedom and independence (especially in a city as safe as London) than such a trip organized for high school students. That being said, there is also a much higher level of responsibility expected, and I feel like I’ve risen to that challenge and had an amazing learning experience.
4. How does this research experience or internship fit into your educational and professional goals?
Most would say this has no connection to a future in math and science, but I can’t think of anything more important that seeing amazing new places and becoming a well-rounded individual. It’s been a nice break from math and science, since focusing on one area of study to the exclusion of all else can’t possibly be good for you.
5. What are you looking forward to the most about your second year at the Academy?
I’m looking forward to continuing my research with the Crawford Hydrology Lab, meeting the incoming juniors, and graduating of course!
The transformation of Western Kentucky University’s science campus is continuing as snellconstruction of the new Snell Hall nears completion.
The five-story, $24 million facility will open next month for fall 2009 semester classes. Snell Hall will house classrooms, lecture rooms, instructional labs and research labs for chemistry, biology and computer science departments.
“We’re a few weeks away from students entering these labs and classrooms,” said Dr. Blaine Ferrell, dean of WKU’s Ogden College of Science and Engineering. “Everyone is excited about moving in.”
Ogden College has more than 2,000 students in its programs plus hundreds of other WKU students taking general education classes, Dr. Ferrell said. He expects enrollments to increase thanks to the state-of-the-art facilities.
“This building will provide a great working environment. We like our students to get hands-on experience and become professional scientists,” Dr. Ferrell said. “We want to get more students excited about science, technology, engineering and math and this building will help that.”
The building was designed by Taylor Whitney Architects; the contractor is Abel Construction.
The new Snell Hall also has display cases built in where memorabilia and photographs from the original Ogden College campus and Snell Hall will be exhibited. The first floor will include a student lounge and DaVinci’s, a cafe open for breakfast and lunch.
Members of WKU’s Board of Regents will tour the building as part of their meeting on July 31.
Snell Hall is connected to Thompson Complex Central Wing, which will allow faculty and students to easily move between the two buildings.
“I don’t think I can convey what a shot in the arm this facility is for Ogden College and WKU,” Dr. Ferrell said.
With Snell Hall and the Complex for Engineering and Biological Sciences (which was completed in 2004), “we’ve changed the face of the Ogden campus,” Dr. Ferrell said.
But those aren’t the only changes. Renovation of Science and Technology Hall is progressing and should be complete by 2010. STH will house the mathematics department and the Ogden College dean’s office.
Additional renovation projects are planned for Thompson Complex Central Wing and Thompson Complex North Wing.
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. Ferrell.
It’s been almost three years since the Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky (at the time the Kentucky Academy for Mathematics and Science) received funding from the Kentucky General Assembly. The three years have been filled with exploration and growth, adventure and setback. Over the last two years, the Academy has worked directly with three classes of students, providing them with extraordinary and appropriately challenging learning opportunities. We’ve added several sets of photos to our Flickr pool over the last few days. Take a stroll down memory lane.
It was almost a decade of planning and advocacy before the Academy became a reality. In the summer and fall of 2006, campaigns for public awareness and recruitment began. The series of photos below follows many of the events, information sessions, and news items in those first several months.
All the while, a massive renovation project began on Schneider Hall, the future home of the Gatton Academy. The building, originally constructed in 1928, was cleared to the limestone wall and built back from within. The third floor ballroom was closed in to make room for the fourth floor common room.
As 120 of Kentucky’s brightest high school juniors and seniors watched, Western Kentucky University dedicated the Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky and named it in honor of business leader C.M. “Bill” Gatton on August 23, 2007. “This residential program selects the state’s brightest students, who have demonstrated interest in pursuing careers in science, mathematics, technology, and engineering,” WKU President Gary Ransdell said. “The goal of the Gatton Academy is to enable Kentucky’s most exceptional young minds to learn in a rigorous intellectual environment which offers advanced educational opportunities, preparing them for leadership roles in Kentucky. We are truly grateful to Mr. Gatton for his leadership support.”
That same month, the first group of 120 students entered the Academy ready to embrace the infinite possibilities ahead. The following photos look back on move in day, the dedication of the Gatton Academy, and life around Schneider Hall in that first month.
That fall, the fourth floor common area was named in honor of Jama Young by the RBG Foundation of Glasgow. The foundation’s generous gift has provided extraordinary programmatic opportunities for students at the Gatton Academy. In addition, Toyota Motor Manufacturing of Kentucky, AT&T of Kentucky, and Ashland Inc. have provided financial support to the Gatton Academy.
In May 2008, the Gatton Academy recognized seniors who spent one year of study at the program in the inaugural Commencement. The senior class included 10 Kentucky Governor’s Scholars, 4 National Merit finalists, and a student body who averaged over 24 hours of service learning per student.
In it’s short history, the Gatton Academy has established itself as a beacon of excellence for higher learning in Kentucky. The Class of 2011 will mark the fourth group of students to enter the program later this summer. Recruitment is already underway for the Class of 2012. To learn more about the Gatton Academy, continue to browse our website or telephone us at (270) 745-6565.
You might say Cate Lauzon has become a pro at helping her daughters head off to college.
by Paul Schaumburg, Graves County Schools
Next up in our “Five Questions” series is a chat with Holly Mitchell, a Class of 2010 member from Mercer County. Like several Gatton Academy students this summer, Mitchell participated in research with the WKU Department of 
As our “Five Questions” series continues, we chat with Katie Rush, a second-year student from Franklin County. Like many Gatton Academy students, Katie has taken advantage of numerous study abroad opportunities available through WKU. Though the Academy offers a travel program during the Winter Term, many students study abroad through departmental programs in January, May, and summer.