Summer – Page 6 – The Gatton Academy News

Summer 5Q: Justine Missik Pulls Double Duty with Research Projects

July 29, 2010 | 5Q, News, People, Research, Students, Summer, WKU | No Comments

Rising senior Justine Missik (Boyle, ‘11) is having quite a summer! Justine is one of eleven recipients of the Gatton Academy’s Research Internship Grant, which is available to Gatton Academy students in the summer between their junior and senior years to support students during research experiences.

Missik split her award on two separate experiences. In the early summer, she traveled to Portland, Oregon to attend the Santa Fe Institute’s course on Exploring Complexity in Science and Technology from May 19 -21. This course directly benefits the research work that Justine is performing in theoretical systems ecology and network analysis while at the Gatton Academy with Dr. Albert Meier of WKU’s Department of Biology. Later this summer, she’ll be presenting this research at the Ecological Society of America’s (ESA) Annual Meeting in Pittsburg, PA.

Before that meeting, Missik is spending the rest of her summer working with Dr. Stuart Campbell with the Department of Energy’s Spallation Neutron Source at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)–the world’s most powerful pulsed spallation neutron source. Missik is benefiting from access to world-renowned facilities and experts as she interns at ORNL. She is the first Gatton Academy student to perform research directly with the ORNL.

Justine recently took a break from her research work with the ORNL to answer some questions on her research experience.

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

This summer I am working at the Spallation Neutron Source at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. I am working on developing a user interface for numerical analysis code on protein dynamics. I will then use this to analyze some data.

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

I have really enjoyed being at Oak Ridge and meeting people who work there. It has been a great opportunity to be able to work at world-class laboratory! I have also really enjoyed working on a project that I know will be useful to the scientists there.

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

Most high school students don’t usually have the kind of opportunities for summer research that the Academy provides, so they aren’t usually involved in research projects. The Academy has provided me with the unique opportunity to work at Oak Ridge, which I would not have been able to do otherwise.

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

I’m not currently planning on using this project to enter any competitions, but I am sure the skills and experience I will gain will greatly benefit me.

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

Though I’m not quite sure yet about what particular field I will want to work in, I know that I want to go into science. I also know that I enjoy working with computers, and this is useful in a variety of different fields. I also plan on continuing to do research. The experience I will gain this summer will help me with all of these things.

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

In my second year at the academy, I am looking forward to being able to take more higher-level classes, such as Computer Science II and Discrete Math. I am also looking forward to continuing my research project from last year.

By Corey Alderdice

Summer 5Q: Derek Fox Runs the Numbers on Energy Consumption

July 26, 2010 | News, People, Research, Students, Summer | No Comments

A big opportunity came along for Derek Fox (Campbell, ’11) this summer.

Working with Dr. Jeffrey Ward at Northern Kentucky University’s Applied Science and Technology Center in Fort Thomas, KY, the opportunity arose for Fox to join a research project that is looking for ways to optimize energy usage through the Integral Analytics company’s Demand Response Pricer project. Fox is applying math and computer science techniques to contribute possible solutions to a part of a growing public discussion on energy consumption. An outline of the project that Fox is contributing to is available online at http://www.integralanalytics.com/drpricer.php.

Fox is the recipient of one of eleven Research Internship Grants that the Gatton Academy awarded this summer. These grants fund students between their junior and senior years to perform summer research projects.

Fox recently took the time to update us on how his summer experience is going by answering a few questions and sending in a photo:

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

This summer I am conducting research with Dr. Jeff Ward, focusing on the optimization of algorithmic searches in a real-world scenario concerning Integral Analytics Demand Response Pricing systems. This research will assist utility companies in making faster, smarter decisions for the new-coming Demand Response Programs, such as Smart Grids.

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

The most enjoyable part of my summer experience is having the opportunity to examine some of the most intricate algorithms, which most students don’t experience until they are approaching a graduate program. I wake up every day knowing that the research I am conducting will make an impact on the future of utility companies.

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

During the summer, most high school students spend their time working at a local fast food restaurant or hanging out with friends. They are living for the day, not looking ahead to the future. Research gives me the experience I will need to help obtain a respectable job and make my college application stand out.

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

I will be using my research experience to enter competitions such as the Siemens Competition as well as the Intel Science Talent Search. I also plan on submitting my research experience when applying for the Science, Mathematics and Research for Transformation (SMART) Scholarship.

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

I plan on Majoring, Mastering, and acquiring my Ph. D. in Computer Science. My dream job is to become a professor of computer science, where I can conduct research of my own. This experience allows me to look into the future examining the types of things I will be doing. This opportunity has allowed me to examine some of the most intricate algorithms, which most students wouldn’t have even encountered, let alone worked with, until they were nearing their graduate program. This opportunity has allowed me to be a step ahead of the competition in completing my goals.

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

The most exciting thing about returning to the Academy is hard to say. I look forward to enhancing my algorithmic skill in Computer Science III, where most of the course will be over discrete logic. I have also planned with my roommate and suite-mates to have a Computer Science suite, as we are all fairly competent programmers. I definitely look forward to working on out-of-the-classroom projects in order to enhance our experience as a team.

By Corey Alderdice

Summer 5Q: McChensey Conducts Horticulture Research at UK Agriculture Science Center

July 11, 2010 | News, Research, Students, Summer | No Comments

David McChesney

David McChesney (Boyle, ’11) is currently wrapping up an eight week summer research experience at the University of Kentucky’s Agriculture Science Center North. McChesney has been performing full-time research since the summer break began in mid-May with Dr. Seth DeBolt from UK’s Department of Horticulture.

DeBolt said that McChesney’s project seeks to explain how regulation of cellulose synthase occurs by phophorylation in the primary cell wall, opening the door to discovery of processes that may regulate the dynamics of assembly, turnover, activation or stoichiometry of this important yet difficult to study protein.

McChesney received a Gatton Academy Research Internship Grant, which is a grant available to Gatton Academy students in the summer between their junior and senior years to support students during research experiences.

David recently took a break from his research to answer some questions about how his summer experience has been 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 am assisting the DeBolt lab in sequencing an important part of the DNA of plants including Sorghum, and the Arabidopsis plant, a common weed that is being investigated as an alternative to corn as a biofuel. We are working on identifying the parts of the DNA that allow the most amount of cellulose to grow, therefore increasing the amount of biofuel that can be produced per plant.

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

I think that it is really neat that I can be a part of the search for alternative fuels. There is great potential for the results that we get. I can’t help but think that there is the chance that we will have an answer to help the energy crisis.

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

I know that if I were not doing research I would be probably be bored wasting my time at home or spending time with friends. It’s helpful to have something to look forward to every day, and I enjoy staying busy.

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

I would like to enter my results into the Siemens Competition, and this is an excellent opportunity to be searching for a potential job in the future.

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

It is really neat to be able to apply everything that I have learned in class to a real world experience. It is nice to be able to understand exactly what everyone is talking about, and I am sure that I will get excellent recommendations for college, since I have been in a college/work environment.

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

I’m excited about going on in science and math and being able to take a wider variety of courses. It will be nice to get out of the general education classes.

By Corey Alderdice

Courtney Howard Represents WKU at HHMI Science Education Alliance Symposium

July 9, 2010 | News, People, Students, Summer, WKU | No Comments

Courtney Howard (Hardin, ‘11) recently returned from the 2nd Annual Science Education Alliance Symposium at the Janelia Farm campus of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) in Ashburn, Virginia. There, she presented her research work and the research work of the inaugural class of WKU’s HHMI’s Science Education Alliance National Genomics Research Initiative course.

After a full-year experience in the nationally-sponsored research program that is overseen at WKU by Drs. Rodney King and Claire Rinehart from WKU’s Department of Biology, Howard was asked by her instructors to represent WKU, since it was her virus that was completely sequenced and annotated.

Last fall semester, Howard isolated a novel bacterial virus from a soil sample she collected from her home in Radcliff, KY, naming the virus “Backyardigan” after a television show she used to watch as a kid.

Dr. King described the research work Howard undertook during the fall semester after this initial collection. “She grew large numbers of the virus in the lab and examined its structure using an electron microscope. She then isolated the DNA from the virus and characterized it by cutting it with special enzymes called restriction endonucleases. The pattern of DNA fragments generated from this treatment was then examined and compared to other viruses isolated by her classmates and by other NGRI participants located throughout the country. Courtney’s viral DNA preparation passed rigorous quality control tests and it was chosen to have its DNA sequence determined,” he said.

During the spring semester, the WKU Genome Discovery class identified all the genes contained in the DNA sequence of the virus.

Howard is already looking forward to what may happen next. “I had a wonderful experience at the conference. It renewed my interest in research. As a matter of fact Dr. Rinehart and I are currently discussing ways to extend my phage research. Listening to the presentations opened our eyes to other possibilities and things we can do to learn more about my phage,” she said.

The slides from Howard’s talk, titled 007: A Lysin to Kill in my Backyardigan, are available at the following weblink: http://www.hhmi.org/seawiki/download/attachments/11993294/23_WEKU.pdf

For more information, contact Derick Strode at (270) 745-6565.

By Corey Alderdice

Summer 5Q: Torey Gilkison Researches with the KY Department of Fish and Wildlife

June 22, 2010 | 5Q, People, Research, Students, Summer | No Comments

Victoria “Torey” Gilkison (Anderson County, ‘11) is spending the summer before her senior year near the water, but not in the same way most teens do.

As a rising high school senior, she is performing research with aquatic plants at the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources Center for Mollusk Conservation in Frankfort, KY under the direction of Dr. Monte McGregor, a biologist and researcher there.

Gilkison was 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.

Gilkison’s summer research builds upon the botanical research she did with Dr. Albert Meier of WKU’s Department of Biology during her first year at the Academy. Torey recently took some time away from her summer research with Dr. McGregor 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.

I am designing and building three separate aquaponic systems as a basis for my research. An aquaponic system is a way to use plant filtration to help improve the water quality for other organisms, in my case mussels, to live in. On top of noting the effect of the plant growth or presence on the mussel I will also be testing an all organic fertilizer to a regular fertilizer to see if this affects the mussel growth in any way.

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

The part that I am most excited about this summer is the fact that I get to take part in hands-on research that could help Dr. McGregor in his research later on. I am also enjoying learning about all the different aquatic organisms including mussels and plants. There may be a point this summer when I will be able to go out into the field and assist Dr. McGregor in gathering plant or mussel species for his research.

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

Most high school students either spend their time at home or out with their friends, they don’t get the opportunity to participate in research. Research is something that benefits a person for the rest of their life because it develops problem-solving skills. So the fact that I get to partake in research really prepares me for work that I am going to be doing in the future.

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

I am going to use my research work to enter into the Siemens Competition.

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

I hope to major in Botany. By doing this research it allows me to work with plants and to get a hands-on feel for whether this is really the area I want to be working in or not.

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

I am looking forward to taking more specific classes that will get me closer to my major in Botany and choosing classes that will benefit me specifically for where I want to be in life.

By Corey Alderdice

Summer 5Q: Tina Stottman Studies Brain Trauma at UK Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center

June 8, 2010 | 5Q, People, Research, Students, Summer | No Comments

This summer, rising Gatton Academy senior Tina Stottman (’11, Bullitt County) is spending ten weeks exploring a research interest. Working full time at the University of Kentucky’s Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center with Dr. Kathryn Saatman, Stottman is studying experimental models of traumatic brain injury using rodent models of brain trauma to investigate cellular mechanisms of damage to neurons in the brain and evaluating treatments aimed at lessening cell damage.

Stottman received a Gatton Academy Research Internship Grant, which is a grant available to Gatton Academy students in the summer between their junior and senior years to support students during research experiences.

Stottman learned about the opportunity at the Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center from 2010 Gatton Academy graduate Emily Hall, who spent the summer of 2009 working in Dr. Saatman’s lab. Emily too will return to Dr. Saatman’s lab this summer along with Justin Jatczak, also a recent graduate from the Gatton Academy’s class of 2010. The three Gatton Academy students will work alongside University of Kentucky scientists and researchers for the summer, gaining valuable laboratory and research skills.

Tina recently took a break from her research to answer some questions about how her summer experience was going so far.

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

This summer I’ve been working in the Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Lab. Our lab focuses on different aspects of brain cell death and axonal damage caused by traumatic injuries. We perform surgeries on mice in order to learn about what occurs in the brain after head trauma. So far, my tasks have included things such as cutting and mounting brain tissue, staining tissue to detect brain cell degeneration, and learning about the procedures performed on the mice.

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

I’ve really enjoyed working in a lab setting. This past year, I only had one course that required a lab, so at first I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to keep up with everyone during research. Luckily, the people that I work with have been great at explaining different techniques and answering all of my questions. I’m doing something that I’ve never done before, so every day is a chance to learn something new! Now that I’ve been here for almost two weeks, I’ve actually come to love working on research in the lab, and the work day always seems to fly by.

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

Whenever I was at my home high school, summer was a time for me to just sit back and relax. For the most part, I can’t say that I did anything productive with my break. This summer, the situation is completely different. Every day, I get to spend time researching what I’m most passionate about. I’m walking away from this with an experience that will make me a competitive college applicant. Living on my own in Lexington has also helped me prepare myself for life after graduation, and as an added bonus, the people that I work with are amazing! How many high school students can say that they spent their summer getting paid to do what they love every single day?

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

Currently, I’m still looking for competitions and scholarships to enter with my research. I’ve had a few setbacks because I’m working with live vertebrae. I’m going to continue my search, and hopefully I’ll find some great competitions to enter this fall!

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

I haven’t chosen a specific career or major yet, so this research experience has given me a lot of insight into the physiology and neurosurgery field. Working in the lab will give me a head start for future research experiences during and after college. It will also look great on my college applications. Right now, I’m just trying to find a specific area to focus on, and this research experience is definitely leading me in the right direction.

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

More than anything, I’m looking forward to meeting all of the new juniors. Last year, as I’m sure it is every year, we all formed a little family. I was sad to see the class of 2010 leave us, but I know that we’ll always share the bonds that we’ve made over the past year. I can’t wait to see what this new group of students will bring to the Academy. I met quite a few of them on interview day, and they all seem to be such amazing people with a wide variety of personalities and interests. I know that this new addition to our family will make it another great year to remember!

By Corey Alderdice

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