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What have we here? That’s a mighty fine looking stack of entries for the Siemens Competition. Kudos to the students who entered for their hours of research, drafting a report, and building their application. Thanks also to Derick Strode and all of the research mentors for guiding this process.
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.
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
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.
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 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.
August 2, 2010 | 5Q, News, People, Research, Students, Summer, WKU | No Comments
Sarah Schrader (Warren, ’11) is one of eleven recipients of the Gatton Academy’s Research Internship Grant for this summer.
Schrader has already characterized a unique phage through the course of the HHMI’s Genome Discovery and Exploration Program during the 2009-10 academic year. However, her phage has never had its DNA sequenced until this summer.
The research that Schrader is undertaking this summer is being managed around an eight-week intensive language study abroad trip with the WKU Chinese Flagship. Before departing for Chongqing, China, Sarah spent the first three weeks of summer re-isolating her phage’s DNA and preparing her samples to be sent off for DNA sequencing to a national laboratory.
When Sarah returns later this month, the DNA sequencing should be complete. With these results, Sarah will resume her research. If all goes to plan, by the summer’s end Sarah will have annotated a unique DNA sequence, which she will submit to the National Center for Biotechnology Information’s DNA sequence database, being listed as the first author of the submission.
In the midst of all of this activity, Sarah managed to answer some questions about her summer research.
1. Tell us a little about the project or program in which you are participating this summer that the Research Internship Grant is funding.
Last year I participated in the Genome Discovery and Exploration Course, which is a national initiative designed to engage college freshmen in authentic research. Another sub-goal of the program is to enhance the growing database of bacteriophage genomes available for researchers. Bacteriophage are viruses that infect bacteria, and, as deadly antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria become more and more common, researching them and their bacteria-destroying capabilities is quickly becoming more and more crucial. During the fall semester of the course, I isolated a novel bacteriophage from the environment. Over winter term, two phage discovered in our class were sent off to sequencing centers to have their genomes sequenced. The spring semester was spent using computer programs to annotate the genome, deciding where each gene started and ended and assigning putative functions to them. Since my phage was not one of those chosen to be sequenced, I decided to work independently this summer to complete its characterization at the genomic level.
2. What is the part of the summer experience you are enjoying most?
So far I have enjoyed the independence this experience has provided me the most. During my research last year, I was still trying to learn techniques and procedures and frequently had to rely on my instructors to guide me. Now, however, I already know how to use equipment I need and how to carry out important procedures and thus don’t have to rely on my supervisor as much, although he is, of course, ready and willing to help should I need anything.
3. How is this different from the way you think most high school students spend their summers?
As soon as summer starts, many high school students flop down on the couch in front of the TV and don’t get up again until the next school year arrives. Even those that have jobs usually work as cashiers, babysitters, or store clerks, and while that is good work experience and a fair source of spending money, ringing up happy meals or chasing little kids around probably doesn’t stimulate their intellects a substantial amount. Some students do choose to go to a variety of different summer camps and programs, some of which do involve science-related subjects. These, however, are usually very structured and strictly supervised. I, on the other hand, have no idea what the results of my research will be and have control over my own schedule as I introduce the scientific world to a completely new if infinitesimal piece of knowledge.
4. Will you be using this research experience as a launching point for any particular applications, competitions, or scholarships?
I plan to use this experience as the basis for my entry to the Siemens Competition and Intel Science Talent Search in the fall and to supplement my application for the Goldwater Scholarship in the spring of next year. Considering the person who won the Intel Science Talent Search this year developed a cancer treatment that utilizes a light energy stimulated drug to kill off cancer cells and the winner of the Siemens Competition researched chemotherapy drug resistance, I’m not expecting much – as far as I know, bacteriophage can’t kill cancer. But they do have the potential to wipe out new menaces like drug resistant tuberculosis and multiple drug resistant staph, so I guess it’s worth a try.
5. How does this research experience or internship fit into your educational and professional goals?
Although I’m not really sure what I want to do, I have been considering a career as a research geneticist. This project ties into that goal quite nicely as it involves the sequencing and annotation of a genome. I am sure that I want to major in biology, and, of course, this project also fits well with this goal.
6. What are you looking forward to the most about your second year at the Academy?
My first year at the Academy was amazing. The classes and professors were outstanding, as were my peers and counselors at Gatton. I was provided so many opportunities to grow as a scholar and a person, and I am truly grateful for them and everyone who worked so hard to give them to me. Right now I am most looking forward to my classes, but also to continuing my research and once again being immersed in the unique environment of Schneider Hall. Next year I know there will be even greater opportunities open to me, and I plan to seize as many of them as I can!
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.