Year: 2010

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Nine Gatton Academy students shared research at the 2010 Posters event.
Nine Gatton Academy students shared research at the 2010 Posters event.

Nine Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky students were among hundreds of undergraduates from across the Commonwealth who presented their academic research at Posters at the Capitol 2010 on January 28 in Frankfort.

Posters at the Capitol is an event held during the legislative session where students from Kentucky’s eight public universities and the community and technical college system share research findings with the state’s legislators and decision makers.

A key feature of Posters at the Capitol is the chance for students to talk one-on-one with their state representatives and senators about the value of research at the undergraduate level.

Thomas Choate (Warren ’10) believes it is extremely important for legislators to realize the role these emerging thinkers and industry leaders will play in the future of the state and it’s economy.

“As a Gatton Academy student and an undergraduate researcher, it is imperative to ensure the support of state legislators by demonstrating that undergraduate involvement in research at Kentucky’s post-secondary institutions holds great potential for the state,” Choate said.

Second-year student Katie Rush (Franklin ’10) agrees: “As a student in a state-funded program, I think it is very important to show what you have learned to those who have made this opportunity available, to demonstrate that their efforts were well worth it,” she said.

In all, Gatton Academy students were able to meet with six of Kentucky’s senators and nine members of Kentucky’s House of Representatives to talk about the research work they have been able to conduct through Western Kentucky University’s Ogden College of Science and Engineering.

Held in the State Capitol’s Great Hall, nearly 200 students shared their research work this year. Research posters ranged across disciplines in both science and the humanities.

Jae Lee (Christian ’10), who presented with three of his lab partners, commented that his experience was equally exciting and education. “Not only was I grateful to see interest from lawmakers to our work, I also got to see a lot of intriguing and advanced research projects from other students,” he said. “Moreover, it was great to hear positive feed-back and encouragement from the legislators and senators.”

Victoria Gilkison and
Victoria Gilkison and Justine Missik

The Gatton Academy not only challenges students to perform research at the undergraduate level but also encourages them to share the knowledge they discover with academic peers across the state and country. To date, Gatton Academy students have also presented at the Kentucky Academy of Sciences annual meeting, the Women in Physics national conference, and the Argonne National Laboratory Research Conference during the 2009-10 academic year. Additionally, students will share research at the WKU Undergraduate Research Conference later this month.

“Presenting research is a chance to not only practice speaking and communication, but also to show your thorough knowledge of a subject and ability to answer difficult questions you’ve never been asked before,” Rush observed.

Now through its tenth year, Posters at the Capitol has become an annual destination for undergraduate researchers from across the state.

Gatton Academy participants and their research projects included:

Thomas Choate (Warren ’10) Using Sustainability Indicators to Guide Local City Growth

Clarice Esch (Pulaski ’11): Is Collema sp., a Gelatinous Lichen, a Sustainable Source of Nitrogen for Greenhouse and Nursery Crop Production?

Victoria Gilkison (Anderson ’11) : Ecology of American Ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) at Mammoth Cave National Park and Justine Missik (Boyle ’11): Microbial Networks Create Pathway Proliferation in Marine Food Webs

Alexander Hare (Rowan ’10), Ben Neal (Estill ’11), Jae Lee (Christian ’11) and Paul “P. J.” Kasinski (Boone ’11): Genomic Comparison of C. scatologenes to M. thermoacetica

Katherine Rush (Franklin ’10): Landfill Contaminant and Fluorescent Dye Interference Project

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

Dr. Gary Ransdell
Dr. Gary Ransdell

by Ryne Weiss, Academy Avatar

Western Kentucky University President  Dr. Gary Ransdell has been busy as of late.  Between meeting with departments across the WKU campus and maintaining the university’s presence in Frankfort during the legislative session, there’s a lot on the president’s plate.  Not to mention, he just started using Facebook.

Despite the busy schedule, Dr. Ransdell met with Gatton Academy students for an informal seminar where he set out to answer questions on the minds of the Academy students about topics ranging from research and study abroad opportunities to the school’s history and even some absurd things, such as his pick for the Super Bowl and a certain “artful” tree on campus.

In his opening remarks, he told us about Western Kentucky University’s already-impressive and ever-expanding international outreach.

“We are in talks with the China to make Western one of 62 schools in the United States to be named a Confucius Institute, with funding from the Chinese government,” Ransdell said. “We would be the first in Kentucky, and in one of 38 states given this honor.”

An impressive statistic on its own, and easily fitting in with Western’s commitment to study abroad programs. “Over Winter Term we had students all over the globe. Kenya, Greece, China.”

As always, Dr. Ransdell was quick to let students know how of his pride in the Gatton Academy, and how important its students are to the University. “The Gatton Academy is becoming the wonderful program we knew it would be, as evidenced by all 66 juniors returning for their second semester. No campus in Kentucky was as prepared as WKU to receive the Gatton Academy program, with our infrastructure, honors program, and research.”

After his short introduction, he fielded questions from Academy students. No topic was off limits, and some of the questions are of a more bizarre nature.

Q: What about Western’s recent recession of REU programs?

A: We’re doing a number of things. We’ve got a strong emphasis on undergraduate research. We’re emphasizing it and it’s moving up on our agenda.

Q: Are they ever going to cut down the “bunny tree” located near the top of the College Heights portion of campus?

A: (laughs) Probably, sooner or later it’ll have to come down. I have to sign off on every tree that is cut down, whether it’s diseased, dead, or struck by lightning. Part of my job is preserving the natural beauty our campus. My rule is, you take one down, you have to plant two.

Q: My mom told me to ask, what exactly does “The Spirit Makes the Master” mean?

A: It really means whatever you want it to mean to you. To me it means, what it means to our founder, Henry Hardin Cherry. To me it refers to an inner confidence, a self-esteem, and a bond with a campus. I boil it down to leadership, and the inner fortitude to succeed and lead. It defines our character as an institution.

Q: What are they planning on doing with Thompson North Wing? Are there plans to tear it down?

A: I hope so. (laughs and applause from crowd) It’s old, tired. I don’t even want to think about how many chemicals have run through that building since 1958. As soon as we have the funding, that building is coming down.

Q: Will we be getting a new football team this year?

A: Is that a request or a question? (laughs) In a way, yes. We’re getting a new coaching staff and attitude. Recruiting season is over, and I can tell you it is the most talented group of players to walk this campus.

Q: Who do you want to win the Super Bowl?

A: Saints. I think it’s a magical story how after all that team and that city have been through to have the Saints in the Super Bowl.

Q: What are some plans for the future of the Gatton Academy?

A: Right now is not quite the climate, but when things improve we are planning on adding an extra 80 academy students, 40 on each side with an expansion of the building. You have to be realistic about the finances.  Now is just not the right time, but it is something we plan on down the line.

Photo Album: Winter Term 2010 Ski Trip

January 29, 2010 | News, Photos, Student Life | No Comments

From bunny hills to black diamonds, Gatton Academy students spent a fun filled Saturday slipping and sliding down the ski slopes at Perfect North. To make the day even better a few Academy Parents provided lunch for all of us. We want to say a HUGE thank you for the tasty (and warm) food. Even with the bruises it was a wonderful day, and a great way to start the spring semester!

[flickr album=72157623309438260 num=100 size=Square]

The Preview Weekend for Class of 2012 Applicants scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 30, has been canceled. Sessions will be combined with Interview Weekend scheduled for Mar. 20. An online information session will be held in early February.  Details for the online information session will be released next week.

To ease any concerns, attending Preview Weekend is not a requirement for admission to the Academy, nor does it increase the likelihood of a student’s admission. Preview Weekend is simply meant to provide prospective applicants and their family with additional information about the program.

The student panel from a previous Preview Weekend was videotaped and is available on our Vimeo page. You can watch the session below.

If you would like to schedule a personal visit to campus, please telephone the Gatton Academy office at 270-745-6565.

Again, we apologize for any inconvenience. Our priority is ensuring everyone’s safety given the incliment winter weather.

bikers

A group of Western Kentucky University students, led by a Gatton Academy alumnus, will be cycling across the United States this summer to raise money for Alzheimer’s research.

The Fijis Across America fundraiser is being conducted in memory of Barrett Cummings, the grandfather of ride founder and WKU student Tyler Jury of Elizabethtown.  Jury is a 2008 alumnus of the Gatton Academy.

The group hopes to raise $75,000 to benefit the Greater Kentucky/Southern Indiana Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association and to increase local, state and national awareness as the students ride about 3,200 miles from California to Virginia.

The ride will begin in late May in Oceanside, Calif., and end in July in Yorktown, Va. The students will travel through nine states – California, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky and Virginia. (Click here for the route.)

In addition to Jury, riders include Chaz Vittitow of Louisville, Mitchell White of Bowling Green, Justin Cave of Glendale and Wade Haga of Lexington.

The students have been working for several months to organize the ride. Last fall, riders attended Alzheimer’s Association Memory Walks in cities across Kentucky, including Bowling Green, Elizabethtown, Louisville and Lexington, to promote the trip. They are currently seeking corporate and individual sponsorships.

More information about the trip, including a link to the group’s Facebook page, is available online at http://fijisacrossamerica.com/

For information, contact Tyler Jury at (270) 766-7121.

Student/Parent Panel During Preview Weekend
Student/Parent Panel During Preview Weekend

The Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky will host a Preview Weekend at Western Kentucky University on Saturday, January 30, 2010, for prospective students, their parents, and educators.

Events will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (CDT) at Schneider Hall on the WKU campus. Families will meet in the lobby of Grise Hall beginning at 9:30 a.m.  Sessions will begin at 10 a.m. Activities for the day will also include campus and hall tours as well as parent and students question-and-answer panels.

Preview Weekends present a unique opportunity for prospective applicants and their families to meet with current Academy students and their parents, visit Schneider Hall, and gain a better understanding of student life at the Gatton Academy.  Topics will include the role of the ACT and SAT in the admissions process, suggested courses for sophomore year, qualities of a strong applicant, student expectations, and college options upon graduation.

Parking will be available in the lot behind Schneider Hall and Parking Structure 1, which are both accessible from College Heights Blvd. For a WKU campus map, please visit http://www.wku.edu/Tour/campusmap.html.

Students are kindly asked RSVP for the preview event online at http://gattonacademy.eventbrite.com no later than Thursday before the event.

The Gatton Academy, a residential program for 120 high school juniors and seniors from Kentucky who have demonstrated talent and interest in pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, is in its third year of operation. To date, students from 87 counties across the Commonwealth have been selected to attend the prestigious program. Students apply during their sophomore year through a competitive admissions process.

In 2009, Newsweek magazine named the Gatton Academy as one of 16 “Public Elite” American high schools.

The goal of the Gatton Academy is 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 that will lead to economic growth. Instead of spending their junior and senior years in traditional high schools, Gatton Academy students take courses offered by WKU. At the end of two years, student earn over 60 hours of college credit in addition to completing high school.

Students live and learn with peers who share their enthusiasm and interest in learning. Room, board and tuition are funded by the Commonwealth. Kentucky is the 14th state to offer a residential program with a focus on math and science supported by the state.

Additional information is available online at www.wku.edu/academy.  For more information, contact Corey Alderdice at (270) 745-2971.

by Corey Alderdice

There are two great passions that I have as an employee of the Gatton Academy:

1) Helping to get parents, educators, and other adults better informed and excited about the important role gifted education plays in our schools and communities; and
2) Experimenting with the power of social media (like Twitter and Facebook) to shape our discussions online.

The Gatton Academy (@gattonacademy) and The Center for Gifted Studies at Western Kentucky University (@giftedstudies) have been excited to join in what has become a vibrant community of parents and educators on Twitter who share news, information, and insights about gifted education.  Over the past several months we have come to fully realize how working together makes us a stronger body of advocates.  You can check out a list of gifted education advocates on Twitter at by clicking here.  With Twitter, our conversations are usually shared back and forth through individual tweets.

Beginning this Friday at 11 a.m. (Central) and 6 p.m. (Central), Deborah Mersino (@deborahmersino, Ingenious Blog) will host the first Gifted and Talented Chat, better known at #gtchat.  If you’re interested in participating, you need only sign up for a Twitter account.  Observe, think, and share.  It’s that simple.  When tweeting as part of the chat, simply include the #gtchat hashtag at the beginning or end of your tweet.  Using a Twitter client like HootSuite or TweetDeck can make this easier.  You can also follow the chat by Twitter’s search page or as an RSS feed.

If you’d prefer to simply look in on the discussion this time around, you can always come back to this page and follow the updates below.  This is the first of what will become a weekly discussion on gifted ed.  If you have questions about using Twitter or would like more information, send an email to academy@wku.edu.


[Video Blog] David, Becca, and Celia Enjoy Some Good, Clean Fun During Winter Term from Gatton Academy on Vimeo.

The name for these three weeks may be Winter Term but with temperatures in the sixties and persistent rain for the last 48 hours, you might think we have already reached Spring. Not so. After classes, students made good use of a soggy situation and played ultimate Frisbee in the mud.

Ballard Metcalfe shares with WKU representative Rick Dubois and other guests at the WKU-sponsored reception.
Ballard Metcalfe shares with WKU representative Rick Dubois and other guests at the WKU-sponsored reception.

by Derick Strode

Seven Gatton Academy students are finishing up a four-week intensive language study abroad course in Tianjin, China.  As members of WKU’s Chinese Language Flagship Pilot Program, they have been studying abroad at Nankai University this winter term.

The students have taken daily classes in Chinese language, have worked with one-on-one Chinese tutors, and have taken cultural classes in shadow boxing, calligraphy, and Chinese cooking.

Study abroad trips teach students lessons that are impossible to fully match in an American classroom setting.  As Benjamin Venable (Oldham ’11) points out, one lesson he has learned has gone far beyond language: “I have learned so much about etiquette here.  While eating, speaking, walking, and toasting, the Chinese have so many unwritten laws regarding body language.  It is so easy to offend someone unintentionally.  The good thing is, though, that I can use these etiquette rules anywhere.  One can never be too polite,” he said.

Students are also imbedded into the culture with the intention of helping them use their Chinese language skills in everyday, real-world settings.

Jason Ludden (Adair ’10) has noted that his experience is helping him identify what he still has to accomplish in the Flagship program.  “When I first came to China from the U.S.A., I felt pretty confident.  I thought we had learned every useful phrase possible, but communicating in China was not as easy as I thought it would be.  Now I know how hard it is and where I need to improve,” he said.

Students have been on excursions to the Tianjin port, a special economic development area of the country, and to Beijing.  On Thursday, the students will make one final trip to the Huangyaguan section of the Great Wall.

While on excursion in Beijing this past weekend, students were greeted by WKU President Gary Ransdell.  In Beijing, Dr. Ransdell and the WKU Chinese Flagship Pilot Program hosted a Presidential Reception for Chinese business leaders, education leaders, and journalists.

Three Gatton Academy students were on-stage during the program.  Seniors Samuel Firkins (Spencer ’10) and Amy Cordero (Pike ’10) performed the popular Olympic welcome song, Beijing Huan Ying Ni (Beijing Welcomes You) with WKU student Will Meredith.  Firkins played piano and led vocals and Cordero joined in on the violin.

At the program, junior Sarah Schrader (Warren ’11) was selected to give a speech in Chinese to represent the Gatton Academy.  In Chinese, she introduced herself to the mostly Chinese audience, described the Gatton Academy, and talked about her experience in the Flagship Program.

“I was extremely honored to be selected to represent the Academy,” Schrader added. “It meant that my teachers considered me responsible and capable enough to adequately convey how much we have all learned this past semester.  Although I was a little nervous, I knew it was important to do my best in order to enforce the prestige of our program.”

Students will return to Florence Schneider Hall just in time to start the spring semester.  However, the conclusion of the trip is not the end of their Chinese studies.  Each student is enrolled in the next step Chinese language course for the spring semester.

A blog is being updated throughout the trip by WKU Alive Center’s Cheryl Kirby-Stokes at http://cheryl-lostintranslation.blogspot.com.

The trip is directed by Dr. Liping Chen, Academic Director of the WKU Chinese Institute, and Amy Eckhardt, Administrative Director for the program.More information about the Chinese Language Flagship Pilot Program can be found at http://www.wku.edu/chineseflagship/.