2010 – Page 4 – The Gatton Academy News

Gatton Academy Alumni Among Participants in WKU Research Experience for Undergraduates

July 29, 2010 | Academics, Alumni, News, People, Research, Summer, WKU | No Comments

Maggie Matheny, a 2010 graduate of the Gatton Academy, is leaning more toward research in graduate school after a 10-week summer program at WKU. (WKU photo by Bryan Lemon)

Nine students from across the United States have been conducting research and preparing for graduate school as part of a National Science Foundation program this summer at WKU.

The WKU Biology Department’s first NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates program will wrap up Aug. 6. Dr. Shivendra Sahi and Dr. Rodney King are directing the grant-funded program focusing on the interdisciplinary field of investigative biotechnology.

Maggie Matheny of Lincoln County, a 2010 graduate of the Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky, said the 10-week summer experience has helped her determine the direction she wants to take for graduate school. “Before I was between research or med school but now I’m definitely leaning more toward research,” Matheny said.

Getting students excited about research and providing hands-on laboratory experience is one of the goals of the NSF-REU program, according to Dr. King, associate professor of biology. “We want to encourage them and get them excited about graduate school,” Dr. King said.

Matheny also has enjoyed the freedom in the program. “I like the fact that the project really is your own,” she said. “If there is a mistake or something doesn’t come out right, it’s your fault and I like the responsibility.” Matheny has been working with Dr. Sigrid Jacobshagen on a project to see which photoreceptor starts the domino effect that resets the circadian clock.

Amanda Nolan, a student from Stephen F. Austin State University in Texas, also has used the experience to prepare for graduate school. “ I’m coming away from this with knowledge that I probably wouldn’t have until graduate school, so I’ll have a heads up on people going into grad school,” said Nolan, who has been working with Dr. King on two projects that deal with bacteriophages.

Other students participating in the June 1-Aug. 6 program are: Melena Agyemang, Norfolk State University in Virginia (Mentor: Dr. Rajalingam Dakshinamurthy); Mark Callaghan, California State University Monterey Bay (Mentor: Dr. Keith Philips); James Forshee, a Gatton Academy graduate from Simpson County (Mentor: Dr. Claire Rinehart); Alexander Hare, a Gatton Academy graduate from Rowan County (Mentor: Dr. Richard Schugart); Hillary Jones, Georgetown College (Mentor: Dr. Carl Dick); Stephanie Robey, Kentucky Community and Technical College System (Mentor: Dr. Kevin Williams); and Shandrea Stallworth, Fort Valley State University in Georgia (Mentor: Dr. Shiv Sahi).

Students were assigned to a research project based on their interests. The projects have been directed by WKU faculty mentors from Biology, Chemistry and Mathematics and the research topics encompassed broad areas of biotechnology, including animal physiology, plant gene expression, microbiology, virology, biochemistry, protein structure and modeling, bioinformatics, neurophysiology and mathematical biology.

In addition to working closely with faculty mentors and interacting with graduate students, fellow undergraduates and research technicians, students have participated in a series of Office of Scholar Development-sponsored workshops that provided guidance on graduate school applications and grant writing and in a series of faculty-led seminars on reading professional literature and giving scientific presentations.

For more information, contact Rodney King at (270) 745-6910.

By Corey Alderdice

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

Gatton Academy Students Shine Under the Microscope, Under the Spotlight

July 27, 2010 | Academics, News, People, Student Life, Students, WKU | No Comments

by Suzanne Van Arsdall, Academy Avatar

Contrary to what can sometimes be prevailing misconceptions, the Gatton Academy student body is not solely a group of human calculators and chemistry whizzes.

In fact, when they aren’t busy calculating integrals and writing methods in Mathematica, you can find many members of the Academy’s Class of 2011 stretching a different part of their minds: the right hemisphere of their brain. Individuals who are considered “right-brained” tend to have greater strengths and passions for arts and humanities, subject matter that is mistakenly perceived by some to be uncharted waters for Academy students.

Wait, what’s that? A chemistry whiz can play the cello? An expert computer programmer spends their free time writing poetry? It’s can be a hard concept to accept, but–believe it or not–many Academy students are more than just one-trick ponies.

Take Blake Welsh (Daviess ’11), for example. Blake has been playing the violin since he was six years old. Welsh’s interests were first piqued when his class took a field trip to a culture festival in Whitesville and he laid eyes upon the fiddle. Eleven years later, Welsh is still heavily involved in music, despite his busy schedule at the Academy. In fact, Blake is a member of the WKU orchestra and string quartet and manages to squeeze private lessons into his schedule.

“Being here makes it harder to find time to practice, but being in a college music atmosphere is better for me as a musician,” Welsh admits. “As long as you have passion, it isn’t very hard to manage.”

When David McChesney (Boyle ’11) is not busy studying for chemistry exams, most anyone will tell you that he’s likely in a practice room at FAC, bending the strings on his cello. This is David’s seventh year playing the cello, and his accomplishments with this instrument are quite remarkable.

This summer will be David’s third consecutive year attending the Steven Collins Foster music camp at Eastern Kentucky University. In Danville, his hometown, David has been a member of the Heritage Area Strings Program for six years. To top off all his accomplishments, he plans on bringing his talents to WKU by auditioning with Welsh for the WKU Orchestra this fall.

Madeline Lauzon (Daviess ’11) is another multifaceted member of the Academy student body. who displays strong artistic abilities outside the scope of her talents in math and science. Mad, as her peers call her, is truly a unique and artistic asset to the Gatton community and has been involved in theater productions for years.

Lauzon is the first student at Gatton to be cast in multiple theater programs at WKU. She has been cast for both a stage reading and as a member of the ensemble of the play Beauty and the Beast, which will be performed during the Fall 2010 semester.

“It’s really great to be able to come here and not have to just focus on math or the arts but to be able to have both of these in my life,” Lauzon noted. “The Academy gives you ample opportunity to be as well-rounded as possible.”

Allowing students to pursue their passions in all subject areas is a central component of the Academy’s approach to student learning.

“I suppose my situation really does hold true to the saying that Gatton provides you with infinite possibilities,” she added.

By Corey Alderdice

The Color R.E.D.

July 26, 2010 | News, People, Student Life, Students | No Comments

by Sydney Combs, Academy Avatar

Currently, the Gatton Academy has housed students from ninety-five out of the one hundred and twenty counties from across the Commonwealth. With such an extensive reach across the state, the resulting student body has never failed to be anything but diverse.

From the city boys to the country girls, we have them. From the non-religious to future pastors, we have them. From the vegetarians, Pastafarians, modest, bold, and computer whizzes to poets, adventurers, and professional sleepers, the Academy has them all. With such a highly diverse student body, some may wonder how the Gatton Academy maintains such a cohesive and supportive community of students. To the surprise of some individuals, the answer is much simpler than the previously imagined brain control and magic. No, the key to our pseudo-family relationship lies solely in the color RED.

RED, for those who are unaware, is the Gatton Academy’s creed of Respect, Equality, and Diversity. It states that as a member of the Gatton Academy community, one must follow an honor code to, “[…] respect the rights, opinions, property, and dignity of all persons. […] embrace diversity and discourage bigotry. […] demonstrate concern for others and their feelings. […] treat everyone with respect and equality.”

Even though this may like an unobtainable utopia to some, for the most part, students at the Gatton Academy respect the creed and each other. Beth Nethaway (Logan, ’10) and the Academy’s first practicing wiccan states, “RED is a great policy not in that diversity causes diversity or that you have to be diverse to be respected, to me it means that you can be different, yet equal.” To her, she feels like she can be exactly who she is without feeling pressured to be someone she’s not. This is what RED is all about.

With the Academy housing such a high concentration of potential future leaders, there is no lack of effort that goes into guiding students to become people who are able to accept one another and their differences.

Melissa Schultz, the Academy’s Assistant Coordinator of Residence Life, has been doing a series based on diversity and how we as students, teens, intellectuals, future business leaders, and productive members in society should view and handle people who are different than us. The topic was a major thread for the weekly Academy Seminar.

When asked why it was important for Academy students to become versed in the art of acceptance, Schultz answered that, “It is extremely important that students learn about each other, their differences, and embrace these differences not only because it is a great opportunity for students to learn something about people different than themselves, but it is key to learning something new about themselves. These types of multicultural interactions will continue on in their lives, be it in a college environment or in the workplace and they will need skills to interact with diverse groups of people.”

As Schultz states here, the values RED teaches students does not only apply to the Academy, but will be used and valued throughout life.

Respect, Equality, and Diversity are principles that the Gatton Academy holds in high regards. Whether it comes to a person with a different skin color or an opinion different than yours, everyone deserves to be treated fairly and embraced for who they are. Fortunately for all the unique individuals at the Academy, all one hundred and twenty of us, these values are kept and there is little need to feel self-conscious around friends.

As Schultz so eloquently phrases it, “I think the students at Gatton see the Academy as their home, and everyone wants a home where they feel accepted. Part of this acceptance is welcoming and accepting differences.” So we welcome you to our RED house.

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

Rohith Palli, David Sekora Honored at FBLA National Leadership Conference

July 23, 2010 | Alumni, News, People, Student Success, Students | No Comments

Both a Gatton Academy alumnus and incoming student were honored as national finalists at the 2010 Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) National Leadership Conference held July 14-17, 2010, in Nashville, Tenn.

Rohith Palli (Fayette, ’10) placed third in the Business Calculations category.

David Sekora (Simpson, ’12) placed fourth in the Business Math category.

Thomas Choate (Warren, ’10) and Stephen King (Carlisle, ’10) also represented the Academy at the National Conference.

In order to qualify for the conference, students competed in over 50 different business related events at the state level and the top winners were chosen to represent their states at the National Conference. With nearly 8,000 FBLA members from across the country in attendance, delegates faced off against some of nation’s most promising future leaders.

FBLA-PBL is the largest business career student organization in the world. The high school division has 215,000 members, while the postsecondary division reaches over 11,000 college students. Over 11,000 advisers round out the group. Exclusive membership and career recognition programs are designed for each division to provide additional personal and chapter development opportunities.

Stephanie Davis, a former Academy residential counselor and current WKU graduate student, serves as the chapter’s sponsor. Davis was pleased with the chapter’s commitment throughout the past year.

“Our students continue to show that hard work pays off,” Davis said. “Rohith’s placement at Nationals sets a new record for Academy FBLA achievement. We have had an excellent year and I’m continually proud of our Academy FBLA.”

Part of the Gatton Academy’s mission is to train students to think entrepreneurially while becoming the Commonwealth’s future leader. Davis believes those skills contribute their future roles in STEM fields. Palli explained that the two fields of study are extremely complimentary.

“The Academy emphasizes STEM fields, in which many students are among the best at what they do,” he said. “In order to promote real growth and change in a field, business acumen and entrepreneurship are necessary.”

Next year, Palli will study mathematics as well as the history and philosophy of science at the University of Pittsburgh. Palli plans to pursue a future career in medicine.

“I’m very excited for all the research and growth opportunities there,” Palli said.

The FBLA concept was developed in 1937 by Dr. Hamden L. Forkner of Columbia University. The first high school chapter was chartered in Johnson City, Tennessee on February 3, 1942. In 1958, the first PBL collegiate chapter was chartered in Iowa. The Professional Division, originally the Alumni Division, began in 1979. Joining FBLA-PBL in 1994 was the FBLA-Middle Level for students in grades 5-9.

For more information, contact Corey Alderdice at (270) 745-6565.

By Corey Alderdice

Gatton Academy’s First College Graduates Plan Exciting Futures

July 22, 2010 | Academics, Alumni, News, People, Student Success, WKU | No Comments

Even though the Gatton Academy will enter its fourth year this fall, the advanced high school continues to celebrate a series of firsts. This spring, four former students became the program’s first alumni to earn bachelor’s degrees.

Through a combination of Advanced Placement courses in high school, diligence in their time at the Gatton Academy, and hard work (including summer classes) as they continued their undergraduate studies, these individuals finished their undergraduate experience in a total of three years. All four will enter graduate or professional programs this fall.

Ellen Boswell Duke (’08) earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Religious Studies from WKU, where she also minored in Mathematics. Duke will attend Case Western Law School this fall. She married fellow Academy alumnus Seth Duke this summer – the first marriage of two Gatton graduates.

Tyler Clark (’08) earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from WKU. Tyler also minored in Religious Studies. Tyler will begin a Master’s program in Mathematics at WKU, with plans to pursue doctoral study thereafter.

Emily Peeler (’08) earned a Bachelor of Social Work degree from the University of Louisville. Emily has deferred admission to the University of Louisville’s Brandeis Law School and will complete a Master’s of Social Work at Boston University.

Christopher Obermeyer (’09) earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and a Bachelor’s of Arts in Religious Studies from WKU. Chris will begin work toward a Ph.D. in Biological Sciences at the George Washington University this fall.

The time since graduating from the Academy has been filled with a variety of academic and social pursuits. Even amid busy academic schedules, students sought involvement in their campus communities.

Clark encouraged students to continue their involvement in research and make presentations at state and national conferences. His work with two WKU professors prepared him to study uncommon topics for his honor’s thesis. “My thesis, titled Counting Locally Convex Topologies on a Totally Ordered Finite Set allowed me to do different research involving point-set topology, set theory, combinatorics, and various other mathematical topics that are not normally covered at the undergraduate level,” he said.

As students begin to explore their post-Academy and undergraduate options, Obermeyer encourages them to aim high and stay off the beaten path. “Be different!” he said. “I have no doubt that I would not have been accepted into graduate school had I just majored in Biology. Picking up a major like Religious Studies in the fine arts made me stick out. If you want to go into medicine, don’t just major in Chemistry and Biology. Everyone has those degrees, and you want to be different to avoid being looked over.” Obermeyer’s unique experiences earned him a graduate assistantship valued at over $300,000.

Looking back on her Academy experience, Peeler noted the program provided her with a strong foundation not only for academic success but also personal growth. “The Academy prepared me academically, in that I knew what to expect in my college classes not only content level but also the structure of them,” she said. “I also knew how far I could push myself, which after the Academy I knew was quite a bit.”

By Corey Alderdice

Summer 5Q: Ben Howard Studies Mathematical Modeling at WKU

July 21, 2010 | 5Q, News, People, Research, Students, WKU | No Comments

While most Gatton Academy students are spending time away from WKU’s campus this summer, Benjamin Howard (Rowan, ‘11) is still walking up the Hill each morning.

As a rising high school senior, Howard is performing mathematical and biological modeling research with Dr. Richard Schugart of WKU’s Department of Mathematics and Computer Science.

Howard 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.

Howard’s research builds upon a mathematical model that Dr. Schugart formulated. Ben is examining five differential equations that are a part of Schugart’s model and is analyzing the sub-model by conducting a steady-state analysis on it, estimating parameters within it, and using Mathematica to conduct simulations of the model.

Howard recently paused for a few minutes to answer questions about his summer research is 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 helping Dr. Schugart with a wound healing project. We are using mathematical models (equations) in order to try and predict if a wound will heal completely, heal partially, or not heal at all. Some of the different variables that we are using in our models are bacteria, macrophages, neutrophils, and oxygen.

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

The part that I am enjoying the most is actually getting to participate in a real life application of mathematics.

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

Most of my friends are spending their summer hanging out with each other, practicing whatever extra-curricular they like the most, working a job at a fast food restaurant, or doing GSP. While all of this is perfectly fine, none of it compares to being on your own for 8 or 9 weeks waking up every morning knowing that your task that day is performing mathematics. I don’t mean 50 algebra problems or 10 calc

problems. I mean research that could potentially benefit people’s lives.

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

I’m planning on presenting at a math and biology seminar in Tennessee in the fall, applying for the Siemens competition, and possibly presenting at WKU in the spring.

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

I am planning on going into the medical field in the future. Since this research is dealing with wound healing it could benefit me when I apply to medical school in a few years.

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

I am looking forward to spending time with my friends. The bonds made at the Academy truly are incredible. I am also looking forward to taking more sciences and getting away from the math a little. While I do like math, science is my favorite subject. I can’t wait to see what the upper level sciences have to offer.

By Corey Alderdice

Alumnus Tyler Jury, FIJIs Team Complete Bike Rides across US for Alzheimers

July 16, 2010 | Alumni, News, People, Student Success, WKU | No Comments

via WKU News

The Fijis Across America cross country bike ride for Alzheimer’s research concluded Friday afternoon (June 16) in Yorktown, Va.

The group, which includes five WKU students, began their 3,200-mile journey through nine states May 25 in Oceanside, Calif. Riders from WKU are Tyler Jury of Elizabethtown, Chaz Vittitow of Louisville, Mitchell White of Bowling Green, Justin Cave of Glendale and Wade Haga of Lexington.

“It’s been a great adventure,” Jury said Friday afternoon. “We were doing it for a cause that is close to our hearts and one that’s close to the hearts of many people we’ve met along the way who gave us great motivation to get through the journey.

“We’ve inspired people and we’ve been inspired by many others as well.”

Jury organized the ride and fundraiser in memory of his grandfather, Barrett Cummings who died in July 2009. The group has raised nearly $40,000 toward a goal of $75,000 to benefit the Greater Kentucky/Southern Indiana Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association.

“Our ride is over but the fight against this disease isn’t so we’ll continue our efforts to raise funds and awareness,” he said.

Along the way through California, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky and Virginia, the riders participated in numerous fundraising events and were interviewed by various media outlets to increase local, state and national awareness about Alzheimer’s.

The group collected stories of Alzheimer’s impact on families and dedicated each day’s ride to a family. They posted those videos and others on the Fijis Across America website as well as on YouTube and Facebook.

Additional information about the trip is available on the Fijis Across America website and Facebook page.

Contact: Tyler Jury, (270) 766-7121.

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

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