Year: 2011

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Gatton Academy Students Shine at WKU Student Research Conference

April 4, 2011 | Academics, Alumni, News, People, Research, Student Success, Students | No Comments

The 41st Annual WKU Student Research Conference was the biggest in the eventʼs history with 135 paper presentations and performances as well as 80 poster presentations and exhibits March 26 at Gary A. Ransdell Hall.

A total of 149 undergraduate students and 66 graduate students were primary authors this year and an additional 112 students were co-authors. The undergraduate participants included 61 Honors College students and 29 students from the Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky.

A total of 124 faculty members served as mentors, and 33 departments from all colleges were represented among the conference participants.

The conference program is available online.

Academy students and alumni honored are noted in bold. Student Research Conference session winners included the following:

Undergraduate Papers

  • Madalyn Schreiner, a junior from Alvaton, Exposing the Cracks in the Masks, Best Undergraduate Paper in the Humanities, Session 1
  • Matthew Vaughan, a senior from Wayne, Pa., Fair Trade Education and Awareness at WKU,  Best Undergraduate Paper in the Social Sciences, Session 2
  • Maggie Wilder, a senior from Berea, Prescribed Fire Effects on Summer and Fall Herbs in Eastern Mesic Forests, Best Undergraduate Paper in the Natural Sciences, Session 3
  • David Evans, a senior from Somerset, Analysis of Vegetation Health and Density within the Makalu Barun National Park, Nepal Using Supervised Classification of Remotely Sensed Data, Best Undergraduate Paper in the Natural Sciences, Session 4
  • Sarah Schrader, a Gatton Academy student from Bowling Green, Genomic Analysis of TT9, a Novel Mycobacteriophage, Best Undergraduate Paper in the Natural Sciences, Session 5
  • Daniel Hinson, a senior from Greenbrier, Tenn., Synthesis of Some Group VII Pyridazine Complexes, Best Undergraduate Paper in the Social Sciences, Session 6
  • Colleen Wynn, a senior from Louisville, Hopelessly Disadvantaged Like You: A Comparative Study of Disadvantaged Youth in Mobile and Medellin, Best Undergraduate Paper in the Social Sciences, Session 7
  • John Jennings, a senior from Bowling Green, Ortho-Metalation of Para-Bromo and Para-Iodoanisole Utilizing Ortho-Lithiodimethylben-zylamine, Best Undergraduate Paper in the Natural Sciences, Session 8
  • Kayla Herchenrader, a senior from Louisville, Barren River Sports Center, Best Undergraduate Paper in the Natural Sciences, Session 9
  • Mark Bailey, a senior from Cold Spring, The Coney Island Mall, Best Undergraduate Paper in the Natural Sciences, Session 10
  • Amar Patel, a senior from Russellville, Poly(3-hexyl thiophene) and Perylenediimide Functionalized Siloxane and Bridged-Siloxane Nanoparticles, Best Undergraduate Paper in the Natural Sciences, Session 11
  • Whitney Tyree, a senior from Smiths Grove, A.R.T.E.M.I.S Double Prime, Best Undergraduate Paper in the Natural Sciences, Session 12
  • Kasey Vaught, a senior from Versailles, The Moral Lapses of Men: Justice Defined by Watchmen, Best Undergraduate Paper in the Humanities, Session 13
  • Leigh Gaskin, a senior from Bowling Green, Gales Point Cemetery Restoration, Best Undergraduate Paper in the Humanities, Session 14

Undergraduate Posters

  • Wren Burnett, a senior from Bowling Green, Contemporary Design Collaborations, Best Undergraduate Poster in the Humanities, Session 1
  • Rachael Baumgardner, a senior from Bonnieville, Art Deco Jewelry, Best Undergraduate Poster in the Humanities, Session 2
  • Chasen Igleheart, a senior from Central City, Salo, Best Undergraduate Poster in the Humanities, Session 3
  • Sean Shannon, a senior from Beavercreek, Ohio, Identification of Candidate Basement Membrane Degraders Using Drosophila Genetics, Best Undergraduate Poster in the Natural Sciences, Session 4
  • Owen Gaulle, a sophomore from Nashville, Tenn., Evaluating the Lyrid Stream from a High Altitude Balloon Experiment, Best Undergraduate Poster in the Natural Sciences, Session 5
  • Virginia Martin, a senior from Bardstown, Synthesis and Characterization of Analogs of the Anticancer Drug Oxaliplatin, Best Undergraduate Poster in the Natural Sciences, Session 6
  • Shelby Rader, a Gatton Academy alumna and senior from Irvine, Synthesized Crystalline Materials and Ion Exchange, Best Undergraduate Poster in the Natural Sciences, Session 7
  • John Wilson, a senior from Hickman, Predictability Time of an Einstein Klein-Gordon Cosmology, Best Undergraduate Poster in the Natural Sciences, Session 8
  • Kathryn Carpenter, a senior from Owensboro, SKy Teach vs. the Traditional Teacher Education Program: Why Is the Quality of Learning of Educational Psychology Content Different?, Best Undergraduate Poster in the Social Sciences, Session 9
  • Curtlyn Kramer, a Gatton Academy student from Ashland, The Effect of Sexual Context on Moral Decision Making in Men and Women, Best Undergraduate Poster in the Social Sciences, Session 10

Contact: Rodney King, (270) 745-6910 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (270) 745-6910 end_of_the_skype_highlighting.

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By Corey Alderdice

“From Kentucky to Taiwan” – Thoughts on a Relevant, Engaging & Transformative Education

February 16, 2011 | Gifted Ed Week, News, People, Students | No Comments

The following is an excerpt from a speech delivered by Kia Allen (Scott ’11) in the Capitol Rotunda in Frankfort to celebrate the announcement of Gifted Education Week in Kentucky.

I was fifteen when I first moved two-and-a-half hours away from my friends and family, and made the decision to put my education first. I was ready to be challenged in a way that I had never been before. And–believe me–it has been very challenging. Not only has the Gatton Academy pushed me and my peers mentally but it also opened doors for us to wonderful opportunities that wouldn’t have been possible anywhere else.

Last year, I was presented the opportunity to spend the summer in Taiwan with another academy student and five other Western Kentucky University students. I was told that I would be doing chemical engineering research at National Chung Hsing University in Taichung, Taiwan. When I was first presented with the idea I was quite nervous, and I didn’t know what to expect. But this was one opportunity that I couldn’t pass up!

To me the trip wasn’t exclusively about working in a lab; it was about learning and experiencing a new culture.

The Taiwanese were some of the nicest people I have ever met. Every day there was always a random stranger saying hello and helping me as much as they could when I looked very confused. Each weekend in Taiwan was a different adventure, we went to night markets, amusement parks, we climbed mountains, saw the second tallest building in the world, and many other things, too. Most of all, it was an opportunity for something both intellectual and personal that not all gifted young people get to do.

One day while I was walking to the university to start my full day of work, I realized how much I have changed as a person. I was living thousands of miles away from home and I wasn’t scared. I really grew up on the trip and I realized that if I could live on my own at the age of sixteen, then I was going to be just fine when I actually go to college or move away from my family. I have never felt so good about myself and my future then how I did that day. It wouldn’t have been possible without the support and the guidance of the Academy as well as legislators, educators, and other leaders who believed in the Academy and gave it a chance to exist, grow, and thrive. I hope you realize how much you—and all advocated for young people who are gifted and talented–have changed the lives of students. From me and all the other Academy students, we thank you for changing our lives by making this and other wonderful opportunities possible.

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By Corey Alderdice

Ayers Honored by Distinguished Young Women of Kentucky

February 9, 2011 | News, People, Student Success, Students | No Comments

Claci Ayers (Warren ’11) represented Warren County in the America’s Distinguished Young Women (formerly known as Kentucky Junior Miss) in January.

Ayers reached the round of twelve finalists, was the winner of the scholastic award, and received an interview award.  In all, she received scholarships totaling $900.

The Distinguished Young Women of Kentucky program awards college scholarships to young women who have distinguished themselves at school and in their communities.  Participants in the program develop interview skills, self-confidence, and other life skills that lead to future success.

Distinguished Young Women was founded in 1958 and is headquartered in Mobile, Alabama.  More than 700,000 young women from across the nation have participated in Junior Miss programs at the local, state, and national levels.  In addition to cash scholarships, Junior Miss participants are eligible for college-granted scholarships from nearly 200 colleges and universities.

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

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By Corey Alderdice

Academy Students Represent Local Schools in District Governor’s Cup Tournaments

February 4, 2011 | News, People, Student Success, Students | No Comments

Several Gatton Academy students found success while representing their local high school during district Governor’s Cup tournaments held in January.

The annual series of district, regional, and state competitions test students knowledge is a variety of content areas.  Students are selected to take exams in mathematics, science, social students, arts and humanities, and writing.  Teams of students also compete in Future Problem Solving and quick recall (academic team) matches.

Kentucky Association for Academic Competition (KAAC), the organization that sponsors the statewide tournament, does not allow the Gatton Academy to field its own team.  KAAC bylaws require students to compete for the school that receives Average Daily Attendance (ADA) monies from the state.

While Tim Gott, Director of the Gatton Academy, would love to field a team, he views the current system for competition as another facet of the relationship between the Academy and students’ sending schools.

“This is another great example of our partnership with the sending schools,” Gott said. ” The success of these students on the written assessments is something to celebrate with their home school and Gatton Academy.  Together, we are giving these outstanding young people the opportunities to excel and shine.”

Students will compete in regional tournaments around the state later this month.  Students placing in the top five at regionals in each event will advance to the state tournament in March.

Gatton Academy Students Placing in 2011 District Tournaments:

David Sekora — 1st Place Mathematics Assessment and 1st Place Science Assessment (District 8)

Christian Jolly — 1st Place Mathematics Assessment and 3rd Place Science Assessment (District 9)

Tejas Sangoi — 3rd Place Mathematics Assessment (District 10)

Jon Warren — 1st Place Mathematics Assessment (District 11)

Sarah Schrader — 1st Place Science Assessment, 2nd Place Composition, and 2nd Place Mathematics Assessment (District 13)

Michael Crocker — 3rd Place Mathematics Assessment (District 13)

Holly Morris — 3rd Place Science Assessment (District 13)

Ellis Shelly — 3rd Place Science Assessment (District 15)

Brandon Farmer — 5th Place Mathematics Assessment (District 38)

Tucker Joyce — 1st Place Mathematics Assessment and 1st Place Science Assessment (District 41)

Laura Claytor — 4th Place Mathematics Assessment (District 45)

Ben Rice — 1st Place Mathematics Assessment and 2nd Place Science Assessment (District 48)

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By Corey Alderdice