Gatton Academy Students Begin Vast Summer Experiences

Students from the Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky are prepared for a busy summer. From research internships to shadowing professionals in their home communities, recent graduates and rising high school seniors from the school are following their passions in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) this summer.
Additionally, 35 Gatton Academy students will travel internationally for language acquisition, culture study, and credit-based study abroad. Students will be in China, England, and Jordan.
The Gatton Academy’s summer research and internship program has become a perennial staple within the school’s culture. This year 71 students are involved in some form of summer learning.
Students’ experiences are listed below.

Gatton Research Internship Grant recipients:
Now in its fourth year, the Gatton Research Internship Grant program provides support funding for rising seniors to conduct summer research. Twenty students were chosen for summer 2013:
• Corbin Allender (’14) of Bardstown is researching with Dr. Keith Davis and others at the James Graham Brown Cancer Center at the University of Louisville. Allender will be studying protein changes that occur when lung cancer and melanoma cells are exposed to the anticancer peptide, lunasin.
• Tucker Baker (’14) of Lawrenceburg is continuing research with Dr. Aaron Celestian in the WKU Department of Geography and Geology. The study focuses on nanoporous Earth and engineered materials, with application potentials in energy and petroleum sciences, radioactive waste sepulcration and environmental sciences.
• Aaron Brzowski (’14) of Owensboro is continuing research with Dr. Keith Andrew in the WKU Department of Physics and Astronomy. Brzowski is researching in the field of abstract cosmology, studying the Alcubierre Warp Drive and its possible future use in space exploration.
• Tori Buckley (’14) of Glasgow is continuing her research with Dr. Rajalingam Dakshinamurthy of the WKU Department of Chemistry this summer. Buckley’s work is in developing an efficient purification method for human fibroblast growth factor.
• Fenil Chavda (’14) of Hopkinsville will continue his research work with Dr. Rajalingam Dakshinamurthy in the WKU Department of Chemistry. His project is on the development of a reliable, clean, and eco-friendly chemical process for the synthesis of gold nanoparticles.
• Nathaniel Clause (’14) of Murray is continuing research work with Dr. Richard Schugart of WKU’s Department of Mathematics. Clause is involved in mathematically modeling wound healing.
• John Andrew Cliburn (’14) of Cloverport is continuing research with Dr. Lan Nguyen of WKU’s Department of Mathematics. Cliburn’s study seeks to study a new approach to solve ordinary differential equations, when they appear in bigger spaces such as Banach spaces, and to apply the results to partial differential equations that come from physics, biology, or mechanics.
• Ajit Deshpande (’14) of LaGrange is researching with Dr. Shivendra Sahi of the WKU Department of Biology. He is studying the synthesis of nanoparticles from plant extract.
• Samantha Dinga (’14) of LaGrange is on a research internship at the University of Louisville’s Infant Cognition under the mentorship of Dr. Cara Cashon. Dinga will be studying how adults disengage from faces in a study that may ultimately contribute to knowledge on autism or Williams syndrome.
• Ethan Gill (’14) of Bowling Green is studying under the mentorship of Dr. James Gary in the WKU Department of Computer Science. Gill’s project involves the development of an application for mobile devices that will help users interact and display three-dimensional objects.
• Hannah Graff (’14) of Alexandria is researching at Wood Hudson Cancer Research Laboratory in Newport under the direction of Dr. Heather Christensen. Graff will be working on a project that involves the growth of human breast cancer cells in vitro.
• Isaac Kresse (’14) of Louisville is continuing research with Dr. Matthew Nee in the WKU Department of Chemistry. Kresse’s project involves the development of a reactor in which to study photocatalytic degradation experiments using Raman spectrometry.
• Nitin Krishna (’14) of Corbin is continuing research with Dr. Richard Schugart in the WKU Department of Mathematics. His work involves formulating a mathematical model describing interactions of cells and proteins in a wound.
• Suhaib Mahmood (’14) of Crestwood is continuing research with Dr. Kevin Williams in the WKU Department of Chemistry. His study focuses on a platinum (II) compound that has potential uses with anticancer drugs.
• Logan Mitchell (’14) of Hebron is conducting a research project with Dr. Christopher Groves at WKU’s Hoffman Environmental Research Institute. His project involves developing a year-long hydrologic budget for Crump’s Cave in northern Warren County.
• Hannah Rodgers (’14) of Verona is continuing her research with Dr. Rajalingam Dakshinamurthy of WKU’s Department of Chemistry. Her research focuses on the development of reliable, clean, and eco-friendly synthesis of antibiotic capped gold nanoparticles that could provide an environmentally-friendly way to introduce drugs into biological systems.
• Vishnu Tirumala (’14) of Corbin is researching under the guidance of Dr. Guo-Min Li at the University of Kentucky’s Markey Cancer Center. His study focuses on how post-translational modifications of DNA mismatch repair proteins impact genome integrity and cancer development.
• Connor VanMeter (’14) of Lexington is continuing research under Dr. Rodney King’s mentorship in the WKU Department of Biology. His research is centered on cloning and analyzing newly discovered antiterminator RNA candidates.
• Gretchen Walch (’14) of Alexandria is conducting research with Dr. Clare Bates Congdon at the University of Southern Maine’s Department of Computer Science. Her focus is on gene research that could be a possible prevention of arsenic induced health problems.
• Kevin Ziegler (’14) of Bowling Green is continuing research with Dr. Jarrett Johnson of WKU’s Department of Biology. His summer study will evaluate the prevalence of a novel amphibian pathogen in local populations of pond-breeding amphibians.

NCSSSMST Student Research Conference:
Six Gatton Academy students are presenting research this summer at the National Consortium for Specialized Secondary Schools of Math, Science, and Technology (NCSSSMST) Student Research Conference at Grinnell College in Grinnell, IA. From June 9-12, these students will join approximately 100 other students from across the country to share their research work through oral and poster presentations. Gatton Academy representatives and their presentation titles are:
• John Andrew Cliburn (’14) of Cloverport will give a presentation titled “Exponential Functions on Bigger Spaces”
• Hannah Graff (’14) of Alexandria will present “Discovery and Analysis of Mycobacteriophage CapnHook”
• Isaac Kresse (’14) of Louisville will present “An Analysis of Raman Spectroscopy on Photocatalytic Reactions”
• Lindsey Porter (’14) of Hillsboro will present “The Isolation and Characterization of Mycobacteriophage Pigpen”
• D.J. Richardson (’14) of Winchester will present a research poster titled “Reaction Coordinate Calculations for Simple Chemical Reaction”
• Connor VanMeter (’14) of Lexington will present “MyOTP, a Newly Discovered Mycobacteriophage from Bowling Green, Kentucky”

Experiences Abroad:
National Security Language Initiative-for Youth (NSLI-Y):
Grace Babbs (’14) of Paducah has received an NSLI-Y scholarship for six weeks of intensive Arabic study in Amman, Jordan. The scholarship covers all program costs, travel to Jordan, tuition, housing with a host family, activities, and more. These merit-based scholarships are for high school students studying less commonly taught languages.

Confucius Institute’s Bridge to China Summer Program 2013
For two weeks in July, three students will travel to China visiting cultural sites and participating in language courses and learning traditional activities.
Sarah Angelle (’14) of Monticello
Linda Cruz (’13) of Carrollton
Leslie Wilson (’13) of Munfordville

England
Now in its third year, the Gatton Academy is once again partnering with Harlaxton College in Grantham, England to offer a study abroad course. The following students will study Honors: Introduction to Literature with Professor Walker Rutledge of the WKU Department of English. Students will study literature ranging from Roald Dahl in Great Missenden, the Brontës on the moors near Haworth, and Shakespeare in Stratford-upon-Avon, just to name a few of many stops:

• Corbin Allender (’14) of Bardstown
• Tori Buckley (’14) of Glasgow
• Fenil Chavda (’14) of Hopkinsville
• Carolyn Clark (’14) of Lexington
• Nathaniel Clause (’14) of Murray
• John Andrew Cliburn (’14) of Cloverport
• Joseph Crafton (’14) of Spottsville
• Elizabeth Dade (’14) of Hopkinsville
• Ajit Deshpande (’14) of LaGrange
• Samantha Dinga (’14) of LaGrange
• Ethan Gill (’14) of Bowling Green
• Blake Hardison (’14) of Sebree
• Kassandra Harris (’14) of Cadiz
• Harry Heyworth (’14) of Prospect
• Marcus Hughes (’14) of Marion
• Alex Kearns (’14) of Sanders
• Naomi Kellogg (’14) of Elizabethtown
• Benjamin Koehler (’14) of Union
• Isaac Kresse (’14) of Louisville
• Mary-Grace Luscher (’14) of Stanford
• Logan Mitchell (’14) of Hebron
• Shania Polson (’14) of Bowling Green
• Lindsey Porter (’14) of Hillsboro
• D.J. Richardson (’14) of Winchester
• Hannah Rodgers (’14) of Verona
• Lindsey Shain (’14) of Cox’s Creek
• Mariah Tiller (’14) of Hazard
• Vishnu Tirumala (’14) of Corbin
• Connor VanMeter (’14) of Lexington
• Gretchen Walch (’14) of Alexandria
• Hannah Weber (’14) of Alexandria

Other Notable Individual Summer Experiences:

• Cecily Allen (’13) of Danville will work at the Commonwealth Cancer Center.
• John Biechele-Speziale (’13) of Grayson will continue research work with Dr. Eric Conte in the WKU Department of Chemistry.
• Leah Cannady (’13) of Brandenburg is working at the Meade Activity Center Summer Camp.
• Miranda Cruse (’13) of Independence has accepted a psychology internship position through the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital High School Senior Summer Internship Program to work under Dr. Elana Harris.
• Eileen Doan (’13) of Paducah is volunteering at the Sunburst Shakespeare Summer Day Camp at the Public Theatre of Kentucky in Bowling Green.
• Meredith Doughty (’13) of Bowling Green is traveling with the International Order of the Rainbow for Girls Kentucky.
• Elizabeth Gatten (’13) of Sturgis is shadowing University of Louisville geriatrician Dr. Christian Furman.
• Ryan Gott (’13) of Bowling Green is volunteering with the Kentucky YMCA Youth Association’s Y-Corps Service to the South trip. Additionally, he will work as a counselor at the All Saints Summer Camp in Leitchfield.
• Ellen Green (’13) of Henderson will work as a counselor at the All Saints Summer Camp in Leitchfield.
• Adrian Gregory (’13) of Taylorsville recently presented a research poster titled Increasing pre-service teachers’ self-regulation of learning: An intervention study at the 6th Annual Meeting of the Society for the Study of Motivation in Washington, DC.
• Meghan Hall (’13) of Hustonville is continuing research work with Dr. Michael Collyer of the WKU Department of Biology.
• Erica Johnson (’13) of Louisville is working at Camp Invention at Shepherdsville Elementary.
• William Johnson (’13) of Elkton has been selected for a National Conservation Crew with the Student Conservation Association and will volunteer at Isle Royale National Park on the USA/Canada border. Additionally, Johnson is continuing research with Dr. Joel Lenoir in the WKU Department of Engineering.
• Shane Masuda (’13) of Hebron will be starting coursework at the University of California Santa Barbara.
• Dixa Patel (’13) of Owensboro will be working as a counselor for the WKU Center for Gifted Studies’ Summer Camp for Academically Talented Middle School Students (SCATS) and the Summer Program for Verbally and Mathematically Precocious Youth (VAMPY). Additionally, she will be shadowing neurosurgeon Dr. David Eggers in Owensboro.
• Hannah Pennington (’13) of Union is interning with Dr. Darla Cahill at Pediatric Partners of Northern Kentucky. Additionally, she is continuing research work with Dr. Richard Schugart of the WKU Department of Mathematics.
• Madison Preece (’13) of Owensboro is working as an Emergency Room Technician at the Owensboro Health Regional Hospital.
• William Roach-Barrette (’13) of Wellington is conducting systems research at Morehead State University’s Space Science Center.
• Samuel Saarinen (’13) of Shelbyville is continuing research with Dr. Claus Ernst of the WKU Department of Mathematics. Additionally, Saarinen is traveling with the Boy Scouts of America’s High Adventure trips.
• Wayne Schmitt (’13) of Jeffersonville recently presented a research poster titled Stable Isotopic Signatures of Corbicula Flumnea In Riverine Reaches With Differing Cladophora Levels: A Comparative Transplant Study at the Society for Freshwater Science’s 61st Annual Meeting in Jacksonville, FL.
• Thomas Seibold (’13) of Crestwood is completing coursework through WKU.

• Nathaniel Serpico (’13) of Elizabethtown will be volunteering at the Warm Blessings, Inc. in his hometown.
• Ethan Smith (’13) of Lexington is interning at Awesome, Inc., a tech company in his hometown.
• Melissa Smith (’13) of Guthrie is teaching English in Mongolia through the English Language Institute/China.
• Mary Spraggs (’13) of Danville is continuing research with Dr. Steven Gibson in the WKU Department of Physics and Astronomy.
• Aaron Tagliaboschi (’13) of Bowling Green will continue his research with Dr. Jeremy Maddox in the WKU Department of Chemistry.
• Duncan Wood (’13) of Maysville will intern at Carlson Software in his hometown.
• Tori Buckley (’14) of Glasgow will be volunteering at the Medical Center in Bowling Green.
• Carolyn Clark (’14) of Lexington will be researching at the University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy with Dr. David J. Feola.
• John Andrew Cliburn (’14) of Cloverport will be volunteering with the WKU Center for Gifted Studies’ Summer Camp for Academically Talented Middle School Students (SCATS) and will complete coursework through WKU.
• Joseph Crafton (’14) of Spottsville will be observing various doctors, surgeons, technicians, nurses, and practitioners at Methodist Hospital in Henderson.
• Collie Crawford (’14) of Elizabethtown is working at Air Hydro Power in Elizabethtown.
• Ethan Gill (’14) of Bowling Green will be attending the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco, CA. Additionally, he will complete an Eagle Scout service project in landscaping on the WKU campus.
• Hannah Graff (’14) of Alexandria will be teaching dance at Manyet Dance in Highland Heights. She will complete coursework through WKU.
• Harry Heyworth (’14) of Prospect will be volunteering at Walden Theatre in Louisville.
• Marcus Hughes (’14) of Marion is interning at the United States Naval Observatory in Flagstaff, AZ through a Department of Navy Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program position.
• Aline Irihamye (’14) of Lexington is participating in the six-week Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Minority Introduction to Engineering and Science program.
• Alex Kearns (’14) of Sanders will work as a counselor at a 4-H Camp in Carlisle.
• Naomi Kellogg (’14) of Elizabethtown will be attending the Youth Governors Conference in Washington, DC, the YMCA Youth Conference on National Affairs in Black Mountain, NC, and the Leadership Training Conference in Columbia, KY.
• Shania Polson (’14) of Bowling Green is job shadowing at All Creatures Animal Hospital.
• Lindsey Shain (’14) of Cox’s Creek is working as a counselor at a 4-H Camp at Lake Cumberland.
• Domnique Thayer (’14) of Foster will be shadowing pediatrician Dr. Michael Coleman in Maysville. Additionally, she will be volunteering at the Robertson County Animal Shelter in Mt. Olivet.
• Mariah Tiller (’14) of Hazard is volunteering at the Hazard/Perry County Senior Center.
• Matthew Turner (’14) of Lewisport is completing coursework through WKU and the Owensboro Community and Technical College.
• Gretchen Walch (’14) of Alexandria will present research work from the WKU Genome Discovery and Exploration Program at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science Education Alliance PHAGES Symposium at the HHMI Janelia Farm campus in Ashburn, Virginia.