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[fblike] Alex Kearns
After an exhausting yet exciting Sunday, I would like to announce that the Gatton Academy Class of 2015 has arrived! First, WELCOME to all new students not only from myself but also the other seniors and staff. I hope as you settle in, that we will act as an invaluable resource and help you adjust to the “college” lifestyle. And to the parents, relax; your student will be alright.

After an early start for community leaders, the juniors started rolling in around 8:30. If they were lucky, only 4 or 5 seniors would help them unload their vehicles. For those unfortunate others, they were met with 20 hoarding seniors dying to know who had arrived! Thankfully our enthusiasm didn’t scare anyone off. After the students had checked in at the front desk, they headed up to their new home where they met their RC’s, roommates, and newest friends. Instantly, you could see the life-long friendships forming.

Once the students were more or less moved in, they were taken to Mass Media for a final meeting with their parents, staff and community leaders. Topics discussed included: study abroad trips, a few research opportunities, and homesickness. As the session concluded, parents were asked to say their goodbyes to their students. And after a few tears, the parents left their students to begin their new adventure.

The day ended on a perfect note as Gatton students attended the Andy Grammer concert and enjoyed a pizza party.

We will keep you posted throughout the week on all the activities here at Gatton.

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Academy Avatars

1. Running on “E”: While working on the cure for cancer or becoming the next Bill Gates, don’t forget to get some sleep. You’ll have long nights working on computer science or studying for Anatomy but without sleep your mind won’t be at its best. We suggest a consistent sleep routine.

2. Be Healthy : The Gatton Academy offers many opportunities to get outside and be active, but being healthy is more than just exercise. It’s important to eat regular meals and relax, as well.

3. Hit the Books: This is the part that you knew was coming. Part of the Gatton experience is studying for your classes. If you don’t know how to study, talk to Mallory or form a study group. Don’t procrastinate, it just delays the problem.

4. Get Involved: The Gatton Academy and Western Kentucky University provide students with tons of opportunities and things to do. And the best part about being here is you can try them all!

5. Find a Routine: Getting into a healthy rhythm is crucial. Keeping your mind organized is one of the best things to do. So acquire anything and everything you think will help you stay on track i.e. a calendar, weekly planner, alarm clock(or MULTIPLE alarm clocks….), a watch, to-do lists, post-it notes, or tons of reminders on your smart phone.

6. Use your Resources : The Academy can sometimes be stressful. Never fear! Here, we have a number of useful “academic amenities” that can help pave your way like skilled tutors, community developers, residential counselors, and friendly staff all at your disposal.

7. Take Time to “De-stress”: In the middle of a busy week, take time to get out and have some fun. You’ll come back more productive than you were before.

8. Try New Things:Open yourself up to anything new that you find whether it be food, classes, or activities. Don’t be afraid to try new things. Steve Jobs left Apple and look what he did.

9. Don’t be Afraid to Ask for Help:Your professors, the Academy staff,and peers want to see you do well just as much as you do. Take advantage of this and ask for help. Office hours can be your friend.

An Atypical English Class: Part 5

August 15, 2013 | News, Student Life | No Comments

[fblike]Alex Kearns

Alas, our study abroad trip now popularly known as An Atypical English Class has concluded, and what an “atypical” trip it was. First, how many students can say they studied English literature in England? Then take those students, and how many had the exuberant Professor Rutledge to lead their studies? Whenever he was around, Professor Rutledge always brought life to the literature studied, and the authors themselves. He proved time and time again that authors write about what they know, and English authors know England. Particularly when we hiked through the Moors, it was like we were living in Emily Bronte’s novel Wuthering Heights.

Whenever we weren’t in the classroom, we could be found enjoying all things British. During our stay at Harlaxton, it became a routine to order fried chicken from Chicken Palace and then proceed to eat it off of Frisbees due to our lack of plates. While in London, everyone found themselves pushing their way onto the tube in order to stay with the group. Whether we were playing a pickup game of futbol or reading in Harlaxton gardens; shopping in various souvenir stores or enjoying a relaxing train ride; arguing over missed euchre hands or debating what the name of the royal prince should be, never did we experience a dull moment. With endless memories coming home with us, this trip truly was everything we could have asked for. Special thanks to Derick Strode, Beth, Pokey, and Prof. Rutledge for putting it all together!

An Atypical English Class: Part 4

August 14, 2013 | Uncategorized | No Comments

[fblike] Gretchen Walch

Looking back on three weeks abroad in the United Kingdom it would be cliché to say the time flew by, and to be honest, it would be far from the truth. Thanks to Professor Rutledge, the class structure immersed us in English literature. He is both modern and classic; he was able to connect with us encouraging us to question the origins of the fictional works we read. The trip seemed to last an entire semester, because each field trip we took felt as if we tumbled down the rabbit hole into one of our stories. The class came to realize that authors write what they know, and we were able to walk, ramble (the English term for hiking), eat, relax, and play in the footsteps of the authors we studied.

Out of class, we explored in our free time or chatted on the planes, trains, taxis and coaches between destinations. It could be argued that each student made a new friend on this trip by bonding over amazing fish n’ chips, “fan-girling” over a shared interest, such as Harry Potter sites, or just sharing a nice conversation on a long train ride or over a game of Snooker (a British game similar to pool). Furthermore, everyone—staff, students and professors—could connect as we shared in the splendor of ancient architecture and the beauty of the rolling English countryside. As we rambled through the moors or on public footpaths; gawked at Big Ben, Salisbury Cathedral, 11th century homes, and Harlaxton Manor; and shopped in Oxford and Bath, we could not have been more thankful to have someone to share this experience with. We will not only remember the sites, but the people who saw them with us.

[fblike]Hannah Rodgers

While in England this summer, Harlaxton Manor isn’t just a “vacation” home-it is a classroom. Literature class is divided into two different kinds of days: “normal” class days and travel days. For normal class days, we are expected to be prepared for the day’s readings. Typically, we will begin class with a short quiz over the material and some students will give a presentation on their research related to the day’s readings. The same material is then used as the topic of the day’s “round table” discussion.

During these discussions, Professor Rutledge will present a brief timeline of events or an article of history to help set the stage for us to think like real “literary analyzers”. These supplemental materials can include the life of the author, the setting of the story, or even a lesson on the time of its publications. After a few excerpts of the readings, Dr. Rutledge will begin a lecture, usually focusing on deeper aspects of the works like the author’s choice in audience or the well-obscured underlying themes. For A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the class focused not only on Shakespeare’s lighthearted tales of romance, but also, on the dark side of love and how he paints it as both an instrument of happiness and remorse. We put our newly-found scholarly knowledge to use on our travel days when explore England and the places which helped the authors bring these stories to life.

[fblike] Samantha Dinga

After waiting for months to see my friends, the day of the flights to England seemed impossibly long. Going up the escalator and seeing everyone for the first time in FOREVER was definitely the best part of the day. With our suitcases packed, passports in hand, and tickets attained, we made our way to the gate in the Louisville airport.

We had been waiting at the gate for about half an hour already when we heard a flight attendant came on the announcements, saying that our plane would be delayed for 15 minutes… 45 minutes… two hours. So while our first flight should have let us meet up with the Nashville crew, we ended up arriving in Charlotte with 5 minutes to spare before the gates closed on the flight to England. While we were all prepared for a quick dash to the gates, running through not just one wing of the airport, but five, with all of our bags was not quite on our itinerary for the day. Nevertheless, we made it huffing and puffing to the gate where Derick was using strategic stalling tactics to delay the plane.

Once we were all finally settled, the flight consisted of a lot of free movies, games, some excited glances out the window for those who were flying for the first time, and a sadly negligible amount of sleep. After a long flight and a very short night, we went through customs at London’s Heathrow airport and then took a coach from London to the beautiful Harlaxton Manor.

Once settled we had a walk-through tour exploring all of the hidden rooms and secret passageways of our new home. Our first day back together was definitely a long one (about 36 hours by my count), but it was a great and definitely unforgettable one.

[fblike] By Corbin Allender

Ahhh, England! I would have flown there myself in my dad’s car a week ago (if only he worked for the Ministry of Magic). But the wait is over; the day has finally arrived and with it I find that all of my pre-travel stresses have gone away. No more worrying if I have enough toothpaste to last or if I’m going to be detained and arrested by customs for packing some, unknowingly illegal, odd or end. All that remains now is an unconquerable excitement for 3 weeks of amazing sightseeing and English exploration!

My group will be departing the Louisville airport around 4:00 p.m. and landing in Charlotte for a much-anticipated reunion with some of our closest friends/fellow Gatton-eers. Then from there it’s overnight flight to London Heathrow Airport and a bus ride to the beautiful Harlaxton manor! Despite its opulence, don’t be fooled into thinking we will enjoy several weeks of relaxation and luxury. Class starts immediately the next day and from that point forward its go, go, go! We’ll discuss works by the likes of Jane Austen, Emily Brontë, Roald Dahl, William Shakespeare, and J.K. Rowling followed by trips to the very sites where these materials were written or based. It’s only fitting that such an atypical high school should have an atypical English class as well!

The excitement present in every student is undeniable. I can already tell this summer is going to be one crazy experience so check back each week for all of our updates! Until then, Go Tops and to my fellow Americans: Cheers!

Gretchen Walch, a rising Gatton Academy senior from Alexandria, represented the 2012-13 WKU Genome Discovery and Exploration class at the 5th Annual SEA-PHAGES (Science Education Alliance – Phage Hunters Advancing Genomics and Evolutionary Science) scientific symposium, sponsored by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

Walch received an honorable mention for her presentation entitled “Isolation, Characterization and Genomic Analysis of Mycobacteriophages Achebe, MooMoo, Simpliphy and Updawg.”

The meeting took place June 7-9, 2013 at the Janelia Farm Research campus in Ashburn, VA. At this year’s symposium, there were over 75 undergraduate poster presentations.

Dr. Rodney King and Dr. Claire Rinehart, Professors in WKU’s Department of Biology, have co-mentored Walch over the past year and attended the symposium with her.

“Gretchen was chosen to represent the WKU Genome Discovery and Exploration class because she demonstrated enthusiasm, maturity, perseverance and genuine curiosity,” Dr. King said. “She spent many extra hours in the lab learning as much as she could about her phage and ensuring her lab notebook was complete and up-to-date. Gretchen also embraced the collaborative nature of the scientific process and willingly helped her classmates with laboratory protocols.”

The WKU Biology Department has participated in the SEA-PHAGES program since the fall of 2009. The Genome Discovery and Exploration Program at WKU is designed to engage freshman students in meaningful and authentic research that produces publishable results.

Course participants isolate and sequence novel viruses from the soil, contribute the genomic sequences to a public database and address scientific questions of viral diversity and evolution.

Walch came away from the SEA-PHAGES symposium with a renewed interest in continuing research.

Speaking after the conference, she said, “The SEA-PHAGES Symposium was inspiring. The environment and guest speakers expanded my imagination in research. Every part of the program from the presentations and poster sessions to the meals and coffee breaks fostered the wonderful concept of scientific dialog. My mind has been racing with excitement since I heard the first talk.”

A number of additional Gatton Academy students contributed to the work presented on Walch’s poster. Gatton students who are co-authors on the presentation include: Corbin M. Allender, Grace E. Babbs, Barry C. Blair, Carolyn M. Clark, Joseph E. Crafton, Ajit R. Deshpande, Samantha M. Dinga, Hannah N. Graff, Alex W. Kearns, Azlin L. Lewis, Mary-Grace E. Luscher, Patrick G. Osterhaus, Lindsey R. Porter, Lindsey M. Shain, Domnique C. Thayer, Vishnuteja Tirumala, and Connor M. VanMeter.

For more information about WKU’s SEA-PHAGES research class, contact Dr. Rodney King at rodney.king@wku.edu or Dr. Claire Rinehart at claire.rinehart@wku.edu.

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”

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.