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Summer 2011 Brings Myriad Opportunities for Academy Students Across Kentucky, the US, and Globe

June 6, 2011 | Alumni, International, News, People, Research, Student Success, Students, Summer, WKU | No Comments

Students recently participated in the NCSSSMST Student Research Conference in Maryland.
Six rising seniors recently participated in the NCSSSMST Student Research Conference in Maryland.At the Gatton Academy, students spend the months of the traditional academic year engaged in a variety of learning opportunities that both mirror and differ from traditional high school experiences.

Students at Western Kentucky University’s Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science find their academic year is often very different from that of traditional high school students.  A full slate of college coursework, living away from home, and a host of research and non-traditional learning experiences fill the month of September to May.  Perhaps even more unique, though, are the exploits of Academy students during the summer months in Kentucky and at locations across the globe.

Three out of five of the current Academy students and recent alumni have current plans to participate in an academic or career exploration during the months of June, July, and August that will take place across the world.  More impressively, 85% of rising seniors are participating in a summer experience. Derick Strode, the Academy’s coordinator for research, internships, and scholarships expressed both the geography and educational experiences of these students will be wide-ranging.

“These summer experiences represent the broad scope of STEM interests that our students enjoy,” Strode said.  “Gatton Academy students are performing research this summer in medical, chemical, national security, and computer science settings—just to name a few—that will shed positive effects on human lives in the not-so-distant future.”

A new emphasis of the summer learning experience, is a study abroad component.  For the first time, seventeen Gatton Academy students will travel to the United Kingdom for an Honors English 200 course.  The Introduction to Literature course, based at Harlaxton College in Grantham, will be taught by Dr. Alison Langdon of the WKU Department of English.  The experiences do not stop there.  Eight Gatton Academy students will participate in the Chinese Bridge Summer Camp sponsored by the Confucius Institute at WKU, Hanban, and the North China Electric Power University.  This two week camp will give the following students a chance to visit China, learning the language and culture along the way:

“I am also happy to note the increase in Gatton Academy students learning abroad this summer,” Strode added. “Gatton Academy students will be on four continents for educational programs over these next few months.”

While some high school students may consider research, internships, or study abroad programs less preferable than time at the beach, Gatton Academy students see these opportunities as a way to build on their learning and interests.

“Flexibly structured so that students can remain learning over summer while exploring career and educational interests, our internship program offers options for the motivated Gatton Academy student body.  We have students who have chosen to pursue advanced research or shadowing work in STEM fields of their interest right in their own backyards across the Commonwealth this summer.  Other students are further investigating their interests across the United States and the globe,” Strode said.

Keep checking back with the Gatton Academy website this summer as we further spotlight these students explorations and adventures.

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

Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REUs):

Three Gatton Academy students will be participating in the REU titled Mammoth Cave/Upper Green River Watershed Project at Western Kentucky University.  REUs are funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and offer students full-summer research opportunity with travel, food, and lodging provided as well as a generous stipend.  REUs are one of the most prestigious and selective of summertime opportunities.

  • Logan Eckler (’12) of Covington (Mentor: Dr. Matthew Nee)
  • Brandon Farmer (’12) of Lexington (Mentor: Dr. Matthew Nee)
  • Natalie Schieber (’11) of Elizabethtown (Mentor: Dr. Bangbo Yan)

International Research Experiences for Scientists:

Two students have been selected to participate in an NSF International Research Experiences for Scientists program at the National Chung Hsing University in Taichung, Taiwan.  This program, on the same level as an REU, offers students fully paid travel to Taiwan, food, lodging, and a stipend.

  • Michael Crocker (’12) of Bowling Green (Mentors: Dr. Ru-Jong Jeng and Dr. Rong-Ho Lee)
  • Ellis Shelley  (’12) of Albany (Mentor: Shing-Yi Suen)

Crocker will be studying dendrimer synthesis and immobilization onto a silica or membrane support and dendrimer membrane on ITO glass.  Shelley will be studying protein purification by IMAM.

Research Science Institute (RSI) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Lukas Missik (’12) of Danville is one of only 80 rising high school seniors from across the globe to be admitted to this prestigious, cost-free high school STEM program to conduct research at MIT for six weeks.  Lukas will be conducting research in Artificial Intelligence or Game Theory.

Undergraduate Research Program in Molecular Biology at Princeton University

Sarah Schrader (’11) of Bowling Green has been admitted from a nationwide pool into the Undergraduate Research Program in Molecular Biology at Princeton University.  In this nine week program, Schrader will be studying in Molecular and Quantitative & Computational Biology.  Travel, housing, and a generous stipend are provided.

EarthWatch Student Challenge Awards Program:

Erin Walch (’12) of Alexandria has been accepted into the prestigious EarthWatch Institute’s Student Challenge Awards Program.  She will be a part of a research team traveling to the San Jacinto and Santa Rosa Mountains in Riverside California to study Plant Life of California’s Mountains for two and a half weeks.  Walch’s award includes full travel expenses, food, and lodging for her trip to California.

Kentucky Professional Education Preparation Program (PEPP)

Three Gatton Academy students will participate this summer in the Commonwealth’s PEPP programs.  Lori Lovell (’12) of Florence and Erin Walch (’12) of Alexandria have been admitted to the Pikeville College School of Osteopathic Medicine’s PEPP program.  Shelby Martin (’11) of Mt. Washington has been admitted to the University of Kentucky’s PEPP Step II.  These residential programs offer a variety of educational experiences targeted to enhance students’ personal interest in a medical or dental career, add to their understanding of the elements of a medical/dental education, and expand their awareness of how medicine/dentistry is practiced in a rural setting.

Gatton Academy Research Internship Grant recipients:

Twelve rising seniors were chosen to receive Gatton Academy Research Internship Grants (RIG) from the Gatton Academy to support research work this summer.  The 2011 RIG recipients, their research locations, mentors, and projects are listed below:

  • William Bickett (’12) of Owensboro will conduct research with Dr. Phillip Womble at WKU’s Applied Physics Institute.  His study is on Gamma-ray Spectra in Neutron-Based Explosives Detection Systems.
  • Rebecca Brown (’12) of Boston will be working with Dr. Michael Carini of the WKU Department of Physics and Astronomy.  Brown will study Optical Monitoring of TeV Candidate Blazars.
  • John “Jack” Ferguson (’12) of Union will be working with Dr. Hemali Rathnayake of the WKU Department of Chemistry on his project titled Fluorescein and FITC Derivatives Functionalized Silsesquioxane/Bridged Silsesquioxane Nanoparticles: Synthesis, Characterization, and Particle Morphology.
  • Alex Gutierrez (’12) of Mt. Washington will be doing research with Dr. Kathryn Saatman at the University of Kentucky’s Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center.  Gutierrez will be researching mild (concussive) brain injuries.
  • Anthony Gutierrez (’12) of Mount Washington will perform research with Dr. Alexander Rabchevsk of the University of Kentucky’s Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center, studying locomotor dysfunction after spinal cord injuries.
  • Charlotte Humes (’12) of Bardstown will conduct research Dr. Matthew Nee of the WKU Department of Chemistry where she will design, construct, and use a time-resolved laser-induced fluorescence spectrometer for the purpose of measuring energy and charge transfer in alternative energy materials.
  • Christian Jolly (’12) of Henderson will be working on research with Dr. Steven Gibson of the WKU Department of Physics and Astronomy to analyze radio telescope data to investigate galaxy structure.
  • Tennessee “Tucker” Joyce (’12) of Harrodsburg will be working with Dr. Richard Schugart of the WKU Department of Mathematics and Computer Science to continue his mathematical analysis of wound healing models.
  • Benjamin Rice (’12) of Somerset will be developing a gamma ray spectroscopy system to estimate elemental intensities of neutron interrogated samples under the direction of Dr. Phillip Womble of the WKU Applied Physics Institute.
  • David Sekora (’12) of Franklin is researching in knot theory to study DNA with Dr. Claus Ernst of the WKU Department of Mathematics and Computer Science.
  • Keaton Smith (’12) of Alexandria will be doing computer science research with Drs. Richard Fox and Jeff Ward of the Northern Kentucky University Department of Computer Science.  Smith will be using artificial intelligence to plan algorithms and genetic algorithms to produce computer-generated music.
  • Nicholas Zolman (’12) of Mount Sterling is working with Dr. Tim Gorringe of the University of Kentucky’s Department of Physic and Astronomy to analyze periodic and chaotic motion using a double pendulum.

NCSSSMST Student Research Conference:

Six Gatton Academy students will be presenting research this summer at the National Consortium for Specialized Secondary Schools of Math, Science, and Technology (NCSSSMST) Student Research Conference at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD.  From June 1-4, these students will join 109 other students from across the country to share their research work through oral and poster presentations.  Gatton Academy representatives and their presentation titles are:

  • Andrea Eastes (’12) of Mayfield will give an oral presentation titled “Isolation of the Bacteriophage Liberi”
  • Jack Ferguson (’12) of Union will present a poster titled “Synthesis of Fluorescein Isothiocyanate Functionalized Nanoparticles”
  • Samantha Hawtrey (’12) of Union will present a poster titled “Isolation, Characterization, and Annotation: the Acquisition of a Novel Bacteriophage Genome”
  • Lori Lovell (’12) of Florence will do an oral presentation titled “Isolation of Novus, a Novel Bacteriophage Isolated from Florence, Kentucky”
  • Benjamin Rice (’12) of Somerset will present a poster titled “Gamma-ray Spectra in Neutron-Based Explosives Detection Systems”
  • Nicholas Zolman (’12) of Mount Sterling will give an oral presentation titled “A Light in the Darkness: Finding Type Ia Supernovae in the CANDELS Hubble Space Telescope Survey”


National Youth Policy Summit:

Four Gatton Academy students will be participating in the National Youth Policy Summit at the Keystone Science Center in Keystone, CO.  This year’s summit on Energy Innovation will take place from June 11 – 18 and will bring together 40 of the brightest students from across the nation to come up with a proposal of policy solutions to the world’s energy needs.  The following Gatton Academy students will participate:

  • Laura Claytor (’11) of Berea
  • Melanie Hurst (’11) of Bronston
  • Samantha McKean (’11) of Cecilia
  • Rachel Metcalfe (’11) of Eminence

Experiences Abroad:

This summer, 28 Gatton Academy students will travel internationally for research, language acquisition, credit-based study abroad, and education and cultural travel.  Students will be in China, England, Morocco, Switzerland, and Taiwan.  International research experiences are listed in the former section; other international experiences are:

National Security Language Initiative-for Youth (NSLI-Y):

Two Gatton Academy students have accepted an NSLI-Y scholarship which covers all program costs, travel to the student’s destination, tuition, housing, activities, and more for six weeks. These merit-based scholarships are for high school students studying less commonly taught languages.

  • Charlotte Humes (’12) of Bardstown
  • Brandon Kerr (’11) of Edmonton

England

For the first time, the Gatton Academy has partnered with Harlaxton College in Grantham, England to offer a three week study abroad course.  The following students will study Introduction to Literature under the direction of Dr. Alison Langdon of the WKU Department of English.  The following students will study romantic poets in the Lake District, Dracula in Whitby, the Brontës on the famed moors near Haworth, and Shakespeare in London’s Globe Theatre, just to name a few of many stops:

  • Daylynn Allison (’12) of Mayfield
  • William Bickett (’12) of Owensboro
  • Lydia Brothers (’12) of Madisonville
  • Andrea Eastes (’12) of Mayfield
  • Nathan Lasley (’12) of Owensboro
  • Taylor Leet (’12) of Louisville
  • Lori Lovell (’12) of Florence
  • David Sekora (’12) of Franklin
  • Keaton Smith (’12) of Alexandria
  • Caroline Stivers (’12) of Berea
  • Aaron Stolze (’12) of Somerset
  • Erin Walch (’12) of Alexandria
  • Layne Webb (’12) of Shepherdsville
  • Nicholas Zolman (’12) of Mt. Sterling

China

Eight Gatton Academy students will participate in the Chinese Bridge Summer Camp sponsored by the Confucius Institute at WKU, Hanban, and the North China Electric Power University.  This two week camp will give the following students a chance to visit China, learning the language and culture along the way:

  • William “Christopher” Brown (’12) of Russell Springs
  • Curtlyn Kramer (’12) of Ashland
  • Matthew “Stephen” Mattingly (’12) of Elizabethtown
  • Samantha McKean (’12) of Cecilia
  • Rachel Metcalfe (’12) of Eminence
  • Holly Morris (’12) of Bowling Green
  • Tyler Parke (’11) of Henderson
  • Makka “Annie” Wheeler (’12) of Guthrie

Switzerland

Alexandra DeCarlo (’12) of London and Luke Yap (’12) of Carrolton will be studying literature abroad in Switzerland with Dr. Lloyd Davies of the WKU Department of English.

Other Notable Individual Experiences:

Kia Allen, a graduating senior from Georgetown, will be volunteering at Saint Joseph Health System in Lexington.

Claci Ayers, a graduating senior from Bowling Green, will be shadowing pediatrician Dr. Kelly Kriess and volunteering at the Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital.

Anthony Bombik, a graduating senior from Union, will be a Teacher’s Assistant in the Center for Gifted Studies’ camp for Verbally and Mathematically Precocious Youth (VAMPY) at WKU.

Madeline Buhr, a graduating senior from Cecilia, will participate in the Teenage Volunteer Program at Hardin Memorial Hospital in Elizabethtown.

Clarice Esch, a graduating senior from Somerset, is interning at the Baker Arboretum in Bowling Green.

Sean Freeman, a graduating senior from Hebron, is programming iPhone apps.

Katherine Goebel, a graduating senior from Simpsonville, will be shadowing veterinarian Dr. Rocky Oliver of the Shelby Veterinary Clinic.

Madeline Lauzon, a graduating senior from Owensboro, will be volunteering with the Theatre Workshop of Owensboro.

Jae Lee, a graduating senior from Hopkinsville, will be volunteering at a local nursing home in Hopkinsville and shadowing various health care professionals.

Justine Missik, a graduating senior from Danville, is volunteering with the Sierra Club.

Jake Moore, a graduating senior from Crittenden, has been admitted to the highly competitive Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Summer Internship Program for Science Students.  Moore will be interning under Dr. John Bissler, studying Nephrology and Biomedical Engineering.

Michael Phillips, a graduating senior from Benton, is conducting research under the direction of Dr. Edward Kintzel at the WKU NOVA Center and will be a teaching assistant at VAMPY.

Tejas Sangoi, a graduating senior from Owensboro, will be volunteering in the Owensboro Medical Health Systems.  He will also be attending national conferences for FBLA and HOSA.

Chandler Santos, a graduating senior from LaGrange, will be tutoring with VAMPY.

Suzanne VanArsdall, a graduating senior from Frankfort, will be returning to Cape Town, South Africa to help with the reconstruction of a safe house for women and children.

Paras Vora, a graduating senior from Owensboro will be shadowing cardiologist Dr. Kishor Vora.

Celia Whelan, a graduating senior from Bardstown, will perform in The Stephen Foster Story and The Wizard of Oz with Stephen Foster Productions.

Lydia Brothers, a first-year student from Madisonville, has been admitted to the seven-week Summer Research Program for High School and Undergraduate Students at the University of Tennessee Space Institute in Tullahoma, TN.  Brothers will receive travel expenses, room and board, and a stipend.

Jordan Currie, a first-year student from Rockfield, will participate in the Music City Drum Corps.

Daniel Dilger, a first-year student from Union, will be developing a cryptographic analysis infrastructure under Dr. Bruce Kessler of WKU to attempt to decrypt the recently released notes from the Ricky McCormick murder investigation.

Andrea Eastes, a first-year student from Mayfield, will be assisting Dr. Michelle Monje of the Stanford University School of Medicine in a research study on Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG), a lethal pediatric brain tumor.

Samantha Hawtrey, a first-year student of Union, will represent the 2010-11 WKU Genome Discovery and Exploration Program when she presents research findings at the 3rd Annual Science Education Alliance Symposium at the Janelia Farm campus of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute in Ashburn, VA.

Nathan Lasley, a first-year student from Owensboro, will be attending a Boy Scout Summer Camp at Roy C. Manchester Boy Scout Camp.

Jesse Matherly, a first-year student from Nicholasville, will be conducing Alzheimer’s research under the direction of Dr. Linda Van Eldik at the University of Kentucky Sanders-Brown Center on Aging.

Benjamin Rice, a first-year student from Somerset, will be participating in the Naval Academy Summer Seminar in Annapolis, MD.

Aaron Stolze, a first-year student from Somerset, will be participating in the Naval Academy Summer Seminar in Annapolis, MD.  He will also be participating in the Christian Leadership Institute in Danville.

Joseph “Joey” Tutor, a first-year student from Franklin, will be interning at Electronic Warfare Associates in Bowling Green.

Layne Webb, a first-year student from Shepherdsville, will be doing astrophysics research under the mentorship of Dr. Lutz Haberzettl of the University of Louisville’s Department of Physic and Astronomy.

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By Corey Alderdice

Academy Students Share Findings at NCSSSMST Student Research Conference

June 6, 2011 | Uncategorized | No Comments

Nick Zolman shares findings at the 2011 NCSSSMST Student Research Conference.
Nick Zolman shares findings at the 2011 NCSSSMST Student Research Conference.

by Rachel Metcalfe, Academy Avatar

For six rising seniors at the Academy, the beginning of their summer started with a bang.

Shortly after the conclusion of their junior years, they traveled to Annapolis, Maryland, for research presentations at the National Consortium for Specialized Secondary Schools of Math, Science, and Technology (NCSSSMST) Student Research Conference.  These students prepared and presented research, while also enjoying the sights of the beautiful Naval Academy campus.

For Sammi Hawtrey, a senior from Boone County, the conference provided another opportunity to share her findings from work accomplished during her junior year.  “I wanted to attend to have another opportunity to present my research and also hear about the other research that students similar to myself have been doing all over the country,” she said.

114 students were in attendance presenting on a variety of topics, ranging from nanoparticles to rugby to sound waves.  A combination of oral and poster presentations took place over two days during the conference. The six Gatton attendants were evenly split between the two presentation formats. Participants Andrea Eastes, Lori Lovell, and Sammi Hawtrey all reported on their genome research that they had completed over the previous two semesters at the academy. Jack Ferguson showed off his chemistry expertise, while Ben Rice presented his physics research and Nick Zolman informed the others about his astronomy breakthroughs.

When they weren’t presenting, students took yard tours of midshipmen training boats, visited the Naval Academy Museum, and mingled with all the other students at the conference from 24 participating member consortium schools. The students also played recreational sports with the midshipmen and learned from them how life at sea works. Additionally, students were able to partake in a laser light session with a Naval Academy professor, studying how light passes through different objects. The experience was an excellent way for the students to see the academy as a possible college option as well.

Although there were lots of neat experiences, attendee Nick Zolman decided that his favorite part was when the head of the conference approached him after he had presented to discuss his research. “He was really interested in my study about supernovae in the CANDELS Hubble Space Telescope and wanted to learn more,” he said.

Hawtrey fondly listed her time on the Yard Patrol boat as the most memorable part of the conference. “I loved seeing the living quarters and engine room. The captain even let me drive,” she added.

The research conference was a success for the Gatton Academy students. Hopefully more will continue to present their findings at conferences like these, and gain not only research experience, but also academic advancement from the other students and their presentations.

Student presentations at the conference included:

  • Andrea Eastes (’12) of Mayfield gave an oral presentation titled “Isolation of the Bacteriophage Liberi”
  • Jack Ferguson (’12) of Union presented a poster titled “Synthesis of Fluorescein Isothiocyanate Functionalized Nanoparticles”
  • Samantha Hawtrey (’12) of Union presented a poster titled “Isolation, Characterization, and Annotation: the Acquisition of a Novel Bacteriophage Genome”
  • Lori Lovell (’12) of Florence gave an oral presentation titled “Isolation of Novus, a Novel Bacteriophage Isolated from Florence, Kentucky”
  • Benjamin Rice (’12) of Somerset  presented a poster titled “Gamma-ray Spectra in Neutron-Based Explosives Detection Systems”
  • Nicholas Zolman (’12) of Mount Sterling gave an oral presentation titled “A Light in the Darkness: Finding Type Ia Supernovae in the CANDELS Hubble Space Telescope Survey”

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By Corey Alderdice

Gatton Academy Again Ranked among “The Public Elites” Across the Nation

May 23, 2011 | News, Student Success, Students, WKU | No Comments

The Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky at WKU has been ranked again among the nation’s 24 most distinguished high schools. (WKU photo by Clinton Lewis)
The Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky at WKU has been ranked again among the nation’s 24 most distinguished high schools. (WKU photo by Clinton Lewis)

The Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky at WKU has been named to The Washington Post’s list of top-performing schools with elite students.

Though 16 Kentucky high schools appear on educational columnist Jay Matthews’ traditional list of top-performing high schools, Julia Roberts, executive director of the Gatton Academy, noted the Gatton Academy is the only Kentucky high school to have been recognized as a member of The Public Elites.  Dr. Roberts also added the Gatton Academy is one of the youngest institutions to appear on the list.

“How outstanding for a program as young as the Gatton Academy to make the The Washington Post list of the Public Elites among public high school schools in America for a third year,” Dr. Roberts said.  “The Gatton Academy’s mission is to provide exceptional educational opportunities to young people from across the Commonwealth who are talented in science and mathematics.  People across the Commonwealth and beyond can share pride in this wonderful recognition for the Gatton Academy.”

The Gatton Academy once again finds itself among the nation’s 24 most distinguished high schools.  Schools such as the Bergen County Academies (New Jersey), Illinois Math Science Academy, North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, and Thomas Jefferson High School (Virginia) make perennial appearances on the list.  These schools, along with the Gatton Academy, are members of the National Consortium of Specialized Secondary Schools of Math, Science and Technology (NCSSSMST).

According to Tim Gott, the Gatton Academy’s director and NCSSSMST board member, the Commonwealth’s future leaders and innovators in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) have already begun to distinguish themselves among peers across the nation through sharing research at the consortium’s student research symposium and Keystone National Youth Policy Summit.

“The Gatton Academy has been extremely fortunate to be involved with NCSSSMST peer institutions,” Gott said. “To have the Gatton Academy on the same list as these other outstanding schools is an incredible honor.  The depth and strength of schools such as IMSA and Thomas Jefferson is well established.  Kentucky can be very proud that it has a school that stands among these fine institutions.”

Since 1998, Mathews has ranked Washington-area public high schools using the Challenge Index, his measure of how effectively a school prepares its students for college. The Post later expanded its research to high schools across the United States. The ratio is based, in part, on the number of Advanced Placement and/or International Baccalaureate tests taken by all students at a school in the previous year divided by the number of graduating seniors.   This year, The Post recognized 1,900 schools from across the country.

The Challenge Index is designed to recognize schools that challenge average students. Top-performing schools, such as The Gatton Academy, were excluded from the regular list of well-performing high schools because of their exceptional quality and remarkably talented student bodies.  Specialized schools are, instead, acknowledged by The Public Elites.

The Post’s recognition drew attention to the strategic partnership between the Gatton Academy and WKU, which facilitates all coursework for academy students.  As part of the rigorous curriculum, students earn more than 60 hours of college credit during their four semesters in the program while also earning a high school diploma.

Corey Alderdice, assistant director for admissions and public relations, praised WKU’s longstanding commitment to the program.

“Time and time again, WKU has proven itself as a university committed to challenging young people who are gifted and talented,” Alderdice said. “From faculty in the classroom and research labs to administrators campuswide, we are proud to have the support of the WKU community in our role of engaging some of the commonwealth’s most innovative thinkers and future leaders.”

Though particular attention is given to the Gatton Academy, Gott was also quick to praise partner high schools across Kentucky that prepare students during elementary, middle, and early high school for study at the Gatton Academy during their junior and senior year of high school.

“The great thing about this honor is that it reflects the partnership that the Gatton Academy has with all of the high schools across the state,” Gott said. “This recognition elevates the amazing students that come from across the whole Commonwealth.  Every school represented at the Academy shares in this accolade.”

Since the program’s inception in 2007, students have been admitted from 103 of Kentucky’s 120 counties.  In all, students from more than 100 public high schools across the state have enrolled in the program.

Contact: Corey Alderdice, (270) 745-6565.

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By Corey Alderdice

[Grad 11] Full Text of Sydney Comb’s Student Commencement Address

May 15, 2011 | Uncategorized | No Comments

Sydney Combs
Sydney Combs

Hello and good afternoon ladies, gentlemen, mothers, fathers, siblings, extended family, administrative staff, professors and finally, cadets. To all, I would like to officially welcome you to the fourth annual International Space Station Cadet Graduation. We here at the station are extremely pleased that such a large crowd was able to attend even with the current meteor shower over Kentucky back on Earth. I, along with my fellow cadets, are thankful for your bravery in order to be here on such a momentous occasion.

Today is truly a day that we cadets have been dreaming about since first setting foot upon the station two years ago. The journey a cadet must endure in order to receive the prestigious ISS certification is truly an experience known only to those who must complete it. There is no way a cadet, such as myself, could fully express our adventures, trials, accomplishments, set-backs, victories, periodic frustrations, and joy felt at the space station to a non-resident. For instance, I could mention the obvious fact that the space station is, indeed, not a beach house; but I’m sure you wouldn’t quite enjoy it like our cadets or residential bear.

So, in order not to alienate our guest, please allow me to explain some of the marvelous adventures my fellow comrades and I have experienced thus far and what we will accomplish as our future lies within the reachable stars.

Many years ago, most of us cadets were born. Proud citizens of Earth we learned and we grew and we each proved to be special. Special not in the way where we ate glue or could levitate objects with our mind, but special because we were always looking toward the sky. While the other kids pretended to be astronauts, buzzing about with their arms outstretched, we were the ones building actual rockets in our parent’s garages out of pipe, wire, and old duct tape. It was through our fascination, drive, and raw talent that the ISS began to notice us. Then, before we knew it and after a flurry of applications and interviews, we were the chosen few, hand selected to begin early space exploration training. A few months later, we were packed into a small space traveler, ambivalent messes of anxiety and excitement.

And then we were here, adjusting to the gravity, getting use to our smaller, crowded quarters, and admiring the new perspective the station provided of our world. To all of us, whether we attended space camp or not, leaving Earth was an out of this world experience. Never before had our shoulders felt so heavy when they first activated the station’s gravity, nor had they felt so light when we successfully completed our first space walk. From intense games of moon Frisbee, fierce battles with the Galactic Lord CPS, Izzy-burrito space food, neon star-lit dances, to predicting the rotation of the ISS given mass and acceleration, we faced each challenge and experience together and without fear, never once holding back or flinching in the face of danger. Even during CATS testing, we proved our worth, and trust me, those feisty felines did not appreciate zero gravity.

In the end, after the research was conducted, space walks completed, flight hours logged, and our Alpha Clarity Telescoping—or ACT—skills assessed, we found ourselves being told that our time at the space station was drawing towards a close. That all of our work was finally going to pay off. That it was time to leave the ISS and become true space explorers. And so, brave as always, we boldly applied to all kinds of planet colonization missions. And as was expected, with the ISS’s superb training and aid from our commanders, we got the positions! The majority of us were offered seats to explore not only one or two planets, but five or six! They asked us not only to enlist but to lead the explorations and explorers, often offering room and board accommodations if we agreed. And we did! Ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased to say that all of us are planetary bound, due to depart in just a matter of months.

Our future adventures are as limitless as the night sky. We are all heading to foreign planets, each equally new, challenging, and exciting. It is here we will face all of the challenges the ISS has prepared us for, and knowing my fellow cadets, I am confident in everyone’s ability to succeed. But please remember, if you ever get lonely, or sad, or attacked by rogue, alien pirates, anyone of us would fly light-years in order to help. As Cadet Sean mentioned, we are a family in a unique way that only we will ever truly understand and I will miss all of you, and the station, terribly.

So now, I commend you! As cadet representative for the ISS, for your bravery, valor, honor, courage, and dedication, I now officially dub you all, Formal Cadets. Congratulations. May you be conquerors of the final frontier as you soar through the stars to infinity and beyond.

Good luck with your journey. Live long and may the force be with you.

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By Corey Alderdice

[Grad 11] Full Text of Sean Freeman’s Student Commencement Address

May 15, 2011 | Graduation | No Comments

About a year and eleven months ago, most of us in these black robes today were sitting in an auditorium just a few buildings over for our summer orientation. This was our first time together, just us, as a class. Soon, Tim walked up to the stage, and after passing through the normal welcome to your new school stuff, he proclaimed that he loved us. I knew things were different that day because I felt like the only one who was weirded out. That day certainly taught me something that stuck with me for the rest of my time at the Academy. We were in this together. We must help each other, comfort each other, encourage each other, and even love every member of our class. We are a family, although we are a family with an extremely long last name.

This theme stayed true throughout our time at the Academy. I bet that every member of the Class of 2011 knows the name of every other person in a black robe, and even has a memory with them, whether it is doing poorly on a CPS project, winning a competition, or just talking to them over hot chocolate. I’m a weather person, as I’m sure everyone here already knows, and unfortunately for you, I’ve found some way to connect this to the weather. Times in our life are like the weather, and we must stick close to each other similar to how we don’t leave Kentucky because it’s cold one day. Sometimes, it’s sunny and warm outside, and we can go outside and have fun with each other. Other times, it’s the snowpocalypse outside, and we can go outside, and even though it’s cold we can still have fun, throwing snowballs at people and making lemon sno-ade out of lemons that life gave us. And other times, it rains inside. Yes, from the ceiling.

It was the night before fall break started and I was admittedly playing a flash game as a “break” from studying physics. All of a sudden, Zach bursts through the suite and asks me if there is a way to turn the water off to the wing. I, confused, reply a hesitant “no… why?”, worried that someone’s toilet was overflowing or something. After he runs out of the suite, I knew something much, much worse had happened. I walk out into the wing and–in a stunning display of togetherness the Second Floor boys were moving out all of Christian and Brandon’s stuff from their room. It was not for a prank or because they just wanted their furniture moved, but because we stepped up and answered their call for help. A pipe had burst and water was pouring out of their celling. Fortunately, we were able to get all of their stuff out before too much water damage happened but it took a lot of effort.

This isn’t the only example of togetherness from the Academy. Often I will talk to WKU students and they will discover that I’m an academy student. One of the first questions I get after saying “Yes, our dorm is the nicest on campus” is “What’s up with Academy students always being in large groups?” The only way that I can respond to this is by saying that the Academy fosters inseparability, or put better, wolf pack behavior. When we came to the Academy, we were all lone wolves, in our own little one person wolf pack. But then, we started to make friends here, and our wolf packs, they grew by a few. And finally, I believe by today, that we are all members of the 60 person wolf pack that is the Gatton Academy Class of 2011. In a mere matter of minutes, we will get to throw up our caps in honor of our wolf pack. However, our journey as a wolf pack doesn’t end there. Next year, we’re not going to be Current academy students anymore, and they’re not making Gatton Academy Part 2. However, we’re still together.

We will always be members of the Gatton Academy Class of 2011.

If we continue to stay together, making each other greater than before, we can truly change the world and accomplish tasks that have since been impossible. I have no doubt that every single one of us will be instrumental in saving the world: Some of us will make weather models that will pinpoint exactly where and when a tornado will strike. Some of us will be engineering new structures that can hold up to tornadoes better, others will be programming new early warning systems, and others will be instrumental in finding new antibiotics and antivirals that can be cheaply and quickly distributed to any affected area. We can and will change the world, Gatton Academy Class of 2011. We are superheroes, tasked with changing the world for the better. And now, as we all head different directions in August, we must remember our calling, and we must stick together, even after we receive our diplomas and walk our separate paths.

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By Corey Alderdice

[Grad 11] Gatton Academy Honors 60 Students in Fourth Graduating Class

May 14, 2011 | Graduation | No Comments

C. M. Bill Gatton address members of the Gatton Academy Class of 2011. (WKU Photo by Clinton Lewis)
C. M. "Bill" Gatton address members of the Gatton Academy Class of 2011. (WKU Photo by Clinton Lewis)

Celebration of Commencement Weekend at WKU continued on Saturday as The Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky honored its fourth graduating class of high school seniors.

Sixty students representing 34 counties from across the Commonwealth were recognized during the ceremony at Van Meter Auditorium. The ceremony not only celebrated the significant accomplishments of the program and its graduates over the last two years but also looked toward the infinite possibilities ahead.

Gatton Academy Executive Director Dr. Julia Roberts expressed the day’s events were both a celebration of the Class of 2011’s personal accomplishments and a starting point toward their work of creating a better Kentucky.

“Kentucky’s future is brighter today because you are graduates of the Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science,” Roberts said. “What wonderful contributions you will make in the fields of mathematics, science, engineering and technology.  I look forward to hearing about your leadership in STEM fields in Kentucky and beyond in the not-so-distant future.”

Carol Martin “Bill” Gatton, for whom the program was named in 2007 after pledging $4 million gift, delivered the commencement address. Gatton encouraged the Class of 2011 to seize opportunities ahead of them while setting lofty goals.

“There are a world of opportunities, probably more than there have ever been in the history of this country,” Gatton said.  “You’ll want to keep an open mind. A solid education will be necessary for you to fulfill big dreams. Always dream big.  You do yourself, your family, associates, and organizations an injustice if you only dream small dreams.”

Over the past two years, Gatton Academy students have taken advanced coursework in mathematics, science and other subjects at WKU in fulfillment of high school requirements and the Gatton Academy curriculum. In all, students have each earned more than 60 hours of college credit.

Gatton Academy Director Tim Gott shared his gratitude with attending faculty members for their role in making the program’s learning environment a challenging and rewarding experience for students.

“Of the many things these students have pursued, one particular area of significance is the opportunity to conduct research,” Gott said. “Many of the faculty with us today have mentored these students as they explored new techniques in chemistry, environmental issues in geography and geology, unknown frontiers in astronomy and physics, potential medical breakthroughs in biology, life-enhancing concepts in engineering and unique applications in math and computer science.  Those who engaged in these research projects have truly brought relevance to the rigor.”

The Gatton Academy honored 60 students during a Saturday ceremony at Van Meter Auditorium. (WKU Photo by Clinton Lewis)
The Gatton Academy honored 60 students during a Saturday ceremony at Van Meter Auditorium. (WKU Photo by Clinton Lewis)

Four out of five participated in a facilitated research project with university faculty members. Research accomplishments include a Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship winner, three Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) participants, two National Science Foundation International Research Experiences in Taiwan, and an Intel Science Talent Search national semifinalist.

Sean Freeman, a graduating senior from Hebron, reflected upon the relationship among the Gatton Academy student body as something in between a family and a wolf pack.

“The Academy fosters inseparability, or put better, wolf pack behavior.” Freeman said. “When we came to the Academy, we were all lone wolves, in our own little one person wolf pack.  But then, we started to make friends here, and our wolf packs, they grew by a few. And finally, I believe by today, that we are all members of the 60 person wolf pack that is the Gatton Academy Class of 2011.”

As the group goes forward in pursuit of those academic and personal goals, seven out of 10 graduates plan to attend Kentucky higher education institutions with nine continuing their studies at WKU.

In the fall of 2011, representatives from the graduating class will attend 21 schools across the United States: University of Alabama at Birmingham; University of Alabama; Auburn University; University of California at Berkeley; University of Chicago; Florida State University; Indiana University at Bloomington; University of Kentucky; Lipscomb University; University of Louisville; University of Mississippi; Morehead State University; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; North Carolina State University; Saint Louis University; Transylvania University; United States Naval Academy; Vanderbilt University; Washington University in St. Louis; Webster University; and WKU.

Four-year scholarships totaling nearly $11 million were offered to the graduating class while more than $4 million in four-year scholarships were accepted.

“These students have taken the most rigorous curriculum offered to any high school student in the nation,” Gott said. “They left the comfort of home and established a level of independence that will impact their lives forever. They have forged new friendships which will grow exponentially in the years to come.  They have given themselves in community service throughout the state inspiring younger students, building new homes and expanding awareness of the opportunities in math and science.  They will become the leaders of this great Commonwealth.”

Class of 2011 member Sydney Combs encouraged students to live long and prosper. (WKU Photo by Clinton Lewis)
Class of 2011 member Sydney Combs encouraged students to "live long and prosper." (WKU Photo by Clinton Lewis)

Sydney Combs, a graduating senior from London, employed a space metaphor in her remarks to fellow classmates.  Donning a helmet, she reminded her peers of their future potential and promise their pledge to each other of future support.

“Our future adventures are as limitless as the night sky,” Combs proclaimed. “We are all heading to foreign planets, each equally new, challenging, and exciting.  It is here we will face all of the challenges the Academy has prepared us for. I am confident in everyone’s ability to succeed.  But please remember, if you ever get lonely, or sad, or attacked by rogue, alien pirates, anyone of us would fly light-years in order to help.”

Members of the Gatton Academy Class of 2011:

  • From Anderson County: Victoria Gilkison
  • From Barren County: Miller Travis
  • From Boone County: Anthony Bates; Anthony Bombik; Elizabeth Farnsworth; Jake Moore; David Pennington; Cynthia Tope; Sean Freeman; and Paul Kasinski
  • From Boyle County: Justine Missik
  • From Bullitt County: Shelby Martin; Micaela Montgomery; Dana Wheeler; and Kelsey Wagner
  • From Campbell County: Derek Fox
  • From Christian County: Kyle Kelly and Jae Lee
  • From Daviess County: Tejas Sangoi; Paras Vora; Blake Welsh; and Madeline Lauzon
  • From Estill County: Benjamin Neal
  • From Fayette County: Michael Bowie and Corban Coffman
  • From Fleming County: Joshua Jackson
  • From Franklin County: Suzanne Van Arsdall
  • From Garrard County: Krysta Waldrop
  • From Grant County: Courtney Vance
  • From Greenup County: Sarah Tariq
  • From Hardin County: Madeline Buhr; Brittney Howard; Courtney Howard; Zachary Laux; Joshua Robinson; Natalie Schieber; Jonathan Serpico; and Camille Turner
  • From Harrison County: Gabrielle Fisher
  • From Henderson County: Leah Hayden and Tyler Parke
  • From Lincoln County: David McChesney
  • From Laurel County: Sydney Combs and Henry Eberhardt
  • From Marshall County: Michael Phillips
  • From Metcalfe County: Brandon Kerr
  • From Monroe County: Shelby Stephens
  • From Nelson County: Desiree’ Harbin and Celia Whelan
  • From Oldham County: Chandler Santos and Tyler Scaff
  • From Pulaski County: Nowelle Altman and Clarice Esch
  • From Rowan County: Benjamin Howard
  • From Scott County: Kia Allen
  • From Shelby County: Katherine Goebel
  • From Simpson County: Andrew Kenady
  • From Warren County: Kevin Andrew; Claci Ayers; Sarah Schrader; and Won Song

Contact: Corey Alderdice, (270) 745-6565.

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By Corey Alderdice