Corey Alderdice – Page 16 – The Gatton Academy News

Summer 5Q: Michael Phillips Develops Code for WKU Chemistry Research

August 12, 2010 | 5Q, News, People, Research, Students, Summer, WKU | No Comments

Michael Phillips (Marshall, ’11) is spending two months of his summer working full-time on a research project in the WKU Department of Chemistry under the direction of Dr. Matthew Nee.

Phillips has worked independently to code and test a computational kinetic model of reactions that occur when light hits snow and tracking the associated compounds. Through this project, Phillips has helped set up future experiments in Dr. Nee’s lab while gaining an enriched programming acumen, and learning lessons about chemical kinetics and modeling. Along with this project, Phillips has also been assisting a graduate student in building a temperature-controlled infrared sample cell.

Phillips is one of eleven students from the Gatton Academy’s class of 2011 who received a Research Internship Grant from the Academy for this summer. The Research Internship Grants are available to Gatton Academy students in the summer between their junior and senior years to support students during summer research experiences.

Recently, we caught up with Phillips in his Snell Hall lab to get a picture and see how his summer research was going:

1. Tell us a little about the project or program in which you are participating this summer that the Research Internship Grant is funding.

I’m collaborating with Dr. Nee on a project in which we are studying the chemical reactions that occur when light hits snow. Specifically, I am programming a kinetic model that shows the approximate concentration of each molecule at any given time. This program will be a very good gauge to use during lab work to determine if the kinetic model is accurate.

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

The part that I am enjoying the most about this summer experience is getting to see some of the highly mathematical and computational portions of chemistry.

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

Most of my friends are staying home this summer. They are going to the drive-in, hanging out, and just having fun. Others are going to GSP and beginning to understand the college experience. I have already had a taste of the college experience and am now going on to experience what it is that professionals in academia do outside of the classroom.

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

I am currently discovering the possibilities that my summer research experience could lead to. Although, the skills that have been learned and applied will be necessary for any research project in the future.

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

I plan on furthering my education to being a professional theoretical physicist. Not being able to observe all of your work, it is frequently helpful to create computer models of what you want to observe and running simulations. The skills I have been applying in this project match perfectly with those required for such a task.

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

I am looking forward to furthering my education in physics while taking University Physics II next semester. I also can’t wait for my friends to return to campus from their summer breaks.

By Corey Alderdice

Summer 5Q: Josh Song Studies Chemical Engineering at Vanderbilt

August 10, 2010 | 5Q, News, People, Research, Students, Summer | No Comments

When Josh “Moose” Song (Warren, ’11) met Vanderbilt University’s Dr. Kane Jennings in the summer of 2007, he probably didn’t realize just how important the relationship would become.

From that first summer, when Song was a student in Dr. Jennings’ “Introduction to Nanotechnology” class at the Vanderbilt Summer Academy, Song has kept the lines of communication open with Dr. Jennings. This summer it is paying off.

Song has spent two months this summer performing Chemical Engineering research under Dr. Jennings’ guidance. Recently, Dr. Jennings wrote an update on Song’s summer research, gloating about his progress. “Josh is having a terrific experience in the laboratory. He is addressing a key hypothesis we have developed relating to water and ion transfer into superhydrophobic polymer films. I expect that in three more weeks, he will have enough results to make a conclusion regarding the hypothesis, which will help us immeasurably. The quality of his experimental work to date is outstanding,” he wrote.

Song is one of eleven students who were awarded the Gatton Academy’s Research Internship Grant this summer. The grant is available to Gatton Academy students in the summer between their junior and senior years to support students in research opportunities.

Song paused from his research recently to answer some questions:

1. Tell us a little about the project or program in which you are participating this summer that the Research Internship Grant is funding.

My research explores the use of super-hydrophobic films as protective coatings. In this application, we take advantage of how a simple spray of water (such as rain) entirely cleanses glass surfaces. More specifically, I am conducting research to explore the possibility of regaining the super-hydrophobic behavior after an event that causes its deterioration, such as the addition of ethanol into the water solution that is in contact with the film.

To characterize this behavior, I performed contact angles, surface tension, and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) measurements. Contact angles are the simplest way to observe surface properties of the films: the higher the contact angles, the more hydrophobic the film. Surface tension measurements helped us to visualize the difference between various solutions of certain ethanol percentages. Lower surface tensions will cause the super-hydrophobic behavior to break, while relatively high surface tensions will maintain the super-hydrophobic behavior. Lastly, EIS measurements give more detailed information about the surface than simple contact angle measurements. EIS can give much more insight into how the varying amounts of ethanol are interacting with the super- hydrophobic film.

Through my research, I was able to discover that super-hydrophobic behavior cannot be recovered even when only relatively small amounts of ethanol are added to the solution. Even 0.5% Ethanol seems unlikely that the film’s super-hydrophobic characteristics can be recovered. As I continue the research smaller percentages of ethanol will be explored and hopefully we will be able to see that some behavior can be recovered through the removal and diluting of ethanol from the solution at even lesser amounts of ethanol.

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

Vanderbilt has a great program for talented youth called Vanderbilt Summer Academy and the university has done a great job of making me feel at home and allows me to interact with peers my age who have interests similar to mine. I have attended this program twice before, and it is a truly wonderful experience. The staff has also been very friendly and I am thankful that I am able to spend my summer doing something productive yet still enjoyable.

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

I think most high school students spend their summers doing things that, while entertaining, they cannot speak of with pride, saying that they helped make something happen. This summer, not only have I done research, I also helped Western Kentucky University’s Center for Gifted Studies organize the Summer Camp for Academy Talented Students and the Summer Program for Verbally and Mathematically Precocious Youth. I think that while it may have been a summer more taxing and challenging than most, I will be able to look back and say that I was able to do things that I could never have done during the school year, and therefore I think that I have had a more productive summer than most.

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

I am definitely looking to use this experience to apply for a few competitions which include the Intel Science Talent Search and the Siemens Competition. I believe that any research opportunity would be a fantastic addition to any college application, and my relationship with Dr. Kane Jennings from the Chemistry Department of Vanderbilt University, which goes back to three summers ago, will benefit me for many years to come whenever I need information about undergraduate, graduate, or postgraduate schools or various competitions or scholarships.

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

Chemical Engineering is one of the largest and, still, fastest growing areas in the STEM field, and I have also become interested in it. I think this is a great opportunity for me to realize what Chemical Engineering is not only in class but in the lab during the graduate school years.

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

I am thrilled to meet my friends again and it feels as if I’m almost looking forward to going back home. The Academy has a great community and everyone in the building is friendly and helpful. I am also excited to help the juniors become accustomed to life and share my knowledge and wisdom with them.

By Corey Alderdice

Summer 5Q: Sarah Schrader Splits Summer Between China, DNA Sequencing

August 2, 2010 | 5Q, News, People, Research, Students, Summer, WKU | No Comments

Sarah Schrader (Warren, ’11) is one of eleven recipients of the Gatton Academy’s Research Internship Grant for this summer.

Schrader has already characterized a unique phage through the course of the HHMI’s Genome Discovery and Exploration Program during the 2009-10 academic year. However, her phage has never had its DNA sequenced until this summer.

The research that Schrader is undertaking this summer is being managed around an eight-week intensive language study abroad trip with the WKU Chinese Flagship. Before departing for Chongqing, China, Sarah spent the first three weeks of summer re-isolating her phage’s DNA and preparing her samples to be sent off for DNA sequencing to a national laboratory.

When Sarah returns later this month, the DNA sequencing should be complete. With these results, Sarah will resume her research. If all goes to plan, by the summer’s end Sarah will have annotated a unique DNA sequence, which she will submit to the National Center for Biotechnology Information’s DNA sequence database, being listed as the first author of the submission.

In the midst of all of this activity, Sarah managed to answer some questions about her summer research.

1. Tell us a little about the project or program in which you are participating this summer that the Research Internship Grant is funding.

Last year I participated in the Genome Discovery and Exploration Course, which is a national initiative designed to engage college freshmen in authentic research. Another sub-goal of the program is to enhance the growing database of bacteriophage genomes available for researchers. Bacteriophage are viruses that infect bacteria, and, as deadly antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria become more and more common, researching them and their bacteria-destroying capabilities is quickly becoming more and more crucial. During the fall semester of the course, I isolated a novel bacteriophage from the environment. Over winter term, two phage discovered in our class were sent off to sequencing centers to have their genomes sequenced. The spring semester was spent using computer programs to annotate the genome, deciding where each gene started and ended and assigning putative functions to them. Since my phage was not one of those chosen to be sequenced, I decided to work independently this summer to complete its characterization at the genomic level.

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

So far I have enjoyed the independence this experience has provided me the most. During my research last year, I was still trying to learn techniques and procedures and frequently had to rely on my instructors to guide me. Now, however, I already know how to use equipment I need and how to carry out important procedures and thus don’t have to rely on my supervisor as much, although he is, of course, ready and willing to help should I need anything.

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

As soon as summer starts, many high school students flop down on the couch in front of the TV and don’t get up again until the next school year arrives. Even those that have jobs usually work as cashiers, babysitters, or store clerks, and while that is good work experience and a fair source of spending money, ringing up happy meals or chasing little kids around probably doesn’t stimulate their intellects a substantial amount. Some students do choose to go to a variety of different summer camps and programs, some of which do involve science-related subjects. These, however, are usually very structured and strictly supervised. I, on the other hand, have no idea what the results of my research will be and have control over my own schedule as I introduce the scientific world to a completely new if infinitesimal piece of knowledge.

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

I plan to use this experience as the basis for my entry to the Siemens Competition and Intel Science Talent Search in the fall and to supplement my application for the Goldwater Scholarship in the spring of next year. Considering the person who won the Intel Science Talent Search this year developed a cancer treatment that utilizes a light energy stimulated drug to kill off cancer cells and the winner of the Siemens Competition researched chemotherapy drug resistance, I’m not expecting much – as far as I know, bacteriophage can’t kill cancer. But they do have the potential to wipe out new menaces like drug resistant tuberculosis and multiple drug resistant staph, so I guess it’s worth a try.

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

Although I’m not really sure what I want to do, I have been considering a career as a research geneticist. This project ties into that goal quite nicely as it involves the sequencing and annotation of a genome. I am sure that I want to major in biology, and, of course, this project also fits well with this goal.

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

My first year at the Academy was amazing. The classes and professors were outstanding, as were my peers and counselors at Gatton. I was provided so many opportunities to grow as a scholar and a person, and I am truly grateful for them and everyone who worked so hard to give them to me. Right now I am most looking forward to my classes, but also to continuing my research and once again being immersed in the unique environment of Schneider Hall. Next year I know there will be even greater opportunities open to me, and I plan to seize as many of them as I can!

By Corey Alderdice

[Corey’s Comments] A Little Change Goes a Long Way in the Class of 2013 Admissions Application

August 2, 2010 | Admissions, News, People, Staff | No Comments

Like a good chess match, the admissions game for the Class of 2013 is afoot.

by Corey Alderdice, Assistant Director for Admissions and Public Relations

Activity is picking back up here in Schneider Hall as the full staff returns this morning for the start of a new year. Things are also picking up in the admissions office (read: my office) as well. Every year we seem to get a little faster with our work of admitting the next group of students. Even though the Class of 2012 has yet to arrive on campus, I’m excited to officially announce the availability of the admissions application for the Gatton Academy Class of 2013!

Step-by-step instructions for applying are available via the Admissions page of the Gatton Academy website. The page will walk you through each part of the admissions application and process. For the moment, though, I’d like to call your attention to five updates and changes for the Class of 2013.

1. The deadline for submission of all admissions materials is February 1, 2011.

With an earlier start this year, we have decided to roll the calendar back two weeks for the admissions deadline. The new deadline will provide our admissions committee with the necessary time to devote to each student’s application. Notifications for the interview phase will still be sent by email no later than March 1, 2011.

2. We have revised our policy to allow students with a minimum ACT-Math score of 22 or SAT-Math score of 520 to apply.

The average ACT-Math and Composite scores for incoming students at the Gatton Academy remains 29. Our research shows that 26 is a competitive score that greatly increases the likelihood of a student’s success in the program. However, we have also witnessed students with scores between 22 and 24 be highly successful in the program. The difference is the commitment and work ethic these students possess. Because many students will be in the midst of Algebra II when taking this ACT later this year, we certainly want to account for that with our minimum test score.

3. Essay question four is brand new.

I’m most excited about this change. The University of Chicago is famous for the questions on their “Uncommon App.” What’s great about their questions is that it provides students with an opportunity to be creative, think outside the box, and write on something beyond very traditional admissions questions. We think question four provides a variety of opportunities for exploration while allowing the admissions comittee to see students’ thought processes in a very different way. Check out the question below.

The Center for Disease Control has reported a zombie outbreak with a confirmed Patient Zero in the city of Bowling Green, Kentucky. From the position of Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, base commander at Fort Knox, or Chief of Medicine at the Bowling Green Medical Center, develop an immediate action plan to deal with the outbreak.

4. We’ve added an optional “Video Essay” to the application.

Maturity, personality, and individuality are traits that are common among all Gatton Academy students. Grades, essays, and letters of recommendation do not always demonstrate the level of creativity, ingenuity, and talent among our student body. In order to better appreciate applicants as individuals, candidates are invited to submit a video of no more than two minutes in length for the Admissions Committee to review. Videos may be either edited or unedited. For students who do not have access to the technology to do this, we will have stations set up on Interview Day. We hope that you’ll really wow us with your entries.

5. Students now must submit a minimum of two and no more than four letters of recommendation.

Over the last few years, we’ve realized the most fruitful information comes from the letters of recommendation from your math or science teacher as well the counselor, principal, or community leader. Acquiring these letters of recommendation can often be a challenge for sophomores as they have yet to establish a connection a rapport with a variety of teachers. With that in mind, students only must submit the two required letters, though you have the opportunity to provide us with up to two more letters from the persons of your choice.

Excited? We sure are!

Don’t forget to RSVP to attend a Preview Weekend this fall on campus. Preview Weekends are great opportunity to get to know the students, parents, and staff who truly make the Gatton Academy an “Atypical High School.” We’ll also conduct a series of Information Sessions throughout the state later this fall. We’ll share more details as those dates become available.

Until then, feel free to contact us with any questions you may have about the admissions process or the Gatton Academy!

By Corey Alderdice

Gatton Academy Alumni Among Participants in WKU Research Experience for Undergraduates

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

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

Via the WKU News Blog

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By Corey Alderdice

Summer 5Q: Justine Missik Pulls Double Duty with Research Projects

July 29, 2010 | 5Q, News, People, Research, Students, Summer, WKU | No Comments

Rising senior Justine Missik (Boyle, ‘11) is having quite a summer! Justine is one of eleven recipients of the Gatton Academy’s Research Internship Grant, which is available to Gatton Academy students in the summer between their junior and senior years to support students during research experiences.

Missik split her award on two separate experiences. In the early summer, she traveled to Portland, Oregon to attend the Santa Fe Institute’s course on Exploring Complexity in Science and Technology from May 19 -21. This course directly benefits the research work that Justine is performing in theoretical systems ecology and network analysis while at the Gatton Academy with Dr. Albert Meier of WKU’s Department of Biology. Later this summer, she’ll be presenting this research at the Ecological Society of America’s (ESA) Annual Meeting in Pittsburg, PA.

Before that meeting, Missik is spending the rest of her summer working with Dr. Stuart Campbell with the Department of Energy’s Spallation Neutron Source at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)–the world’s most powerful pulsed spallation neutron source. Missik is benefiting from access to world-renowned facilities and experts as she interns at ORNL. She is the first Gatton Academy student to perform research directly with the ORNL.

Justine recently took a break from her research work with the ORNL to answer some questions on her research experience.

1. Tell us a little about the project or program in which you are participating this summer that the Research Internship Grant is funding.

This summer I am working at the Spallation Neutron Source at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. I am working on developing a user interface for numerical analysis code on protein dynamics. I will then use this to analyze some data.

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

I have really enjoyed being at Oak Ridge and meeting people who work there. It has been a great opportunity to be able to work at world-class laboratory! I have also really enjoyed working on a project that I know will be useful to the scientists there.

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

Most high school students don’t usually have the kind of opportunities for summer research that the Academy provides, so they aren’t usually involved in research projects. The Academy has provided me with the unique opportunity to work at Oak Ridge, which I would not have been able to do otherwise.

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

I’m not currently planning on using this project to enter any competitions, but I am sure the skills and experience I will gain will greatly benefit me.

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

Though I’m not quite sure yet about what particular field I will want to work in, I know that I want to go into science. I also know that I enjoy working with computers, and this is useful in a variety of different fields. I also plan on continuing to do research. The experience I will gain this summer will help me with all of these things.

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

In my second year at the academy, I am looking forward to being able to take more higher-level classes, such as Computer Science II and Discrete Math. I am also looking forward to continuing my research project from last year.

By Corey Alderdice

Gatton Academy Students Shine Under the Microscope, Under the Spotlight

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

by Suzanne Van Arsdall, Academy Avatar

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By Corey Alderdice

The Color R.E.D.

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

by Sydney Combs, Academy Avatar

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By Corey Alderdice

Summer 5Q: Derek Fox Runs the Numbers on Energy Consumption

July 26, 2010 | News, People, Research, Students, Summer | No Comments

A big opportunity came along for Derek Fox (Campbell, ’11) this summer.

Working with Dr. Jeffrey Ward at Northern Kentucky University’s Applied Science and Technology Center in Fort Thomas, KY, the opportunity arose for Fox to join a research project that is looking for ways to optimize energy usage through the Integral Analytics company’s Demand Response Pricer project. Fox is applying math and computer science techniques to contribute possible solutions to a part of a growing public discussion on energy consumption. An outline of the project that Fox is contributing to is available online at http://www.integralanalytics.com/drpricer.php.

Fox is the recipient of one of eleven Research Internship Grants that the Gatton Academy awarded this summer. These grants fund students between their junior and senior years to perform summer research projects.

Fox recently took the time to update us on how his summer experience is going by answering a few questions and sending in a photo:

1. Tell us a little about the project or program in which you are participating this summer that the Research Internship Grant is funding.

This summer I am conducting research with Dr. Jeff Ward, focusing on the optimization of algorithmic searches in a real-world scenario concerning Integral Analytics Demand Response Pricing systems. This research will assist utility companies in making faster, smarter decisions for the new-coming Demand Response Programs, such as Smart Grids.

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

The most enjoyable part of my summer experience is having the opportunity to examine some of the most intricate algorithms, which most students don’t experience until they are approaching a graduate program. I wake up every day knowing that the research I am conducting will make an impact on the future of utility companies.

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

During the summer, most high school students spend their time working at a local fast food restaurant or hanging out with friends. They are living for the day, not looking ahead to the future. Research gives me the experience I will need to help obtain a respectable job and make my college application stand out.

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

I will be using my research experience to enter competitions such as the Siemens Competition as well as the Intel Science Talent Search. I also plan on submitting my research experience when applying for the Science, Mathematics and Research for Transformation (SMART) Scholarship.

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

I plan on Majoring, Mastering, and acquiring my Ph. D. in Computer Science. My dream job is to become a professor of computer science, where I can conduct research of my own. This experience allows me to look into the future examining the types of things I will be doing. This opportunity has allowed me to examine some of the most intricate algorithms, which most students wouldn’t have even encountered, let alone worked with, until they were nearing their graduate program. This opportunity has allowed me to be a step ahead of the competition in completing my goals.

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

The most exciting thing about returning to the Academy is hard to say. I look forward to enhancing my algorithmic skill in Computer Science III, where most of the course will be over discrete logic. I have also planned with my roommate and suite-mates to have a Computer Science suite, as we are all fairly competent programmers. I definitely look forward to working on out-of-the-classroom projects in order to enhance our experience as a team.

By Corey Alderdice

Rohith Palli, David Sekora Honored at FBLA National Leadership Conference

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By Corey Alderdice

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Author: Corey Alderdice