Author: Corey Alderdice

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Academy Executive Director Honored with State’s Annual Acorn Award

September 23, 2011 | News, People, Staff, WKU | No Comments

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Dr. Julia Link Roberts, Mahurin Professor of Gifted Studies at WKU, is one of two recipients of the Acorn Awards for teaching excellence, given annually to outstanding professors at Kentucky’s colleges and universities—one for a professor at a four-year college or university and one at a two-year institution.

Dr. Julia Roberts (left) received the Acorn Award on Sept. 23 in Lexington. WKU President Gary Ransdell (right) said Dr. Roberts is “a world leader in the education of gifted and talented students. Our gifted children are fortunate to have Julia Roberts leading this important sector of education in Kentucky.” (Photo courtesy of CPE)

David L. Cooper, professor of English and African-American history at Jefferson Community and Technical College, was also honored. Both recipients received a $5,000 honorarium and inscribed plaque.

The awards were presented Friday (Sept. 23) at the 23rd Annual Governor’s Conference on Postsecondary Education Trusteeship in Lexington, sponsored by the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education and Kentucky’s colleges and universities.

WKU President Gary Ransdell said Dr. Roberts is a superb teacher, scholar and researcher.

“She has been singled out by our faculty as a University Distinguished Professor. She is the holder of the Mahurin Professor of Gifted Studies,” he said. “More important, however, is her long and impressive record of innovation in creating WKU’s Center for Gifted Studies and the Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky.  She has become a world leader in the education of gifted and talented students.  Our gifted children are fortunate to have Julia Roberts leading this important sector of education in Kentucky.”

Dr. Roberts, known as Dr. Julia on campus, said she was honored “to be recognized as a productive faculty member in the field of education, specifically in gifted education; for initiating and directing programming for gifted children and young people; and for leadership in state, national and international organizations in gifted education.”

Dr. Roberts has 46 years of teaching experience, including 35 at WKU. She is president-elect of The Association for the Gifted (a division of the Council for Exceptional Children), a member of the Executive Committee of the World Council for Gifted and Talented Children and co-chair of the Legislative and Advocacy Committee of the National Association for Gifted Children. She is also a member of the board of the Kentucky Association for Gifted Education and the Kentucky Advisory Council for Gifted and Talented Education.

Dr. Roberts, a native of Kirksville, Mo., holds degrees from Oklahoma State University and the University of Missouri.

In his nomination letter, Dr. Ransdell said she was a brilliant teacher and a tireless advocate for gifted children, their families and their educators. During her tenure at WKU, programs she has led have touched more than 30,000 students, he said.

“The wonderful young people with whom I have had the privilege of working are the highlight of my career,” Dr. Roberts said.

Other high points include:

  • Being named one of the 55 most influential people in the history of gifted education
  • Serving as the founder and executive director of The Center for Gifted Studies, which is celebrating its 30th year of providing services to children and young people, educators and parents
  • Opening the Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky after 10 years of advocating for a residential school for high school juniors and seniors with both talent and a high interest in careers in science, technology, engineering or math
  • Bringing the international headquarters of the World Council for Gifted and Talented Children to WKU.

Nancy Green, executive director of the National Association for Gifted Children, said Dr. Roberts has a national reputation as a mentor and instructor to teacher candidates, classroom teachers and parents.

“Through her longstanding and tireless commitment to teaching and education, Dr. Roberts has truly made a difference in both the field of gifted education and in the classroom,” she said. “Whether it’s through direct influence on children through Western Kentucky University’s summer programs or through a more strategic impact via national advocacy efforts, Julia Roberts is that rare leader who understands both how to shape policy on behalf of many and to directly touch lives one at a time.”

The Kentucky Advocates first presented the Acorn Awards in 1992. Recipients are chosen based on recommendations by faculty and students as well as self-written essays about their philosophy of teaching.

Contact: Julia Roberts, (270) 745-6323; or Sue Patrick at CPE, (502) 573-1652 ext. 308.

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By Corey Alderdice

12 Gatton Academy Seniors Recognized as National Merit Semifinalists

September 23, 2011 | News, People, Student Success, Students | No Comments

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One quarter of Gatton Academy seniors have been recognized as semifinalists in the 2012 National Merit Scholarship Program, an honor which potentially opens the door college scholarship opportunities.  In all, 12 members of the Class of 2012 will go on to the next round of the competition.

Over 1.5 million students in about 22,000 high schools entered the 2012 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2010 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.  Students are tested in math, critical reasoning, and writing.  The 16,000 Semifinalists honored are the highest-scoring entrants in their state and represent less than 1 percent of each state’s high school seniors.

Since the Gatton Academy’s inception in 2007, the Gatton Academy has seen 45 total students named as National Semifinalists.

For these Gatton Academy seniors, it’s a great way to begin their final year of high school even as they focus on the college admissions process ahead.  According to Gatton Academy Director Tim Gott, this is just the beginning of a busy—and rewarding—year.

“With this recognition, these students have earned a key that will open tremendous educational opportunities,” Gott said. “We look forward to seeing what these students will accomplish in the days ahead.”

To be considered in the rigorous competition for National Merit Scholarships, Semifinalists must advance to the Finalist level of the competition by meeting additional standard and fulfilling several requirements.  These include having a record of very high academic performance of college preparatory course work, submitting SAT scores that confirm PSAT performance, and being fully endorsed and recommended by a high school official.

Gatton Academy students honored in the program are recognized through their sending high school.  Since students take the qualifying PSAT exam in October of their junior year of high school, much of the preparation stems from learning opportunities during their freshman and sophomore years of high school.  The Gatton Academy builds on those experiences to provide students with a robust application and preparation for the SAT, a critical component in becoming a finalist.

“It is an incredible honor to be named a National Merit semifinalist,” Gott said. “These students have demonstrated a level of excellence that very few can claim.  Their home schools and the Gatton Academy take great pleasure in working with these young people and being represented so well by their outstanding achievement.”

2012 Gatton Academy National Merit Semifinalists:

Michael Crocker (Bowling Green High School, Bowling Green)
Alexandra DeCarlo (South Laurel High School, London)
Daniel Dilger (Larry Ryle High School, Union)
Logan Eckler (Ludlow High School, Ludlow)
Samantha Hawtrey (Larry Ryle High School, Union)
Charlotte Humes (Nelson County High School, Bardstown)
Tennesse “Tucker” Joyce (Mercer County High School, Harrodsburg)
Curtlyn Kramer (Paul G. Blazer High School, Ashland)
Lori Lovell (Boone County High School, Florence)
Lukas Missik (Boyle County High School, Danville)
Holly Morris (Bowling Green High School, Bowling Green)
David Sekora (Franklin-Simpson High School, Franklin)

About the National Merit Scholarship Program

Established in 1955, National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) is an independent, not-for-profit organization that operates without government assistance. NMSC is exempt from taxation under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and contributions to NMSC are tax deductible by the donor. NMSC conducts the National Merit® Scholarship Program and the National Achievement® Scholarship Program–annual competitions for recognition and college undergraduate scholarships.

Since its founding, NMSC has recognized 2.9 million students and provided over 360,000 scholarships worth more than $1.4 billion. The honors awarded by NMSC to exceptionally able students are viewed as definitive marks of excellence. Recipients of Merit Scholarship® awards, Achievement Scholarship® awards, and corporate-sponsored Special Scholarships have increased the nation’s respect for intellectual accomplishments and have contributed significantly to its talent pool of future leaders.

For more information, contact Corey Alderdice at (270) 745-2971.

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By Corey Alderdice

Final Recommendations from Keystone National Youth Policy Summit Released

September 22, 2011 | Academics, News, People, Research, Students, Summer | No Comments

[fblike style=”standard” showfaces=”false” width=”450″ verb=”like” font=”arial”]This summer three Gatton Academy students were given the opportunity to attend and participate in the 2011 National Youth Policy Summit.

Seniors Rachel Metcalfe, Samantha McKean, and Melanie Hurst spent one week in Keystone, Colorado where McKean says they “worked together to create a blueprint for a solution to the current energy crisis.”

Today, The Keystone Center released the Final Student Policy Recommendations. Learn more about their thoughts on national energy innovation in the embedded document below.

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By Corey Alderdice

Academy Students Explore Medical Careers at UPike

August 30, 2011 | Uncategorized | No Comments

by Logan Eckler, Academy Avatar

This summer, three academy students received an opportunity to experience situations that normally only those in the medical professions have the chance to see and do.

Lori Lovell, Jeet Parankh, and Erin Walch attended PEPP (Professional Education Preparation Program), a program held at the Pikeville School of Osteopathic Medicine. The goal of PEPP is both to give rising high school juniors and seniors the chance to explore some of the experiences that a medical practitioner and student might encounter, and to introduce students to the nature of dormitory life over a three-week residential program.

Walch explained that PEPP offers students a wide variety of experience in an atmosphere of professionalism.  “This program introduces high school students to the atmosphere of medical school with opportunities to observe medical practitioners, work on donated cadaver bodies, and learn concepts in lecture style classes,” she said.

According to Lovell, the best part of the program was “the amazing staff of Pikeville Medical School who generously shared their time and experience with the students. From hematology to the skeletal system, the professors always found a way to make medicine more interesting.”

The entirety of the program is not simply defined in the lab or classroom either. While attending, Walch had the opportunity to scrub into a knee surgery, work in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and participate in a series of radiology labs. Then, after two weeks of working hard, the students went to Pigeon Forge and stay at Great Wolf Lodge for the weekend to let off some steam.

Walch stated that she thinks that the program is successful in demonstrating some of the grueling circumstances that are prevalent in medical school and erasing some misconceptions that students might have about studying medicine.

Lovell concluded that the program “is a great stepping stone to greater things in the medical field,” and that she “would definitely recommend this program to a friend interested in pursuing a career as a physician.”

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By Corey Alderdice

Eastes and Brothers Explore Materials Research, Grad School Options at UTSI

August 30, 2011 | Academics, News, People, Research, Students, Summer | No Comments

Lydia Brothers records notes from a heat experiment at UTSI.
Lydia Brothers records notes from a heat experiment at UTSI.

by Michael Crocker, Academy Avatar

Two students at Western Kentucky University’s Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky spent time over the summer exploring materials science with advanced medical applications.

Andrea Eastes (’12) and Lydia Brothers (’12) served as student researchers at the University of Tennessee Space Institute doing  focusing their explorations on determining the applications of ZBLAN glass in medical fields.

The University of Tennessee Space Institute is a graduate study and research institution with a campus located “practically in the woods” Eastes said. “It was really nice to be around nature all the time.”

Eastes was also glad she “was able to get a little perspective on what grad school is like.” Academy students were part of a seven-week program at the  UTSI where they worked alongside graduate and undergraduate students to characterize a particular type of glass ceramic, explained Brothers.

ZBLAN glass, or glass made of Zirconium, Barium, Lanthanum, Aluminum, and Sodium, was the topic of research “because it has capabilities of a storage phosphor which we were working with so that it could be used as an alternative to typical x-ray films,”  added Eastes.  She went on to explain that this allows the x-ray result to be stored digitally and removes the inconvenience of one-time-use x-ray films.

The research team, which included Eastes, Brothers, and several undergraduate and graduate students, worked with two types of the glass.  According to Brothers, they worked to “evaluate how much light would be emitted from each particular sample at a number of different temperatures and percentages of a variable element.”

As well as the research that was done on the trip, Eastes also “really enjoyed getting to meet all the amazing people” on the campus, and she got to do everything from “singing like crazy people on karaoke night” to “canoeing and kayaking.”

Brothers enjoyed the experience as well and said she even got to “sit in on someone’s doctoral defense.”

Eastes says she learned the most about “the physics that is involved with something as simple as glass.” She also found  that being able to work with such a variety of machines and being able to decipher the readings  a great learning experience.

Both Brothers and Eastes  enjoyed learning more about what graduate work will be like and getting to meet and become friends with other people interested in their fields.

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By Corey Alderdice

Shelley, Crocker Pursue Chemical Research in Taiwan

August 29, 2011 | News, People, Research, Students, Summer, WKU | No Comments

Participants in the Taiwan research program spend some time outside of the lab.
Participants in the Taiwan research program spend some time outside of the lab.

by Andrea Eastes, Academy Avatar

For many Gatton Academy students, the previous summer was a global experience.  With programs in China and the United Kingdom, students engaged other cultures as a group.  Other students pursued their own paths in additional locations around the globe.

Seniors Ellis Shelley and Michael Crocker added Taiwan to the long list of places visited.  During their time there, both were involved in chemistry research for ten weeks. The program was organized by Dr. Eric Conte of the Department of Chemistry at Western Kentucky University.

The program was part of a 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 was involved with research on synthesizing a polymer that can form a honey-comb shaped membrane on a substance then try to coat silica gel particles with that membrane.  Coating the silica gel was in effort to modify the end group from OH to C18.  Changing these properties enabled his group to attempt to purify phenol and bisphenol from water.

During his time in Taiwan, Crocker worked with another WKU student, Helen Thompson, and many Taiwanese Master’s and Ph. D. students under the same professor.

Shelley participated in a different research project.  His work entailed optimizing protein purification methods using IMAM (Ionized Metal Affinity Membranes). Dr. Suen, the head of the Chemical Engineering Department was the main person Shelley worked with during his time overseas.

Research wasn’t the only thing that Michael and Ellis did while they were in Taiwan though.  Crocker explained the pair also had the chance to visit locations throughout the country. “We were able to travel all through Taiwan from the large cities like Taipei to mountain hiking in eastern Taiwan.”

Ellis also added that his favorite part of the trip “was the friendships I made while there and the opportunity to experience a culture so much different from my own.”

Taiwan not only exposed the students to a different culture, but to how having a job in the field would be like.  Shelley explains that it was as if he had “lived the life of a chemical engineering graduate for two months.”

Both were able to gain experience in the lab and work with equipment such as a SEM (scanning electron microscope) and IR.  Crocker also said that doing original research at a very prestigious institution with students working toward their masters and Ph. D. degrees was very rewarding.  Shelley also found the program quite rewarding, in fact, he and his two partners plan to publish their research later this year!

Crocker summed up the experience in an appreciate for learning more about diverse cultures. ’’I really enjoyed Taiwan. It was very different from the United States, and all of the differences were very eye opening for me,” he said.

The students found the trip not only to be an amazing research experience, but also a chance to learn about and become immersed in another culture as well as learn about graduate lifestyle.

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By Corey Alderdice

5Q: Lukas Missik Attends RSI at MIT

August 29, 2011 | 5Q, Academics, News, People, Research, Student Success, Students, Summer | No Comments

Lukas Missik
Lukas Missik

Interview by Erin Walch, Academy Avatar

Academy senior Lukas Missik ventured to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology this summer to participate in the Research Science Institute, a prestigious program run by the Center for Excellence in Education that admits 80 of the world’s most innovative young thinkers to MIT’s campus.

For three weeks, RSI students advance themselves in the STEM fields by designing unique research plans under the supervision of host laboratories at MIT. Lukas graciously provided insight into what this interesting program is about, and why junior students at the Gatton Academy should apply for it this year. Below, Missik answers some key questions concerning RSI at MIT.

1.  What was the purpose of the program you attended this summer?

The Research Science Institute (RSI) is an international program run by the Center for Excellence in Education (CEE) and held at MIT. Its purpose is to educate rising high school seniors in developing and executing original research. Over six weeks, students work with a mentor on a research project, ultimately producing a final report and formal presentation. To enrich and facilitate this process, students take first week classes on subjects in the sciences and humanities, attend lectures by leading professors and researchers, and have access to many of MIT’s research facilities.

2.  Did the program affect your future educational and career plans?

RSI has helped solidify my interest in computer science. I am now considering a major in CS with focus in Artificial Intelligence. The great thing about RSI is that it exposed me to the most exciting parts of many different fields of study. Even though we ultimately choose a specific concentration, RSI taught me to keep an open mind and work with other disciplines.

3.  What was your favorite aspect of the program?

One of my favorite aspects of the program is its incredible diversity–in both students and ideas. There are students from all over the country and the world who provide unique cultural context to research and activities. There are people interested in almost every field of science that I was able to talk to. The community at RSI is definitely one of its strong points.

4.  Why should interested students in our junior class at the Gatton Academy participate in this program?

Interested juniors should apply to this program because it provides an invaluable experience. It helps students learn how to perform high quality research and share their findings. Many successfully use their RSI research in competitions such as Siemens and Intel. RSI also connects them to an extensive alumni network which will help them in their professional careers. Participation in the Institute also looks great on a resume and increases the chances of getting accepted to top-tier schools like MIT.

For more information on the RSI experience at MIT, visit: http://www.cee.org/programs/rsi

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By Corey Alderdice

Academy Students Dialogue with Peers, Industry Leaders at National Youth Policy Summit

August 29, 2011 | Academics, News, People, Research, Students, Summer | No Comments

Academy senior Rachel Metcalfe dialogues with fellow YPS conference participants.
Academy senior Rachel Metcalfe dialogues with fellow YPS conference participants.

by Michael Crocker, Academy Avatar

This summer three Gatton Academy students were given the opportunity to attend and participate in the 2011 National Youth Policy Summit.

Seniors Rachel Metcalfe, Samantha McKean, and Melanie Hurst spent one week in Keystone, Colorado where McKean says they “worked together to create a blueprint for a solution to the current energy crisis.”

Students were selected based on their answer to an essay.   Hurst says that before the program began a great amount of effort was put into research and idea development. “We had to research an energy topic as well as a stakeholder to represent at the conference,”  she said.  At the summit, Hurst noted she worked with 35 students and 3-4 main instructors in the topic area. She also worked with the representatives of the stakeholder companies.

McKean says that at the conference around 40 students from a variety of National Consortium of Specialized Secondary Schools of Math, Science, and Technology schools each were assigned a different company that had to do with energy.  The group eventually completed an 80 page policy recommendation booklet.

The  group loved the Colorado setting of the conference.  The mountain landscape in which students studied was equally enjoyable to their research. “Colorado [was] beautiful,” according to Hurst. “We were at 10,000-12,000 feet the entire trip and was right up there with mountains.”  Although she said it was cold, she enjoyed being able to “say we threw snowballs in June.”

Metcalfe said her favorite part of the trip was  a late evening hike where they got to see the sunset over the mountains to the west.  McKean added that  “the mountains were a really nice reminder of what we were working toward, which is a cleaner, healthier environment.”

Because all three Aacademy students were assigned a different company and had different experiences they all took away different lessons.

Hurst found that  the real-world applications of the program expanded just beyond content knowledge.  “The most important thing I learned was how to compromise and negotiate so that everyone wins a little in the end,” she said.

McKean talked more about how much she learned about energy and how it relates to the economy.  “I learned a lot about how different parts of the economy would suffer if we completely just dropped oil, which is a major reason why we haven’t yet.”

Metcalfe found having to take a side in the debate to be very enlightening.  “I gained so much more knowledge about all the aspects of our national energy dependency, especially from interesting perspectives.”

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By Corey Alderdice