Alumni – The Gatton Academy News

Alumni 5Q: Michael Phillips

November 13, 2012 | 5Q, Alumni | No Comments

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Can you describe your experience at the Gatton Academy?
The Academy was a life changing experience that allowed me to grow both academically and professionally. Specifically, living with passionate and scientifically minded peers allowed me to develop a new appreciation for science and mathematics. Attending the Gatton Academy was a once in a life time opportunity. It helped me shape and define my future career as a scientist.

How have your experiences at the Gatton Academy helped you in your adult life?
While at the Gatton Academy I learned skills that I will utilize throughout my life. I learned to write code, integrate and differentiate functions, work in a lab, create deadlines, manage resources, present my work at scientific conferences, and more importantly ask for help. I use these skills everyday as an aspiring physicist.

Since the Academy, what have you been up to?
Currently, I am attending Auburn University pursuing a dual degree in Wireless Engineering and Physics. Along with my formal academic studies, I have been working on a research team that is investigating highly energized lithium plasma. Finally, I have become quite active in the Society of Physics Students at Auburn University.

What do you aspire to achieve in the next ten years?
In the next few years, I will be graduating from Auburn University. After I complete my undergraduate studies, I plan on earning doctorate in physics. Eventually, I hope to become a professor/researcher at a university.

What was your favorite memory from your time at the Gatton Academy?
I do not have a single favorite memory from the Gatton Academy. While attending the Academy, I developed new “favorite” memories almost every day. Nevertheless, here are a few of my “most favorite” memories: cooking bacon in every microwave on my wing, winning the scavenger hunt every year, generating random graphs in the lobby, and having my next-semester courses approved by April Gaskey.

By Gatton Academy

Alumni 5Q: Celia Whelan

October 26, 2012 | 5Q, Alumni | No Comments

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Can you describe your experience at the Gatton Academy?
My experience at Gatton was phenomenal and life-changing. I was surrounded by other students who were academically focused. Attending a school with like-minded peers allowed me to excel because we all pushed each other to become better students. Simply, my time at Gatton made me much more self-motivated and dedicated student.

How have your experiences at the Gatton Academy helped you in your adult life?
Gatton opened up so many doors for me. I am only 19 and already I’ve been a co-author on a paper published in a scientific journal, participated in a National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates (NSF-REU), and presented my research at national meetings. Being at the Gatton Academy introduced me to the worlds of chemistry and research, and for that I am grateful.

Since the Academy, what have you been up to?
After Gatton, I decided to stay at Western Kentucky to continue my studies. I am majoring in chemistry with minors in both math and music and I’ve been very involved in research. Here at WKU, my research focuses on eliminating the toxicity of the anticancer drug cisplatin and making the drug more effective. To broaden my horizons, this past summer I attended a NSF-REU at Western Washington University where I conducted research on the synthesis of flexible conducting polymer films for use as artificial muscles and brain stimulators. Finally, I have been really involved in chemistry tutoring which has been instrumental in helping me discover my passion for teaching.

What do you aspire to achieve in the next ten years?
In the next ten years, I hope to have my Ph. D. in chemistry and be teaching at the collegiate level. I also hope to be working on the frontier of biomedical research.

What was your favorite memory from your time at the Gatton?
One of my absolute favorite memories from Gatton would have to be the game of “Ultimate Mud Frisbee.” It had just finished raining, so obviously we all thought it would be a great idea to play a game of ultimate frisbee in the mud!

We would like to thank Celia for taking time out of her schedule to be interviewed.

By Gatton Academy

Alumni 5Q: Sam Crocker

October 19, 2012 | 5Q, Alumni, News | No Comments

[fblike] Can you describe your experience at the Gatton Academy?
I had the good fortune to attend the Gatton Academy at a time when the culture of the Academy was in its infancy. As such, my class and the class above us were able to explore just what was possible at the Academy. We were the first students to acquire research positions, and also had the opportunity to join clubs and social organizations on campus. These opportunities allowed us to establish the Gatton Academy as a visible presence on Western Kentucky University’s campus.

How have your experiences at the Gatton Academy helped you in your adult life?
My experience at Gatton was extremely beneficial. I had an incredible opportunity to get a head start on my undergraduate education, as well as a chance to develop and mature as a person. The skills I developed there have allowed me to succeed in both my education and social life in college.

Since the Academy, what have you been up to?
Currently, I am a biochemistry major at Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas. I’ve worked for two years as a researcher in the biochemistry department with a focus on oxidative damage in liver mitochondria. This fall my research was published in Toxicology Letters. I also had the opportunity to present at the spring meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS) this past March. I am currently in the process of applying to medical school.

What do you aspire to achieve in the next ten years?
I hope to have completed medical school and be working on my residency.

What was your favorite memory from your time at the Gatton Academy?
I actually have two. When I was a first year, I joined with several of my fellow 4th floor hall-mates and took the Ping-Pong table into our wing common room after curfew. I procrastinated on a biology lab assignment so that I could participate in our late-night tournament. My other favorite memory is from senior year. The week before spring finals, a group of Academy students and myself dressed as superheroes and went to the “Free Comic Book Day” event at a local comic book store. It was only when we arrived that we realized we were the only ones in costume…Good times.

We would like to thank Mr. Sam Crocker for taking time out of his schedule to be interviewed. Next week we will be spotlighting Ms. Celia Whelan.

By Gatton Academy

Alumni 5Q: Tyler Clark

October 14, 2012 | 5Q, Alumni | No Comments

[fblike] Can you describe your experience at the Gatton Academy?
The Gatton Academy provided me with the unique experience of taking college courses while being dually enrolled in high school. The advanced courses allowed me to better understand and pursue my academic interests. I owe my thriving interest in mathematics to my experiences at the Academy and all the mathematicians I met as a result of the Gatton experience.

How have your experiences at the Gatton Academy helped you in your adult life?
Growing up in a small town, the Gatton Academy was my first real introduction to cultural diversity. Being exposed to cultural diversity at a young age has helped me to accept others who have different views than me. Also, the Academy taught me to identify and respect the strengths of everyone around me. Furthermore, it has opened many doors for me both academically and professionally including my work at The Center for Gifted Studies (WKU) and studies skills coordinator at the Academy.

Since the Academy, what have you been up to?
I graduated from the WKU Honors College with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics. During my undergraduate studies, I completed an honors thesis entitled “Counting Locally Convex Topologies on a Totally Ordered Finite Set.” After finishing my undergraduate studies, I decided to stay at WKU to complete a master’s degree in mathematics. During my graduate studies, I became editor-in-chief of the AMS Graduate Student Blog (http://mathgradblog.williams.edu). I graduated from WKU again with my master’s degree in May 2012 completing a thesis entitled “Continued Radicals and Cantor Sets.” I am currently in my first semester of a mathematics doctoral program at The University of Central Florida.

What do you aspire to achieve in the next ten years?
In the next ten years, I hope to have completed my PhD and have taught in Europe for at least one year. Also, I hope to return to WKU to teach in the mathematics department. Finally, I would like to become more involved in the American Mathematical Society (AMS).

What was your favorite memory from your time at the Gatton Academy?
The Academy has given me many fond memories. Nevertheless, I would have to say all of the balancing and juggling acts performed by Tim Gott to “teach” us life lessons would be my favorite.

We would like to thank Tyler for taking time out of his schedule to be interviewed for this article. Next week, we will be spotlighting Sam Crocker, Class of 2009.

By Gatton Academy

Alumni 5Q: Dalton Hubble

October 5, 2012 | 5Q, Alumni, Uncategorized | No Comments

[fblike] By: Academy Staff

Q: Can you describe your experience at the Gatton Academy?
A: My experiences at Gatton in 2007-2009 provided me with the opportunity to break out of the sluggish curriculum at my regular school, engage with academically focused peers, and pursue my academic interest more intensely. While at the academy, I was able to explore my STEM interests, take introductory classes at WKU, and perform research in university laboratories. The early start in collegiate technology fields gave me time to explore possible careers in chemical engineering and physics, before I decided that the computer science was right for me.

Q: How have your experiences at the Gatton Academy helped you in your adult life?
A: My work at Gatton enabled me to go from living in rural Kentucky to studying at MIT and gave me a real chance to pursue my passions among the best. I’m now a senior at MIT, majoring in Computer Science and Engineering. I’ve worked at the MIT nuclear reactor and MIT computer science laboratory as an undergraduate researcher and I’ve interned as a software developer at Microsoft.

Q: Since the Academy, what have you been up to?
A: My current studies include operating system design, natural language processing, web development, and distributed systems. I am also a teaching assistant for 6.170 a course on web software development. This year, I’ll be completing my bachelor’s degree and next year, I’ll be staying at MIT for an additional year to pursue my Masters in Computer Science and Engineering with a focus on systems engineering.

Q: What do you aspire to achieve in the next ten years?
A: In the next ten years, I hope to be closely involved in cutting edge work to develop the future of the internet, mobile and beyond. I also work on several stealth mode projects that I hope to expand and grow.

Q: What was your favorite memory from your time at the Gatton Academy?
A: My favorite memories from the academy were the small things: the eccentric conversations, the casual meals I would have with dorm-mates, and going on late night runs around campus.

We would like to thank Dalton for taking time out of his schedule to be interviewed for this article.

By Gatton Academy

Alumni 5Q: Nick Burnett

September 28, 2012 | Uncategorized | No Comments

Q: Can you describe your experience at the Gatton Academy?
A: I was in the first class to go through the whole program, so my experience was likely much different than that of subsequent classes. Academics were important and there was no “hand holding”. Socially, the Academy provided the opportunity to meet a lot of different people, a handful of whom I still keep in touch with. On the whole, there was an enormous amount of freedom afforded to us to enjoy the “college” lifestyle and get out of the program what we were willing to put in.

Q: How have your experiences at the Gatton Academy helped you in your adult life?
A: Attending the Academy has been a tremendous help in my adult life. Academically, it gave me a jump start on post-secondary education, but more than that I learned how to get to know the right people to put myself in the best position for advancement in all of my endeavors. Whether it was finding and meeting with professors that were the most likely to take on research students, or talking to various support staff at the university to score a free cup of coffee every now and then, getting to know the right people was enormously helpful.

Q: Since the Academy, what have you been up to?
A: I went to, and graduated from, University of Louisville with my bachelor’s degree in math. I’m currently a second year medical student at U of L. I’ve spent the last several months working on research projects in surgical oncology and (to toot my own horn a bit) just finished two first author manuscripts regarding treatment and prognosis of liver cancer, and collaborated on two others about post-operative management of pancreatic cancer.

Q: What do you aspire to achieve in the next ten years?
A: I’d just like to finish medical school and residency. Anything beyond that is gravy.

Q: What was your favorite memory from your time at the Gatton Academy?
A: My favorite memory from Gatton was probably the time Bill Clinton came to Bowling Green. A group of us bailed on our physics class to go see him speak. We ended up getting to meet him, shake his hand, and got free Obama ’08 signs that we hung up on statues around campus when the election got closer. And I got my picture in the newspaper so that was pretty neat.

We would like to thank Nick for taking time out of his schedule to be interviewed for this article. Next week, we will be spotlighting Dalton Hubble, Class of 2009, who is a senior at a little school in Massachusetts- MIT.

By Gatton Academy

Alumni 5Q: Aaron Edwards

September 21, 2012 | Uncategorized | No Comments

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The Gatton Academy is extremely proud of its alumni and their accomplishments. During the Fall semester, the Gatton Academy will be releasing a series of 5 question articles looking at what our alumni have been up to since their time at the Academy. Today, we spotlight Aaron Edwards who graduated from the Gatton Academy in 2008.

Q: Can you describe your experience at the Gatton Academy?
A: My experience at Gatton was thrilling and unexpected. For the first time in my life I was surrounded by people with a similar academic drive as myself. The environment gave me the motivation to succeed at a level inside and outside the classroom.

Q: How have your experiences at the Gatton Academy helped you in your adult life?
A: Without the opportunity to get my feet wet with regards to research, I am confident that I would not have been able to work in medical research labs in the years following my time at Gatton.

Q: Since the Academy, what have you been up to?
A: I graduated from Centre College in May 2012. I now live Boston where I have begun a Masters in Medical Sciences program at Boston University School of Medicine.

Q: What do you aspire to achieve in the next ten years?
A: In 10 years, I would hope to either be a pediatric oncologist or potentially a professor at a college or medical school. I have been torn between the two professions for some time and only time will tell where I will be.

Q: What was your favorite memory from your time at the Gatton Academy?
A: My favorite memory from my time at Gatton was definitely the first day of school. I was so excited to meet friends that I now know were going to be some of my best for life. Also…. who can forget the yellow couch.

As an aside, the yellow couch can no longer be found at the Gatton Academy.

We would like to thank Aaron for taking time out of his schedule to be interviewed for this article. Next week, we will be spotlighting Mr. Nick Burnett, Class of 2009, who is a second year medical student at the University of Louisville.

By Gatton Academy

Alumni 5Q: Marion Compton

September 14, 2012 | Uncategorized | No Comments

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The Gatton Academy is extremely proud of its alumni and their accomplishments. During the Fall semester, the Gatton Academy will be releasing a series of 5 question articles looking at what our alumni have been up to since their time at the Academy. Today, we spotlight Marion Compton who graduated from the Gatton Academy in 2009.

Q: Can you describe your experience at the Gatton Academy?
A: The Gatton Academy was an opportunity for me to get an excellent education, to be exposed to different ideas and values, and to create several lifelong friendships.

Q: How have your experiences at the Gatton Academy helped you in your adult life?
A: The Academy prepared me for my adult life in many ways. It gave me the opportunity to secure the broad math and science knowledge needed to pursue a career in pharmaceutical sciences. Furthermore, it gave me a sense of independence and maturity that has allowed me to be at a very different place in my life than your average 21 year old.

Q: Since the Academy, what have you been up to?
A: After graduating from the Academy, I completed my Bachelor’s Degree at Thomas More College in Northern Kentucky in May 2011. Currently, I am living in Nashville and attend Belmont University’s College of Pharmacy where I am a P2 (second yearstudent).

Q: What do you aspire to achieve in the next ten years?
A: Although it is hard to predict where my career as a pharmacist will take me, I hope that in ten years you will find me working in a clinical setting specializing in either pediatrics or addiction recovery.

Q: What was your favorite memory from your time at the Gatton Academy?
A: One of my favorite memories from my time at the Academy involves waking up on a Saturday morning in the Fall, putting on my Western gear, and heading down to the parking lot to enjoy tailgating and excitement that happens on game day.

We would like to thank Marion for taking time out of her schedule to be interviewed for this article. Next week, we will be spotlighting Mr. Aaron Edwards, Class of 2008, who is pursuing a Masters degree in Medical Science at Boston University.

By Gatton Academy

[New Year, New Staff] Graduate Assistant, Academy Alum Tyler Clark to Assist with Academic Success

September 20, 2011 | 5Q, Academics, Alumni, News, People, Staff | No Comments

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With the start of a new year at the Gatton Academy comes several new personalities to the staff. We are excited about these passionate and dedicated individuals who have joined our team. They come to us from different parts of the country with a host of varied experiences. Over the last few weeks, the staff has had a chance to get to know each other. It’s now your chance to meet the new faces behind the Academy. Each day this week, we’ll profile a new staff member.

Academy Avatars sat down with each new staff member to post ten questions in hopes of getting to know them better. Avatars came up with a few questions that they asked each person. Each Avatar also posed unique questions of their own choosing to ask as well.

Interview by Andrea Eastes, Academy Avatar

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I am 21 years old and currently pursuing my masters in mathematics. I graduated from the Honors College in May 2010. My thesis, entitled “Counting Locally Convex Topologies on a Totally Ordered Finite Set,” was directed by Dr. Tom Richmond and my second reader was Dr. Dominic Lanphier. I enjoy playing piano, reading, web design, etc. I am also senior editor of the AMS Grad Student Blog. — You can access my CV at http://tylerclark12.com/TylerClarkCV.pdf

2. Why did you decide to join the Gatton Academy staff?

Tim Gott offered me the position a bit ago. I met with him to discuss the position and found it a good fit. I will be able to help Gatton students learn and I will be able to do math simultaneously.

3. Are you excited for the coming year?

I am very excited for the upcoming year. I look forward to meeting all of the students and growing with them.

4. What role do you wish to play in the Gatton Academy students’ lives?

I want to be able to help mold students’ student skills to help them become more successful college students.

5. What are you looking forward to this year?

I am looking forward to getting to know the students and seeing them mature academically and emotionally.

6. How did being an Academy student affect you?

The Academy allowed for me to get a head start on college courses. Furthermore, it opened a lot of doors that provided me the opportunity to perform undergraduate research.

7. Do you think that having been through the experience of the Academy will help you to better serve the needs that students may have?

I feel that my experiences in the Academy will allow me to better understand needs of students. This will allow me to guide them to optimal learning.

8. Is there any advice that you’d like to give to students?

Students should take advantage of the resources on campus. Make sure you get involved in research you enjoy with a professor with whom you work well. Research is what will set you apart from other students.

By Gatton Academy

Gatton Academy’s First College Graduates Plan Exciting Futures

July 22, 2010 | Academics, Alumni, News, People, Student Success, WKU | No Comments

Even though the Gatton Academy will enter its fourth year this fall, the advanced high school continues to celebrate a series of firsts. This spring, four former students became the program’s first alumni to earn bachelor’s degrees.

Through a combination of Advanced Placement courses in high school, diligence in their time at the Gatton Academy, and hard work (including summer classes) as they continued their undergraduate studies, these individuals finished their undergraduate experience in a total of three years. All four will enter graduate or professional programs this fall.

Ellen Boswell Duke (’08) earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Religious Studies from WKU, where she also minored in Mathematics. Duke will attend Case Western Law School this fall. She married fellow Academy alumnus Seth Duke this summer – the first marriage of two Gatton graduates.

Tyler Clark (’08) earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from WKU. Tyler also minored in Religious Studies. Tyler will begin a Master’s program in Mathematics at WKU, with plans to pursue doctoral study thereafter.

Emily Peeler (’08) earned a Bachelor of Social Work degree from the University of Louisville. Emily has deferred admission to the University of Louisville’s Brandeis Law School and will complete a Master’s of Social Work at Boston University.

Christopher Obermeyer (’09) earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and a Bachelor’s of Arts in Religious Studies from WKU. Chris will begin work toward a Ph.D. in Biological Sciences at the George Washington University this fall.

The time since graduating from the Academy has been filled with a variety of academic and social pursuits. Even amid busy academic schedules, students sought involvement in their campus communities.

Clark encouraged students to continue their involvement in research and make presentations at state and national conferences. His work with two WKU professors prepared him to study uncommon topics for his honor’s thesis. “My thesis, titled Counting Locally Convex Topologies on a Totally Ordered Finite Set allowed me to do different research involving point-set topology, set theory, combinatorics, and various other mathematical topics that are not normally covered at the undergraduate level,” he said.

As students begin to explore their post-Academy and undergraduate options, Obermeyer encourages them to aim high and stay off the beaten path. “Be different!” he said. “I have no doubt that I would not have been accepted into graduate school had I just majored in Biology. Picking up a major like Religious Studies in the fine arts made me stick out. If you want to go into medicine, don’t just major in Chemistry and Biology. Everyone has those degrees, and you want to be different to avoid being looked over.” Obermeyer’s unique experiences earned him a graduate assistantship valued at over $300,000.

Looking back on her Academy experience, Peeler noted the program provided her with a strong foundation not only for academic success but also personal growth. “The Academy prepared me academically, in that I knew what to expect in my college classes not only content level but also the structure of them,” she said. “I also knew how far I could push myself, which after the Academy I knew was quite a bit.”

By Corey Alderdice

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