Katrina Clean Up
Transcription
Katrina Clean Up
November 2008 Katrina Clean Up by Mark Williams Student helps Mississippi hurricane residents W hen meeting Katrina Mijal, it is easy to understand why current students are already making the world a better place. She cares about helping people. It’s as simple as that. relief effort was made possible when she won a $1,000 national grant in an essay competition sponsored by Outside the Classroom, a public health company based in Boston, MA. The grant covered Katrina’s travel expenses while participating in the United Way’s Alternative Spring Break program. In 2005 she followed Hurricane Katrina news coverage and just wanted to help. And yes, the irony of sharing her first name with the infamous hurricane is not lost on her. So Besides learning how to hang during Spring Break in 2007 Katrina and tape drywall, Katrina said Katrina Mijal in Mississippi during her second relief trip was among twelve UWSP students “I gained an understanding of who traveled to Lake Charles, Louisiana to the social issues and feel so much more Besides learning how to help hurricane victims recover. aware.” And, she added, “The people were so thankful and appreciative…one hang and tape drywall, The trip made such an impact on her, that person offered us Gatorade as a gift and Katrina said “I gained she traveled to Biloxi, Mississippi the folthat was probably all they had.” On a an understanding of the lowing August with a church group. The lighter note, she also gained an appreciasocial issues and feel so Sociology major made her third trip to help tion for sweet tea and Jambalaya. hurricane victims during Spring Break in much more aware.” 2008, returning to Biloxi. The most recent Katrina, from Stevens Point, is thankful for the opportunities she has on campus like working for the UWSP Student Involvement and Employment Office. “I owe so much to SIEO because they have given me the opportunity to work as the Service Trip Coordinator. I’ve learned a lot and I’m so grateful.” Hurricane destruction Katrina Mijal witnessed Katrina and other volunteers rebuilt this Biloxi home To the Point | 1 Excelling in Physics by Mark Williams Eight students earn National Science Foundation research appointments B uilding an “external ring cavity to assist in cleaning it. Karen credits her older frequency double A Ti: sapphire sister and a high school teacher with inspirlaser” project was among the eight ing her to pursue Physics. Her summer research appointments UWSP physics research experience helped Karen realize students earned this summer from The that nuclear physics was her main area of National Science Foundation (NSF) for interest. Both students plan to attend their acclaimed Research Experiences for graduate school. Undergraduates (REU) program. Kyle Taylor a senior Physics and Mathematics Also receiving research appointments from major accepted this project appointment UWSP were: at the University of Rochester in New · Chelsey Driessen – Duke University York. His experience included running · Karl Larsen – Montana State University Karen Chamberlin inside the open particle accelerator his own project, which is not typical of the · Steve Lynam – Duke University prestigious appointments and a tour of the second · Liza Piltz – Southeast Association for Research in Building an “external largest laser in the world. Astronomy at Valdosta State University in Georgia Kyle was drawn to physics because of his fascination with lasers, a high-school teacher’s influence and a UWSP lab experience with assistant professor Hai Nguyen. Plus, he can talk about physics at family gatherings with his grandfather, UWSP Physics Professor Emeritus, Allen G. Taylor. ring cavity to frequency double A Ti: sapphire laser” project was among the eight research appointments UWSP physics students earned this summer... Karen Chamberlin, a senior Physics and Mathematics major completed her second research assignment in nuclear physics at the University of Notre Dame. One of her highlights included climbing into an open particle accelerator to · Michelle Stephens – University of Notre Dame · Luke Wilson – University of Nevada-Las Vegas The NSF’s Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program supports active research participation by undergraduate students in any of the areas of research funded by the National Science Foundation. REU projects involve students in meaningful ways in ongoing research programs or in research projects specifically designed for the REU program. For more information, please visit www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/reu_search.cfm. News & Notes What’s Happening in the College of Letters and Science S Photo courtesy of U.S. Fish & Wildlife Services To the Point | 2 tudents at the Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility in Bayfield put their internship experience to work and helped solve a fish habitat problem in Ashland County. Abby Purdy and Ryan Huber marked trout for assessment in response to water flow problem caused by a faulty culvert on Wildcat Creek. A new 6 foot by 60 foot culvert was installed to restore proper water flow. The student interns conducted both pre- and post-construction surveys in conjunction with project leaders from multiple agencies and organizations. For more information visit www.fws.gov/arsnew/regmap.cfm?arskey=23207 T he Web and Digital Media Development program placed its first international intern at the City University of London. Jim Raymonds will be working with the eLearning Services unit to develop innovative distance learning applications such as video conferencing, real time chat rooms and online video recording. Assistant professor Anthony Ellertson is coordinating the initiative and paved the way with an earlier collaborative effort. For more information visit http://pointer.uwsp.edu/Article.aspx?id=186 From the Dean’s Desk A message from Interim Dean Charles Clark I am very pleased to have the opportunity to write this message to the friends of the College of Letters & Science at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. As some of you know, Dr. Lance Grahn, having served as Letters & Science Dean since 2004, assumed the position of Provost and Dean of Faculty at the University of Central Arkansas. We thank Dr. Grahn for his service to the university and wish him well as he takes up his new position. “research and learning that generate new knowledge and new insights which, through their application, promote economic development, community wellbeing.” To the Point began during Dean Grahn’s tenure as a means of informing our friends of the good things happening in the College of Letters & Science at UWSP. We continue this tradition with the current issue. The students featured here, whether serving the victims of Hurricane Katrina or working as researchers under the auspices of the National Science Foundation or improving fish habitats, embody the mission and values of the College of Letters & Science. As stated at the College’s website, “we prepare and empower students to make a difference in our world.” Certainly, Katrina Mijal’s work in Biloxi has made a difference in that part of our world. By the same token, Abby Purdy and Ryan Huber – through their work at the Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility – live the College mission, which states, in part, that the College carries out A nthropology assistant professor Stephanie Aleman’s fieldwork and research in the Amazon was center stage when she was the debut speaker in a new lecture series sponsored by the College of Letters and Science. For more information about the lecture series visit www.uwsp.edu/cls/lecture_Series_Videos/lectureindex.aspx Samples of her artifacts from the Amazon are currently on display in front of lecture hall 101 Collins Classroom Center. Photo of friends in the Amazon by Stephanie Aleman C As our current students help the College to fulfill its mission, so, too, do the alumni and current and retired faculty of Letters & Science. Those faculty and alumni featured in “News & Notes” are outstanding examples of commitment to the liberal arts and sciences, both here at UWSP and beyond. Especially notable is the endowment retired Dean Justus Paul and Associate Professor Emerita Barbara Paul have established to provide resources to university faculty on sabbatical. This endowment will help ensure the success of faculty sabbatical work, which, in turn, will ensure the continued professional vitality of our faculty. I am proud to be Interim Dean this year in the College of Letters & Science. The work of our faculty, students, and alumni is truly remarkable and demonstrates the fulfillment of the Letters & Science mission to achieve “academic excellence that fosters students’ career preparation, professional expertise, civic responsibility, personal development, and global adaptability.” had Felch won the prestigious Siemens Inventor of the Year award for “Wet Oxidation to Treat a Soot Slurry from a Gasification Process.” His invention is used to treat waste stream generated by a gasification process used in tar sand fields in Alberta Canada. The Wausau resident and UWSP alumnus (Chemistry and Mathematics 1995) was the only North American winner of 57,000 worldwide research specialists. For more information visit http://w1.siemens.com/press/en/events/inventors2007/felch.php C hemistry and Mathematics major Brennan Walder received the nationally renowned Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship. He is the 10th winner on campus and represents the sixth consecutive year a UWSP student has won at least one scholarship. For more information visit www.act.org/goldwater/ Barry Goldwater photo courtesy of www.act.org To the Point | 3 News & Notes What’s Happening in the College of Letters and Science D ave Haecker continues his research on professional wrestling as a social movement and issue. The 2007 Sociology major has had one of his articles used in a Comparative Media class at MIT. For more information visit http://mitcmsprowrestling.blogspot.com/2007/05/ why-study-profeesional-wrestling.html N Photo courtesy of Paul family R etired L&S Dean Justus Paul and Associate Professor Emerita Barbara Paul created an endowment to help offset faculty sabbatical expenses for the College of Letters & Science and the University Library. The first year recipient was Richard Barker in Foreign Languages. For more information visit www.uwsp.edu/cls/scholarship.htm. athan Bowling, assistant professor of Chemistry received a Cottrell College Science award from Research Corporation for his grant proposal “Generation and Studies of Pyrazinyleneethynylenes: Controlling Oligomer Geometry via Transition Metal Coordination.” For more information visit www.uwsp.edu/news/forTheMedia/nrArchive/pr/tmBowlingScienceAward08.htm F ive faculty members received University Awards in 2008. Emmett Judziewicz (Associate Professor of Biology) received the University Scholar Award. Ed Miller (Professor of Political Science), Craig Wendorf (Associate Professor of Psychology), Kathleen Lamb (Assistant Professor of Sociology) and Todd Huspeni (Associate Professor of Biology) received the Excellence in Teaching Award. For more information visit www.uwsp.edu/NEWS/ pr/chOutstanding08.htm. Mark Williams & Andrea Medo, Editors Make a difference - make a gift now! www.uwsp.edu/foundation/givingform.shtm online giving code: AG/08NL/LS For more information about scholarships or supporting our programs, please contact Mark Williams at (715)346-4211 or email: [email protected]. To view current scholarship programs please visit: www.uwsp.edu/cls/scholarship.htm from the College of Letters and Science, UWSP To the Point: Connecting to the Future, Serving the Public Good STEVENS POINT WI 54481 Stevens Point, WI 54481 1801 Fourth Avenue 130 Collins Classroom Center UWSP College of Letters and Science PERMIT NO. 19 PAID U.S. POSTAGE Non-profit Org.