WKU News

It’s summertime, and that means Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky students are ready to go, engaging in STEM opportunities, study abroad, and other academic pursuits.

“I always look forward to the summer, because I love to see the interesting work our students take part in,” says Cheryl Kirby-Stokes, Academic Opportunities Coordinator at The Gatton Academy. “Our students take advantage of every prospect, whether that be research, study abroad, or other STEM and non-STEM opportunities.”

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Sponsored Grant

With Dr. John Khouryieh (WKU School of Engineering and Applied Sciences) and Dr. Luiz Silva (WKU Department of Agriculture and Food Science), students will have hands-on projects at WKU’s food and meat science laboratory, including evaluating the effects of partial replacement of fat with added polysaccharides and proteins on the physicochemical, texture, oxidative stability, and sensory properties of reduced fat emulsion. Student activities will include developing research plans, conducting supervised research experiments, collecting data, completing statistical analysis, and contributing to conference abstracts and peer-reviewed journal manuscripts.

Ansh Chhabra (’24, Bowling Green HS)

Evan Conge (’24, Berea Community HS)

Sarah Maloney (’24, Franklin-Simpson HS)

Gatton Research Internship Grant

In its 14^th year, the Gatton Research Internship Grant program creates summer research opportunities for rising Seniors. The grants provide stipends, living expenses, and a small supplies fund for projects at WKU. Twenty students were chosen for Summer 2023, conducting research at WKU and other institutions across the country.

Tobi Akangbe (’24, South Warren HS) will be examining the effects of glucocorticoids on responses to sleep loss with Dr. Noah Ashley of WKU’s Department of Biology.

Mykah Carden (’24, Russellville HS) will be investigating the geological and hydrological aspects of the Hidden River Groundwater Basin with Dr. Pat Kambesis of WKU’s Department of Earth, Environmental, and Atmospheric Sciences.

Landon Carlton (’24, Rockcastle Co. HS) will be exploring the role of V-Type ATPase in Drosophila wing development with Dr. Ajay Srivastava of WKU’s Department of Biology.

Tyler Clifton (’24, Corbin HS) will be investigating how neuron-glia interaction is disrupted following a mild traumatic brain injury with Dr. Adam Bachstetter of the University of Kentucky’s College of Medicine.

Kal-El Cline (’24, Warren East HS) will be developing novel, high-porosity polymer substrates to which photocatalyst compounds can be attached with Dr. Matthew Nee of WKU’s Department of Chemistry.

Amelie Fuentes (’24, Atherton HS) will be developing a pressure sensor for autonomous robotic grip applications with Dr. Farhad Ashrafzadeh of WKU’s Center for Energy Systems.

Nikhil Kumar (’24, duPont Manual HS) will be exploring the impact of BEM1 and BOI1 proteins on cellular morphology and polarity and their implications for human physiology with Dr. Joseph Marquardt of WKU’s Department of Biology.

Jacob Ladwig (’24, Owensboro HS) will be synthesizing and analyzing 3d metal-organic coordination polymers with Dr. Bangbo Yan of WKU’s Department of Chemistry.

Albert Presley-Mbanfu (’24, Greenwood HS) will be using the sea lamprey as a model for studying molecular mechanisms of successful spinal cord regeneration in vertebrates with Dr. Hilary Katz of WKU’s Department of Biology.

Sara Nath (’24, Larry A. Ryle HS) will be developing deep learning models to predict Alzheimer's disease diagnosis accurately with Dr. Ritambhara Singh of Brown University’s Department of Computer Science.

Mara Neace (’24, Model Laboratory HS) will be developing a water quality and quantity profile for Jennings Creek in Bowling Green, Kentucky with Dr. Jason Polk of WKU’s Department of Earth, Environmental, and Atmospheric Sciences.

Amy Pan (’24, Bowling Green HS) will be developing an AR project that pairs live performance with AR elements in a traditional theatre space with Dr. Kristina Arnold of WKU’s Department of Art.

Om Patel (’24, Breckinridge Co. HS) will be creating a fully functional and immersive game-like learning tool for American Sign Language that has a virtual reality application with Dr. Kristina Arnold of WKU’s Department of Art & Design.

Braeden Patrick (’24, Southwestern HS) will be processing and studying the metal concentration in plants harvested from the Bismark Mine in Montana with Dr. Shelby Rader of Indiana University in Bloomington’s Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences.

Laurel Patterson (’24, North Oldham HS) will be performing a computational investigation of dendritic spines with Dr. TaeYoon Kim of Purdue University’s Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering.

Sofia Sileo (’24, iLEAD/Henry County High School) will be identifying and characterizing bacteriophage proteins with Dr. Rodney King of WKU’s Department of Biology.

Hunter Smith (’24, West Jessamine HS) will be studying the role of impaired myocardial energetics in development of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with Dr. Ivan Luptak of Boston University’s School of Medicine.

Jacob Thomas (’24, Saint Xavier HS) will be investigating the characterization of V-Type ATPase downregulation phenotype in the air sac primordium in Drosophila melanogaster with Dr. Ajay Srivastava of WKU’s Department of Biology.

Gracie Veith (’24, South Warren HS) will be developing novel, high-porosity polymer substrates to which photocatalyst compounds can be attached with Dr. Matthew Nee of WKU’s Department of Chemistry.

Vivianna Weaver (’24, Garrard Co. HS) will be using zebrafish to examine how exposure to per and polyfluoroalkyl substances affects brain development and seizure susceptibility with Dr. Jessica Plavicki of Brown University’s Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine.

Wood Hudson Cancer Research Laboratory

A community partner with Gatton for 12 years, one of the premier research facilities in Northern Kentucky will host:

Addison Hoskins (’23, Harrison Co. HS)

Isabella McIntosh (’23, Campbell Co. HS)

Mammoth Cave

Through a generous grant from General Motors, Gatton has been able to offer paid internships to students to work at Mammoth Cave National Park. This year, two students were hired as Communications and Social Media and Curation and Digital Services interns.

Kenyan Wood (’23, Caverna HS)

Lyla Wood (’24, Edmonson Co. HS)

National Consortium of Secondary STEM Schools (NCSSS) Student Research Conference

The annual NCSSS Student Research Conference brings together students from NCSSS STEM member schools to share their research,network, and collaborate with other STEM students from around the country. This year’s conference will take place at the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy (IMSA) June 22-25, 2023 in Aurora, Illinois.

Elena Baggett’s (’24, Greenwood HS) research title is “Discovery and Analysis of Mycobacteriophage Blubba”.

Ansh Chhabra’s (’24, Bowling Green HS) research title is “The Development of Low-Cost Systems for the Drone Delivery of Medical Supplies”.

Dain Im’s (’24, South Warren HS) research title is “The Role of Glucocorticoids in Sleep Cycles”.

Nikhil Kumar’s (’24, duPont Manual HS) research title is “Investigating the Regulatory Mechanisms of Cell Shape and Polarity in Yeast: Role of BOI1, BEM1, and Elm1 Kinase and their Interactions for Novel Therapeutic Targets”.

Om Patel’s (’24, Breckinridge Co. HS) research title is “Development of a Mixed Reality Application to Implement an American Sign Language (ASL) Learning System”.

Sofia Sileo’s (’24, iLead/Henry Co. HS) research title is “Identifying and Characterizing Toxic Bacteriophage Proteins”.

Jacob Thomas’s (’24, Saint Xavier HS) research title is “Further Characterization Of V-Type ATPase Downregulation Phenotype In The Air Sac Primordium Of Drosophila melanogaster”.

Experiences Abroad

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

NSLI-Y Scholarships from the U.S. Department of State fund students for six to eight weeks of summer intensive study and immersion in a critical language. The programs are typically carried out through immersive study abroad, with participants taking intensive language courses, living with a host family, and visiting sites of cultural significance in their host nation. The following students received NSLI-Y Scholarships for summer language study:

Desmond Harris (’23, Ballard HS) will continue Russian study this summer in Daugavpils, Latvia.

Mason Hartlage (’24, Highlands Latin School) will continue Russian study in Narva, Estonia.

Caden Lucas (’23, Breckinridge Co. HS) will pursue Arabic study in Rabat, Morocco.

Quinn Miller (’23, Hopkinsville HS) will defer Chinese study in Kaohsiung City, Taiwan to attend the Air Force Academy.

Alex Minter (’23, Bowling Green HS) will continue Arabic study in Amman, Jordan.

Jayne Thompson (’24, Spencer Co. HS) will continue Chinese study in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

Zachary Vandermolen (’24, Glasgow HS) will continue Chinese study in Taipei, Taiwan.

Mia West (’23, Lawrence Co. HS) is an alternate for the Chinese program.

Study Abroad in England

The Gatton Academy is partnering with Harlaxton College in Grantham, England for the 11^th year to offer a three-week study abroad program focused on British Literature. The following students will be taking the course with Drs. Dawn Hall and Ted Hovet of WKU’s Department of English:

Savannah Arnold (’24, Spencer Co. HS)

Elizabeth Barrett (’24, Marshall Co. HS)

Liz Burgan (’24, Daviess Co. HS)

Gianna Claros (’24, duPont Manual HS)

Thomas Clark (’24, Madisonville North Hopkins HS)

Tyler Clifton (’24, Corbin HS)

Kal-El Cline (’24, Warren East HS)

Corey Coleman (’24, Rockcastle Co. HS)

Evan Conge (’24, Berea Community HS)

Brycen Daniels (’24, BAVEL Virtual School)

Massia Diomande (’24, John Hardin HS)

Tristan Dunn (’24, Trinity HS)

Grace Engelhardt (’24, Simon Kenton HS)

Devin Frazier (’24, Rowan Co. HS)

Sophia Gnadinger (’24, South Oldham HS)

Brayden Gross (’24, Somerset HS)

Ansley Hoagland (’24, Franklin-Simpson HS)

Jacob Houk (’24, Rockcastle Co. HS)

Gunny Howard (’24, Owensboro Innovation Academy)

Cat Hranicky (’24, Paul L. Dunbar HS)

Nikhil Kumar (’24, duPont Manual HS)

Jacob Ladwig (’24, Owensboro HS)

Ashlynn Linet (’24, duPont Manual HS)

Daniela Lopez Llorens (’24, Hopkinsville HS)

Evie Maddox (’24, McCracken Co. HS)

Ben McMahan (’24, Spencer Co. HS)

Chayce Merchant (’24, Owen Co. HS)

Cameron Miller (’24, Central Hardin HS)

Mara Neace (’24, Model Laboratory School)

Presley Neagle (’24, Barren Co. HS)

George Nguyen (’24, Warren Central HS)

Om Patel (’24, Breckinridge Co. HS)

Braeden Patrick (’24, Southwestern HS)

Addie Patterson (’24, Woodford Co. HS)

Roseanna Peterson (’24, Marion Co. HS)

Anthony Pike (’24, Elizabethtown HS)

Lincoln Potts (’24, Oldham Co. HS)

Nevaeh Ricketts (’24, Bullitt East HS)

Bailey Seadler (’24, John Hardin HS)

Sofia Sileo (’24, iLead/Henry Co. HS)

Hunter Smith (’24, Central Hardin HS)

Tori Stein (’24, Shelby Co. HS)

Melanie Stewart (’24, Oldham Co. HS)

Jacob Thomas (’24, Saint Xavier HS)

Hayden VanHook (’24, Pulaski Co. HS)

Gracie Veith (’24, South Warren HS)

Ethan Vietze (’24, Mason Co. HS)

Levi Willgruber (’24, Greenwood HS)

Jordan Wonka (’24, North Oldham HS)

Other Notable Individual Experiences

Nishcal Anekere (’23, Conner HS) will be a software intern at Meyer Tool in Erlanger, Kentucky.

Savanna Arnold (’24, Spencer Co. HS) will be working at the Jefferson Animal Hospital, a 24-hour emergency clinic, in Louisville, KY as a Kennel Assistant.

Gracie Ashlock (’24, North Hardin HS) will be shadowing at a funeral home in Vine Grove, KY).

Elena Baggett (’24, Greenwood HS) will be shadowing Dr. Hannah Thomas from Snodgrass Veterinary Medical Center in Bowling Green, KY in surgery and will work in their horse barn.

Aathman Bhavaraju (’23, Western Hills HS) will be completing his certification in Salesforce and Python this summer.

Chezney Boothe (’23, Hazard HS) will be joining the lab of Dr. Rina Plattner at the University of Kentucky. Dr. Plattner's research focuses on the role of the ABL family of kinases in melanoma. She will also be working as an RA overseeing high school students participating in the Markey Cancer Center's Appalachian Career Training in Oncology (ACTION) Program

Madisyn Braden (’23, Graves Co. HS) will be traveling to Arizona and France as an intern with First Baptist Church in Mayfield, Kentucky and will also lead a youth camp at Jonathan Creek Camp in Hardin, Kentucky.

Drake Calhoon (’23, Calloway Co. HS) will be participating in the Kentucky IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence(KY INBRE) Summer Undergraduate Research Program for ten weeks. She will conduct pharmacology and toxicology research involving the use of plants for their antimicrobial and anticancer properties at the University of Louisville.

Elijah Cossel (’23, Frankfort HS) will be a math tutor at Bluegrass Community and Technical College in Frankfort, KY.

Massia Diomande (’24, John Hardin HS) will be shadowing physicians in Oklahoma.

Nolan French (’24, Hancock Co. HS) will be conducting physics research with Dr. Jasminka Terzic of WKU’s Department of Physics and Astronomy.

Amelie Fuentes (’24, Atherton HS) will be volunteering at the Frazier History Museum in Louisville, KY.

Ariti Gani ('24, Bowling Green HS) competed in the NCFL Forensic National Tournament in Louisville in the Oratory category. She will also attend the Governor's School for the Arts in Creative Writing at the University of Kentucky and participate in the Girls Who Code Virtual Summer Immersion Program. 

Sophia Gnadinger (’24, South Oldham HS) will be organizing a computer programming camp for elementary school students at Oldham County Schools Arts Center in Crestwood, KY.

Braydon Gross (’24, Somerset HS) will be shadowing an ER doctor at Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital in Somerset, KY and will be finalizing research analyzing the relationship between halteres and wings in Drosophila melanogaster.

Dain Im (’24, South Warren HS) will be shadowing at Med Center Health with a pediatrician and will be attending the Governor's School of the Arts for music performance.

Hadley Jones (’23, Central Hardin HS) will be shadowing at Baptist Health Hospital in Elizabethtown (Dr. Cardin, Dr. Bean), Dr. Price in Louisville, and a rural clinic in Munfordville (Dr. Middleton). She is volunteering at the Kids Cancer Alliance summer camp for children with cancer and Mission Hope, a children's educational opportunity.

Lila Jones (’23, Owensboro HS) is participating in the Kentucky Musicians Abroad (KMA) Europe tour.

Hakeem Kalik (’23, Daviess Co. HS) will be shadowing at Nadar Pain Care in Owensboro, KY.

Michaela Kenady (’24, Home School) will be volunteering at the Bowling Green/Warren County Humane Society.

Chris Kim (’23, Greenwood HS) will be giving cello lessons to elementary through high school students and will be performing in Western Kentucky University’s chamber and string program.

Hannah Laney (’23, Paul G. Blazer HS) will be participating in the University of Kentucky’s Professional Education Preparation Program (PEPP) for rising college freshman with an interest in going to medical school.

Lillian Long (’24, Ballard HS) will be conducting research with Dr. Michael Perlin at the University of Louisville looking at surrounding fungi in plants as a disease model.

Daniela Lopez Llorens (’24, Hopkinsville HS) will be participating in web-based research with Dr. Chandrakanth Emani of WKU’s Department of Biology regarding glyceraldehyde phosphate dehydrogenase (GAP) genes in basil, spinach, cilantro, and mint. She will also be participating in a state-wide effort to clean the coral reefs in Oahu, Hawaii.

Caden Lucas (’23, Breckinridge Co. HS) will be a resident advisor at the Henry Clay Center High School Congress, a top policy-development and learning program for high school juniors at the University of Kentucky. He will also be re-opening his car detailing business, Caden's ProGarage located in Harned, KY.

Holly McClure (’23, Russell Co. HS) will be working as a co-counselor and craft staff member at Indian Creek Camp in Liberty, TN.

Quinn Miller (’23, Hopkinsville HS) will be participating in Air Force basic training in Colorado Springs as an incoming cadet andhad his Eagle Scout Court of Honor in June.

Diego Moreno (’23, Elizabethtown HS) will be participating in Coast Guard basic training as an incoming cadet.

Lauren Morris (’23, Frederick Douglass HS) will be a camp counselor at Camp Wallace in Monticello, KY.

Aubrey Morse (’23, Graves Co. HS) will be participating in the Pre-Med Academy at Baptist Health in Paducah, KY.

Divya Naidugari (’23, Randall K. Cooper HS) will be a medical scribe at University of Louisville Health and will work with a surgical technician and shadow a pediatric surgeon.

Presley Neagle (’24, Barren Co. HS) will be participating in the Commonwealth Honors Academy through Murray State University.

Caleb Neitzel (’24, Barren Co. HS) will be attending the Stephen Collins Foster Music Camp at Eastern Kentucky University.

Olufemi Obielodan (’23, Frankfort Christian Academy) will be a VAMPY/SCATS/Camp Discover counselor with WKU’s Center for Gifted Studies.

Natasha Otieno (’23, Shelby Co. HS) will be participating in the Johnson C. Smith Summer 2023 Sustainability Program in Environmental Science at Charlotte, NC.

Jarrett Packwood (’23, Atherton HS) will be a Counselor at Camp Piomingo in Brandenburg, KY.

Amy Pan (’24, Bowling Green HS) will be participating in the Governor's Scholars Program.

Kareena Pansuria (’23, South Warren HS) will be continuing her research with Dr. Bangbo Yan of WKU’s Chemistry Department working on an efficient photocatalyst to reduce carbon dioxide into carbon monoxide.

Addie Patterson (’24, Woodford Co. HS) will be working at Journey Camp in Versailles, KY. She will also be working as a Head Coach for children’s tennis at Falling Springs Parks and Recreation Center in Versailles, KY.

Laurel Patterson (’24, North Oldham HS) will be an online tutor for a Finnish summer camp, Salolampi, through Concordia College in Bemidji, Minnesota.

Joaquin Pauig (’23, Corbin HS) will be shadowing Dr. Jarold J. Pauig at The Medical City in Manila, Philippines.

Reagan Phelps (’23, Bardstown HS) will be participating in basic training at West Point U.S. Military Academy as an incoming cadet.

Lincoln Potts (’24, Oldham Co. HS) will be interning at POD Group, an engineering firm that works on cell towers.

Livi Ray (’24, University Heights Academy) will be a Congressional Intern in Washington, D.C. through the House of Representatives. 

Nevaeh Ricketts (’24, Bullitt East HS) will be shadowing labor and delivery and newborn care at  University of Louisville Health.

Braydon Scott (’24, John Hardin HS) will serve on staff for a Boy Scouts of America summer camp at Camp Roy C. Manchester in Benton, KY. He will also serve on youth staff for the National Youth Leadership training course hosted by the Boy Scouts of America at Tunnel Mill Scout Reservation in Charlestown, IN and the youth service team for the Boy Scouts of America's 2023 National Jamboree at the Summit Bechtel Reserve in Glen Jean, WV.

Ellen Sego (’23, Central Hardin HS) will be teaching week-long computer science-based classes at Newton's Attic in Lexington, KY.

Zachary Vandermolen (’24, Glasgow HS) will be volunteering at the International Center of Kentucky in Bowling Green, KY.

Mia West (’23, Lawrence Co. HS) will be participating in the Brown-Forman Engineering Program at the University of Louisville.

Carolina Wheeler (’23, Greenwood HS) will be continuing her work for the XR Laboratory at Western Kentucky University on an augmented reality theater experience.

Jordan Wonka (’24, North Oldham HS) will be shadowing an endocrinologist in Louisville, KY.

About The Gatton Academy: Established in 2007,  The Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science is Kentucky’s first residential two-year program for gifted and talented juniors and seniors. The Gatton Academy’s students enroll as juniors and are full-time WKU students pursuing their interests in advanced science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The Gatton Academy is a recipient of the 2022 Inspiring Programs in STEM Award from Insight Into Diversity Magazine and the Innovation Partnership Award from the National Consortium for Secondary STEM Schools.