Robert E Cook Honors College Blogs

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Natalie McCauley Wins Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship

Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship winner Natalie McCauley, a senior English and history major of the Robert E. Cook Honors College at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, will study Russian literature and language this semester in the Bard-Smolny Program at Bard College in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Studying the language is especially appealing, she said, because of “The quirks of the Russian language. There are a lot of peculiarities and idiosyncrasies in the Russian language that we don't have in English, and they make learning the language fun.” McCauley, of Moon Township, first attended an orientation at Bard College in New York before going to Russia. “In St. Petersburg, I have another three days of orientation, followed by a two-week long intensive language course.” she said. “Then our semester classes. I'm signed up to take a class on Russian literature, eight credits worth of language classes, and I have the option to audit another class of my choice. I'll probably choose another literature course.” Though she is drawn to studying the Russian language, she most enjoys the influences of literature. “I love reading literature,” she said. What is most influential, she said is “Finding really well-written literature that puts ideas and images into concise, beautiful, flowing words.” McCauley said the Gilman scholarship will provide a superior educational benefit. “I'm able to participate in one of the top programs in the field,” she said. “Other programs for Russian literature aren't of the same quality as Bard/Smolny. They don't offer that kind of instruction, experience, immersion or cultural education. At Bard/Smolny, not only are American students placed in classes with native speakers-- and often the American student is the only international student in the class-- but they are also encouraged to participate or create co-curricular clubs outside of class, something study abroad programs do not offer.” McCauley plans to continue her study of Russian literature post-college. She plans to pursue Russian literature at the graduate level, serve in the Peace Corps and become a professor of Russian literature, Russian or English as a second language. Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarships are awarded to undergraduate students who have limited financial means to study abroad.

Does anyone Remember Snax?

Congratulations Tiffanie!

Lane Olivia Fordyce was born on October 1, 2007!
9 lbs 10oz and 21" long

Those of you who work in the office know Tiffanie as the marketing and publications genious behind the Robert E Cook Honors College publications and marketing campaigns. I am sure all of you have noticed she hasn't been around as much lately. That's because on October 1, Lane Olivia was born and she is home enjoying her time with the baby.  Congratulations TIffanie!

Good Bye

I can't believe that I am saying good-bye to the RECHC after 6 years!  I loved working in this community of scholars and it is with mixed emotions that I turned in my letter of resignation.  My last day at IUP will be August 3.  It is really poor timing that all of this happened during the summer and I didn't get a chance to say good-bye in person.

Most of you know that I finished my masters last year and have been looking for the 'next thing'.  That next thing found me when a human resources person from Respironics, Inc. called me to see if I would be interested in working for them.  I accepted a position as CRM Systems Analyst with their Sales and Sales Support Group and will begin working with them on August 6.

The offer was too good to pass up, but I know that I will miss you guys.  You made my job rewarding and satisfying in spite of anything else that was going on.  I loved hearing about your study abroad experiences and your day to day challenges and triumphs.  Please stay in touch my new email account will be lucindamking@gmail.com

Keep journaling on those travel blogs!  I will be checking them to see what you guys are doing.

Hugs,
Cindy

Glamour Scholarship Contest

GLAMOUR Top 10 College Women change in deadline:  November 30, 2007

This is a heads-up to let you know that Glamour's Top 10 College Women Competition has been moved up in the calendar year. The deadline for the 2008 competition is November 30, 2007. The winners will be chosen by March 30, 2008, and will be announced in the June issue of the magazine. Also,the prize money has been raised to $3,000. We hope that you'll alert your top college juniors to the deadline and pass on the attached application. The PDF is also on our website, www.glamour.com/news/top10collegewomen, along with the profiles of the 2007 winners, a slideshow and quotes from 50 years of winners. We'll send posters and applications by mail in the fall and another e-mail as a reminder.

Any questions? Please call Lynda Laux-Bachand, Reader Services Editor, at 212-286-6667.

Indiana Players is looking for talented RECHC students

The Indiana Players are looking for students in the RECHC who are interested in auditioning for the Philadelphia Story!  If you have any questions, contact Beth Blumer.

Auditions for the Philadelphia Story

March 4 and 5 from 6:00 - 9:00 pm at the Philadelphia Street Playhouse, 725 Philadelphia Street, Indiana, PA  15701.

Upcoming events at the playhouse include:

Daughters will be playing March 23, 24, 30, and 31 at 8:00 pm and March 25 and April 1 at 2:00 pm at the Philadelphia Street Playhouse.

The Philadelphia Story will be playing April 13, 14, 20, and 21 at 8:00 pm and April 15 and 22 at 2:00 pm.

Tickets for both shows are $8 for general admission and $6 for seniors and students.

For advanced tickets call 724-463-7122

For more information visit their website: www.indianaplayers.com

Scholarship Information for students in New York City Area

Robert E Cook Honors Students, if you are from the NY area and majoring in Communications, read this post, NOW!

New York Women in Communications Inc. Foundation
2007 Scholarship Program

I know it is late notice, but here is an excellent opportunity to apply for a scholarship from the NYWICI.  You will need to hurry though because the deadline for application is January 31, 2007.

"Awarded annually, the NYWICI Foundation offers a select group of New York-area students the opportunity to advance their education and their careers while becoming part of a dynamic sisterhood of communications professionals."-- NYWICI Foundation Scholarship Committee
Click on this link for more information: NYWICI Foundation Scholarship

For any questions about New York Women in Communications, Inc. or the 2007 NYWICI Foundation Scholarship Program, contact us at (212) 297-2133 or email us at foundation@nywici.org.

Is that Dr. Botelho?

"Fencing is critical thinking at 70mph!..."

Dr. Lynn Botelho is a faculty member at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, a core professor for the Robert E Cook Honors College, and a competitive fencer.

When Indiana University of Pennsylvania History Professor Dr. Lynn Botelho is not teaching a class, participating on numerous committees, or preparing to publish a new essay, she spends her time lunging, attacking, and parrying as a nationally ranked fencer.

A fencing captain and champion in her undergraduate years at the University of Oregon, Botelho later participated on the Cambridge University fencing team while she was pursuing her doctorate. After taking a break from fencing to advance in her career, she jumped back into fencing and now competes at the national level. She noted, "It has always been who I am."

Botelho competes as a veteran, but also in Division I, where younger fencers of equal ability compete. The top four Division I fencers make up the United States Olympic fencing team. In fencing, players are either rated A through E or are unrated. Botelho is ranked C, and can only fence against those players with a C or better ranking. "I am at the bottom of the elite," Botelho explained.

Recently, Botelho participated in the Nittany Lion Open and finished third. At the recent Charm City Classic, held in Baltimore, Maryland, she finished very well with a third place. In big competitions such as the North American Cup and the National Championships, where Botelho finished eighth this year, fencers earn points that help form a national points ranking. Her current national rankings are 5th in Veterans and 53rd in Division I.

To train for fencing, Botelho runs daily and goes to the gym, like many athletes. Aside from this cross training, however, she is bound by contract to attend two private lessons a week. All the training Botelho completes is to prepare her for meets, in which she fences a series of bouts to five points each. Most individual meets are comprised of two parts, the pools and direct elimination. The pools establish player rankings by allowing each fencer to bout the other competitors one time. Following the pools, the direct elimination begins until there are four fencers remaining for the semi-final round, the two losers are each awarded third place while the winners advance to the final round to bout for first and second. Depending on the number of competitors, fencing tournaments can run from early morning into the evening.

So why does she keep working hard for this sport? She explained that, "it is physical chess for the very fit. You waiver a moment and you get stabbed. The fun starts when you start changing strategies in the middle of a bout because someone has figured out what you are doing -- and then you have to change what you are doing again."

Dr. Botelho's fencing mindset comes into play when she is teaching her students at IUP's Robert E. Cook Honors College where critical thinking is explored through an interdisciplinary liberal arts curriculum. Botelho states, "Fencing is critical thinking at 70mph! I have to figure out my opponents motivation, technique, bias (style) while at the same time be equally honest about my own and how it fits into the mix. Then, as they change what they are doing, I have to go through the entire process again and figure it out and make my own adjustments accordingly. All of this in 3 minutes! It's fast and fun. My old coach was once asked if there were any dumb fencers and he said 'yes, just not good ones!'"

IUP is a member of Pennsylvania's State System of Higher Education.

Taddie uses her summer to do research at the University of Utah

Robert E Cook Honors College Student Researches Purification of AL-21 and Developing Conjugation of APC-AF 750 Tandem Conjuga

As part of the Research Experience for Undergraduates program, Robert E. Cook Honors College student Kristen Taddie spent last summer at the University of Utah conducting an independent research project. She was involved in conjugating antibodies to fluorochromes; these antibodies will be used in stem cell lines.

An IUP Natural Sciences and Pre-Optometry major from Homer City, Taddie was selected to participate in the rigorous research program, which involved some fifteen undergraduate biology and biochemistry majors doing research for nine weeks. “We met once a week for lunch and discussed our research,” Taddie said. “We took a class to prepare us for the Graduate Record Examination, attended weekly seminars, and went on a couple of field trips.” Everyone was required to write a paper and to create a poster on his or her own research to present at the end of the program. “I worked on purifying antibodies and conjugating them to fluorochromes. In other words, my research involved developing a protocol for the best way to unite antibodies to any of various fluorescent substances used in biological staining to produce fluorescence in a specimen. The conjugated antibodies I made will be used as reagents in stem cell lines for major projects, and the protocol will be used to make more fluorescently labeled antibodies.”

Her research may be hard to communicate, but Taddie’s interest in science began in high school with “fascinating labs and hands-on work” that she has always enjoyed. The direct study of stem cell research is something she believes is “fairly novel, and I think a lot of discoveries and cures can come from it.” The REU program led Taddie to the laboratory of Gerald Spangrude, professor of medicine in the University of Utah, Division of Hematology. Most of Spangrude’s work is focused on his research, while he also teaches a few classes. His lab works with various models of stem cell biology and focuses on hematopoiesis–the formation of blood or blood cells in the living body. “In addition to learning countless lab techniques,” Taddie said, “I learned that if you want to go to graduate school, you really need to be motivated to do research. I worked at least forty hours a week, Dr. Spangrude and the graduate students were always there, and, most of the time, they wanted to be.” Perhaps most valuable to Taddie from her time in the REU program were the new lab skills she learned, not to mention the old ones on which she improved. “I feel I’m more prepared to make my own decisions regarding what project I want to tackle next,” she said, “because I understand more of why I do things. I’m a lot more confident in my lab work.”

Original Article Published at: http://www.iup.edu/publications/iupmag/backissues/Fall06/honors.shtm IUP Magazine Fall, 2006 Volume XXIV, No. 4

Learn more about Robert E Cook Honors College: www.iup.edu/honors

Contact: honors@iup.edu or 1-800-487-9122

Learn more about Indiana University of Pennsylvania: www.iup.edu

Learn more about the Natural Sciences and Mathematics Department at IUP: http://www.iup.edu/natsciandmath/

IUP is a member of the State System of Higher Education