April 22, 2010

KUTZTOWN UNIVERSITY ANNOUNCES RECIPIENTS OF THE
2010 ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

The ceremony included remarks by Mr. Robert Watrous, Associate Vice President and Dean for Student Services and Campus Life, Dr. Carlson R. Chambliss, Professor Emeritus, Physical Science, and Dr. F. Javier Cevallos, University President, with an introduction to the award recipients by Dr. Carlos Vargas-Aburto. 

Faculty members nominate students after they have met one or more of the six areas of achievement. Areas in which achievement can occur include: successfully completed research projects, original artwork of high quality, artistic performances (music, chorus, drama, etc.) of high quality, original writing in literature or meritorious writing in other fields, noteworthy athletics, and outstanding service to the KU community.  

The Academic Achievement Award was established through a donation provided by Dr. Carlson R. Chambliss, KU faculty member from 1970-2003. The purpose of the awards is to recognize the exceptional individual achievements of a select group of KU graduating seniors. Specially designed coin medallions of gold, silver, and copper were presented to the students. 

The Academic Achievement Award winners are below.

Lauren Storm (with Dr. F. Javier Cevallos, left, and Dr. Carlson Chambliss, right)

Spring Grove, Pa. resident and geology major, Lauren Storm ’10 conducted research in Utah and China and gave presentations on her findings at three National Geological Society of America meetings. As president of the KU Geology Club, she organized further research trips to Arizona, Yellowstone National Park, Mont., Costa Rica, Peru and Hawaii.   Storm’s research helped constrain the timing of the uplift of the Rocky Mountains in Utah, as well as the origin of a 325 million year old fossil animal burrow in Pennsylvania, and the sequence of geological events that formed the strategically important molybdenum deposits in Henan, China.  She published one of these studies in a high-level, international scientific journal.

Rachel Wisemiller (with Dr. F. Javier Cevallos, left, and Dr. Carlson Chambliss, right) Hazleton, Pa. resident and mathematics major, Rachel Wisemiller ’10, a member of the Golden Bears women’s basketball team, used mathematical operations research to find the optimal lineup for her team. Her work allows other teams to maximize their performance on the court.

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Taryn Dick (with Dr. F. Javier Cevallos, left, and Dr. Carlson Chambliss, right) New Cumberland, Pa. resident and biology/molecular/micro/cell major, Taryn Dick ’10 found a better way to remove cDNA from a small amount of RNA, furthering the amount of research and study that can be done with a set sample. During her research, she isolated, cloned and sequenced 40 unique genes for further research.

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	Elizabeth Goodman (with Dr. F. Javier Cevallos, left, and Dr. Carlson Chambliss, right)
Lancaster, Pa. resident and marine science and biology major, Elizabeth Goodman ’10 contributed to two marine science research projects on zooplankton and fish otoliths. A presentation of her work won an award by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

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	Sarah Sitar (with Dr. F. Javier Cevallos, left, and Dr. Carlson Chambliss, right)
Denver, Pa. resident and social work major, Sarah Sitar ’10 served as president and co-president of the KU chapter of Best Buddies, which supports people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Under her leadership, KU won Chapter of Excellence and Outstanding Chapter awards.

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	Daniel Walker (with Dr. F. Javier Cevallos, left, and Dr. Carlson Chambliss, right)
Nazareth, Pa. resident and accounting major Daniel Walker ’10, president of the KU Student Government Board, worked to implement a new model of student representation on the board and established the position of dean’s liaison. His efforts resulted in highest level of board involvement in recent years.

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Kristen Bennett (with Dr. F. Javier Cevallos, left, and Dr. Carlson Chambliss, right)

Wind Gap, Pa. resident and Art Education/Fine Arts major, Kristen L. Bennett ’10, shared her love for the arts with service to the community.  From Sept. 2008 to Aug. 2009, Bennett served as gallery director of Eckhaus, a non-profit student run gallery in Kutztown.  As director, she was curator for exhibits, scheduled workshops and summer camps, wrote grants and oversaw 10-15 student workers.  Her continued outstanding service to the community included organizing events for the President’s Roundtable on Alcohol and Other Drugs.

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	Katelyn Dovey (with Dr. F. Javier Cevallos, left, and Dr. Carlson Chambliss, right)
Willow Hill, Pa. resident and education/biology major, Katelyn Dovey ’10, contributed to a research project focused on honey bees’ use of the sun as a compass for orientation. She presented the projects findings at a meeting of the Commonwealth of Pa. University Biologists and the Animal Behavior Society.

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	Vadim Fedorovsky (with Dr. F. Javier Cevallos, left, and Dr. Carlson Chambliss, right)
Reading, Pa. resident and philosophy major, Vadim Fedorovsky ’10, wrote philosophy the papers “The Prudential Paradox of Socrates” and “Plato’s Theaetetus: Knowledge is not Perception?” and presented at conferences. One of his papers was published in the Pa. State System of Higher Education philosophy journal. He is the president of the KU Philosophy Club.

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	Jeffrey Kunkel (with Dr. F. Javier Cevallos, left, and Dr. Carlson Chambliss, right)
Upper Black Eddy, Pa. resident and computer science major, Jeffrey D. Kunkel ’09, did independent research in mathematics focused on combinatorics and probability in the game of pinochle and made several presentations at student conferences. He also is the winner of the 2009 Kutztown Programming Competition.

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Elizabeth Schroeder (with Dr. F. Javier Cevallos, left, and Dr. Carlson Chambliss, right)

Malvern, Pa. resident and English/professional writing major, Elizabeth Schroeder ’10, undertook an internship for a local church much in need of a Web site update. She researched software and online tutorials to create a superior site that will be launched upon her graduation. In addition, she is a student facilitator of the freshman orientation program and a member of the Student Government Board.

2010 Chambliss Academic Achievement Award Winners Sitting (left to right): Elizabeth Goodman, Taryn Dick, Lauren Storm, Elizabeth Schroeder Standing: Dr. Carlson Chambliss, Jeffrey Kunkel, Sarah Sitar, Dr. F. Javier Cevallos, Katelyn Dovey, Rachel Wisemiller, Daniel Walker, Kristen Bennett, Dr. Carlos Vargas-Aburto

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