On Dec. 3 and 4, The Center for Gifted Studies is hosting its 14th annual Leadership Institute.

John Baker, education coordinator for The Center for Leadership Excellence at WKU, will present Building Leadership in Students.

Teachers, counselors, administrators and others responsible for and interested in student leadership development are welcome to attend the two-day workshop. Baker will discuss practical, real-world strategies, tools and resources to cultivate the leadership potential in children and young people.

Building Leadership in Students is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 3 and 8:30 a.m. to noon Dec. 4. Both sessions will be held at the Carroll Knicely Center at WKU’s South Campus on Nashville Road.  Cost is $90 per individual or $45 per individual bringing a leadership project to exhibit.  EILA credit is available.

For information, contact The Center at 270-745-5991 or visit our website at www.wku.edu/gifted.

Contact: Harper Lee, (270) 745-6323.

A scanning electron microscope was delivered to WKU's Applied Physics Institute on Nov. 24. (WKU photo by Clinton Lewis)

One of the world’s largest scanning electron microscopes was delivered to WKU’s Applied Physics Institute on Nov. 24.

The large-chamber SEM, a $2.7 million gift from the U.S. Department of Energy, was moved from Oak Ridge National Laboratory to WKU’s API facility, located in the Center for Research and Development on Nashville Road.

The one of a kind instrument weighs about 18,000 pounds and has a scanning chamber that accommodate a sample up to 40 inches in diameter, 40 inches tall and up to 650 pounds (large enough for an automobile engine block), which means samples don’t have to be cut into small pieces for examination. A conventional SEM’s maximum sample size is 2 inches in diameter and 2 inches tall.

The instrument can magnify up to 100,000 times and offers high-resolution imaging for surface analysis, chemical analysis, materials identification, quality control, metal microstructure, subsurface examination and more.

“For the University, the SEM is a unique instrument that places WKU at the forefront of scientific research,” said Dr. Edward Kintzel, assistant professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy and project manager who acquired the instrument for WKU.

Contact: Edward Kintzel, (270) 745-6200.

The scanning electron microscope had been located at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The SEM is expected to be operational at WKU's Applied Physics Institute in the spring 2010 semester. (WKU photo by Clinton Lewis)

WKU senior Wesley Dyer of Monroe County was a member of the Platinum winning team in last weekend’s Southern Region Dairy Challenge Contest.

The contest, part of the North American Intercollegiate Dairy Challenge, was hosted on Nov. 19-21 by WKU, Eastern Kentucky University and University of Kentucky at Woodall Farms and Robey Farms in Logan County.

The regional contest attracted 75 students from 16 universities. In the competition, students from different schools are assigned to four- or five-person teams. Teams visit dairy farms, evaluate their strengths, weaknesses and management, and then make a 20-minute presentation to a panel of six judges. Teams can win Platinum, Gold and Silver awards.

Agriculture professor Jenks Britt is coach of the WKU dairy team.

Contact: Jenks Britt, (270) 745-3151.

WKU volleyball coach Travis Hudson had no idea the impact Dr. Kela Fee’s battle with cancer would have on him personally. Here is the story in the “View from the Hill” by WKU’s Amy Bingham DeCesare.

Three Technology Management graduate students in WKU’s Department of Architectural and Manufacturing Sciences made presentations at a national conference.

The Association of Technology, Management, and Applied Engineering (ATMAE) held its annual conference Nov. 10-14 in Louisville.

Susan Mordecai of Maumelle, Ark., made a presentation on Nanotechnology and Safety Issues.

Ed Martelli of Auburn made two presentations: Manufacturing Industries Response to Emerging Models for Predicting Global Warming; and Emphasizing Reuse and Recycling Programs in Lean Manufacturing.

Sarah Namara of Bowling Green made two presentations: Simplified Accounting: A Key Factor for a Successful Lean Organization; and Nanotechnology and Safety Issues.

Contact: Mark Doggett, (270) 745-6951.

Kingsford Manufacturing prides itself on its commitment to safety. This fall the charcoal manufacturing company, located in Summer Shade, partnered with WKU’s Department of Public Health to provide 17 employees an opportunity to take a series of undergraduate courses leading to a certificate in Occupational Health and Safety for those who successfully complete the program.

WKU is providing 17 employees at Kingsford Manufacturing in Summer Shade with an opportunity to take a series of undergraduate courses leading to a certificate in Occupational Health and Safety for those who successfully complete the program.

The Office of Cohort Programs within the Division of Extended Learning and Outreach provides support to the Public Health department’s efforts to bring the safety program to the workplace. Students will spend the next year completing a sequence of five courses, or 15 credit hours, to earn the certificate.

Faculty from WKU’s Public Health department will deliver classes in a hybrid format where students attend some face to face meetings during each course with the balance of the material covered online.

“Students will get a mixture of learning modes that will allow more flexibility for each learner,” said Dr. Ritchie Taylor, associate professor of Environmental Science who created the program of study for Kingsford. “Adult learning should be an active process. Students are expected to be actively involved, ask questions, share their own personal and professional experiences, and take an active role in the class.”

The new partnership with WKU encourages employee involvement and participation in creating and maintaining a safe workplace.

Topics covered over the course of the program include health effects of exposures, workplace hazards, basic principles of industrial hygiene, legal and regulatory issues, evaluation and control of health risks in the workplace, ethics in occupational health, and many others.

Gary English, head of WKU’s Department of Public Health, is excited about the new partnership. “When we were approached by Kingsford to develop this certificate program it became abundantly clear that the company was willing to invest in the development of their workforce,” he said. “While there are potential benefits to the corporate bottom line, the real winners in this program are the employees of Kingsford.”

“Safety is every employee’s responsibility,” said Plant Manager Rob Service. “We are working hard to be an injury-free workplace.”

Kingsford Manufacturing, a division of Clorox, Inc., has 95 team members employed at its 100-acre facility in Metcalfe County.

The company works to foster a culture of safety by providing employee training and education on hazard awareness, recognition and reporting, and encourage action to reduce risks and prevent personal injury or illness, both at work and at home. The foundation of this culture combines the use of traditional safety practices with behavior-based safety processes.

Cohort Programs is a unit within the Division of Learning & Outreach (DELO) at WKU. DELO takes the educational resources of WKU to the citizens of Kentucky and around the world. DELO works with businesses and organizations to provide customized training, to plan special events, and to develop degree programs that meet their specific needs.

Contact: Stacey Biggs, (270) 745-1926.

Willie Taggart was introduced as WKU’s new football coach Nov. 23 during a news conference with President Gary Ransdell and Athletic Director Wood Selig at Diddle Arena. Here is a selection of news conference photos by WKU’s Clinton Lewis:

Together with the Bowling Green Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, WKU will host the 2009 Kentucky High School Athletic Association Commonwealth Gridiron Bowl State Football Championships on Friday, Dec. 4, and Saturday, Dec. 5, at Houchens Industries-L.T. Smith Stadium. The state championship games are scheduled for 11 a.m., 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. both days.

This two-day event will bring thousands of high school students, teachers, school officials, fans and media from across the Commonwealth of Kentucky to Bowling Green and onto our campus and represents a major tourism opportunity for our community.

To accommodate and welcome those attending the games, PS2, surface lots around Diddle Arena and the South Lawn lot will be reserved for game patrons and KHSAA officials as well as media.  Alternative parking arrangements for WKU permit holders affected by these changes are described below, and a map of parking for the two-day event is available here. More information also is available on WKU’s website.

What is changing?

Parking Structure 2 will be used exclusively for paid public parking all day Dec. 4-5.

The surface lots around Diddle Arena, as well as the South Lawn Lot, will be reserved parking for KHSAA officials and media Dec. 4-5.

Parking Structure 1 and Creason Lot will be used for public parking beginning at the 3 p.m. game on Friday, Dec. 4; however, for those not attending the games all WKU permits will be honored in these lots.

Where can I park?

WKU faculty and staff members displaced from the Diddle and South Lawn lots for Friday games should utilize Parking Structure 1, Jones-Jaggers, and other Commuter, Housing, or All Permits parking lots, such as the Creason or Adams Street Lots.

WKU commuter students who normally use Parking Structure 2 should park in the Center Street, Adams Street, Kentucky Street, Creason, Normal or Chestnut Street South lots. You may also use the Campbell Lane and South Campus park and ride lots.

Will traffic patterns change?

With the football games as well as several other campus events scheduled throughout the weekend, traffic will be more congested than usual on campus. Along Avenue of Champions, the traffic lane next to the stadium will be used for unloading and loading of fan buses. Those buses then will park in the Supply Service and Adams Street lots.

Where can I find more information about the championships?

For additional information about the games or to purchase tickets, visit the KHSAA website or contact the WKU ticket office at 1-800-5-BIGRED.

Ten members of the WKU Forensic Team traveled to Bowling Green, Ohio, the weekend of Nov. 9-10 to compete in the Bowling Green State University “Birds of a Feather” Swing Speech Tournament.

Having advanced all members to elimination rounds, the WKU team swept the tournament, winning the Overall Sweepstakes award.  The team also received the Quality Award, awarded to the team which receives the most points with the fewest competitors.

Individual results for the Bowling Green State University “Birds of a Feather” Swing Speech Tournament are as follows:

Robert Whittley, a junior from Glenview, Ill., tournament champion in dramatic interpretation, tournament champion in programmed oral interpretation, second place in quadrathon and fourth in poetry interpretation in the Redhawk Royale portion; second in dramatic interpretation, third in poetry interpretation and sixth in impromptu speaking in the Falcon Classic portion.

Carrie Guggenmos, a senior from Fullerton, Calif., tournament champion in prose interpretation and second in communication analysis in the Redhawk Royale portion; second in communication analysis, second in poetry interpretation and second in prose interpretation in the Falcon Classic portion.

Samantha Harrison, a senior from Carrollton, Texas, tournament champion in informative speaking in the Falcon Classic portion; second in informative speaking, second in persuasive speaking and fifth in impromptu speaking in the Redhawk Royale portion.

Kelly Lootz, a junior from Plymouth, Mass., tournament champion in poetry interpretation in the Falcon Classic portion; second in poetry interpretation and third in after-dinner speaking in the Redhawk Royale portion.

Alexander Wozencraft, a sophomore from Tulsa, Okla., tournament champion in poetry interpretation and fourth in prose interpretation in the Redhawk Royale portion; fourth in poetry interpretation in the Falcon Classic portion.

Khristan Solliday, a sophomore from Mitchell, Ind., tournament champion in impromptu speaking in the Redhawk Royale portion; sixth in extemporaneous speaking in the Falcon Classic portion.

Desiree Guerrero, a junior from Fullerton, Calif., second in informative speaking and sixth in poetry interpretation in the Falcon Classic portion; third in informative speaking, fourth in communication analysis and sixth in poetry interpretation in the Redhawk Royale portion.

Michael Courtney, a junior from Mayfield, second in dramatic interpretation in the Redhawk Royale portion.

Celena Allen, a sophomore from Hayward, Calif., semifinalist in prose interpretation in the Redhawk Royale portion.

Amanda Waid, a freshman from Symsonia, semifinalist in prose interpretation in the Redhawk Royale portion.

Contact: Judy Woodring, (270) 745-6340.

Several WKU students and faculty attended the Kentucky Academy of Science’s 95^th annual meeting Nov. 13-14 at Northern Kentucky University.

Dr. Kenneth Crawford, associate professor of biology, received a 2009 Superlative Award for Outstanding Academy Service. Dr. Crawford has served as KAS treasurer for several years.

Several WKU students received awards in the undergraduate and graduate research competitions.

In the 2009 Undergraduate Research Competition, WKU award recipients included the following:

Agricultural Sciences: Clarice Esch, a Gatton Academy student from Somerset, outstanding poster for Is Collema sp., a Gelatinous Lichen, a Sustainable Source of Nitrogen for Greenhouse and Nursery Crop Production?

Science Education: Stuart Kenderes, a junior from Independence, first place for presentation on Examination of Geoscience Education Practices.

Zoology: Joseph Marquardt, a senior from Bartlett, Tenn., first place for presentation on Randomly amplified fingerprints (RAF) and their applications to butterfly population structure; Jason Hall, a senior from Louisville, second for presentation on Pattern of suction generation during prey-capture in an elongate fish; Bethany Coffey, a junior from Columbia, third place for presentation on Messing with the Thermostat and Frog Effects: tadpole development at different water temperatures; Patrick Stewart, a senior from Summer Shade, outstanding poster for Effects of Swim Bladder Deflation on Sound Localization in Otocinclus affinis.

Ecology and Environmental Science: Aaron Hulsey, a junior from Smiths Grove, outstanding poster for Influences of Pasture and CREP Tallgrass Plantings on Avian Community Composition in Summer and Winter.

Cellular and Molecular Biology: Bonnie McCullagh, a senior from Hopkinsville, third place for presentation on DNA Sequence Variation in the wingless Gene Product: A Putative Morphogen for Patterning the Eyespot Foci of Buckeye Butterflies (genus Junonia); Aric Johnson, a junior from Smiths Grove, outstanding poster for Mueller cell injury responses in the regenerating axolotl retina.

Chemistry: Eric Vanover, a senior from Utica, outstanding poster for Photochemical production of highly reactive metal-oxo species for the selective oxidation catalysis.

Computer and Information Sciences: Malika Ahmed, a senior from Bowling Green, outstanding poster for Genomic Comparison of C.scatologenes to C. acetobutylicum; Alan Simmons, a senior from Bowling Green, outstanding poster for Finding Reliable Indicators of False Positive Sequence Matches for C. scatologenes Genome Assembly; Alexander Hare, a Gatton Academy student from Morehead, outstanding poster for Genomic Comparison of C. Scatologenes to M. Thermoacetica.

Geology: Kristin Leftwich, a senior from Kingston Springs, Tenn., tied for first place for presentation on Sequestration Mechanisms in a Gallosilicate Nanoporous Framework.

In the 2009 Graduate Research Competition, WKU award recipients for presentations included the following:

Agricultural Sciences: Diana Edlin of Bowling Green, first place for Heirloom and Hybrid Tomato Yield in Organic and Conventional Production Systems; Jahnavi R. Kancharla of Bowling Green, second place for Generation of transgenic Medicago sativa expressing”osmotinchitinase” gene chimera for conferring resistance towards various biotic and abiotic stresses.

Physiology and Biochemistry: Chia-Hui Lin of Bowling Green, first place for Effect of Growth Hormone on Cell Proliferation in the Zebrafish (Danio rerio) Ear.

Ecology and Environmental Science: Mary Penick of Allensville, first place for Why is the Green River Still Green: Algal biomass accrual in relation to nutrient availability in the Upper Green River, Kentucky; Danielle Racke of Bowling Green, second place for Demographics of American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) in Mammoth Cave National Park; Margaret Mahan of Bowling Green, third place for Ecological Investigation of Vertebrate Utilization of Termitaria in the Tsavo Region of Kenya.

Microbiology: Ali Wright of Bowling Green, first place for Sequencing and Annotation of the Bacteriophage HK239Genome.

Cellular and Molecular Biology: Shravya Maddi of Bowling Green, second place for The Role of Chlamyrhodopsin Protein in the Light Entrainment of the Circadian Clock in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.

Several other WKU students and faculty members made presentations or presented posters during the event. A list of presentations and other information is available on the KAS conference program.

In November 2010, WKU will host the Kentucky Academy of Science’s 96^th annual meeting.

Contact: Bruce Kessler, (270) 745-4449.