How Centre folks are spending the summer: Part 5

RELEASED: August 9, 2007

DANVILLE, KY—Here we go again: With the Centre community, even a small request can generate a huge response. When the call went out to faculty, staff and students to tell us how they're spending their summers, it came as no surprise that the responses were quick, plentiful and interesting! Here's Part 5 of a multi-part series showcasing the cool ways the Centre community is rockin' its way through the summer. (Check out Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4 of this series, too.)

Jon Moore, senior, Madisonville, Ky.
I'm working and living in Stamford, Conn., interning for a company called Walker Digital. I work side-by-side with patent lawyers. Walker Digital creates companies that can use the power of digital networks for new business models. In essence, it's a private research and development laboratory devoted to developing patents and business models that use new technology, such as digital networks like the Internet, cell phone or satellite networks, ATMs and point-of-sale devises. The new systems are designed for industries, including gaming, retail and financial services. The company has more than 200 issued U.S. patents and more than 700 pending.

I've also traveled to various cities throughout the United States, ranging from Las Vegas to New York City. On my most recent travels, I visited Niagara Falls and took a voyage on the Maid of the Mist.

Kaylea Ramey, senior, Knoxville, Tenn.
I'm working as a "product pro" at the New AT&T Wireless (formerly Cingular). I was hired for the iPhone release June 29. I know everything (almost) about the phone, and I get to play with it every day. On release night we probably had 50 people in line at the West Town Mall location in Knoxville, Tenn. The Apple store around the corner in the same mall had around 200 people. We had people in line at 9 a.m. for the 6 p.m. release. It was very cool to be there and not have to wait in line to be a part of it.

Will Johnson, senior, Cawood, Ky.
I'm at Pine Mountain Settlement School helping to teach at a reading camp for third and fourth graders who are struggling with reading. It's associated with the Episcopal Church. This program is near and dear to my heart. I've been working with it for four years, and I've seen some extraordinary successes. I've had kids and parents come up to me afterwards and cry while telling me how much the camp helped.

Jillian Kenyon, junior, Shelbyville, Ky.
I'm working at a camp called Camp Lanowa, located in the Hudson River Valley in upstate New York. The camp is run by the Homes for the Homeless organization, founded in the 1980's, which provides shelter, education and other opportunities for homeless families. The organization sends about 1,000 homeless children in foster care to our camps each year, providing them with a rustic camp experience different from their daily lives—considering most of these children have never left the neighborhoods in which they were born. Over 1.2 million children are homeless in the United States, and I get the pleasure to work with these boys and girls all summer.

There are three camp sessions, each lasting about 16 days. Everything has an educational emphasis, and many of the kids go swimming for the first time while at camp. I really can't describe the experience I've had so far, but one way to describe how I feel about this place is that when the kids left after the first session, well, I don't know the last time I've cried so hard. Camp is the place where they have the opportunity to learn, rather than worry about gangs, drugs, sex and violence. Some of the kids coming to camp don't believe that they actually get to eat three times a day.

Lyndsey Ryan, senior, Louisville
I've been working at Eastpoint Veterinary Clinic in Louisville. I get to spend the day with animals and people who love animals. I enjoy going to work because I get to do and learn cool things every day: how to give shots, such as rabies and bordatellas; how to draw blood; how to take and develop x-rays; how to take fecal samples and how to read them under a microscope while looking for parasites; how to run blood tests and read them; and how to check clients in and out. When I'm not at work, I can be found hanging out with Matt, my boyfriend and best friend, or taking care of my mom or my cats. I enjoy spending time with my family and friends whenever I get a chance. I was in my brother’s wedding at the beginning of the summer, and soon I'll be in my cousin's wedding in St. Louis. It's been a busy summer, but I'm looking forward to getting back to Centre and enjoying my senior year.

Mary Burchett, senior, Winchester, Ky.
I'm doing a research internship at the National Institute of Health this summer in Baltimore. My research focuses on Marfan Syndrome.

Beth Faulkner, junior, Louisville
This summer I've been a nanny to two awesome kids, refereeing middle school field hockey and painting/fixing up my apartment in Danville!

Katie Pfohl, senior, Bowling Green, Ky.
I'm working as a counselor for the Summer Camp for Academically Talented Students (SCATS) and Verbally and Mathematically Precocious Youths (VAMPY) summer camps through Western Kentucky University's Center for Gifted Studies. They're academic camps, somewhat like the Governor's Scholars Program, but for younger students. I've been working with sixth through eleventh graders and keeping them occupied when not in class with all sorts of activities and sports. I've had a really great time, and the kids are interesting to be with and talk to. I've even had a few kids ask me what they have to do in high school in order to come to Centre! Overall, a great way to spend five weeks!
 
Megan Haake, assistant director of alumni affairs
As much as I'd love to respond with all the exciting things I’ve done this summer, I can't. The most exciting thing I’ve done is take weekly trips to the Bunny Davis Recreation Center, which most often includes sitting on a chaise lounge, basking in the sun (with proper SPF protection, of course) and reading some trendy chic-lit book about shopping, dating and living in a big city. All this while trying not to get splashed by the kids!

Mollie Sheron, junior, Wooster, Ohio
I'm doing research this summer for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) at the Ohio Agricultural and Research Development Center in Wooster, Ohio. I'm currently helping out with several projects that focus on characteristics of various pesticides on different plant leaves, as well as techniques in distributing pesticides effectively with the least amount of chemical waste.

Sunil Ramaswamy, sophomore, Prospect, Ky.
I'm at a research lab at The University of Kansas working on human arterial smooth muscle cells. We're tagging the ganglioside GM-1 lipid, located on the cell membrane, with a fluorescing protein. This enables us to use a very expensive confocal microscope to see whether or not the two lipids that we've tagged move around. We use a technique called FRET, or Förster resonance energy transfer, to measure the energy that's transferred between the two fluorescing proteins, so we can tell where they moved by measuring the energy transferred.

The current theory is that lipids will aggregate and form "lipid rafts." All the experiments that have been done so far have only been at temperatures that are not physiological. We'll be doing experiments across a temperature gradient to see if these "rafts" do indeed form at physiological temperature. We also plan to introduce the cells to a few different types of conditions, such as drug therapy.

Whitney Fraley, junior, Flatwoods, Ky.
This summer I'm a co-director for the Ashland Tennis Patrons Camp. It's a month-long camp that takes place during July. We work 9 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. every day with different age groups each hour. It's so fun, and it's free for the kids. We're trying to spark an interest in tennis in our area in hopes that some of these kids will really enjoy the sport and decide to take lessons.

Yves Nkulikiye, senior, Streamwood, Ill.
I'm interning at Limited Brands, the company that owns Victoria's Secret, Pink, Express, Limited and Bath & Body Works. I'm working at their headquarters in Columbus, Ohio, on the marketing, planning and research team.

Cassie Spradlin, senior, Louisville
This summer I'm working at Brown-Forman in Louisville as a treasury intern. It's a great company, and I've enjoyed my time here thus far.

Lillian Tuttle, senior, Versailles, Ky.
I'm spending the summer on St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands, conducting field research with Paul Sikkel, Centre visiting assistant professor of biology. We're looking at the differences in monogenean parasite loads on three different acanthurid fish species (blue tang, ocean surgeons and doctorfish) and looking at the mechanisms by which diurnal and nocturnal gnathiid isopod parasites are attaching to damselfish. This research entails daily scuba diving and snorkeling in Great Lameshur Bay on St. John and on Guana Island. I love every bit of it, but my favorite moment so far has been swimming with a green sea turtle! During my leisure time, I've celebrated Carnival on St. John, danced to soca and reggae music and read some Wendell Berry (Kentucky author) and Harry Potter. When I return to the States, I plan to take a road trip to Montana with friends for fly-fishing and hiking! What a life.

Jason Neiser, assistant professor of physics
Sophomore John Gruenewald and I are constructing and characterizing an ultra-fast fiber laser. This laser is built almost entirely out of optical fibers and will be able to produce pulses of light that are shorter than one picosecond (that's one millionth of one millionth of a second). Fiber lasers are being applied in telecommunication, medicine and industry with increasing frequency due to their robust design, small size and efficiency.

Erin Powers, junior, Middlesboro, Ky.
I'm working as a golf instructor for The First Tee of Pine Mountain. The First Tee is a program that incorporates important life skills into the game of golf. It allows students to take home what they learn at the course and apply it to their daily lives. It's a great program, and this year we have close to 250 students signed up. That's what this Centre student is up to this summer!

Lee Patterson, visiting assistant professor of classics
I've been participating in a six-week program at the American School of Classical Studies in Athens, Greece, touring the major archaeological sites and the museums (at least the ones that are open). I also gave three presentations.  

Brittany Gowers, senior, Louisville
This summer I'm interning, along with Bess Rives '08, at Fowler Securities and Benefits, an insurance brokerage company in Louisville. The founders of the company are Centre graduates (Billy Fowler '97 and Andrea Cobb Fowler '98). Currently there are five employees who graduated from Centre, which makes for a very fun work environment. One of our main projects for the summer is to help organize the annual Charity Golf Scramble to benefit The Cabbage Patch Foundation.  

Beau Braden, junior, Louisville
I'm working at a company called WireCrafters for my third consecutive summer. I spent the first summer working hard in the factory, but since then I've worked as a salesperson. I enjoy it, and it's provided me with some valuable "real world" work experience.  
 
I just returned from a vacation to Panama City Beach with my family, close friends and their families. I've seen numerous concerts, including Hank Williams Jr. and Lynyrd Skynyrd. I also visited Cincinnati with two of my best friends, my father and a friend's father to see a Reds' game as a Father's Day gift for them
 
I've been reading a book titled Modoc. It's a great story of the relationship between a young man and his elephant as they venture to America to star in the circus.

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Founded in 1819, Centre College is ranked among the U.S. News top 50 national liberal arts colleges. Consumers Digest ranks Centre No. 1 in educational value among all U.S. liberal arts colleges. Centre alumni, known for their nation-leading loyalty in annual financial support, include two U.S. vice presidents and two Supreme Court justices. For more, visit http://www.centre.edu/web/elevatorspeech/

For news archives go to http://www.centre.edu/web/news/newsarchive.html.

Jon Moore at Niagara Falls on the Maid of the Mist voyage

Lillian Tuttle

Paul Sikkel

Mary Burchett

Mollie Sheron (far right)

Lee Patterson in the Peloponnesus