News University of Northern Colorado

UNC Around the World

Fri, 25 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

In the Summertime

Thu, 17 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

This summer, many University of Northern Colorado students will be applying what they've learned so far in their classes to real-world situations on international, national and local levels. Here are just a few examples.

A Peek into Politics
Conor McCabe, a senior Journalism major, is spending the summer as a press intern in U.S. Senator Mark Udall's Denver office. Although Udall still has two more years in office, McCabe says that with a general election just around the corner, his days are always busy, from beginning to end.

Each day for McCabe and 10 other interns begins with a briefing with Udall's communication director to discuss the day's objectives, which can include reaching out to various publications, following up on media advisories or press releases distributed to media, researching which outlets covered issues Udall's involved in and monitoring his Twitter and Facebook pages.

McCabe said he thinks the internship will help his future career plans by building his communication skills with the media, and seeing how a senator's office contributes to his relationships with both local and national media.

"I hope to gain experience interacting with the media, both face-to-face and over the phone," McCabe said. "I aim one day to work in politics, on the communication side, and I think this internship will help me reach that goal."

So far, McCabe has enjoyed the majority of his assignments, especially reaching out to news outlets, following up on press releases and brainstorming sessions with the other interns.

"At first, interacting with the press directly over the phone was difficult," he said. "I quickly realized writing down my talking points beforehand made the conversations much more comfortable."

McCabe will be working in Udall's office throughout the summer. He's currently working three days a week, but hopes to be offered a full-time internship sometime in the next few weeks.

More Than Just Numbers
Alison McBride, a senior Mathematics major with an emphasis in secondary education will spend June 10-15 working with and mentoring young women who want to build on their high school courses.

Las Chicas de Matemáticas, a weeklong, residential camp funded through UNC's Office of Enrollment Management and the Mathematical Association of America's Tensor Foundation, is free for the 30 young women who participate.

In addition to learning college-level math, the "campers" will experience college life by staying in a campus residence hall, eating in Holmes Dining Hall and hanging out with McBride and three other students working as camp leaders.

The math part of the camp Monday through Thursday includes morning sessions focusing on recreational math and how it relates to sports, taught by Professor Ricardo Diaz; and afternoon sessions highlighting complex functions and their relation to technology, taught by Hortensia Soto-Johnson, an associate professor of Mathematics and co-founder of the camp along with Assistant Professor Cathleen Craviotto.

On the last day of the camp, the girls will present their findings, and work together with a group to create a PowerPoint presentation for a banquet that evening. Friends, family and the teachers who wrote letters of recommendation for the girls' admission to the program are invited to the presentation and banquet.

Along with looking forward to mentoring the girls, McBride hopes they can see her and the other leaders as real-life models of what they have the potential to become by pursuing a math degree.

"I hope this camp shows the students how applicable math can be in a variety of fields, and how important it is to society," McBride said. "It's so nice to see these young women taking initiative and know they are already thinking about their goals for the future. I didn't realize I liked math until my senior year of high school. I'm glad these girls, especially the younger ones, are taking advantage of this unique opportunity."

Expedition Yucatan
Seventeen UNC students will spend the last two weeks of June in the Yucatan Peninsula with Michael Kimball, director of the Honors, Scholars and Leadership Center, and Gillian McNally, assistant professor of Theatre Education.

The trip is part of MIND Global, a new initiative in UNC's Life of the Mind interdisciplinary studies program that promotes MIND courses taught in international locations. MIND is the course prefix for interdisciplinary courses offered as part of the Life of the Mind program.

Expedition Yucatan is a hybrid online MIND course that incorporates international service learning experience. Unlike most study abroad opportunities, Expedition Yucatan is just two weeks long, instead of an entire semester or summer.

"One of the benefits of this program is it allows students to experience a different culture in a short period of time," Kimball said. "It's the best of both worlds; the trip is short, yet the students are immersed in the culture from the moment they arrive and begin to understand what community life is like for people in the Yucatan Peninsula almost right away."

Students in the course this summer will be involved in service learning projects in the Mayan village of Yunku. One of the projects will be joining McNally in helping the children in the village put together a play, which will be performed for everyone in the village to see.

Students will have time for some sightseeing outside of the village toward the end of their expedition.

Seth Morones, a senior Sociology major, said he's most looking forward to exploring global education with the village youth.

"I have always had a passion for working with at-risk youth and homeless students, which had stemmed from my own experiences in homelessness when I was younger," said Morones. "I'm hoping this trip will be like kindling the flame for me, and enhance my desire to learn about people and cultures - building connections with them and seeing what's out there."

In the International Spotlight
Students in UNC's Prima Voce Chamber Choir spent the first 10 days of their summer break performing concerts and competing in an international competition.

The ensemble was selected to compete at the International Choral Competition Ave Verum in Baden, Austria, May 10-13, and squeezed in concerts before and after.

Led by conductor Jill Burleson and assistant director Karen Lange, the choir toured Austria and the Czech Republic, performing at venues that included the Stephansdom and Stift Klosterneuberg in Vienna; Saint Vitus and St. George's Basilica in Prague; and Haydn Hall at Esterhazy Palace in Eisenstadt.

Prima Voce's repertoire is a cappella, and comprises an array of choral chamber literature ranging from Renaissance to 21st century.

Acceptance into the prestigious international competition was based on the submission of performance recordings, repertoire lists, and a proposed competition program.

Read about and view photos of the recently completed trip - and find out how the ensemble fared in the competition - on Burleson's blog.

- Katie Owston, senior Journalism major

UNC Grads Share Stories, Advice

Thu, 03 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

News release about commencement and the class of 2012

Each of the almost 1,300 undergraduate and graduate students who graduated from the University of Northern Colorado during commencement ceremonies May 4-5 has her or his own unique story. Eight of them shared their stories, along with some advice for those who will follow in their footsteps.

Courtney Kranz - Political Science, Business Administration (Finance Emphasis)
Courtney Kranz describes the refugees she works with as resilient people who "manage so well with such grace."

The same could be said for Kranz.

When shoulder injuries that required multiple surgeries derailed her Division I basketball career, Kranz remained active with her team by helping at practices. She became a mentor and advisor, tutoring freshmen as part of the Student-Athlete Academic Success program.

The double major will graduate having been named the Political Science scholar of the year, making the dean's list in the School of Finance and receiving Big Sky all-academic awards.

Kranz left an equal impression as a volunteer.

She traveled on church mission trips to Uganda and, a year before that, Juarez, Mexico, to help build a house for a family there. It was heartbreaking, she said, when violence forced them to leave early with the house unfinished.

For the past year, she's volunteered at the Global Refugee Center, housed at a former elementary school in Greeley. She teaches GED courses and coaches basketball fundamentals during open gym for girls who otherwise wouldn't have an opportunity.

Kranz is deciding between staying at the center and entering graduate school in her home state. She's been accepted to a University of Minnesota development-practice program, which takes an interdisciplinary approach to educate on how to help developing countries.

Advice for freshmen: "Be honest, appreciate what been given to you and look for ways to positively impact the community — UNC offers a lot of ways to do that."

Tara Schoenherr - Human Services
Although Tara Schoenherr initially hesitated when she was encouraged to become a resident assistant in Harrison Hall after her freshman year there, she decided to give it a try and soon realized she'd found her niche - and a career path.

Schoenherr quickly started assuming leadership roles in hall and Residence Hall Association activities, and just as quickly gained a reputation as a ‘go-to" person when an event needed to be organized, a student was looking for someone to talk to or another RA needed advice on how to handle a problem.

Her always-positive attitude, willingness to help and strong work ethic were recognized in 2010-11 when she received RA of the Year awards from both UNC and the Rocky Mountain chapter of the National Association of College and University Residence Halls, and again this year when she was named Senior RA of the Year at UNC and received Housing and Residential Education's Distinguished Service Award.

That track record and a 3.65 GPA helped Schoenherr take the next step in her student services career path. She's been offered a graduate assistantship at the University of Utah, where she'll be director of a residence hall while she pursues a master's degree in Education Leadership and Policy.

Advice for freshmen: "Don't be afraid to take advantage of the opportunities that you're most scared of; you might be surprised at what you find out you're capable of."

Ben Schiffelbein - Political Science, Philosophy
Will Schiffelbein - Political Science
The Schiffelbein brothers have followed similar paths during their careers at UNC but some healthy sibling rivalry has resulted in them leaving their marks in very different ways.

Ben's 18 months younger than Will is, but they'll graduate together because of high school advanced placement credits and heavy course loads that enabled Ben to earn a double-major degree in three years.

In addition to graduating on the same day, they both majored in Political Science, both served as resident assistants, both participated in Student Senate and both held positions with the Drug, Alcohol and Tobacco Education program offered by the Center for Peer Education.

Beyond their involvement on campus and their commitment to their studies, both Will and Ben have had a hand in making changes on campus.

In October 2010, Will started UNC's chapter of Pi Kappa Phi fraternity. It was officially chartered a year later and is now the largest fraternity on campus. In addition to his involvement with the Center for Peer Education, he served as Student Senate election commissioner this year and was 2011 homecoming king.

Ben, as Student Senate's director of academic affairs in 2011, worked to help change UNC's grade forgiveness policy and improve the policy for awarding grants for students to attend conferences. This year he served as the senate's administrative assistant and also worked part-time at a law firm in Denver.

Will plans to move to Charlotte, N.C. this summer to work at Pi Kappa Phi's national office advising chapters around the county on how to operate more effectively and safely.

Ben will marry a UNC alumna later this month and then pursue a law degree at Georgetown University.

Although the brothers agree that getting involved is important, they have different advice for incoming freshman.

Will's advice: "Don't forget to get involved inside the classroom. It's easy to get involved with everything else and forget that your education is what you are here for."

Ben's advice: "The biggest asset of this university is that it provides an unparalleled forum for discussion. You can talk to your peers and professors about anything; it's important to just talk to people, because that can be a rare opportunity."

Meghan Patrick - Business Administration (Marketing Emphasis)
Meghan Patrick was chosen during her senior year as the first intern for American Greetings nationwide as part of a test program in the Monfort College of Business.

The internship included the opportunity to attend an "Asset-Area Supervisor Training" session in Cleveland over spring break, and she'll present her final intern project to a team of American Greeting executives who will visit the UNC campus May 10.

She's already received a job offer from the company, and after two months of training in San Francisco, she'll work as an area supervisor and run her own territory.

Patrick, a Business Administration major with a marketing emphasis, also was a member of a team chosen as a finalist in this year's Research Excellence Awards at UNC. She and a classmate explored marketing strategies for big pharmaceutical companies in bottom-of-the-pyramid markets and examined the financial viability of those strategies.

"The Monfort College of Business has truly prepared me for my future," she said. "I've already had real world experiences while a student that will help me succeed."

Loana Mason, Special Education (Visual Impairment Emphasis)
As part of her doctoral dissertation, Loana Mason sifted through 40 years of literature and found more than 650 articles pertaining to literacy for individuals with visual impairments.

When this list was narrowed down to include only those studies that provided scientifically-based evidence, 20 articles detailing a variety of interventions remained.

One of the articles contradicted what is believed to be best practice for efficiently using the hands and fingers to read Braille. While most teachers of students with visual impairments instruct Braille readers to use at least the index and middle fingers of both hands, the only recent piece of scientifically-based evidence showed an advantage for the left middle finger.

Mason replicated that study from 1971 to include one- and two-handed reading techniques using all plausible combinations of the index and middle fingers. She worked with 15 participants who were Braille readers attending schools for the blind.

During her study, Mason, who herself has a visual impairment, positioned a video camera underneath a transparent surface and recorded the students' hands as they moved through 10 different passages in Braille that she specially produced on clear paper. She asked them to use their personally preferred method and then nine techniques she randomly assigned.

More than six years after starting the dissertation process, which included 1,200 hours coding data, the results of her dissertation "supported that which we have believed for the last 100 years to be best practice - the two-handed technique."

For her efforts, she earned the Graduate Dean's Citation for Outstanding Dissertation.

An experienced educator, Mason has taught students with visual impairment in K-12 schools and prospective teachers at the university level. She's also served as a Braille literacy project director for the American Printing House for the Blind.

After earning her doctorate (she also holds a master's degree from UNC), she'll become coordinator of the visual impairments program at New Mexico State University.

When embarking on her doctorate, Mason never thought that she would devote six years of her life to Braille literacy, and she downplayed being called a foremost authority on the topic.

"I'd like to think that I have some expertise in the area, but I continue to learn new things every day. That's what I love about what I do."

Zach Bond - Business Administration (Finance Emphasis)
Although some of his classmates might think he's lucky, the fact that Zach Bond's graduating with a job offer in hand was more about discovering a passion, setting a goal and doing what it takes to achieve that goal.

After transferring to UNC from Regis University after his freshman year, Bond realized that his dream job would be to serve as a sports information director for a college or professional team. Since he grew up in Greeley and is a lifelong Bears fan, he approached the Athletics department's sports information staff about learning the ropes.

After working on a volunteer basis for the first 18 months and as a paid student employee for another 18 months, on June 15 he'll transition into a full-time, 10-month paid position as an assistant sports information director.

"I feel fortunate that I'm able to work in something I want to do and that I'm passionate about," Bond said, "But if it doesn't work out, I'll have a degree in Finance to fall back on."

Advice for freshmen: "Get involved with at least one club or internship and really explore what you're passionate about. Even if it's late in your college career, like myself, it will always be better if you're doing something you love."

Mary Birdsall, English
Before she receives her master's degree at UNC's Graduate School commencement ceremony May 4, Mary Birdsall will have the rare opportunity to tell everyone just what she thinks.

That's because she was selected to perform the time-honored tradition of giving the student welcome at the ceremony.

Birdsall, who came to UNC to both get her master's in English and prepare for licensure to teach high school English, was picked from among graduates encouraged by their advisors or professors to submit a paragraph summarizing what they'd say if chosen to give the welcome.

Birdsall said that the basic premise of her message, which struck a chord with the selection committee, had already taken root before the call for submissions.

"The completion of a degree is a natural time to reflect on what you've done and what you're going to do next," Birdsall explained.

Birdsall used a trained writer's skills to turn those reflections into an inspiring message that's sure to resonate not only with the graduates and their friends and family, but also with other members of the university community.

We won't reveal her message's theme, but we will share that one of her reflections is about tutoring an undergraduate student in the UNC Writing Center, an experience that helped her decide to change her plans and teach on the college level.

Advice for future graduates: "Make the difference: Look back and evaluate what you accomplished compared to what you planned."

Editor's Notes

Videotaped highlights and transcriptions of select addresses by students and keynote speakers from UNC's graduate and undergraduate commencement ceremonies will be available on the UNC website next week.
For more information about UNC's commencement ceremonies, including the keynote speakers and facts and figures about the class of spring 2012, go to http://www.unco.edu/news/releases.aspx?id=3901.

Building Nursing Students' Confidence Academically and Professionally

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT

A UNC Nursing professor who set up a program for students to gain real-world experience and hone their professional skills by volunteering at local health fairs used her connections and creativity to keep the program going after the fairs changed their requirements for volunteers performing blood draws.

Deborah Rojas came to UNC six years ago from College America, a technical college in Fort Collins, where she coordinated volunteers from the nursing program to volunteer at local 9Health Fairs sponsored by KUSA-TV.

When she told her classes at UNC about volunteering at the health fairs, several students seemed interested, and Rojas took eight students to a fair, however many of them had never drawn blood before.

"They just hadn't had the opportunity to practice phlebotomy," Rojas said. "We paired one UNC student with an experienced student from College America, and they acted as mentors to each student throughout the day."

Following that first year, 9Health Fair officials changed the requirements for volunteer nursing students; a minimum of 25 successful, documented blood draws was required of each student who wished to participate.

"I went back to my friend at the technical college and asked her if she would be willing to do a phlebotomy class for UNC students," Rojas said. "It was different for our students because they had already taken anatomy, along with several other nursing courses. All the students needed was an opportunity practice."

Rojas and her colleague condensed a 40-hour phlebotomy course into a 12-hour course taught at College America, giving students with no experience the chance to practice phlebotomy and meet the minimum number of blood draws required to volunteer at the health fair.

Thirteen UNC students took advantage of the first condensed phlebotomy course and volunteered at that year's health fairs. The year after, 60 students took the class. This year, 110 students took the class and worked at the health fairs.

Teresa Vanderford, a senior Nursing major, first heard about the health fairs in one of Rojas' courses and has volunteered at the 9Health Fair in Mead the past two years.

"Many of the people who come to these fairs are underinsured or uninsured," said Vanderford. "I enjoy being able to help them, and I enjoy working with so many people throughout the community."

Building good rapport with patients is key, especially in an environment where volunteers may only have 20-30 seconds to do so.

"At the health fairs, you see a wide spectrum of people; some people are terrified and others are casual and calm," said Todd Bohling, a junior Nursing major. "We have to pick up where a person is mentally and align our attitude with their needs in order to make them as comfortable as possible."

The health fairs not only build confidence in nursing students, they also provide the opportunity to enhance communication skills with patients, network with local health professionals and help students see themselves as part of a bigger picture.

"They don't go into the fairs as UNC students, they are community volunteers," said Rojas. "When the participants - the people who come get their blood drawn - don't see them as students, they talk to them is if they are already health professionals."

The last fair in northern Colorado this year is from 7 a.m.-noon Saturday, May 5, at the Library's Children's Room in Red Feather Lakes. For a list of tests and screenings offered thorough the health fair and to see how to register, go to the 9Health Fair website. http://www.9healthfair.org/find/screenings.aspx.

- Katie Owston, junior Journalism major

Biology Professor Awarded UNC's Top Faculty Honor

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT

A University of Northern Colorado biology professor internationally known for his research on venomous snakes has been named winner of the 2012 M. Lucile Harrison Award, the university's top faculty honor.

UNC Professor of Biology Stephen Mackessy of the College of Natural and Health Sciences was selected for the award that recognizes a faculty member with a distinguished career in teaching, professional activity and service, all traits that marked the career of M. Lucile Harrison.

Mackessy's interest in snakes started when he was a 15-year-old working after school at a company that supplied the reptiles for schools and zoos. That interest has since grown into a passion that's as strong as the one he has for sharing his considerable knowledge with his students and colleagues.

After earning bachelor's and master's degrees in biology from the University of California Santa Barbara, Mackessy received his Ph.D. in zoology with a biochemistry minor from Washington State University in 1989.

He joined UNC's School of Biological Sciences in 1989 and attained his current rank of professor in 2001. He teaches at all levels of the school's curriculum from freshman-level biology courses to graduate-level biomedical science.

Mackessy is a firm believer in the value of laboratory experience for all levels of students. During his 21 years at UNC, he's involved nearly 50 undergraduate students in his research, which focuses on how compounds in snake venom can be used in cancer-fighting drugs, and has mentored 18 graduate students. He's been active in UNC's Honors Program since 1996, and currently serves as the Faculty Research Fellow with the Office of Undergraduate Research.

Well-known and highly respected in his field, Mackessy has published more than 50 research articles, one book and six book chapters, and has presented at more than 50 local, national and international scientific meetings. Since 1991, he has received $1.3 million supporting his research and scholarship.

Mackessy's numerous institutional awards include two Mortar Board Superior Teaching awards, designation in 1999 as a UNC Distinguished Scholar, the College of Natural and Health Sciences' 2006-07 Excellence in Scholarship award and the college's 2011-12 Graduate Faculty Research Mentor of the Year award.

Mackessy will be presented with the Harrison award during UNC's undergraduate commencement ceremony at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 5, at Nottingham Field.

The award - given by the Office of the Provost - includes a nomination process and review of nominations by an award committee. It was created in 1965 in recognition of its namesake, a longtime member of UNC's teacher education program and co-author of a national reading instruction series.

- UNC News Service

In His Own Words: Stephen Mackessy's Teaching Philosophy
Teaching is intimately tied to research and is an important component of scholarship, and it offers the opportunity to impart new knowledge to students in ways which can make a difference to society in general. As a teacher/scholar, if I convey a sense of authenticity and enthusiasm to my students, I can increase their motivation and interest, observed as positive changes in their attitudes and performance. In my teaching, I strive to engage students and encourage them to take responsibility for their education.

UNC Volunteers to Plant Trees for Arbor, Earth Days

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT

University of Northern Colorado volunteers will plant trees Saturday and Sunday, April 21-22, in observance of Arbor and Earth days and officially kick off a yearlong initiative for national recognition of an estimated 2,300 trees dotting 246 acres of campus landscape.

UNC students will be part of the crews planting burr oak, crabapple, weeping flowering cherry and golden rain trees. On Saturday, they will plant 9-9:30 a.m. in the courtyard of the Campus Recreation Center and 9:30-10 a.m. on the south side of Michener Library. On Sunday, volunteers will be on the west lawn of Michener 4:30-5 p.m.

The weekend activity also will be documented in UNC's formal application in January to the Arbor Day Foundation for Tree Campus USA designation — national recognition that's the equivalent of Tree City USA status for municipalities.

This summer, UNC crews will take an inventory of the campus trees that includes every species native to Colorado. The current estimate uses a 1987-88 survey as the baseline and then combines a tally of new and deceased trees since 2002. The review this summer will result in a precise count.

UNC is also home to the following Colorado Tree Coalition state champion trees based on their size: a Kentucky coffee tree (northwest of Frasier Hall), two amur cork trees (north of Gray Hall and south of Gray Hall in the parking lot island), a Japanese pagoda tree (northwest corner of Presidents Row residence hall complex) and a pecan tree (northeast of the intersection of 9th Avenue and 19th Street).

The tree plantings are part of Earth Week at UNC. Other activities include:

Earth Day Information Fair: April 16, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., University Center.
Annual Earth Day Boys and Girls Club Service Project: April 17, 4:30-7:30 p.m., Monfort Youth Development Center.
Alley Cat Bicycle Race: April 19, 5 p.m., University Center.
Bears PAY It Forward: April 21, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
Lights Out Dining: April 22, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
Guest Speaker Julian Agyeman: April 23, 7-8 p.m. University Center

For more information on the Earth Week activities, visit UNC's Earth Week website.

- UNC News Service

‘Elderbooks’ Help Alzheimer’s Patients, Loved Ones Stay Connected

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT

A University of Northern Colorado alumna is helping Alzheimer's patients and their loved ones feel a little closer to each other through a series of picture books simple enough for those with the disease to understand and sweet enough to make them smile.

Deirdre Jones (nee White), who graduated from UNC in 1995 with a bachelor's degree in English and now teaches at Eaton High School, still remembers the moment in 1986 that she first encountered Alzheimer's disease. Her grandmother, a concert pianist, had memorized dozens of songs from years of playing music.

"My dad and she would sometimes sing - she was his music teacher in school," said Jones. "One day my father asked her to play "Danny Boy" and she looked at him and said, 'Now how does that one go?'"

Then in 2001, Jones' great-aunt was also diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. She was again reminded of how difficult communication with Alzheimer's patients can be, but found one activity her aunt always seemed to enjoy.

"We looked at picture albums together and Aunt Caroline would point out people in each picture and tell me their stories," Jones said. "As the Alzheimer's got worse, however, she became more and more frustrated when she was unable to name the people in stories she hadn't yet forgotten."

Jones looked for short stories to read that would hold Caroline's attention, but the only ones she could find were children's books.

It was then that Jones decided to produce a picture book for the elderly - something simple yet meaningful for caregivers to share with their loved ones when other forms of interaction have been lost. She would call them "Elderbooks."

Jones' first book, Something About That Smile, is about two young friends who grow apart and are reunited at a care facility later in life.

In her second book, The Umbrella Man, an old man uses his umbrella to reach a book on the highest shelf and as a baton to conduct an orchestra. The print is larger and the phrases are shorter for patients with more language and memory loss.

"The umbrella acts as a metaphor for life," said Jones, who illustrates the books herself. "With his umbrella, he can take on any challenge and will always be prepared."

Sometimes the books don't even need to be read aloud. The images alone often bring back unique memories for Alzheimer's patients, whether it's of a quilt a loved one made or picking daffodils in front of a childhood home, the memory, although a small thing, is a reward in of itself.

"The books provide two people who love each other an opportunity to sit side by side and have something to share," Jones said. "They are able to create a meaningful space and enjoy time together."

"Families are continually trying to interact effectively with a family member suffering with Alzheimer's disease," said UNC Professor of Psychology Nancy Karlin, who's researched familial care-giving of Alzheimer's patients for the past 25 years. "Deirdre Jones' Elderbooks are a method that can be used to effectively interact with a family member in the throes of a reverse developmental disease."

Elderbooks can be purchased at www.plainsongpublishing.org with 10 percent of every book purchased donated to the Alzheimer's Association.

- Katie Owston, Junior Journalism Major

Of Note
According to the Alzheimer's Association:

5.4 million: people in the United States who currently suffer from Alzheimer's disease
$183 billion: estimated annual cost for care of those with the disease
14.9 million: estimated number of unpaid caregivers helping loved one's with Alzheimer's disease
By 2030, the estimated number of people aged 65 and older will double and the number who will have Alzheimer's disease is estimated at 7.7 million.
By 2050, the number of people aged 65 and older with Alzheimer's disease may triple to a projected 11 to 16 million, barring the development of medical breakthroughs to prevent or more effectively treat the disease.
The cost of care in 2050 for those with Alzheimer's disease could run as much as 1.1 trillion in 2011 dollars.
The number of Coloradoans with Alzheimer's is expected to increase from about 72,000 in 2010 to 1.1 million in 2025, the third largest percentage increase of all 50 states.
The National Alzheimer's Project Act, signed by President Obama in January 2011, calls for the creation of a national strategy to combat Alzheimer's disease.

For more information about Alzheimer's disease, visit the Alzheimer's Association website.

Research, Research and More Research

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT

More than 300 undergraduate and graduate students from nearly every academic discipline at UNC will share information about their research projects during 255 presentations April 12 as part of Research Day, a highlight of the school's annual Academic Excellence Week celebration.

Students will present individually or as part of a group from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. in the ballrooms and conference rooms of the University Center. During the course of the day, they'll be joined by more than 100 faculty members who served as their research sponsors and upwards of 600 other interested students, faculty and staff.

According to Research Day organizer Loree Crow, the number of presentations this year is up about 30 percent from last year. She attributed the increase to additional promotion of the event and undergraduate research in general by the recently established Office of Undergraduate Research.

Lest you think that all the presentations are science-oriented - such as "An investigation of the effect of kinase inhibitors against mosquito borne flaviviruses replication" - think again. Although there are numerous research projects with even more daunting-sounding science-oriented titles, there are plenty that won't require you to be a science major to understand, or enjoy.

Rehab Al-zayer, a Ph.D. candidate in Special Education, will present her approach on diagnosing learning disabilities in children.

"I have seen that many students are excluded because they can't sit still and have behavioral problems, but they are diagnosed with a learning disability," Al-zayer said.

She will present her poster from 1:30-2:30 p.m. in the UC ballrooms.

Ryan Lambert, a senior in Anthropology and English, will present his research on latrinalia, or bathroom wall writing, a term coined by a favorite scholar of his, folklorist Alan Dundis.

"I think this is pop culture," Lambert said. "And we should all strive to understand this."

Lambert will give his oral presentation from 11:40-11:55 a.m. in Aspen B.

Alexandra Krumtum, a junior Anthropology major, and Samantha Brescia, a senior majoring in Journalism, will present research completed while working with refugees through UNC's Center for Engaged Research and Civic Action. The two have been helping expand the program and develop additional advocates for women's health and rights.

"I've already become engaged as a leader in this project, and I want to leave some long lasting organizational structures that can be utilized when I'm not there," Krumtum said.

They will present from 1:30-2:30 p.m. in the ballrooms.

Chris Gonzales, a senior double-majoring in Anthropology and English, will present "Theory of the Mind" - how people relate through non-verbal communications. His research is focused on finding a correlation between the unconscious and conscious processes we go through to understand what someone else is thinking.

"There's an idea out there that this can't be tested," Gonzales said. "But that's like saying IQ can't be tested."

His oral presentation is from 3:40-3:55 p.m. in Spruce A.

Prizes will be awarded to the top-scoring posters and presentations among graduate and undergraduate students, with judging by faculty members.

The winners in each category will receive $200, and the overall top presentation will receive a $500 gift voucher for a purchase at Bear Logic, the campus computer store.

For more information about Research Day and other Academic Excellence Week events, visit the AEW website.

For more information about the Office of Undergraduate Research, visit the OUR website.

- Elizabeth Same, Senior Journalism Major

Love Letters from WWII Bring Stories of Home and War Together

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Before Bill Brenner left to serve in World War II, his wife Josephine promised to write to him twice a week. When 63 of those letters were returned unopened, she didn't know if her husband was dead or alive, but she kept on writing.

She eventually learned that Bill, a physician, had been among those captured by the Japanese shortly after his unit arrived in the Philippines. After surviving the 60-mile Bataan Death March and time in three Japanese death camps, Bill returned home to his wife and son at the end of the war, four years after he had left.

When Linda (Fox) McCaffery, who received her master's degree from UNC in 1976, contacted him to see if he would share his experiences through an oral history project she was working on, he politely declined.

A year later however, McCaffery, a history instructor at Barton Community College in Great Bend, Kan., received a phone call from Brenner, who lived in the nearby town of Larned, saying he had changed his mind.

After McCaffery and Brenner's initial meeting, Brenner brought his wife along for the second. As he recounted his experiences, his wife began to cry.

"Bill never told Josephine what he saw and went through during the war," said McCaffery. "Many of the things he was telling me, she was hearing for the very first time."

During that meeting, McCaffery learned about Josephine's returned letters, sitting in a shoe box unopened, because Bill had decided they'd be too painful to read.

"While discussing the letters, Bill suggested we share not just his story but the hardships his wife endured as well," said McCaffery. "First we thought of putting on a program, then we considered writing an article and eventually, we decided it was best to write a book."

I'm Praying Hard for You - Love Letters to a Death Camp: The World War II Ordeal of Bill and Jo Brenner is a combination of Josephine's letters and Bill's words. The book, which took McCaffery three years to research and write, tells the story of how the couple's love for one another helped them never give up hope, even in the worst of circumstances.

Sadly, Josephine passed away in 2000 before the book was published.

McCaffery and Brenner hope to commission a bronze statue with the proceeds from the book's sales. The statue will be of a soldier returning from war, with a woman and child running toward him, and it'll be dedicated to all who served and all who waited.

Signed copies of the book can be purchased for $27, including shipping, by contacting the author at mccafferyl@bartonccc.edu.

- Katie Owston, Junior Journalism Major

Telling Tales

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT

With the help of a group of UNC students, a local public school district program for immigrant and refugee students and their families has published a book that's bridging gaps in the families - and in the community.

Telling Tales: Immigrants' and Refugees' Stories of Transition, Resilience and Hope is a compilation of 40 stories and photographs of 30 families that immigrated to the Greeley area from Guatemala, Mexico, El Salvador, Somalia, Kenya, East Africa, Burma and Thailand.

The genesis of the book was El Teatro, a theater program that's part of Weld County School District 6's Newcomers program. El Teatro offers students of refugee and immigrant families a chance to share their life stories - and improve understanding of their native cultures and the challenges they face living in a new one.

Those stories, often handwritten by students and parents as part of a family literacy project incorporated into the El Teatro program, prompted Greeley West High School teacher and Newcomers facilitator Jessica Cooney to propose that each family's story be photocopied into a book.

When UNC Assistant Professor of Hispanic Studies Deborah Romero heard the idea, she proposed taking things one step further with the creation of a professionally published book.

"As part of the Newcomers program, the teachers had begun to develop a series of family literacy events following the El Teatro program," Romero explained. "Teachers would work with parents to help them better understand American culture and as part of that, the families shared stories about their journey to the United States."

Undergraduate students from Romero's classes at UNC attended the family literacy events, recording each family's story on paper. Depending on each family's level of English, students would either help the family write the story or simply act as a scribe.

Romero, who served as the book's editor, said that UNC students served as a "real" audience for the families - the more interested in the stories her students were, the more each family opened up to share more information.

Parents and students worked together throughout the literacy events, which ultimately brought the families closer together.

"Teenage kids oftentimes pull away from their parents, no matter what culture they're in," said Cooney. "But with refugee and immigrant students, their parents represent the old culture. Students become Americanized, and this book was a way to connect parents and students together again."

At first, many of the high school students couldn't quite grasp the concept of their stories being published into a book people could actually buy. Now that they've seen the finished product however, more and more students are writing stories to also share with the community.

"I have had several students come up to me with their story already written, asking if they can be in the next book," said Cooney. "The level of enthusiasm the kids are showing towards the book is really amazing."

The book allowed the students to express themselves in ways they weren't able to before; to share what it's like to leave your home because of war, to learn a new language, to face discrimination.

"There is sometimes racism towards us and our families because people don't know about where we come from," said Juan Moncada, a senior at Greeley West. "Everyone has a right to say what is right, which is one of the reasons why we chose to write the book."

Amina Abdi, a junior at the school, found writing the book to be therapeutic for herself, her classmates and their families.

"We hope that once people read our stories, they will finally know and understand who we are."

To purchase the book, go to http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/2894879. Proceeds will be used to help fund the school district's family literacy projects and classes in its Newcomers program.

- Katie Owston, Junior Journalism Major

A Different Take on Spring Break

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Last year, University of Northern Colorado student Lauren Koppel spent a week working on an Indian reservation through the university's Alternative Spring Break program, and while she expected to give her time; what she didn't expect is how much she would get back.

"When we entered the reservation, we drove by a park that was totally neglected," Koppel said. "Seeing that level of poverty opened my eyes and gave me a different perspective on access to education."

Koppel, a junior working on a self-designed major in Women's and Ethnic Studies, returned to the program this year as a student coordinator.

The ASB program gives students the chance to give back during their spring breaks through service projects. This year, 29 students will be working with four social issues around the country: poverty and homelessness in Washington, D.C.; women's rights in Los Angeles; elementary education on the Crow Indian Reservation in Montana; and an animal sanctuary in Kanab, Utah.

Ria Vigil, an assistant director in the Office of Student Activities , participated in a similar program at her alma mater and began overseeing UNC's program last year with a goal to strengthen the program for everyone involved so "… in five years, when somebody goes back, they can see what we have done."

"I tell every student not to look at this experience as an opportunity for someone who is better off to help someone who isn't, but to go into this experience to understand what it's like to live as they do," Vigil said.

Koppel can relate to that message. She remembers learning to live on "Crow time," which focuses on building relationships instead of rushing through the day to meet time constraints.

"These trips give a good understanding of self, living in the moment, trusting the process and appreciating the experience," Koppel said. "This is an intense experience but it's an amazing opportunity."

For more information, visit the Student Activities website or contact Vigil by email or at 970-351-1365.

- Elizabeth Same, Senior Journalism Major

Helping Businesses Grow

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Editor's Note: This was a pre-event story. A post-event story is here.

Five finalists in the Monfort College of Business' third annual Entrepreneurial Challenge will present their business proposals Thursday with $36,000 in prize money on the line in a competition format similar to that used in the ABC reality series Shark Tank.

The event, held in the University Center ballrooms, is free and open to the public. Free parking is also available (click here for a parking map).

Each presentation will be followed by a question and answer session with the competition's judges. The audience also will be given the opportunity to ask questions.

This year's first-place winner will receive $18,000, second-place will get $10,000 and third $8,000.

Following is a summary of each finalist and their product as well as the time they'll present:

Branch Out Cider - noon
Four years ago, two Fort Collins neighbors Matt Fater and Aaron Fodge noticed a large number of apple trees in their other neighbors' yards that weren't being picked. Recognizing a business opportunity, the friends got permission to use the un-picked apples, rented a press and made apple cider.

"It turned out really well, so the next year we found a few more people who had apple trees that weren't being harvested," Fater said.

Many homes in northern Colorado have apple trees in their yards; in the late 1800s and early 1900s, apples were a clean and healthy source of food for many residents.

Today's homeowners don't usually harvest the apples, however, eventually leaving them to rot on the ground.

"It's sort of a win-win," said Fodge. "We remove the apples from their yards and put them to good use."

The pair will use any prize money they win to fund the purchase of equipment needed for seasonal manufacturing of their cider. According to Fater, the prize money could fund one or two years' total operating expenses.

"This competition has forced us to reach several goals we'd established for ourselves," Fodge said. ""We prepared and presented our feasibility study, and then had the opportunity to present our idea to a panel of experts; it was like having a free consultant to help us fine-tune our business plan."

The first commercial release of Branch Out Cider is scheduled for spring 2013.

FirstLine Safety - 1 p.m.
Five years ago, Josh Galindo was working at an oil well when a freak accident injured a man so severely that he ultimately lost his leg.

"If several people at the site hadn't had combat medical training in the armed forces, he would have died, instead of just losing his leg," Galindo said.

After realizing the potential for injury at his workplace, Galindo decided he wanted to build something to help in similar situations, when people are far from medical help or emergency facilities.

He teamed up with friend Justin Wheat and Cody Mylander, a general business major in the Monfort College of Business, to create a specially designed trailer fitted with a small medical emergency room, an emergency shower, eye wash stations and emergency supplies to be used in the event of a remote job-site accident or hazardous materials incident.

While the trailers were initially invented for use in oil and gas fields, they can also be used in other remote or hard-to-reach locations where serious injuries could be sustained.

"We see these being used at remote sporting events, on farms and ranches," said Wheat, who serves as president of FirstLine Safety. "There are lots of ways to use these trailers."

The first trailer, fabricated from a 10-foot snowmobile trailer, was delivered in February and will be part of their presentation in the final competition.

Bedside Solutions - 2 p.m.
John O'Leary, a nurse at Poudre Valley Hospital, sought help from his father, sister and a professional doll maker to create a respiratory device that attaches to an oxygen delivery system through the mouth, instead of through the nose.

Like others in the competition, O'Leary saw a need for a better way and decided to do something about it.

"Back in 2007, my brother noticed a problem with the design of the oxygen cannulas, which are designed to effectively deliver low-flow oxygen through the nose," said Jamie Alexander, O'Leary's sister. "If a patient has nasal congestion or a sinus issue, it can't be used effectively."

O'Leary came up with a design, then had a doll maker build the initial prototype. After filing a patent application O'Leary and Alexander worked with engineers in Boulder to put together a smaller, simpler design for the device. The final product is O2oo, a hypo-allergenic device that provides a universal fit on standard oxygen cannula and is safe, secure and improves patient comfort.

After reading about the MCB's competition in the newspaper, O'Leary and Alexander decided to enter and have been impressed by the amount of feedback received through the Entrepreneurial Challenge thus far.

"The input has been invaluable and has helped us fine tune our business plan," said Alexander. "It's been a great way to get feedback about our product and business plan."

UNC Ride Away - 3 p.m.
What started as a new business idea for a class competition has led Brad Henderson, Luis Munoz and Phillip Horning to the final round of the Entrepreneurial Challenge.

"As part of our class assignment, we had to present a business plan and participate in a classroom competition," said Henderson, a senior management student. "We won the $1,200 prize and decided we'd see how far our idea could take us."

The three found inspiration for their project while discussing their inability to commute between central and west campus in a timely manner: The distances between classroom buildings made it difficult to arrive on time. The solution? UNC Ride Away, a pedi-cab service to serve the student population of the University of Northern Colorado.

Each pedi-cab can carry up to three passengers, with a set price structure that encourages multiple riders. One passenger pays $3 for a ride, and the rate goes down with each additional passenger.

"We think this could also enhance the campus experience, by encouraging people to share the ride and get to know fellow students," said Henderson. "It's not only timely transportation, but it provides social interaction."

Lockers on Wheels - 4 p.m.
Brad Shannon, owner of Shannon Marketing Communications, found the answer to an overlooked inconvenience while volunteering at a two-day bicycle event. He noticed many of the race participants' frustrations as they searched for a safe place to store their belongings during the race. Two days later while sitting at a stoplight, Shannon had an idea.

"When I came up with the idea for a mobile storage unit and started researching it, I was surprised to find out that almost no one else had thought of it," said Shannon. "I started talking to people who participate in or manage races, events and festivals to pull together some ideas."

Going into the Entrepreneurial Challenge, Shannon had few expectations about the outcome, but was pleasantly surprised when he was selected for the competition's finals.

"When I heard about the Entrepreneurial Challenge, I thought it'd be a good idea to use the competition structure and deadlines to help me further develop the idea for Lockers on Wheels," Shannon said. "I definitely got great feedback and good suggestions from the panel of judges at the semi-finals."

Bravo! Entrepreneur Awards - 5 p.m.
The winners of the Entrepreneurial Challenge will be announced at the Union Colony Civic Center during the 2012 Bravo! Entrepreneur Awards, a Northern Colorado Business Report event that recognizes the outstanding accomplishments of northern Colorado business men and women. 9News business reporter Gregg Moss will serve as emcee for the MCB-sponsored event and awards ceremony.

Tickets to the awards ceremony are $45 each, and can be purchased on the NCBR website.

- Katie Owston, Junior Journalism Major

Researchers Find Bats Use Tails to Assist Takeoff, Flight

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Researchers at the University of Northern Colorado have discovered that bats flap their tail membrane like a wing to produce potentially important thrust during takeoffs.

Using a high-speed video camera, Professor Rick Adams and his graduate students captured for the first time bats moving their tails above and below their bodies in a similar fashion to their hand-wings. This unique movement, indiscernible to the naked eye and previously undetected, is unlike that observed in any other flying vertebrate.

"This changes fundamental thinking not just for bats, but for vertebrate flight in general," said Adams, principle Investigator of the Bat Research Lab located in UNC's School of Biological Sciences.

Adams and his team spent two summers filming more than 100 bats across five species in Boulder County to study their flight as part of the UNC grant-funded project. Adams said it took "almost three years to analyze all the films and digitize all the motions" before being published Feb. 29 by the prestigious scientific journal PLoS ONE (Read the article).

The article is co-authored by UNC graduate student Emily Snode and Jason Shaw, a doctoral student at the time of the data collection and analysis who subsequently graduated.

"We decided on a whim to film our Colorado bats launching from a horizontal platform because this had never been done," said Adams, author of the award-winning book Bats of the Rocky Mountain West.

"Once we filmed them head-on flying into the camera, we could see that they were folding up the tail membrane on the upstroke to avoid down drafts and then opening it for the downstroke to push out air that would cause a rearward thrust — like fanning yourself with a piece of cardboard."

The tail-flapping motion, termed "Tail-Assisted-Flight-Thrust (TAFT)" by the researchers, is similar to the way that dolphins and manatees use their flukes to thrust through water, Adams said. The degree to which the tail flapping occurred related to body mass, agility and habitat-use patterns of each species.

More research is planned to determine the amount of thrust produced by the tail, which makes up about 20 percent of the total wing area in bats, and how many of the approximately 1,200 species of bats use this flight mode.

"Further investigation into how and when bats use the tail-wing will allow us to better understand how and why bats are the most agile aerial vertebrates on the Earth today," Adams said. "Also, for about a decade the military has been attempting to build a micro-aerial machine that flaps and moves like a bat. Our data may contribute to how these artificial machines are developed."

For more information about bat research at UNC, visit http://www.unco.edu/nhs/biology/faculty_staff/adams/LabPortal.htm

- UNC News Service

Producing a 'Smash' Musical

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

After learning she landed her Denver public school one of 20 national grants from NBC's "Smash: Make a Musical" project, Mindy Loughhead's mind shifted for a moment to her UNC graduate thesis. She couldn't stick to the script now.

Loughhead, a second-year graduate student studying Theatre Education, also teaches drama to elementary and middle school students at Place Bridge Academy. The K-8 magnet school for newcomers and refugees enrolls students from 50 countries — more than 40 different languages are spoken on the campus, Loughhead says.

"It's paradise for a drama teacher," she says.

She needed little nudging to apply for the grant after her mentor and UNC Assistant Professor Gillian McNally approached her about the idea in December. The goal behind the "Make a Musical" project is to promote sustainable musical theater programs at schools that traditionally don't have access to them.

That means Loughhead not only will work with students to produce a musical this year but also for years to come. The grant provides her with the resources to purchase scripts and production rights.

For Loughhead, it's the second grant she received for Place Bridge this academic year. In September, a North American play publishing company awarded one of 15 national grants to Place Bridge after Loughhead applied. Like the Smash grant, it provided funding for a class production, The Princess King, which Loughhead's class will perform Feb. 9.

Now about that thesis. Loughhead says the topic has morphed from a study of Charlotte's Web and the circle of life to a study of the "class project, bringing a show to life and chronicling our adventures along the way." A decision on the production is forthcoming, she says.

"It's a big surprise," she told 9News, which will be providing regular updates on the production.

Tune in
9News interviewed Loughhead and McNally about the project (watch it here), and will provide updates leading up to the performance.

- UNC News Service

Finding the Bigger Picture

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Five years ago, UNC Mathematical Sciences major Jeremy Garcia was a junior at Greeley Central High School and his grades were slipping fast. He'd quit attending classes and was considering dropping out of school.

Watch the video to see how his life turned around.

- Katie Owston, Junior Journalism Major

Cancer Center Engages Students, Community

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Researchers, educators and medical professionals around the country are taking a second glance at the University of Northern Colorado's cancer rehabilitation and translational research program, which is using exercise to reduce the negative side effects of cancer treatment.

The Rocky Mountain Cancer Rehabilitation Institute was established in 1996 as a result of Sport and Exercise Science Professor Carol Schneider's personal experience with cancer. It's the only facility of its kind in the country.

"Nobody could tell me what I should do after my treatment," Schneider said. "My physician and I started the RMCRI to help me get through the debilitating fatigue that occurred from my cancer treatment."

Once Schneider and her physician realized how the positive effects of exercise offset the negative ones of cancer treatment, she wanted to share her discovery and continue to learn more.

There are three components of the RMCRI - educational, clinical and research.

In the educational component, doctoral, masters and undergraduate students all work within the RMCRI. Unlike other undergraduate programs in exercise science, UNC student are able to work one-on-one with a cancer patient for at least three months.

After successfully completing the necessary coursework, clinical experience and certification exam, undergraduate students can choose to do their internship on campus as a cancer exercise specialist. The students' level of involvement is unique to UNC.

"It is a tremendous service-learning experience for the students," said Schneider, "And it opens so many doors for all of our students in terms of job opportunities. A lot of other universities want to start the type of program we have."

The clinical component of the institute is all about the patients. People currently receiving treatment for any stage of cancer and cancer survivors can start a workout program at the institute, and the first three months free.

There are treadmills, balance machines, bicycles, weights and other exercise equipment in the workout area, and mats for standing and stretching exercises.

After receiving a physical exam patients are assessed for cardiovascular health, balance, strength and flexibility, allowing the cancer exercise specialists to put together a beneficial workout regimen for each patient.

Reid Hayward, professor of Sport and Exercise Science, is in charge of the research behind the rehabilitation program at the RMCRI. When Hayward first came to UNC, his interests were in cardiovascular and exercise physiology. But after learning more about the RMCRI, Hayward wanted to contribute.

"I took what my background was and started to incorporate that into what was going on over there," Hayward said.

According to Hayward, one of the main side effects of cancer treatment is cardiotoxicity, caused by a class of drugs used to fight all forms of the disease.

"For a cancer patient going through treatment, the limiting factor for how much of this drug they get is the likelihood of them dying from heart failure," Hayward said. "Even though it is the best drug to treat the cancer, they may not be able to give them as much as they need."

When Hayward began to look into the effects of exercise on cardiotoxicities and chemotherapeutic treatments, he started from scratch - no one else was doing this type of research. Now, other faculty members in the College of Natural and Health Sciences are looking into how skeletal muscles respond to exercise, and students are creating projects on how blood vessels respond.

Hayward works with rats to model exercises being used by people at the institute. He's assisted in the lab by both graduate and undergraduate students.

The rats are given the same chemotherapeutic treatments as cancer patients, then put on miniature treadmills, running wheels and other devices to mimic the effects of exercise on humans. Different components such as duration, intensity and types of exercise are measured as well.

"The overwhelming majority of the studies we have done indicate that exercise would be recommended for patients going through treatment or even after treatment," Hayward said.

The ultimate question is why the exercise treatment works so well, and Hayward and his team are working toward the answer.

"We do research, we engage our students in the research we are doing and we engage our community," Hayward said. "This program embodies what UNC is about."

- Katie Owston, Junior Journalism Major

More Information: RMCRI website

Helping Flip Classrooms

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

UNC's Mathematics and Science Teaching Institute is at the forefront of a growing trend in secondary education that's changing how many middle and high school students are learning.

Three years ago, Jerry Overmyer, MAST's outreach coordinator, did a simple Google search for the latest ideas in education and technology. You could say the rest of the story is history, but actually it's a new teaching model that literally flips the standard classroom setting and may be the way of the future.

Using the "flipped classroom" model, teachers create and post vodcasts - online video lectures - that students watch outside of class, and then questions are answered and homework is completed in class.

Since much of MAST's work involves providing teaching resources for K-12 educators, the concept of flipped classrooms advocated since 2007 by two science teachers at Woodland Park (Colo.) High School caught Overmyer's eye.

"It's a very dynamic definition and can mean so many things," Overmyer said. "It's basically using internet technology to leverage the learning in your classroom, so you can spend more time interacting with students instead of lecturing."

Seeing a need for a way for teachers to share information about flipped classrooms, Overmyer, who has a doctorate in mathematics education, created an online professional learning network for teachers using vodcasting and the flipped teaching model that now reaches more than 2,700 members. He also frequently presents on the topic of flipped teaching at professional conferences.

According to Overmyer, the flipped classroom model is popular with math and science teachers and also has worked well in providing remedial education to students who aren't getting enough out of a traditional classroom setting.

While critics of the model say the utilization of vodcasting technology has led to teachers becoming extinct within their own classrooms, Overmyer and other advocates of the model say that not only are teacher-student relationships being strengthened with increased one-on-one time in the classroom, but student performance also is growing as well.

Clintondale (Michigan) High School near Detroit first used the flipped classroom model with 140 freshmen. Failure rates after the change dropped from 52 percent to 19 percent in freshman English and from 44 percent to 13 percent in freshman math. The number of discipline cases dropped from 736 to 249. Administrators converted the rest of the high school to the flipped model.

Many members of the Flipped Class Network have shared similar results showing major test score improvements within flipped classrooms.

Anecdotal success stories posted also support the flipped classroom concept.

"Since a significant increase was seen in the scores on the final exam for the fall semester, but smaller gains shown in the overall score, my conclusion is that students were able to go through the motions in my class before flipping without really retaining and mastering the concepts," wrote a chemistry teacher. "After flipping, there seems to be a vast increase in the depth of knowledge and understanding as well as retention."

For Overmyer, flipped teaching is just the beginning; he's confident that video technology is the future of how we learn.

"When we want to learn we go to YouTube and find a video to watch them talk and see them do what's supposed to be done," Overmyer said. "It's a more efficient and pleasant way to learn."

- Elizabeth Same, Junior Journalism Major

Destination: China

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

You could say that for Nate Wambolt, a pianist with the UNC Wind Ensemble that performed in China over winter break, a concert tour there was simply his destiny.

"The night of the auditions I ate at Panda Express," the junior Music major explained. "The fortune cookie I got said, ‘You will enjoy a trip to Asia.'"

Wambolt, along with the 46 other students in the ensemble, visited China Dec. 21-Jan. 4, and played two concert venues in Beijing and in Qingquan.

Students in the ensemble, which is directed by Music Professor Ken Singleton, ranged from sophomores to doctoral students.

The students performed an "American Sampler" of 13 pieces in order "to bring the best of American music," Singleton said. "A lot of these pieces the audience had never heard before."

The students were accompanied Richard Mayne, UNC's associate director of bands, and Assistant Music Professor Lei Weng, who joined the group on piano for the concert's closing number, George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue.

Weng is a Chinese national, and the trip was organized through his Chinese agent's management group, which funded the majority of the trip's costs. Additional funding came from the students, the UNC School of Music and other campus organizations.

According to Singleton, the Wind Ensemble hadn't traveled out of the country in 27 years, so the trip was a unique experience for all of the students.

For Kelsie McCallum, a Music Education junior who plays the French horn, music was able to bring two cultures together, more than words.

"We stumbled on a community choir and to hear them singing was unlike anything I had heard before," McCallum said. "It was just raw and they were so happy to be singing."

For Wambolt, the highlight of his trip was playing on the 12-foot-long Bosendorfer grand piano at the first concert. And McCallum's highlight was playing Stars and Stripes for a cheering audience.

In their free time, students were able to explore the cities and make amazing memories, whether it was climbing the Great Wall on Christmas Eve, or trying local cuisine at the night markets.

The memories made on the trip will not soon be forgotten, but the friendships made may last even longer. In normal ensembles, students only get to know a small group of students, but sharing this experience brought the group together as a whole.

"One thing that a lot of us agreed upon was that first concert just felt different, " Wambolt said. "By the time of the concerts everyone knew everyone else, so we played as a cohesive group."

- Elizabeth Same, Junior Public Relations Major

Of Note: The Wind Ensemble is comprised of the university's foremost musicians. Essentially an orchestral woodwind/brass/percussion section supplemented by saxophones and keyboards, the ensemble explores challenging one-player-per-part wind music by a variety of composers. Membership is determined by audition and is open to music and non-music majors.

Internationalizing Education

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

A unique exchange program with a university in Thailand is broadening the horizons of students and professors, not to mention those of the program's creator, who got to experience a very different commencement ceremony.

Eugene Sheehan, dean of UNC's College of Education and Behavioral Sciences, received an honorary doctorate last October from Thailand's Burapha University in recognition of the international exchange program he created for faculty and graduate students from both universities.

Several UNC alumni were already part of the faculty at Burapha when Sheehan approached the Thai university with his idea two years ago. That connection propelled him into the leadership position for a new exchange program between institutions; Burapha faculty and graduates lecture in workshops, audit classes and attend seminars at UNC, while UNC faculty and graduates travel to Thailand and do the same.

Sheehan received his honorary degree as part of a commencement ceremony at Burapha, one of Thailand's largest public universities. The atmosphere of the event was unlike any graduation Sheehan had experienced before.

"Our graduation ceremonies are outgoing and exuberant," Sheehan said "They celebrate a person's individuality and encourage excitement and enthusiasm."

Thai graduation ceremonies are much more serious, he said. The room where the ceremony took place was totally quiet. Students formed a perfect line to receive their diplomas, with just two seconds per student allowed to ensure that 30-34 diplomas were given per minute.

Sheehan said that Thailand greatly admires their royalty, even more so than the United Kingdom. Because Thailand's Princess Maha Chakri was presenting the diplomas, a specific set of choreographed steps and gestures was necessary as a sign of respect toward the princess.

Once on stage, the graduating students - and Sheehan - had to bow, walk halfway across the stage, bow to the princess, take three or four steps forward, then do a hand gesture showing they had no weapons and symbolizing peace. After receiving their diplomas, students took three steps backward and stepped off the stage.

"I was blown away at how intricate the ceremony was," Sheehan said. "And I was even more surprised when the ceremony ended and not a single person had tripped or skipped a beat."

Over the past two years, nearly 100 faculty and graduate students from Burapha have participated in Sheehan's program at UNC.

Last semester six doctoral students from Burapha audited courses in the educational leadership program at UNC.

Several teacher education students from UNC have been able to complete their student teaching at Burapha through the exchange program.

This summer another element of the exchange program will be implemented. Eighteen undergraduate teacher education students from Burapha University will transfer to UNC after receiving two years of liberal arts education in Thailand. They'll then continue their education and after two year graduate with a teaching degree from UNC.

In a world that is getting more and more global, an international education is highly beneficial for both undergraduate and graduate students.

"As a university we should afford our students the opportunity to internationalize their education," Sheehan said. "By doing so, students can learn to appreciate different cultures and see how many things our countries actually have in common."

- Katie Owston, Junior Journalism Major

A Matter of Minutes

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

University of Northern Colorado faculty members are joining colleagues from around the world in sharing a daily dose of research via The Academic Minute, a program airing weekdays on nearly 60 radio stations across North America.

Each installment of the program features a different college or university professor, with topics ranging from updates on groundbreaking scientific research to an explanation of the popularity of a current television show.

In addition to UNC, the 125 other schools represented on the program so far include Harvard, Yale, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Tulane, Dartmouth and Duke in the United States, and the universities of Cambridge, Reading and Warwick in the United Kingdom.

To date, UNC's contributions to The Academic Minute are:

David Thomas, assistant professor of Management, explained how businesses and other organizations view their place in the communities that exist around them. Read/listen to his Academic Minute.

Steve Anderson, professor of Geology and director of UNC's Mathematics and Science Teaching Institute, spoke on how researching volcanism here on Earth can shed light on similar processes elsewhere in the solar system. Read/listen to his Academic Minute.

Michael Opitz, professor of Elementary Education, talked about the link between literacy and fitness among youth during his episode. Read/listen to his Academic Minute.

Michael Mills, who co-directs and teaches courses in UNC's Life of the Mind and English programs, recently recorded an episode on semiotics - the study of signs - and explained how their interpretation is affected by a person's belief systems, experiences and other factors. The episode has not yet been scheduled for airing.

The Academic Minute is produced by and syndicated WAMC/Northeast Public Radio, a regional public radio network serving parts of seven northeastern states. UNC contributors record their segments on campus for electronic transmission to WAMC.

Audio and transcribed versions of episodes of the program are available on WAMC's website at http://www.wamc.org/academic-minute.html, and in audio on Inside Higher Ed's website at http://www.insidehighered.com/audio.

The Academic Minute invites contributions from UNC faculty who would like to record a 1:40 essay related to their area of expertise. Email Nate Haas for more about this opportunity.