The Floyd L. English Natural Sciences Scholarships
Recipient Bios
Academic Year 2008-09
“Biological research has always appealed to me, likely due to my love of puzzles. I am determined to figure out the inner working of things.”
Katie's interest in biology began in high school where she volunteered at a Youth Science Institute, working with animals, especially birds of prey. In her first year at Chico State , she was in the Honors General Studies Thematic Program, a comprehensive general education program that did not allow time for her to take biology courses. When Katie went in search of ways to stay involved in science, Dr. Jonathan Day took a chance and invited her to work in his neuroscience lab. It is extremely unusual for a beginning undergraduate in any discipline to be so deeply engaged in research so quickly, but Katie's diligence and passion has resulted in research on excitotoxicity that she has presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, and she plans to submit a paper for publication later this year.
Katie was attracted to Chico because of the friendliness of the faculty and the student community. She now contributes to that friendly atmosphere by talking with prospective students and parents who visit the campus. We can't imagine a better ambassador for our programs.
Katie is the youngest of six children, and is only able to attend college because of financial support from her brothers. She has already acquired a passion for neuroscience and plans to pursue a doctorate with the goal of becoming a university faculty researcher. We are very happy to be able to provide a second year of support for Katie's education with an award of $5,000.
“I strive as hard as I can to make this world better, in my professional life and out of it.”
Like our first recipient, Preston also began his undergraduate career in the General Studies Thematic Program, where he developed a solid foundation in multiple disciplines that has helped him pursue his diverse interests. While Preston has a passion for history, he thrives on the intellectual challenge of physics. This semester, Preston is serving as one of the volunteer tutors with the Society of Physics Students, where he helps other students achieve the clarity of understanding he has attained; he describes his work as a tutor as one of the most gratifying experiences of his life.
From his first year, Preston has been an active contributor to the campus community, serving on his dorm's Hall Council and on the Peer Conduct Review Board. As a junior, he served as the College of Natural Sciences ' student representative on the Associated Students' University Affairs Council. While on the Council, Preston played a key role in helping Professor Thia Wolf develop the Peer Mentor Program for first-year students, and he also served as a Peer Mentor for a large group of new students.
Preston plans to attend graduate school in physics, so that he may pursue a career as a scientist working in the field of energy or in education. Of course, he also hopes to take a few history classes in grad school. It is our pleasure to support Preston 's goals with an award of $5,000.
“Anything I can do to make a difference in people's lives is what I'm hoping to do with my degree.”
Amy began her college career at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo as a food science major, but after two years of lab work she decided to find a program where she would not be so isolated from the public. She chose to come to Chico to work on double options, in food service administration and general dietetics. She enjoys the management aspects of the food service administration option, and she also plans to become a registered dietician after she graduates.
In addition to working as a student assistant for several faculty members, Amy currently has an internship with the California Department of Education. In her internships, Amy is using new USDA-approved software to analyze school lunch menus and to share that information with school food program managers across northern California . She has also created an in-service training on the software for a group of our nutrition management students.
With Amy's interests in food service management, childhood nutrition and nutrition education, her ideal job would be working in a school system. Amy hopes she will be able to help to overcome the epidemic of childhood obesity by finding ways to make learning about good nutrition fun for children. We are very pleased to be able to support Amy's goals with a $4,000 award.
“I know it (double-majoring) will be a lot more work, but I love to learn and expand my horizons.”
Minh's family came to the United States from Vietnam in 1994, and attending Chico State has already become a family tradition. Her father graduated two years ago with a degree in mathematics; her sister, who also received a Floyd L. English Scholarship, graduated last year with a degree in geosciences, and she is now working on her master's degree.
Minh carries a heavy course load and also works as a student assistant in Chemistry 100, but she still finds time to be an active member of the Student Affiliates of the American Chemical Society (SAACS). As a member of SAACS, she tutors in chemistry, participated in High School Chemistry Day, judged at the Chico Science Fair, and serves as the historian for SAACS.
After graduation, Minh is interested in pursuing research in chemistry, perhaps focusing on aspects and applications of environmental chemistry. This will be her second summer participating in our Chemistry Summer Research Institute. This summer she will be working with Dr. Edwards on characterizing the enzymatic steps in the biosynthesis of lyngbyatoxin, a compound that can causes swimmer's itch and has been shown to have tumor promoter activity in mice.
We are very happy to support Minh's goals with this award of $3,000.
“I take my education very seriously and realize that not everyone gets the opportunity to expand their mind.”
Kerry is currently a pre-nursing major at Sierra College in Rocklin. One of her achievements at Sierra College was a semester-long research project on the physiological and metabolic effects of nicotine; that work was presented at a Student Success Conference as an example of exemplary student work. We are very happy that Kerry will be joining us in the fall.
Kerry already has several years of work experience in a medical environment. She currently works about 20 hours per week as a patient care technician at DaVita's Grass Valley Dialysis facility, where her colleagues see her as a role model who is conscientious and calm, while also being quick to react in a crisis situation.
In addition to school and work, Kerry finds time to serve her community as a volunteer basketball coach for a co-ed youth league. As a coach for the past six years, she has honed strong leadership and interpersonal skills, while addressing the needs and interests of different age groups. Her work has allowed her to integrate her love of sports with her interest in teaching.
Kerry's immediate goal is to earn her Bachelor's of Science in Nursing and later to complete a master's degree so that she can help us address the nationwide shortage of nursing faculty. We are pleased to support her goals with this award of $2,500.
“... a career as a registered nurse will be very rewarding and it will also allow me to give back to a wonderful community that I have enjoyed being a part of.”
Andrea has worked as an office manager for an interior design firm for the past 19 years, while raising two children. Her youngest child is in her final year of the Chico State nursing program and Andrea is ready to follow in her daughter's footsteps. She will be transferring from Butte College this fall. While at Butte College , Andrea has been taking pre-requisite courses and has already developed a reputation as an outstanding student; her human anatomy professor places Andrea in the top 1% of students she has ever taught.
While working full time and attending Butte College , Andrea has maintained her long-term relationship with the Chico Police Explorer Program. While her children were involved in the program from 1995 through 2002, Andrea contributed more than 700 hours of volunteer service, and she has continued to be involved in activities ranging from fund-raising events to mentoring new parents.
Noting the increasing elderly population and the nationwide shortage of nurses, Andrea is hoping to help fill a societal need. She knows that she will have to cut back on her work hours to accomplish her goals, and we are happy to make that a bit easier with an award of $4,000.
“The need to reach my potential allows me to enjoy just about every subject that I am exposed to.”
Genevieve is currently a mathematics major at Butte College . She plans to follow in the footsteps of her brother, a previous Floyd L. English Scholarship recipient who also majored in mathematics. Her interest in mathematics was sparked by one of her Butte College instructors who managed to convey her enthusiasm for mathematics to her students and convinced Genevieve that math can be fun.
Instructors at Butte College describe Genevieve as both gifted and humble, with a commitment to learning and a passion for teaching. Genevieve supports herself working as a mathematics tutor in the TRiO Student Support Services Program, and she is in high demand for her helpful and interesting examples and her patience. She also finds time to be very involved with campus organizations including the Mathematics, Engineering and Science Achievement Program ( MESA ) and the Black Student Union.
After earning her bachelor's degree, Genevieve plans to go on to graduate school so that she can teach mathematics at a community college or state university; as a teacher, she hopes to help her students see that math can be fun. We hope Genevieve will do some tutoring for Chico State students when she joins us this fall, but she might be able to cut back some on her tutoring hours thanks to this award of $2,500.
“... in chemistry, I found myself writing equations on windows and reading the textbook on car trips, drawn like a moth to the flame.”
Christina has always enjoyed mathematics, but she fell in love with chemistry in her advanced placement chemistry class at Chico High School . She is currently wrapping up her first year as a Chico State student, and she will have completed both lower- and upper-division organic chemistry at the end of this semester, which is highly unusual for a freshman. The Chemistry Department has recognized Christina's talent and hard work with a Chemistry Summer Research Internship; this summer, Christina will be working with Dr. Ball on a project involving chiral sturctures. According to Dr. Ball, they will be starting a new synthetic study of gallicynoic acids. These are acetylenic acids produced as secondary metabolites from a fungus. These compounds exhibit diverse bioactivities, including cytotoxic, antimicrobial, enzyme-inhibitory, and anti-HIV activities.
While Christina is a diligent student, she also makes time to be involved in community service activities such as the United Way and the Chico Community Children's Center. She was active in the school band all four years at Chico High, progressing from playing the pennywhistle to the clarinet to the alto clarinet. With her strong record of high school involvement, Christina is sure to take on a leadership role as a chemistry major.
While it is still quite early in her academic career, Christina plans to look for opportunities to fuse her interests in chemistry and mathematics in applications involving the environment. Graduate school is definitely in her future. We are very pleased to be able to support Christina's goals with an award of $4,000.
“The very health of our society is contingent upon the health of our environment and our understanding of the processes that created it.”
Griffin is interested in geological processes and their impact on society. He transferred from Shasta College last fall and has already earned a reputation as a diligent and hard-working student. In fact, faculty in his department describe him as one of the strongest undergraduate students they have known, noting that he frequently outperforms the graduate students in his classes. In order to expand his experience in groundwater hydrogeology, Griffin designed an independent research project, supervised by Dr. Rachel Teasdale, in which he is investigating potential contamination of groundwater caused by residential fertilizers. Griffin was recently awarded an Undergraduate Research and Creativity Grant to support this work, and he plans to present the results at a future meeting of the Geological Society of America .
Griffin has quickly become involved in service activities sponsored by the Association of Geology and Environmental Students (AGES); he has volunteered as a tutor, helped judge projects at the Chico Science Fair, and has assisted with Northern California Natural History Museum events. He hopes to be even more involved next year.
Griffin's future plans include pursuing a master's degree in geophysics or hydrology, followed by a career in industry. We are pleased to support his goals with an award of $4,000.
“I want to be able to take my knowledge and help others who either have health issues or want to avoid them.”
Jodi began her working career in customer service at United Airlines about nine years ago. Shortly thereafter, she was diagnosed with cancer, the first time. One of her co-workers observed that most people would have backed away from talking about their disease, but Jodi took the diagnosis as an opportunity to educate others about the importance of taking better care of themselves through good nutrition and a healthy lifestyle. That experience has developed into a passion for nutrition and food science and for helping others learn how to make healthy choices. After graduation, she hopes to begin a career in a clinical setting where she will get to interact with many people with diverse problems on a daily basis. She hopes to use that clinical experience as a foundation for a private practice where she can work with communities and schools to educate young people about the importance of good nutrition, through fun activities such as healthy cooking and community or school gardens.
Jodi is transferring from Butte College in the fall. Instructors at Butte College describe her as a highly motivated student who takes great pride in her work and whose contributions to class often help her fellow students better understand the material.
Jodi hopes to finish her degree as soon as possible because she can't wait to begin serving others. We are pleased to support Jodi's plan with an award of $2,500.
“The needless deaths and agony of disease due to lack of medical care burdens my heart and I dream of making even a small difference.”
Whitney is currently a student at Yuba College and will be joining us in the fall. Faculty and staff at Yuba College describe Whitney as a model student who makes time to give back to her community. Whitney currently works as a tutor in physiology and microbiology at the College Success Center; with her strong leadership skills and firm understanding of the material, her tutoring is highly regarded among both students at faculty.
Whitney has also devoted considerable time and energy to the off-campus community... working with teenage mothers at a crisis pregnancy center, volunteering with the Cub Scouts, and staying active with her church. All of which is even more remarkable when you learn that Whitney is the mother of five children, the youngest of whom is ten months old. Whitney's husband is a substitute teacher, working on his credential, so she and her family have faced some financial obstacles. During her interview, she noted that it is possible to help others in little ways, even when you don't have a lot of money, and little things sometimes matter a lot.
Whitney's ultimate goal is to provide care for underserved women and infants, both in the Unites States and in other countries. She is especially interested in working in Africa . We are happy to support her dream of becoming a nurse practitioner with an award of $4,000.
“I have fun doing what I do, so it's not so bad that I do it all the time!”
Molly has a passion for conservation biology. As a child, she spent a lot of time outdoors interacting with nature. When she came to Chico State as a freshman, she wasn't ready to give up catching lizards, so, Molly volunteered to work in the field assisting biology graduate students. Molly continues to look for opportunities that will take her beyond the normal classroom learning experiences of an undergraduate.
In fall 2006, Molly was an intern in the Hands on Lab, a program in which college students lead laboratory investigations for groups of North State elementary and middle school children. Molly was able to put that experience to good use last fall when she participated in a study abroad program in Africa . While in Ghana , she saw the need for people to be involved with local schools and, instead of waiting for the study abroad program to place her, she went to the school and volunteered on her own. The school was more than happy to give her an assignment, as the only science teacher for a class with 60 students and very few classroom supplies. She met the challenge using her strong science background and her teaching experience in our Hands on Lab.
Molly has had these remarkable out-of-classroom experiences while also working at least 20 hours per week, taking 20 units of coursework, and staying active in several student organizations. Molly plans to begin a master's degree immediately after completing her bachelor's. She would like to gain further field experience working in conservation biology and then earn a doctorate so that she can become a college professor. We are happy to support her plans with an award of $5,000.
“I want to be able to look back on my life and know that I contributed to something larger than myself...”
Our chemistry faculty describe Karl as one of the hardest working students they know, and Karl has thrived in the program, showing tremendous growth as a student and as a researcher, performing at a level that is well beyond what we expect of our best students.
In 2006, Karl began working with Dr. Ball in the organic chemistry lab, and last summer Karl began a research internship with Dr. Bruce Lipshutz at UC Santa Barbara , working on developing new synthetic organic chemistry methodology. Karl describes his work, building big molecules from little building blocks, as similar to a construction project on something that is too small to see. The internship at UC Santa Barbara will continue this summer. Karl has presented his work in poster sessions at our College of Natural Sciences Poster Session and at national American Chemical Society meetings; he is the co-author of an article just published in Organic Letters , and he has two publications pending.
While he spends much of his time in the lab, Karl is also an active member of SAACS, participating in many of their outreach activities, from judging science fair projects to tutoring and mentoring other chemistry students.
After graduating next spring, Karl plans to enter a doctoral program in organic chemistry and continue his research. Eventually, he will be looking for an intellectually stimulating career, perhaps as a pharmaceutical researcher or a college chemistry professor. We are happy to recognize his accomplishments and support his goals with an award of $5,000.
To learn more about the Floyd L. English Natural Sciences Scholarships, please click here.