Barrett Students Take First Place in New College Undergraduate Student Research and Creative Projects Expo

It is a proud day for the Barrett community as five of their own were awarded first place in the New College Undergraduate Student Research and Creative Projects Expo, which was held April 16 -18. David Gardea, Adam Goldsmith, Dakota Larson, Ross Raymond and Emma Wallace received first place in the first-year composition division for their project, “Common Core Standards: Arizona’s Vision for the Future.”

The five students, who completed the project for Professor Sherry Cisler’s English 102 class, presented their work on the new Common Core Standards in Arizona. They collected research from the director of the Arizona School Boards Association, the principle of a local school and representatives from Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College.

This already impressive accomplishment is only increased by the fact that all five students are currently freshmen, which proves that even those new to the university can still make a big impact. As Emma Wallace said, “We are very proud to see that all of our hard work paid off.”

Other Barrett student winners included Jonathan Robbins, whose team placed third in the first-year composition division for their project, “History Isn’t Just the Past.” And, among NCUIRE scholars, two Barrett students tied for third place: Angelika Dampf Stone for “The Putative Role of Resveratrol in SIRT-1 Mediated Modulation of the Vitamin D Pathway” (a research project with Dr. Peter Jurutka) and Rebecca Halpin for “Behavioral Plasticity in the Western Black Widow, Latrodectus Hesperus, Across a Continuum of Urbanization” (a research project with Dr. Chad Johnson).

Congratulations to everyone on their great scholarship!

Michael Neville

West Campus Students Participate in Celebrating Honors Symposium

Students and community members gathered on April 11 at ASU’s Tempe campus to view Barrett students’ work at the Celebrating Honors Symposium of Research and Creative Projects. Over 130 Barrett students from all 4 campuses exhibited their senior theses and creative projects in the form of posters, videos, or built objects, and presented their accomplishments to the public by answering questions about their work.

Three students from Barrett at the West campus were chosen to present their research at the Symposium. Jennifer Kepler displayed her work entitled Inhibitory Action on Cmk1p on Yeast Vaculolar Calcium Exporter. Joseph Frankl showcased his research on the Differences in Mental Health Stigma, and Maryam Hockley also presented her work at the Symposium.

In addition to acknowledging the achievement of completing their senior theses and creative projects, this signature event highlights the significant contributions Barrett scholars make to their various disciplines. Congratulations to all the students who were selected to participate in this esteemed event!

Haley Schryver

Barrett West campus Hosts Prestigious Scholarship Award Info Session

Looking to go further in your academic field? Want to expand your horizons through travel? Want to do both? Well then, be at the Athena conference room on February 28, from 4 to 5 p.m. to hear from the Lorraine W. Frank Office of National Scholarship Advisement (LWFONSA) to learn what national and international awards of merit you can achieve.

As David Stuempfle, the director of LWFONSA activities at ASU said, “LWFONSA helps students from all ASU’s campuses prepare to compete for national and international awards of merit. Since 1991, LWFONSA-directed students have won more than 427 major national awards worth millions of dollars in external funding.” Therefore, it is a great opportunity for Barrett students to learn about potential scholarships that would allow them to expand their studies, see other cities, states and countries, without having to go into crippling debt.

There are normally about thirty info sessions spread over the campuses in an academic year, however there will only be two on West this semester. So if you miss this one, you’ll only have one other opportunity on this campus.

LWFONSA helps students in achieving prestigious scholarships from Rhodes, to Woodrow Wilson awards and many more. As ASU continues to rank as one of the top schools in the country, it is likely that more and more of those scholarships will be given to students here.

Michael Neville

Attend Thesis Workshops and Slay the Evil Thesis Monster

Every incoming Barrett student hears about the thesis and knows they will have to complete it before they graduate. However, the thesis can seem like a menacing beast, and many students try to put it off until suddenly they find themselves in their junior year, unaware, unprepared, and unsure. Fortunately, the Barrett staff and community want every Barrett student to succeed. That is why Barrett West’s Program Manager Liz Marini is holding thesis workshops to help Barrett students get a leg up on the thesis process.

Upcoming thesis workshops will be held in Athena in the Barrett Suite at West Campus on Tuesday, February 12th at 5:00 p.m. and Friday, February 15th at noon. These workshops will cover a variety of vital information for all Barrett students including:
• choosing a topic
• finding thesis director, a second reader, and a third reader
• utilizing ASU resources
• understanding the defense process

It is never too early to get started. Marini recommends that even freshmen and sophomores attend to get an idea of the process and a head start thinking about what they might do for their thesis. For juniors this is the perfect opportunity to get their questions answered, receive one-on-one feedback, and get a good idea of how and where to start.

The thesis is an important part of being a Barrett student, but it does not have to be frightening. Attending a thesis workshop is the best way for students to overcome that fear, get organized, and start their thesis with a clear direction and minimal stress. The workshop will allow you to slay the evil thesis monster and end its reign on your brain.