NCHC Conference 2009: Washington, DC
Though the leaves in Maine had already changed, we drove 14 hours south and were able to experience the colors of autumn all over again in our nation’s capital! Twenty-one students, five faculty members, and 5 staff members attended the NCHC conference in Washington, DC from 28 October through 1 November. Trip highlights? Here are just a few: a screening of the documentary film, The Linguists, about endangered languages around the world; proudly accepting another 1st place award for our magazine, MINERVA; a performance (in our hotel!) by the Capitol Steps; and a stealthy group photo at the pool– totally worth the effort!
(More photos here.)
This year’s trip had a special send-off: in early October, many of our students were able to meet Betsy ’55 and Bill Leitch, who make this trip possible each year. It was a wonderful visit and we are all grateful for their support of research and travel at the Honors College.
UMaine Presentations:
Dean Charlie Slavinparticipated in a Developing in Honors Session where speakers shared ideas regarding Fundraising for Honors: A way to ease budgetary pain? Slavin also presented with Mark Haggerty, Rezendes Preceptor for Civic Engagement, and Mimi Killinger, Rezendes Preceptor for the Arts, on The Formation of Rubrics for Evaluation of Honors College Theses. Emily Cain ’02, Coordinator of Advancement, took part in a Developing in Honors panel focused on Protecting our Programs from External Demands. Barbara Ouellette, Coordinator of Student Academic Services and Budget, participated in another breakout session entitled Honors Housing: Living-Learning Communities, where she was able to highlight the new renovations in Colvin Hall!
For their project, Beyond College Avenue: Civic Engagement in the UMaine Honors Experience, Karin Baard ’12 (English and Spanish), Timothy Baker ’10 (mathematics) and Keri West ’12 (English and history) worked on strategies for incorporating volunteerism into the Honors College– a topic of interest to many of our students.Samantha L. Paradis ’12 (history and theatre) and Gregory Viens ’12 (ecology and environmental studies) presented Reading between the Lines: Newspaper-Generated Poetry and the Global Perspective, along with their Honors 111 preceptor, Melissa Ladenheim, and Honors Associate Stephani Nola ’07. They focused on using newspaper articles as a pedagogical tool for explaining themes raised in the curriculum.
Kristen Kuhns ’10 (anthropology) and Morgan Brockington ’11 (anthropology) presented Ethnogenesis: The Construction & Dynamics of the Honors Classroom Culture, along with Honors preceptors Ladenheimand Edith Elwood.They discussed the formation and negotiation of classroom culture, based on survey data and class observation. Killinger, François Amar, Honors preceptor, Katherine Brown ’11 (marine science), and Rachel Snell ’06, Honors Associate, discussed integrating cultural events into the Honors requirements, through Honors 180 (now Honors 188). Their presentation was entitled From Page to Stage: Performing Arts in the Honors Curriculum. Julie Herbert ’11 (history) & Brianna Monahan ’10 (food science & human nutrition) presented Decorum Delegates! Decorum! Integrating the Theoretical and Practical: A Comprehensive and Practical Study of United Nations Internal Proceedings in the 21st Century. They propose an Honors seminar focused on the history and operations of the UN, culminating with a trip to McGill University’s Model UN.
Two UMaine Honors presentations were placed at the same roundtable, arranged by theme. Carly Gaudette ’11 (chemistry), Erica Brown ’11 (molecular and cellular biology), and Honors preceptors Amar andElwood presented Can Honors Bridge the Two Cultures? Integrating Science into the Core. Bradie Manion ’12 (biochemistry) also took part in the discussion, with a focus on Exploring Gray Matter: Science and Technology Expanded through Honors.
Across the room, more UMaine students were engaged in a lively discussion based on Currents & Contexts: Enhancing Student Awareness with Global Issues. This conversation was led byHaggerty and former Honors 170 student facilitators: Ankita Chowdhury ’10 (molecular and cellular biology), Michael Maberry ’10 (history), Nolan Southard ’10 (mechanical engineering), Kasey Spear ’10 (English and secondary education).
Presenting posters at the conference were: Amy Foley ’10 (biochemistry and molecular & cellular biology), The Effect of Artificial Sweeteners on E. Coli and Dictyostelium Discoideum; Chowdhury (molecular & cellular biology) Ovalbumin Expressing Candida albicans as a Model to Study the Role of the Innate Immune System in the Stimulation of an Effective Adaptive Immune Response to C. albicans; Matthew Ciampa ’10 (financial economics) & Derek Hardy ’10 (financial economics), Ability of Financial Futures to Predict Eventual Spot Prices.