TowerFall2021

6 TOWER | FALL 2021 NEWS NOTES faculty & student recognition Dr. Darren Achey , associate professor of physical sciences, has been named a Virtual Inorganic Pedagogical Electronic Resource (VIPEr) Fellow in an innovative study to develop, test and refine a flexible, foundation-level inorganic chemistry course. As one of a group of 40 faculty selected for this project, he will join other inorganic chemists from across the country in a community of practice dedicated to improving student learning. “I am constantly looking to improve my methods of teaching,” Achey said. “By taking part in this sys- tematic commitment to chemistry education, I know that my students will benefit tremendously.” The study, titled “Improving Inorganic Chemistry Education,” is led by the Interactive Online Network of Inorganic Chemists (IONiC) with support from the National Science Foundation’s Improving Undergraduate STEM Education program. The project will use classroom observations, analysis of student work, student surveys and faculty interviews to study how changes in the classroom affect student learning, interest and motivation. Professor Joins Ground-Breaking Research GraduateWins National Portz Scholar Award AnnaNissley ’20 was selected by the National Collegiate Honors Council as one of four 2020 Portz Scholars. This national award is given to four students for outstanding undergraduate honors papers. Her award-winning, 110-page paper is titled, “Stories of the Appalachian Trail.” “The Appalachian Trail has been a central part of the identity of the East Coast and the United States as a whole for almost a century,” Nissley said. “The aim of the project was to question Western conceptualizations of outdoor spaces— in part through the critique of the very terms used to refer to land like ‘wild’ versus ‘developed’ — through multi-genre storytelling ranging from critical analysis to personal narratives and poetry.” Nissley, from Elizabethtown, Pa., graduated summa cum laude in May 2020 with two degrees: B.S.Ed. in secondary education (English) and B.A. in Spanish. She minored in women’s and gender studies, was a member of the Honors Program and received six academic awards during her successful college career. Physics Senior Wins Department’s Second-Straight State SystemAward The Syed R. Ali-Zaidi Award for Academic Excellence is conferred upon a graduating senior from one of the Pa. State System of Higher Education universities. KU’s Caelan Brooks ’21 was presented with the award April 15 at the system’s virtual Board of Governors meeting. Brooks, a physics major, marks the second-straight award winner from Kutztown and the Department of Physics, following 2020 winner Daniel Johns ’20 . A native of Bear, Del., and graduate of Appoquinimink High School, Brooks was a member of the KU Honors Program and conducted high-quality physics research that led to innovations in two areas of physics, resulting in one peer-reviewed paper published and three more in development. Brooks was the recipient of multiple scholarships, held a 4.0 GPA and was a scholar-athlete on the women’s soccer team. She is continuing her education at Harvard University. Dr. Kenneth S. Hawkinson presents the award for academic excellence to Caelan Brooks ’21