Three students supported by University Honors College research grants were awarded National Consortium for Measurement and Signature Intelligence Research (NCMR) scholarship grants, disbursed by the National Science Foundation. This is the second year in a row that three UAA students received the awards.  Meagan Byrne, Mallory Givens and Alexandra West each received a scholarship grant of $10,000 for the 2010-2011 academic year to help with tuition, books and living expenses. All three students are members of the University Honors College and were selected in part because of significant undergraduate research experiences at UAA.  Click here to read the full press release.

Three UAA Honors seniors, Alex Bonnecaze, Carly Craig, and Deana Glick were awarded $10,000 scholarships from the National Council on MASINT Research.  These awards are designed to encourage promising students in the science to pursue careers in the intelligence field.  All three students were also invited to attend the 2010 NCMR Scholars Day, hosted by the University of New Mexico.

This September, Honors senior Amanda Fitzgerald presented at the 2009 COBRE-INBRE Scientific Conference in Big Sky, Montana.  Amanda's presentation, "The role of Williams Syndrome Transcription Factor (WSTF) in the neural development of Xenopus laevis," focused on the research that she has been conducting under the mentor-ship of Dr. Jocelyn Krebs.  At the conference, Amanda met researchers working in a variety of fields, including neuroscience, bioinformatics, genomics, and infectious disease.

In late spring 2009, UAA’s Deana Glick was awarded a highly competitive and prestigious Truman Scholarship. Glick, a University Honors College student majoring in biological sciences, is one of only 60 scholars named from 601 candidates nominated by 289 colleges and universities. Glick is the fourth consecutive UAA student to win this award. She joins the ranks of several prestigious former Truman Scholars, including Susan Rice (U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations), George Stephanopoulos (Broadcaster and Political Advisor) and Luis Ubinas (President, Ford Foundation), among others.

At the 6th Annual Alaska Statewide Japanese Speech Contest in 2009, Amanda Fitzgerald, the co-president (2008-2009) of the University Honors College Student Advisory Board, placed 2nd in the Intermediate Speech Category. This annual event was attended by 252 students ranging from grades 1-16.

Kelcie Ralph, a senior economics major, is one of only 40 U.S. students named as a 2009 Marshall Scholar. The Marshall Scholarships, widely recognized as among the most prestigious awards an American undergraduate can receive, provide students with two fully funded years of study in the United Kingdom. She will attend the London School of Economics to study City Design and Social Science, and Environmental Policy and Regulation.  Click here to read the full press release. 

One day after earning first-team all-conference honors, senior Rhea Cardwell, an Honors student majoring in Political Science, was named Tuesday as the Sports Imports/AVCA Division II National Player of the Week for Nov. 10-16 on the strength of her strong performances in the Seawolves’ two season-ending road matches. Cardwell becomes the first Seawolf ever to win the American Volleyball Coaches Association’s weekly honor.

Two University Honors Students were selected as recipients of the BP Alaska Scholarship Initiative for Fall 2008. These students will receive a scholarship to cover their internship program costs, their housing in Washington DC, a travel allowance, and a living stipend. Adrienne Eberhardt, a senior majoring in Theater, will be interning with Advocacy in the Arts Program. Jonathan Weindel, a senior majoring in Mathematics, will be interning in the Business and Technology Program. This prestigious internship program is run through The Washington Center which provides exceptional tailored internship placements and coursework to students throughout the DC area. The Alaska Scholarship Initiative is funded through BP. To apply for the internships and scholarship for the upcoming year, please visit the Washington Center Internship website.

Amanda Fitzgerald, a junior Biology major, volunteered for six weeks this summer at a Public Health Clinic in Piracicaba, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Amanda writes “The clinic I was at served only the poorest people of the city- those who could not afford to pay anything and did not have insurance. I was able to gain amazing medical experience as I was given the duties as a nurse and was able to see and work with patients while assisting in procedures and exams. I met several wonderful doctors and nurses who inspired me to want to work in public health and eventually open my own clinic in a medically under-served area. The act of being able to lend a hand at a clinic like this was incredible. It really illustrated the fact that "One can make a difference." Also while I was there I was blessed with a wonderful host family, learned a new language, and experienced an entirely different culture. Overall, my trip to Brazil was unforgettable.” If you are interested in going abroad, visit the Study Abroad website.

Senior outside hitter Rhea Cardwell, an Honors student double majoring in English and Political Science, has been leading the UAA Seawolves Volleyball team to an outstanding start to their season. Rhea had 11 kills and 10 digs in a game against Western State at the Cactus Classic at Antelope Gymnasium. They are currently on a five game winning streak. She was also named the Great Northwest Athletic Conference's Player of the Week for her performance during games on Sept. 18 and Sept. 20. Great job Rhea!

Summer Johnson, a senior philosophy major, is spending fall semester doing an IE3 Global Internship teaching at an elementary school in Kokkola, Finland. She is working in an English Immersion classroom, as well as studying the entire Finnish educational system and other aspects of Finnish culture. She is living with a host family and the Kokkola School District provided financial support for Summer’s airfare to Finland. She received a $500.00 scholarship from IE3. Congratulations Summer. To check out other IE3 Global internships, visit the website.