CSAT From the Dean's Desk

February 9, 2012

IT Student Receives Prestigious Scholarship

Senior computer science major Nick Hagwood was recently awarded a $1,000 national scholarship from the Information Systems Security Association Education Foundation, which is a part of the Information Systems Security Association (ISSA).

The organization awards only two scholarships each year to outstanding students who plan to pursue information security and privacy as a part of their professional career.  ISSA is one of the world's largest information security associations.

Hagwood, a native of Hurt, Va., is currently pursuing RU's Undergraduate Certificate in Information Security.

Center for the Sciences Computer Lab Named

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The excitement of the new Center for the Sciences building continues to rise with alumna Nancy Artis and her husband, Pat, of Pagosa Springs, Colo., making a $50,000 gift to name a computing laboratory, the “Artis Computing Laboratory for Biological Sciences.” The lab is designed to accommodate up to 24 students, and will house desktop computers with specialized software for scientific and mathematical applications. Classes will be conducted in the lab when computer work is needed, but the facility will also be available as an open lab for students to meet and complete individual and group projects.

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Hunter Simpson Looks Ahead to Dental School

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Hunter Simpson works with faculty mentor Tara Phelps-Durr.

Biology major Hunter Simpson recently received very good news.  He scored a 90 percent on his Dental Admissions Test (DAT).  The Keen Mountain, Va., native is known for his hard work and dedication to his studies and research.  "I learned a long time ago that those characteristics can take you far in life and RU has definitely strengthened each one of them," adds Simpson.

Simpson has aspirations of becoming an oral surgeon.  But before he can reach that goal, he must be accepted to dental school.  So he is taking advantage of opportunities to enhance his resume in biology faculty member Tara Phelps-Durr's laboratory.

(Learn more)

Fitzgerald Communications Intern in Dean's Office

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The College of Science and Technology Dean’s Office welcomes communication intern John Fitzgerald.  Fitzgerald is assisting Ann Brown with stories for From the Dean’s Desk, the bi-weekly newsletter for the college, and upcoming college outreach events including Science Exploration Day on Feb. 18 and SuperMACC academic tournament on March 12. Majoring in Communication with a concentration in Corporate Communication and Professionalism, he will graduate in the spring of 2012. While interning for the college, Fitzgerald hopes to gain additional skills in writing, event planning and internal communication, which are essential to pursue a communications career in the corporate world. “I’ve only been here for few weeks and feel I have learned so much. I am eager to learn and put my current knowledge to good use,” Fitzgerald says. 

CSAT STEM Club News

By Jasmine Jackson, CSAT STEM Club Secretary

The CSAT STEM Club will be hosting the Science Exploration Day on Saturday, February 18 from 7:30 a.m. - 3 p.m.  The CSAT STEM Club members will serve as teaching assistants, registration assistants, and will provide a bake sale for children participating in the event.

The CSAT STEM Club will be helping with the CSAT Open House on Saturday, February 25. Volunteers from the club will talk to prospective students about the different STEM majors that Radford offers and about student life. The time for this event will be announced at a later date. 

On Thursday, March 15 from 3:30-4:30pm in Stuart Hall Lounge, there will be a reception for the CSAT STEM Club guest speaker, Dr. Burks, the director of Anthropological Geophysics at Ohio Valley Archaeology.  Later that evening at 7 p.m. in McGuffey 203, Dr. Burks will give his talk "Rediscovering Ohio's Ancient Earthwork Sites." He will discuss how he used where he used LiDAR, a laser-based technique for mapping the ground’s surface, and geophysical survey maps from a number of sites in southern Ohio and show that Ohio’s earthwork sites still hold many secrets.

The club's spring trip will be to the North Carolina Zoo on Saturday, March 17. More information about the spring trip will be announced at a later date.