Science & Technology

WCourtney Barkley is a junior in the Science and Technology Honors Program majoring in Public Health with minors in Chemistry and Biology. Courtney has put in countless hours of volunteer work over the past year through her work with UAB Science Olympiad, the PreDental Society, the Student Affiliates of the American Chemical Society (SAACS) at UAB, the Exceptional Foundation, and the BlazerKitchen. Last year, Courtney built upon her previous experience writing and proctoring tests for the UAB Science Olympiad Tournament and took on a larger leadership role as the Promotional Officer on the Science Olympiad Board of Directors, This year, Courtney is serving as a member of the advisory council to help pass on information to this year’s board of directors. Courtney is also currently serving as Treasurer for the PreDental Society and Secretary for SAACS. Courtney volunteered at many events with SAACS last year, including Mad Scientist Day and McWane Center Demonstrations, to help promote science education through hands-on chemistry demonstrations. Courtney was even awarded the SAACS Volunteer of the Year award for the 2016-2017 school year. Outside of her work with student organizations, Courtney has volunteered with the Exceptional Foundation, a community center focused on providing social and recreational activities for adults with special needs. This semester, Courtney is volunteering her time with BlazerKitchen, a food bank for UAB students and employees. We would like to thank Courtney for her extensive work in aiding the UAB community and the greater Birmingham community through her volunteering endeavors by naming her as the November STH Volunteer of the Month.hat's this item about? What makes it interesting? Write a catchy description to grab your audience's attention...

Joanna Schmidt is a junior in the Science and Technology Honors Program, majoring in Physics and Mathematics with a concentration in Applied Mathematics and Scientific Computation. She is also a member of the Society of Physics Students as well as Le Club F, the French Club at UAB. Joanna was one of the original members of the team responsible for putting together the first UAB Middle School Math Tournament, a competition pitting students in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade to a difficult examination to test their mastery of Mathematics and inspire a lifelong enjoyment of Math. As the 9 Outreach Coordinator, she helped in gathering resources for the competition, wrote tests, and participated in coordinating the setup of the event. This year, she once again has taken a leadership role in the planning of the next tournament. Joanna has stated, “This year the tournament is going to focus on Title One schools in the Birmingham area. These schools have a larger percentage of lowerincome students, so it’s been a great opportunity to really make a difference in the lives and futures of young students in Birmingham.” Along with the math competition, Joanna has also volunteered with the UAB Science Olympiad, a tournament meant to spark a love of Science in students through the spirit of competition. She has helped as a test and event proctor. Her volunteering demonstrates her devotion to Science and Mathematics, and she is thusly chosen as the STH Volunteer of the Month for July.

March 30, 2017

Lindsay Jenkins is a sophomore in the Science and Technology Honors Program majoring in Neuroscience and Genetic and Genomic Sciences, and minoring in Chemistry. She has been recognized as Volunteer of the Month for her past volunteer work at Children’s Hospital. There, she was able to serve in the Special Care Unit as she helped nurses with tasks and held and comforted babies. Volunteering with babies has inspired her to consider working as an OB/GYN. She plans to continue her volunteer experience by assisting at UAB Hospital in the Women & Infants Services Department. Again, she expects to be working with nurses with miscellaneous tasks and spending time talking with patients. For her efforts in assisting the hospitals of the greater Birmingham area, Lindsay has been chosen as the March STH Volunteer of the Month.

February 28, 2017

Ayo Ayokanmbi is a junior in the Science and Technology Honors Program majoring in Biomedical Sciences. He has been recognized as Volunteer of the Month for his volunteer services through the American Red Cross, Blazerthon, AED, and the SciTech Program. Through the American Red Cross, Ayo volunteers his time as a blood services transportation specialist. By transporting blood and blood products from local Birmingham hospitals to the Birmingham headquarters, he supports the Red Cross Mission. In his work with Blazerthon, Ayo serves as a member of the marketing committee, working to help promote and raise awareness for the organization that raises money for Children’s Hospital. Ayo also attends events through Alpha Epsilon Delta (AED), such as Red Barn and Spirit of Luke, to help local agencies and organizations with any projects that need to be completed or with health service to the public. Ayo also serves as a member of SciTech’s Communications Committee, assisting in the production of newsletters and flyers and in the running of the social media accounts. We would like to thank Ayo for his efforts in serving the UAB and greater Birmingham communities by naming him as the February STH Volunteer of the Month.

January 30, 2017

Emily Quarato is a junior in the Science and Technology Honors Program double majoring in Chemistry and Anthropology. Most of Emily’s current volunteer work is at UAB with her involvement in SciTech, Catholic Blazers, and the UAB Chemistry Department. Through her work with Catholic Blazers, Emily serves as the organization’s treasurer, volunteers to cook weekly student meals once a month, and volunteers once a month with the firehouse shelter. In her work with the Chemistry Department, Emily serves as the Vice President for the UAB chapter of the Student Affiliates of the American Chemical Society (SAACS), working to help coordinate officer activities, maintain connection with the home school association, coordinate Mad Scientist Day High School, and volunteer at community outreach endeavors at the McWane Science Center and schools in the community. Emily also volunteers to help students understand chemistry concepts in her spare time. Emily also serves as the Peer Mentoring Chair for the SciTech Honors Program, coordinating the mentors and mentor-mentee bonding activities. For her efforts to enrich the scientific undergraduate experience and promote well-being and education in the greater Birmingham community, we have named Emily January STH Volunteer of the Month.

December 30, 2016

Amanda Lawrence is a sophomore in the Science and Technology Honors Program double majoring in neuroscience and chemistry. She has been recognized as the volunteer of the month for her various volunteer endeavors through the Student Affiliates of the American Chemical Society (SAACS), the Birmingham Crisis Center, the SciTech Honors Program, and the World Tang Soo Do Association. She serves as a crisis counselor on the Crisis and Suicide line and the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. As a volunteer instructor, she goes to the Oak Mountain Martial Arts once a week and helps teach students of all ages, but mainly kids. She teaches sessions at all ranks and black belt clinics, helps conduct black belt tests, and judges color belt tests. She spends
approximately thirteen Saturdays a year volunteering for the association at three different schools. Her other activities include volunteering for Mad Scientist Day for SAACS and also leading the General Chemistry 1 study group for SciTech. As the Logistics Director for Science Olympiad @ UAB, she and the other directors have been working tirelessly to ensure the tournament is an enriching experience for the participating students. She also serves a Neuroscience mentor for underclassmen. We would like to thank Amanda for her diligent dedication to the UAB community and the greater Birmingham community by naming her as the December STH Volunteer of the Month.

November 30, 2016

Gunnar Eastep is a sophomore Biochemistry major in the Science and Technology Honors Program. In his time at UAB, Gunnar has participated in a wide variety of volunteering activities, particularly in the Science and Technology Honors Community. Gunnar has served as a volunteer at Children’s Hospital, and worked to organize a volunteering day at Habitat for Humanity on Saturday, October 22nd for the Science and Technology Honors Program. He also volunteered this past -summer to teach STH study groups for Calculus and Physics. For his efforts in cultivating volunteering opportunities for the SciTech Honors community and increasing philanthropy endeavors in the Birmingham area, Gunnar has been chosen as the November STH Volunteer of the Month.

October 30, 2016

Anisha Das is a senior Neuroscience major with minors in Spanish, Psychology, Chemistry, and Biology in the Science and Technology Honors Program. Over the summer, Anisha had the opportunity to participate in the Critical Language Scholarship Study Abroad Program in Kolkata, India. During her time in India, Anisha studied Bangla, a language of her heritage, intensively for two months. When asked about her experience, Anisha commented, “I started the program as a Bangla novice and ended at an intermediate level. One of my best memories from the experience was writing a letter in Bangla to my grandfather. There had always previously been a linguistic barrier between us, but thanks to this opportunity, I was finally able to develop the language skills I needed to be able to express to him just how important our relationship is to me. Even now two months later, my grandfather will proudly tell anyone who is willing to listen about the letter I wrote to him.” Anisha is a volunteer with the organization Building Bridges, a student-led organization at UAB founded in July of 2015 with the purpose of ending senior citizen social isolation in the Birmingham area. Currently, Anisha volunteers as a buddy and technology tutor at Highland Manor Apartments, an independent living facility in Five Points Birmingham. She has been meeting with her buddy on a weekly basis for the past year and a half, participating in a variety of activities from getting lunch to attending cultural events they are both interested in, and they stay in touch on Facebook when they are unable to meet. When asked about her experience with the Building Bridges program and spending time with her buddy, Anisha explained, “My buddy in the building bridges program has impacted my life profoundly. There is so much wisdom and knowledge one can gain by befriending someone from a different generation, and I know our friendship is one I will cherish long after my time at UAB.” Anisha is also the current president of YouAB Learning, an organization that she helped found her freshman year and has been a part of ever since. Anisha volunteers with YouAB Learning at Children’s of Alabama Hospital as a tutor in the dialysis unit and as an on-call tutor. The patients that receive dialysis generally come in to receive treatment three times a week and often get behind on their schoolwork in the process. As a YouAB Learning tutor, Anisha works with the same patients each week to help them with their schoolwork and exam preparation, as well as provide encouragement and motivation for the students to stay passionate about school despite their health adversities. Lastly, Anisha also volunteers at the Crisis Center in Birmingham as a telephone counselor on the Crisis Line. As a counselor, I speak with callers about topics ranging from assistance with basic needs to serious thoughts of self-harm. After developing an understanding of the caller’s unique situation, I work with the caller to explore possible options and develop plans of self-care. For her years of service to so many volunteer organizations, Anisha has been chosen as the October STH Volunteer of the Month.

September 30, 2016

Jamie Ansell is a senior Biomedical Engineering major in the Science and Technology Honors Program. Jamie routinely volunteers his time and services for the betterment of the surrounding community. His wide range of volunteer activities begins with his work within the STH Executive Council, which he has held a position on for three years. Jamie played a vital role in restructuring the fundraising activities of the STH EC by opening a business checking account for the program and giving SciTech the ability to take credit cards for payment. As Junior Co-Chair of the council, he upgraded the way the council was organized by taking advantage of Google Drive services and streamlining the form processing for the council. He is also an active member of several other organizations around Birmingham that promote a healthy community. As an HIV/AIDS testing volunteer with the 1917 Clinic, Jamie provides advanced screening and testing to at risk clients of the drug addiction facility, The Fellowship House. Through this program Jamie has educated clients on their sexual health status and advised clients on choices to decrease their risk of acquiring infectious diseases. Jamie Ansell has founded a charity 5k/1 mile Team Hope Walk with three other SciTech Students. The Team Hope Walk was held at Oak Mountain State Park this last spring and raised $11,000 dollars to be donated to the Huntington's Disease Society of America (HDSA). The HDSA is the premier Huntington's Disease organization whose mission is to spread awareness and research cures for the currently incurable and fatal Huntington's Disease. In previous years, Jamie has been a director for the 2015 UAB Science Olympiad and is now currently a director emeritus. Through his time working with the tournament, Jamie has helped expand Science Olympiads reach at UAB to the middle school division and has helped this previous years directors run their tournament smoothly. Other organizations that Jamie routinely volunteers at include the Habitat for Humanity and the Spirit of Luke Medical Missions into the Black Belt region of Alabama. For his many years of service in so many different volunteering outlets, Jamie has been chosen as the September STH Volunteer of the Month.

August 30, 2016

Ryan Murphy is a junior Biochemistry and Biology double major in the Science and Technology Honors Program. This summer, Ryan has been working as an officer for the Student Affiliates of the American Chemical Society (SAACS) at UAB to prepare for another year of science educational outreach for children in the Birmingham area. Ryan has served as the Community Outreach Chair for the past year and a half, working to facilitate several community outreach endeavors, including monthly chemistry demonstration shows at the McWane Science Center, demonstration shows at Science Olympiad tournaments in the area, and preparation and execution of the organization’s largest community outreach endeavor, Mad Scientist Day Junior, an event that includes over 30 hands-on demos for over 200 elementary and middle school children. Ryan also served as the head of the Mad Scientist Day Committee this past year, overseeing all fundraising activities, supply purchases, and administrative details of the college Mad Scientist Days and Mad Scientist Day Junior. Ryan has also served as a member of the STH Executive Council since his sophomore year. Last year, Ryan served as the Fundraising Chair, working with his committee to organize and execute several new fundraising endeavors for the EC, including an exam survival kit sale, the program’s first STH drawing with several unique prizes, and new STH merchandise sales, including long-sleeve shirts and beanies. This year, Ryan will serve as the Communications Chair, managing event flyer design, monthly newsletter publication, video production, and social media management for the program. Ryan also serves as a peer mentor for the STH program, mentoring incoming freshman students to help them adjust to life at UAB and college life in general. For his dedication to volunteering with his student organizations, Ryan has been chosen as the August STH Volunteer of the Month.

July 30, 2016

Danielle Madsen is sophomore Public Health major in the Science and Technology Honors Program. This summer, Danielle participated in a Health and Community Development course in South Africa. The eight-week course compromised of classes and volunteering focused on local and public health and medical issues in Capetown. When she was not taking classes, Danielle volunteered full time for six weeks at clinics and hospitals. Aiding nurses in running blood tests, running minor diagnostics, giving appropriate medication, and assisting patients allowed her to obtain medical experience while also learning about the differences in health care within the United States and other countries that are less fortunate. Days that she was not volunteering at clinics and hospitals were spent at community health programs where she helped adults and children that lacked access and transportation to health clinics. Volunteering with the community health program allowed her and to educate people on how to diagnose common diseases in the area such as AIDS and Tuberculosis and distribute appropriate medication or assist in taking individuals to clinics where they could obtain appropriate treatment. Not only did Danielle volunteer with medical related programs and facilities, but she also dedicated time to aiding children in orphanages and schools where she would help tutor and take care of the children. For all of the timeless volunteering Danielle has participated in over the summer, she has been chosen as the July STH Volunteer of the Month.

June 30, 2016

Katie Herron is a rising sophomore Materials Science and Engineering major in the Science and Technology Honors Program. Katie was recently elected as the 2016-2017 Volunteering Chair and Study Groups Coordinator for the Science and Technology Honors Program Student Executive Council. Immediately following her election, Katie eagerly sprung into action, organizing study groups for STH students during the summer and planning volunteering opportunities for the fall semester that have yet to be revealed. In addition to her recent election, Katie has a long history of volunteering during her first year at UAB, particularly in endeavors inspiring young people to engage in science and engineering. Katie has volunteered with the UAB Blazer BEST Robotics competition, a middle school and high school competitive robot-building event, helping make sure the event ran as smoothly as possible. Katie also played an instrumental role in the preparation and execution of the 2016 UAB Science Olympiad Competition, training to take on a greater role for next year’s competition as the Volunteer Coordinator. Most recently, Katie volunteered at the 2016 UAB Girls in Science and Engineering Day (GSED). When asked about her views on this event, Katie stated, “This event is a great opportunity for girls in the Birmingham area as they spend a day going to different workshops, from casting molds to extracting DNA, and learning about the opportunities that STEM careers provide. Volunteering to be a group leader and helping the girls move through different workshops meant a lot to me, since it was a past GSED that inspired me to pursue a career in science. My school’s science department didn’t have many funds, and GSED helped not only to show me the basic science ideas, but also STEM careers, such as engineering, that I didn’t know existed for women, It’s an event I was proud to volunteer at since I know it makes an impact on educating and inspiring the next generation in STEM.” For Katie’s passion for scientific education awareness and promising leadership endeavors, she has been chosen as the June STH Volunteer of the Month. We would like to thank Katie for her service to and passion for STH and the greater Birmingham area.

May 30, 2016

Tina Tian is a rising sophomore Neuroscience major in the Science and Technology Honors Program. Tina has worked tirelessly on so many community outreach endeavors the past several months that it is hard to name them all! Tina has worked as a dispensary assistant and is currently the Undergraduate Volunteer Coordinator for Equal Access Birmingham, a free student run clinic that serves the greater Birmingham community. She also volunteers with PACU aidE at Children’s of Alabama, primarily interacting with children, whether it is to brighten their day or assist with IV needle insertions or general injections. Her monthly work as a community outreach member and peer mentor for Spirit of Luke, a mobile health clinic that provides free medical care, food, medicines, clothes, toys, and appliances to those in the Black Belt of Alabama, is also worthy of praise. Tina has exhibited extraordinary leadership in her volunteering endeavors as well. This past spring, Tina worked with the Student Affiliates of the American Chemical Society at UAB on the Mad Scientist Day Junior Committee to prepare for the fourth annual Mad Scientist Day Junior on May 7th, 2016. Tina worked throughout the semester to help gather resources, sponsors, and volunteers for the event. During the event, she managed one of the higher profile demo stations and helped manage the crowd of 237 elementary and middle school children in attendance. Tina has also worked to build a new organization at UAB called Music Notes for the Soul. This group aims to send one musician each week to Children’s of Alabama to perform music for employees, patients, and their families to create an atmosphere that soothes the soul. In addition to her logistical work with the organization, Tina has performed piano at the hospital throughout the summer. For all of Tina’s overwhelming drive and hard work, she has been chosen as the May STH Volunteer of the Month. We would like to thank Tina for her service to and passion for the Birmingham community.