The Boyce - Community College of Allegheny County

Page 10 Monday, October 18, 2010
Biology student earns nano-technology certificate at Penn State
Other science students can apply
for spring, summer programs
BIOLOGY DEPARTMENT: At the
recommendation of Dr. Leelavati R.
Murthy, Professor of Biology/Biotechnology,
CCAC-Boyce student, Raphael
Williams gained admission to the Summer
2010 Semester Capstone Program
at Penn State University ‘s Center for
Nanotechnology and Utilization, for a
thorough training in theory and handson
knowledge in Nanotechnology.
At his successful completion of
this training program at the end of the
Summer 2010 semester, Mr. Williams
earned 18 Penn State University credits
at CCAC tuition rates.
An NSF grant funded his stay (accomodations)
at the University Park, PA,
campus. These 18 credits are transferable
to a four-year college and will also
enable him to graduate from CCAC
with two majors, Biology and Nanotechnology,
subject to his completion of
all the other required CCAC credits.
Mr. Williams wishes to express his
thanks to Dr. Murthy for inspiring and
encouraging him to undertake this program
in Nanotechnology at Penn State
University.
CCAC students majoring in any
of the following fields, such as Physics,
Chemistry, Biology, Biotechnology
and Computer Science can apply to the
Spring 2011 and Summer 2011 semester
of Capstone Program in Nanotechnology.
For more information, please email
Dr. Murthy at lmurthy@ccac.edu and
visit the website www.nano4me.org
Svetlana Suvorova, Allegheny Campus honors student,
participates in an Honors Rock Climbing adventure.
“…I have never experienced a
mental block or physical incapacity to
move as I had when I was asked to
‘let go’ of the cliff I was hanging off of.
“My rock-climbing experience was
an eye-opener. I was climbing up a
cliff and needed to transfer myself to
the one behind me in order to progress.
“My instructor was there to call
our clear directions on placement of
hands and feet, but no one offered
suggestions regarding the block of
ice that landed in my stomach and
created a bone- deep chill with intense
shivering while I glanced down
at the plummet I would take if I were
to let go.
“The activity was simple enough
to understand. I climb up, position
myself just right, reach with my right
arm into the air behind me towards
the opposite cliff and simply let go
with my left hand, lastly landing with
my right hand on the cliff. Needless,
to say, eventually I did.
“However, it wasn’t my rational
I present you with a short excerpt from my diary
which expresses the intense experience:
Student Features
mind, with its constant reassurance of
how well-secured I was by the single
rope nor by my faith in the fellow honors
member who held tight to the rope
and secured my position.
“Rather, it was my desire and deep
‘want’ to succeed at this strange and
new challenge. In my mind the constant
mantra of, ‘I really, really want to
finish the climb’ echoed in my skull.
“But ‘want’ alone was not enough;,
I needed to let go in the metaphorical
sense. Gathering my thoughts, I took
a few deep breaths and blanked my
mind –simultaneously I released my
death grip and fell.
“Pure adrenaline, a hint of panic,
and a touch of shock shot through my
veins just as my right palm slammed
into solid rock.
“All of those emotions ripped to
the surfaced as I exalted in joy. I was
beyond elation as I had realized that
I was not smashed into pieces on the
unyielding ground below, but more importantly
that I had succeeded in accomplishing
a personal victory…”
PHOTO BY SAM PRICE
CCAC-Boyce student Raphael Williams, majoring in Biology, is holding a
certificate which states that he has earned 18 Penn State University credits in
Nanotechnology. This certificate was awarded to him by Penn State University’s
Center for Nanotechnology Education and Utilization.
Student shares extreme
experience as honor student
By Svetlana Suvorova
Leadership in Honors Scholar
Allegheny Campus
Greetings to all current and future
members of the CCAC Honors Program!
Many of you are well into your fall semester
classes and are juggling not just
the regular coursework, but your family
obligations, work and other miscellaneous
tasks you are required to perform
on a daily basis.
It comes as no surprise that some of
you may hesitate at the idea of considering
an additional load of honors coursework
and activities.
Fear not, brave adventurers, for you
are in good hands! The honors classes
and enrichment activities are less stringent
in regards to lecture and automatic
exams; rather, each session is something
more of a discussion on the reading material
as the professor guides you to explore
the depth of knowledge within the particular
course you have chosen.
Some work is required on your part,
but it is on a different plain, and your participation
along with insightful ideas becomes
more valued than how much you
can memorize.
The best part about it is that the classes
are small enough to enable the atmosphere
for discussion to truly develop and
to give everyone an opportunity to participate
in a productive debate.
From honors courses to honors contracts,
each honors student has the chance
to expand his or her experience and education.
Along with enriching coursework,
the Honors Program offers engaging field
trips and cultural events. The entire experience
is a package you don’t want to
miss!
There was one activity that stole my
breath away and revealed a new side of
me, and that was my participation in the
Honors Rock Climbing Adventure.
It comes as no great surprise that each
activity presented in the Honors Program
tests your abilities to tap into the reserves
that we all have.
Not every activity is this extreme, but
each bears fruit when you explore yourself
and push the limits of what you can do
physically and mentally.
It is especially important to take as
much as you can away from each interaction
with the members of the Honors
Program because your skills of communication,
teamwork and leadership flourish
with exposure to people who have similar
ambitions, especially under the careful
guidance of our Honors Director, Julia
Fennell, and your Campus Coordinators:
Jo Dallas, Dan Lowe, Srujana Kanjula and
Rodger O’Toole.
It is with sincere hope that you, a fellow
or future honor’s member, will reach
out and grasp the opportunities that come
knocking on your door. You can never go
wrong when you take advantage of gifts
that will make you a better person.
Stay tuned to our Facebook and Blackboard
websites as we update you on the
events of October!
We are attending The Drue Heinz Lecture
Series presenting Supreme Court Justice
Stephen Breyer on Oct. 18.
Lastly, the Honors Program will join
the One College, One Community by
working with students at the Schumann
Center, sharing our experiences of reading
the novel A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest
Gaines.
Future Teacher’s Club has an
ongoing BOX TOP COLLECTION. We
are future teachers devoted to a
better future for children. We are
collecting BOX TOPS to donate to
PITTSBURGH MONTESSORI SCHOOL.
This collection will help them obtain
better equipment and more supplies needed for their
school. Better equipment and supplies for all will allow
the optimum chance for achievement. Thank you for
supporting the FTC and education. Your BOX TOPS
can be dropped off in Student Life or Career Services.