SIOUX CENTER, IA (05/07/2012)(readMedia)-- Nolan Hagge of Princeton, Iowa, was among 321 Dordt College students awarded diplomas at the 2012 commencement ceremony held Friday, May 4, in the B.J. Haan Auditorium.

Hagge graduated with a Bachelor of Science - Engineering degree in engineering.

Among this year's graduates, 298 earned Baccalaureate degrees, 14 Associate of Arts degrees, and nine Master of Education degrees. The Baccalaureate degrees presented included Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science in Engineering, Bachelor of Science in Nursing, and Bachelor of Social Work degrees.

Outgoing college president Dr. Carl E. Zylstra gave the commencement address, "To The Hilt." Zylstra has been president of Dordt College since 1996, during which time the college has seen significant expansion in its facilities, endowment, and academic programs.

Dordt College in Sioux Center, Iowa, is a comprehensive Christian college rooted in the Reformed tradition. U.S. News & World Report, Forbes.com, Washington Monthly, and Princeton Review all list Dordt on their best colleges lists. Dordt is home to approximately 1,400 students. To learn more about Dordt College, visit www.dordt.edu.

ROCK ISLAND, IL (05/07/2012)(readMedia)-- More than 75 Augustana students from all academic areas shared their advanced research projects on Saturday, May 5, at the Celebration of Learning. This on-campus research symposium annually gives students an opportunity to show off their academic accomplishments to their families and the Augustana community.

Among the students involved:

Alannah Golden, a junior from Davenport, Iowa, majoring in elementary education. The research was titled Expanding the Boundaries of Teacher Candidates in General Education: An Immersion Experience. Elementary education and communication sciences and disorders majors worked together to gather research for appropriate classroom accommodations when teaching exceptional children. Research was gathered during an immersion experience at The Florida School for the Deaf and Blind. Students researched literacy, technology, and a variety of accommodations as they worked with students with special needs within the school. The two majors worked together in order to effectively research ways to better meet the needs of exceptional children.

Manisha Kumar, a junior from Davenport, Iowa, majoring in biology and pre-medicine. The research was titled Characterizing the Cold-Conditioning Response in a Vertebrate Ectotherm. Ectothermic animals rely on seasonal increases in cold hardiness to survive a thermally variable environment, but a more rapid and supplementary subzero chilling may elicit a better response to a subsequent extreme chilling. In the present study, winter-acclimated Chrysemys picta (painted turtle) hatchlings were put in groups that were cold-conditioned to -3, -7, and -10.5°C. These turtles were later chilled to a more extreme temperature (-12.7°C) and monitored for recovery to determine the magnitude of the cold-conditioning response. To determine the effect of the cold-conditioning, levels of glucose, lactate, and urea were assessed in blood plasma, brain, and liver. Results showed that cold-conditioned turtles fared better, offering higher survival rates than those in the control condition. Turtles cold-conditioned to -3.5°C, however, had both the highest concentration of brain glucose and the highest survival rate. Concentration of brain glucose may be an important factor in determining survival of turtles exposed to cold.

Melissa McGreer, a senior from Illinois City, Ill., majoring in biology. The research was titled Mapping Infection Prevention Factors in Hospital Settings: A Clinical SI for the BA/BSN Dual Degree Program. Augustana pre-nursing students have the option of completing a dual degree BA/BSN including a clinical Senior Inquiry experience coordinated by the Trinity College of Nursing & Health Sciences in Rock Island, IL. After junior year as Augustana biology majors, these "nurse-scientists" take a summer nursing skills course at TCON&HS, followed by a 100+ hour clinical experience that allows them to explore a question bridging biology and nursing research. During summer 2011, I shadowed different departments at two hospitals in the Quad Cities. After a week or two learning from hospital staff, I proposed the idea that the precautions taken do vary from floor to floor in each hospital. I then created maps showing the interaction of these factors, sometimes referred to as a "web of causation" in epidemiology studies. Such maps can be used as guides for staff education to help healthcare workers see the gaps in their own practices.

Crystina Mayfield, a senior from Coal Valley, Ill., majoring in French, africana studies, and classics. The research was titled Creole Language in the Works of Patrick Chamoiseau. While Patrick Chamoiseau writes primarily in French, he uses a certain amount of Martinican creole language in his works to enhance the effect of his writing style. What exactly are the effects of the inclusion of creole language in a text when many readers will not be able to understand these phrases? What are the effects of including translations of the creole versus leaving it to stand on its own? What are the difficulties a creole writer faces when needing to use French to document a society which is firmly rooted in creole? These and other questions are the basis of this inquiry.

Celebration participants presented their research through a poster display or an oral presentation. Many students expounded on the results of their Senior Inquiry, a multiple-term research project required for most academic programs. Other students shared honors capstone projects or student-faculty research findings. Because of the advanced level of research involved, most of the presenters are upperclass students.

Anne Earel and Stefanie Bluemle, Augustana reference librarians and the event's co-directors, said the Celebration of Learning provided an outlet for students to showcase their accomplishments.

Presentations topics varied greatly and included anthropology, biology, physics, geography, gender studies, theater and more.

Granite boulder serves as a tribute to all Iowa teachers

DES MOINES, IA (05/06/2012)(readMedia)-- Over 100 educators, friends, and family unveiled a new memorial at the Capitol Complex on Sunday, May 6. The memorial-established as a tribute to Iowa Teachers and their outstanding service to Iowa's students-is the 47th memorial and first to honor teachers on the Capitol grounds.

"We are pleased to be a part of the ceremony today marking the first-ever teacher memorial in our state. Iowa has a long history of attracting the best and the brightest into the profession. We pride ourselves in our strong graduation rates and our great student scores. We have fine public schools and outstanding students. We are a strong and proud profession and we know we have the most important job in the world. Tomorrow marks the first day of National Teacher Appreciation Week and I can think of no better way to launch this week than with this memorial tribute to all Iowa teachers," said Chris Bern, President of the Iowa State Education Association (ISEA).

"We are gathered to pay tribute to those thousands of teachers who, on a daily basis, make a difference. I'm sure there are other states that treasure the field of education and educators as much as Iowa, and I'm sure those states can boast of great educators. But I am also sure no state exceeds us in either of those categories," said Tim Lane, memorial organizer.

The Teacher Memorial rests on the terrace located on the northwest corner of the Capitol Complex across from the Historical and Wallace buildings on Grand Avenue. The memorial is a granite boulder with a one-word inscription "TEACHER." Private donations for the memorial were collected from members of the Iowa Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (IAHPERD).

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Advances to National History Day contest at University of Maryland next month

(l-r) Governor Terry Branstad, Danielle Baresel, Department of Education Director Jason Glass and Department of Cultural Affairs Director Mary Cownie.

DES MOINES - Danielle Baresel of Davenport Central High School received top honors at the National History Day in Iowa contest this week at the State Historical Museum in Des Moines.

Baresel joins a group of Iowa students who will compete against nearly 2,500 other students from the United States, Guam, America Samoa, Department of Defense schools in Europe, and Shanghai, China, June 10-14, 2012, at the 2012 Kenneth E. Behring National History Day Contest at the University of Maryland.

During this week's state contest, Baresel competed against nearly 270 other students in the senior division (grades 9-12) and received top honors for her entry, "Virginia Woolf: Reforming the Modern Novel Through Revolutionizing Feminism" in the Senior Individual Performance category. About 400 students in grades 6-8 will compete in the junior division contest Monday, May 7, 2012, also at the State Historical Museum.

National History Day is an academic-enrichment program that helps students learn about historical issues, ideas, people and events. The year-long academic adventure fosters students' enthusiasm for learning and encourages them to use primary, secondary, community and statewide resources on a subject of their choice related to an annual theme. The theme for 2012 is "Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History."

Working individually or collaboratively in groups of two to five, students compete in the following categories: historical papers, individual and group exhibits, documentaries, performances and websites. Nearly 10,000 Iowa students competed in the program this year, with winners at school and district competitions advancing to the state contests in Des Moines.

In addition to helping students discover the world of the past, the NHD program helps them develop the following attributes that are critical for future success:

• critical thinking and problem-solving skills
• research and reading skills
• oral and written communication and presentation skills
• self-esteem and confidence
• a sense of responsibility for and involvement in the democratic process

The NHD program in Iowa has been coordinated by the State Historical Society of Iowa, a division of the Iowa Department Cultural Affairs, since 1994 and is sponsored by the State Historical Society, Inc., and the History Channel. More information about NHD in Iowa is available at www.iowahistory.org or by contacting Millie Frese at 515-281-6860 or millie.frese@iowa.gov.

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