Wilkes University

Six Wilkes University students from the division of behavioral and social sciences traveled to Baltimore, Md., to participate in the Eastern Sociological Society Regional Conference held on Feb. 20, 2014. Andrew Wilczak, Wilkes assistant professor of sociology, accompanied the students, who are all members of the University's sociology/criminology club.

Wilkes University nursing student Emily Christian of Northumberland, Pa., won the Leader of Tomorrow Award at the annual Student Nurses' Association of Pennsylvania conference. Christian is a senior at Wilkes and the daughter of Gary and Joy Christian. Christian has demonstrated her leadership abilities at Wilkes, serving in the past as an E-mentor and Ally in the Wilkes Ally program and is president of the 2014 nursing graduating class.

Eleven Wilkes University students are gaining hands-on journalism experience this academic year as members of the campus newspaper, The Beacon. As a part of the newspaper staff, the students manage, edit, write and design the award-winning publication. The Beacon appears both in print and online. Loran E. Lewis, assistant professor of communications studies, serves as faculty advisor.

Twenty-two Wilkes University students are gaining hands-on public relations experience this academic year as members of Zebra Communications. Zebra is a student-run public relations agency that works with 12-15 client-partners, including not-for-profit organizations, government agencies, small businesses, campus initiatives and regional grant-funded projects, each semester to create a public relations campaign of up to three months.

Wilkes University upperclassmen have volunteered to serve as E-Mentors for the 2013-2014 academic year. The mentors provide guidance to all First Year Students by assisting in the transition from high school to college both socially and academically. E-Mentors work with first-year students at orientation and during welcome weekend and serve as mentors throughout the first year at Wilkes. E-Mentors are assigned to first-year students based on the students' majors and help freshmen at Wilkes adapt to life at the University. E-Mentors not only guide first-year students through the adjustment to collegiate life but become the students' friends, often meeting face-to-face for lunch or at campus events. Each E-Mentor receives between 10-15 first-year student mentees.

A group of Wilkes University students is working on a project funded by the state of Pennsylvania that studies the biodiversity and food webs on state-managed lands. The students are catching birds, insects, reptiles, and small mammals in order to ascertain management strategies that maximize biodiversity. Biodiversity is the diversity among and within plant and animal species in an environment.

Four Wilkes University students are spending the summer semester studying the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) pathway of fruit flies. Abnormal growth of this pathway has been associated with several cancers. The students are characterizing genes whose expressions increase when the growth factor receptor pathway is overactive to study how it effects development in the flies and detect important targets in other animals, including humans.

A team of Wilkes University students presented their summer research at Plant Biology 2013, the annual meeting of the American Society of Plant Biologists. The students presented their work during a special undergraduate session and also at three sessions open to all 1500 conference participants. William Terzaghi, professor of biology, leads the students' research.

Seven Wilkes University students are spending the summer semester researching treatment therapies for inflammatory bowel disease. The students are studying a protein deficiency in sick mice to prove that the protein Thrombospondin-1 eases the disease's symptoms. Linda Gutierrez, assistant professor of biology, Valerie Kalter, associate professor of biology, and Zenaida Lopez-Dee, lab consultant, are leading the students' research.

Two Wilkes University students travelled to Mount St. Helens, Wash., from July 10-17 to examine volcanic deposits and collect rock samples. They will spend the summer semester conducting detailed mineral and geochemical analyses of the samples at Wilkes to learn about the geologic processes responsible for their formation. Professor of Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences Sid Halsor accompanied the students and will guide their research.

A group of seniors in Wilkes University's engineering program recently completed a project for the Gush Kande Primary School as part of their degree requirements. All Wilkes University senior engineering students are required to complete a project with real-world application.

The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists recently recognized Wilkes University's chapter of Student Society of Health-System Pharmacy for a professional development project that the students presented. The student organization worked with Wilkes University's Health and Wellness Services Office to host a "lunch and learn" presentation for students that focused on antibiotic awareness and microbial resistance.

Three Wilkes University students are spending their summer conducting chemical ecology experiments with Associate Professor of Biology William Biggers. The experiments aim to determine if chemicals produced by oak trees and acorns act as natural insecticides by affecting reproduction and development of acorn weevils. Biology professor Mike Steele is also collaborating on the experiments.

A group of seniors in Wilkes University's engineering program completed a project for Tobyhanna Army Depot as part of their degree requirements. All Wilkes University senior engineering students are required to complete a project with real-world application.

A group of seniors in Wilkes University's engineering program completed a project for Tobyhanna Army Depot as part of their degree requirements. All Wilkes University senior engineering students are required to complete a project with real-world application.

A group of seniors in Wilkes University's engineering program completed a project for Galaxy Brushes as part of their degree requirements. All Wilkes University senior engineering students are required to complete a project with real-world application.

A group of seniors in Wilkes University's engineering program completed a project for J.A. Reinhardt and Co., Inc. as part of his degree requirements. All Wilkes University senior engineering students are required to complete a project with real-world application.

A group of seniors in Wilkes University's engineering program completed a project for J.A. Reinhardt and Co., Inc. as part of their degree requirements. All Wilkes University senior engineering students are required to complete a project with real-world application.

A group of seniors in Wilkes University's engineering program completed a project for the Division of Engineering and Physics as part of their degree requirements. All Wilkes University senior engineering students are required to complete a project with real-world application.

A group of seniors in Wilkes University's engineering program recently completed a project for the Gush Kande Primary School as part of their degree requirements. All Wilkes University senior engineering students are required to complete a project with real-world application.

Wilkes University student Carly Yamrus, of Point Pleasant, N.J., received the American Scholastic Press Association's Outstanding Editorial Award for her article titled "Perfect Scores Hinder Learning."

Wilkes University student David Brandt, a senior integrative media major from Ashley, Pa., was selected as one of 10 students for the 2013 PromaxBDA Scholars Program.

Two students in Wilkes University's Nesbitt School of Pharmacy recently published an article about mentoring in the May/June 2013 issue of Student Pharmacist, a national publication of the American Pharmacists Association.

Thirty-four Wilkes University education majors are completing student teaching assignments for the spring 2013 semester. These student teachers are working in high schools and elementary schools in districts throughout northeast Pennsylvania. Their areas of specialization range from secondary English and history to mathematics and special education.

Accounting students at Wilkes University's Jay S. Sidhu School of Business and Leadership offered free tax assistance to the public through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program. The program was held throughout the month of February on campus at Wilkes University. A list of volunteers from your area follows:

Wilkes University nursing students attended the Annual Convention of the Student Nurses Association of Pennsylvania (SNAP) from Nov. 14 thru 17 at the Nemacolin Woodlands Resort in Farmington, Pa. The convention hosted several events, including a National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) challenge, which Wilkes placed second in. Two Wilkes students presented resolutions at the conference, and sixteen students served as voting delegates. Wilkes brought home two awards from the convention: one for having the second highest number of delegates in the state and one for growth in mentorship. Attendees from your local area include:

Wilkes University students helped design and build websites for a local businesses as part of an integrative media class in the fall semester. The class, Principles of Interactivity, allowed students the opportunity to work directly with local businesses to design and implement functioning websites tailored to their needs. Students from your local area include:

Wilkes University held its Eighth Annual Professional Nursing Induction Ceremony on Oct. 21. Participants at the ceremony received their individual white coats and signed the Nurses' Code of Ethics. The keynote speaker was Adele Spegman, director of the Institute on Nursing Excellence at Geisinger Health System. Inductees from your local area are:

Wilkes University held its Eighth Annual Professional Nursing Induction Ceremony on Oct. 21. More than 70 undergraduate students participated in the ceremony, during which they received their individual white coats and signed the Nurses' Code of Ethics. The keynote speaker at the ceremony was Adele Spegman, director of the Institute on Nursing Excellence at Geisinger Health System. Inductees from your local area are:

Thirteen Wilkes University education majors are completing student teaching assignments for the fall 2012 semester. These student teachers are working in high schools and elementary schools in districts throughout northeast Pennsylvania. Their areas of specialization range from secondary English and history to mathematics and special education.