SMARTSTORIES

Fall Edition2013/2014TEMPLE UNIVERSITYHONORS PROGRAM

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HONORS PROGRAMTEMPLE UNIVERSITY

Smart is just the start of who we are. There is more to our story, as we’re sure there’s more to yours. You are not just an SAT score and a GPA. Honors students are passionate. About what? About something. Actually, about many things. Read on for some of their stories. We look forward to hearing yours.

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BS Evan C HammondFinance and MIS Double MajorClass of 2016My first semester of sophomore year followed the same trend as freshman year--a busy one! I am coming up on the end of my run as the Director of Events for the Business Honors Student Association. I loved my job, but I also love the fact that I was just named the Internal VP of BHSA for 2014. Along with that, I am looking forward to my continued work with HATT and helping out new and prospective students! The summer flew by with everything I did. I continued my work at Conicelli Autoplex as an internet sales associate and I also completed my first internship with the Fortune 500 company, Aflac! Speaking of jobs, I just started a new one this semester on campus. Feel free to come visit me any time at the Fox School of Business Dean’s Office, where I am one of the student workers. Last but not least, after being granted a scholarship this summer for my work during my freshman year, I continued my interesting journey with the Temple University Men’s Rowing team. This fall I competed in a number of competitions. These competitions included my first competition with the Varsity 8+ boat and two medals up at the Princeton Chase, Frostbite Regatta, and Braxton Regatta! Other than that the rest of my semester has been spent studying and searching for that next internship opportunity.

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Holly DrutarovskyNeuroscience Major, Psychology MinorClass of 2014I have had some really amazing experiences throughout my time here at Temple, many of which happened during this fall semester of my senior year. I have been working as a returning Academic Coach at the Russell Conwell Learning Center, which has given me the opportunity to help lead the new group of 40+ coaches through their first semesters, along with completing my usual job tasks of meeting with my current caseload of students, facilitating academic workshops and a pre-health focus group, and speaking on behalf of the learning center to other university and prospective students. I am especially proud of my progress in this job over the past 2 years because I previously had the caseload with the highest GPA, compiled a 100-page guide on the resources at Temple University and the surrounding area based on academic, career, social, and co-curricular student interests, and was recently able to conduct Academic Coach interviews for the 2014-2015 school year. In addition to my job as an Academic Coach, I am a Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Assistant on the Health Science Campus. I have had the opportunity to work with several graduate students on their research interests pertaining to various pharmaceutical drugs. I also recently completed my position as a University Seminar Peer Instructor for this semester. I co-taught and helped to develop a freshman seminar curriculum, while also meeting with students individually to talk about their academic interests and goals. Finally, I began my position as Vice President of Temple Habitat for Humanity this semester. I have been working on implementing a new points system for the organization, in addition to attending weekend volunteer events for various Philadelphia non-profit organizations. I am also currently on the E-Board for the National Society of Leadership and Success and Pre-Physician Assistant Organization. I recently applied for a Fulbright Grant to study and conduct research abroad in England, and am also considering working at a hospital or clinic where I can obtain additional experience in the healthcare field to enhance my application to Physician Assistant School.

Nicholle TulinaEnglish Major, History MinorClass of 2014I graduated in January, stayed in Philadelphia, and am starting a part-time Master’s of Library Science program online through Rutgers New Brunswick this spring! Right now, I’m working part-time at the Haddon Heights Public Library as a Circulation Assistant, but hope to soon find a full-time job in the same field or convince Haddon Heights to hire me full-time because I am, let’s face it, invaluable. I’m looking forward to advancing the background I built at Temple of community involvement, literacy education, and research in the wider world.

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Quincy WalkerMathematics and Computer Science Double MajorClass of 2014After receiving an offer to work full-time at JP Morgan Chase as a Technology Analyst, I interviewed for jobs at Google, Intel, IBM and Microsoft. I received an offer to work at Microsoft starting the summer of 2014 after I graduate, and I will be based in Washington DC. I plan on going back to school in four years to get an MBA from MIT or Stanford in order to start my own business. I have also been doing stock market analysis research for two years with the Temple University Investment Association in the Fox School of Business.

Sarah StantonEntrepreneurship Major, Management Information Systems MinorClass of 2014My twin sister (Rachel, who is also in the Honors Program) and I launched our business, Fruitstrology, in September. Fruitstrology is a social-impact clothing brand that personifies fruit to represent customer traits and for every product sold, donates a serving of fruit to a child in Philadelphia through Philabundance. The line includes nine fruit designs, each with its own personality, for customers to choose from. Starting in Philadelphia and expanding city by city, our one-for-one mission is to fight Urban Food Deserts through supporting healthy eating initiatives as well as urban gardening in the local communities. Our designs are available at www.fruitstrologyco.com.

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SConnor PagePsychology Major, Arabic MinorClass of 2014I am up to a bunch of things this year, mostly thanks to the Honors Program! I’m currently serving as the President of the Cherry Crusade (basically the superfans of Temple Athletics), as well as the Co-Director and Editor of the Honors Social Media Team. I love working on the Social Media Team, as it allows each of us an outlet to write for a wide audience on our very own Honors blog, HonorsLounge.com. In addition to my involvement in these organizations, I am also an intern with the Honors Program, working in the office on various social media projects, and as a research assistant in the Adult Anxiety Clinic. This year, I will be working on my Honors thesis, which explores the relationship between past trauma and current social anxiety, in addition to my usual duties of running participants through studies, maintaining the clinic’s various databases, and performing phone screens for potential clients of the clinic. All in all, it is shaping up to be an incredible senior year!

Gaelen McCartneyFine Arts: Fiber and Material Studies MajorClass of 2016Last year I started HootaThon, Temple University’s Dance Marathon. Since then, we have registered over 200 people with Be The Match bone marrow registry drive, created over a thousand crafts for the kids at CHOP, and at our first event this fall, we hit our maximum capacity for dancers, and raised over $60,000 for the kids at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. HootaThon has allowed me to grow as a leader and a person, all with the help of the Honors Program. The Program has taught me how to succeed both inside and outside the classroom.

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Selin SakarcanNeuroscience and French Double MajorClass of 2015The lab that I have been working in since the fall of my freshman year finally published an article with me as an author this winter! I was published on PubMed and the Journal of Virology. After being a translational speaker at two culture festivals in Philadelphia and New York in the summer for the Federation of Turkish Associations in American, the regional chapter of the Turkish American Friendship Society of the United States reached out to me to join their Executive Board. Along with being the Co-President of the Turkish Student Association at Temple, I could not be more excited to get more involved in the Turkish community in Philadelphia. Additionally, at a visit the Turkish President had in NYC earlier this fall, I got to represent Temple at a reception and meet Abdullah Gul. I started the fall semester as the first-ever Honors Living Learning Community Peer Mentor and could not have enjoyed living the Class of 2017 more! However, second semester I get to be an RA in Morgan South. I definitely won’t forget the students I worked with but I am looking forward to immersing myself in the Morgan Community. Additionally, I am continuing with the Honors Activities Board as the Vice President and with the American Medical Student Association as a General Body Member .

Alex WoodsonLegal Studies Major, Philosophy MinorClass of 2016This past summer I had a great time working at a law firm, where I had the opportunity to shadow attorneys in court, draft legal documents, and help out around the office. Learning about the law in class is one thing, but learning and understanding how things get done on a day-to-day basis in a law firm was an invaluable experience. Here at Temple, I am involved with the Phi Alpha Delta Legal Fraternity (PAD). I have been a part of the leadership and e-board in varying capacities including Professional Development Chair and Vice President. Currently, I am the President. I have worked with the board to improve our organization’s professionalism, speaker series, and social activities. We are very proud that we were able to send a mock trial team to the Phi Alpha Delta National Conference for the first time in four years. I’m looking forward to continuing my involvement with PAD! I am also proud to be part of the the 2014-2015 Honors Admission and Transition Team!

Jenna AndersonTourism and Hospitality Management Major, Spanish MinorClass of 2015I am the President of the American Hotel & Lodging Association in the School of Tourism and Hospitality Management and have been since my freshman year. I am currently training our new President and Vice President to take over next semester, in Spring 2014. Yay! I am looking to be an advisor to the chapter when I hand over my Presidential role. To keep me busy, I have been accepted to be the next Student Professional Organization Chair in the School of Tourism and Hospitality Management. I am also going to apply for a board position with the FOX Professional Sales Organization (PSO) for Spring 2014. Outside of school, I tutor an elementary school student and babysit weekly and waitress on the weekend. I have played Temple University Club field hockey since my freshman year of college and I play intramural soccer for Temple. This summer I am hoping to get an internship with Caesar’s Entertainment outside of Pennsylvania. My senior year I hope to get an internship abroad in a Spanish-speaking country to further my Spanish speaking ability.

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Kevin KurucMathematical Economics MajorClass of 2014This past summer, I interned at the Economic Policy Research Institute in Cape Town, South Africa. I did quantitative analysis as a research economist for the specific projects headed by the firm. I was also fortunate enough to win a CARAS Grant to conduct my own research on the effects of an anti-poverty grant called the Child Support Grant.

Keval RayBiology 3+4 BA/MD Health Scholar in MedicineClass of 2016As a freshman I became involved with several on-campus organizations, such as HATT and AMSA. While pursuing my extracurricular interests, I also kept engaged in the community as an EMT in New Jersey, where I’ve been working for several years. This past summer, I worked at Morristown Medical Center, a level one trauma center, as a Summer Student Fellow in the Department of Surgery. Here, I was able to watch surgeries live, learn from surgeons, shadow doctors in all parts of the hospital, and learn valuable surgical skills that I could not learn even as a medical student. Additionally, I volunteered as an Emergency Room Academic Associate at Cooper University Hospital. Here, I interacted with patients, took vitals, and watched ER physicians take care of different cases. My main focus there was to collect information from patients for ongoing cohort studies, which was a great experience because I was able to learn from physicians while also interacting with patients. As I am getting further into my undergraduate career, I plan to further diversify my interests through clinical and research settings. Next summer, I will be working with a neurosurgeon in Reading, PA in order to learn neuro-anatomy and shadow back and head surgeries. Additionally, during the Spring 2014 semester I will be working in a laboratory conducting heart failure research at TU School of Medicine.

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Rhianna GaehringCommunication Sciences and Disorders and Spanish Double MajorClass of 2014I spent the last semester of my college career in another country and it was the best decision I ever made. My 9th, and, final semester of undergrad was spent in Córdoba, Argentina studying abroad and doing an internship in my field, Speech Pathology. My fluency and confidence with Spanish increased tremendously. I had the experience of living with a family again for the first time in five years and traveled all over Argentina (which, by the way, is HUGE - I never realized!). Sometimes, I wanted nothing more than to go home, eat the food I was used to and take a long shower. Sometimes it was incredible: I was ten feet from a Great White Southern whale, and I managed to get myself to a hippie gathering in the woods by myself in my second language. Whatever it was, it was always perfect. In four years at Temple I learned to live in a diverse population, be an independent thinker, and integrate myself in situations I’d never dream of experiencing. In one semester in Argentina, I put all of this to the test and failed, triumphed, and grew. Thanks to this experience, I am more certain now than ever that I truly have the tools I’ve been working to develop to be an innovator, a friend, a traveler, and a professional. So let’s see… what did I do this whole time? I worked as an Assistant to a Speech Pathologist, communicating with professionals and patients in Spanish for 4 months. I traveled to The Waterfalls of Iguazú, Argentina, to Patagonia to see whales and penguins, to Mendoza to taste the wine, to Buenos Aires to experience “La Ciudad Mágica” (as called by Tan Biónica), and to San Luis to hike the Canyon in Parque Nacional las Quijadas. I ate Asado (the largest barbecue you will ever experience) with my host family and learned to make a chocolate dessert called Turrón de Avena. I’ll never have another experience like it and it’s going to continue affecting the way I live for a long time after my return. If I could offer advice to anyone considering doing something crazy like leaving the country in their last semester of college, it would be this: take in every moment for exactly what it is--even when it’s horrible, even when it’s great. Every moment is designed to help you grow, whether it seems so or not. Ask for help when you need it and lend a hand when you can. Be selfish, then be generous. Challenge yourself and don’t be disappointed when it doesn’t turn out how you thought. Love. Love yourself, the people around you, and the experiences you have. It’s all perfect.

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Tara LevineStrategic Communications and Jewish Studies Double MajorClass of 2015I am currently studying abroad through the School of Media and Communications in London! My classes here are: Political Communication, Me 2.0: Making Yourself a Brand, and Travel Writing. I am interning at the Walkabout Foundation, a non-profit that funds research to cure paralysis and donates wheelchairs around the world. Over fall break, I will be traveling to Barcelona, Rome, and Venice!

Nora SweeneyPsychology Major, Cognitive Neuroscience and Spanish MinorsClass of 2014The summer after my sophomore year, I flew on a plane and left the country for the first time to study abroad through University of Virginia’s Semester at Sea program and traveled to Costa Rica, Peru, Ecuador, Panama, and Belize. Ten days after my return to the states, I left for Temple’s Oviedo, Spain summer program. I made a deal with my parents that after studying abroad twice, I would graduate a semester early. However, I caught a serious case of travel bug and took on the lofty goal to study abroad one last time. This past fall I raised $12,000+ in scholarships towards Semester at Sea’s semester-long program. I officially switched my graduation date back to May and will leave in January to sail throughout Asia, Africa, and Europe. Upon graduation in May I will have studied abroad in 18 countries! Then I will walk with my class at graduation and leave for New Orleans at the end of May, as I accepted an offer from Teach for America to teach early education. Temple and Philadelphia will always feel like home, but I could not be more excited to begin this new chapter in my life.

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ETyler HorstMedia Studies & Production Major, Spanish Minor, English Writing Certificate, Class of 2015My freshman year, I started the Honors Social Media team, which I’ve been co-directing ever since. I spend most of my time editing and writing articles for our student-run blog, HonorsLounge.com, and working on short films with the team’s Video Crew. I also do the occasional freelance writing and multimedia stories for The Temple News, and write for the music magazine JUMP Philly (I got to interview rapper Brother Ali while he was on tour). Last semester, I studied abroad in Oviedo and blogged for Temple University in Spain. I did a short documentary piece on a thrift shop that benefits immigrants there, and a fellow traveler and friend of mine played it at the first Global Temple Conference. I had such a wonderful experience interacting with other cultures while abroad, that I took a job this year as a Conversation Partner for international students.

Alexandria BarkmanBiology MajorClass of 2016I belong to Hootathon, Biology Society, Cherry Crusade, and HATT. I am also the Vice President of Community Service for Alpha Phi Omega, a co-ed service fraternity. Additionally, I volunteer at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, where I visit patients and promote the hospital-wide TV show. I started volunteering in Dr. Cordes’ Marine Ecology lab last summer, and this semester I worked with our lab tech on a genetic barcoding project of corals off the coast of Canada. I recently found out that I will be working on an Ocean Acidification project starting next semester. Over winter break I took a trip to Belize with the Tropical Marine Biology class that I was in last semester to snorkel and study coral reefs.

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Julieann BergKinesiology Major, Dance MinorClass of 2014I just got accepted into the Doctor of Physical Therapy programs at both the University of Delaware and Northwestern University. Now I have to decide where I want to go!

Sydney ReadNeuroscience: Cellular and Molecular Major, Pre-medClass of 2017My first semester here at Temple has been a busy one! I was on the Morale Committee for HootaThon, Temple’s dance marathon, this past year and was chosen to be the Marketing and Public Relations Chair on the Executive Board for the upcoming year! I’ve volunteered at Philabundance and the Walk to End Alzheimer’s with Alpha Epsilon Delta Pre-Professional Honor Society, and also became a national member of the American Medical Student Association. This January over winter break, I am going on my first medical mission trip to Lima, Peru with MEDLIFE. I tutor children in K-8th grade at Bright Hope Baptist Church on multiple days during the week. I am also a mentor with the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southeastern Philadelphia organization and am meeting with my little sister for the first time next week! I can’t wait!

Corie LymanSociology Major, Italian MinorClass of 2016I am an active member of the club swim team and was on the national team this past spring where we travelled to Atlanta, Georgia and competed against 45 other colleges from around the country. I was recently selected to be on the Honors Ambassadors and Transition Team. And I am a part of the Wild Cherry student sports fan section.

Steve WeiTheater Major, Acting ConcentrationClass of 2014I am about to open and close three shows in eight days, all with Temple Theaters: Short Stuff, our student playwriting festival, in which I will be acting; SHOES: We’ve Got Sole, a devised variety show which is raising funds for our department (I’ll be running sound); and Crystal Skillman’s Birthday, a one-act play which is part of our advanced directing students’ term projects. In my free time, I will be certifying with the Society of American Fight Directors (SAFD) for my third and fourth weapon disciplines in “Knife” and “Sword and Shield”. These fights will use scenes from The Legend of Zelda series, the television show Supernatural, and the HBO series Game of Thrones. I’ve already certified in “Unarmed” and “Single Sword”; next semester I will be working on “Smallsword” (a shorter, more precise version of single sword) and “Rapier and Dagger”. Lined up, I’ll be appearing in three shows in Brainspunk Theater Company’s 2014 season: All My Sons by Arthur Miller, Trading Races by Michelle Johnson, and a special run of Crazyface by Clive Barker. I am also producing two shows in repertory for the Spring semester, which will be performing off campus in repertory: Dog Sees God by Bert V. Royal, and You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown, by Clark Gesner. Both are based on the Peanuts comic by Chuck Schultz (though, it should be said, his estate does not endorse “Dog Sees God”) and offer two different perspectives on a pillar of iconic American childhood. The shows I’m producing will be the pilot production for a new theatre company, Axial Repertory Company, which is lining up its 2014 season as we speak. Our Fringe production will include two shows, in repertory, called Hearts Like Fists by Adam Szymkowicz, and She Kills Monsters by Qui Nguyen, two shows relying heavily on combat.

James FulwilerArt History Major, Spanish MinorClass of 2015I just found out in late November that I will be a contestant representing Temple in the next installment of the College Jeopardy Tournament! I am very excited!

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Kaitlin KresseMusic Education MajorClass of 2017I am a member of NAfME (National Association for Music Education) as well as ACDA (American Choral Directors Association). On weekends, I help out with the wind ensemble in the Temple Prep program, a program for young students to learn and participate in music. I am also a member of University Singers and have enjoyed going to see as many concerts as possible, and will continue to do so.

Allison HessBiochemistry MajorClass of 2017My first semester here at Temple has been crazy! I am part of the Science Scholars Program, which is a small group of Honors science majors committed to science. This has been a great experience; I have gone to seminars and colloquiums pertaining to many different areas of study. I have also been accepted to the Honors Admissions and Transitions Team, and I am so excited to be a part of the freshman experience for all the incoming Honorables. This May I will be traveling to Cranks, Kentucky, as part of the Honors Appalachian Experience of 2014, and I can’t wait to get out there and make a difference for others.

Bridget AmponsahPsychology MajorClass of 2015I am a Big Sister in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program and volunteer at the Boys and Girls Club. I just got matched with a Little Sister, who is the cutest thing! Since the summer I’ve been working in a psych lab called the Spatial Intelligence Learning Center (SILC) for upper level psych credit. I’ve been working with a grad student, helping her to complete her dissertation. My jobs were data collection and entry, and I also ran participants for her study, so I got to open and close the lab multiple times, woot woot! I’m in the Temple University Scholar Advancement Program with Musu and Dana Dawson, working to enter a funded summer research program.

Madeline LuebbertEnglish and Spanish Double MajorClass of 2015This semester I’ve expanded my learning opportunities beyond the classroom by interning at the nonprofit organization Tree House Books. Tree House is a bookstore-meets-community center located just off campus at Susquehanna Avenue that functions in order to help children in North Central Philadelphia improve their literacy. They run an after-school program and also provide free or inexpensive books to anyone in the community, adults and children alike. They even work with other organizations to distribute books. I worked as the bookstore intern, which meant once a week I came into the store and helped manage book donations and books to be distributed for free, and I kept the shelves of the adult section stocked and sorted. My job was made up of little tasks that added up to help the organization as a whole run smoothly. I also had the opportunity to get to know the only two staff members well while learning about how the organization functioned. I worked alongside community members who volunteer to help out on a weekly basis, getting to know them and the neighborhood I work for. This internship gave me insight to the problems that urban youth face every day as well as what problems plague public education. I plan to return in future semesters as a volunteer tutor and I hope this is the beginning of a lifelong partnership with an amazing organization.

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Taylor ReamKinesiology MajorClass of 2016This semester, I got more involved at Temple! I joined Operation Smile, which raises money for surgeries for children with cleft lip and palate. Also, I joined Foundation for International Medical Relief for Children. Through Puentes Hacia El Futuro, I tutored Spanish-speaking children, helped them with homework, and also did arts and crafts with them after school. I enjoyed being a part of each organization this semester!

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Tara BennerPsychology Major, Social Work Minor, Pre-Occupational TherapyClass of 2016Currently I am tutoring 2nd graders at Clymer Elementary for three hours a week. I go into the classroom to assist them with their reading and math skills. I can go in there with the worst mood, but I always walk out with a smile. I am a Big Sister for the Big Brothers Big Sisters Program. My Little is a second-grade boy who definitely keeps me busy (considering I see him during lunch/recess and he always wants me to chase him). I am also a leader for the 2014 Honors Appalachian Experience! I get to coordinate the trip with five other leaders, and create a family between the 30-something individuals that I am in charge of. I am a new member of HATT, where I get the chance to make a difference in the college experience for potential honorables! I am an Executive Board Assistant for the club Operation Smile. I, along with the rest of the club, raise money in order to fund children’s cleft lip surgeries.

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Britnee SmithHistory and Criminal Justice Double MajorClass of 2014I was elected as the President of the Temple University Criminal Justice Society for the Fall 2013-Spring 2014 year. I am a historical tour guide for Grim Philly Twilight Tours, which was voted Best in Philly 2011, 2012, and 2013. I am a tour guide for Grim Philly’s Vampire, Sex, and Ghost Tours. I have worked for Grim Philly since May 2012. I was selected to participate in the Diamond Peer Teacher Program for the Spring 2014 semester, where I will work with Professor Joanne Metzger of the Criminal Justice Department in her Planned Change class. I have worked the past two summers at Fodera and Long: Trial Lawyers in Philadelphia as a law clerk. I am currently working on my Honors Scholar project with Professor David Farber of the History Department. I am examining Philadelphia during the National Prohibition (1920-1933) time period. I am using the Temple University Urban Archives for my research.

Nicholas GarecaEnglish and Spanish Double Major, Chinese MinorClass of 2015I am the President and Managing Editor of Hyphen Literary and Arts Magazine, Temple University’s only undergraduate student-run literary magazine. I am employed at the Temple University Writing Center as an Academic Writing Tutor and Conversation Partner. I am the Vice President of the Temple University Shotokan Karate Club. I contribute to HonorsLounge.com and star in the leading role as Wrigley in this year’s Halloween video special. This past summer, I worked as a Camp Counselor and Lifeguard at the Spanish Wilder branch of Concordia Language Villages, a language immersion program for children between ages 8-18. I am currently awaiting news about my application to the Critical Language Scholarship Program, a program through the US Department of State to go to China this summer to attend an intensive Chinese language course. I am currently applying for the Boren Scholarship in the hopes of being funded to go to Xiamen University in China for the entire 2014-2015 academic year to continue to study Chinese. I have run the Philadelphia Marathon two years in a row, won the under-20 age bracket for the Atlantic City Triathlon in 2012, got 3rd place in 20-24 bracket of the Skylands Triathlon in 2013, and have recently registered to do the Tough Mudder in April under a team called the Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers. I am the Red Ranger.

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CEMack MeyerMusic Education Major, Voice ConcentrationClass of 2016Currently I am in my second semester of Broad Street Line, Temple’s all-male a cappella group. We recently released our first full length album No Girls Aloud. The album features hits such as “I Will Wait,” “Madness,” “Not Over You,” and “Higher” (featuring yours truly as a soloist). We are also celebrating our tenth anniversary with a concert in TPAC featuring two alumni groups. In other exciting news, I’m going to Nepal for a month next summer to live in a Buddhist monastery and teach English to the monks and the nuns!

Jordan WashingtonPublic Relations MajorClass of 2015I am proud of landing an interview for my beauty and lifestyle blog with recent Project Runway winner Dom Streater. I had the opportunity to chat with her for about a half hour to pick her brain and learn about her experience during the fashion design competition. I also uncovered what inspired her to become a fashion designer, and how growing up in Philadelphia impacted her aesthetic. I’m extremely proud to have had this experience.

Julie SeidmanCommunication Studies and Russian Double Major, German MinorClass of 2015This semester I’ve been working on the capstone for my Russian major--15 pages in Russian! My topic is women who have defended human rights in Chechnya. I’m happy to say I am now 11.5 pages in with just enough time to finish. I’m currently taking a break from writing to translate my paper into English. I’ll be presenting it this year at the Global Temple Conference. I’m also the President of the Temple German Society for the academic year. I started a conversation group for the club which meets every other week and has been very successful thus far, and we’ve had a couple of guest speakers from the German-American Chamber of Commerce to talk about internship and job opportunities related to German. This semester is also my first semester working with Project Shine, a Temple program in which students go to different sites in the city to teach seniors of various nationalities how to speak English. I’ve been volunteering at a Russian senior center called “Golden Slippers”. It’s been a great language exchange, plus it’s amazing to be able to put my knowledge of Russian to some practical use.

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Alex EpsteinInterdisciplinary MajorClass of 2014Since I was a freshman, I have been a part of building an amazing community of students from both Temple University and the neighborhoods surrounding our campus. In 2009, with support from the Honors department, five diverse groups of students from our on and off-campus communities ventured down to New Orleans to help victims of Hurricane Katrina transform vacant land into urban farms as a way of building food security. Throughout our time in New Orleans, we began to recognize so many of the social issues facing low-income inner city communities were the same facing those in North Central Philly. Nearly half of the land in this area is vacant and abandoned, over 10% of its residents are unemployed, and 1 in 2 children is obese, 1 in 3 has asthma, and 1 in 4 has diabetes. With this realization, our group returned to Philly invigorated to enact change from the ground up in North Philadelphia, and together we formed the Philadelphia Urban Creators (PUC), a youth-driven non-profit working to empower low-income communities to transform blighted landscapes into models of urban sustainability. Over the past 4 years, students and local neighbors of all ages have worked diligently side by side to convert over 3 acres of vacant space around main campus into a network of urban farms and gardens, from which we are now harvesting organic produce with and for our local community, for downtown restaurants to generate revenue, and utilizing these green spaces as training grounds for youth from throughout the city.

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Ajibola RiversCello Music Performance MajorClass of 2016Just recently I started a program I am calling the “Composer in Residence Program,” or the CiRP. It is a program between my old youth orchestra and Temple’s Composition Department, which provides real-world experience for Temple’s composers and cool music for my orchestra. Right now the orchestra is a little small to play symphonies and other large ensemble repertoire; the CiRP competition is designed to have music written just for that group, allowing for every written part to be played and for the music to help the players grow each year. At the same time, Temple composers get to work with a real orchestra and have their compositions premiered and recorded. It is a huge resume-building opportunity for my friends in the composition department. As far as I know I am the first person to ever do such a program for this purpose, and thus the Montgomery County Youth Orchestra and the ConTemplum composition department are both pioneers in the same respect. In Boyer College’s Symphony Orchestra, I have also organized a “meet the orchestra” experience. A couple of years ago I got the chance to go backstage and meet a bunch of the players in the Philadelphia orchestra. I thought it was the coolest thing, and I eventually considered how meaningful it would be if Temple’s audiences had opportunities to speak directly to the students in the orchestra. Our presentation procedures are being standardized between myself and the Boyer faculty, but we will be giving presentations before every symphony orchestra concert hopefully from now on. I have a lot of ambition, many projects underway, many goals waiting to be tackled, and such a wonderful life ahead of me.

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CHNathan FrankfortNeuroscience: Cellular & Molecular and Secondary Double Major Class of 2015I recently received the first place prize for my oral presentation given in the Undergraduate Research Program’s (URP) Fall Research Symposium. I completed the summer 2013 URP session and continue to work in the same lab. I work in the Department of Neuroscience at the Temple University School of Medicine in the MERB (Medical Education and Research Building) under the direction of Associate Professor and Primary Investigator Wenhui Hu, MD/PhD. The title of my ongoing project with Dr. Hu is entitled “Cloning and Characterization of the NIBP Promoter.” I also recently collaborated with Visiting Scholar Ya-Feng Li, MD/PhD, who is currently conducting research in the MERB, on several of his papers he is attempting to publish. One of our papers was recently published in “Protein & Cell,” Volume 4, Issue 11 in November 2013 entitled “MicroRNA-21 in the pathogenesis of acute kidney injury,” in which I am listed as the fourth author.

Nikki McCormackBiochemistry Major, Neuroscience Research MinorClass of 2015I am currently working as an undergraduate researcher in Dr. Tanya Ferguson’s laboratory at Shriners Hospital Pediatric Research Center. The lab focuses on a mouse model of cerebral palsy. I am testing mice with and without treatment of our novel compounds to determine if the compounds are neuroprotective at both the behavioral and cellular levels. I am also an Ambassador for the Honors Admissions and Transitions Team.

Samantha StellaPsychology Major, Cognitive Neuroscience MinorClass of 2015This semester, I joined the Honors Psychology Program here at Temple. The class was difficult but incredibly rewarding, and I can’t wait to continue with the program next semester. I would recommend any Psychology student interested in psychological research as a career to join this program. Also, I worked in Dr. Ellman’s Clinical Psychology Lab, where I was completing my independent project for the Diamond Research Scholars Program. My project is titled Borderline Personality Disorder and the Risk For Psychosis, and I will be submitting it to TURF-CreWs (Temple Undergraduate Research Forum-Creative Works Symposium), as well as other conferences and publications in the future. Additionally, I have just been accepted to a secondary lab here at Temple: Dr. Chein’s Neurocognition Lab. I’m incredibly excited to begin working with Dr. Chein next semester, and expanding my research experiences to include cognitive as well as clinical pursuits. I will also be completing an independent project in Dr. Chein’s lab sometime before I graduate as a part of the Honors Psychology Program. Currently, I am also looking at both NSF and APA-funded programs as potential summer jobs.

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Zobia HamidChemistry Major, German MinorClass of 2014This semester I received the Henrietta S. Treen Scholarship (which I encourage everyone to apply to), as well as the Hazel M. Tomlinson Memorial Scholarship through the College of Science and Technology. Since this past summer, I’ve been doing research at the Health Sciences Campus in the Cardiovascular Research Center, working to determine the connection between a particular protein and the symptoms that lead to numerous cardiovascular diseases. To further this project, I applied to and received the CARAS Grant for next semester. I will be spending next semester researching at my lab, as well as working as a Diamond Peer Teacher for General Chemistry. I hope it’s a fantastic final semester here!

Karthika RamakrishnanBiochemistry Major, Math MinorClass of 2014This year I was awarded the Henrietta S. Treen Scholarship for the second year in a row. Additionally, I was awarded the Shirley and Bernard Brown Scholarship for achievements in Chemistry by the College of Science and Technology.

Published February 2104