FALL 2012
SCHOLARLY Pursuits
VOLUME 12 ISSUE 17
Montgomery Scholars Program Newsletter
Scientific Endeavors
FALL 2012
2
Inside This Issue
From the Director’s Desk
Winter Solstice Philo Café .............................Page 3
Dear Scholars, Parents, and Friends of Scholars:
A Generous Gift .................................................Page 3
Welcome, Class of 2014 ..................................Page 3
Congratulations, Class of 2012 ....................Page 4
Births, Weddings, Engagements ..................Page 6
Outstanding Professor Award .......................Page 6
A New Destination ............................................Page 7
Where Are You Now? ......................................Page 8
Service Learning ................................................Page 10
Focus on the Sciences
.....................................Page 11
Sciences.....................................Page
This summer, 28 first- and second-year scholars traveled
to the beautiful Blue Ridge mountain area of Asheville,
North Carolina, to attend the Swannanoa Gathering and
to explore the local community. During the Gathering, it was almost ethereal to walk
around the Warren Wilson campus in the early morning hours, hearing the sound
of music echoing off the mist-wreathed mountains. I think all of us returned with
renewed energy and insight after two weeks of harmonious discourse with nature
and one another. Our new “Roots and Branches” summer-travel study program is
off to an excellent start.
As we prepare for the coming year, we pick up a theme from last fall’s newsletter,
where we focused on health majors in the program. This fall we move to the largest
single major in the program: biological sciences.
In past issues, Amy Gueye, MD, and Irena Antic (currently in a biology PhD program
at Northwestern University) contributed articles on why they recommend the
Montgomery Scholars program to science majors in particular. At a time when a
growing number of employers emphasize critical thinking and writing skills, and the
revised MCAT is incorporating new sections on those very areas as well as the social
and behavioral sciences, it seems that the Montgomery Scholars program is once
again ahead of the curve by emphasizing such skills, no matter the major. I hope you
enjoy reading about some of our alumni scholars’ varied research fields.
Desde el Escritorio del Director
Queridos Becados, Padres y Amigos de Becados:
Este verano, 28 becados de primer y segundo año viajaron a la hermosa área
montañosa de Blue Ridge en Asheville, Carolina del Norte para asistir a la Reunión
de Swannanoa y explorar la comunidad local. Durante esta Reunión, era casi etéreo
caminar por el campo de Warren Wilson en las tempranas horas de la mañana
oyendo el sonido de la música retumbar desde las nublosas montañas. Pienso que
todos retornamos con nuevas energías y discernimiento después de dos semanas de
harmoniosa conversación con la naturaleza y los elementos. Nuestro nuevo programa
de estudio de viaje de verano llamado “Roots and Branches” ha tenido un excelente
comienzo.
Making a Difference
for Montgomery Scholars
Did you or your son or daughter have a “once-in-alifetime” experience with the Montgomery Scholars?
Join the many other scholarship supporters and
make your gift now to support current scholars
in their “once-in-a-lifetime” experience. You can
make your gift at our secure, online giving site:
www.montgmerycollege.edu/onlinegiving.
(Click on “Select an area of support” then click
on “Other” and type Montgomery Scholars in the
box.) You can also send a check made payable
to Montgomery College Foundation and write
Montgomery Scholars on the memo line.
Send it to: Montgomery College Foundation,
900 Hungerford Drive, Suite 200, Rockville,
MD 20850. Thank you so much!
SCHOLARLY Pursuits
Mientras nos preparamos para este año, escogimos un tema del boletín de noticias
del otoño anterior, donde nos concentramos en especializaciones relacionadas
a la salud en nuestro programa. Este otoño nos trasladamos a la más grande
especialización en el programa: ciencias biológicas.
En las ediciones pasadas, ambas alumnas, Amy Gueye, MD e Irena Antic (quien
actualmente está haciendo su doctorado en biología en la Universidad de
Northwestern) contribuyeron artículos sobre el porqué recomiendan el programa
de los Becados de Montgomery para especializaciones en la ciencia en particular.
En un tiempo que un mayor número de empleados se enfocan en pensamiento
crítico y habilidades para escribir, y que el examen revisado de MCAT está
incorporando nuevas secciones en esas áreas al igual que las ciencias sociales y
de comportamiento, parece que el programa de los Becados de Montgomery esta
una vez más un paso adelante de la curva al enfatizar esas habilidades sin importar
la especialización. Espero que disfruten leer sobre algunas de las variadas áreas de
investigación de nuestros alumnos egresados.
Mary T. Furgol
Director, Montgomery Scholars
[email protected]
Cover: Mariame Sylla and Yves Gomes
3
Winter Solstice
Philo Café
Current and former scholars, please join
us for our Winter Solstice Philo Café on
Friday, December, 21, 2012, from 5–8
p.m. Bring your favorite dish to share
and good tales to tell as we gather once
again around the hearth in Professor
White’s home.
Directions from Montgomery College,
Rockville: Turn right on Mannakee Street;
at the first traffic light, turn right on
Nelson Street; at first light, turn right on
West Montgomery and move over to left
lane; at first light after Shell station, turn
left on Hurley Avenue; take Hurley until
it meets Wooton Parkway. Turn right on
Wooton; turn left at Glenn Mill Road; take
Glenn Mill until the stop sign; proceed
on Glenn Mill and take second street on
the left, Valley Drive; Professor White’s
house is the first one on the left, #13421
Valley Drive. Park on the grass.
FALL 2012
FALL NOTES & NEWS
A Generous Gift:
First Anderson Scholar Named
Bill and Jane Anderson, Montgomery College faculty retirees,
recently gifted $120,000 to the College. The generous gift
provides both future and current support for the Montgomery
Scholars program and its students.
Bill and Jane Anderson met as students at Sidwell Friends
School in the 1950s, and both went on to long faculty careers
at Montgomery College. “Between us, we have more than
78 years of service to the College and probably have taught
more than 20,000 students,” Bill said. Jane and Bill arrived at the Rockville Campus together
shortly after it opened in 1966 and retired together in 2005. Bill was the driving force behind the
creation of the computer science and hospitality management programs. Jane taught various
history and honors courses and is perhaps best remembered for her courses in Montgomery
County history. Jane was the first woman to be awarded a PhD in history from Brown University.
“Support of honors students and programs is so important. We want to make sure that this
program and its students succeed far into the future,” the Andersons said. Montgomery College
President Dr. DeRionne Pollard added, “Our Montgomery Scholars program and its students are
high achievers and go on to give so much back to our community. We are so happy that Bill and
Jane have made such a generous gift.”
We are proud to announce our first Anderson scholar — Sophia Venero. A graduate of Blake High
School, Sophia plans to complete a degree in neuroscience and work in the medical field. Sophia
is vice president of Phi Theta Kappa and plays recreational soccer.
We encourage others to give to the program — a gift, no matter its size, is really helpful during
these difficult financial times.
Picnic, Class of 2014
Afternoon Tea
The Montgomery Scholars program
welcomes scholars from the Class of 2014,
some of whom are pictured here at the
afternoon tea hosted by Montgomery
College President Dr. DeRionne P. Pollard;
at the overnight retreat at Harper’s Ferry; and
again at our annual picnic in May where past,
present, and new scholars met one another
and faculty at Bohrer Park in Gaithersburg.
Retreat at Harper’s Ferry
Welcome, Class of 2014
Montgomery College
M o nt g o me r y S c ho lar s Pr o g r a m N e w s l e tte r
4
FALL 2012
Congratulations, Class of 2012
Congratulations, Montgomery Scholars
Class of 2012, on your graduation from
Scholars and Montgomery College, and
your acceptances to an impressive array
of colleges. Two students are transferring
to Amherst College, one to Mount Holyoke
College, and one to the University of Pennsylvania. Other transfer schools include: American
University, Goucher College, St. Mary’s College
of Maryland, University of Maryland, Baltimore
County, University of Maryland, and University
of Baltimore.
Skoal Group
SCHOLARLY Pursuits
Sairam Nagulapalli
Yves Gomes
Jonathan Jayes Green, who received the
Outstanding Sociology Student Award at the
Rockville Campus and recently finished his term
as the student representative on the Board of
Trustees; Jonathan is transferring to Goucher
College, where he will major in sociology with
an emphasis on social justice. James Swartz
received a Transfer Excellence award from
Stevenson University as well as a Phi Theta
Kappa award from American University, where
he has decided to attend and major in film and
media arts. At the Rockville Honors Awards,
Sam Cameron and Viktoria Ivanova received
the Paul Peck Humanities Institute Internship
Awards for interning at the Smithsonian. Viktoria
also received the Intermediate Italian II award
from the Rockville Campus and is transferring
with a Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship to American
University, where she will be majoring in
anthropology. Mariame Sylla was selected
as one of eight Montgomery College students
for the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Precollege and Undergraduate Science Education
program. Mariame and the other Montgomery
College students took a Georgetown University
course on the Germantown Campus this spring
and also took part in an 11-week program at
Georgetown University this summer. Mariame’s
summer project at Georgetown was: “The Role
of EphA4, EphA7, and Ephrinas in Cortical
Layering.” Her mentor was Dr. Maria Donoghue,
a professor at Georgetown University. Mariame
was accepted to a number of colleges and has
decided to transfer to Amherst College this fall.
Carolyn Terry, Instructional Dean, and
Dr. Aram Hessami
Our congratulations also go to Sairam
Nagulapalli, who received the Presidential
Scholar Award for the Rockville Campus
as well as the Maryland Collegiate Honors
Council’s 2012 Portz Award for Outstanding
Honors Student at a two-year school. Sairam
will be transferring to Amherst College in
the spring to study economics. We also
congratulate Silvia Argueta and Omari
Muhammad, who each received a Maryland
Transfer Academic Excellence Scholarship (a
full tuition two-year scholarship), and to Julia
Branco, who received a Wilson Scholarship
from the University of Baltimore, where she will
be studying international studies and social
entrepreneurship. Silvia decided to attend
the University of Pennsylvania, where she is
majoring in anthropology. Congratulations to
CONGRATULATIONS!
Callie Kambanis
Thank you for continuing the tradition of a class
gift to Montgomery College. The Class of 2012
made a donation to Water for People on behalf
of Montgomery College in appreciation for all
the College has done for them. As Natalia Pila
explained at our Scholar graduation ceremony,
the Skoal, Water for People is a nonprofit
organization that encourages education and the
provision of clean water in the effort to ‘end the
cycle of poverty’ – http://www.waterforpeople.org.
Nat said that the choice was partly determined
by many of the themes they had studied during
capstone. Callie Kambanis and Claire Jones
sang the Broadway hit “For Good,” a moving
duet they had also performed at the Brunch to
welcome the new class of scholars this year.
Sam Cameron entertained us with a humorous
and insightful summary of the past two years in
the Montgomery Scholars program.
BEACON 2012
he Beacon Conference attracts students from two-year
colleges in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and
Maryland. Students from the participating colleges work
with faculty mentors to develop a research paper on
1 of 15 fields, such as allied health, arts, business, history,
technology, natural sciences, education, and literature.
Papers that demonstrate quality scholarship and originality
are submitted to the conference. Independent readers
select the best three papers in each of the 15 categories
to present their work at the Beacon Conference.
This year, 15 of the sophomore scholars’ capstone papers
were selected as finalists at Beacon: Silvia Argueta,
Yves Gomes, Elizabeth Hellman, Viktoria Ivanova,
Claire Jones, Philip Kem, Danielle Kurtz, Benjamin
Foltin, Mpho Mafune, Omari Muhammad, Brogan
Murphy, Sairam Nagulapalli, James Swartz, Mariame
Sylla, and Alisa Tsaturov. Four other scholars were
selected to present their capstone papers as poster
presentations: Julia Branco, Larry Hixenbaugh,
Gonzalo Molinolo, and Kevin Puetate.
Mpho Mafune , Silvia Argueta, and
Yves Gomes
Kudos to Our Beacon Winners
T
Viktoria Ivanova and Julia Branco
Claire Jones
Jonathan Jayes Green
FALL 2012
5
Sam Cameron and Natalia Pila
Dr. Hessami mentored Sairam, Silvia, and Viktoria; Professor
Sen mentored Brogan and Mariame. Congratulations,
students and mentors!
Brogan Murphy
Five of the scholars won in their categories: Silvia Argueta
in business and economics for her paper, “Globalization
and Americanization: The Cause and Potential Future
of Dollarization”; Viktoria Ivanova in international
studies and globalization for her paper, “The Myth of
Homogenization”; Brogan Murphy in interdisciplinary
studies for her paper, “The Missing Link in the Puzzling
Autism Epidemic”; Sairam Nagulapalli in communications
II: media studies for his paper, “No ‘Techno Logic’: Why
Reducing Information Barriers Is Not Helping the Poorest
of the Poor”; and Mariame Sylla in social justice for her
paper, “Reproductive Tourism: Ethical Implications of a
New Form of Global Consumerism.” Two other Montgomery
College honors students won at Beacon: Robert Harris
(mentored by Professor Lux) and Alexis Martinez
(mentored by Professor Haydel).
Julia Branco, Sairam Nagulapalli, Silvia
Argueta, and Mariame Sylla
Class of 2012 Group
Professor Sen and Dr. Hessami were this year’s mentors;
the speech and communications class was taught by
Professor Rose Piskapas.
Since the Montgomery Scholars program began sending
students’ papers to Beacon in 2001, 96 scholars’ papers
(over 30 percent of the sophomore scholars’ capstone
papers) have been selected as finalists and 18 as poster
presenters. Thirty-seven scholars have won, representing
over 10 percent of all scholars’ capstone papers.
Montgomery College
M o nt g o me r y S c ho lar s Pr o g r a m N e w s l e tte r
FALL 2012
6
CONGRATULATIONS!
Outstanding Professor
Award – Effie Siegel
Births
Congratulations to Andrew Dodge ’01 and his wife Erin on the birth
of their second child, a daughter, Sophie, on May 16, 2012; to Michael
Somerville ’01 and his wife Jessica on the birth of their third daughter,
Elsa Ruth Somerville, on February 8, 2012; and to Janice Thomas
(Strasser-King) ’02 and her husband Maynard on the birth of their
twin girls, Abigail and Danielle, on May 16, 2012.
Sophie Dodge
Elsa Ruth Somerville
Abigail and Danielle Strasser-King
Congratulations to Professor Effie Siegel,
this year’s capstone leader, who received
an outstanding professor award at
Montgomery College this spring.
Seven Weddings and Five Engagements
Congratulations to: Ratan Achreja ’03 on his marriage to Kriti Sethi on May 11, 2012; to Sarah Megorden ’04 on her
marriage to Jason Dale on October 23, 2011; to Hannah Freeman and Chris Pacious, both ’05, on their marriage on
May 5, 2012 (our fourth all-scholar wedding); to Richard Conlon ’06 on his marriage to Theresa Wuertz on August 4,
2012; to Rafael Constante ’07 on his marriage to Mary Constante on July 11, 2012; to Juan Cruz ’08 on his marriage to
April Sanders on August 4, 2012; to Elizabeth Plum ’08 on her marriage to Gavin Fogarty on April 28, 2012; to Dwayne
McFarlane ‘01 on his engagement to Caneil McDonald; to Jeremy Collins ’02 on his engagement to Kristin Hahn; to
Kristen Hand ’04 on her engagement to Jason Smoker; to Nicholas Lovesee ’04 on his engagement to Rachel Craven;
and to Kseniya Yarosh ’04 on her engagement to Matt Carman.
Ratan Achreja & Kriti Sethi
Sarah Megorden & Jason Dale
Hannah Freeman & Chris Pacious
Richard Conlon & Theresa Wuertz
Rafael & Mary Constante
Juan Cruz & April Sanders
Elizabeth Plum & Gavin Fogarty
Kristen Hand & Jason Smoker
Nicholas Lovesee & Rachel Craven
Kseniya Yarosh & Matt Carman
SCHOLARLY Pursuits
7
FALL 2012
A New Destination
By Caitlyn Maczka
O
ne of the highlights of the Montgomery
Scholars program is the two-week
summer-travel study program. For the very
first time, in the summer of 2012 the scholars
did not travel to Cambridge, England. The class
of 2013 became the guinea pigs for a whole
new destination — Asheville, North Carolina.
There were no previous scholars to share
information with, and no one from our class
had been to the area before. We were going
in blind.
Despite our hesitations, I think I can speak for
everyone in saying that the trip exceeded all
expectations. The experience was absolutely
one of a kind. Allow me to explain.
The first week we participated in the Swannanoa
Gathering, a summer folk music festival held
on the campus of Warren Wilson College.
ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA
Each week has a different theme; we joined
the Traditional Song week. We attended three
classes a day in such subjects as traditional
gospel singing, classic western songs, Scottish
ballads, freedom songs of the Underground
Railroad, music theory, and more. Each class
was taught by an expert in that subject. Each
evening, we participated in jam sessions during
which staff and students alike could listen and
play together, sharing music and stories. I not
only met, but I learned from, sang with, danced
with, and ate breakfast with some of the world’s
most talented musicians.
The second week was even busier. On Sunday,
we took a bus into the city of Asheville.
Southern hospitality radiated from the very
buildings. Friendly, smiling artists were selling
their handmade work on the street, talented
musicians played on every corner, and
storeowners treated each person as if he or
she were their only customer. One of my favorite
aspects of the city was the wide variety of
mouthwatering cuisine. Each restaurant had its
own niche: gourmet potato chips, authentic tea,
homemade chocolate, Indian street food, a café
inside of a bookstore, even an eclectic pizza
place called The Mellow Mushroom.
Outside of class, we had plenty of time to
explore and hike on the beautiful Warren
Wilson campus, swim in the pool by day and
pond by night, and defeat some Warren Wilson
students in basketball. We had several scholars’
jam sessions, where even those of us with
less musical talent were able to contribute.
Between spontaneous rap battles and dance
parties in the laundry room (even the professors
participated!), we ventured out of our comfort
zones together and lived in the moment.
The next day we toured the Biltmore mansion
— the largest privately owned home in America.
This 8,000-acre estate built by the Vanderbilts
in 1895 was breathtaking. As the guide took us
around the house, we were left to ponder both
the beauty of the property and the huge positive
impact that the Vanderbilts had on the city of
Asheville.
Another day we traveled to the Dr. John Wilson
Community Garden to participate in a service
activity. Although none of us were especially
looking forward to this at the beginning, it
Montgomery College
turned out to be one of our favorite activities.
The hands-on farmwork was very different
from other things we did earlier in the trip, and
it gave us a productive way to both work with
each other and give back to the community.
We have plenty of experience tackling 30-page
anthropology papers together, but we had never
before been asked to hull mulch and dig ditches
as a team.
It’s funny how well you think you know someone
before realizing how much more there really
is. I thought I knew my fellow scholars inside
and out. We had already seen the best and
the worst — from 3 a.m. movie nights to 3 a.m.
exam studying sessions, we became very close
throughout the semester. However, Asheville
gave us a chance to live with each other. We
were able to share things that we had never
even considered sharing before. From salsa
dancing to bible study sessions, communal
singing to teeth-brushing gatherings, we are
bonded in a way that reaches much further than
just academics.
Although I am unsure of what my future holds, it
is so comforting to know that I will always have
these lifelong friends by my side.
M o nt g o me r y S c ho lar s Pr o g r a m N e w s l e tte r
Where Are You Now?
Below is a list of some of the scholars from
the first 12 classes and their whereabouts.
If anyone from the classes of 2001–2012
has an update for the newsletter, just drop us
a line, and we will include the information in
the next newsletter.
Class of 2001
Michael Somerville, MS, BS, AA (Home School),
started his own company in April 2011, Wingman
LLC. During the past year, his company has
been supporting the Department of Energy in
Germantown, along with several other businesses,
ranging from a company running a hot dog truck
to one that provides decision coaching for senior
decision makers. Michael’s focus is on “helping
people come together to understand and solve
problems in order to achieve excellence.”
Class of 2002
Jeremy Collins, BA, AA (Magruder HS), is
a program manager at the Veterans Health
Administration in Silver Spring, Maryland, and
plays music part-time as the piano man on
Tuesday nights at Two Pears cafe in Kensington,
also in Maryland. Jeremy is working on recording
an album of original music.
Sarah Megorden, MA, BS, AA (Covenant Life
HS), graduated in May 2011 with a master’s
degree in economics from the George Washington
University. Sarah works for the Bureau of Labor
Statistics and got married in October last year.
SPRING 2012
FALL 2012
8
Kristie Lynn Shain (Speelman), AA (Covenant
Life HS), recently was promoted to Sergeant in
the U.S. Army. Kristie is currently working as a
Green Dart Operator/Mission Manager in Sharana,
Afghanistan.
Class of 2005
Peter Dunne, MS, BS, AA (Cedar Brook
Academy), has completed his master’s degree in
sustainable design at Philadelphia University. His
thesis is related to a project in western Kenya,
where he is serving as chairperson for a local
nonprofit overseeing the design and construction
of a hospital in a rural community. Peter has been
working in student affairs at Philadelphia University
the past three years and is currently working fulltime at St. Joseph’s University as a residence hall
manager. He and his wife, Patti, are expecting their
first child in October.
Laura Vasquez, MPH, BA, AA (John F. Kennedy
HS), graduated from the Bloomberg School of
Public Health at The Johns Hopkins University in
May 2012 with a master’s degree in public health.
Laura is currently working for the U.S. Army Public
Health Command.
Class of 2006
Carolina Lasso, MBA, BS, AA (John F. Kennedy
HS), is now product marketing manager in the
New York office of Google.
David Casler, JD, BA, AA (Magruder HS),
graduated with a juris doctor degree from
Columbia Law School in May 2012.
Janice (Strasser-King) Thomas, BA, AA
(Seneca Valley HS), is a math teacher at Neelesville
Middle School. Janice will complete her master’s
degree in library science in December. She married
Maynard Thomas on August 13, 2011, and lives
in Frederick with their twin girls who were born in
May of this year.
Malcolm Royer, BS, AA (Home School), was
promoted to Captain in the U.S. Army on June 2
and is currently in the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry
Division Stryker Brigade Combat Team, which is
currently task organized to the 3rd Brigade,
10th Mountain Division in Afghanistan.
Class of 2004
Hanna Crawford, BA, AA (Poolesville HS),
recently worked as a reporter/public programming
manager at the Southwestern Association of
Indian Artists (SWAIA), an organization that puts
on the Santa Fe Indian Market. At SWAIA, she
wrote newsletters and interviewed artists. This fall,
Hanna begins a master’s program in oral history at
Columbia University.
Azita Saleh, JD BA, AA (Magruder HS),
graduated with a juris doctor degree from
American University Law School in May 2012.
Class of 2007
Kathy Bui, MEd, BS, AA (Gaithersburg HS),
recently took a position as director of office
operations at Housing Unlimited Inc., a nonprofit
organization in Montgomery County that buys
homes throughout the county and rents them to
Kevin Puetate presents poster
Malcolm Royer
SCHOLARLY Pursuits
Javier Pena
individuals with psychiatric disabilities at a rate of
38 percent of their monthly income. Kathy’s job
involves fundraising, property management, and
tenant empowerment.
Holly Kent-Payne, MFA, BA, AA (Blake HS), is
moving to Joliet, Illinois, and applying for jobs
teaching college freshman English and literature.
Josephine Ta, BSN, BS, AA (Northwest HS), is
a graduate of the University of North Carolina,
Chapel Hill, with a bachelor’s degree in health
and exercise science. Jo later graduated in May
2012 with a BSN from the University of Maryland,
Baltimore, and is currently working as a patient
care technician at Suburban Hospital.
Alicia Tito, BA, AA (Magruder HS), is currently
living in Uruguay studying at the Universidad de
la Republica Uruguay in a master’s program on
Latin American studies. While taking Portuguese
classes, Alicia is also volunteering as an English
teacher for a nonprofit called Un Techo Para Mi Pais.
Class of 2008
Cristian Barrera, BA, AA (Wheaton HS), is in
the second year of a master’s program at Harvard
University, with a concentration on government.
Christian is writing his thesis on the evolution of
Congress and the Supreme Court as it relates
to education and social policy. Recently he was
chosen to be a graduate public policy research
assistant/faculty aid at the Harvard University John
F. Kennedy School of Government’s Belfer Center
for Science and International Affairs. He reports
directly to Dr. Elaine Kamarck, who is writing a
book about how change happens in the United
States, evaluating the success and failure of
enacted legislation over the last 50 years. Christian
wrote:
“Last semester was truly fascinating for me.
I got to meet and SHAKE HANDS with Henry
Kissinger, during his much-anticipated visit to
Harvard, and to meet Charles Fried (Former U.S.
Solicitor General)! I was also voted in as the vice
president for the Graduate International Relations
Club. In this role, I led an event entitled “Education
Realities of Latin America,” in which the former
Mexican Secretary of Public Education, Dr. Reyes
Tamez Guerra, and the Ford Professor of Education
Policy at Harvard, Dr. Fernando Reimers, were the
featured speakers. I will continue in this role for
the upcoming year. Last year, I also found a new
mentor in the Assistant Dean of Harvard Law, Dr.
Akiba J. Covitz. I took his class last semester.”
9
Danny Mays, BS, AA (Covenant Life HS), is
currently a student in the George Washington
University School of Medicine. Danny went
with a medical relief team to Haiti in the spring
to work with a nonprofit health organization,
Project Medishare. In Haiti, Danny designed and
distributed a ‘patient health passport’ to help
maintain records and optimize care for individual
patients. Danny wrote, “This trip was undoubtedly
the highlight of my first year of medical school.”
In the summer of 2012, Danny spent two months
in Ntenjeru, Uganda, working for Omni Med, a
nongovernmental organization that trains and
leads local teams of community health workers
to promote health in their own communities. He
helped train health workers and administer the
construction of a protected water source in a
village that lacked clean water.
Natalie Ramirez, MEd, BA, AA (Montgomery
Blair), began a new job this fall as an elementary
art teacher in Montgomery County Public Schools,
working with kindergarten through second grade
students at Takoma Park Elementary School, Weller
Road Elementary School, Roscoe Nix Elementary
School, and Singer Elementary School.
Class of 2009
Crystel Britto, BA, AA (Rockville HS), is currently
volunteering for the Red Cross as an emergency
and international services casework intern. She is
also working at International Medical Corps as a
gifts-in-kind intern.
Joy Liang, BS, AA (Gaithersburg HS), is currently
working full-time with the U.S. Department of
Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration
(FHWA) as an environmental specialist in the
FHWA professional development program,
Class of 2011
Aaron Kaufman, BA, AA (Walter Johnson HS),
graduated from the University of Maryland in
December 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in
American studies. After a stint working with the
Maryland House of Delegates’ County Executive
Commission on People with Disabilities, Aaron
took a position as instructor for Project Search at
the Ivymount School in Rockville, where he will
be working with students who intern with the
Montgomery County government.
FALL 2012
SPRING 2012
“I share these experiences with great humility.
To be honest, I think it all started at Montgomery
College during CORE. I learned to think in ways
people here appreciate: Never take things for
granted!”
a two-year training program. During the
two years, Janice will be completing several
development assignments in different states. As
an environmental specialist, Joy’s job will be to
evaluate projects and assess their environmental
impact. Joy wrote: “I am learning a lot about all the
environmental laws and regulations regarding the
preservation of historic sites, wildlife protection,
endangered species, and the preservation of water
and air quality.”
Tim Ossi, BA, AA (Watkins Mill HS), graduated
from the University of Maryland in May 2012 with
a bachelor’s degree in philosophy.
Javier Pena, BS, AA (Magruder HS), graduated
cum laude from the School of Foreign Service
at Georgetown University in May 2012 with a
bachelor’s degree in international politics. Javier
spent the summer teaching English in rural
communities in Hungary and Slovakia.
Pierre van Boxel, BS, AA (Walt Whitman HS),
graduated from the University of Luxembourg
in June 2012 with a bachelor’s degree in
mathematics.
Class of 2010
Stephannie Acha-Morfaw, BS, AA (Northwest
HS), graduated from Hood College in May 2012
with a bachelor’s degree in biology.
Kenia Avendano-Garro, AA (Walter Johnson HS),
currently is a Japanese language and literature
major at the University of Maryland. Kenia will
complete her degree this fall. She has just finished
a fully-funded year studying at Keio University in
Tokyo, Japan, and returned home via Australia.
Jemina Cornejo, AA (Springbrook HS), will
complete her bachelor’s degree in biology next
year at Brigham Young University.
Jonathan Hurkett, BS, AA (Richard Montgomery
HS), graduated from the University of Maryland
in May 2012 with a bachelor’s degree in
mathematics.
Claire Kalala, AA (Blair HS), currently is a
multidisciplinary fine arts major at the University
of the Arts in Philadelphia. Claire has only nine
credits left to complete her undergraduate degree.
Since the classes she needs are not offered there
until the spring, Claire will spend four or five weeks
this fall in Hawaii to “fill up on inspiring people and
scenery, and also to work on the development of
my senior thesis.” Claire has also applied for a parttime position with Class Acts (an organization that
works to bring diverse arts and culture education
to schools and the larger community, including
juvenile detention centers). Her plans next year
include applying to Americorps.
Lena Kem, BA, AA (Clarksburg HS), graduated
from The George Washington University with a
bachelor’s degree in international affairs, with a
concentration in international development studies.
Lena is currently working at the National Institute
of Standards and Technology.
Sarah Lasko, AA (Rockville HS), will be
graduating from the University of Maryland in
December 2012 with a BA in communication.
In June, Sarah sang at the Kennedy Center; she
performed in A Master Class with Barbara Cook
and got the opportunity to receive instruction
from Ms. Cook in front of an audience of about
300 people in the Terrace Theatre at the Kennedy
Center. Sarah wrote: “It was an incredible
experience.”
Eva Lenoir, BA, AA (Richard Montgomery HS),
graduated from the University of Maryland in
May 2012 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology.
Eva has applied for a research position with Johns
Hopkins University.
Maria (Belen) Marquina, BA, AA (Watkins Mill
HS), graduated cum laude from the University of
Maryland, Baltimore County, in May 2012 with a
bachelor’s degree in political science and a minor
in history. Belen is currently preparing to take
the GRE and is working at RGS Title in Sterling,
Virginia.
Sarah McIlvried, BA, AA (Damascus HS),
graduated summa cum laude from Capital
University in May 2012 with a bachelor’s degree
in religion and psychology. Sarah is currently
working in New Orleans with the Jesuit Volunteer
Corps. Her placement is with UNITY, a coalition of
organizations that work to prevent homelessness.
Sarah will work as an in-reach specialist: working
with homeless people to get them into housing
and helping to coordinate interfaith cooperation
among various religious groups in the city to
address the issue of homelessness. After the year,
Sarah plans to apply to graduate schools such as
Yale Divinity, Princeton Theological Seminary, and
Harvard Divinity School to work on a doctorate in
theology.
Cristian Barrera
Montgomery College
M o nt g o me r y S c ho lar s Pr o g r a m N e w s l e tte r
Where Are You Now?
Charles Meadows, AA (Seneca Valley HS), is
currently a senior at the University of Maryland
studying mechanical engineering and minoring in
project management. Charles worked this summer as
a commissioning agent for SD Keppler & Associates.
Nika Nauman, BS, AA (Clarksburg HS), graduated
from the University of Maryland in May 2012 with
a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education.
Nika is in her first teaching position as a second
grade teacher at Montgomery Knolls Elementary
School.
Ana Palomino, BA, AA (Blair HS), graduated from
St. Mary’s College of Maryland in May 2012 with
a bachelor’s degree in human studies. During the
summer, she taught English for speakers of other
languages (ESOL) to adults at CASA de Maryland.
Ana has recently begun an Americorps position
with an organization called Breakthrough Austin
in Austin, Texas, that works to support firstgeneration college graduates.
Anna Pomerantseva, BS, AA (Walter Johnson
HS), graduated cum laude from the McDonough
School of Business at Georgetown University in
May 2012 with a bachelor’s degree in finance.
Anna worked as a consultant at the tech center
at Georgetown University and was a resident
assistant during her senior year. She also held an
internship at Navigant (a litigation consulting firm
based in Chicago with an office in Washington,
DC) in the department of international arbitration.
Anna said she could not have found a better
application of all the globalization topics she
covered in the Scholars program. She was also
able to use her Russian and Spanish language
skills in the position. In August, Anna accepted a
full-time position with Navigant. She wrote: “I think
back to Scholars much and often. I couldn’t have
asked for a better base for furthering my education
and career.”
Whitley Richards, AA (Blake HS), worked this
summer with the University of Maryland’s precollege summer program before returning to the
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, for her
final semester. Whitley will graduate in December
2012 with a bachelor’s degree in global studies,
with a focus on society, culture, and art in Latin
America, and a bachelor’s degree in Spanish. After
graduation, she plans to move to Peru for a few
months to volunteer in an orphanage in Cuzco and
then look for work with international organizations
and attend culinary school.
Pauline Roa, AA (Watkins Mill HS), is entering
her final year in the kinesiology program at
the University of Maryland, and plans to apply
for a graduate program in public health upon
completion of her bachelor’s degree. Currently,
Pauline also works at a Pilates, yoga, and
rehabilitation center, helping clients navigate
their fitness regimens.
Rocio Rossi, AA (Kennedy HS), is studying
physics at Catholic University and teaches GED
classes.
Kristen Santos, BS, AA (Sherwood HS),
graduated from McDaniel College in May 2012
with a bachelor’s degree in biology. Kristen also
commissioned as a second lieutenant in the
Army National Guard and was assigned as a
platoon leader to the 104th Area Support Medical
Company in Reisterstown, Maryland. She is
currently deciding between medical school and a
graduate program in public health.
Alexandra Smith, BA, AA (Poolesville HS),
graduated from the College of William and
Mary in May 2012 with a bachelor’s degree
in government. Just now, she is looking for
internships because her long-term goal is to work
for a nongovernmental organization dealing with
women’s rights in Middle Eastern countries.
Sarah Stogsdill, AA (Covenant Life HS), will
graduate from Grove City College (GCC) with a
BA in psychology in December 2012. Currently,
“Spiff” is a student ambassador for the Grove City
admissions office, and the chief of public relations
for the International Justice Mission GCC campus
chapter. After graduation, Spiff hopes to work
in the nonprofit sector (ideally, the International
Justice Mission) to fight human trafficking and
other forms of violent oppression.
Selene Tituana, AA (Blair HS), has a year left in
public health studies at the University of Maryland
and is currently interning at Mary’s Center for
Maternal and Child Care. Selene has received
scholarships from Kaiser Permanente and the
Roberta Ma Fund.
Sam Westbrooks, BA, AA (Damascus HS),
graduated from the University of Baltimore in
May 2012 with a bachelor’s degree in English.
Stephanie Williams, AA (Damascus HS), will
graduate from the University of Maryland in
December 2012 as a criminal justice major with a
terrorism studies minor. Her long-term goal is to
work in the federal law enforcement field.
Class of 2011
Lucy Bauer, AA (Seneca Valley HS), is currently
studying physiology and neurobiology at the
University of Maryland. During the summer of
2012, Lucy had a research internship at the Food
and Drug Administration. In an unforgettable
photo of Lucy in the lab, she is shown next to
the flow cytrometry machine she used for her
research — and she is holding a stuffed microbe
of the Ebola virus!
Lucy Bauer
FALL 2012
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Diane Lameira, AA (Walter Johnson HS), has
just completed her junior year at Georgetown
University, where she is majoring in psychology.
During the summer of 2012, Diane worked in
the culture and emotions lab in the Georgetown
Psychology Department, where she guided
participants through various studies. Diane also
has an internship in the Georgetown University
Department of Psychiatry and helps the staff with
projects.
Class of 2012
Yves Gomes, AS (Paint Branch HS), was a Karel
Fellow at CASA de Maryland during the summer
of 2012. Yves is in the inaugural class of fellows for
the Frank Karel Public Interest Communications
Fellowship, organized by the Nonprofit Roundtable
of Greater Washington.
Brogan Murphy, AA (Northwood HS), worked
as a research assistant volunteer at the decision,
attention, and memory lab in the Psychology
Department at the University of Maryland during
the summer of 2012. This fall, Brogan transferred
to the University of Maryland as a psychology
major and is working in the same lab.
Montgomery Scholars and Service Learning
S
ervice learning continues to play an important role in the Montgomery Scholars program. During
the past year, first-year and sophomore scholars volunteered with various organizations across
Montgomery County and in Black Mountain, North Carolina. The activities were wide-ranging: serving
in food banks; volunteering with a Wider Circle (http://www.awidercircle.org), which engages in a
“unique, holistic approach to ending poverty;” visiting residents in assisted-living facilities; cleaning up
the environment; and leading the Do Something Now Club on campus, a club that raises awareness on
numerous issues, including global water issues and child soldiers, and conducted fund-raising for various
humanitarian causes. The Do Something Now Club was led by Julia Branco and Viktoria Ivanova
and won the Club of the Year Award at Montgomery College this spring.
Sophia Venero
Tin Lok Wang
SCHOLARLY Pursuits
Also in the summer of 2012, 28 students worked at the Dr. John Wilson Community Garden in Black
Mountain, North Carolina. The organizers at the garden wrote on their Facebook page: We “had a blast
with the Montgomery College Scholars. They began building a Hugelkultur. Students cleared sod, laid
birch logs cut last year from the Greenway trail, and began covering it with compost. This berm will
slowly decompose and provide rich soil for planning a ‘tasting garden’ for the community.”
Focus on the Sciences
T
wo of the great strengths of the Montgomery Scholars
program are the diversity of majors represented in
each class and the interdisciplinary emphasis of the
curriculum. Having biology majors sitting alongside
history majors, engineering with accounting, English with
music adds a richness to the classroom that is thoughtprovoking and makes for a stimulating intellectual
environment. During their two years at Montgomery
College, students take a set of General Education classes
together that emphasizes global issues, perspectives, and
understanding; and each student also takes classes in
her or his major. We have found that, in addition to taking
courses in a major discipline, having a core of classes that
each class of scholars takes exclusively with one another
and is taught by a group of trained and committed faculty
is a highly effective way of forming a learning community
and creating a rich, interdisciplinary environment.
Minh Bui
Victor Ontiveros
Time and again, alumni scholars, no matter their major,
write to us saying how much they use the critical
thinking and writing skills from these core classes, both
in their academic and professional careers. The largest
single major (10 percent) in the Scholars program is life
sciences. Indeed, the first Montgomery Scholar to receive
a doctoral degree was Minh Bui from the first class of
scholars, who earned a PhD in molecular and cell biology;
he was followed by Alon Shalev from the second class
of scholars, who studied electrical engineering at Ryerson
and the University of Toronto. Some of our science majors
have gone on to study and work in some fascinating fields
of research. We hope this sampling of stories will convey
the depth and breadth of the contributions to scientific
research of a significant proportion of Montgomery
Scholars:
Minh Bui ’01, PhD, MS, BS, AA (Gaithersburg HS).
After graduating with a BS in biology from the University
of Maryland, Minh continued there in the graduate
program. Currently, he is a postdoctoral fellow at the
National Institutes of Health/National Cancer Institute.
His latest research article has just been published: Bui M.,
et al. (2012). Cell-cycle-dependent structural transitions
in the human CENP-A nucleosome in vivo. Cell 150(2),
317-326. Here is Minh’s description of his research:
Irena Antic
Mary Close
“Cancer is often a result of uncontrolled cell proliferation
that can result in the formation of tissue and cells that are
morphologically and functionally different from normal
cells. The difference is primarily due to the defective cell’s
inability to equally segregate all the chromosomal DNA to
the subsequent daughter generations, resulting in cells that
have more or less than the normal 23 chromosome pairs.
As those defective cells undergo further cell division, the
chromosomal defect can be exponentially increased, and
if the growing mass invades and damages nearby organs
or tissues, then the tumor is considered malignant and
metastatic.”
“My research utilizes techniques that span molecular and
cellular biology, biophysics, biochemistry, and genomics/
genetics, and focuses on two aspects: 1) to understand
how this morphological and functional difference in
cancer cells are impacted by studying the central region
of the chromosomal DNA called the centromere; and 2)
to develop a way to detect molecular changes that are
indicative of an individual who is showing early signs of
(pre-)cancer.”
Victor Ontiveros ’04, MS, BS, AA (Seneca Valley HS).
After graduating with a BS in fire protection engineering
from the University of Maryland, Victor continued in the
graduate reliability engineering program and expects to
complete his PhD next year. Victor explained his current
research:
“After mastering fire (!), I have moved on to researching a
means to better predict the fatigue life of aluminum used
in some Navy aircraft. Trying something different from the
empirical modeling, we are looking at what is physically
happening to the material as it is fatigued. I am using the
entropy generation in the aluminum that results from fatigue
to try and find a crack before it becomes a crack.”
Irena Antic ’06, BS, AA (Walter Johnson HS). After
graduating from Hood College with a bachelor’s degree in
biology, Irena entered the Driskill Graduate Program in Life
Sciences at Northwestern University where she is in her
fourth year and the final stages of completing her PhD.
Irena works with Dr. Karla Satchell, an associate professor
in the microbiology and immunology department. This is
how Irena described her research:
“ Vibrio vulnificus is a bacterium inhabiting warm coastal
waters around the world (though mostly in south and
southeast Asia). It can be found free-living or associated
with shellfish. Human infection is caused by consumption of
raw or undercooked seafood as well as by wound exposure
to contaminated water. Infection proceeds rapidly and can
be fatal within days of acquiring the bacterium.”
“The major virulence factor of V. vulnificus is MARTX toxin
(multifunctional autoprocessing repeats-in-toxin-toxin —
yes, that is really the name!). MARTX is interesting because
it is currently the largest bacterial protein toxin known and
because it has several distinct cytotoxic activities. I focus
on trying to understand how these cytotoxic activities (we
call them effectors in science-speak) subvert normal cell
function in hopes of one day identifying ways in which we
can inhibit the toxin and improve patient outcomes.”
Mary Close ’06, BS, AA (Seneca Valley HS). Mary
graduated from Cornell University with a degree in food
science. Currently she works for Unilever as a food
scientist. Mary explained her work:
“I have done some work on the Bertolli brand and have
since moved onto the PF Chang’s brand. We launched five
new items in March of this year — three dumplings and
two spring roll varieties. I was the product developer for the
dumpling varieties and also for the sauces that came with
the dumplings and spring rolls. Essentially, I developed the
formulas for these items and wrote the specifications for the
factories to follow. I also evaluate factory-produced material
to ensure that they are meeting the organoleptic targets for
the products (taste, consistency). The picture is from the
start-up of some of the Oven Bakes meals on Bertolli.”
“With food science in general, there are a lot of
different areas of focus. A food scientist can go into
product development (which is what I do), or he or she
can go into food safety/microbiology and work for a
manufacturing company or work for a regulatory body like
the U.S. Department of Agriculture or the Food and Drug
Administration. Some food scientists go into technical sales
as well, where you can leverage your technical knowledge
of ingredients and how they function to sell them to
companies.”
Montgomery College
M o nt g o me r y S c ho lar s Pr o g r a m N e w s l e tte r
FALL 2012
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FALL 2012
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Montgomery Scholars Program Newsletter
VOLUME 12 ISSUE 17
SCHOLARLY Pursuits
For further information about
Montgomery College, please go to
www.montgomerycollege.edu
For further information about the
Montgomery Scholars program, please go to
www.montgomerycollege.edu/
admissions/MCScholars
Comments, feedback, or input, please e-mail:
[email protected]
Produced by the Office of Communications, 10/2012
Montgomery College is an academic institution committed
to promoting equal opportunity and fostering diversity
among its students, faculty, and staff.
SCHOLARLY Pursuits
FALL 2012