Craft Academy students travel to Mexico for research

Two Craft Academy students had the experience of a lifetime this summer as they traveled to Mexico to assist an MSU professor with his research.

The students, Madison Cissell and Rebekah Vermillion, traveled to the ancient Mayan city of Mayapán with Dr. Timothy Hare, professor of anthropology. Cissell and Vermillion are Undergraduate Research Fellows and worked side-by-side with Hare on his research.

Hare’s team used unmanned aerial vehicles (also called drones) to map and create 3-D models of the ruins, which are to be destroyed this fall for construction of a highway. He said using drones allows archaeologists to map larger areas more accurately in a shorter amount of time than other methods of mapping.

Vermillion said the trip taught her a lot about both Mayan Culture and the science of archeology.

“I really enjoyed learning about what archeologists really do and what life was like in the ancient Mayan world. Dr. Hare was great with explaining all of the archeological sites and where the structures were and what was most likely happening at the sites,” she said. “This was the most insightful and inspiring trip. I learned so much about the culture and life there in Mexico.”

Hare added, “Our goal for this summer was to record ancient settlement and environmental data from the areas to be destroyed and contribute to a long-term research program that focuses on reconstructing regional-scale settlement patterns, diverse economic activities, resource use and corresponding landscape modifications.”

Hare said this type of research is significant because of the role Mayapán played in ancient Mayan culture.

“Mayapán was the largest ancient Mayan political capital of the Postclassic Period,” he said. “It exceeded the size of all other lowland towns or cities in Belize, Guatemala and Mexico by an order of magnitude. It was a key center of political, religious and economic activity around A.D. 1100–1450.”

Cissell and Vermillion assisted Hare with the maintenance and operation of the drones and other equipment, mission planning, photo organization and data processing. Currently, the two are working with two other Craft Academy students and Undergraduate Research Fellows, Michael Groathaus and Zebulon Hart, to create the archaeological site maps and 3-D models.

Hare and his research fellows will present their research at the annual conference of the Kentucky Association of Mapping Professionals in October and the Society for American Archaeology next spring. He said his team also will write a series of papers on their research and has plans to return to Mayapán to continue his research next summer.

For more information:

·      Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program, visit www.moreheadstate.edu/undergradresearch.

·      Craft Academy for Excellence in Science and Mathematics, visit www.moreheadstate.edu/craft-academy.

·      The Department of Sociology, Social Work and Criminology, visit http://www.moreheadstate.edu/sswc.

MSU's Department of Art and Design supports unlimited opportunities for student growth

Morehead State University’s Department of Art and Design is one of the most comprehensive schools of art, design and teacher education in the Commonwealth. Programs offer a hands-on, personalized approach, enabling students to acquire additional skills complementing their unique creative strengths. Kristin Busby, senior and Bachelor of Fine Arts major, credits this to faculty members who are invested in supporting the growth of students.

“I used to think that being creative and having business sense were mutually

exclusive. Either people were right- or left-brained, and as a creative person, I had

no interest in becoming an administrator or entrepreneur of any kind,” Busby said. “After taking two courses and a practicum with professor Jennifer Reis, I realized that these traits often complement one another.”

Busby recently completed an Undergraduate Research Fellowship in arts programming and promotion with Reis as her faculty mentor. This past spring and summer, Busby focused on the logistical planning, management and marketing of arts programming and services hosted by the Claypool-Young Art Gallery. She provided support in the organization of art submissions for the Bluegrass Biennial exhibition jurying process, as well as assisting in the art handling, receiving and installation of four other exhibitions.

“Working with faculty members who set such high standards has made me a better student,” Busby said. “The support I have received from faculty here has enabled me to excel academically and allowed me to expand outside of my comfort zone to pursue competitive opportunities.”

She was the recipient this summer of a scholarship to the Americans for the Arts 2016 Convention. It was Professor Reis who encouraged her to apply.

Busby said she is excited to continue her work another year as a fellow in the Claypool-Young Art gallery.

“I have been proud of my work with gallery installations and project management for the Bluegrass Biennial, as well as the development of a social media strategy for the gallery,” she said. “There is a growing emphasis for art museums and galleries to enhance audience participation and experience through the use of digital media. I am excited to continue to grow as a student and implement strategies to increase engagement.”

Busby said the opportunities to grow as a student are unlimited and she encourages other students to participate in the Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program.

“My work as an Undergraduate Research Fellow has given me hands-on experience as

an entry-level arts administrator. I feel prepared to enter the

workforce confidently and to compete nationally as an emerging leader in arts

administration.”

To learn more about programs in MSU’s Department of Art and Design, visit www.moreheadstate.edu/study/art.

MSU faculty and students sending research into space

An experiment on smooth muscle tissue conducted by an MSU faculty member and Craft Academy students will be launched to the International Space Station (ISS) in November.

Dr. Michael Fultz, associate professor of biology at MSU, has been conducting research on the ability of smooth muscle tissue to generate and maintain force with a reduction in energy expenditure. Fultz, along with his Undergraduate Research Fellows, proposes that two actin cytoskeletal components within smooth muscle tissue, alpha-actin and beta-actin, reorganize during muscle contraction. This reorganization might explain some of the unique properties of smooth muscle tissue and Fultz says the research could have an impact on the treatment of diseases.

“If we better understand the mechanism of smooth muscle contraction, we may better apply that knowledge to such diseases as hypertension and the invasiveness of smooth muscle cells observed during cardiovascular disease,” he said.

The experiment being sent to the ISS will explore the effects microgravity has on the reorganization of the smooth muscle tissue components. Fultz said no such studies have as of yet been conducted.

“It will be interesting to see if there’s a difference in the contraction itself, as well as the specific remodeling of the cytoskeleton,” he said.

Fultz has had a number of students involved in the research project during his time at MSU. Previously, six Undergraduate Research Fellows and one graduate research assistant have worked on the project and, currently, two students from the Craft Academy, Danielle Gibson and Will Casto, are working as Undergraduate Research Fellows on the project. Fultz said he expects Gibson and Casto to present their research findings at scientific conferences later this school year.

Fultz is just one of numerous MSU faculty members who involve students in active research projects through the Undergraduate Research Fellowship program. Opportunities are available in a wide number of degree programs across campus. The program allows students to be involved in important academic research while they earn their degrees, giving them real-world experience before they graduate.

For more information :

• Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program, visit www.moreheadstate.edu/undergradresearch.
• Department of Biology & Chemistry at MSU, visit www.moreheadstate.edu/biochem
• Craft Academy for Excellence in Science and Mathematics, visit www.moreheadstate.edu/craft-academy. 

Space Science Center ranked among best college observatories

Morehead State University’s Space Science Center was recently ranked as one of the best college observatories in the nation by collegerank.net.

The Space Science Center was named as one of the top 35 best college observatories by the college ranking website. Collegerank.net used a number of criteria to evaluate observatories, including:

• The number, size and technology of telescopes available
• Altitude: Higher altitudes result in a reduction in atmospheric noise
• The average chance of clear skies
• The level of light pollution

The MSU Space Science Center features a 21-meter Space Tracking Antenna, which allows students to monitor and track satellites from the center’s Ground Control Center. There are also opportunities to be involved in astronomical and astrophysical research with faculty members. Students in the space science program are involved in the planning, design, construction, launch, tracking and monitoring of nanosats, which are smaller than a bread box. Projects have been completed for NASA, the U.S. Department of Defense and private aerospace firms. MSU’s program provides valuable real-world experience allows students to work with space scientists all over the world.

MSU offers one of only five space science undergraduate programs in the country. We also offer a bachelor’s degree in astrophysics and a master’s degree in space systems engineering.

To learn more about the Space Science Center and space science programs, visit www.moreheadstate.edu/eass.

Diagnostic Medical Sonography program offers free ultrasounds

Morehead State University’s Imaging Sciences’ Diagnostic Medical Sonography Program will offer free, two-dimensional fetal ultrasounds to expectant mothers, who are between 18 and 32 weeks of pregnancy.

Senior-level DMS students in the program will be conducting two-dimensional fetal ultrasounds free of charge on Wednesdays and Thursdays, July 25 through July 27, and Aug. 17 to Sept. 8. Ultrasounds will be conducted in room 402B of the Center for Health, Education and Research (CHER) Building. 

The students will be under the supervision of Marcia Cooper, associate professor of imaging sciences. Cooper is certified in obstetrics and gynecology by the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers. 

All mothers who sign up for an appointment will be asked to sign a consent form stating that the scans are for educational purposes only and are not diagnostic. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 606-783-2646.

For more information about the DMS program at MSU, visit www.moreheadstate.edu/study/dms. 

MSU Chamber Singers compete and win two gold medals in Rome

This summer, MSU Chamber Singers had the unique opportunity to grow as musicians and performers during a nine-day concert tour in Rome and Pompeii and competing at the Musica Roma Eterna International Choir Festival. MSU’s School of Music, Theatre and Dance is widely recognized and has a long-standing tradition of excellence. Performance opportunities for students are virtually unlimited and ensembles are known to consistently earn national and international recognition.

Throughout the nine-day tour and four-day choir competition, chamber singers presented seven performances, including a pre-competition evaluation performance for the judges, two competition performances, two friendship concerts with other international choirs, an American concert and a mass at St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican.

Judges scored all the international choirs’ performances using a complex system in which each piece received individual scores for intonation and interpretation, and the entire performance received scores for difficulty of the program, program design and dramaturgy, sound of the choir, and overall artistic impression. In the compulsory competition, MSU received 23.05 points achieving a level III Gold, and in the sacred competition, MSU received 22.01 points achieving a level II Gold.

Dr. Greg Detweiler, director of choral activities at MSU, said students spent the entire spring semester preparing for the competition.

“They organized extra rehearsals throughout the semester and held two summer retreats before leaving,” he said. “These students have worked so hard. I truly feel like the luckiest man in the world to have been able to conduct such a wonderful group of singers in Rome.”

The chamber singers had opportunities to visit Rome’s piazzas and the famous Trevi fountain, in addition to touring the Sistine Chapel and several Vatican museums.

MSU choirs (University Chorus, Concert Choir and Chamber Singers) are open to all students on campus. Students do not have to be music majors to participate in choral activities.

To learn more about performance areas and ensembles at MSU, visit the School of Music, Theatre and Dance website at www.moreheadstate.edu/mtd.

MSU ranked in top 20 affordable online accounting programs

Morehead State’s Bachelor of Business Administration program has been named one of the most affordable in the nation by the college ranking site AffordableSchools.net. Data for the list was compiled from the National Center for Education Statistics.

Once students in the program have completed general education and business prerequisite requirements, they have the option to complete upper-level business and accounting classes online, offering them greater flexibility to complete their degrees. Students will learn to design and implement accounting systems, prepare financial statements, analyze accounting data and prepare tax returns, among other skills.

Career options are available in the public sector, industry, governmental entities and more. Graduates of MSU’s accounting program are also prepared to further their education in graduate school in accounting and business-related fields.

All of Morehead State’s business programs are accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International.

For more information on the accounting program at MSU, visit www.moreheadstate.edu/study/business.