February 2023 News
Academy Senior to Present at Conference
Tuesday, February 28, 2023
Congratulations to senior Academy student Charlie Behrman on his upcoming conference presentation, “Molecular Adsorption at the Liquid/Liquid Nanoemulsion Interface” at the Indiana Academy of Science annual conference this March on March 18 in Indianapolis! Charlie’s research with two BSU graduate students, under the supervision of BSU Chemistry professor Dr. Mahamud Subir, explores the effect of surfactant compositions, and thereby, the interfacial charges on the adsorption proclivity of different organic compounds using a surface selective laser-based technique. According to Dr. Dain Kavars, Executive Director, “Charlie is taking advantage of the opportunities available to Indiana Academy students to actively engage in cutting-edge research that has the potential to shape the world. We are proud of his many accomplishments and are very excited that he was selected to present at a professional conference!”
Please note: While similar in name to our school, the Indiana Academy of Science is a non-profit a professional membership organization of Indiana scientists and is not affiliated with the Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics, and Humanities or Ball State University.
Academy Instructors Receive Lilly Endowment Fellowships
Friday, February 24, 2023
We are extremely proud to announce that Academy Instructors David Haynes, John Marsh, and Sean Scott have each been awarded a Lilly Endowment Teacher Creativity Fellowship! To have three teachers from a small school receive the fellowship in the same year is an incredible accomplishment. The credit, of course, goes to Mr. Haynes, Mr. Marsh, and Dr. Scott for the hard work they put into preparing their applications and the dedication they have to their Academy students.
David Haynes’ fellowship, “Made in Massachusetts and the Editing Room” expands cinematic education by creating an audio-visual memoir of his family’s origins and experiences in Massachusetts, creating a wholly personal film from inception to completion.
John Marsh’s fellowship, “Seeking Educational Theater and Classroom Inspiration in Britain” inspires the creation of youth educational theater scripts through a transformative journey across Great Britain.
Sean Scott’s fellowship, “A Hoosier Historian’s European Grand Tour” deepens historical knowledge through visiting some of the most iconic landmarks, museums and cathedrals of England and France and hiking portions of the Tour du Mont Blanc, Swiss Alps and Scottish Highlands.
Congratulations to all three on this wonderful news!
Academy Senior Earns Regents’ Scholarship
Thursday, February 16, 2023
The Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics, and Humanities would like to celebrate the incredible accomplishment of senior Abby Coffman. Abby has been selected as a recipient of the Regents’ Scholarship by the University of New Mexico. The Regents’ Scholarship is the most prestigious award given by UNM (valued at over $23,000 a year) and only 12 students are selected each year. As a part of the scholarship program, Abby would be assigned a faculty mentor and have access to innovative educational programming and experiences through the Honors College at UNM. “We are incredibly proud of Abby and the work she put in to receive this prestigious award!” Casey Schultz, Director of College and Career Counseling, continues, “Applying for colleges and scholarships, interviewing, and maintaining a consistent high standard of success in the classroom is no easy feat! I’m so excited Abby’s efforts are paying off in such big ways. I can’t wait to see what she does next!”
Five Seniors Celebrated as National Merit Finalists
Monday, February 13, 2023
The Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics, and Humanities celebrates seniors and former National Merit Semi-Finalists Karisten Poole, Charles Behrman, Henry Cooper, Paul Huynh, and Lauren Couch for being named finalists in the National Merit Scholarship Program. “This academic year alone, we’ve had thirteen of our senior students recognized by the National Merit Scholars Program and our community is ecstatic to see these five students progress in their journey.” With this good news, Dr. Olufowote, Director of Academic Affairs continues, “I celebrate the continued grit and resilience of our student body to persist and thrive in competitive environments, am reminded of the tremendous faculty we recruit to cultivate curiosity and challenge in the classroom, and remain inspired by the Academy mission of educational equity and access.”
Senior Sadie Berg Named Whitinger Scholar
Thursday, February 9, 2023
Academy senior Sadie Berg has been named a Ball State University Whitinger Scholar for the 2023-2024 academic year.
The Whitinger Scholarship is the signature scholarship of the Honors College and the most prestigious scholarship awarded by Ball State. It supplements Ball State’s Presidential Scholarship to provide full tuition and required fees plus on-campus room and board. Eight new Honors College students are selected to receive the award each year based on their academic ability, character, creativity, and potential for leadership.
Congratulations Sadie!
Ethics Bowl Team Runners-Up
Monday, February 6, 2023
Saturday, February 4, the Indiana Academy Ethics bowl team, consisting of seniors Kayra Karamanli and Kody Coyne and junior Aidan Tomlin, competed in the Indiana Regional Ethics Bowl competition at DePauw University in Greencastle. Mr. Josh Ruark and Dr. Dain Kavars took them down for what was a very long, but very rewarding day. The team left about 5:45 a.m. and returned around 10 p.m. The students had never participated in Ethics Bowl before and were competing against teams who had students with 2-3 years of experience. The students and sponsors weren’t sure what to expect but the team did a phenomenal job.
The competition consisted of 16 teams that competed in 3 rounds in the morning. The Academy was 2-1 in the morning rounds, and that was good enough to advance them into the top 8 for knockout rounds in the afternoon. They won their quarterfinal match and then faced Herron High School in the semifinals. This was the 9th year of the high school Ethics Bowl competition and Herron was the Indiana winner in 6 of the 8 years, including last year. Herron beat us in the morning rounds, but the Academy had an amazing semi-final round to knock out Herron. They faced off against Culver Academy in the final, whom they beat in a very close match in the morning rounds. Both teams did phenomenally in the final round. The judges’ decision was split 2-1, but Culver came out just on top.
Congratulations to Kayra, Kody, and Aidan on their hard work and great accomplishment. This team was formed after most teams had been practicing for 2-3 months. They walked in very inexperienced but surprised many schools with their performance.