Category Archives: Public Event

AstroNite at UM-Flint: April 16, 2016

AstroNite activities at UM-Flint

AstroNite activities at UM-Flint

Visit UM-Flint and enjoy a family-oriented open house that’s out of this world!

As part of the International Day of Astronomy sponsored by the Astronomical League, UM-Flint Physics and Longway Planetarium have joined for a night that is sure to make your imagination soar to the stars. AstroNite is a free and fun way for all ages to celebrate astronomy. Activities explore rainbow forensics, planetary science, telescopes and other instruments, stars, cosmology, and more through hands-on learning, games, and crafts.

In addition to being a great resource for local families, AstroNite provides a unique teaching opportunity for the physics program’s students. Notes Justin Wisby, Physics and Mathematics majors, “I have been helping out with AstroNite for a couple of years now, ever since my first semester here. AstroNite is a key event each year which allows all participates a chance to learn something new. Since the demographic of your audience changes throughout the night, all presenters must vary their presentation style to help their audience understand. Knowing physics is not the difficult part, it is convincing others you do. AstroNite is the typical introduction of presenting physics, an experience that all new physics students at UM-Flint must have.”

For more information, or to RSVP, visit the event’s Facebook page.

Opera Outreach Brings “Jack and the Beanstalk” to Area Schools

UM-Flint Music students perform their newest outreach opera: Jack and the Beanstalk

UM-Flint Music students perform their newest outreach opera: Jack and the Beanstalk

The UM-Flint Department of Music is continuing its traveling opera outreach this spring. After the successful productions of The Three Little Pigs and Hansel and Gretel, the department has moved on to John Davies’ Jack and the Beanstalk. The 40-minute opera, set to the music of Gilbert and Sullivan, is fully staged and costumed. Both student performers and teaching artists are involved in bringing the production and music education to area schoolchildren and the community. The leading force of this project is Dr. Joshua May of the music department.

Roles/Performers:

  • Jack: Marada Dahl (Voice Performance, Music Major Sophomore)
  • Giant/Trouble Man: Kevin Starnes (Alumni, Current Grad Student M.A. in Arts Administration)
  • Giant’s Wife: Jhane Perdue (Music Major, Voice Performance Major Freshman)
  • Giant’s Wife: Amanda Rodman (Music Education & Voice Performance Junior)
  • Narrator: Erica Kennedy (Theater & Voice Performance Music Major, Voice, Freshman)
  • Mother: Hannah Wikaryasz (Voice Performance, Music Major Senior)
  • Mother: Vanessa Salisbury (Voice Performance Music Major & Theater Major Freshman)

Teaching Artists:

  • Zachary Smith (Music Education Major, French Horn in Orchestra, Senior)
  • Alesha Akins (Music Education Major, Flute in Orchestra, Senior)
  • Heather Smith (Music Education Major, Voice)
  • Amanda Rodman (Music Education/Voice Performance, Junior)

Jack and the Community

The premiere of Jack and the Beanstalk was held at the Flint Farmers’ Market in fall 2015. Now the students are heading to area schools and community spaces to give free performances and supplemental instruction. Throughout the spring they will visit the Swartz Creek Performing Arts Center, Cook Elementary School, Mason Elementary School, the Flint Public Library, and, in a first time collaboration, the Whiting Auditorium. The May 6th performance at the Flint Public Library is free and open to the public. The school performances will be limited to internal audiences.

Classroom Learning

One of the aims of the opera outreach mission is to connect music to multiple core curriculum disciplines. UM-Flint Music Education students will visit the schools’ classrooms prior to the actual performance to develop lesson plans that teach math, science, reading, theater arts, foreign languages, geography, and storytelling through the elements of music. They will also guide students through a variety of learning activities that engage them with innovative lessons to help prepare them for the opera performance.

Says Karen Salvador, Assistant Professor of Music Education, “This opera outreach provides amazing opportunities for UM-Flint students and children all over Flint. Music education students are gaining real-world teaching experience in Flint classrooms, Flint children are interacting with college students, seeing live opera performed right in their school, and learning more about music in a hands-on, immersive way. Josh’s vision for this outreach is exactly in line with our university’s mission to partner with communities in ways that are meaningful to all parties. I know that this is an experience that will help shape our Collegiate-NAfME students as teachers, and it could also be an inspiration for a child who loves music.”

Supporting Outreach

Opera Outreach is made possible by the James A. Welch Foundation, the Nartel Family Foundation, University Outreach, and the Department of Music. Grants and funding have covered transportation for students, set pieces, costumes, and more.

For information, call 810.762.3377 or visit umlint.edu/music.

 

 

 

UM-Flint Guest Artist: Nihad Dukhan, Ph.D – April 4, 2016

Dr. Nihad Dukhan – UM-Flint Guest Artist

“Blessed Among the Arts: Arabic/Islamic Calligraphy, Its History and Development”

This lecture covers the historical progression of this art and its major artistic leaps starting from the seventh century until modern times. Techniques and styles of this art are described. The lecture also touches on philosophical aspect of this art, and its intimate relationship to Qur’anic writing. You do not need to know Arabic or calligraphy to benefit from this educational session.

  • Date: April 4, 2016
  • Time: 3pm
  • Location: 161 French Hall, UM-Flint
  • Contact: [email protected]

Nihad Dukhan is a Palestinian-American artist of Arabic/Islamic calligraphy (www.ndukhan.com). He has two master of calligraphy degrees. Professor Dukhan is active in promoting the art of Arabic/Islamic calligraphy through exhibits, lectures and workshops. Dukhan holds a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering and is currently a professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Detroit Mercy.

This event is presented with the UM-Flint Muslim Students’ Association.

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2016 Visiting African Artist is Poet Niyi Osundare

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Dr. Niyi Osundare – 2016 Visiting African Series Artist

The Visiting African/African Diaspora Artist Series is a partnership between the University of Michigan-Flint and the Flint Public Library, funded in part by the Ruth Mott Foundation. The Series brings authors, poets, playwrights, and journalists of African descent to Flint, Michigan. One purpose is to expose our university and communities to the complexity and richness of modern African culture, as well as the heritage of Africans and people of African descent, and so to embrace diversity. Another purpose is to engage people with the many interesting and challenging issues created by the historical and modern African Diaspora.

On March 16, 2016, the award-winning poet, author, and educator Dr. Niyi Osundare will be visiting the UM-Flint campus for a poetry reading and public discussion. This is the first of his Visiting Artist events. The event is free and open to the public and takes place from 10am-12pm in the UCEN Kiva. Dr. Osundare’s book, City Without People: The Katrina Poems, recounts his personal experience with Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath. During the discussion we will explore the connections between those affected by Katrina and those dealing with the Flint Water Crisis.

Other events for the visit include a forum for area school students and an evening reception – both at at the Flint Public Library on March 17, and an Educator’s Workshop on the UM-Flint campus on March 18. Each of the events will connect Dr. Osundare with a different audience, allowing him to connect on different levels with readers and audience members.

For more information on Dr. Osundare or the week’s events, visit umflint.edu/africana/niyi-osundare.

UM-Flint’s First Full-Scale Opera, Hansel & Gretel, on Stage February 19 & 21, 2016

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Hansel and Gretel spy a gingerbread house in the woods.

Dr. Joshua May of the UM-Flint Department of Music had a vision of bringing opera to his students and the Flint community. He began with small, portable productions of The Three Little Pigs and Jack and the Beanstalk, performing at area schools and the Flint Farmers’ Market. Now he has moved on to a full-scale production of Engelbert Humperdinck’s nineteenth century opera Hansel and Gretel. Held on the UM-Flint Theatre stage for public audiences on February 19th and 21st, the performance will bring to life the classic fairy tale of two children lost in the woods who are confronted by an evil witch with a love of gingerbread.

The major roles in the cast feature UM-Flint undergrads, graduate students, and alumni:

  • Gretel: Marada Dahl (Voice Performance, Music Major, Sophomore)
  • Hansel: Miranda Mooney (2015 Alumni, Music Voice Performance)
  • Mother: Amanda Rodman (Music Education/Voice Performance, Junior)
  • Father: Kevin Starnes (2002 Alumni, Current Grad Student – M.A. in Arts Administration)
  • Sandman: Jhane Perdue (Music Major, Voice Performance Major, Freshman)
  • Dew Fairy: Erica Kennedy (Theater Music Minor, Voice, Freshman)
  • Witch: Hannah Wikaryasz (Voice Performance, Music Major, Senior)

Dr. May notes that this performance opportunity is quite unique for his students, as most music programs do not offer operatic roles to undergraduates. To prepare, he’s been working with them to increase the range and strength of their voices. This is especially important as operas are most often performed without microphones on the singers. The students are embracing this opportunity for artistic and technical growth, and are appreciative of the noteworthy addition an opera makes on their future resumes.

Hannah Wikaryasz of Highland, MI, who plays the Witch says, “This role has helped me to work on expanding my vocal range, has introduced me to working with collaborative artists in a way that I am not used to (orchestra vs. just piano accompaniment), and has given me more experience in this style of music, expanding my abilities as a performer.”

Kevin Starnes of Flint, MI, will be playing the Father. (He grew a beard just for the role!) He has been singing in operas and musical theatre for years, but still found growth under Dr. May’s tutelage. He laughed as he recounted how once daunting notes are now easily within his range.

Opera’s dramatic elements provide additional challenges to the singers. Notes Starnes, “The biggest challenge for me in acting and singing simultaneously is always body mechanics. Sometimes the best way to emote what’s happening on stage might not be the best way to produce the sound that you need. A lot of my time was spent figuring out how I could best communicate the director’s vision while still maintaining the integrity of the sound.”

Wikaryasz is less experienced on the stage, but has come to embrace her role: “At first, I had a hard time stepping out of the box and actually becoming the Witch, instead of being myself as the Witch. Once I was able to let go of any uncertainty, it became much easier for me to get into character. I think the music and lyrics make it easy to get into the acting aspect.”

As Wikaryasz said, this production of Hansel and Gretel has been one of collaboration. Dr. May has received costume assistance from the Kearsley Park Players and the Flint School of Performing Arts; make-up assistance is coming from the Detroit Opera House. The UM-Flint Theatre Department helped with set construction and design. Young performers from the Flint Youth Ballet and the Flint Youth Chorus will join the cast on stage. UM-Flint Music students of the Collegiate Chapter of the National Association for Music Education are acting as teaching artists, visiting area schools and teaching children about the elements of opera. Carol Chaney, UM-Flint Lecturer and Music Department Technology Specialist, has designed an animated element that will wow the audience.

The Music Education students have an especially important role during dress rehearsal on Thursday, February 18th. They will serve as guides to 350 elementary school students who are visiting campus to interact with the vocalists and musicians before the show and then watch the full production. Says Karen Salvador, Assistant Professor of Music Education, “This opera outreach provides amazing opportunities for UM-Flint students and children all over Flint. Music education students are gaining real-world teaching experience in Flint classrooms, Flint children are interacting with college students, seeing live opera performed right in their school, and learning more about music in a hands-on, immersive way. Josh’s vision for this outreach is exactly in line with our university’s mission to partner with communities in ways that are meaningful to all parties. I know that this is an experience that will help shape our Collegiate-NAfME students as teachers, and it could also be an inspiration for a child who loves music.”

The cast is excited for this chance to share the show with a young audience. Says Starnes, “This is by far my favorite part of this production. I’ve loved opera since I was a kid (thank you Bugs Bunny), but I never got the chance to actually learn what opera was until far later. This brings the kids up close and personal so that they can develop an appreciation for the art form early.”

Adds Wikaryasz, “I am ecstatic that children are being involved. I think it is really important for them to be exposed to this kind of music. There are a lot of kids who have never heard or seen an opera before, so giving them a chance to see the opera and learn about it is really special.”


Music lovers of all ages are invited to come see Hansel and Gretel. Shows are Friday, February 19th, at 7:30pm, and Sunday, February 21, at 2pm, in the UM-Flint Theatre (303 E. Kearsley Street, Flint, MI 48502). General admission is only $5; students with a valid ID are free.

For more information please contact the UM-Flint Department of Music at 810.762.3377, [email protected], or visit umflint.edu/music.

Funding and grants for the project were provided by the Nartel Family Foundation, the James A. Welch Foundation, UM-Flint’s University Outreach, and the Department of Music.

William Shedd, 1964 Alum, Recalls Malcolm X Visit to Campus

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William Shedd’s senior picture in the 1964 yearbook.

The Flint College (as UM-Flint was formerly known) was less than ten years old in 1964, yet it was already fostering an engaged and independent student body interested in promoting cultural awareness. So Political Science student and Senior Class President William C. Shedd considered it to be only natural that he should invite Malcolm X to speak on campus while he was visiting Flint.

Recalls Shedd:

“I was president of the World Affairs Club and I had seen in the Flint Journal that he was going to come to a mosque in Flint. So I got their information and called and said we would like to invite him to come to the university and speak. They took my name and my phone number. About 10 days later I got a call saying he would come. Then, having that confirmation, I thought ‘well, I had better tell [Assistant] Dean Plummer.’ I didn’t think it was particularly controversial, and he didn’t say it was controversial, but he certainly was excited. He said, ‘oh my, we’ll have to get permission for this.’ I said okay and then I left him. I’m sure the phone lines then crackled to Dean French’s office.

It didn’t occur to me that this was monumental; I just thought he would be really interesting.

Within a few days they had approved the program so we set it for one afternoon in room 1040, the auditorium. I was also the electronics person for the science department, so I got some of our wire and some speakers and things and put speakers in [room] 2040 so we could have space for overflow. They didn’t want press and they didn’t want outsiders, only faculty and students.

He came, he spoke for about an hour, and he told us all of the ills.

At the conclusion of Malcolm’s speech he told us how historically we had done a lot of wrong things; you couldn’t fault anything that he said. It was all totally accurate and honest. Even seen through anybody’s eyes in the audience that day, they had to acknowledge this was history. And so the whole room got up and applauded. And that took his breath away! I don’t think he had been in that kind of circumstance where the essentially white audience had said, ‘you’re right.’

So he and his entourage left. It was a great sorrow that later he was assassinated. He had a lot of skills and a lot of things to say; it was unfortunate that he was eliminated from the picture.”

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1964 Student Government Council. William Shedd is third from right, back row.


Since Shedd’s undergrad days, the University of Michigan-Flint has grown in size and in dedication to connecting students with political, social, and artistic leaders from around the world.

In February, UM-Flint will host its second annual Africa Week to kick off African American History Month. This week of free public events is hosted by the Department of Africana Studies and the Office of Educational Opportunities Initiatives with support from the College of Arts & Sciences.

Highlights include Detroit poet Jessica Care Moore on Monday, February 1; films from Senegal on Tuesday, February 2, and from Nigeria on Thursday, February 4; and the Oromo Community Youth Dancers at the Flint Farmers’ Market on Saturday, February 6.

Our special guest for the Lunch & Lecture on Wednesday, February 3, is Dr. Rita Kiki Edozie of MSU. She will present, “Malcolm ‘Omowale’ X (Re)Turns to Africa: Pan Africanism and the Black Studies Agenda in a Global Era.”

In March we will welcome poet Niyi Osundare as the 2016 Visiting African/African Diaspora Artist, brought to campus by a collaboration between the Africana Studies Department and the Flint Public Library with funding from the Ruth Mott Foundation.

For more information on these upcoming events, please visit https://www.umflint.edu/africana.

Africana Studies and Theatre Enrich Actor’s Role in The Call

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Kenyatta Brown on the set of “The Call”

Kenyatta Brown is a senior majoring in Africana Studies and minoring in Theatre. He is playing the role of Alemu, an immigrant from western Africa, in the upcoming UM-Flint production of The Call by Tanya Barfield.

Thanks to his courses in Africana Studies, Kenyatta was able to bring unique insight to the role. His own personal experiences from family life and growing up in Flint also helped to enrich his portrayal. Read on as he discusses his role in this new production.

How did you connect with this character?
When you get a character, one of the exercises that most directors will do is have the actors give that particular character a backstory. The backstory is the thing you think the character was doing before this particular box of two hours happened. What was this character doing before this happened? Why is this character like this? What happened in this character’s life? Because we all have a turning point in our lives that makes us think a certain way and act a certain way. So creating a backstory for Alemu—definitely my Africana studies helped me. Because of the genocide in his country, the guilt that he carries because he made it out—it’s kind of similar to how I felt growing up here and then going away to the Navy. I grew up in a rough neighborhood—so my friends were kind of stuck doing the same thing. When I came home to visit, I kind of felt guilty. They would see me and think ‘oh, you’ve got it going on,’ which I didn’t, but to them I did.

Another thing in the backstory, I try to find similarities to me and the person, the character. One similarity is that Alemu’s father had died of sickness and my father died of cancer. There’s a part in the story where he’s wishing he could do something, but there is nothing he can do—same here, you know? So, that allowed me to kind of feel where Alemu was coming from.

How do you feel about this role?
It’s funny because with this role there were so many qualities that I could relate to in him. But then, on another note, it was very challenging because of things like the accent. He’s a little weird, so he brings a little comic relief, but I don’t want him to come off as stupid or just as the ‘funny guy.’ That’s my goal for the character. You have to walk that thin line and you have to be careful. Because you want to portray the right thing—what you want the audience to get.

How do you feel about the ambiguity surrounding some of this play’s characters and situations?
That’s the beauty of this playwright. She doesn’t answer any questions. So I think this particular play is a great play to come and see. Especially if you like to debate afterwards or if you like to have a dialogue with those you’re with when you see it. It’s a good piece for conversation. She leaves it out there, and there are so many issues in this hour and thirty minutes!

I’m excited about the last day that we perform, that has the Q & A session [with the audience] afterwards. I’m curious about what people will ask. All she says is that Alemu is from West Africa; she doesn’t say what country. It’s not just his character that’s ambiguous; there are five characters and for each there are questions that can still loom after the play.

What advice do you have for audience members?
Come with an open mind, because it will benefit you. Be open to things that you don’t agree with—lifestyles you don’t agree with, or cultures that you don’t necessarily get into. Just come open.

What did you take away from this role and this play?
This play made me think about trust. In Flint the term “genocide” is floating around with the water issue. I thought about things like the Tuskegee experiment. When the people don’t trust the powers that be, there’s something happening within that. It’s a scary thing sometimes.

I dug deep into this. I thought, ‘What if I didn’t have the water issues here? Would I have dug so deep?’ Being human, I had to ask myself that. I have to check myself in a way, wondering if I am as sensitive to others as I need to be.

What has it been like being a student of Africana Studies and Theatre?
For me, it’s great and it’s challenging, too, because I’ve been away from college for some years and just came back this year. From the Africana Studies standpoint, it’s great, just learning more about my culture that I didn’t even know, which I love.

It’s learning about the thing that I love and who I am, and then learning about what I love to do. . . Combining the two is perfect. I think this play, for me, it came on time. Opening night is my father’s birthday. I haven’t been on the stage in three years. In LA, I was doing film and TV, too, but I got custody of my daughter three years ago and theatre takes a lot of time. So this is my first play being back on stage, on his birthday. So, I’m excited.


The Call opens on January 29 and runs on select days through February 7, 2016. For show times and ticket information, visit umflint.edu/theatredance and click “current season.”

There will be a Special Discussion with the Director on Wednesday, February 3, at 2pm in the Thompson Center for Learning & Teaching, 134 Thompson Library. Join in to learn about the play and gain insight into the artistic choices used to present this dynamic story.

UM-Flint Well Represented & Winning at Kennedy Center Theatre Festival

Shelby Newport, Theater & Dance Department Chair, Associate Professor, and Resident Costume Designer at UM-Flint, is attending the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Region 3 Festival with a number of her students and fellow faculty members. She sent the following update of “UMF’s great involvement” at the event. She notes that “in addition to the students listed below, we also have other students who are here attending workshops and performing in other projects.”

UM-Flint students are competing in the following categories:

Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship Nominations: 

  • Shelby Coleman with partner Andrew Eisengruber
  • Britton Paige with partner Lucas Moquin*
  • Mark Vukelich with partner Kyle Clark**
  • George Marzonie with partner Seth Hart
  • Christine Micheala-Kay Nogaj with partner Josh Cornea
  • Paul Docter with partner Gage Webster*
    *Passed on to the semi-final round on Thursday
    ** Passed on to Final Round on Friday

Allied Design & Technologies Award: 

  • Lydia Parker- Mask Design for Romeo & Juliet
Stage Management Fellowship:
  • Madaline Harkema- Romeo & Juliet
  • Corey Boughton- Romeo & Juliet 
National Playwriting Program- One Act Play
  • Chazz Irwin, with his play More Real Than It Should Be
10 Minute Play Festival Director
  • Paul Docter, directing Wandering featuring Shelby Coleman, Nick LaRosa and Andrew Eisengruber
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UM-Flint Students participate in the Costume Parade at the KCACTF

Newport added, “Our costumes from Romeo & Juliet were selected to be one of 11 schools represented in the Costume Parade last night at the Pabst Theatre. Chazz Irwin, Farrell Tatum and Christine Micheala Nogaj showed off their costumes; Madaline Harkema was the stage manager for the event and Maria Oakley and Alli Switalski worked wardrobe crew.” (Pictured above.)

During the festival, Lisa Borton, Theatre Lecturer and Resident Scenic Designer, and Newport will be presenting two workshops titled “How to Get a Summer Job in Theatre.”

Andrew Morton, Theatre Lecturer and Director, is busy as the Vice Chair of Playwriting at the festival, coordinating events like the National Playwriting Program.

Nicole Broughton, Theatre Lecturer and Stage Management Advisor,  is coordinating all of the Stage Managers for the KCACTF events.

In addition to her recognition and participation in other areas of the festival, Newport was awarded the American Theatre in Higher Education (ATHE) Prize for Innovative Teaching this year for the region.

Congratulations to all of our students and faculty!

For more information on this award-winning and dedicated department, visit the Theatre & Dance Department website.

You can see their outstanding work first hand in their upcoming production of The Call, opening January 29 in the UM-Flint Theatre.

CAS Recognizes December 2015 Graduates with Honors

On December 16, 2015, the College of Arts & Sciences at UM-Flint held a ceremony to recognize their students graduating with honors, including the CAS Maize & Blue Award winners.

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Dean Gano-Phillips welcomes students and their families to the December 2015 Honors Recognition Ceremony at UM-Flint

Dean Gano-Phillips opened the evening with a quote from Vince Lombardi, “Leaders aren’t born, they are made. And they are made just like anything else, through hard work. That’s the price we have to pay to achieve that goal or any goal.” She went on to praise the students for their perseverance and dedication to excellence. She also acknowledged their families for the important support they provide to students.

The honors recognition ceremony allows each student to be individually recognized by a faculty member from their department. The faculty talked about our students’ work ethic, research, and community service; they often noted the great strength of character, humor, and thoughtfulness shown by students.

One graduate noted that the event left her feeling humbled and and extremely impressed by the accomplishments of her peers.

Photos are available from the evening. Visit our album at facebook.com/UMFlintCAS.

Congratulations to all of our graduates!

DECEMBER 2015 CAS GRADUATES with HONORS:

Majd Abufarha
Joshua Ahlborn
Mohamed Allam
Ranim Baroudi
Linda Batrow
Sade Blanks
Amanda Bodine
Jessica Bostian
Jake Brejnak
Caleb Bullen
Genelle Bundle
Melissa Butzow
Gino Cabadas
Dana Cardinal
Ryan Clark
Katie Cobb
Jason Dameron
Jennifer Dieck
Mohammad Dlewati
Robert Downer
Elizabeth Elston
Connor Everhart
Chandler Fish
Paul Fulkerson
Alexander Giddings
Anthony-Jacob Girard
Holly Goetterman
Melody Groomes
Noelle Herzog
Nathan Holbeck
Taylor Hollis
James Johnston
Michael Joslin
Richard Kagle
Kyle Knight
Andre Linden
Amy Majorana
Bradley Maki
Taylor Mata
Candice Mayer
Kayla McIntire
Michael Meddaugh
Krystal Miller
Alireza Mirahmadi
Nicole Moffitt
Jessica Morgan
Krystal Murphy
Shelby Myers
Emily Palmer
Chelsea Parkinson
Brekke Pichette
Jacob Reuther
Ashley Rich
Patrick Ross
Nakshidil Sadien
Hayley Schroeder
Haley Smith
Nina Smith
Elizabeth Speicher
Jared Sterba
Tyler Szczepanski
Thomas Thompson
Monica Towns
Roger Turkowski
Ryan Turvey
Cara Walker
Samantha Walling
Dawn Watters
Marcina Wheelihan
Tarah York

2015 Cell-ebration Winners Announced

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On Friday, December 4, students from dual enrollment and university Biology courses presented research at the 2015 Cell-ebration: A Science Symposium. Their posters represented the work they had done over the Fall 2015 semester and were judged by various faculty members and university administrators. Jill Slater, faculty member of the Biology Department and organizer of the event, said, “Cell-ebration is about lighting a fire.  Participants are surprised by how much they enjoy interacting about their work.  They grow in confidence and gain respect for themselves and their colleagues.  Collaboration, scholarship and passion are all on display that day.”

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Jill Slater of Biology discusses a poster with a student.

Slater announced the poster award winners this week:

Best 326 Poster: Cameron Haskins and Stephanie O’Neil “Fermentation of Sugars by Wine Yeast”

Best Model BIO 113 (Lapeer DEEP): Calla Fantin, Megan Clemens, Cameron Lowe and Riley Parson “Incomplete Dominance Demo”

Best Poster BIO 113 (Livingston DEEP): TIE Rachael Lappin and Hannah Cakebread “How Quorum Sensing Affects Virulence Factors in Vibrio Cholerae” and Sarah Mercieca and Sydney Riggs “Bacteriophage Correlation with Vibrio Cholerae

Best Poster BIO 113 (Utica DEEP): Melissa Machusko, Jennifer Zudor, and Carina Willcock “The Mitochondria”

Best Poster BIO 104 (Carman Ainsworth DEEP): Dorothy Dollinger, Noah Vanderhyde, Andrea Clark, Jayla Wilson “Heart”

Best 501 Poster: Tyler Butts “Molecular Techniques and the Next Generation Science Standards”

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Winning Presenter Stephanie O’Neil from BIO 326 explains her poster to BIO 113 DEEP student, Natalie Toth

To view 2015 Cell-ebration Photos, and see other student and faculty stories, visit the CAS Facebook page at facebook.com/UMFlintCAS.