ESU Chapter of Scientific Research Society, Sigma Xi, Honors One Outstanding Science Teacher, 32 Students

The East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania Chapter of Sigma Xi, the international scientific research honor society, recently honored one area teacher and 32 ESU students for excellence in scholarly pursuits of the sciences. Nine new associate members were inducted into Sigma Xi as well. Awards were presented during the 33rd annual Sigma Xi honors banquet held May 2 at the Stroudsmoor Country Inn in Stroudsburg, Pa.

Teacher Award

Nancy Gottardi, a science teacher at Stroudsburg Intermediate Elementary School, was the recipient of the 2008 Sigma Xi Outstanding Science Teacher Award. A teacher in the Stroudsburg Area School District since 2005, Gottardi has become very involved in the district's science committee - writing, piloting, and campaigning for science in the classroom.

Gottardi received her undergraduate degree in elementary and kindergarten education (with a minor in English) and a master's degree in curriculum and instruction, focusing on science education, from Pennsylvania State University. In addition to remaining actively engaged in the science education community in the State College Area School District, Gottardi continues to mentor and instruct science education students involved in the Professional Development School at ESU.

Prior to her current position in the Stroudsburg School District, Gottardi was also a teacher and curriculum writer for State College Area School District's Extra Curricular Science activities. She also wrote and taught curriculum for Action Potential Science, a summer science camp for children focused on hands-on science learning experiences in chemistry, biology, forensics, physics, and astronomy.

Student Awards

Award-winning students in each specific area of study within the academic science and math departments at ESU were selected by the faculty. Student honors awards presented at the banquet included:

Department of Biological Sciences:

Environmental studies award was presented to Michal Niemoczynski, an environmental studies major from Saylorsburg, Pa.

Biology award was granted to Zachary McDowell, a biology major/chemistry minor with a concentration in pre-medicine from Clearfield, Pa.

Pre-physical therapy award was presented to Kristen Morby a pre-physical therapy major from Doylestown, Pa.

Elizabeth Kurtz scholarship was awarded to Melissa Tyler, an environmental studies major with a recreational management and leisure studies minor from Magnolia, Del.

C. Warner Smith and the Jeanne McFall Turtzo scholarships were awarded to Sarah Rose, an environmental studies major with a chemistry minor from Pine Bush, N.Y.

Department of Chemistry:

Sigma Xi/Chemistry award was presented posthumously to Michael Petrullo, a former chemical biotechnology major from Blakeslee, Pa.

American Chemical Society award was granted to Deborah Lipman, a chemistry major from Saylorsburg, Pa. In the fall, Lipman will begin a doctoral graduate program at Iowa State University.

Chemistry/secondary education award was presented to Stefana Pascale, a chemistry secondary education major from Stroudsburg, Pa. Pascale is also the vice-president of the ESU student chapter of the National Science Teacher's Association and a member of the education honor society, Kappa Delta Pi.

American Institute of Chemists and Analytical Chemistry awards were granted to Joseph Sluzevich a chemistry major from Mahanoy City, Pa.

Departmental service award was presented to Maria Capooci, a chemistry major and vice president of the chemistry club at ESU from Dunmore, Pa. Capooci, along with Dr. Richard Kelly, associate professor of chemistry, will present a poster at the 236th American Chemistry Society National Meeting and Exposition in August on carbon absorption research done last summer at ESU.

Pre-pharmacy awards was granted to Densley Francois, a pre-pharmacy major at ESU and secretary of ESU's pre-pharmacy club and Daniel Loffredo, a pre-pharmacy major, both from Stroudsburg, Pa. Francois will attend the Thomas Jefferson University pharmacy school and Loffredo has opted to attend pharmacy school at South University in Savannah, Ga., this fall.

Biochemistry award was presented to Ilyssa Ramos, a biochemistry major from East Stroudsburg, Pa., and an alumna of the first Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) scholar program at Boston University. The research performed at Boston University focused on the determination of the solvent accessible surface of DNA via the hydroxyl radical reaction. Ramos is currently conducting research with Dr. Maria Kitchens-Kintz, assistant professor of biological sciences, involving determination of the effects of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) on the HCT-116 colon carcinoma cell line.

Chemical Biotechnology award was granted to Joseph Giacalone, a biochemistry major from Bartonsville, Pa.
Elizabeth Kurtz scholarship was awarded to Sabrina Hower, a biochemistry major from Bangor, Pa.

Department of Computer Science:

Sigma Xi/Computer Science awards were presented to Michael Moynihan, III, and Marc Kurtz, both of East Stroudsburg, Pa. Moynihan, who received his bachelors degree and master's degree in computer science at ESU, will begin work with The Vanguard Group as a member of their Technology Leadership Program following May's graduation. Kurtz, also a graduate of ESU's computer science programs, spent six years, after getting his bachelor's degree, doing research and product development in the computer security field. For the past year and a half, he has been performing bio-surveillance research for the Navy, finding new ways to produce higher-quality early warning indicators of influenza outbreak.

Computer security award was granted to Michael Kozma, a computer security major from Elizabethtown, Pa., was awarded an IASP (Information Assurance Scholarship Program) during his senior year from the Department of Defense at the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR). After graduation from ESU, Michael will be interning with SPAWAR at the Washington DC Navy Yard. In August he will begin a masters program in Information Security at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Computer science awards were presented to Matthew Bush, a computer security major from East Stroudsburg, Pa., and Antony Tolano, from Tobyhanna, Pa., a graduate student who completed his undergraduate degree and is currently completing his graduate degree in computer science from ESU.

Department of Mathematics:

Mathematics/secondary education award was granted to Kristy Benner, a mathematics major from Walnutport, Pa.

Department of Physics:

Earth and space science awards were presented to Rachelle Domke of Riverton, Wyo., and Daniel Olvitt, Jr., of Swiftwater, Pa. Domke is majoring in both earth/space science and communication studies with an emphasis on broadcasting. She will be attending graduate school at the University of Wyoming for a Master of Science degree in Atmospheric Studies. Her graduate program will be in the study of wind fields and energy in the state of Wyoming, especially in wind resources based on atmospheric numerical models. Rachelle's career goals are to be a forecaster for the National Weather Service for the U.S. Government. Olvitt plans to attend Penn State in the fall as an engineering science and mechanics major. He is currently employed part-time by Linder Engineering, a local civil engineering company.

Engineering Physics award was granted to James Lata, an engineering transfer student from Stroudsburg, Pa. He will attend Penn State in the fall as a bioengineering major.

Industrial physics award was presented to Matthew Neff, an industrial physics major from Danielsville, Pa.

Paul Kicska scholarship was awarded to Matthew Davidsohn, an engineering transfer student from Lords Valley, Pa. He is expected to transfer to Penn State next year as an electrical engineering major.

Sigma Pi Sigma award was granted to Joshua Joyce a physics pre-secondary education major from Stroudsburg, Pa.
Departmental service awards were presented to Scott Borger an industrial physics major from Lehighton, Pa., and Melanie Burke, a rehabilitative services major from Carbondale, Pa.

Department of Psychology:

B.S. psychology research program award was presented to Joshua Sandry, a psychology major from Blairstown, N.J. Sandry is also a Psi Chi (the National Honor Society in Psychology) inductee, and was recognized with ESU's Psychology Department's Kramer Science Award and Hodge Memorial Scholarship. He presented his research findings at ESU's Psychology Research Forum, and the meeting of the Eastern Psychological Association. He has been accepted into a doctoral program and will study decision-making and statistics.

B.A. psychology award was presented to Chris Pohorence a 2007 graduate of ESU's psychology program from Albrightsville, Pa. Pohorence completed several research projects within the area of cognitive psychology, including research that was presented at the Eastern Psychological Association Conference and research that was recognized with the Kramer Research Award. He is employed at ESU as a professional tutor and a supplemental instructor for several experimental psychology classes and serves as a statistical analyst for Atlantic Social Research Corporation.

Richard Prince Memorial Awards (presented to the outstanding undergraduate and
graduate students for their presentations made during the Sigma Xi Research Forum held in April 2008):

Undergraduate award was presented to Michal Niemoczynski, an environmental studies major from Saylorsburg, Pa.

Graduate award was presented to Anthony McBride, a biology major from Hardwick, N.J. After graduation, McBride intends to continue his work as a wildlife biologist for the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife where he leads the wild turkey research project and supervises the Wildlife Damage Control Unit.

New Inductees

Sigma Xi also inducted nine new associate members at the 2008 honors banquet. Membership nomination requires students to conduct original scientific research and share their findings by publication or presentation. New inductees for 2008 are: Maria Capooci, Dunmore, Pa.; Rachelle Domke, Riverton, Wyo.; Michael Franck, Delaware Water Gap, Pa.; Joseph Giacalone, Bartonsville, Pa.; Marc Kurtz and Michael Moynihan III, East Stroudsburg, Pa.; Matthew Neff, Danielsville, Pa.; Michael Niemoczynski, Saylorsburg, Pa.; and Ilyssa Ramos, Stroudsburg, Pa.

For more information about these awards contact Dr. Alan Shaffer, associate professor of chemistry and ESU Sigma Xi chapter secretary at (570) 422-3796.