College Notes: March & April 2018
A group of master's students from the College of Our Lady of the Elms in Chicopee contributed to the growing body of research in autism spectrum disorders by presenting posters at the recent annual meeting for the Connecticut Association for Behavior Analysis in Hartford, Conn.
Chris Tamburrino of Pittsfield, Alyssa Clark of Westfield and Miranda Fogg of Springfield, Vt., are all in the master of science in applied behavior analysis program at Elms, and all three have been working with children with autism on two research projects with Laura A. Hanratty, director of applied behavior analysis and ASD graduate programs assistant professor. The four collaborated on two posters to present at the conference.
The first poster titled "Evaluating Efficacy of Varied Reinforcers on Teaching New Skills" showed the results of teaching three children with autism 30 to 40 new academic skills, using different reward strategies. Reinforcers are used in early intervention for autism and these children were able to master academic skills to help with communication. The second poster, "Differential Reinforcement of Alternative Behavior without Extinction," won the student poster award for Excellence in Research Design. It showed the research the students did with a youth with severe problem behavior, including aggression and destroying property.
"By the time they were done, the child was completing up to 15 instructions with multiple steps and completing his academic skills," Hanratty said.
In May, Clark and Fogg will present the group's pair of posters at the annual meeting for the Association of Behavior Analysis International in San Diego. Tamburrino will graduate next year.
Cole W. Hughes of Williamstown is participating in a St. Lawrence University off-campus study abroad program during the spring 2018 semester. A junior is majoring in environmental studies-biology, he is studying abroad at the University of Otago in New Zealand. He attended Mount Greylock Regional School.
Nearly three-quarters of the undergraduates at the Canton, N.Y., university undergraduates study abroad, with nearly two-thirds of students studying abroad for a semester or longer.
The Western New England University Model United Nations team: front from left, Sienna Duff, Joey Labadini, Katherine Eason, William DeVinney, Joshua Pack; back from left, club adviser Karl Petrick, Austin Lorion, Sean Albro, Gabriel Greenspan, Nick Zelasko, Laura Janik. Not pictured Baraa Melibari.
The Western New England University Model United Nations team competed in the 64th annual Harvard National Model United Nations Conference on Feb. 15-18. This year's team consisted of 10 members representing the country of Monaco.
Delegates Gabriel I. Greenspan of Becket and Sean Albro were awarded a Diplomatic Commendation in the 1956 Historical General Assembly, the first awards earned by the university's team. Greenspan is a senior and a political science major.
Other team members included Joseph K. Labadini, senior economics major and club president; Katherine B. Eason, senior sociology major and club vice president; Sienna L. Duff, junior marketing major and club treasurer; Joshua T. Pack, junior law and society major; William W. DeVinney, sophomore political science major; Austin J. Lorion, junior secondary education and history major; Baraa M. Melibari, sophomore political science major; and Nicholas M. Zelasko, senior sociology major. Albro, a sophomore, is studying history.
This is the ninth year Western New England has sent a delegation to the conference, which attracted 2,800 students from 69 countries to simulate the activities of the United Nations. The Springfield university's Model UN club was organized to provide students with an opportunity to gain valuable insight into national and international politics.
Juniors Sarah Bachli of Dalton and Matthew Scanlon of North Adams were among students from Worcester Polytechnic Institute who recently completed hands-on research projects.
Bachli, majoring in mechanical engineering, was a member of a student team that completed a project through the WPI project center in Bangkok titled "Empowering Thai Farmers by Promoting Coconut Cider Vinegar." In their project summary, the students wrote, "We formed recommendations to improve the coconut learning center and created and developed materials for coconut cider vinegar. The increased revenue from the coconut cider vinegar will allow coconut farmers to support their families and revitalize the coconut industry in Amphawa, Thailand."
Scanlon, majoring in chemical engineering, was a member of a student team that completed a project through the WPI project center in Ecuador titled "Promoting Culture and Traditions of Cumbe Through Tourism." In their project summary, the students wrote, "Through documentation, surveys, and interviews, we found plenty of resources in Cumbe that can be utilized for tourism, a tourist interest in the assets and activities in Cumbe, and how to solicit assistance from government organizations."
At WPI, all undergraduates are required to complete a research-driven, professional-level project that applies science and technology to addresses an important societal need or issue. About two-thirds of students complete a project at one of the university's 40-plus off-campus project centers, which are located around the world.
Assumption College's Department of Art, Music and Theatre is presenting a concert-staged performance of Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" from April 20-22.
Lydia Barnaba, of Great Barrington, will perform as a narrator in the production. Barnaba is a freshman biology major at Assumption. In high school, she performed the roles of a stepsister in "Into the Woods," Ronette in "Little Shop of Horrors," Mrs. Totendale in "The Drowsy Chaperone" and Kelsey in "High School Musical."
Sarah Morely, of Pittsfield, will perform as a member of the chorus in the production.
Berkshire Country Day School, an independent school for students in preschool through ninth grade, has announce that 14 Upper School (Grades 7-9) students were awarded certificates and medals for their high scores on the 2018 National Latin Exam.
For the Introduction to Latin Exam, an Outstanding Achievement Certificate was earned by seventh-grader Norah Smith of Sheffield.
For the Latin I National Exam, the following awards were earned by seventh-grade students: Gold Summa Cum Laude: Rafi Karpowitz, Hudson, N.Y.; Silver Maxima Cum Laude: Sam Creelan, East Chatham, N.Y; Esme Mamousette, Craryville, N.Y.; Petra Orloff, Ghent, N.Y.; and Samantha Seeley, Richmond. Magna Cum Laude: Lana Messinger, Chatham, N.Y.; and Genevieve Syrett, Great Barrington. Cum Laude: Daniel Ciejek, Lee.
For the Latin II National Exam, the following awards were earned by eighth-graders: Gold Summa Cum Laude: Chase Vermeulen, North Egremont. Silver Maxima Cum Laude: Clara Mollerus, Otis; Keely O'Gorman, Lee; and Sean Sylbert, Monterey. Cum Laude: Henry Van Schaick, South Egremont.
The NLE exam is sponsored both by the American Classical League and the National Junior Classical League. More than 143,000 students from all 50 states and 24 foreign countries took the test.
Matthew Bohin, a graduate student at Bob Jones University, Greenville, S.C., pursuing a master of arts degree in theological studies, was hired before graduation as a residence hall supervisor at BJU. Bohin is a resident of Pittsfield.
The following students received awards during the spring semester at Clarkson University in Potsdam, N.Y.:
Patrick Curran Conlon of Lenox, a graduate student majoring in mechanical engineering, received the Commendable Service Award For Graduate Students.
Kevin Michael Murray of West Stockbridge, a senior majoring in civil engineering, received the Commendable Service Award For Seniors.
Honor Societies
The following local residents were recently initiated into the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation's oldest collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines. Membership is by invitation and only the top 10 percent of seniors and 7.5 percent of juniors are eligible.
Acacia Alston of Pittsfield and Alexandra Springstube of West Stockbridge were both initiated at Westfield State University.
John Bissell of Pittsfield, Jamie Downer of Dalton and Kelly Potter of Housatonic were initiated at the University of Massachusetts.
Rachel Burgess of Dalton and Marina Germain of Alford were initiated at Framingham State University.
Kirby Bryce of Clarksburg has been inducted into Lambda Pi Eta, the official communication honor society of the National Communication Association. Kirby was one of 22 students inducted during a ceremony at Curry College in Milton.
Kate Hopper of Dalton, nursing major, has been inducted into the Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honor Society, founded in 1922. She was one of 78 students inducted during a ceremony at Curry College in Milton. Curry inductees are members of the Theta at Large chapter, which currently has 650 active members.
The Economics Department at Eastern Connecticut State University in Willimantic inducted 15 students into the Omicron Delta Epsilon international economics honor society this April. Among the inductees was Avril Levesque, a junior from Adams, who majors in business administration.
Academic Lists
The following students have been named to the dean's list at Bates College in Lewiston, Maine, for the fall semester ending in December 2017: Grace Ellrodt of Lenox, a 2016 graduate of Lenox Memorial High School, and Sophie Gerry of Williamstown, a 2016 graduate of Mount Greylock Regional High School.
Two Monument Mountain Regional High School graduates have earned academic awards from Colgate University in Hamilton, N.Y., for the fall 2017 semester.
- Sophomore Sophia Horan of Great Barrington earned the Dean's Award for Academic Excellence.
- Freshman Allison Kinne of Great Barrington earned the Dean's Award with Distinction.
Bard Academy at Simon's Rock in Great Barrington has named the following students to the fall 2017 semester honor roll for earning a GPA of at least 3.5: Derek Hansen of Lenox, Aidan Losardo of Pittsfield and Mia Serpe of Great Barrington.
Bard College at Simon's Rock in Great Barrington has named the following students to the dean's list for the fall 2017 semester: Benjamin Bergman, Daniel Chang and Georges Pichard, all of Great Barrington; Zoe Nadig of Lenox; Evan Sylbert of Monterey; Georgiana Janko of South Egremont, and Daniel Packer of Williamstown.
Henry Eustis, a sophomore from Great Barrington, and Amaya Smith, a freshman from Williamstown, have been named to the honors list for the winter term at Pomfret (Conn.) School, an independent college preparatory school.
Bryant University, located in Smithfield, R.I., has named the following students to the dean's list for the fall 2017 semester: seniors Michelle Pierce and George Sommerville, both of Pittsfield, and sophomore Andrew Beaudoin of Dalton.
Jennifer Gale of Cheshire was named to the Elmira (N.Y.) College dean's list for the winter 2018 term.
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