Article submitted by Jean Gordon; article from GWU.
Wednesday, July 20, 2022 1:55 pm

Science student holds his fingerprints - we all have them and none are the same.

Students from 16 schools recently participated in the 2022 Science Academy hosted by Gardner-Webb University and sponsored by the Stonecutter Foundation in Spindale. They learned about the Department of Natural Sciences at GWU and studied various aspects of science and applications, such as crime scene investigation and forensic anthropology.

Jay Zimmer, assistant professor of Biology at Gardner-Webb, and Jill Francis from Chase High School in Rutherford County, led the program and activities. Francis, who joined the academy for the first time this year, helped recruit students for the week-long event.

Benjamin Roach, a ninth-grader at Chase High School, said the experience helped him narrow down his career choice. "Science Academy is a fun, informative experience that will teach you more about science and careers in scientific fields," he stated. "It has helped me learn that I want to do something in the medical field as a career."

Kara Evans, an 11th-grader at Hope Academy in Concord also said she appreciated being able to experience things related to the field she wants to pursue.

AJ Leyva, an 11th-grader at Chase High School, and Alexus Poe, a student at East Rutherford High School, not only enjoyed learning more about careers in the science field, but they were grateful for the opportunity to meet new people.

Abby Sias, an eighth-grader at Lake Lure Classical Academy in Rutherford County, agreed with Leyva and Poe. She commented, "My week at Science Academy very inspiring, and it was amazing to meet other students with similar goals and interests as myself."

Besides classroom activities, the group toured the GWU College of Health Sciences and heard a presentation about medical school and Physician Assistants. They did various activities in the Human Performance Lab. They also learned about the organic chemistry and chemistry instrumentation labs.

The students visited Rutherford Regional Hospital and learned about careers in medicine. Cohesion Phenomics in Spindale made a presentation about its organization and the science of DNA and also gave a tour. The Rutherford County Sheriff's Forensics Department demonstrated how crime scenes are analyzed and taught the group how to fingerprint with various powders.

Students participated in labs each day in the fields of biotechnology, physiology, or forensics. They also learned about:

Gene sequencing analysis.

Bioinformatics--GenBank.

Biomechanics, muscle grip and fatigue.

Chain of custody.

Crime scene basics.

Blood spatter analysis.

Footprint and hair analysis.

The students said their favorite topics were forensics and DNA sequencing. They also liked touring the hospital, sheriff's department and Cohesion Phenomics.

A Gardner-Webb admission counselor talked to the group about how to select a college, what questions to ask, how financial aid works, as well as tuition, room and board. Zimmer stressed the importance of internships and research in college and also encouraged the students to join clubs while they are in school and in college.

Students attending and their respective school were: Benjamin Roach, Chase; Alejandro Arrendondo, Chase; Andres Leyva, Chase, Kyle Morrow, Chase; Luke Moreno, Master's Academy, Victoria Marko, Master's Academy; Siya Patel, Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy (TJCA); Lillian Moore,, TJCA; Abigail Roof, Rutherford Early College High School (REaCH); Jayden Conner, REaCH; Abigail Sias, Lake Lure Classical Academy; Timothy Campbell, homeschool; Kara Evans, Hope Academy (Concord), Makenzie Johnson, Pinnacle Academy, Cleveland County; Saige Scott, Cleveland Early College High School and Alexus Poe, East Rutherford.