IN THIS ISSUEpg. 2 CSURF Research pg. 3 Outdoor Explorations

pg. 4 Study Abroad

pg. 5 On-Campus Experiences

pg. 6-7 Honors Internationalpg. 8-9 Summer Ventures

PERIPLUSA circumnavigation; a voyage or journey round a coastline;

an epic journey, an odyssey

Volume 5, Issue II,Summer 2011

Where Research Takes YouNOAA Hollings Scholar passionate for research and travelBy Andrew Niccum ’13 On April 1st I was notified via e-mail that I had received the 2011 Ernest F. Hollings Undergraduate Scholarship from the Na-tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra-tion (NOAA). Whether or not the NOAA employees intentionally sent this e-mail on April Fools Day, I’ll never know, but it did not make it any easier for me to overcome the great disbelief I felt. The Hollings Scholarship is only awarded to about 100 undergraduate students in the nation each year. You must be a sophomore to apply and it is highly competitive. The award includes over $20,000 and an internship at a NOAA facility where you complete original research as a NOAA employee. What did I do to deserve such an honor? I’ve asked myself the same question many times, and the best I can come up with is that I’ve wholeheartedly pursued my passion. When I was seven, I told my mom that I wanted to be a herpetologist. My enthusiasm for animals, the environ-ment, and all things science has only matured since then. I came to college very grateful for the chance at such ventures, open-minded, and hungry for knowledge. I threw myself into coursework, clubs, cultural events, and social activities, intending to take full advantage of the opportunities offered by the university and especially the Honors Program. By that first summer I had found a place as an intern at the Bald Head Island Conservancy. I was ecstatic to spend the summer on an ecological wonder of an island, teeming with wildlife and work-ing with sea turtles, no less! Fall of sophomore year I was even more eager for adventure. I applied to the UNC Exchange Program and by February I was at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia. During the semester I interned with Macquarie Climate Futures research-ing marine meiofauna as indicators of ecological health. Over spring break I did an intensive research curriculum at The Heron Island Research Center on The Great Barrier Reef. There, I did original research “Assessing the Interspecific Hierarchy of Scleractinian Coral Aggression on Heron Island Reef Systems.” Whether or not academic pursuits like these truly earned me the Hollings schol-arship I can’t know for sure. Regardless, receiving this scholarship for me is both humbling and validating. It is a true privilege and I hope to honor it as I work for NOAA with still more vigor and enthusiasm during my internship this summer!

Andrew sitting on the edge of “The Gap” in Sydney, Australia

Looking out at Wine Glass Bay in Tasmania, Australia

Holding an Epaulette Shark on Heron Island

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CSURF Tenets EmbodiedJunior Matt Birk completes research internship and looks forward to future endeavorsBy Tiffany Strickland ’11 Speaking with biology and marine biology major Matt Birk (’13) was the most scientifically instructive half hour I’ve spent since high school biology. Birk began doing research his freshman year with Dr. Sean Lema in the Biology Department, and has already honed an effective style of explaining his findings to non-specialists. He was recently awarded the prestigious NOAA Ernest F. Hollings scholarship, which will allow him to com-plete an internship anywhere in the country the summer after his junior year. With an interest in cephalopods

(octopuses in particular) and predator-prey interactions, Birk has already participated in some interesting work. This past summer, Birk completed an internship in a marine biology lab in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. Reflecting on the experience, he says, “I was the only undergraduate in a lab of about fifteen people. The experience was intellectually stimulating and I was able to talk to experts in the field.” One of those experts was Birk’s academic hero, Dr. Roger Hanlon, one of the world leaders in the field of cephalopod behavior. Over the summer, Birk studied the camouflage behavior of cuttlefish and actually gave an oral presentation of his work at the 2011 Marine Biological Laboratory Undergraduate Re-search Symposium. At UNCW, Birk is currently working with Dr. Will White doing research on predator-prey interactions that will serve as his Departmental Honors project. Birk says, “I hope to help discover aspects of how predators perceive prey spatially” and proceeds to explain the concept allegorically in the terms of a zombie apocalypse. After graduating, Matt Birk hopes to pursue his cephalopod research in graduate school and eventually enter academia.

Matt shows off some squid eggs

Research and More in Puerto RicoBy Julienne Beblo ’12 This summer I worked at the NOAA Caribbean Field Office in Boqueron, located in a Wildlife Refuge near the southwest coast of Puerto Rico. My internship consisted of compiling and analyzing nesting and strand-ing data for sea turtles, and I was able to help monitor leatherback, green, and hawksbill sea turtle nests on the island of Vieques and along the eastern coast of Puerto Rico. I then wrote an educational pamphlet based on the results from my analysis. The pamphlet was designed for the public as a way to inform and educate about the need for sea turtle conservation. In addition to work, I also enjoyed the island lifestyle. I swam in the bio-bay on the island of Vieques, where bioluminescent dinoflagellates glowed like liquid glitter around me as I swam. I visited the famous Arecibo Observatory and the intricate tunnels of the Camuy Caves. I even learned to salsa! As I hope to have a career that incorporates both research and educating the public, this internship was a perfect fit for me. I really enjoyed the work that I was doing and it was exciting to know that my research would actually be used to aid sea turtle conservation in Puerto Rico. I also had the privilege of working with nu-merous people with shared interests whom I deeply respected. I will never forget this summer and I hope to return to the island of Puerto Rico again!

Beblo completes an NOAA Hollings Undergraduate Internship

Beblo enjoys a quiet moment by the sea

By Madi Mueller ’14I wonder if any of us learned what we were “supposed” to learn. Were we truly supposed to learn that snipes are, in fact, imaginary? That cheese makes even the most despairingly lost meals delectable? Or that friends can be found, made and irreversibly bound in seven days? Forget the botany and biology and geology; fire dances really do make campfires bigger and chanting in a circle around one will bring people closer together than years of friendship. Partners in the Parks projects are designed as a cultural, historical, and scientific academic adventures for honors students as part of a collaborative partnership between NCHC and the National Park Service. The nature of the program brings students, professors and park staff together. This personal interaction allows students a chance to discuss interests with professionals in the field (I shared a coffee pot with Dr. David Webster, an Associate Dean and Curator of Mammals), and gives professors an opportunity to share and open students up to new ideas and research without the stiff-ness of a classroom. The days were filled with games, jokes, stories, music and heart to heart conversations between people who would have been considered strangers anywhere outside of the wilder-ness. The transformation from the first day awkwardness to the tearful goodbyes as we parted at the end of the week was nothing short of impeccable. This may have been due to the hours on trails, in the fields, over bridges and around the campfire, or the brainteasers and songs we created along the way, or the intrepidity of the conversa-tions between tents in the evening. The program advertised hiking, biking, rafting, climbing, and exploring; however, nothing could have prepared me for how much I learned, not only about every different rock and tree and creature in the Smoky Mountains, but about dedication, ingenuity, courage, and companionship.

Exploring Parks, Building Friendship Madi Mueller shares her experience with Partners in the Parks

Mueller with Dr. Atwill and fellow campers

From Campus to CampBy Gillian Perry ’14 This summer—the best summer of my nineteen years—was spent working almost 24 hours every day. I spent hours walking up and down hills, being eaten alive by bugs, having my face painted by seven year olds, and corralling children of all ages. This is the life of a summer camp counselor. Two weeks after school let out, I was on my way to Brown County, Indiana to work on the summer staff at Camp Rancho Framasa, an intensely camper-centered and faith-based camp. I arrived knowing absolutely no one on staff, but that quickly changed during pre-camp week. The staff bonded quickly, and we anxiously awaited the arrival of the first campers. I was anxious about making a good first impression when meeting my first group of girls, all first-time camp-ers. As they walked up with their parents and we unpacked their things, I realized that all I needed to do was have fun with them. We began thinking of superhero names for each other, and spent the entire week pretending we had secret identities. Camp taught me how to be a kid again. I went into the summer expecting to change the lives of children, but I discovered that they changed me in the process. I learned more from finger paint and bedtime stories than I have in years of school. Working at summer camp made me realize that learning happens everywhere.

Perry discovers summer learning in unexpected places

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The Heart of ThingsA semester-long exchange program helps lead to self-discovery

By Sarah Jones ’13In the spring of 2011, I embarked on a 5-month journey to London, England for an exchange program with Roehampton University. I am not a novice at travel; I have twice traveled to Costa Rica, once for a two-week language immersion trip. I ventured to Spain for eight days two years ago with Valerie Rider, one of my favorite honors professors, where we explored the country, sampling savory foods and practicing our Spanish. I know what it feels like to be in a foreign town, away from my moderately-sized college city, to be in a place where ev-erything is waiting to be discovered. London is a beautiful city, richly stocked with cultural influences ranging from Indian, Pakistani, Spanish, French, and German, and if you are looking for a

place to get lost in, only to realize you are not lost at all, merely discovering a small niche of the city where hand-crafted goods are made and sold to customers who speak more languages than your ear can identify, then London is the city for you. On one of my last days in this giant city of old gray stone and newer sleek, reflective glass buildings, I noticed a patch of graffiti on the under section of the London Bridge. In skinny, slanted, cerulean blue lines it read, “What is Lon-don?” To me, London is a connection to some of the best friends I have ever made who live all across the world in Spain, Ecuador, Italy, Argentina, and Bulgaria. It is also a connection to me, to who I am now and who I am becoming.

Being away from my family for five months chal-lenged me in ways I had never before experienced. I had to step up and take charge of my choices, to be held responsible for my actions. I had to rely on myself, and I learned to trust in my own voice.

So what is London? London is a part of me and a part of me forever belongs to it. I left a piece of my heart there on those winding, absent-minded streets and on the bridges that tower over the water with their enviable, monolithic strength. Someday I will go back to leave the imprint of another piece of myself, all the while connecting the pieces of travel and my love for a place in the movements of my being, in the feet that propel me forward, taking me ever farther into the heart of things.

Jones with friends she met while attending Roehampton

Jones at Stonehenge

Jones paid particularly close attention to bridges while in London, finding herself struck by their beauty

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Fresh Faces & Leadership Experience By Siobhán Nolan ’13 Every college student remembers their freshman orientation: what it was like to roll onto campus and be faced with hundreds of new faces, all wearing the same nervous, excited expressions. At my own orientation, I was petrified, but after the experience was over, I was excited about entering UNCW. And I owed this to my Orientation Leader. In the fall of my freshman year, I jumped at the opportunity to give to incoming freshmen what had been given to me. I spent the spring semester training with my fellow newly-hired OLs. It was an incredible experience. I loved being a source of information for the incoming freshmen, and a source of comfort to their families. I bonded so well with my teammates, and I was sad to see that first summer come to a close. However, my experience as an OL was far from over. I had been hired back to the team, this time as one of two Orientation Coordinators. This position required a lot of hours, as we were responsbile for hiring a new team of OLs and training them for the following summer. We picked a truly spectacular team of go-getters who were excited to serve their campus community. After spending the spring training, we were ready to embark on what I had hoped would be another eventful and successful summer. For the entire month of June I lived in Graham-Hewlett with my orientation team and many different groups of incoming freshmen. What an electric, exciting atmosphere that was! I became even closer to my new team-mates, forging true, strong relationships. I acted once again as a mentor, aiding the Honors students with their registration and academic advising. I’m sad that this past summer was my last as an Orientation Leader here at UNCW, but the leadership skills I have developed, the friendships I have made, and the impact I have made on incoming freshmen over these past two years is invaluable. For anyone considering this opportunity, I cannot put into words how much you can benefit from an experience like this.

Orientation leaders learn valuable skills while introducing freshmen to campus

Siobhán awaits her group, “Shiv’s Supa Starz”

Honors Athlete Summer AbroadBy Erin Hamil, Athletic Communications Post-Graduate Assistant While many college students spend their summers relaxing on vacation, Seahawk women’s tennis standout Christina Lee made the most of the final summer before her senior year. Lee, a Charlotte N.C. native, spent five weeks down under in New Zealand and Australia in a study abroad program for environmental studies. The UNCW honors mathematics major began her trip in Auckland with two to three-day hikes to learn about the country’s nature and culture. “The program was not a typical school atmosphere as far as sitting in a classroom goes,” said Lee, the Colo-nial Athletic Association’s Women’s Tennis Scholar Athlete-of-the-Year in 2010. “We traveled from the North to South Island for the first two weeks and spent a lot of time in the environment because we were taking long hikes everywhere.” Lee then spent three weeks in Australia, where she jumped at the opportunity to go scuba diving in the world’s largest reef system, the Great Barrier Reef. “Some of Christina’s stories about hiking and cave diving made me a little nervous, but I knew this was a great opportunity for her and I encouraged her to take it while she could over the summer,” said UNCW wom-en’s tennis coach Jenny Garrity. Lee plans to pursue a career in environmental engineering after she graduates.

Senior Christina Lee spends eight weeks in New Zealand and Australia

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Marissa overlooking a view of Prague, Czech Republic.

International Studies Major

Sharing the ExperienceMarissa Roman’s decision to become a Study Abroad AmbassadorBy Marissa Roman ’13 During my first year at UNCW, I learned about study abroad opportunities. After applying and being accepted to study at the University of Southampton, I packed my bags to begin an adventure I’ve always dreamed of. While in Southampton, I studied Marine Biology at the National Oceanography Centre and got to participate in a lot of interesting field work. What I enjoyed most about being in England was the ease of travelling throughout Europe. On my month-long Easter Break, I visited places such as Dublin, Rome, Madrid, London, Paris, and Prague. I’m half Czech, so going to Prague was also a really neat experience. Not only was it a gorgeous city, but I also got to travel to Kutna Hora, the small town where my ancestors lived. There, I saw some strange things such as The Sedlec Os-suary, a church decorated solely with human bones. Now back at UNCW, I am a Study Abroad Ambassador and work in the International Studies Office. As an Ambassador, I participate in Study Abroad Information Sessions and other events to help spread the word about studying abroad. I am truly grateful that I made the decision to study abroad. I strongly urge anyone else who may be considering it to get more information to see if it’s the right thing for you!

Marissa Roman strikes a pose while sightseeing in London.

By Tiffany Strickland ’11 Dr. Herbert Berg, a professor in the Department of Philosophy and Religion, is a well-travelled man. Born in Brazil and raised in Canada, Dr. Berg has since visited countless other countries. As a student, he studied Arabic in Jordan, and more recently he served as the resident director for the Honors Semester Abroad at the University of Swansea in Wales. Through these experiences, Dr. Berg learned the importance of an international educa-tion: “I know that undergraduate students today need to be able to see themselves not just as Wilmingtonians, or North Carolinians, or even just as Americans. They are citizens of the world, whether they realize it or not.” Dr. Berg now holds the position of Interim Director of International Studies, a new interdisciplinary major offered for the first time in Fall 2011. The program already boasts 22 declared majors, two of whom will gradu-ate in Spring 2012. In addition to completing core curriculum, International Studies majors must choose either a thematic or regional area of concentration. Majors must also demonstrate proficiency in a foreign language and complete 3 credit hours of international experience. Consistent with UNCW’s strategic goal of preparing stu-dents to be global citizens and the Honors College’s focus on international experience, International Studies is a wonderful opportunity to consider. In Fall 2011, INT 105 Introduction to International Studies was offered as an honors section, taught by Dr. Berg himself, who says, “We wanted to be sure to get UNCW’s best and bright-est into the program.” For more information visit: www.uncw.edu/int

Love to travel? Consider this great new opportunity UNCW has to offer

Honors International

The Joy of Becoming a Global Citizen

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Honors International

The Joy of Becoming a Global Citizen Kimberly Gooch with friends from her

performing arts class in Seoul.

Jumping Right In: Korean Travels

Global Mindset, Global BrigadePylaeva, originally from Russia, begins a Global Medical Brigade Chapter at UNCW

By Olga Pylaeva ’12 Global Medical Brigades, a Global Brigades, Inc. program, is the world’s largest student-led international re-lief organization. After hearing about it, I decided to start a Global Medical Brigades (GMB) chapter at UNCW and take up the role of chapter president. A personal quest to make a change, both local and global, motivated me to start the GMB chapter. Having personal experience with poverty and knowing its effects continually drives my desire to do what is in my power to help. Establishing the new club, recruiting members, and preparing for our first brigade in Honduras took a year and a half of hard work, firm decisions, and constant action. As a result of this work, I strengthened my leader-ship abilities, developed life-long friendships, raised campus awareness of the poverty in third world countries, and most importantly brought health care to 500 people in the village of Cueste Grande. Our strong and cohe-sive group consisted of 22 people. Everybody worked as a unit, exhibiting professionalism, determination, and compassion towards the less fortunate. I was especially moved by the kind and humble nature of Honduran people in juxtaposition to their hardship and poverty. Most of our patients had to walk incredibly long distances to the location of our brigade, yet they all waited patiently in line and gratefully received medical care. Observ-ing doctors and their work, as well as seeing their rewards and hardships first hand, reaffirmed my desire to become a physician.

Olga Pylaeva’s passport photo.

By Christine Stark ’13 When Kimberly Gooch (’13) traveled abroad for the first time this summer, she wasn’t trying to merely get her feet wet-- she dove into the unfamiliar. UNCW partners with Kyung Hee University in Seoul, South Korea, and Gooch found herself eager to explore her interest in East Asian culture despite having no experience with the Korean language. Her bravery paid off. While there, she took a class in Korean language and by the end of week two she could read the signs around her. She also enrolled in performing arts, which had the hands-on aspect of many UNCW honors classes, and for the final ceremony she performed in a group sword dance. Gooch says traveling was the best part since the subway system “…made it easy to get around and see things.” She visited the largest palace left in Seoul, Nam San tower overlooking the mountainous view, and some authentic restaurants with very spicy food. Gooch says, “If you don’t know how to use chopsticks, you’re in trouble.” By the end of the trip her long-term international goals had been cemented, and she now hopes to finish her degree in creative writing and teach English as a foreign language overseas.

Kimberly Gooch’s month-long adventure

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Summers Far and WideHonors Scholars know how to make the most of a summer

Bridgette Drummond in Chicago

Alyssa Gandhi at Piazza del Popolo

Maggie Hankins, working hard

Rachel Kiliany at Machu Picchu in the Andes Mountains of Peru

Rebecca Boulay: Completed an internship with the American Hospitality Academy in Myrtle Beach.

Jessica Bundy: Travelled with a conference called Student Leadership University to London, Oxford, Paris, and Normandy to explore the role that Christianity played in the history of those locations.

Dustin Clark: Worked over the summer as one of two ACE Films co-chairs, planned and organized the Fall 2011 schedule, including UNCWel-come events.

Ashley Culler: Worked full time at GE Nuclear, in a Lean Six Sigma Co-op.

Alyson Davis: Completed an internship with Sageworks, a financial soft-ware company in Raleigh, NC.

Katherine Dodds: Completed an internship in the Education Department at the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher.

Bridgette Drummond: Completed an internship at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago and experienced handling exotic animals for the first time.

Sara Eisler: Studied at the University of Southampton and participated in field work at the National Oceanography Centre.

Chelcie Ferguson: Completed an internship with the Environmental En-richment Coordinator at Wake Forest University Baptist Hospital.

Mallory Frederick: Served as an intern at Bethel Church in Goldsboro, NC, working mainly with the youth ministry.

Alyssa Gandhi: Studied abroad in Rome, Italy.

Megan Hahn: Studied at Lesley University in Massachusetts on a Marine Biology Voyage with Broadreach.

Maggie Hankins: Created and maintained new hiking and biking trails all over Maine, with the Maine Conservation Corps.

Rachel Kiliany: Participated in a 4-week Spanish program in Lima, Peru, taking four hours of Spanish class daily.

Jennifer Kilpatrick: Worked as a husbandry intern at the NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores.

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Lauren Kipp, happy at the Eiffel Tower

Terri Schell and baby turtle

Arianna Swift

Emily Vallery with her Chilean host sisters

Lauren Kipp: Studied abroad in Marseille, France.

MacLean Ryan: Completed an internship with Congressman Mike Mc-Intyre in Washington D.C.

Erin McCarthy: Volunteered helping with field research for NOAA, catch-ing and tagging sea turtles.

Tokea Payton: Worked as an intern at the Center for Marine Science through UNCW.

Kasey Richardson: Completed an internship with the Hoggard High School athletic trainer.

Shelby Rodden: Traveled to China for eleven days on a scholarship, tour-ing well-known and not-so-well-know destinations.

Marissa Ruehle: Completed an internship with Leap4Life/SweatEquityNetwork.

Chely Sanchez Luna: Participated in a Medical Missions International project in the Dominican Republic for one week.

Terri Schell: Participated in a three-month summer Environmental Educa-tional Internship with the Bald Head Island Conservancy.

Erin Smothers: Volunteered in the Emergency Department at Duke Raleigh Hospital.

Stacy Snell: Interned with DryCASE in Wilmington NC for Operations Management.

Ryan Sutton: Volunteered with the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fish-er’s Dive Team. The dive team dives in the aquarium’s largest tank (Cape Fear Shoals) in order to maintain the exhibit and give aquarium guests the opportunity to speak to an expert.

Arianna Swift: Worked as an intern at a dental office in Apex, NC.

Emily Vallery: Studied abroad in Chile with Professor Valerie Rider.

Abby Watson: Worked as an intern at FM:Systems in Raleigh, NC, editing documentation for facilities management software.

Andrew Webber: Completed an internship at the US Geological Survey with a scientist studying bees.

Samantha Welniak: Completed an internship at GlaxoSmith Kline-analyti-cal chemistry lab.

Juliet Wiebe-King: Studied abroad in Ubeda, Spain, with Professor Jess Boersma.

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Periplus Staff

Christine Stark - Editor

Tiffany Strickland - Editor

Gillian Perry- Junior Editor

Bill Atwill - Advisor

Honors College UNCW

601 South College RoadWilmington, NC 28403 www.uncw.edu/honors

910.962.4181

In Your Corner: Kate BruceWhat better way to start the new school year- a birthday party! This issue of Periplus coincides with the dedication of the new UNCW Honors College. We are hosting a birthday party (complete with cake, ice cream and balloons) with a ceremonial opening of the Honors College doors. Joining us are UNCW administra-tion, faculty, students, family members, and community supporters. As special guests, we have Andrea Wimmers Talley (from the first class of the Honors Schol-ars Program) and founding director of the HSP, Dr. Diane Levy. The promotion of the HSP to Honors College signals its expansion to include more international opportunities, support of student research across campus, and mentoring of students for national fellowships-- all featured in this issue. Happy Birthday, Honors College!

Note from the Editors: We had the distinct pleasure of being overwhelmed with articles for this edi-tion of Periplus. We had so many great new contributors that we added an insert for the first time. The Honors Media Board continues to grow at a rapid rate, and we are thankful for the number of new volunteer staff members joining this year. Second Story Journal, the hon-ors scholarly and creative publication, was published for the first time this sum-mer and is set to release in October. We are accepting submissions for the second edition starting October 31st. Tiffany Strickland ’11 tls2184@uncw.edu Christine Stark ’13 cms8657@uncw.edu