A Message from the Dean

NSF grant helps Engineering Student turn Elementary Classrooms into 'School of Rocks'

UM breaks into National Top 50 for producing African-American Doctoral Graduates

Endowment supports nation's First Doctoral Fellowship devoted to study of Life and Work of William Faulkner

New Recruiting Program yields Results

Cricket Invades Campus

Increasing School's Diversity a Top Goal for Two New Deans

Biology student nets Rare Squid in Bering Sea Summer Adventure

'Gumbo' grant seeks to Increase Inclusion among members of the Graduate Community

2003-04 Awards:

Dissertation Awards
Honors Awards
Travel Awards

Contributions

Ashley Phillips, a master's student in the Department of Geological Engineering, divides her time between campus, where she pursues her course work; the University Field Station, where she conducts her research; and local elementary schools, where she teaches geology to elementary school students.

As one of 15 UM graduate students in science and math to hold a GK8 Fellowship, Phillips particularly enjoys her weekly visits to Oxford and Lafayette elementary schools. "As a team, our goal is to assist local teachers and enrich their classroom instruction with our working knowledge of science," she said. "It's also just a lot of fun to teach children about geology."

The North Mississippi GK8 Fellowship program (NMGK8) is funded by a $3 million grant from the National Science Foundation and administered through the Department of Chemical Engineering. Graduate NSF Fellows from science, mathematics, engineering, and technology work within local schools in interdisciplinary teams. According to the NMGK8 Web site, "the project's goal is to enhance the educational practices in use by teachers and students, emphasizing materials that improve critical-thinking skills."

Phillips also works closely with Professor Greg Davidson on a research project dealing with the hydrologic implications of nuclear waste disposal. They are attempting to explain a mysterious result in a previously conducted study at the University of Arizona, in which carbon may have been assimilated to the surface of igneous rocks, a process known as adsorption.

"The primary goal of my thesis is to investigate the adsorption of CO2 onto igneous rocks. Next, I'll determine if the carbon adsorbed could in any way affect global CO2 budgets and the carbon-14 dating of groundwater." Phillips plans to graduate in December, at which time she will pursue a career in environmental consulting. She hopes to work on groundwater problems, tracking contamination by modeling water movements. "This kind of work is exciting because it's all about keeping our water supplies safe, about protecting our environment," said Phillips.