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Student Research Yields Information on Genetic Diseases
 Senior Emily Comstock (above) of Danville did research on ALS, a disease which claimed the life of a well-known Danville native not too long ago. “The defective gene, in this case,” Comstock said, “goes back a long way in this family and can be traced to the present day.” It took her about 100 hours to research her topic and another 40 hours to design and prepare her poster presentation. She plans on a career in veterinary medicine.
Students in Prof. Alan Gieses’ Genetics class were on hand with members of the Vermont Genetics Network (VGN) Fri., May 7, to explain the poster presentations they had made on a number of various diseases with genetic components. The presentations covered topics from “Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease: PRNP Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy” by Avery Williams (Orleans) to Macrocephaly/Autism Syndrome by Lauren Ruffner (St. Johnsbury) and FGFR2 Apert Syndrome (A Variant with Prolonged Bone Growth Signaling) by Abigail Serra (Newbury).
Lyndon State College is a Baccalaureate Institution Partner with the VGN, and the students’ research was based on data made available to them through VGN’s bio-informatics and micro-array cores. The University of Vermont is the lead institution for the state. A key goal of VGN’s outreach network is to build interest in biomedical careers.
To continue her study in bio-informatics, Miranda Lapierre (Barton) will attend the intensive four-day workshop in Maryland this summer. Bio-informatics is the science of learning how to analyze genetic data. Such data is available at the GenBank, the National Institutes of Health genetic sequence database, an annotated collection of all publicly available DNA sequences.
Lapierre’s presentation was on “The Effects of DMSO on Yeast Sporulation,” in which she and her partner, Chad Gillander (St. Johnsbury) showed that DMSO, a compound used in medicines to carry ingredients through the skin, also effects the genetic makeup of cells with which it comes in contact.
VGN outreach director Dr. Janet Murray, who was at Lyndon for the Friday presentations, explained that the Lyndon students were the first to use two of the VGN core applications, the bio-informatics and the micro-array, in one semester. “We were very pleased with how this project with Dr. Giese progressed and with the research the students presented,” she said.
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GPS Students Work in Costa Rica
Spring vacation for GPS Mapping students can mean many things, and this year it meant a working trip to Costa Rica, where they used their skills to map watersheds. The maps are being used in land-use planning and environmental protection. Costa Rica is a world leader in environmental planning, and Lyndon State has been a part of that for several years. Working on the project this year were Matt Lentes (Holyoke, Mass.), Jason Gudreau, Ashlee Beard (E. Burke) and Frank Maloney (Lyndonville).
Prof. John DeLeo and his students, working through the School for Field Studies, surveyed an area where springs are shared by a number of households. While this is common practice in Costa Rica, there has never been any strategy or planning of the systems, and little is known about how many households a particular spring can support or which watershed it draws on.
To go along with the mapping of the watersheds, the students also worked in the lab at Lyndon to digitize agricultural maps created in the 1980s so that correlations can be made between population and water availability. For current updates to these maps, the students relied on satellite images from SPOT, which supplies global images from multiple satellites, with images starting as small as one meter. Prof. DeLeo applied for a grant to purchase the SPOT images.
This work has been reported in “Cedrela,” a Spanish-language scientific journal.
Previously, Lyndon students have helped in training other mappers to use GPS technology, and they have mapped in Costa Rican national parks.
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Lyndon Students Continue Tradition of OXFAM America Donation
Lyndon State College students once again took part in OXFAM America’s Harvest for World Hunger. This annual event on the Lyndon campus saw over 200 students donate one of their meals to the effort, which resulted in a check for more than $425 being presented to OXFAM. Above Karla Arias from Honduras and Canaan and Zack Sumner of N. Adams, Mass., hold the check for OXFAM America.
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Student Leadership Recognized
Above, Residence Hall Director Stephanie Tyler presents the Outstanding
Faculty/Staff Award to Professor Andrea Luna during the Leadership Awards’
luncheon April 29.
On Thursday, April 19, 20 students were honored for their service to the College. Associate Dean of Student Affairs, Jonathan Davis welcomed the students, and individual awards were made in a number of categories.
Michelle Wilcox of Franklin, Vt., and Samantha Couture of E. Hampstead, N.H., received the LSC Promise Award. Wilcox is a student ambassador, plays more than one varsity sport and is an academic achiever. Couture is an Atmospheric Sciences major, is on the executive board of the Lyndon chapter of the American Meteorological Society and is president-elect for next year. She is also a student ambassador, is involved in the Student Government Association, plays ultimate Frisbee and is a member of the Lyndon Strikers. This spring she volunteered at a school for underprivileged children in Guatemala.
The Leadership Award went to Rachel Keller of St. Albans and Ryan Longe of Westminster. Keller is a Peer Leader, a Resident Assistant, and an elected representative for her class in the Student Government Assoc. (SGA). She belongs to the Lyndon Strikers, The Critic, the College Republicans, the Leadership Recognition Committee and Alpha Lambda Delta.
Longe was called an “outstanding resident assistant.” He is a member of Rotaract, for which he was responsible for building into a successful and active service club on campus.
Two students were named Resident of the Year: Wildens Fils of Stamford, Conn., and Rebecca Irwin of Au Sable Forks, N.Y. Residents of the Year are nominated by their peers. Fils was noted for being a positive member of his residential community, for being a leader among his peers and for his involvement at a local church. He is a top runner on the cross-country team and is currently developing a new Track and Field Club at Lyndon.
Irwin was also noted for her leadership qualities and “astounding” positive attitude. She is on the Alpha Lambda Delta honor society executive board and the tennis team. In the outside community, she has worked with Umbrella and volunteered in Guatemala.
Taylore Aussiker of Lyndon Center, Christine George of Glover and Daniel Haycook of Groton received the Citizenship Award. Aussiker was nominated for her positive attitude and her willingness to help others. George was praised as a positive citizen of the Lyndon community. She tutors in the writing center and is a member of the softball team. Haycook was named for his involvement in the Lyndon community. He is on the Campus Activities Board executive board, is a Peer Leader, has volunteered in Guatemala, was in the cast of RENT, and he has organized community theater for local children.
SGA president Andrew Chapin of Southbury, Conn., received the SGA President’s Award. Two clubs were also recognized for their activities throughout the year: the Twilight Players and Rotoract.
John Shanks of Lyndonville shared the CARE Award with Ryan Wimble of St. Albans. The CARE Award honors students for “outstanding contributions to their community.”
The Outstanding Faculty Award was presented to Prof. Andrea Luna. Luna has been a member of Lyndon’s English Dept. since 1997 and is the College’s Coordinator of Composition. Business Professor Mark Hilton was named Outstanding Club Adviser for the year.
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Patrick & Marcelle Leahy Center for Rural Students Dedicated
President Carol A. Moore presents a certificate to Marcelle and Senator Patrick Leahy naming the Patrick and Marcelle Leahy Center for Rural Students at commencement Sunday, May 16, at the College.
When Lyndon State College was accepted as one of five New England schools to participate in the Nellie Mae Education Foundation’s Project Compass initiative three years ago, the focus was on increasing the college retention and graduation rates of first-in-family, modest-income students (FFMI). In the midst of these efforts, project leaders discovered that there is very little information about the specific needs of and best practices in serving rural students—a surprising discovery, given that one fifth of the nation’s public school students are enrolled in rural school districts. The college also realized that there are many more students capable of pursuing a post-secondary education than those who do and that the College could best serve these students by coordinating with local PK-12 education providers to create a regional PK-16 network.
Towards these ends, thanks to the efforts of Senator Patrick Leahy, Lyndon State College is pleased to announce the creation of the Patrick and Marcelle Leahy Center for Rural Students. President Carol A. Moore announced the creation of the Leahy Center for Rural Students at the College’s 2010 commencement ceremony May 16.
The central question to be answered by The Leahy Center for Rural Students is what are the expectations of FFMI students relating to their education and careers and when do those expectations solidify. Many potential FFMI students never see themselves as college graduates or perhaps assume they cannot afford a college education, even when they have the potential to thrive in the college setting. It is well known that a college degree increases the lifetime earning capabilities of an individual many fold, so it is important for these students to understand the options available to them and to support the students and their families as they navigate the unfamiliar territory of pursuing a college education.
The Center for Rural Students began an in-depth longitudinal panel study this past fall under the direction of former Lyndon Prof. Rod Zwick, which will be carried on now by Center Director Heather Bouchey. The study will expand beyond the College to include students attending seven area schools that have been identified as the pilot schools in the creation of a regional PK-16 network. Ultimately, the findings of this study will inform how teachers, parents, schools administrators, business leaders and community members can work together in supporting students towards their full learning and career potential.
The initial study will follow students individually and as a group from fifth grade through four years post-high school, to learn what influences a student’s decisions regarding higher education. “It is critical to understand where the college/no college decision is made,” said Zwick. “We need to help students make that decision in an informed way and encourage them to make their own individual education aspirations fit with their own future plans.”
While not all careers require a four-year degree, most now need some sort of continuing education or training. While much is known about how urban students make these choices, little is known about rural, FFMI students. The Center for Rural Students will play an important role in changing that reality.
On Friday June 18, The Patrick and Marcelle Leahy Center for Rural Students will be hosting a Vermont Education Summit at Lyndon State College for educators and community leaders from across the state to discuss how we can work together at the local and state level to help every Vermont student achieve their full potential along the PK-16 spectrum. This conference is being sponsored by AT&T. For more information, contact Heather Bouchey at 802-626-6444 or heather.bouchey@lyndonstate.edu.
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NewsLINC Goes Mobile
The Lyndon State College Electronic Journalism Arts Department’s (EJA) award-winning news website, NewsLINC, is now available for your smart phone and mobile device. While the website has been operational for the past year and a half on the web, this new mobile capability allows readers to catch up on the latest Northeast Kingdom news on the fly.
NewsLINC Mobile is unique in that it is the only mobile news source providing local content specific to the NEK. Find it at www.news7newslinc.net/. Daily updates will be available as soon as students return in the fall.
Timothy Cappalli (N. Kingstown,R.I.), a junior in EJA, has been working under the direction of Assistant Professor Meaghan Meachem and Director of Broadcast Operations Darlene Ballou to create this enhanced hyper-local mobile experience. The mobile site features top stories of the day as well as an expanded weather page, which can be viewed both in video or text-only mode.
NewsLINC debuted in January 2009, and, during its inaugural year, has received national attention from the Broadcast Educators Association and the College Broadcasters Incorporated. These organizations honored the website with national finalist status as the recipient of several awards in the categories of student-produced news website.
Funding for the fledgling start-up was provided through grants from the AT&T Foundation.
NewsLINC represents the web division of the Electronic Journalism Arts curriculum (formerly Television Studies), which houses the Vermont Center for Community Journalism.
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Spring Dip 2010
About 17 spring dippers took part in the third annual Spring Dip, when they jumped in library pond. Even more watched from dry land. Click here for a gallery of the event. Income collected supports the Faculty and Staff Scholarship Fund.
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2010 Nurses Pinned
 Photographed at the graduation and pinning ceremony were new nurses (l-r) Erin Laporte, Ruth Hogan, Kim Foster, Nakeeta Simpson, Christine Pallozzi, Dustin Morris, Alia Wedemeyer, Julie Kuk, Amanda Simpson, Logan (with Axel) Pearl, Brenda Rodgers, Cynthia Parks
Missing: Whitney Cook, Jennifer Young, Tracey Lee.
The 2010 graduates, along with awards received, are: Whitney Cook (Plainfield), Kim Foster (Honors Graduate, Newport Center), Ruth Hogan (Honors Graduate, Cabot), Julie Kuk (Dr. John Kascenska Award, Lyndon Center), Erin Laporte (Cabot), Tracey Lee (St. Johnsbury), Dustin Morris (Newbury), Christine Pallozzi (Lyman, N.H.), Cynthia Parks (Honors Graduate, Lyndon), Logan Pearl (Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital Award, Danville), Brenda Rodgers (Glover), Amanda Simpson and Nakeeta Simpson (Sutton), Alia Wedemeyer (Morrisville) and Jennifer Young (Marshfield).
Congratulations to this year's nursing graduates.
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 Professor Dan Daley taught technical math for machining skills at EHV this spring. The program lasted for 10 weeks.
Professor Jason Shafer has earned certified consulting meteorologist (CCM) recognition.
The CCM designation is issued by the American Meteorological Society to highly qualified meteorologists providing research and services to a wide variety of users of weather information, including agriculture, business, industry and various sectors of government. These services extend beyond the traditional public service functions and statutory responsibilities of the National Weather Service.
The CCM designation is granted only to those who demonstrate a broad background in meteorology together with detailed knowledge in a particular field of specialization. CCMs must demonstrate exemplary qualities of character and devotion to high professional standards.
CCMs are highly regarded by their peers in meteorology. They are considered experts in the application of weather information to a host of practical challenges ranging from specialized forecasts to engineering design support and expert testimony on weather-related court cases. Certification enables users of meteorological services to select consultants or employees with greater confidence in the quality and reliability of the products or services they will receive.
Instructor Joe Gittleman was the feature story in the April North Star Monthly, and his photo graced the front page. He also played a concert with the Mighty Mighty Bosstones at the Groezrock Festival April 23 in Belgium.
Professor Linda Mitchell, as a member of the VSC Advanced Standing Committee, was invited to take part in the March 12 portfolios meeting in Montpelier.
Professor Pat Shine present May 21 at the Working with Youth conference in Killington. Her presentation was titled "We Need to Talk: Understanding Race, Racism and Privilege."
Professor David Johnston has published an essay in a book released this month, The Philosophy of Horror, edited by Thomas Fahy and published by the University Press of Kentucky. The essay, “Kitsch and Camp and Things that Go Bump in the Night,” is one of 14 in the collection. Professor Johnston’s essay examines kitsch and camp, two approaches held in low esteem, and explains why each deserves serious consideration for how it is used in the presentation of a story. Professor Johnston is also a new trustee of the Burklyn Arts Council, based in Lyndonville and serving the communities and schools of the seven Caledonia North Supervisory Union towns. The Council provides grants and scholarships to support the encouragement and development of the arts.
Professor Barclay Tucker attended an advisory board meeting at the Essex Technical Center April 13.
Professor Cathy DeLeo attended a lift maintenance seminar at Jiminy Peak in Massachusetts April 20 to 22.
Cheri Goldrick, staff assistant to the associate academic dean, attended the 2010 National Office of Educational Office Professionals (NAEOP) winter board meeting in Nashville, Tenn., in January. She also attended a leadership style workshop while in Nashville. Cheri serves as the 2009-2010 Higher Education Council chair for NAEOP.
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Cappalli Student Representative to VSC Board of Trustees, Chair of VSC Student Government
Junior Tim  Cappalli (left) has been elected the new student representative to the Vermont State Colleges Board of Trustees, with full voting privileges, and chair of the Vermont State Colleges Student Government Association (VSC SGA). Cappalli is an Electronic Journalism Arts (formerly Television Studies) major from N. Kingstown, R.I.
For some time, the VSC board has included one student member. The last Lyndon student to serve on the board was Justin Hart in 1999 to 2000. The student representative is elected by the VSC SGA. Cappalli replaces Kelsi Powers, an External Degree Program student from Johnson State College.
In an interview with the Lyndon “Critic,” Cappalli said he hopes to work on the organization and consistency of how the VSC SGA works as SGA president. He also encouraged students to contact him with their concerns to help him be an effective member of the VSC board of trustees.
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Lyndon honors standout athletes
The Department of Athletics honored its top student-athletes for the 2009-10 spo rts seasons May 7 with its annual athletic awards ceremony.
In one of the highlights of the evening, Josh Grant, a freshman runner with the Hornets’ men’s cross country team was named the Dudley Bell Male Athlete of the Year by virtue of his outstanding performance throughout the 2009 cross country season. Grant, a native of Nashua, N.H., captured the men’s medalist honor, covering an eight-kilometer in 27:22, to lead the Lyndon State men’s cross country team to its second-consecutive North Atlantic Conference team title in October. For his efforts, Grant was given both the NAC Male Runner of the Year Award as well as the league’s Male Rookie of the Year honor.
One week later, at the 2009 Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference Championship Meet at Williams College in Williamstown, Mass., Grant finished to an impressive fourth-place finish overall, covering the eight-kilometer course in 26:51 for his third personal record in as many weeks.
Grant’s performance propelled the Hornets to an unprecedented 10th-place finish in a field of 50 teams. Later in the evening, he closed out the ceremony by receiving the Lyndon cross country program’s Most Valuable Male Runner Award.
Naomi White, a sophomore from Danville, Vt., was awarded the Dudley Bell Outstanding Female Athlete of the Year Award for her performances on both the Lyndon women’s soccer and basketball teams. Despite a late-season injury, White turned in a solid defensive effort for the Lady Hornets’ soccer team and was often asked to mark many of the NAC’s top scorers. On the court, she averaged 12.7 points and 7.9 rebounds per contest while shooting an impressive .710 from the free throw line throughout the 2009-10 season.
In addition to the Bell Award, White received the prestigious Lyndon Champions of Character Award, which is presented to the student-athlete that best exemplifies the values of respect, integrity, responsibility, servant leadership and sportsmanship.
She was also named Most Valuable Player on the Lyndon women’s basketball team and received a LSC Scholar-Athlete Award. The honor is presented to student-athletes who are of at least a sophomore standing or earned a minimum of 25 credits and possess an overall 3.3 grade-point-average.
The Green and Gold Male and Female Scholar-Athlete Award, given to the top student-athletes in terms of GPA, were present to senior Rebecca Irwin and junior Michael Muccilli, who compete for the Lyndon women’s tennis and men’s cross country teams, respectively. Irwin, an Exercise Science major who resides in Au Sable Forks, N.Y., currently holds a GPA of 3.84, and Muccilli, a Newton, N.J. native who is studying meteorology, has earned a GPA of 3.73 in his three years at Lyndon.
Other award winners include:
Team Awards
Men’s soccer
Most Valuable Player – Ian Oliver
Frank Spears Award – Luke Haskell
Women’s soccer
Most Valuable Player – Abby Fadden
Coaches Award – Michelle Wilcox
Men’s cross country
Most Valuable Player – Josh Grant
Coaches Award – Jeremiah Powell
Women’s cross country
Most Valuable Player – Cassie Tricou
Coaches Award – Gabrielle Mathewson
Women’s volleyball
Most Valuable Player – Maegan Fried
Coaches Award – Michelle Petty
Women’s tennis
Most Valuable Player – Maria Parr
Coaches Award – Kaitlin Cunningham
Men’s basketball
Most Valuable Player – Jason Gray
Coaches Award – Logan Calkins
Women’s Basketball
Most Valuable Player – Naomi White
Defensive Award – Shauna Buck
Baseball
Most Valuable Player – Ben Clark
Coaches Award – Shane O’Donnell-Leach
Softball
Most Valuable Player – Natalia Shams
Coaches Award – Kaitlyn Willey
Men’s tennis
Most Valuable Player – Teddy Fournier
Coaches Award – Tyler Schofield
Men’s lacrosse
Most Valuable Player – Max Ercole
Coaches Award – Taylor Stout
Hornet Academic Team Challenge Cup
• Women’s Tennis - GPA of 3.27
Male and Female Green & Gold Scholar-Athletes
• Michael Muccilli (Cross country) 3.73
• Rebecca Irwin (Tennis) 3.84
Dudley Bell Male & Female Outstanding Student-Athletes of the Year
• Josh Grant (Cross country)
• Naomi White (Soccer and basketball)
Champions of Character Award
• Naomi White (soccer & basketball)
LSC Scholar-Athletes
(Sophomore standing or minimum of 25 credits and overall 3.3 GPA)
• Rebecca Irwin (Tennis)
• Michael Farmer (Cross Country)
• Michelle Wilcox (Soccer & softball)
• Morgan Reilly (Volleyball)
• Benjamin Arsenault (Cross country)
• Kali Stoddard- Imari (Lacrosse)
• Michael Muccilli (Cross Country)
• Amber Hartman (Tennis)
• Caleb Noble (Soccer & Lacrosse)
• Sarah Leclerc (Cross Country)
• Katelyn Willey (Softball)
• Ian Oliver (Soccer)
• Danielle Jepson (Tennis)
• Naomi White (Soccer & Basketball)
• Luke Haskell (Soccer & Tennis)
• Christine George (Softball)
• Christine Bailey (Volleyball)
• Michelle Petty (Volleyball)
• Craig Johnson (Cross Country)
• Jeremy Schichtle (Baseball)
• Jennifer Young (Cross Country)
• Melissa Rosato (Soccer)
• Kyle Waterman (Soccer)
• Uriah Burhans (Soccer)
Lyndon teams qualify for spring playoffs
Three Lyndon teams qualified for post-season play this spring. The men’s tennis and lacrosse teams earned a berth in the North Atlantic Conference playoffs, while the Hornet baseball team received an invitation to compete in the North Eastern Athletic Conference East Division Championships.
Tennis: After both teams dispatched of their semifinal competition with relative ease, Castleton and Lyndon locked horns in a two-and-a-half-hour battle to decide the North Atlantic Conference Eastern Division Men’s Tennis Championship on Saturday, April 24, in which Lyndon played out of the tournament. This was, however, the best year for Lyndon men’s tennis in some time.
Lacrosse: The Hornets ended their season with a 3-10 overall record and a mark of 2-7 within the NAC. Lyndon earned a playoff berth, locking up the No. 8 seed in the NAC tournament before traveling to Newton, Mass., to battle Mount Ida College in a quarterfinal matchup. The Hornets suffered an 18-1 loss at the hands of the Mustangs and were eliminated from title contention.
Baseball: Husson University had five scoreless innings and seven strike-outs to earn the win in game three of the North Eastern Athletic Conference East Division Tournament over Lyndon. With the loss, the Hornets were eliminated from the tournament and finished their season with an overall record of 11-25.
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Russian Language Students, Native Speakers Compete in First Russian Olympiada
Lyndon State College Russian Institute Sponsors Competition
 Above are the two first-place winners in spoken Russian for high school
students, Asterik Muradian (left) and Sarah Solnit (right) with their
teacher, Elena Strokanova. All are from St. Johnsbury Academy.
For the first time at Lyndon State College, Russian language students and native speakers were invited to compete in the Russian Olympiada, a contest for students of Russian. The contest was sponsored by the Lyndon State College Institute for Russian Language, History and Culture and its director, Prof. Alexandre Strokanov. Contestants from Lyndon State College, St. Johnsbury Academy and Lyndon Institute met at Lyndon State Saturday, May 1, to put their skills to the text. Community members also took part.
Lyndon State College’s Kali Stoddard-Imari (Lyndonville) won first place in college-level declamation, with Aidan Fernum Rendino (Hinesburg) taking second place and Kathryn Salzer-Jurkiewics (Underhill) and Carlos Taveras Polanco (Littleton, N.H.) taking third.
In college-level spoken Russian, Stoddard-Imari took first place again, with Rendino and Salzer-Jurkiewics taking second and Mary McGovern (Barnard) taking third.
The written Russian category for college students was won by Roger Waible. Contestants in this category were required to submit a letter written in Russian to a veteran of World War II.
There were four categories for high school students. Matthew Martin took first place in declamation, and Melissa Martin took second place. Both are from Lyndon Institute. For spoken Russian, Asterik Muradian and Sarah Solnit, both from St. Johnsbury Academy, shared first place, with Melissa Martin taking second and Matthew Martin taking third. In written Russian, Muradian and Solnit again shared first place, with Marie Kay (St. Johnsbury Academy) taking third.
Two Russian native speakers also took part in the Olympiada. Janya Morrison (Craftsbury) took first place, and Lyndon Institute’s Sofya Levina took second in declamation.
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