UofL Today already has reported on some of them, but there’s more — as you can see from this collection of submitted notable student activity.
Making a major return on investments
For the fourth time in six years, UofL finance majors in professor Russ Ray’s finance capstone class have won the $50,000 real-cash investment contest sponsored by the brokerage firm of Sterne-Agee. The 42-member team had a 21.85 percent return on its $50,000 investment over a seven-month period. The team handily beat finance students at Auburn, Ole Miss, Georgia and Alabama. The closest competitor had a return of only 13.09 percent. Half of the winnings will go to the College of Business for student scholarships.
Helping to save polar bears
Emily Goldstein, a sophomore biology major (ecology emphasis), received a $500 scholarship for a project to help save the polar bears by educating people in the community about the animals and the complex ecosystems on which they depend. Goldstein, who started her work as a volunteer with the Louisville Zoo, received the top Apprentice Ecologist Award from the Nicodemus Wilderness Project. She continues to talk to people, businesses, organization, schools and other groups about how they can reduce CO2 emissions. Goldstein was among 112 applicants worldwide for the scholarship. Read her essay.
Showing they are smart and have quick recall
The UofL Quiz Bowl team won the Division I and Division II League titles in the Kentucky Collegiate Quick Recall League. Colton Wilson also was named to the Division I All League Team and Ramapriya Ranagaraju was named to the Division II All League Team. Division I team members are Matt Ball, chemical engineering; Austin Brownlow, electrical and computer engineering; Casey Clark, history; Marissa Clevenger, history; Alex Clifton, English and humanities cultural studies; Ben Creech, humanities cultural studies; Rachel Croley, political science; Jhalak Dholakia, anthropology, biology, humanities disciplinary studies and Spanish; Max Morley, political science; Benjamin Stewart, biology; Torrence Williams, industrial engineering; and Colton Wilson, art history, English, humanities and women’s and gender studies. Division II team members are Bryan Enders, physics; Nick Hammond, chemical engineering; Brian Frazier, marketing; Lindsey Hastings, biology and psychology; Ramapriya Rangaraju, computer engineering and computer science; Matt Robeson, chemical engineering; and Lauren Thomas, humanities cultural studies. Matt Church is team adviser.
Defending business systems from cyber attack
Computer Engineering and Computer Sciences students finished third at the 6th National Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition (NCCDC) April 8–10 in San Antonio, following a Southeast regional win in March. The competition, hosted by The University of Texas at San Antonio’s Center for Infrastructure Assurance and Security (CIAS), featured nine teams. Scores were based on their ability to operate and maintain a business network while under hostile cyber attack. The teams inherited an “operational” network from a fictional business complete with e-mail, Web sites, data files and users. Each team had to correct problems on its network, perform typical business tasks and defend its network from live, hostile activity. Teams came from California State Polytechnic University at Pomona, Indiana Tech, Rochester Institute of Technology, Texas A&M University, United States Air Force Academy, University of Maryland, University of Washington and University of Wyoming. UofL team members are Eric McDowell, captain; Joseph Stigers, assistant captain; James Gissendaner; Henry John Paul, James Corcoran, Justin Cottrell, Joshua Chase, Jimmy Murphy and Tu Nguyen. Team advisers are Rammohan Ragade and Ron Lile. More information and a team photo
Helping teach people about AIDS
Speed School students competing under the name Team MINTRUS placed third in Imagine Cup US Finals Game Design Mobile category in Seattle earlier this month. Using the tower defense format, the team developed a game called Pandemic that teaches about AIDS and its treatments. Microsoft sponsors Imagine Cup to use technology to tackle some of the world’s toughest problems. Categories come from the United Nations Millennium Goals. Team Mintrus placed second in the people’s choice competition. Mintrus team members are Matthew Dahl, Richard Paris and Quinn Johns. Kazuna Nakama, a student at Tribeca Media Arts Academy in Chicago, is the game’s artist and sound engineer. Read about Team Mintrus.
Keeping trash out of landfills
A team of UofL students placed second out of all Kentucky colleges and universities in Recyclemania, a national competition this spring to collect recyclables. Louisville’s team kept 219,537 pounds of trash out of landfills during the eight-week contest, recycling more cardboard per person—6.64 pounds—than any other Kentucky school. The UofL team also recycled 2.55 pounds of paper and a third of a pound of food waste per person. Crystal Favors, a resident life coordinator at Unitas Towers, coordinated the contest, which took place in Belknap Campus student residence halls.