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| Carrie Wubben, seated, works closely with Waldorf biology professor Dr. Kimberly Murphy in the study of cellular and molecular biology. Wubben recently won several science awards in state competition. (Photo courtesy of Waldorf College) |
WCLT student tops in science
By Matt Foy, For the News-Tribune
CRYSTAL LAKE - For someone just passing through Waldorf College, Carrie Wubben has left an incredible mark as a glowing ambassador for both the school's Biology and PSEO programs.
Wubben, a student at both Waldorf College and W-CL-T High School with a remarkable talent for science, made a big-time splash at the recent State Science and Technology Fair of Iowa (SSTFI).
The W-CL-T senior had no peer in the high school division of the two-day fair, held on the Iowa State University campus. By the time it was over, Wubben's advanced-beyond-her-years microbiology project netted her eight awards and recognitions, topped by the overall senior high individual award, $10,300 in prize money and scholarships, and some amazing credentials as she prepares to graduate from W-CL-T and attend Simpson College next year.
In addition to her day in the sun at the science fair, Wubben's stay at Waldorf also yielded one year's worth of college credit that she will take to Simpson, where she plans on majoring in Biology and hopes to graduate in three years.
“It's been a lot of help,” Wubben said, referring to her experiences at Waldorf and the SSTFI. “I think I can go into Simpson with a one-up on all the other high-schoolers coming in - and even maybe some of the college kids that don't have this research experience.”
Wubben's award-winning project, titled “Characterization of Genes Involved in Myxococcus xanthus Fruiting Body Formation to Understand the Formation of Biofilms,” is more than an impressive science fair project with a tricky name.
Working closely with Dr. Kimberly Murphy, biology professor at Waldorf and the college's resident expert in cellular and molecular biology, Wubben characterized eight different bacterial mutants that Murphy brought to Waldorf from her post-doctoral research at Syracuse University.
How's this for making early contributions to her field? Wubben's research resulted in valuable new data that could help save lives one day.
Her findings can be considered the foundation that could contribute to treating diseases caused by bacterial biofilms.
“It's nothing basic (in which) the outcome is known,” Wubben, who hopes to continue working to cure diseases after graduation, said of her results.
“I actually did something cutting-edge that no one really knew the outcome of. It's new information - even in the larger-picture science community. It's really exciting [to characterize mutants no one else has worked with].
“By characterizing these genes, these mutants, and finding out the function of what they do Š we can hopefully treat diseases that are caused by these organisms.”
Wubben's amazing success story comes as no surprise to Dr. Murphy, who says Wubben is the only high school student she has working with her in molecular biology. The two met in the Fall 07 semester when Wubben was taking General Biology and approached Murphy about the possibility of working on a science fair project.
“It was obvious to me that Carrie was very mature and could handle working in a lab and dealing with the projects we do,” Murphy said. “It also helps that Carrie is very enthusiastic in this area. This is part of what she wants to go into in the future, and that helps her ability and desire to work in the lab and how careful she is in the lab.”
Despite her achievements, Wubben says the college life is not easy. She sums up her Waldorf experience succinctly: “More information, less time, bigger tests.”
“It's pretty intense here,” she added. “It's a lot of information thrown at you each day. “You're in class for 50 minutes, and we go over an entire chapter or section of the book, wherein high school we just cover one concept. A lot more is expected out of you.”
Despite its difficulty, Wubben hasn't shied away from her dual life, and her daily schedule reflects that. Four out of five weekdays, she takes classes at both Waldorf and W-CL-T.
Thursdays are her busiest days. Throughout the semester, she's arrived at 9:30 a.m. to work on her project, stayed for calculus at 11 and a three-hour zoology lab at 12:30, and basked in an entire two hours off before returning for a two-hour English seminar at 5:30.
Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, she has freshman literature (8:30 a.m. start time), project time, calculus and zoology at Waldorf before rushing to Crystal Lake at 1 p.m., where she's editor of the W-CL-T year book staff and follows those duties with workplace readiness and contemporary issues classes. When the bell rings, there's no time for rest; in fact, quite the contrary: she has dance team on Mondays and Wednesdays.
Tuesday is her “easy” day. She doesn't have classes at Waldorf (she's spent her down time on campus working on her project all semester) and has three classes at W-CL-T. Rather than bask in a Tuesday night off, she works at Exceptional Opportunities, Inc., an organization in Burt that offers services to persons with mental, physical or developmental disabilities. Every other weekend and the occasional Friday night? Ditto.
Work, school, dance, science fairs - how about a moment to breathe? Wubben admits one would be nice at times, but she'll happily take an armful of awards, a shortened path to her undergraduate degree and an inside track to graduate studies as the alternative.
Founded in 1903, Waldorf College is a private, not-for-profit baccalaureate degree granting Christian oriented college. Waldorf College is committed to service, critical inquiry, and lifelong learning to approximately 650 students at its traditional campus in Forest City, Iowa. Waldorf College is recognized for its delivery of accredited, high quality education, and its solid tradition in the fine arts, coupled with a broad program of intercollegiate athletics.
Wubben's awards at the SSTFI
Five awards (best): Total money = $10,300
Iowa Biotechnology Association: $2,000
Iowa Space Grant Consortium: $7,000 - Twice as big as second-biggest grant available
ISEF Trip Winner Individual
Overall Senior High Individual: $800
Iowa State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences: $500
Best of Category, cellular and molecular biology
2nd overall, high school projects
3rd individual biological seminar
Matt Foy is a member of the Waldorf College Marketing Department.
Story created Apr 22, 2008 - 10:23:56 CDT.
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