There was celebration and remembrance at Catawba College's Commencement Exercises on May 11. Three graduates and one alumnus received awards during the two ceremonies, while one student who died just five credit hours away from completing the coursework for his bachelor's degree was honored with a special tribute.

Catawba College recognized three retiring faculty members at its May 11 Commencement Exercises. Drs. James "Jim" Beard, John B. "Jack" Green and Cynthia B. Osterhus '73 were cited for their contributions to the institution at the 10 a.m. ceremony held in Keppel Auditorium.

Catawba College's End-of-the-Year Luncheon for Faculty and Staff was a time to recognize 10 individuals who are retiring from the college this year.

Students at Catawba College enhance their education outside the classroom and are involved in many multidisciplinary research projects. Catawba students are engaged in challenging and unique research experiences that emphasize current developments in biochemistry, pharmaceutical chemistry, environmental chemistry and forensic science using state-of-the-art instrumentation. At Catawba, you'll learn science content in the context of work-world applications.

Members of the Catawba College community gathered in Omwake-Dearborn Chapel on April 23 to celebrate achievement. The occasion was the annual Awards Convocation.Scheduled the day after Earth Day, the awards distributed were eco-friendly, made of Catawba blue, 100% recycled glass. They symbolized the college's commitment to environmental responsibility and are a reminder to the recipients to promote a greener, more sustainable lifestyle.

As the 2012-2013 academic year comes to a close, Catawba College students are thinking about their futures. For some graduating in May, a next step — graduate school — is on their minds. For those with a year or so to go before they earn their undergraduate degree, thoughts are on how to enhance their future opportunities and make themselves ready for the next steps after Catawba.

2011 Catawba College Alumnus Joseph "Joe" S. Manser is now a graduate student at the University of Notre Dame's Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. He recently shared a video link to his research concerning assembling and testing quantum dot solar cells in the lab there.

Elizabeth (Lizzie) White of Salisbury, a chemistry major at Catawba College and the college's current Alpha Chi chapter president, has been selected as one of 10 recipients of the 2013 Alfred H. Nolle Scholarship. This scholarship is awarded by the Alpha Chi National Academic Honor Society.

Senior Justin Smith of Greensboro says he wants to keep maximizing his options in the future if possible, and when he made a decision late during fall semester to attend medical school, he felt it was "the right one – the one that will be of the most benefit to me." The pre-med student, majoring in biology and minoring in chemistry, had plenty of options open to him as he entered his final spring semester at Catawba. That was thanks in large part to opportunities he created for himself.

Catawba College students attended or will attend the Stanford Biochemistry Departmental Symposium in Santa Cruz, Calif., the 2012 National Leadership Conference in Charlotte, the Southeastern Psychological Association Conference in Atlanta, Ga., and the Southeastern Theatre Conference in Louisville, Ky., all thanks to new SGA-funded scholarships.

Catawba College has received a $1.45 million grant from the Robert Noyce Scholarship Program of the National Science Foundation that will provide five years of support for scholarships and internships that help prepare Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) majors for teaching careers. This is the largest grant of this type that Catawba has ever received.

Gamma Sigma Epsilon, Catawba College's chemistry honor society, recently initiated new members. The induction ceremony for the Alpha Delta Chapter took place April 25 on campus.

Catawba College students from various disciplines shared their diverse research projects during the 2012 Interdisciplinary Research Symposium held Thursday, April 26 in the Leonard Lounge of the Cannon Student Center. Faculty, staff and students on campus dropped by during the two-hour event to listen and learn from these students.

A Catawba College alumna, a faculty member and a student were each recognized at the College's annual Church/College Dinner held Feb. 20 on campus in Peeler Crystal Lounge. Those attending included trustees, college administrators, students and supporters of Catawba's Campus Ministry and its Lilly Center for Vocation and Values.

By Sarah Robinson, Writer/Communications Intern for the Center for the Enviornment - A collaborative effort called "Sustainable Catawba" will soon unveil a new approach to sustainability on the Catawba College campus. Representatives from several campus organizations gathered February 9 to discuss their vision for the effort as well as to report on what their groups currently do to promote sustainability.

On-campus collaboration between Catawba College student groups, organizations, and academic and operational departments is key to creating a new vision for Sustainable Catawba. An effort to seal this collaboration launches February 21 with a pledge.

(EDITOR'S NOTE: Dr. Bobby Lomax '56 graduated from Catawba College, majoring in biology and chemistry as part of his premed studies) by Mark Wineka, SalisburyPost.com - As he marks his 50th year as a Salisbury dentist, Dr. Bobby Lomax still has a way with patients. "I've just always had a good feeling, being in his hands," says Ronald Moose, who went to Lomax for more than four decades. "He just made you feel comfortable, which is not easy."

In recognition of its 2010-2011 activities, Catawba College's Chapter of the American Chemical Society has received an Honorable Mention Chapter Award from the American Chemical Society. Catawba's chapter will be recognized in the November/December issue of "In Chemistry" magazine and at the ACS Student Chapter Award Ceremony to be held in conjunction with the 243rd ACS National Meeting in San Diego, Calif.

When Dr. George Drum, a 1962 alumnus of Catawba, returned to his alma mater as a faculty member in 1987, he brought his academic journey and his family ties to the institution full circle. Drum followed his grandfather’s footsteps as a faculty member; Harvy Kopenhaver was on the faculty at Old Catawba in Newton.

Again this year, Catawba College students from various disciplines shared their diverse research projects during the 2011 Interdisciplinary Research Symposium held Thursday, April 21 in the Leonard Lounge of the Cannon Student Center. Faculty, staff and students on campus dropped by during the two-hour event to listen and learn from these students.

Catawba College senior Joe Manser of Mooresville and faculty sponsor Dr. Bethany Sinnott represented Catawba College's North Carolina Omicron chapter of Alpha Chi at the national convention in San Diego March 31-April 2.

By Susan Shinn, Catawba College News Service - The next time you apply that oh-so-convenient lip balm, think of Carly Sabat. Sabat, 21, a senior chemistry major at Catawba College, researched lip balm as part of her senior project. Her research has garnered accolades for herself and for the college.

Five students from Catawba College traveled to Anaheim, Calif., March 26-30 for the American Chemical Society National Conference. Four of those attending presented research, while all participated in workshops, many of which were career-oriented, and technical lectures. One Catawba student, Carly Sabat of Warren, Ohio, who was unable to attend the conference, won an award there for her research.

By Susan Shinn, Catawba College News Service. Erin Witalison can tell you anything you'd like to know about biochemistry and the biomedical sciences, but there's one term about which she hesitates. "Free time." Witalison, 21, a Catawba College senior from Gold Hill and the daughter of John and Linda Witalison, doesn't have a lot of it. She's a double major in biology and Spanish, minoring in chemistry.

Dr. Carol Miderski, a Catawba College chemistry professor, was among 51 senior women professors in chemistry and physics from 46 liberal arts colleges gathered in Washington, D.C. recently to participate in the first ever summit focused on the Advancement of Senior Women Scientists at Liberal Arts Colleges.

Fifteen Catawba College students travelled to Italy with Dr. Mark Sabo during the Spring 2010 semester as part of the "Eating in the Arts and Sciences" honors course. They have shared their travel journals and recipes prepared during their studies in the form of blogs. Read blogs and view photos from Italy...

Catawba College Alumnus Scott Robinson '84 of Tappahannock, Va., has entered the race as a Democrat for his state's First Congressional District. His campaign focus is to bring accountability to federal government and he is committed to balancing the federal budget and promoting pro-growth economic policies. He is an environmental steward and an advocate for veterans, especially wounded soldiers.

Catawba College senior Nathaniel Griffin of Boomer, N.C., has been selected to receive the American Chemical Society's (ACS) 2010 Student Leadership Award. The award will be presented to Griffin at the 2010 ACS Leadership Institute to be held in Fort Worth, Texas, January 22-24.

Catawba College's American Chemistry Society Student Affiliates Chapter has received a Commendable Chapter Award for its 2008-2009 activities. The Chapter Advisor, Dr. Mark Sabo, professor of chemistry at the college, received notification of the award Sept. 8th.

When retired plastic surgeon and Catawba College alumnus Verne Lanier '62 of Durham visited campus last spring, he came to talk ethics. The students who listened to his presentation came away with some valuable advice and with a little more insight into how complicated making ethical decisions can be.

Source: www.ncbiotech.org - Undergraduates at 15 North Carolina schools have won competitive grants for life-science research. The Undergraduate Research Fellowship Award program was unveiled this year by the North Carolina Biotechnology Center. It brings to 19 the number of grant and loan programs administered by the Center to support education, research, commercialization and company development.

Catawba College student Nathan Griffin of Boomer, N.C., has applied and been awarded an Undergraduate Biotechnology Research Fellowship by the N.C. Biotechnology Center. The fellowship will allow Griffin to work during the 2009-2010 academic year with a research associate in the laboratory of Steven Zeisel at the UNC Chapel Hill unit on the N.C. Research Campus in Kannapolis.

Catawba College's American Chemical Society (ACS) Student Affiliates Chapter recently held elections and new officers were installed. They include Nathan Griffin of Boomer, N.C., president; Jessica Bound of Indian Trail, N.C., vice president; Jacob Hill of Salisbury, N.C., secretary; and Joshua Honeycutt of Richfield, N.C., treasurer.

Catawba College's American Chemical Society (ACS) Student Affiliates Chapter was selected as one of the four finalists for the National Chemistry Week 2008 Chemvention competition. The chapter's entry was selected based on its level of originality, creativity and the coherent manner in which it was presented. As a finalist, the chapter was awarded a $1000 check to be used toward travel to an ACS national meeting.

Catawba College's Student Affiliates of the American Chemical Society were among student affiliates from five institutions recognized for their entry into the National Chemistry Week Chemvention contest. The entries were creative and innovative hands-on activities for elementary school children and centered on the 2009 theme of "Chemistry – It's Elemental."

Pascagoula, Mississippi is the destination for 12 Catawba College students who will participate in a mission building trip during part of their Christmas break, December 13-19. Catawba Chemistry Professor Dr. Mark Sabo organized the trip which is co-sponsored by the College and his church, First Presbyterian Church in Salisbury.

Catawba College Chemistry Professor, Dr. Carol Miderski, knew she had a sell-out class when 24 upper class students from a variety of disciplines signed up for her Chemistry in Art class this spring semester. Miderski's students learned just how successful their learning had been over the course of the semester when they exhibited the products they made in class before a wowed audience at a Project Expo in Catawba's Lilly Center on April 24.

Daniel S. Hines is a senior from Yorktown, Va., who was a student in Dr. Mark Sabo's Honors Class, "Food, Science, Society and Culture," this spring. Hines put together this article about his class' spring break trip to Italy using excerpts from the travel journals of his fellow students.

In late November, Catawba College Chemistry Professor Dr. Mark Sabo and senior chemistry major Angela Bailey of Kannapolis visited to Anthropological Research Facility (ARF) at the University of Tennessee Knoxville.

Dr. James Beard, a Catawba College professor of chemistry, has signed a contract with the publishing house of Taylor and Francis and its CRC Press to publish the latest version of his book, "Environmental Chemistry in Society." The book is designed to teach environmental chemistry to non-science majors and should be available late in the summer of 2008.

Catawba College's Chemistry Department is set to share some of its resources and expertise with Rowan-Salisbury High Schools this fall by offering a Forensic Laboratory Analysis course for high school students. The course will be taught by Dr. Mark Sabo, an associate professor of chemistry who worked at the Counterterrorism and Forensic Science Research Unit at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Va., last summer.

Ask Catawba College Chemistry Professor Dr. Mark Sabo how he liked his summer vacation last year and he'll tell you he liked it so much that he's going back to the same place this summer.

Betsy Rich of Salisbury is paying tribute to the kind, loving and resilient spirits of her late husband and son through a new scholarship she has established at Catawba College. The Maynard L. and Paul L. Rich First Family Scholarship will be awarded to a student who demonstrates financial need, who feels called to the helping professions (education, psychology, religion/philosophy and pre-med), and who demonstrates a caring spirit and a sense of high moral values.

Chemistry students at Catawba College, working in conjunction with Dr. Mark Sabo, chair of the chemistry department, have completed research and presented their findings at various conferences. Four of the five research presentations were made at national conferences, while one was made at a state conference.

Catawba College has received a $2,000 gift from National Starch and Chemical Foundation. The funds will be used for scholarship support.