Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Trustees Distinguished Merit Award winner brings art to science
Sunny Huang
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Wendy Knipe Bredhold Media Relations Specialist, News & Information Services 812/461-5259 Sunny Huang, recipient of the University of Southern Indiana's 2011 Trustees Distinguished Merit Award, will graduate magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry. She is an Honors student who interned at the Mayo Clinic, conducted research at Indiana University School of Medicine, and presented research at national and international conferences. Her research has involved UV mutagenesis, Grave's disease, and nicotine addiction. But her academic career at USI also is notable for her work outside of her field of study. According to glowing reports from her professors, Huang brought art to science (and vice versa) in her courses, whether through creating beautiful drawings of biological tissue in a histology course, or writing a poem about Marie Curie (quoted above) for a class in creative writing. Huang contends that the many courses she took outside of her major deepened her scientific skills. "Acquiring artistic abilities strengthened my aptitude for recording observations and interpreting my environment," she said. "Though the opportunity to learn more than just chemistry, I excelled in the sciences and developed a greater appreciation for all of life's experiences." "Some of Sunny's poems turned on her knowledge of science, combining the language of research with emotional insight and creating images that were always novel and sometimes stunning," said Dr. Kevin Allton, who taught Huang's creative writing course. "Her work was consistently excellent, on a par with that of the strongest creative writing majors in my class." Dr. Rex Strange taught Huang's histology course. "Histology requires that the students learn to interpret the color, texture, and shape of biological tissues as seen through the microscope," he said. "Many students hurriedly work through the material and produce crude sketches. Sunny enjoyed taking her time with the material and subsequently produced beautiful drawings of the tissues we studied." Dr. Adrian Gentle first encountered Huang in a calculus class that she took while still in high school. Even as a high school student, he said, "Sunny was one of the strongest students in what was probably the best single class of calculus students I've encountered at USI." Two years later, as a USI student, she took Calculus II from Gentle. "That course is widely viewed by students as the most difficult in the calculus sequence. They often feel out of their depth. Sunny's drive to reach a deep understanding led her to initially struggle with the material, and even several years later she has a clear recollection of the shock that there is no clear, algorithmic route to an answer. By overcoming this obstacle Sunny demonstrated her determination and talent." Huang has taken leadership roles in the Student Government Association (SGA), American Chemical Society (ACS), Student Ambassadors, the Pre-Professional Health Club, and College Mentors for Kids. She was one of 15 student chapter leaders chosen to attend the National ACS Leadership Institute in 2010. She has been employed with USI's Center for Academic Creativity since it was created in 2008. Founding director Karyn Sproles (who has since accepted a position at Carlow University) said Huang was central in establishing the center and its programs at USI. "Sunny has broad academic interests and a mature understanding of education," Sproles said. "She was invaluable to the development of programs to help faculty engage students." The Trustees Distinguished Merit Award is the highest honor presented to a University student during Honors Week. The award, which includes a $1,000 stipend, recognizes outstanding achievement not only in the student's major but also in the liberal arts and sciences that form the core curriculum of a college education. Selection is made by the Student Affairs Committee. Huang holds the Robert A. and Carole D. Rust Endowed Presidential Scholarship. A graduate of Reitz High School, she is the daughter of Dr. Guoyuan and Shinan Huang. The former, her father, is associate professor of physical education at USI. She plans to attend medical school. |
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