Study Abroad 2017: Joshua Sanders '18 in China

By Joshua Sanders '18

August 9, 2017: Hello all, this time from America! I’ve finally settled back in and gotten used to the time difference (and I’m almost over how sad I am about not being able to get awesome Chinese food every day). For the last two weeks of my China trip, I left the research laboratory and joined up with the United Nations Academic Impact “Incredible Three Gorges” Summer School for classes such as Chinese culture, mythology, songs, dance, language, and calligraphy (to name a few). Unfortunately, I passed all of my classes so I won’t be heading back next summer to re-take any of them (ha-ha). I got a Chinese name during the summer school classes, “成河人” (Chéng Hé Rén) meaning to become like a person of the river. I helped choose this name because of a traditional Chinese idea about water and rivers, “上善若水” (Shang shan ruo shi) meaning “the highest virtue is to become like water”. In Chinese culture rivers and water are seen calm and gentle, bending and giving way to stronger forces when needed but also being strong and carving through rock and tackling obstacles.

Throughout our time in the summer school program, each of the foreign students (two from Korea, three from Italy, and two other Americans plus myself) were assigned a volunteer who was a student at CTGU to help us and guide us. My volunteer, Jiang Nan, was incredible and was always happy to help us out or go out shopping, eating, or to KTV with us. She even helped me online shop for some gifts for others (and myself) online, and is shipping one to me that arrived after I’d left! All of the other volunteers were amazing as well, and at the closing ceremony before everybody left there were tears and hugs all around.

During the summer school, in addition to classes we went out on cultural outings, such as visits to the Three Gorges Dam (the world’s largest hydroelectric power facility), Zigui and Jiangxi for white water rafting (yes, white water rafting!), a tea factory to learn how to pick and process green tea, and a trip to a bijou factory. (Bijou is a traditional Chinese alcohol, the translation into English is “wine” however bijou is not wine, it is most certainly liquor… very strong liquor.) I have been and will continue sifting through all of the pictures I have to post some more to the Flickr album, but I took a lot of pictures and the volunteers took many as well and were kind enough to put them on a flash drive for me, so I’ve got hundreds of pictures and movies to go through.

My last night in China, I went out with several friends from the research lab I had worked in, and we ate dinner then went out singing KTV. Karaoke, which is “KTV” in China, is incredibly popular. In America, when someone says “karaoke” the mental image often conjured up is someone in a bar who got drunk and decided that karaoke was a good idea, but in China this isn’t the case at all. There are very nice KTV places with lots of individual rooms, and you and your friends can rent the room for a few hours. In the room, there’s often a disco ball or some laser lights, and a really nice tv set-up with a little tablet/display to pick songs to sing; KTV is comparable to making plans and going out bowling or to play mini-golf with friends.

Now that I’m back stateside (which almost didn’t happen on time because my flight from Yichang to Shanghai sat on the tarmac for two hours before take-off, yikes) I definitely want to stay for a while and finish my schooling but after I graduate from grad school (hopefully with a Ph.D) I definitely want to go back to Yichang and teach for a year at CTGU. I’ve spoken with some of the instructors at the school and with Dr. Johnson about it, and I’ve been told that it’s relatively certain that I’d be able to teach for a year, so that is definitely on my horizon. Until then, I’ll keep in touch with all of the friends I made in China and study hard so that I can graduate on time and get back to Yichang.

Thanks for reading and keeping up with all of my adventures in China, and more pics are on the way when I find the time to get through all of them! And again, I am incredibly thankful that I’m a Ferrum Panther, and that I’m in the Boone Honors Program. The professors, advisors, and everyone else in my Ferrum family help me be the student I am and do the amazing things I have been given chances to do. Without the support of my fellow Ferrum students and the professors and advisors I emailed and Skype called, I wouldn’t have made it through my time in China. It’s a great day to be a Panther.

Read my other blog posts shared in June 2017 and July 2017.

Study Abroad 2017: Joshua Sanders '18 in China

Greetings from Yichang, in the Hubei Province of China!

Joshua Sanders '18 and Dr. David Johnson in China.

My name is Joshua Sanders and I am a rising senior at Ferrum College pursuing a B.S in chemistry. This summer I have been privileged to study at the China Three Gorges University (CTGU) in Dr. Huang Ying Ping’s lab thanks to the generous financial support of the Boone Honors Program. Additionally, I’ve had the honor to work in the same research group as Dr. David Johnson, professor emeritus of Ferrum College, who has been crucial in building bridges and making connections between students of Ferrum College and CTGU.

To be boring and scientific, I’m investigating the catalytic abilities of metal-doped biochar to degrade organic pollutants via Photo-Fenton chemistry. Regular human-speak, I’m looking at the ability of a cheap, easily produced, and environmentally-friendly way to clean up wastewater from pharmaceutical, textile, and industrial production facilities.

Biochar is basically organic material, such as peanut husks, sewer sludge, plants, and other organic stuff, which has been pyrolyzed (or burned and turned to carbon in a low oxygen environment.) Think of ground up charcoal powder, like the activated carbon you use in some aquarium filters, that’s been made from what would otherwise be trash or waste material.

In my case, the biochar was made from a plant that selectively absorbed copper from the soil, meaning it could help “clean” soil before being turned to biochar. An added benefit of a metal-doped biochar is that depending on the metal absorbed, the biochar product can be used in Fenton reactions. In addition to phytoremediation of metal-contaminated soils, the absorbed metal ion is used to generate other chemical species that can attack the pollutants and either absorb them from the water or turn them into less harmful molecules, water, and oxygen gas.

Biochar has become very popular recently due to its wide variety of applications including its ability to “scrub” pollutants from water, soil and air; produce biofuel; and reduce the amount of waste to be managed. Biochar is an attractive and interesting avenue to pursue in the field of climate control and environmental pollution control.

You can see more of my photographs here.

Hello from New Panther Blogger Paige!

by Paige R., Panther Blogger

My name is Paige. I am a senior at Ferrum College majoring in Pre-Professional Science and Biology and minoring in Chemistry.  I am also a member of the college's Boone Honors Program. This is my third year at Ferrum and I wouldn't change any of my experiences at this amazing school!  When I graduate from Ferrum in May 2014, I hope to go to graduate school and eventually into the medical field.

I found out about Ferrum when the Admissions Office called my home during my senior year in high school. I had heard of the college before, but at the time, it wasn't one of the schools that I was considering.  After I learned about the numerous scholarships that I was eligible to receive through Ferrum, I came to campus for a visit. Once I visited campus for the first time, I knew that this beautiful community setting was right for me!

Three years later, I still know that I made the right decision. My favorite thing about Ferrum is the one-on-one attention that students have with their professors. I can always go to my professors for extra help with lecture material or homework.  I have many friends who go to larger colleges where their professors do not know them by name or even recognize them outside of the classroom.  I'm so glad that this would never be the case at Ferrum!

Ferrum is not located in a large city or town, so as a student, it is important to find things to do on campus.  As faculty, staff, and students commonly say - boredom is a choice here because of all the clubs and activities on campus. I am president of the Minds-n-Medicine Club, president of the College Republicans Club, and treasurer of the Lions Branch Club.  I am also a member of two honor societies on campus:  Tri Beta and Alpha Chi.  These clubs were originally a way for me to get involved on campus; through these clubs, however, I have developed the best friendships and relationships with faculty that I could ever hope for!  I am an Admissions Ambassador as well, and I give tours on some Saturdays during the semester.  Maybe I will see you on campus sometime soon!

Hello from New Panther Blogger, Blake!

by Blake S., Panther Blogger

Hello, everyone!  My name is Blake, and I am a transfer student here at Ferrum College. I am majoring in Biology and double-minoring in Chemistry and Forensic Science. I would like to first introduce myself by telling you about how and why I decided to attend Ferrum College.

I was born and raised in Bristol, Virginia, where I graduated from John S. Battle High School. Upon my graduation, I knew that I wanted to attend college but was not sure where I wanted to go. Having already completed a year of dual enrollment classes, my final decision was to attend my local community college, Virginia Highlands Community College, and obtain my Associate Degree in Science.

A few months before graduating from Virginia Highlands, I knew it was time for me to begin searching for a four-year college that I could attend to obtain a bachelor's degree. I started my search with the Community College's transfer agreement list. This was a list of local colleges that Virginia Highlands had collaborated with to provide special benefits for graduating students who wanted to transfer to a 4-year college.  A few of these benefits included not having to pay a college application fee, having all of the obtained college credits transferred, and receiving a small scholarship.

Performing microbiological independent research at Ferrum

Ferrum College, alongside many other colleges and universities, was on the transfer agreement list. The reason that Ferrum College sparked my interest is because it was a small college, it was away from home, and it had a great biology program. There were also a number of opportunities present at Ferrum that were not available at other colleges.

The inaugural class of the Freshman
Scholar's Program.

At this point in my life, I was positive that biology was what I wanted to study. I thoroughly enjoyed both the biology and chemistry classes that I had taken thus far, and I wanted to further my education in these two areas. I was also ready for the experiences of living away from home and having to support myself while studying at the same time. There were many other colleges that could have fulfilled these two requirements I needed, however, Ferrum College, more so than any of the other colleges on the transfer agreement list, promoted numerous programs and resume-building opportunities. A few of these that struck my interest included the Freshman Scholar's Program, the E-Term experience, and being able to perform undergraduate independent research.  Ferrum College also promoted their fraternities and sororities on campus, numerous clubs, and the Ferrum Outdoors Program.

Desperately wanting to be able to branch out and participate in new experiences, I knew that Ferrum College was the place where I wanted to be. After attending a single Panther Preview (open house) and meeting a few of the professors and students, I made the final decision that Ferrum College would be my home for the next two years. This was a huge future-determining decision that I made, and I have yet to regret a single moment of it.

The top of McAfee's Knob near Roanoke after a day of hiking

I strongly encourage prospective students to explore the Ferrum College website, and browse the numerous opportunities available here. Also, attend an open house event and visit the college campus to speak with a few of the professors and students. This is the best way to figure out if Ferrum is the right college for you. If you have any questions about the opportunities and programs offered here at Ferrum, do not hesitate to ask.

- Blake

The Last Weeks of a Great E-Term Course

BY MARYANN, PANTHER BLOGGER

During the third week of E-Term, my class went on a couple of day trips to Blacksburg, VA. We went to Virginia Tech to see their crystallography department. Crystallography is basically the study of a solid compound and determining its structure, which is done by machines and computers. While at the facility, we were given lessons on how the crystallography machine worked and how to operate the computer program used to create the structures of compounds. We then were able to take solid crystals we created in our lab time and use the machines to find the structure of the solid compounds we made. Using the computer program was challenging because it does not just tell you the structure of the compound; you have to figure it out. However, it was a very interesting experience, and I think my class and I took away a lot from this trip.

E-Term has now ended. I had a fantastic time these past three weeks. We spent most of the first two weeks in the lab doing whatever kinds of experiments we wanted to do. Some of the guys in my class have a fascination with explosions; Dr. Powell allowed them to do some very small-scale experiments that produced bright light, smoke and/or fire. I am not much of a fan of making fire and explosions, but I did one pretty cool demonstration by using a copper penny in which a colorful, fun reaction takes place.

Other than that one awesome demo, I spent most of my time conducting failed experiments. But that’s ok. Sometimes experiments don’t work. I often think that you learn more from a failure than from a success.

This chemistry E-Term was a great experience. I did a lot of things I know I normally would not have been able to do. I conducted experiments that were interesting to me as well as see other experiments my fellow students were working on. I also had a great time working with my fellow students as well as with Dr. Powell. This was an experience I will not forget!

Laboratory Experiments for E-Term!

BY MARYANN, PANTHER BLOGGER

Before my senior year at Ferrum College, I am taking a three-week Experiential Term (E-Term) course this summer. The Experiential Term I am taking this summer is CHM 405, Advanced Chemistry with Dr. Powell. This E-Term’s curriculum is mostly made up of lots of time in the lab conducting hands-on experiments. Every day, we individually conduct at least one or two experiments.

The first day of class, we each made a different compound; I made hexaamminenickel (II) bromide. It is a coordination compound, which basically involves the formation of a product due to coordinate covalent bonds.

hexaamminenickel (II) bromide

You feel good when a lab goes as planned, but sometimes you have to expect that a lab just might not work. Even when our experiments do not always work right, we do not let that stop us; we learn a lot from both successful and unsuccessful experiments.

Colloidal silver

The other day, each student in my class conducted a different experiment and then presented it to the rest of the class. I made colloidal silver. Colloidal silver is a nanoparticle, which is a really small particle. It was used long ago to stain glass windows in churches.\

My class is learning a lot in this E-Term course! We are working individually as well as consulting with each other to solve problems. I am looking forward to the many other experiments that we’ll see throughout this class.

The Science Programs at Ferrum Open Doors!

BY DARRYL, PANTHER BLOGGER 

Hey everyone, Being a Biology major, a chemistry minor, and forensic science minor has opened almost every door in the science community. Biology is an extremely broad field and you can take it anywhere from studying rocks to studying whales. It is also a great foundation for any professional field in health care.

The Biology program here is extremely detailed. You aren’t just learning information to forget it after you take a test. The information builds on top of itself, and you have to learn how to apply it in real life situations.

General Biology is just that, general: you get a broad base of what the science community has to offer. After that class, you can focus on courses that interest you from anatomy (if you want to work with people) to vertebrate zoology (if you like to study animals) and so many others. All of the Biology labs have been revamped to be more exciting and hands-on. We are also one of a few schools that allow the use of cadavers in anatomy labs. Most undergraduate programs never see a cadaver, let alone work with one. Ferrum definitely prepare you for your future studies if you chose to continue your education. Biology is an incredible field to go into, especially if you’re not sure what you want to do in the science field. Biology is definitely the way to go because all doors will be opened.

Chemistry and Forensic Science are very similar: a lot of chemistry. These maybe difficult subjects, but the professors are top-notch and will do everything in their capabilities to help you succeed. They also just got all new equipment. It is brand-spanking new—you can even play with the bubble wrap as they unpack it!

The labs are extremely fun; the aspect of making something out of two seeming less ordinary products is fascinating. Forensic Science is definitely more hands-on; we do labs that a forensic scientist would do in the field and in labs, like make a casting of a foot or fingerprinting. Maybe I’m just a science nut, but I’m okay with that.

If you guys have any questions, I’ll be happy to answer them for you.


Thanks for reading,

Darryl