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The University of the Virgin Islands St. Croix campus enjoyed extraordinary success with its three Summer Open House programs, which hosted more than 200 visitors. The Open Houses were held on July 12, 19 and 28th. Funded by the School-to-Work/Career Initiative and co- ordinated by Robin Groelle, interim supervisor for UVI’s Office of Counseling and Placement on the St. Croix cam- pus, the UVI Open Houses were designed to give Virgin Is- landers a better glimpse of college life and the benefits of a college education. Each Open House consisted of both fac- ulty and student panelists who discussed the “ins and outs” of campus life as well as the importance and benefits of a college education. Panelists shared their life stories and de- scribed the hardships they faced as college students. Dr. LeeAnn Lucas, a psychology professor on the St. Croix campus, told the eager attendees to continue striving toward their goals. “Never let anyone tell you that you cannot fulfill your dreams or make some- thing of yourself,” she said. Although the Open H o u s e s were geared toward students from grades seven and up, the final Open House was primarily directed toward adult learn- ers and high school students. Stanley Acoy, an Adult Educa- tion graduate, saw the Open House as a very useful asset to the community. When asked in what ways the Open House program was beneficial, Acoy said it had a very positive re- sponse. “It was a very enlightening experience for me, because it opened my eyes to a broader horizon of education, not to mention life’s expectations,” Acoy said. “I am tired of see- ing my peers sitting around and complaining about the nega- tivity that society has foreshadowed upon us; instead of be- dateline:UVI The monthly newsletter of The University of the Virgin Islands August 30, 2001 vol. vii, number 7 * By April Brown and Michelle Albany St. Croix Campus Hosts Successful Open Houses continued next page . . . Events Calendar Sept. 6 SBDC customer service workshop - Nisky Center, St. Thomas Sept. 18, 19, 20 Wetlands workshops STT, STX, STJ Coop. Ext. Svc. ing a part of the problem, I would rather be part of the solu- tion.” In addition to prospective students, several current UVI students attended the Open House as a means of getting to know their campus better. Morris Carney III, a second year student on the St. Croix campus, and his mother, Charlotte Carney, found that UVI had many more resources than they had originally thought. Morris remarked that although he was involved in some extracurricular activities, he felt removed from the UVI com- munity. From the information he received at the Open House, Morris said he sees how he can become more involved. As Clint Ferris, the supervisor of student activities on the St. Croix campus promotes, there are many opportunities to “get hooked on student activities” at UVI. Charlotte Carney said she was impressed with the resources UVI has to offer. “I had no idea UVI had so much for its students. I always thought the UVI community was rather UVI sophomore Morris Carney III and his mother, Charlotte Carney, attend one of the Open House programs on the St. Croix campus. Student Activities Supervisor Clint Ferris, center, addresses a faculty panel at a St. Croix Open House. dateline:UVI 2 John Brewer’s Bay St. Thomas, VI 00802 GET CONNECTED TO UVI news, activities and accomplishments at . . . www.uvi.edu GET CONNECTED TO UVI news, activities and accomplishments at . .. www.uvi.edu UVI students and faculty who took advantage of summer research opportunities abroad have some very interesting answers to the question, “What did you do with your summer vacation?” Their summers were spent at a number of prestigious in- stitutions including the Massachusetts Institute of Technol- ogy (M.I.T.), Purdue University, Brown University, the Na- tional Institutes of Health campus in Bethesda, Maryland and Auburn University in Atlanta. In addition, four UVI students in the Early Medical School Selection Program spent the sum- mer at Boston University. Laurel Royer, a UVI junior chemistry major, studied the chemistry of Brefeldin A, a compound with anticancer prop- erties, at Purdue. Linda Knoeck, a UVI marine biology major, spent the summer studying the DNA of bioluminescent marine organ- isms that she collected in St. Thomas with a research group at California State University at Los Angeles. Five UVI students participated in a program at Albany State designed to improve their performance on the Medical College Admissions Test and to enhance their knowledge of medicine as a career. Dr. Granville Wrensford, a UVI alum- nus and former UVI chemistry professor, is director of the Health Careers Opportunity Program at Albany State Uni- versity in Georgia. “It was certainly a pleasure having the students from UVI in our program,” Dr. Wrensford said. “As director of the pro- gram, I interacted with all of the instructors and they all had very wonderful and positive things to say about the students.” UVI faculty also worked with collaborators at other uni- versities. Dr. Sandra Romano, a UVI professor of marine biology, studied coral reproduction in Guam and Dr. Mary Whitten, a UVI chemistry professor, worked at Northern Illi- nois University developing environmentally friendly paints with a Northern Illinois professor and UVI chemistry major, Valicia Burke. Dr. Camille McKayle, a UVI mathematics professor, con- ducted research at Lehigh University on the mathematical modeling of the foot along with UVI computer science jun- ior Resa Jean. Dr. David Storm, a UVI physics professor, worked at the Naval Research Lab in Washington, D.C. In addition to the students who participated in off-island programs, 16 UVI students conducted research projects on St. Thomas and St. Croix. Guided by UVI faculty, the stu- dents worked on research ranging from the reproduction of white hair sheep to the perception of risky behavior in Virgin Islanders. Other on-island research included that of Shenell Gordon, a UVI biology major, who spent the summer work- ing for Dr. Barbara Kojis at the V.I. Department of Fish and Wildlife. St. Croix Open Houses . . . (con’td) isolated.” With the new information that she learned at the UVI Open House, Carney said she knows UVI is a good place to cultivate young minds. She said she hopes her other chil- dren will also attend UVI in the future. As a parent, Carney said she has found that on-campus living is not only a viable option, but also one that may be beneficial as well. UVI works hard to facilitate academic success for all its students, encouraging interaction between students, the fac- ulty and the Virgin Islands community. The Counseling and Placement Office is available to assist prospective or current students. Visit the Counseling and Placement Office web site under Offices and Services at www.uvi.edu or call for more information at 692-4180. * April Brown, a junior accounting major at UVI, is a student assistant in the Counseling and Placement Office on the St. Croix campus. Michelle Albany, a graduate of Loyola College, was a sum- mer intern in the Counseling and Placement Office. UVI Students, Faculty Return After Prestigious Summer Research/Training Abroad