Kansas City Kansas Community College and the Kansas Speedway are working together to bring a visit to KCKCC just in time for the NASCAR XFINITY Series Kansas Lottery 300 at the Kansas Speedway.
NASCAR driver Justin Allgaier will visit the Dr. Thomas R. Burke Technical Education Center from 2 to 3 p.m. Oct. 18 at the Auto Technology Building, 6535 State Ave.
Allgaier competes in the NASCAR XFINITY Series, driving the No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro. Allgaier won the regular season championship with five victories and 14 straight top 10 finishes He was the 2008 ARCA Champion as well as the 2009 NASCAR XFINITY Series Rookie of the Year.
During his visit to KCKCC-TEC, Allgaier will participate in a question-and-answer session with students, take a tour of the Auto Technology program’s facility and watch a student demonstration. The event will end with a short meet-and-greet.
“KCKCC is thrilled to work with such an outstanding community partner to bring attention to the technical trades,” said Tami Bartunek, chief marketing and outreach officer at KCKCC. “Technicians are in great demand, and KCKCC faculty train the best.”
Gissel McDonald was presented with a certificate of the 2018 Tom Steadman Teacher-Research Opportunity Award by Dr. Aron Fenton, professor of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. (Submitted photo)
Gissel McDonald has been named the recipient of the Tom Steadman 2018 Teacher-Research Opportunity Award at the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department at the University of Kansas Medical Center.
The award is for high school teachers who share hands-on research techniques, and have the opportunity to contribute to original research conducted within the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department.
McDonald received her bachelor’s degree in biology with a minor in chemistry fro Texas A&M University in 1999. She began her teaching career in Oklahoma, where she taught middle school science, high school biology, chemistry and physics, and was an adjunct proessor at Connors State college.
During her 15 years teaching various levels of chemistry at Spring Hill High School in Spring Hill, Kansas, she started a traveling chemistry magic show targeted for elementary-aged students to promote interest in science, technology, engineering and math fields.
In 2009, McDonald introduced a Material Science and Technology course to expose students to different STEM fields not traditionally seen at high school. Several former students have now gone on to study polymer engineering, metallurgical engineering, and other fields in material science.
Her past efforts have been recognized by being awarded the Spring Hill’s teacher of the year award in 2007 and the American Chemical Society Midwest Regional Award for Excellence in High School Teaching in 2016.
McDonald is now a Master Teacher for ASM International Education Foundation (a partnership program with local material science industry professionals) and travels the country during the summer, teaching other teachers about material science. The goal of this effort is to encourage material science topics in high school curriculums. McDonald has presented material science at a National Science Teaching Association conference. However, McDonald shows little interest in being content with past achievements. Instead, she continues to serve as the science department chair on her campus, as well as being part of a Building Leadership Team, and being interactive with education within her church.
McDonald was presented with a certificate of the 2018 Tom Steadman Teacher-Research Opportunity Award by Dr. Aron Fenton, professor of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.
Local historian Loren Taylor will speak tonight at the the Bonner Springs Historic Preservation Society meeting at 7 p.m. at the Alden-Harrington Family Events Center, 218 Oak St., Bonner Springs. (File photo)
Historian Loren Taylor will be the guest speaker at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 11, at the Bonner Springs Historic Preservation Society event.
Taylor will speak at the Alden-Harrington Family Event Center, 218 Oak St., Bonner Springs.
Taylor recently edited “A Historical Overview of Wyandotte County, Volume 2,” and will give a presentation on his work.
His previous works include “The Consolidated Ethnic History of Wyandotte County,” “The Historic Communities of Wyandotte County” and “Historical Overview of Wyandotte County and Its Historic Sites, Volume 1.”
