Press Releases

Winfield, Kan., May 7, 2002 — Southwestern College science student Nathanael Wheatley has been awarded a research experience for undergraduates grant from Pittsburg State University. Wheatley will be in Pittsburg for the summer internship studying soybean-based polymers.

Wheatley is a junior physics major from Cherryvale. He is a member of the SC track and cross-country teams. He is the son of Wilber Wheatley Jr. and the late Deania Wheatley.

Wheatley will be working with several types of polymers during his internship. He will do testing on various aspects of the material, including flexibility, strength, durability, viscosity, and blending. He will also take part in discussions and lectures over such topics as current trends in the polymer-based industries, polymerization (plastics resinification) methods, and ethics in engineering, science, society, and technology.

Only 10 students that have been selected for this 10-week experience. Each student participating will be paired with a chemistry faculty member in their area of interest for their research.

Field trips to industries in Pittsburg will provide an industrial perspective; weekly seminars will give students information about career opportunities, methods of research, report writing techniques, and safety and ethics in the workplace. Their efforts will culminate in a campus-wide symposium, where participants will display their publishable results.