Mennonite Weekly Review

GOSHEN, Ind. — From exploring stress on honeybees to the relationship between math and music to the stories of stillbirth, 18 Goshen College students spent the summer doing intense study and research.

Maple Scholars, Goshen’s eight-week program, gives students the opportunity to participate in independent research projects alongside Goshen College faculty of various disciplines. Each scholar is paired with a faculty member who serves as both colleague and supervisor. It is running this year June 6-July 30.

The 2010 Maple Scholars:

Julia Baker, senior from Fresno, Calif., an interdisciplinary major, is working on producing a play called Heavenly Voices with associate professor of communication Pat McFarlane. The play is based on oral histories of Mennonite women of color that McFarlane had previously collected.

Mike Fecher, junior from Goshen, a Bible and religion and molecular biology/biochemistry double major, and Hannah Geiser, junior from Indianapolis, a mathematics and biology double major, are working on a project about the impacts of the domestication of chickens with professor of biology Jim Miller.

Christa Graber, senior from Hesston, Kan., a history major, is working on a research project about Willard Krabill with professor of Bible, religion and philosophy Keith Graber Miller. Krabill was the Goshen College physician for 24 years and was a pioneer and proponent of healthy sexuality and sex education for the Goshen community, the college and the Mennonite church.

Liz Gunden, senior from Chelsea, Mich., an art major, is working on a mural painting project in the Goshen College Roman Gingerich Recreation-Fitness Center with associate professor of art Randy Horst.

Chelsea Kaufman, senior from Racine, Wis., an English and art double major, is working on a project of collecting stories of stillbirth, grief and hope with assistant professor of English Jessica Baldanzi.

Peter Martin, sophomore from Goshen, a molecular biology/biochemistry major, and Greg Thiessen, junior from Austin, Texas, a biology and physics double major, are working on a project about the physiology and genomics of ethanol-induced stress in honeybees with assistant professor of biology Andy Ammons.

Caleb Mechem, junior from Decatur, Ill., a Bible and religion major, is researching biblical and ancient Near Eastern perspectives on becoming human with professor of Bible, religion and philosophy Paul Keim.