The Outreach group at The Genome Institute at Washington University in St. Louis is seeking bright, innovative and talented students to participate in the OGR Undergraduate Scholars Program. This is an eight-week summer program providing students with an intensive, mentored research experience in genomics and related fields. Students will be a part of an excellent lab team led by one of the established scientists at Washington University School of Medicine. At the end of the program all participants will give an oral presentation of their summer research findings. The program includes enrichment activities such as: Kaplan GRE course, journal club, career counseling/workshops, presentation/writing skills and social activities.

Tentative Dates of the Program: May 30 - July 27, 2012.

Provisions of the Program: Competitive stipend, on-campus housing, and travel to/from program.

Requirements:

• Must be a sophomore, junior or senior in a 4-year institution at the time of entry into the program
• GPA: Competitive – Highly competitive
• Residency: Must be a US Citizen or a Permanent Resident
• Major: science, technology, engineering, or mathematics fields (some exceptions)

In 2012, the STARS team continues its monthly blog post on facts, trends, and best practices in campus sustainability. Our first blog post of the year is based on data submitted by over 140 STARS Participants as of December 31, 2011. With a focus this month on a recap of STARS, we hope to recognize a job well done and share ideas and inspiration on advancing sustainability in higher education.

Did you know?
2011 was a significant year for STARS. 138 out of a total of 143 STARS-rated institutions submitted their report in 2011. August was the busiest month for STARS, with 40 institutions submitting during that month. This high-level of submissions can be attributed to an August 2010 deadline to register for STARS as a Charter Participant.

Below is an overview of STARS Ratings as of December 31, 2011:

Factoids:
Characteristics of institutions that earned a STARS Rating through December 2011:

• 53 percent received a Silver rating, with an average score of 50.3
• With a full-time equivalent enrollment of 400, the Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design is the smallest STARS-rated institution
• With a full-time equivalent enrollment of over 47,000, the University of Texas at Austin is the largest STARS-rated institution
• 95 percent are AASHE members
• 61 percent are signatories of the American College and University President’s Climate Commitment (ACUPCC)
• 9 percent are Canadian
• 13 percent are two-year institutions
• 36 percent are classified as research institutions according to the Carnegie classification system
• 39 percent are private colleges or universities
• More information can be found at the STARS Dashboard: https://stars.aashe.org/institutions/data-displays/dashboard/

With over 200 institutions pending submissions in 2012, AASHE is looking forward to another successful year for STARS. Please give us your feedback on future STARS data analysis updates by sending your ideas to stars@aashe.org.

Psalm 27:1-4

¹ The LORD is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid?

² When the wicked advance against me
to devour me,
it is my enemies and my foes
who will stumble and fall.
³ Though an army besiege me,
my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me,
even then I will be confident.

⁴ One thing I ask from the LORD,
this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the LORD
and to seek him in his temple.

Reflection:

The writer is in the midst of great turmoil.  There was war breaking out, an army besieging, enemies and foes around but the believer is confident of this that no matter what the circumstance, the deepest cry and longing is to be in God’s presence and to gaze on the beauty of the Lord. The situation does not distract him.  For the writer, it’s all about God and His presence.

Response:

This is the heart cry of God’s peoples.  Our deepest longing is for the Lord, and to be in His presence.  As we read and pray through the Word, may God and His presence be the one thing we seek over and over again.  May life situations not distract us, may our cry remain the same.