PHI BETA KAPPA

Alpha Assoc ia t ion o f Colorado

Summer 2013 ®

Peter Heng, CC Grad, Wins 2013 Scholarship

Peter Heng, a 2013 graduate of Colorado College with a major in biology, has been awarded the 2013 graduate study scholarship of $3,000 by Phi Beta Kappa’s Alpha Association of Colorado. Mr. Heng was initiated into Colorado’s Beta Chapter of

PBK in 2013. He will be starting medical school at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska, this fall. Mr. Heng graduated cum laude in biology and also received the Departmental Honor of Distinction in Biology for completing a senior thesis and graduat-ing with a GPA of 3.5 or higher. In addition, he received several other awards, including the Ca-duceus Award and the Alfred W. Alberts Summer Research Prize.

Mr. Heng chose an extract from his senior thesis as his writing sample submission. He tells us that this work is the culmination of two years of research and writing, and while scientific research is not an area he intends to pursue in his future career as a medical practitioner, he believes the experience helped him acquire invaluable critical thinking skills. In addition he gained insight and appreciation for the research that will be behind the new medi-cines and biological discoveries that will help him become a better doctor.

His paper was a technical, scientific paper dealing with the study of an aspect of the embryonic development of a particular type of worm called C. elegans. Mr. Heng noted in a section entitled “Human Relevance” that

The purpose of studying model organisms such as C. elegans is to develop an understanding of the function of various genes in the worm. This knowledge can then be translated to the under-standing of homologous genes and proteins found in humans. As related to the study in this thesis, understanding how MEX-3 protein functions and how it is regulated in C. elegans provides insight about how proteins homologous to MEX-3 function in humans. Such research can then be

applied in medicine, where it is used to uncover the cellular and genetic basis for various diseases such as gastric cancer, which seems to be associated with the upregulation of the human homolog of the MEX-3 gene (Jiang et al., 2012).

Mr. Heng also noted that the results of the research could be used in studies of evolutionary development.

During Mr. Heng’s time at CC he was a leader in the Asian American Student Union and worked for the CC Admissions office as the minority represen-tative intern. Outside of CC, Mr. Heng was the treasurer of the Spirit of Cambodia Cultural Alli-ance based in Denver, which spreads awareness of Cambodian culture through performance of traditional dance and through athletic competition. Mr. Heng also volunteered at the SET nonprofit homeless clinic in Colorado Springs and the Asian Pacific Development Center mental health clinic in Denver. “These experiences have exposed me to the disparities that exist in the healthcare field among underserved and underrepresented communities,” Mr. Heng said. “My involvement with minority groups, as well as my exposure to the disparities in health care, have strengthened my desires to become a physician and work with underserved communities in the United States.”

On a very personal note, Mr. Heng, born and raised in Westminster, Colorado, shares this thought: “I am thankful to my parents for enduring the struggles and horrors of the Khmer Rouge genocide in Cambodia and the sacrifices they have made to start a new life here in the United States. Because of them I have the resources and opportunities I need in order to work hard and achieve my goals, which have gotten me to where I am today.”

This year, nine outstanding PBK initiates applied for the graduate scholarship. The Scholarship Committee included Chair Barbara Berryman, Alice White, Jim Elkins, Tom Hall, and Dr. Christine Bliven. The committee found all applicants were well-qualified and had excellent credentials. The group completed a thorough evaluation of all candidates and their submissions before choosing a winner, and the PBK board approved their recommendation.

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Annual Meeting Sept. 21 The Alpha Association’s 2013 annual meeting

will be Saturday, September 21, at the Mount Vernon Country Club, 24933 Clubhouse Circle, in Golden. We will have a short business meeting at 11:30 a.m. to elect officers for the coming year. After lunch, our featured speaker will be Dr. Peter Warren, who will describe his work with a Namibian cheetah rescue group.

Cost of the lunch will be $25, which includes the service charge. Four different entrées will be offered: medallions of steak, boneless chicken breast with orange or lemon sauce, vegetarian lasagna, and warm Caribbean shrimp salad with avocado, mango, and grape tomato.

As always, guests are welcome. If you plan to attend, please return your reservation form along with a check for your lunch to the address indicated. Reservations must be received by Friday, Septem-ber 13. If, after reserving, you cannot attend, please phone Carla Henebry-Branscombe at 303-394-3842 by September 13 to cancel. After this date, we will need to charge you for the cost of the lunch since we are guaranteeing a certain number of guests.

To get to Mount Vernon from the Denver area, take I-70 west to Exit 254 (Genesee Park). Turn right (north) at the top of the exit ramp onto Club-house Circle Road. After entering the club gate, follow the paved road east 1.3 mi. The club’s phone number is 303-526-0616.

2013–2014 Board Slate

The following members are nominated for the board of directors for 2013-14:

President: Cheryl Outerbridge Vice President of Membership: Brad Revare Vice President of Programs: Alice White Secretary: Carla Henebry-Branscombe Treasurer: Greg Sorensen Nominations will also be taken from the floor.

Since Ms. Outerbridge will still be both President and Immediate Past President, the latter position will remain inactive again this year.

PBK Special Events So far in 2013 our Alpha Association has enjoyed five special events:

March 8 — Georgia O’Keeffe tour at DAM. April 3 — Annual Banquet, with a talk by

Patricia Limerick

Dr. Peter Warren Will Speak at Annual Meeting

Dr. Peter Warren is the president and founder of the International Education Corps, a nonprofit organi-zation that recruits senior experts to serve in devel-oping countries on a pro bono basis. He is a vice provost emeritus for global development and dean

emeritus at the University of Denver. Dr. Warren founded and spent eighteen years as dean of University College, the continuing professional-adult education division of the University of Denver, and he has also served as vice chancellor for the Warsaw University of Marketing and Management in Poland. Before University College, Dr. Warren served as director of research and planning for the Colorado Research Institute. Earlier he held academic positions at the University of Wisconsin Medical School, the Aarhus Institute of Mathematics in Denmark, and the Institute for Information Processing in Graz, Austria. He established the Denver International Film Festival and has served as a member of the board of directors for several corporate and educational entities.

A semi-professional photographer, Dr. Warren’s photographs have appeared in magazines, on book and CD covers, and in corporate collections. His presentation at our annual meeting will focus on cheetahs, the swiftest mammals in the world. They are fighting for survival in the high deserts of Namibia, where they vie with farmers and civilization for range and habitat. He will describe the work of the Cheetah Conservation Fund to achieve a win-win outcome in this struggle .

April 18 — Colorado House of Representatives’ Commendation of the Alpha Association

May 18 — Discussion Luncheon on hot medical field topics

July 24 — Central City Tour and Luncheon

Legislative Tribute At the suggestion of Colorado Alpha Association

member and State Representative Su Ryden, the Colorado House of Representatives on April 18 presented a tribute commemorating our Associa-tion’s 20th anniversary. The tribute reads as follows:

Founded at the College of William and Mary in 1776, Phi Beta Kappa embraces the principles of freedom of inquiry and liberty of thought and expression, celebrating and promoting the advance of the liberal arts and sciences. The Alpha Association of Colorado, founded with a Phi Beta Kappa Senate char-ter in 1993, was created to promote scholar-ship, friendship, and cultural interests. Since that time, the association has awarded a total of $47,000 in scholarships to 30 students to pursue graduate studies The members of the Colorado House of Representatives are proud to recognize the Phi Beta Kappa Alpha Association and wish it many more years of continued success.

A group of our members attended the tribute ceremony on the House floor and later had a tour of the Capitol. Future Notices by Email

If you are receiving this newsletter by “snail” mail but have a valid email address, we encourage you to provide our association with your email address. This will enable you to receive most communications from us more swiftly. To add or change an email address, please send an email to board@pbkcolorado.org, giving your new email address and, if this is a change, also providing your former email address so that it can be deleted from our list.

In Memoriam

This year Phi Beta Kappa Alpha Association member Robert H. McWilliams Jr. passed away. The Board has made a $25 gift to the association’s Endowment Fund in his memory.

Annual Meeting Reservation / Membership Renewal Annual Meeting Reservation

Member’s Name and Guests: _____________________________________________________________

Please indicate an entrée choice and how many of each: ___ Steak Medallions ___ Caribbean Shrimp Salad ___ Sautéed Boneless Chicken ___ Vegetarian Lasagna Number of annual meeting luncheon reservations, including guests: ____ @ $25.00 per person: $_____

Membership Renewal

___ Sustaining membership @ $30.00 ___ Contributing membership at $100.00 ___ Life membership @ $500.00

Additional Donation of ___ $25 ___ $50 ___ $75 ___ $100 ___ Other for the ___ Scholarship Fund ___ Endowment Fund

Your donations are tax deductible to the extent the law allows. Payment

Make your check payable to Phi Beta Kappa, Alpha Association of Colorado. Total amount of payment: __________. Please detach this form and mail it with your check to

Phi Beta Kappa, Alpha Association of Colorado 140 S. Glencoe St. Denver, CO 80246

Paid reservations must be received no later than September 13, 2013.

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PHI BETA KAPPA • ALPHA ASSOCIATION OF COLORADO Annual Meeting

Saturday, September 21, 2013 11:30 a.m.

Mount Vernon Country Club 24933 Clubhouse Circle, Golden, Colorado

Speaker: Dr. Peter Warren, describing Namibia’s Cheetah Conservation Fund, with photos

RSVP by September 13, 2013

PHI BETA KAPPA ALPHA ASSOCIATION OF COLORADO

1250 Humboldt St. $1303 Denver, CO 80218-2464