Sarah Benedict is a Master’s student in Biology. In November she was nominated for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources Outstanding Individual Volunteer Award for her work tagging and tracking bats last summer. The previous summers she had been compensated for her work, but for 2008 some funding dried up. Benedict volunteered her time last summer to continue the project, even helping to train other students. A December article in the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier highlighted her work and the award nomination.

The first two summers of the project Benedict spent surveying barns and bridges in southern Iowa to see how frequently different bat species used them as night and day roosts. Indiana bats were focused on because they have endangered status and were known to use those structures as roosts. The last two summers, the workers and volunteers returned to barns and bridges where Indiana bats had been caught and radio tagged them so their moving and roosting habits could be studied. Benedict says the award nomination has brought a lot of attention to the project.

Working with bats is a family affair. Benedict's father does research with bats. With her mother and sister, she has always been involved in netting bats. Benedict earned a bachelors degree in Biology at Central College in Pella, Iowa. She chose UNI for her graduate education after visiting with Dr. Daryl Smith and the staff of the Tallgrass Prairie Center. Her current research looks at storm water interception and infiltration in different grass communities. She plans to continue on for a PhD so she can teach at the college level. Her work with bats has shown her the importance of educating people about how they can help species whose numbers are declining. Seeing community members become interested in what they can do to help the bats influenced Benedict's decision to teach.

Above Right: Benedict tracking bats

Right: A young Silver Haired Bat. They are hard to catch and Benedict's team got some of the only reproductive records for the species last summer.

Left: An Indiana Bat with her tag waiting in a bucket for the glue to dry.

Photos courtesy of Sarah Benedict

Amber Boyd teaches Talented and Gifted students at Logan Middle School and the Dr. Walter Cunningham School for Excellence. She is also pursuing an Advanced Studies Certificate in the Principalship Urban Education Network program at UNI, which she hopes to segue into the doctoral program. Boyd recently received a 2008 Multicultural Educator Award, sponsored by the Multicultural Teaching Alliance, the Multicultural Initiatives in Teaching Program, and the College of Education. The award recognizes Pre-K through 12th grade educators and administrators who have demonstrated a commitment to culturally responsive and responsible teaching, leadership, and multicultural education for all students. The award was presented at the Multicultural Teachers Reception held November 17, 2008 in the Georgian Lounge.

Association for Educational Communications & Technology (AECT) International Conference

November 4-8, 2008
Orlando Florida

Dr. Leigh Zeitz, Curriculum & Instruction, and Lois Lindell, doctoral student in Curriculum & Instruction, conducted a daylong professional development workshop entitled “Becoming an Active Web2.0er” at the AECT International Conference. Zeitz and Lindell have conducted other professional development workshops in Iowa on using collaborative and social networking tools for enhancing instruction.

Joining Zeitz & Lindell at the conference were Dr. Ana Donaldson, conference program planner, Dr. Mary Herring, incoming President of AECT, and Dr. Bill Callahan, Dean, College of Education.

Pictured (left to right) Dr. Ana Donaldson, Dr. Leigh Zeitz, Dr. Bill Callahan, Dr. Mary Herring, and Lois Lindell

Clarence Lobdell III Recieves
Errol B. Davis Alliant Energy Award

Clarence Lobdell III is a student in the Masters of Accounting program. He recently won the Errol B. Davis Alliant Energy Award. After being nominated, he had to submit an essay about his leadership and scholarship at UNI. He will be recognized at an Iowa Board of Regents meeting this April for his accomplishments leading to the receipt of this $4,500 award. He is honored by this recognition and hopes others see awards like this as motivation to work hard inside and outside the classroom. His recent research has focused on financial and tax accounting issues. He currently serves as the vice president for the student body. He will graduate this May.