O'Fallon High School

Students at The University of Alabama who competed in a NASA robotics contest came away with the top prize again, making it four straight years for the team from UA to win. Alabama Astrobotics took the top prize at the NASA Robotic Mining Competition, besting student teams from more than 50 other institutions in the challenge to build a robot capable of navigating and excavating simulated Martian soil, or regolith. Made up of about 65 students from across eight disciplines including engineering and computer science, Alabama Astrobotics is the only team to win more than once in the nine-year history of the NASA contest, placing first in 2012, 2015, 2016, 2017 and, now, 2018. "Our team is just like a football team, you have seniors who graduate at the end and you have new people coming in at the beginning, so every year it's a completely different team," said team lead and electrical engineering student Max Eastepp. "For us to be successful this year says a lot for this team and says a lot for how we adapt to new challenges each year." Eastepp, a native of New Orleans, Louisiana, said teamwork is critical as students worked from July through the contest this month to design the robot and tackle the new problem NASA presented this year. Contest organizers revised the rules and rubrics this year to reflect the discovery that water ice is prevalent throughout the Red Planet. The challenge is to mine the precious icy regolith, simulated with gravel in the contest, since water ice will provide oxygen, water and fuel for future off-world colonists. What that meant for the contest, though, is no points were awarded to teams for digging the top foot of regolith. Teams earned points for collecting the gravel 12 inches below the surface. The robot built by the UA students mined the most gravel of any team in the contest. UA's robot mined more of the gravel than any other team in the contest, with many teams failing to mine any gravel. Also, Alabama Astrobotics was the only team with a robot that competed entirely autonomously, meaning the robot used computer programming to guide itself, mine and deposit the soil and gravel without any directions from students during the contest. The team placed first in five out of nine categories that included mining, autonomy, systems engineering paper, efficient use of communications power and outreach reports. In all, the students won $11,000 for use on next year's robot. Dr. Kenneth Ricks, team adviser and associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, said the team's consistent success comes from a culture of sticking to a plan - meeting deadlines, testing thoroughly before competition and paying attention to detail. "We know what needs to be done and when it needs to be done," he said. "If our students buy into that process, they know they will have opportunities to be successful." The team received funding from the Alabama Space Grant Consortium, NASA, Dynetics, Fitz-Thors Engineering, Crank N Chrome and the University.

Cedarville University Students Named to Dean's List

To be named to the dean's list, students must have a grade-point average of 3.0 or better and rank in the top 20 percent of their class in their respective college or school.

Congratulations to the McKendree University students and recent graduates whose work is published in Issue 30 (Summer 2018) of Scholars: The McKendree University Online Journal of Undergraduate Research.

The following students earned a position on the University of Evansville Dean's List for academic achievements during the Spring Semester 2018.

The University of Alabama has inducted a new group of students into its chapter of Phi Beta Kappa. Founded on December 5, 1776, The Phi Beta Kappa Society is the nation's most prestigious academic honor society. It has chapters at 286 colleges and universities in the United States, 50 alumni associations, and more than half a million members worldwide. Noteworthy members include 17 U.S. Presidents, 39 Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States and more than 130 Nobel Laureates. The mission of The Phi Beta Kappa Society is to champion education in the liberal arts and sciences, foster freedom of thought, and recognize academic excellence. UA's chapter was founded in 1851. Students are elected to membership on the basis of outstanding academic achievement in the liberal arts and sciences.

Outstanding McKendree University students were introduced at the Honors Convocation during the fifth annual Academic Excellence Celebration on April 26.

McKendree University congratulates the Class of 2018! #McK2018

Chapter 292 of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation's oldest, largest and most selective all-discipline honor society, congratulated new members as part of McKendree University's Academic Excellence Celebration on April 26.

Inistallation of members and officers of McKendree University's Phi Eta Sigma academic honor society was held on April 26 at the Hettenhausen Center for the Arts, during the annual Academic Excellence Celebration.

McKendree University's chapter of the international honor society for the social sciences initiated new members and installed new officers on April 26.

The Beta Chapter of Sigma Zeta math and science honor society at McKendree University welcomed new members and installed 2018-2019 officers on April 26.

The McKendree University chapter of Sigma Beta Delta honor society welcomed new members and presented awards on April 19 at a ceremony and dinner hosted by the School of Business.

McKendree University students will present, perform and exhibit their scholarly and creative works during the 2018 Academic Excellence Celebration on April 26 at the Lebanon, Illinois, campus.

McKendree University psychology students presented two research posters about relationships and mental illness at the Midwestern Psychological Association's Annual Conference in Chicago on April 14.

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock announces its students enrolled in the spring 2018 semester.

Degree-seeking undergraduate students are eligible for Dean's List if their term GPA is greater than or equal to 3.400; they do not have any grades of "Incomplete", "D" or "F"; and they have registered for, and completed, at least 12 credit hours.

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock has announced its Dean's List, recognizing students' superior academic performance during the fall 2017 semester. To be included, students must have at least nine credit hours with a grade of A, B, C, or "credit" and at least a 3.5 GPA. Students must not have D, F, I, or "no credit" grades on the semester grade report to be eligible.

McKendree University students are gaining valuable experience and linking course work to their future careers by participating in the Career Services internship program this semester.

McKendree University students participated in the Midwest Model United Nations conference in St. Louis, Mo., from Feb. 21-24. McKendree students represented the United States at the conference attended by 45 universities throughout the Midwest. .

Illinois Central College is pleased to welcome more than 7,800 students for its spring 2018 semester, which began on Tues., Jan. 16. Congratulations on all of your accomplishments! We are so glad you chose ICC.

A total of 12,594 students enrolled during the 2017 fall semester at The University of Alabama were named to the Dean's List with an academic record of 3.5 or above or the President's List with an academic record of 4.0 (all A's). The UA Dean's and President's lists recognize full-time undergraduate students. The lists do not apply to graduate students or undergraduate students who take less than a full course load.

Congratulations to students on the McKendree University Dean's List for earning a grade point average of 3.60 or higher for the fall 2017 semester.

McKendree University congratulates students on the President's List for achieving a perfect 4.0 grade point average for the fall 2017 semester.

More than 1,000 students have been named to the Carthage College dean's list for the fall 2017 semester.

The following students earned a position on the University of Evansville Dean's List for academic achievements during the Fall Semester 2017.

Emporia State University is pleased to announce that scholarship funds are helping more than 1,400 students from Kansas, 23 other states and 31 foreign countries realize their educational dreams during the 2017-18 academic year.

McKendree University students represented the Bangladesh delegation at the American Model United Nations conference in Chicago, Nov 18-22. More than 1,200 students from 90 universitites attended the international conference.

The McKendree University Show Choir is a talented, versatile group of student vocalists and musicians that entertains on campus and in local communities. The Fall Recital on Oct. 13 is a showcase for members' individual vocal talents in contemporary musical theater, pop, R&B, jazz and more. The group will also perform during downtown Lebanon's Victorian Holidays on Nov. 18, and at a "Christmas Spectacular" show on Dec. 1 at the Hettenhausen Center for the Arts.

High-achieving students were named to the Knox College Dean's List for the 2015 Fall Term.