|Undergrad Research|
|Honors Program hosts Montevallo Trivia Trot|
Savell represents at national conference After completing a 10-week Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program sponsored by the National Science Foundation, UM senior chemistry major Katherine Savell was chosen to represent the program at the recent Council on Undergraduate Research Conference in Arlington, Va. The conference, which included workshops to prepare students for graduate studies, consisted of one student or team from each REU site from around the country. In addition to the experience of sharing her research with students and faculty attending the conference, Savell also had the opportunity to do some sightseeing in Arlington as well as Washington, D.C., while on the trip.
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Montevallo Today
UM Honors Program seniors show off a display promoting Montevallo Trivia Trot, a scavenger hunt for obscure information about the University.
Seniors in UM’s Honors Program recently hosted a new event engaging students, faculty and staff in a campuswide scavenger hunt. Montevallo Trivia Trot sent participants on a trail to various academic buildings following clues referencing those buildings. At each location, contestants answered a trivia question related to the discipline taught in that building before being given another location clue. For example, music questions were asked in Davis Hall, and health and kinesiology questions were asked in Myrick Hall. Senior Honors Program student Ashley Knowles reflected, “I couldn’t think of a more appropriate event to be hosted by a bunch of Honors kids who, generally speaking, know plenty of ‘useless’ facts. I say ‘useless’ because most of the trivia information that fills our brains is not useful for everyday life. That doesn’t change our desire to continue filling our heads with this knowledge. So having an opportunity to spread that knowledge with others and possibly pass it along as well was a great
opportunity for us.” Even though hosted by the Honors Program and supported with funding from a QEP IL1UMinate grant, the event was open to everyone at the University. “The Trivia Trot really was an event for all kinds of students. Some ‘trotters’ went through the stations with their friends as a group, while others participated individually. Some were extremely competitive, but others were just in it for fun,” said senior Honors Program student Hannah Gentry. More than 40 students, faculty and staff were involved in the event. “The participants enjoyed the combination of brain and brawn, and we promoted information literacy across a variety of subjects that are central to this University,” said Susan Sabia, current president of the student-run Montevallo Honors organization. The Montevallo community also benefitted from the event. Donations were received for Shelby Emergency Assistance, a local organization helping people move from crisis to self-sufficiency.
(from left) Cathlena Martin, director of UM’s Honors Program, Benton Tyler, associate professor of mathematics, and Scott Varagona, assistant professor of mathematics, check references for Montevallo Trivia Trot.