12 | July | 2012 | YSU

Sigma Alpha Lambda is a National Leadership and Honors Organization in the United States with over 70 chapters. Because Faculty Advisors are such an integral part of each chapter providing support, guidance and help to members, the National Office of SAL created an Outstanding Advisor Award which is presented at the end of each academic year.

The College Of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) is proud to announce and congratulate Brenda Crouse on being named as the 2011-2012 National Outstanding Advisor for Youngstown State University’s (YSU) chapter of Sigma Alpha Lambda.

Crouse, who is also the senior academic advisor for STEM, has been working with Sigma Alpha Lambda since its inception at YSU 8 years ago. The national organization is highly selective, with membership by invitation only. To be considered, students must meet certain standards such as academic standing, and must maintain a 3.0 GPA. Currently, Crouse said, there are 400 active members at YSU.

The criteria for the award were based on areas such as service, mentorship, and dedication. Crouse was nominated by Biology pre-med major and President of Sigma Alpha Lambda, Kara Miller, for always going above and beyond for the group.

Miller said although Crouse had a very heavy workload, she still stayed with the organization, assisting with their community service activities, coordinating meetings, and any other needs they had. For Miller’s nomination, she cited Crouse as being someone who …”wants to give everyone the recognition they deserve. That is why I feel it’s her time for some recognition.”

Crouse, who has a master’s in education in counseling, is no stranger to the campus community. She has obtained three degrees from YSU, and since 2000, has been an advisor, first initially with the William Rayen College of Engineering and Technology, now the College of STEM.

Crouse said the award was an honor and “as the chapter advisor my philosophy has been to ‘empower’ the members, to be their support and encourage them throughout their endeavors and projects.” Furthermore, she added, “The constant that remains and what has been my inspiration are the students.”

Just ask 25 middle school students from 8 area schools and they will definitely let you know how they created “medicine” to cure tapeworm from a recipe dating back to the ‘80’s, that’s the 1880’s to be more correct! The students were part of the YSU STEM Explore Program which met for 2 weeks on the YSU campus.

Ten days were filled with activities in all STEM areas which included: building pasta bridges, designing and building solar cars, building weather instruments (anemometer, thermometer, barometer, cloud in a jar), building rockets, conducting forensic activities, collecting and analyzing bacteria, and designing podcasts just to name a few. In addition, the students toured the Melnik Medical Museum (where they made the “medicine”), YSU Planetarium, YSU Mineral Museum, OH WOW! The Gloria and Rogers Jones Children’s Center and many other places around campus.

This program is a collaboration between YSU’s College of STEM and Beeghly College of Education and was motivated by the undersized numbers, nationally and regionally, of capable high school students entering into STEM majors at the college level.