A look at what’s going on in the field of education.

Forensic team wins world championship

Western Kentucky University’s forensic team won its ninth world championship in 10 years last week at the International Forensic Association tournament in London.

WKU was crowned world champions in team sweepstakes with a team half the size of second-place George Mason University. Tennessee State University placed third in the March 16-18 tournament.

Results from the IFA are as follows:

Natalie Sintek, a senior from Eagan, Minn., world champion in Lincoln-Douglas debate, world champion in after-dinner speaking, third in prose interpretation, fifth in duo interpretation (with Ganer Newman) and semifinalist in persuasive speaking.

Saeed Jones, a senior from Lewisville, Texas, world champion in impromptu speaking, sixth in persuasive speaking and semifinalist in after-dinner speaking.

Adam Swanson, a sophomore from Rosemount, Minn., second in duo interpretation (with Daniel Johnson), third in poetry interpretation and fourth in prose interpretation.

Samantha Harrison, a sophomore from Carrollton, Texas, second in impromptu speaking, third in communication analysis and semifinalist in after-dinner speaking.

Seth Peckham, a sophomore from Alden, Kan., fifth in persuasive speaking, semifinalist in Lincoln-Douglas debate, semifinalist in informative speaking and semifinalist in impromptu speaking.

Newman, a junior from Sherman Oaks, Calif., second in dramatic interpretation, fifth in duo interpretation (with Natalie Sintek) and semifinalist in prose interpretation.

Maggie Waid, a senior from Symsonia, third in duo interpretation (with Ben Pyle), fourth in dramatic interpretation and semifinalist in prose interpretation.

Daniel Johnson, a sophomore from Independence, Mo., second in duo interpretation (with Adam Swanson) and semifinalist in dramatic interpretation.

Pyle, a senior from Harrisburg, Ill., third in duo interpretation (with Waid) and sixth in poetry interpretation.

Beth Berger, a senior from Lexington, semifinalist in informative speaking.

WCHS students take first in science fair

Warren Central High School students Claci Ayers and Emily Sanford won first place overall at the Southern Kentucky Regional Science Fair on March 15 at the Bowling Green Community College of Western Kentucky University. The regional science fair is an affiliate of the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. Ayers and Sanford will advance to compete at the Intel Fair on May 11-16 in Atlanta.

GHS cheerleaders win first in state contest

The Greenwood High School cheerleaders won first place in their division at the Kentucky State Open competition March 15 and were named Grand Champion overall for all high school teams for the second weekend in a row.

Members of the squad are: seniors Emilee Hagan, Katie Beth Harmon, Kaycee Hill and Shino Sleeper; juniors Laura Altfillisch, Whitney Jones, Clarissa Mobley, Katie Reeves, Amelia Spinks and Richelle Woodrome; sophomores Alexis Burnette, Tayir Furnas, McKenzi Halcomb, Keely Stout and Hannah White; and freshmen Alison Bradley, Stephanie Mangold, Kayla Smith and Meghan Tisdale.

Kirk finishes third in health competition

Matthew Kirk, a student in the Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky, finished third in a state-wide health occupations competition.

Kirk, a student from Ohio County and vice president of the Western Kentucky University chapter of Health Occupations Students of America, placed third in Medical Math at the Kentucky HOSA Conference in Louisville. He is now qualified to participate in the National HOSA Conference in Dallas in June.

HOSA is a student organization for secondary and post secondary students interested in pursuing health careers. HOSA chapters participate in community service, fundraising activities and leadership development.

The Gatton Academy is a residential program for up to 120 of the brightest of Kentucky’s high school juniors and seniors. The students complete their final two years of high school on the WKU campus, earning a high school diploma as well as 60 hours of college credit.

Students inducted into health honor society

On March 3, Western Kentucky University inducted 25 students into the Alpha Epsilon Delta Pre-Health Professions Honor Society, the largest class ever.

WKU’s chapter, one of only three in Kentucky, was founded in 1968. AED is an international honor society dedicated to the encouragement and recognition of excellence in pre-professional health scholarship, including medicine, dentistry, veterinary and others. AED offers opportunities for intellectual and professional development, provides a forum for students with common interests, and extends a program of service to benefit the campus and community.

The inductees were:

Devin Bell, Columbia; Clayton Brothers, Central City; Benjamin Cannon, Franklin; Adam Craig, Greenville; Emily Gilson and Stuart Pursley, Glasgow; Jason Hall and Lauren Parsons, Louisville; Amanda Holaday, Taylorsville; Mary Hudson, Murray; James Hudson and Jodi Walden, London; Patrick Jenkins, Somerset; Jessica Jordan, White House, Tenn.; Seth King, Athens, Ala.; Morgan McGray, Fort Benning, Ga.; Jonathan Moore, Nelson Creek; Ashley Nally, Winchester; Candace Read, Hodgenville; Jason Russell, Russell Springs; Stefanie Tallent, Albany; Adam Wadlington, Eddyville; Andrew Walden and Joshua Wright, Bowling Green; and Andrea Williams, Morgantown.

Dana Burr Bradley gets teacher honor

Dana Burr Bradley, Clifford Todd Distinguished Professor and director of the Center for Gerontology at Western Kentucky University, is a recipient of this year’s Distinguished Teacher Honor from the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education. She received the honor during the AGHE annual business meeting in Baltimore and presented an invited workshop at the annual conference.

The award recognizes gerontological educators with exceptional teaching abilities. Bradley was among national nominees who were identified and recommended by their peers based on an outstanding teaching record and innovation in gerontology education.

Bradley has more than 20 years of experience as an educator and researcher with areas of expertise that include the history of aging policy, retirement experience, volunteerism and formal and informal caregiving.

She also is a Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America, a Fellow of the Association of Gerontology in Higher Education and founder and co-editor of the GSA Journal of Aging, Humanities, and the Arts.