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Undergraduate students are applying their knowledge of physics, biology and chemistry to solve real and relevant dangers facing humanity. “Everything we do in our lab is strongly motivated by significant, real-world issues, and all of our research is driven by undergraduates. These students are all making contributions to their respective fields which will be published in peer-reviewed professional journals,” say Ben Evans, director of the research group.

Paul Parsons, dean of the School of Communications, has been named the 2010 national Journalism and Mass Communication Administrator of the Year. The honor was announced March 18 by the Scripps Howard Foundation in conjunction with the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC).

In its preview of the touring musical "Spring Awakening," the St. Petersburg Times featured a Q&A with Elon music theatre alumna Courtney Markowitz '10 in its March 17 edition. Markowitz was cast last spring as one of "Spring Awakening's" main characters, Ilse, in the show's second national tour.

The Elon Alumni Board returned to campus March 4-5 to take part in the group's annual spring meeting. The board members focused on two Elon Commitment themes in which alumni will play vital roles over the next decade: the building of a vibrant alumni network and the restructuring of Elon Career Services.

BJ Fungaroli, a 2004 graduate of Elon's MBA program, was profiled in a Feb. 18 article in the Triangle Business Journal. Fungaroli serves as president and chief executive officer of Morrisville, N.C., based Environmental Holdings Group, which specializes in the rehabilitation and demolition of aging buildings.

The Burlington (N.C.) Times-News profiled Sgt. Kelle Sisk, a 2003 Elon alumna, in its Feb. 28 edition. Sisk received the Burlington Police Department's Detective of the Year award earlier in the month.

The Business Journal of the Greater Triad Area selected three Elon graduates - Kristen Wither Yntema '95, Wade G. Jurney Jr. G'09 and Jeb Brooks L'10 - among its 2011 "40 Leaders Under Forty." They were honored at a Feb. 17 event at the Embassy Suites in Greensboro, N.C., and were profiled in the Feb. 18 edition of the periodical.

Last week, Paula Scherer Sizemore '03, a teacher at Riverdale High School in Fort Myers, Fla., received one of ten Golden Apple Awards given by the Foundation for Lee County Public Schools. The awards recognize teachers who demonstrate a mastery of the art of teaching, communicate effectively, show a concern for students’ well-being and inspire a love of learning.

Alexa Milan '10, a reporter for The Sanford (N.C.) Herald, and Samiha Khanna '03, a reporter at Independent Weekly in Durham, N.C., received awards for their work at the annual winter banquet of the North Carolina Press Association.

Elon Athletics' Night of the Phoenix fundraiser broke records on Feb. 18 by bringing in more than $91,000 for student-athlete scholarships. The event, hosted by the Phoenix Club Advisory Board in conjunction with Elon's Department of Athletics, featured a silent auction and a performance by seven-time Emmy Award-winning broadcaster and entertainer Roy Firestone, who returned to Elon after headlining the inaugural Night of the Phoenix three years ago.