Education notes

Awards/Recognition

■ Julia Beard, a fourth-grade student at Stonewall Elementary School, has won a bookmark design contest as part of the Lexington Legends/Chick-fil-A "Hit the Books" reading incentive program. She received a Legends prize pack, including Legends merchandise, a framed Hit the Books poster featuring her artwork, and a free membership in the 2010 Little Legends Kids Club. Beard also will be invited to throw a ceremonial first pitch at a designated Legends game for her school.

Three local students received honorable mention for their designs: Baylen Stewart, a third-grader at Sandersville Elementary; Timothy Hosley, a fifth-grader at Collins Lane Elementary in Frankfort; and Madison Gullett, a fifth-grader at Saffell Street Elementary in Lawrenceburg.

Julia Beard

■ The Princeton Review has again named Centre College as a national best value. Centre appears on the Review's 100 Best Value Colleges for 2010. It is the only Kentucky institution on the list. In addition, Forbes magazine has named Centre College as the best college in the South.

■ Four Eastern Kentucky University psychology students will present their work at the 45th annual Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory Symposium in St. Petersburg, Fla., in March. Undergraduate psychology majors Joshua Hager of Lexington, Alex Burton of Lancaster and Katibeth Lybrand of Richmond will present a cross-cultural examination of ethnicity and MMPI results.

■ Edythe J. Hayes Middle School was the cheer grand champion and Morton Jazz was the dance grand champion at the annual Fayette County Middle School Cheer and Dance Showcase, Jan. 23 at Bryan Station High School. Tates Creek Middle won the spirit award for cheering, and Leestown Middle won the spirit award for dance. In addition, more than 350 students were recognized for academic achievement (having a grade-point average between 3.0 and 4.0).

Cheerleading results: Sideline/timeout: first, Bryan Station Middle School, coached by Judy Smith and Kathryn Raitiere; second, Tates Creek Middle, coached by Tesha Livingston; third, Morton's "B" Squad, coached by Carla Trisko and Britney Miller. Level 3: first, Beaumont, coached by Amanda King; second, Jessie Clark, coached by Katie Harper; third, Lexington Traditional Magnet School, coached by Marilee Applegate, Megan Applegate and Bretta Hotchula. Level 5: first, Edythe J. Hayes, coached by Deedra Murphy/Ashlee Hyde; second, Morton "A" Team, coached by Carla Trisko and Britney Miller.

Dance results: Step: first, Bryan Station Middle, coached by Judy Smith and Kathryn Raitiere; second, Beaumont, coached by Darnetta Sanders. Pom: first, LTMS, coached by Marilee Applegate, Megan Applegate and Bretta Hotchula; second, Beaumont, coached by Emily Rector; third, Crawford, coached by Ashley Delaney. Jazz: first, Morton, coached by Christina Herrington; second, Southern Middle, coached by Cassie Peyton. Hip hop: first, Leestown, coached by Lisa Dykes and Jason Thompson; second, Tates Creek Middle, coached by Lauren Fields; third, Edythe J. Hayes, coached by LeeAnn Hall.

■ Philip Landfield, professor and chair in the Department of Molecular and Biomedical Pharmacology at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, was named a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. For his research in neuroscience and brain aging, Landfield was selected after anonymous nomination by three fellows. Fewer than 20 people in Kentucky have been named AAAS Fellows.

■ Courtney Fisk at the University of Kentucky Center for Applied Energy Research has been named to the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers class of 2010 New Faces of ASABE. Fisk is one of 16 ASABE members age 30 or younger who have distinguished themselves with outstanding early-career achievements. Fisk holds bachelor's and master's degrees in biosystems and agricultural engineering from the University of Kentucky, where she is pursuing a master's in business administration.