Dr. Rodney King, WKU Biology professor, and his Fermentation Microbiology students are exploring the importance of good sanitization practices and how to isolate and work with pure strains of yeast in the brewing process. 

 

Last week, King used a Labster exercise to teach the underlying principles of pure culture and allow students to practice the streak plate technique, a technique used by microbiologists to isolate pure cultures of desired microorganisms. Students were then shown how pure colonies of yeast look on a nutrient agar plate.

 

“Sanitization is an essential concept in brewing,” King said. In order to demonstrate that microorganisms are everywhere and why sanitization is critical, King asked students to swab areas in the room and streak the swab across a nutrient agar plate. After incubation, the students could see if any microbes grew. “We then discussed why some areas were teeming with microbes and why some appeared to have much fewer or none.”

Internet access available in parking lots

WKU Information Technology Services has recently installed Wi-Fi hotspots in two of WKU’s largest parking lots. The hotspots are located in the Park Street and Creason Street lots, which are now open for public use for the remainder of WKU’s spring 2020 semester.

Parking lot hotspots allow members of the community to connect to the Internet from the comfort and safety of a vehicle. Users are advised to stay inside vehicles and keep a safe distance from others.

“Internet access can be a challenge as schools and colleges have moved away from face-to-face classes and into online environments,” Greg Hackbarth, WKU’s Assistant Vice President for Information Technology Services, said. “By making the Internet available in these large parking lots, we hope members of the community can take advantage of the access while still practicing safe social distancing.”

CLIMBING HIGHER

Matthew Johnson, a senior of The Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science and Oldham County High School, has been named a 2020 Coca-Cola Scholar. Johnson was one of 150 students selected from across the nation, and one of just six in Kentucky, to earn the recognition. Learn More

HILLTOPPERS WHO HELP

As our communities face the COVID-19 pandemic, members of our WKU Family are rising to the challenge to go above and beyond, providing services that truly demonstrate what it means to be a Hilltopper. The WKU Alumni Association is excited to share these stories of hope. Learn More

Adrianne Browning, Assistant Director for WKU Advising and Career Development Center and Professional Specialist for WKU Gordon Ford College of Business , is the college’s dedicated career coach. Last year, she met face to face with more than 625 students, helping them update their resumes, facilitating mock interviews, and assisting in general job search questions.

COVID-19 Update

WKU continues to provide updates on the University's response to COVID-19. Check the website for the latest campus messages , resources , FAQs and more. The Today@WKU newsletter also will share updates.