
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, April 29, 1993                   TAG: 9304290351
SECTION: NEIGHBORS                    PAGE: S-16   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

IN SCHOOL

REBECCA E. ROSS, a teacher at Cave Spring High School, was named a teacher finalist in the Tandy Technology Scholars program, sponsored by the Tandy Corp. The award included a $2,500 prize.

Donna H. Updike of Roanoke Valley Christian School was a teacher nominee.

Student nominees in the contest, which recognizes outstanding achievement in math, science and computer science, were John E. Miller, James River High School; Heather L. Hough and John B. Weaver, Cave Spring High School; J. Tyler Pugh, North Cross School; Jonathan D. Stewart, Northside High School; James A. Pauley, Lord Botetourt High School; and Anne K. Cecil, William Byrd High School.

Academic nominees from the top 2 percent of their senior classes were: Stacy L. Davis, James River; Andrea M. Barnes, Robert N. Blandford, Devon R. Fisher, Catherine M. Obenshain, David W. Penn, Tracey D. Pietron, Cave Spring; Allegra C. Black, Jennifer D. Stewart and Thompson S. Young Jr., Northside; Violet A. Cox and David A. Sirrine, Glenvar High School; John H. Critzer, Rebecca C. Moore and Jeremy M. Shields, Lord Botetourt; Kristi M. Carter, Ashley P. McCallum, Jenny L. Sigel and Chad A. White, William Byrd.

\ CATHRYN HANKLA and MICHAEL A. HELLER have been awarded fellowships through the Maurice L. Mednick Memorial Fund for research and advanced study. The program is sponsored by the Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges.

Hankla, of Hollins College, and Heller, of Roanoke College, both teach English.

\ LAURA A. VIA, daughter of Martha and Freddie L. Akers of Roanoke, has completed work on her doctorate in biology at Virginia Tech. She will become a research associate in Virginia Tech's biology department.

Via has conducted research on the connection between a mobile DNA element in mycobacterium avium complex, a tuberculosis-like disease, and the virulence of the organism in susceptible humans.

Her work has been published in Bio Techniques, and she has another paper in progress for the publication. She also has worked as a graduate teaching assistant and graduate research assistant.

Via earned a bachelor of science degree in secondary science education from the University of Virginia in 1984 and taught biology at Patrick Henry High School for four years.

by CNB