1. Special toThe Herald TimesReporter
By TaylorMoret
Email:morett72@uwosh.edu,Cell:608-412-3518
Local Student Excels at UWO
May 11, 2015 -- What wouldyoudowith an extra50 hours of time? Typical college studentswould
probablygoto the librarytoworkon projectsthat theyhave putoff for far too long,ormaybe they
wouldchoose towatch a fewseasonsof theirfavorite show onNetflix. However,there are those few
studentswhochoose togo above andbeyondduringtheirfree time,studentslike NicholasHorswill, a
2013 graduate of LincolnHighSchool.
Hosrwill hadthe opportunity onApril 22 to presentresearch duringaonce ina lifetime experience.
Hosrwill wasone of six Universityof WisconsinOshkoshstudentsacceptedtopresentatthe 12th-
annual Postersinthe Rotunda.Thisfive-houreventis heldannually inthe state capital andis an event
that showcasesoutstandingundergraduatestudentresearchersfromacrossthe UW Systemto
legislators,state leaders,alumni andothers.
Horswill saidthathe spentabout50 hours overa 2.5-monthperiodworkingonhisprojectunderthe
supervisionof Chemistry professorDr. YijunTang.
His research addressedone facetof DirectMethanol Fuel Cells. The purpose of the project wasto
combine elementsof chemistry,engineeringandstatisticstoimprove constructionconditionsforthe
catalystusedindirectmethanol fuel cells.
Nick,sonof TimothyandDawn Horswill of Manitowoc,said he wasbothexcited andhonoredwhenhe
discoveredhe waschosentoparticipate inthisevent.“This wasagreat networkingopportunity,andit
was a joyto presentworkto those whomaynot normallybe exposedtocollegiateresearch”. Horswillis
a sophomore chemistrymajorwithabiomolecularemphasis.He planstoattendmedical school after
graduation.
2. Outside of hisdedicationthisproject, Horswill isalsothe treasurerof hisfraternityBetaThetaPi,a
memberof a service groupcalledTitanVolunteers, amemberof the Differential TuitionCommittee,and
a memberof the university’sPre-MedSociety.
Horswill said,despite jugglingavarietyof activities,“Itiseasierthanmanythinktoapplyyourself and
getout of yourcomfortzone.”He alsoadded “Hard work andcourteousactioncan go a longway.”
As a whole,the UW Systemisa national leaderinundergraduate research,whichcontributestothe
state’spriorities,includingretention,graduate rates,workforce andeconomicdevelopment.
“Studentssharingtheirwork isimportantbecause arewardingresearchprocessculminateswitha
presentationof the work,”saidSusanSurendonk,administratorof the OshkoshStudentScholarlyand
Creative ActivitiesProgramatUW Oshkosh.“Atthe Postersinthe Rotundaevent,Wisconsinlegislators
learnedaboutthe goodworkthat is beingdone onthisandotherUW Systemcampuses.”
Findmore UW Oshkoshnewsat www.uwosh.edu/news,orfollow @UWOshkoshTodayonTwitter.
