Brad bormann

Brad Bormann

Major: Biology
Minor: English
 

300 Word Statement

In its Platonic denotation, an Ideal is a quality so elevated as to be inimitable within a single, essentially imperfect person – accordingly, I alone cannot hope to be an ideal for Lafayette College. However, during an inspired junior-year conversation with Professor Markus Dubischar, aboard a Rome-bound train rattling through Alpine mountains, I came to the conclusion that Ideals can exist only in a community of people – where myriad strengths of the many can ultimately yield the collective Ideals of Courage, Temperance, Justice, etc. Such a community represents the ideal George Wharton Pepper wrote fondly of, and it exists, I believe, as Lafayette entire. Appropriately, the measure of the Pepper winner must reside in how she or he has engendered our communal Lafayette Ideal.

Alongside my peers, I’ve helped construct the Lafayette ideal through widespread, high-impact engagements. I’ve exuded a very positive, palpable energy while holding the content of my conduct to a personal standard of excellence – I believe this confluence of commitments has allowed me to become a driven leader and true-blue friend for many on this campus, and I believe further that my example, when fitted into the greater function of the Lafayette community, assists in illustrating the campus-wide Ideals of civic progress and academic productivity.

I have tried never to be too big for the small things, or too small for the big things – amending equal efforts both to the close 14-15 ping-pong match with my 94-year-old-friend George at the Easton Area Senior Center, and to the pass-blocking which merited a championship football victory over Lehigh this past semester. Lafayette has inspired me through the full spectrum of my accomplishments, and I hope that, in some small way, I have returned the favor through my earnest contributions to the constructive and composite Lafayette Ideal.

 

Academic Activities/Awards – Total Years Involved

James F. Bryant ’40 Excellence Award (Spring 2013)
An accolade given to the junior student who demonstrates the highest degree of excellence in their combined academic, athletic, and civic pursuits.

Gilbert Award (Spring 2013)
An accolade conferred upon the student(s) demonstrating excellence in English, by the opinion of the English Faculty.

EXCEL Research Scholarship (Summer 2012) 1
Project Title: Diminishing the Pathogenic Capacity of P. infestans via in vivo Silencing of the Chitin Synthase Gene.
I was responsible for the identification of the chitin synthase gene in the Oomycete P. infestans (the organism responsible for the Irish Potato Famine as well as 2 billion dollars of annual crop loss), the development of a primer sequence, and the ensuing creation of a complementary DNA fragment matching the chitin synthase sequence. Under the scholarship, I attended the Phytophthora Parasitica Genome Annotation Jamboree at the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute, wherein I collaborated with several experts in the field on the efficacy of various research methods; I also curated and annotated the P. Parasitica Genome.

Independent Research (Fall 2012) 1
Project Title: Diminishing the Pathogenic Capacity of P. infestans via in vivo Silencing of the Chitin Synthase Gene (Continuation of Summer Work) I was responsible for developing a transformed dsRNAi knockout model of P. infestans through plasmid vector insertion, using the custom-designed insert created during the EXCEL scholarship. I used a variety of protocols alongside Dr. Ospina-Giraldo and several colleagues; I also prepared a poster for dissemination of results, which was shared at Lafayette’s EXCEL research poster expo.

Preminger Gerontology Research Scholarship (Spring/Summer 2013) 1
Project Title: A Narrative Structuring of the Aging Experience in Easton, PennsylvaniaI was responsible for attending daily activities at the Easton Area Senior Center and collecting narratives from the clientele concerning their experiences of growing old in the city. From those narratives, several hypotheses and conclusions were drawn regarding the functionality of Easton as a home for the single, pedestrian demographic of senior citizens. I will be publishing these results to a poster and sharing them this Spring at Lafayette’s Community-Based Learning/Research Poster Expo.

Supplemental Instructor for General Biology (Fall 2012) 1
Selected as the ideal student-teacher for general biology students. I coordinated materials and evaluated efficacy of teaching methods alongside Dr. Elaine Reynolds while holding two review sessions during the week. I also held two regular office hours during the week and delivered personalized tutelage to students.

Economic Sustainability in Sub-Saharan Africa (Interim Trip January 2012) 1
Concentrated course in Tanzania and Kenya observing practices in sustainable economic development. Therein, I composed a report on the efficacy of white rhino conservation policies in Lake Nakuru National Park, Kenya.

Rome: The Eternal City (Interim Trip January 2013) 1
Concentrated course held in Munich, Verona, Naples, and ultimately Rome, studying the legacy of Roman civilization and the permeation of Roman culture throughout the modern world.

Externship: Morristown Memorial Medical Center (Spring 2011) 1
Intensive shadowing of multiple emergency physicians in both the green zone and the red zone of the Morristown Emergency Room. I gained basic understanding of the pace and the environment of emergency room work. I also attended emergency calls with paramedics for two days, answering approximately ten calls a day.

Lafayette College Dean’s List (Fall 2010, Fall 2011, Spring 2012, Fall 2012, Spring 2013, Fall 2013) 4
Maintained high level of academic performance throughout my four years at Lafayette.

 

Campus Service/Activities and Awards – Total Years Involved

Lafayette Student-Leader Intern (Spring 2012-Present) 2
I led a committee of 12 students, administrators, and staff in planning and delivering high-profile leadership events to the Lafayette community, such as the Lafayette Leadership Institute (150 students) and the Aaron O. Hoff Awards (30 students). I was nominated, interviewed, and accepted as a member of the committee and as a proven student-leader — among these accepted students, I was selected as the intern. I communicated extensively with a selection of high-profile alumni, including Chris McCumber, the President of the USA Television network, as well as Alan Hoffman, the former Deputy Chief of Staff of the Biden Administration.

Executive Chair of the Experience Lafayette Committee (Spring 2010-Spring 2014, Co-Chair. in Spring 2014) 4
I was selected to lead of a committee of 20 students aimed to orchestrate and deliver Lafayette’s “Experience Lafayette College Day” for prospective students. We were in charge of recruiting a significant portion of Lafayette’s class of 2018 through this event. Thus, it is an extremely important marketing and admissions initiative for Lafayette — I was proud when Admissions entrusted this responsibility to us. I was a regular committee member through my three previous years.

Leadership Challenge Series (Fall 2013-Spring 2014) 1
I worked alongside Dean Pamela Brewer and the Lafayette Leadership Committee to develop a series of brown-bag presentations on challenging topics in leadership education and development, delivered sequentially throughout the year.

Peer Mentor for the Academic Tutoring and Training Information Center (Fall 2011-Spring 2014) 3
Nominated, interviewed, and selected as a student capable of monitoring and mentoring freshman student-athletes. I meet once-a-week, every week with four to six students, and discuss with them the struggles and successes of their coping with an intensely demanding schedule. I have closely mentored 18 students in my three years with the program.

“Common Ground: Spring Inspiration for Fall Leaders” Student Instructor (Spring 2014) 1
This program provides motivating leadership instruction and engagement for underclassmen. As a capable student-leader in the Senior Class, I was invited to act as a leadership teacher.

Kaleidoscope SCOPE (Fall 2011-Spring 2013) 2
I helped to develop and implement a curriculum of initiatives in social justice as a workshop package offered freely to the Lafayette community. We met once a week over the lunch hour to discuss pertinent topics and current events in social justice.

The Lafayette (Fall 2010-Spring 2012) 2
I was a staff writer for the College Newspaper, and I was able to reliably cover a range of pertinent and engaging topics as they occurred on-campus. This really engaged me with a number of interesting and important people on Lafayette’s community — an important avenue by which I was introduced to much of the inner machinations of the College.

Innumerable Brown Bags 4
I have been a regular attendee at hundreds of brown bags in my time at Lafayette — therein I contributed much to the extracurricular discussions and intellectual dialogues which have shaped our Lafayette Ideal; I have also supported the sponsoring organizations through my participation.

 

Community Service – Total Years Involved

Landis Community Outreach Center — Adopt-a-Grandparent Program (Fall 2010-Spring 2014) 4
I visit the Easton Area Senior Center on a weekly basis and socialize with the clientele. I have formed many fruitful and significant relationships with these people — many have become friends which I will celebrate for the rest of my life.My work at the Easton Area Senior Center has been documented by the Patriot League in a video featurette, found on YouTube at this URL:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKtbkOElDmM

Landis Volunteer-of-the-Month Award (February 2012)
I received Landis’s award for excellence in community service — significantly, in the first month the award was offered.

Third Street Alliance Senior Care Center (Fall 2011-Spring 2012) 2
Similar to my engagement at the Easton Area Senior Center — I visited this senior care facility and developed strong relationships with many individuals through walks around the center of town, as well as trips to the Purple Cow creamery on a few special occassions.

Rising Leaders Fellowship — Teach For America (Spring 2013-Spring 2014) 2
I coordinated collaboration between Lafayette College and the National NPO Let’s Get Ready to establish a volunteer program wherein Lafayette Students provide free SAT preparation and college admissions assistance to disadvantaged students at Easton Area High School. I am still fundraising to make this program a reality.I am supported in this endeavor by Teach For America’s Rising Leaders Fellowship — I applied to this program by pitching them my idea for a Let’s Get Ready chapter at Lafayette, and they decided to support my application from a national pool of student-applicants.

AFCA/AllState Good Works Team Nominee (Fall 2013)
I gained national recognition for excellence in athletics and volunteerism in being nominated to this collection of roughly 75 college athletes.

Dr. Seuss Day Reader (Spring 2011, 2012, 2013) 3
On Dr. Seuss’s birthday, I visited local elementary schools and read some of his most beloved books to the students.

Lafayette College Move-In Day (Fall 2010-Fall 2013) 4
I’ve volunteered to help incoming Freshmen in the move-in process, shuttling innumerable televisions, refrigerators, and futons into dorms.

Youth Empowerment Day Executive Committee (Spring 2011) 1
I sat on the Executive Committee of Youth Empowerment Day my Freshman year, wherein I assisted in bringing roughly 200 underprivilged youth from the city of Easton to Lafayette’s campus for a day of physical activity and self-esteem building.

 

Athletic Activities/Awards – Total Years Involved

Captain — Lafayette College Football Team (Summer 2010-Fall 2013) 4
Hand-picked as one of three physical, emotional, and moral leaders of the Lafayette College Football Team. I maintained a high level of performance through extreme competition and adversity, and I helped lead the team to its first outright Patriot League title in 19 years. I was a three-year starter at left guard.

Capital One Academic All-American (Spring 2014)
Selected in Fall 2013 as one of the top football scholar-athletes in the nation. Elected to the precursor team — the Capital-One Academic All-District II team, in both 2012 and 2013.

Maroon Club Scholar-Athlete Award (Fall 2013)
Nominated and selected, by vote of the head coaches of Lafayette’s varsity teams, as the most outstanding male student-athlete.

Lafayette Alumni Association Award for Athletic Achievement (Spring 2014)
The Lehigh Valley chapter of Lafayette Alumni selected me as their male recipient of the award for outstanding athletic achievement — in part for my academic performance, and also in part for my contribution as a three-year starter to the propulsion of Lafayette to an outright championship.

FCS Athletic Director’s Association Academic All-Star Team (Spring 2013)
Nominated and forwarded by the athletic administration as a consummate student-athlete.

First Team Academic All-Patriot League
Elected twice to this list of the best scholar-athletes in the Patriot League, for the 2012 and 2013 seasons.

Inducted to the National College Football Hall of Fame (Spring 2014)
I was inducted into the National College Football Hall of Fame, in Atlanta, for my performance as a scholar-athlete.

 

Special Interest – Total Years Involved

Teach For America 2
I applied and was accepted into the nationally renowned and intensely competitive Teach For America program – during the next two years, I will be teaching high school biology in Newark, New Jersey. I am currently applying to Medical School, with the provision that I will defer my enrollment until the completion of my work with Teach for America. Once enrolled, I will work to become an emergency physician in an urban environment.

Public Speaking (In general) 4
I am a very capable public speaker. In this capacity, I have been asked, on a number of occassions, to represent Lafayette in front of a variety of audiences. For example, I was asked to speak in Lafayette’s “Laf360” video, as found at the below URL (I am the first individual speaking):  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gzbFHM96SY Additionally, in spreading information about the Sports programs, Lafayette has sent me to many “media days” as a representative of the institution. See a couple sample videos at the below URL. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0Kb9YWEJQc / lafayette college patriot league media day.  I have spoken in and been spotlighted by a variety of newspaper articles written in the Easton-Area. Links to a selection of these are found below:  http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/lafayette/index.ssf/2013/11/lafayette_colleges_brad_borman_1.html / http://articles.mcall.com/2013-07-31/sports/mc-lafayette-patriot-league-20130731_1_coach-tavani-kyle-sakowski-leopard-law I very frequently, and proudly, represent this institution!

Poetry/Creative Writing 4
As an English student, I do a great deal of personal writing. Most of my creative writing takes the form of poetry — I have been commended in several classes for this work. Last Spring, I saw my poem “Trephany” published in the Marquis Literary Magazine, and I also read my poem “The Deep Wasn’t Cold” at an Open Mic session.

Guitar 2
I have been informally trained in playing the guitar — it has become an incredibly enjoyable hobby of mine.