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Two Hamilton chemistry students spent part of their summer unraveling a decades-old campus mystery – the true identity of the beloved peonies in Grant Garden. Saunders left behind scant documentation of what species he used to create his world-renowned hybrids. So, John “JP” Hoak ’27, Mark Khairallah ’27, and Biology Professor Wei-Jen Chang are sleuthing for clues not in records, but in DNA.

Large language models (LLMs) have been at the forefront of the zeitgeist ever since publicly available AI programs like OpenAI’s ChatGPT burst onto the scene. Three Hamilton College computer science majors are spending their summer researching this cutting-edge technology alongside Professor Thomas Helmuth ’09.

Connecting distant destinations with local lands, senior fellow Clare Robinson spent her final year at Hamilton delving into community reactions to climate change and environmental policy.

Recent graduate Deanna Durben ’25 engaged in research across the domains of sociology and psychology during her time at Hamilton. In 2024, her efforts culminated with a publication in Sage journals titled “Understanding autistic camouflaging: The use of online community discussions and stigmatized identity research.”

Three jet-setting members of the class of ’25 are packing their bags and heading to new countries through the prestigious Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) awards. They will return to study abroad favorites, embrace new cultures, and serve as bridges between the U.S. and the world. In addition, Jason Le ’23 is the recipient of an ETA Award to Vietnam.

At Hamilton, computer science isn’t confined to code on a screen. The Computer Science Department, which recently overhauled its curriculum, has been making the ever-growing discipline emblematic of a liberal arts education. Step One has been ensuring that computer science is accessible to all students.

Three Hamilton students —Gabrielle (Gaby) Guerra ’27, Tzu Han (Annie) Huang ’27, and Darian Torres ’27 — will study abroad during the next year, thanks to assistance from Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarships.

Chrissy Crespo ’25 and Alinur Jaboldinov ’26 are the first Hamilton students to participate in the Trudeau Institute’s Biomedical Research Scholars Program in Saranac Lake, N.Y. The program includes five courses designed to develop students’ research skills and understanding of immunology, but its shining focus is the intensive immunological research experience.

Naval Lappalainen ’25 and Xavier McMahon ’27 have been awarded Critical Language Scholarships (CLS) to study Russian this summer. Lappalainen, a double major in history and Russian Studies, from Wilmington, Del., will study in Kyrgyzstan, and McMahon, a double major in world politics and Russian studies from Louisville, Kentucky, will be based in Daugavpils, Latvia.

Hamilton's Arthur Levitt Public Affairs Center has released a comprehensive report titled “Youth Gun Violence in Utica, New York: Causes, Context, and Prevention.” This report is the culmination of the Center’s Fall 2024 Justice Lab, an interdisciplinary initiative involving 16 students across four integrated courses led by four Hamilton faculty members.