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Courtney Hobgood ’15 and Josh DeVinney ’15 are spending the summer researching ADHD symptomatology (the set of characteristics associated with ADHD) under the direction of Associate Professor of Psychology Tara McKee. Their research focuses on college students, using data collected by Professor McKee and Hamilton College.

A group of 16 organic chemistry research students and their faculty mentors, Professors Ian Rosenstein, Max Majireck and Robin Kinnel, traveled to Colgate University to participate in the annual Summer Organic Research Symposium on July 1.

About one in every seven American men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime1. Combatting cancer is difficult, but one crucial step is early detection, which is made possible through screening examinations such as the Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) test. Philip Parkes ’17 is working with Professor of Biology Herm Lehman on a project titled “The Origins of Over-Testing: Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) Test” that is sponsored by a Levitt Summer Research Grant.

Although many children spend their summer vacations playing with bugs, few college students can say they get paid to do the same. While conducting an independent behavioral study of Madagascar hissing cockroaches may not exactly be “playing,” Emma Anderson ’17 is enjoying it nonetheless. Anderson, a prospective biology major, is working under the guidance of Visiting Assistant Professor of Biology Heather Mallory to examine the relationship between the cockroaches and the mites that live on them.

Although many people are frightened of the apian workers, honeybees are an integral link in the global food chain. Since 2006, there has been a noted increase in the prevalence of Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) across the world. While many postulations exist, the definitive cause of this devastating phenomenon is not known. Jon Shapiro ’17, in coordination with Analytical Instrumentation Specialist Greg Rahn, is spending the summer conducting research as part of his project, “HPLC Analysis of Neonicotinoid Pesticides in Honey and Their Effects on the Kirkland Area.”

Although hundreds of students enroll in science courses every semester, doing summer research is “so much different than any lab class,” says Hannah Ferris ’16. Ferris, who is conducting organic synthesis methodology research under the auspices of Assistant Professor of Chemistry Max Majireck, is so fascinated by the project that she will be continuing her research with an independent study in the fall.

Although many people might not find archaeology as exciting as it’s portrayed in the Indiana Jones franchise, Morgan Biggs ’16 does. Biggs, an archaeology major, is working with Assistant Professor of Archaeology Nathan Goodale to analyze artifacts from the Slocan Narrows Archaeological Project (SNAP). Last summer, Biggs attended Hamilton’s field school, led by Goodale, and excavated artifacts from the Slocan Narrows Pithouse Village in southeastern British Columbia, Canada.

Professor of Physics Seth Major was quoted in an Inside Science article titled “Spacetime May be a Slippery Fluid.” The article described theories about the nature of gravity and how the cosmos works in its entirety.

The Hamilton College Chapter of Sigma Xi, the scientific research society, initiated 24 members of the Class of 2014 to associate membership on May 23 at the annual banquet in the Taylor Science Center Atrium. Three faculty members were initiated as full members.

Ten current and former Hamilton Chemistry Department faculty members co-authored a chapter titled “A Departmental Focus on High Impact Undergraduate Research Experiences” in a recently published edition of the American Chemical Society Symposium Series dedicated to “Developing and Sustaining a Successful Undergraduate Research Program.”