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Mathematics professors Dick Bedient and Sally Cockburn presented a talk titled “The Hamilton College Senior Seminar” at the summer meetings of the Mathematical Association of America in San Jose. The talk was part of a session called “Getting Students to Discuss and Write about Mathematics.” They described the department’s senior seminar program where the goals are to provide students with an opportunity to work on problems of interest, present work orally, learn about the writing of mathematics and learn some mathematics. The experiment has proved remarkably successful. The department is now averaging about 40 concentrators per year. In an evaluation of the seminar experience one student commented "It was the most thought provoking class I've ever taken."

The Hamilton College Climate Change and Environment Issues Youth Poll, conducted by Assistant Professor of Economics Julio Videras and his class with Zogby International, was cited in a PBS Online NewsHour piece about global warming. Hamilton graduate Tucker Hutchinson '07, a member of Videras' class that worked on the poll, was also interviewed. The poll of 900 students, conducted in late 2006, found that most American high school students don't understand the issue of climate change. The PBS story, "Young Entrepreneurs Target Global Warming," noted: "In terms of knowledge and understanding of the issue, a 2007 Hamilton College poll found that in general, American high school students lack a grasp of climate change basics.

This past summer, scores of Hamilton College students pushed their mental boundaries by shelving their role as students and becoming student researchers. Dan Chandler ’08 (Orange, Conn.) was one of these intrepid students, but what makes his story particularly interesting is that rather than carrying out his research in the friendly confines of the Hamilton College Science Center, Chandler chose yet another challenge and conducted research at Yale University. Chandler, a neuroscience major, says he was immediately interested in studying the effects of repeated low blood sugar on the behavior of rats.

Assistant Professor of Government Sharon Werning Rivera chaired a panel titled “Political Elites, Hybrid Regimes, and Democratization” at the 2007 annual meeting of the American Political Science Association in Chicago from August 30 to September 2. She also presented a paper titled “Structure versus Agency in the Postcommunist Transitions: Quantifying the Impact of Leadership,” which she co-authored with David W. Rivera, Hamilton government department lecturer.

Susan Mason, director of the Oral Communication Center and director of the Education Studies Program, has recently developed two education programs for the American Management Association International: "Developing Emotional Intelligence" and "Women in Business." The American Management Association is a not-for-profit, educational institution recognized by the Regents of the University of the State of New York. Mason’s work will be disseminated through the AMA worldwide network in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Europe and in Japan, China, Southeast Asia and the Middle East.

Tim Minella ’09 (Kennett Square, Pa.) studied loop quantum gravity (LQG) this summer under the advisement of Associate Professor of Physics Seth Major. According to LQG, which attempts to reconcile the seemingly incompatible theories of quantum mechanics and general relativity, the basic structure of space turns out to be made up of small discrete units of volume. This means that space cannot exist in any smaller quantity than these quantized volumes, which are as small compared to a proton (one of the subatomic particles that make up atoms) as a proton is to us. Physicists represent these fundamental units of space as a network of interconnected loops, hence the name of the theory. 

One may think that ballroom dancing and community service do not necessarily coincide. However, Mark Fitzsimmons '09, who has led the ballroom dancing club for the past two years, disagrees. The ballroom club has several outreach activities planned for the upcoming year that aim to benefit both the Utica and Hamilton community.

Associate Professor of Economics Ann Owen was interviewed by The Christian Science Monitor for an article titled "Fed Expected to Cut Interest Rates Tuesday." The article pointed out that many economists have expected the Fed to reduce the federal funds rate, the rate that banks loan one another their excess reserves at the Fed, by a quarter of a percentage point. "It's already priced into the market, and if they don't do it, there will be a negative reaction," said Owen, a former economist at the Fed.

Associate Professor of Art Stephen J. Goldberg presented two lectures in the People’s Republic of China in conjunction with the second Chinese Calligraphy Workshop organized by the Calligraphy Education Group of the Chinese Language Teachers Association.

Sarah Zeigler '05 received a masters in musical theater from the Boston Conservatory and is auditioning for parts in New York City. Watch for news of her Broadway debut!