The Hamilton College Summer Science Research Program is a highly selective opportunity for students of all concentrations to experience laboratory research conducted in close collaboration with a Hamilton professor. The program provides students with a $3500 grant for their participation in the ten-week commitment. Each October, during Family Weekend, the students present their data and conclusions in a poster session open to the Hamilton community.
This year, areas of student-faculty research ranged from psychology to physics and covered just about everything in between. Projects included a psychology study of movement planning, neurobiological location and characterization of an insect neurotransmitter, trace gas exchange in terrestrial ecosystems, the paleoenvironmental record in the Vega Drift of Antarctica, and a field school in Grass Valley, NV, to name just a few.
The research projects undertaken by students often reflect their areas of interest and frequently culminate in the students' senior projects and theses, the science majors' final requirement for graduation. The summer program also gives students the opportunity to explore areas of interest that would normally be passed over in the classroom. In the laboratory, firsthand research shows the real life application of ideas presented in class and allows students to take charge of their projects. Research opportunities are not restricted to science majors in their field of concentration, however. This summer, a philosophy major spent ten weeks in a neuroscience lab while a math major worked closely with Hamilton's new environmental chemist.
The program introduces students from all academic backgrounds to specified areas of study, giving them a valuable experience through independent research projects and close work with faculty members. Posters from this year's presentations can be viewed in the science and chemistry buildings.
