Hobart and William Smith Colleges

Mentored Research Opportunities

Conducting research with a faculty member is an important opportunity. Not only do you develop a close mentoring relationship with a faculty member and dive deeply into a subject, you gain important skills that open doors for careers in a variety of disciplines. Summer research can be the springboard to honors, graduate school and meaningful careers. Some summer research students present their work at regional or national professional conferences; some even publish their work.

Summer research students spend part of their summer on campus working intensively with a faculty member. The amount of time and start date vary with the project and will be worked out in conjunction with the faculty mentor. Students receive housing on campus, a weekly stipend of $600, and meals at Saga. Each student is required to produce a short written summary of their research and present a poster at the Summer Research Symposium during Parent and Family Weekend.

How to Apply

• Read project descriptions and identify the project(s) that interest you.
• Contact potential faculty mentors to discuss the details of the planned projects. These initial conversations, while informal can be essential in identifying the best potential research partnerships.
• Identify two HWS references.
• Complete one application. You may apply to at most four projects through the application site. You will be able to apply for all four through one submission.
• In order to apply, you must plan to be enrolled at HWS in the Fall of 2026.

Deadline for student applications: February 17, 2026 at 11 p.m.

Students will be notified of placement around February 27.

Art and Architecture

Geneva's Uniquely Urban Pocket Parks

Studying 10 of the neighborhood parks in the city of Geneva, this project is expanding efforts conducted over the last year in collaboration with the community grassroots group, the Geneva Parks Collective. Current efforts include the collection of information about Geneva's park history, current conditions, and future park interests generated from the residents within each neighborhood. This summer's work will include continued community outreach efforts, park research, park design, and grant proposal development. Appropriate for Rising Sophomores.
Mentor: Gabriella D'Angelo
Minimum Qualifications: Interest in parks and community design initiatives; strong communication skills; strong collaboration skills; strong research skills; strong interpersonal skills.
Preferred Qualifications: Major/minoring or interest in our built environment, the arts, inclusive design, ecology, and urban revitalization.

Biology

Seabird Restoration Internship with the National Audubon Society

Audubon’s Seabird Institute operates 7 island seabird sanctuaries on the Maine coast to study nesting and foraging success, nestling survivorship, population dynamics, and climate impacts. Student Interns work with an Island Supervisor and 1-3 others, participating in seabird research, monitoring, and management on terns, puffins, or other seabirds depending on location. Work includes population censuses, monitoring productivity and chick growth; seabird diet studies; banding and resighting birds; invasive vegetation removal; educating island visitors; data management; maintaining field camp; and assisting with predator management. After a brief orientation period, interns will live on-island for approximately 12 weeks (May 26-August 15). Appropriate for Rising Sophomores; Open to Current Seniors.
Mentor: Mark Deutschlander (liaison)
Minimum Qualifications: Introductory Biology or Environmental studies and a strong interest in a career in conservation or wildlife ecology.
Preferred Qualifications: Applicants should be comfortable living and working with others on remote islands with limited amenities, and be in excellent physical condition (capable of climbing over rugged terrain and slippery rocks and able to lift approximately 50 lbs.). Must be willing to get dirty while working and living outside (showers are a luxury, not a daily occurrence) and be capable of working long hours outdoors in variable weather conditions. Must be able to work independently and with others as part of a team, and get along with people of diverse backgrounds. Adaptability to ever-changing circumstances is a must, as daily schedules are weather dependent. Must be able to sit in a small blind for three hours and maintain focus on data collection; reading and listening to music while in the blind collecting data are not permitted. Willingness to learn, dedication to wildlife conservation, and interest in seabirds and isolated islands are basic requirements. Previous experience with bird banding, rowing, wilderness camping, and hunting/trapping are helpful.

Fish Biology in the Finger Lakes

The Finger Lakes are well known for a variety of fish species found in lakes and streams. In recent years, concern has been raised over fish populations in Seneca and Keuka Lakes. This summer, students will study fish diet and habitat use to determine if prey quality is causing changes in fish health and abundance. Fieldwork may involve long days outside in the field with Prof. Cushman but will also require work in the laboratory using dissecting microscopes. Applicants will learn a variety of skills including benthic macroinvertebrate collection and identification, netting and identification of fish, and water quality monitoring techniques. Students will learn how to collect, organize, and analyze many types of data, calibrate equipment, and identify and process samples in the lab. Successful applicants will be team oriented but be able to work independently when needed.
Mentor: Susan Cushman
Minimum Qualifications: Ability to carry 30 lbs of field equipment, coursework in Biology including General Ecology, and a passion for Aquatic Biology. The applicant must also have a willingness and tolerance for conducting fieldwork in potentially buggy, hot, and humid conditions. Students must be organized, responsible, motivated to work efficiently and great attention to detail.
Preferred Qualifications: Coursework in Biostatistics and Aquatic Biology or Global Change Biology, or equivalent. The student should have a driver's license and experience with dissecting microscopes and MS Excel. 

Examining Molecular Partnerships during Organogenesis 

My research focuses on the molecular and cellular mechanisms that drive organ formation during embryogenesis. The aim of this summer project will be to study a protein partnership between Sine oculis, a founding member of the Six gene family and Sobp, a novel protein of unknown function. Techniques such as yeast two-hybrid system, immunofluorescence, GAL4/UAS, and PCR will be employed to examine effects on gene expression during different stages of development. A secondary goal of this project is to develop new research modules for inclusion in biology courses for majors and non-majors. Appropriate for Rising Sophomores.
Mentor: Kristy Kenyon
Minimum Qualifications: BIOL 167 (or equivalent), BIOL 220
Preferred Qualifications: Pursuing a major in biology, biochemistry

Thermal Melanism in Gray Squirrels: Linking Coat Color, Physiology, and Behavior

Coat color in small mammals can affect camouflage and predation risk, but it may also be linked to physiology and behavior. The thermal melanism hypothesis predicts that darker coats provide energetic advantages in cold, sunlight-limited environment but impose costs in warm, high-sunlight conditions. In this project, we will test the thermal melanism hypothesis in eastern gray squirrels, which exhibit gray and black color morphs. Using squirrels housed in semi-natural outdoor enclosures, we will examine how color morph mediates the effects of solar radiation and temperature on energy expenditure and behavioral thermoregulation. Students will gain hands-on experience trapping and handling squirrels, using tracking technology to monitor behavior, collecting physiological data (including doubly labeled water to estimate energy expenditure), and learning basic animal husbandry. Training and close supervision will be provided for all animal handling and sampling procedures. Appropriate for Rising Sophomores.
Mentor: Bradley Cosentino
Minimum Qualifications: Strong work ethic and enthusiasm for field biology or wildlife research. Ability to learn safe animal handling and research procedures, including work with anesthetized animals. Comfortable working outdoors in variable weather conditions. Valid driver’s license for occasional travel to field sites (mileage reimbursed).
Preferred Qualifications: Coursework or interest in ecology, evolution, physiology, or animal behavior. Prior field or animal care experience is helpful but not required.

Various Projects at Cornell AgriTech

Interested in an exciting research experience working with an international team of scientists, graduate students, and undergraduates while using a variety of cutting-edge techniques? You will gain invaluable research experience whether your goal is medicine, graduate school, a science job post college, or just to learn if you want to work in science. Projects will be completed in the laboratories of the Cornell AgriTech in Geneva, and students will live on the HWS campus. Projects may involve applied ecology, bioinformatics, disease control, food science, gene expression, genetics, horticulture, insect behavior, microbiology, molecular biology, or pathology (see https://cals.cornell.edu/cornell-agritech/our-expertise/student-programs/summer-scholars/projects - you only have to complete the HWS application form). We will place students according to their general interests and academic background. For previous HWS research student projects, see: https://www.hws.edu/news/2024/students-explore-scientific-work-at-cornell-agritech.aspx and https://www.ars.usda.gov/northeast-area/geneva-ny/plant-genetic-resources-unit-pgru/docs/intern-corner/.
Mentor: Jeremy Elliott-Engel (liaison)
Minimum Qualifications: Intro. Biology
Preferred Qualifications: At least one 200-level biology course

Chemistry

Synthesis of Biologically Active Heterocycles

The objective of this research is to design and develop new synthetic methods that can be utilized to prepare heterocycles with demonstrated biological activity. This summer, we will explore the synthesis of a new group of indolylfuranone analogs with alkyl groups of varying lengths attached to the indole nitrogen. These compounds have been designed with the help of computational modeling of the colchicine binding site of tubulin. The synthesized compounds will be evaluated in whole cell assays involving cancer cells by the Mowery research group. Students with a serious interest in doing synthetic organic chemistry research are encouraged to apply. The students will be trained and do research directly with Professor Pelkey.
Mentor: Erin Pelkey
Minimum Qualifications: CHEM 240
Preferred Qualifications: CHEM 241 (or currently enrolled in CHEM 241)

Exploring the Kinetics of the Enzyme Malate Dehydrogenase (MDH)

Malate dehydrogenase (MDH) is a critical enzyme in the citric acid cycle, which is central to our metabolism. As such, this enzyme is highly regulated (turned on and off under specific conditions). Under various conditions (fed, starved, etc), the body adds or removes chemical groups (such as phosphate) to MDH which acts as an ON/OFF switch to control this enzyme. Yet, this process is not well understood. In the Slade lab, we will purify MDH enzyme (wild type and mutants) so that we can study it’s kinetics under various conditions. Specifically, this project will entail making buffers, micropipetting (a lot!), using a microplate reader (UV/Vis spectroscopy) and analyzing data in two different software programs. However, no previous experience is necessary. I will mentor you to help learn and develop these skills. Prior knowledge of Microsoft Excel is preferred. This project will greatly improve one’s Excel proficiency. Appropriate for Rising Sophomores.
Mentor: Kristin Slade
Minimum Qualifications: completed both CHEM 110 and 120, or CHEM 190 by June 2026
Preferred Qualifications: Completed Chem 130 by June 2026 and some experience with Excel

Computer Science

Explainable AI Model for Time Series Data

An explainable AI model uses graphs and diagrams to explain how the model reaches a particular decision. Existing explainable AI models focuses on interpreting tabular data and image data predictions. A good example of such model is SHAP (https://github.com/shap/shap). We will be reviewing state-of-the-art explainable AI research and find an approach to expand the application of SHAP into pattern recognition and prediction tasks in time series data. Appropriate for Rising Sophomores.
Mentor: Hanquing Hu
Minimum Qualifications: Can code in Python
Preferred Qualifications: Know pyTorch and SHAP library

Neural Modeling and Robotics

There are two separate projects in this research involving computer simulations of the brain. One project is the development of software connecting brain simulations with a physics engine. The second project is the development of software and hardware techniques for integrating neural simulations with robots. Dr. Fietkiewicz will supervise all of the tasks. Appropriate for Rising Sophomores.
Mentor: Chris Fietkiewicz
Minimum Qualifications: Completed CPSC 124 with at least a A grade.
Preferred Qualifications: Completed CPSC 329 with at least a A grade or robotics experience. 

Data Analytics

Air Quality and Environmental Justice

Wards 5 and 6 in Geneva are designated “disadvantaged communities” by NY State. Some of these are so-called “fenceline” communities because they border potentially polluting industries. This project brings together HWS and local high school students, faculty, staff, and community leaders to answer two key questions: 1) Do fenceline communities experience worse air quality than surrounding neighborhoods? 2) What factors contribute to variable air quality in Geneva? HWS students will begin with a two-week “boot camp” in which they will learn a variety of data analytical and mapping tools. The remaining weeks will be spent on a diversity of activities including (but not limited to) deploying sensors, collecting samples and finding relevant data, analyzing preliminary data, and preparing materials to share with the community. This year, we are interested in preparing content for social media that convey key ideas surrounding air quality and community health. Appropriate for Rising Sophomores.
Mentor: Nan Crystal Arens
Minimum Qualifications: Growth mindset, can-do attitude, initiative, interest in learning, and the ability to complete tasks on time.
Preferred Qualifications: For students interested in the technical side: Experience with statistics, data analytics, and the R statistical computing language.

Environmental Studies/ Science

Long-Term Forest Monitoring at Cooper's Woods

For this project, I will work with students to create a forest inventory at Coopers Woods, and to establish a permanent set of monitoring plots, including tree biomass, species plots, and deer exclusion plots. Once these plots are created we will be able to use them in our classes to measure changes in biomass and carbon sequestration across time at Coopers Woods. We will also be able to monitor successional changes and the impacts of white-tailed deer at Coopers Woods. Students will learn to identify trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants. Students will also gain experience with field work, and completing forest measurements. They will also use GIS/statistics to analyze their data. Appropriate for Rising Sophomores.
Mentor: Kristen Brubaker
Minimum Qualifications: One class in Biology, Geosciences, or Environmental Studies.
Preferred Qualifications: GIS or Stats

Examining the Role of New York State Welcome Centers in Regional Development

This project is an exploratory study of New York State welcome centers as public-facing institutions involved in regional and rural development. Using the Finger Lakes Welcome Center as a case study, the project examines how the center mediates relationships among agencies, programs, regional producers, and visitors around development priorities. Student researchers will join at an early stage and participate in refining research questions, building instruments, and collecting data. Research activities will include review of public program documents, structured observations of visitor interactions and public-facing programming at the welcome center, observations of how regions, producers, and environmental themes are represented on site, basic assessments of physical and informational access, and site visits to other Taste NY locations or welcome centers for comparison. Appropriate for Rising Sophomores.
Mentor: Whitney Mauer
Minimum Qualifications: Interest in qualitative, social science research. Ability to work collaboratively and independently.
Preferred Qualifications: Coursework in Environmental Studies or Sociology. Strong interest in rural or community development, uneven development, or public institutions.

Finger Lakes Institute

Finger Lakes Water Quality Research

Students will conduct research on water quality issues across the Finger Lakes addressing nutrient concentrations and loadings to lakes, dynamics of algae and harmful algal blooms, invasive species, and mercury cycling in invertebrates and fish. Positions will involve long days in the field from a variety of boats such as the R/V Scandling, Boston Whaler, kayaks and more, under all weather conditions. Significant time will be spent on laboratory preparation and analyses as well as data presentations and discussions. Research students are expected to read scientific papers and participate in weekly group activities focused on presenting their data and contextualizing their findings across other aquatic ecosystems such as the Great Lakes. Certified scuba divers are especially encouraged to apply. Appropriate for Rising Sophomores.
Mentor: Lisa Cleckner
Minimum Qualifications: Passion for learning more about the Finger Lakes watersheds and threats to water quality. Willingness to contribute as an individual while being part of a team of students, staff and scientists completing hands-on field and lab work.
Preferred Qualifications: Completion of science and environmental studies classes. Experience with Excel, data analysis, data presentations. Interest in working with broad stakeholder groups across the Finger Lakes region and New York State, including policy makers, community scientists, educators, watershed associations.

Environmental Data Analyst

The Data Analyst will collaborate with FLI staff on data processing and analysis for multiple programs focused on invasive species, contaminants, nutrients, and other water quality issues. They will create computing scripts and tools for data analysis using various software tools like R, R-Studio, Shiny, and GIS. Additionally, this role involves documenting and organizing analytical scripts, archiving processes for future use, and assisting in generating figures, maps, and tables for projects. Appropriate for Rising Sophomores.
Mentor: Lisa Cleckner
Minimum Qualifications: Coursework in Data Analytics, Environmental Studies, natural science, and/or statistics
Preferred Qualifications: Ability to manage multiple projects with overlapping timelines; Understanding of environmental issues associated with the Finger Lakes region, Experience translating scientific analyses to a range of audiences in various formats, Ability to work independently and collaboratively with a variety of HWS staff and students 

Geoscience

Environmental Microplastic REU Peer Mentor

The Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) on Microplastic Sources, Sinks Transport and Environmental Impacts across the Finger Lakes Watershed is funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation as a collaboration between Hobart and William Smith and The City College of New York. The undergraduate Peer Mentor will work with the faculty directors and mentors to help support REU participants in completing their own research projects. The Peer Mentor will also model research and professional skills by completing their own research project focused on microplastics in the Finger Lakes Watersheds. In additional, the Peer Mentor will act as an informal Community Assistant in participant housing both during the five-week field program in Geneva and the four-week analytical program in New York City. For more information in the REU program see https://www.hws.edu/academics/microplastic-reu/.
Mentor: Nan Crystal Arens
Minimum Qualifications: Rising junior or senior. Major in Geoscience, Biology, or Chemistry. Previous summer mentored research experience that involved field work.
Preferred Qualifications: Rising junior or senior. Major in Geoscience, Biology, or Chemistry. Previous summer mentored research experience that involved field work.

Paleoclimate Reconstruction with Leaves

This project will assemble and analyze two data sets that speak to how paleontologists reconstruct past climates using fossil leaves. The first extends work on the Early Eocene (55 million years ago) in which we will apply the Climate Leaf Analysis Multivariate Program (CLAMP) to previously published floras from across North America and corroborate results using other paleoclimate indicators. The second project analyzes a CLAMP data set collected in Queensland Australia. This region has been isolated for about 40 million years and has evolved a distinctive flora. To CLAMP characters still apply? Appropriate for Rising Sophomores.
Mentor: Nan Crystal Arens
Minimum Qualifications: Growth mindset, can-do attitude, initiative, creative problem-solver, and the ability to complete tasks on time.
Preferred Qualifications: Familiarity with botany, paleontology, geology, and/or data analytics using the R statistical computing platform.

Winter Weather Research

This research will use several data sets to address unique questions related to a variety of winter weather situations, such as lake-effect snowstorms, blowing snow occurrences, large-scale cold-air outbreaks, and extreme wind chill temperatures. The geographic regions of the research will include North America, the Arctic, and the Antarctic depending on the topic. Appropriate for Rising Sophomores.
Mentor: Neil Laird
Minimum Qualifications: No past research experience is required. By the start of summer research, students should have completed at least Introduction to Meteorology (GEO-182). Additional coursework is not required. Students should be willing to work both collaboratively with other students and their research mentor.
Preferred Qualifications: No past research experience is required. By the start of summer research, students should have completed at least Introduction to Meteorology (GEO-182). Additional coursework is not required. Students should be willing to work both collaboratively with other students and their research mentor. 

Gender, Sexuality, and Intersectional Justice

PACT (Public Art for Community Transformation) Summer Mural Project

Working collaboratively with PACT (Public Art for Community Transformation), co-founded and run by Michelle Martin-Baron and Victor Pultinas and the Dove Block, our student research team will help up to carry out a mural project in downtown Geneva, near Grounded Cafe. This project started from a deep student interest in using public art to tell stories that often get overlooked, especially the histories that are rooted in the land we live on. We’re planning a mural that centers the Indigenous history of the Finger Lakes region, designed by indigenous artist Tsioianiio Galban. The student researcher will be a part of this project from start to finish, working all aspects from collaborating between artist, business and community members, youth painters, and developing outreach projects. You'll also help PACT manage its archive and document its process, and to place our work in the context of public art in the city of Geneva. Appropriate for Rising Sophomores.
Mentor: Michelle Martin-Baron
Minimum Qualifications: A passion for visual art, the ability to work well with a team, and a willingness to work with and to build community with community members of all ages.
Preferred Qualifications: Visual art background, facility with social media and public-facing communications, experience working with youth (especially but not only teens)

Greek and Roman Studies

Creating a Database of Ancient Greek and Roman Coins

Last summer I began a long-term numismatics project focused on ancient Mediterranean coinage. During Summer 2026, I would like to work with a student researcher to continue this work by building a comprehensive digital database of Ptolemaic Greek, Seleucid dynasty, and Roman Severan-period coins. The student will assist me to identify, evaluate, and catalogue existing online coin databases and image repositories, integrating these materials into a single, structured dataset. Once the database framework is complete, we will begin entering coins from our own collection. Finally, we will develop a project to collaborate with colleagues in geoscience and chemistry to incorporate metallurgical analysis data. Therefore, and in parallel, the student will also be assisting me in developing a potential Data Analytics course module that uses this database to teach data organization, visualization, and historical analysis. My role will involve close mentoring in research methods, historical context, database design, and interdisciplinary collaboration, while guiding the student through data validation, documentation, and presentation of ancient coins. The project will result in both a research-grade database and a teaching resource bridging data analytics and ancient history. Finally, since Cyprus’ mints were major contributors to all three periods, this project may also be able to connect, in the future, to the new Nicosia Cypris program.
Mentor: Jim Capreedy
Minimum Qualifications: Experience with Greek and Roman History courses, knowledge of Latin and Greek, familiarity with excel.
Preferred Qualifications: Experience with Numismatic, experience in a upper division Latin or Greek course

History

Matters of Memory: Religion, Race, and the Life of a Small American City

In support of the Matters of Memory curricular grant and the coming of the Wells Book Arts Center to HWS, students will work on setting up a podcast about how different histories and experiences get remembered in Geneva and the surrounding area. From markers of war and violence in the American Revolution to contemporary issues, local and national, about the legacies of figures like Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Civil Rights movement, students will connect with local community members, political and religious leaders, faculty and fellow students to talk about communal narrative, memorials, and memory. In conjunction with this work, they will also be helping develop programming that uses the resources of the history department's hand-press and lettering workshop and the book arts center to help students of all ages think about how we use materials, books, prints, and archives, to create and try to control what we remember, and how and why. Appropriate for Rising Sophomores.
Mentor: Matt Crow
Minimum Qualifications: General interest in history
Preferred Qualifications: General interest in history, experience with social media/digital communications a plus but not a requirement.

International Relations

Integrating Tableau into “INRL 372: Data Visualization in International Relations”

This 8-week summer project will aim to explore ways to integrate Tableau, a leading data visualization and analytics platform, into Professor Yadav’s INRL 372: Data Visualization for International Relations (taught annually in the spring). Students will help build a course module for Canvas by: 1) Gathering useful YouTube video tutorials for a.) getting started, b.) becoming proficient, and c.) mastering the art of building data visualizations in Tableau Public and Tableau Desktop; 2) Creating supplementary material for peers who will engage in self-paced learning and assessment (i.e. quizzes, worksheets, visualization assignments) within Canvas LMS; 3) Gathering tutorials and generating supplementary practice and assessment materials for integrating Tableau with Think-Cell enhanced MS PowerPoint. 4) Developing three separate, project-based, video tutorials and accompanying hand-outs to enhance story telling about an aspect of international relations or comparative politics using publicly available databases online and Tableau Public visualizations (or “vizzes”). The three projects will aim to enhance skill proficiency of students from a beginner to advanced level. Example project-based tutorials might include: a. Beginner Level: i. Animated (Hans Rosling) bubble chart on life expectancy and GDP/per capita or happiness by country. ii. A dynamic global conflict dashboard using public data from the Uppsala Conflict Data Program (UCDP). b. Intermediate Level: i. A map of emerging trade blocs using data from two or more public sources (e.g., the IMF, WB, WTO, OECD, or Observatory of Economic Complexity). ii. A correlation chart that blends Polity IV data with the CIRI Human Rights data. c. Advanced Level: i. Using bilateral flow data from the UNHCR/IOM create a Arc Sankey Chart to show regional flows of refugees impacted by conflict. ii. Create a chord diagram or network visualization showing major narcotics supply sources and recipients. iii. Create a Coxcomb chart (similar to a stacked radial bar chart) to compare military assets of various countries. Appropriate for Rising Sophomores.
Mentor: Vikash Yadav
Minimum Qualifications: INRL Major or Minor.
Preferred Qualifications: A highly self-motivated; disciplined; detail-oriented person with perfectionist tendencies who is interested in story-telling with data but is (at least slightly) intimidated by advanced data visualization computer programs. A lack of familiarity with the Tableau platform is actually ideal as the aim is to figure out how to help students learn to use the Tableau platform from scratch.

Research and Service-Learning for Human Rights Advocacy

Linking the practice of research to effective human rights advocacy, summer research students will undertake three linked tasks: (a) they will gain practical research experience by supporting legal advocacy efforts on behalf of researchers who live and work in conflict-affected communities, (b) they will identify available models of service learning in the area of human rights education, and (c) they will help re-design INRL 260: Human Rights and International Law by integrating the most appropriate elements from these models. Appropriate for Rising Sophomores.
Mentor: Stacey Philbrick Yadav
Minimum Qualifications: INRL major or minor
Preferred Qualifications: Completion of INRL 260; any combination of prior internship or work experience with an advocacy organization, participation in Centennial Center program (LEADS/Leadership Distinction/Centennial Scholarship), or completion of INRL 371 or 372. 

Media and Society

America at 250 through the Census Atlases

The U.S. Constitution mandates that Congress shall carry out a national census every ten years to count the population for the purpose of determining how many seats each state should have in the House of Representatives. As such, the Founders conceived the census as a cornerstone for the self-governance of the fledging nation. In practice, however, the census has done far more than population counts. It has been repeatedly used as a tool to name and disenfranchise undesired populations. By the late 19th century, census data would include not only the population count of the nation but also demographic statistics such as race and its relation to life and mortality. The Statistical Atlas of the United States, first published in 1874, then presented these data in visual forms. Through modern cartographic and printing technologies, they offered the American public a new way to "see" the nation through maps and charts. This mentored research project invites students to examine how the U.S. Census Atlas has represented race and ethnicity through its 150-year history at the occasion of the nation's 250th. Students will conduct research about the history of data visualization and the discourse of race and demographics in the United States. They will complete individual research projects under Professor Jiangtao Harry Gu's supervision while contributing to Professor Gu's book project about how abstract shapes in demographic visualization have structured social scientific understandings of Chinese immigration.
Mentor: Jiangtao Harry Gu
Minimum Qualifications: Open only to rising juniors and seniors. Students should have relevant coursework in data analysis, statistics, race and ethnic studies, etc. They should have a minimum of 3.5 GPA.
Preferred Qualifications: Experience with historical research working with primary sources. Experiences with data visualization and Geographic Information Systems (GIS).

Music

GMF-HWS Summer Institute: How can the GMF Successfully Integrate a College-Level Educational Residency for Chamber Music Studies at HWS?

This summer research project partners a music administration student at HWS with the Geneva Music Festival (GMF) to explore how nonprofit arts organizations operate while contributing directly to our regional music festival. During May and early June, the student will be trained to work across festival activities—assisting with front of house duties, artist support, lighting and audio coordination, video capture, program notes, press releases, and other behind the scenes operations. Alongside this hands-on experience, the student will conduct research on regional music festivals that integrate educational residencies for college students. Working closely with the faculty mentor (who also serves as a GMF board member), the student will research comparable models and conduct accompanied site visits to Ithaca College, Mt Holyoke, and other regional schools that offer summer music programs--and develop a proposal for a potential GMF–HWS student residency program to be piloted in 2027. The faculty mentor will provide ongoing guidance in research design, analysis, and the creation of the student’s written report and fall symposium poster. Appropriate for Rising Sophomores.
Mentor: Katherine Walker
Minimum Qualifications: Entrepreneurship major or minor
Preferred Qualifications: Music Entrepreneurship major or minor

Psychological Science

Meditation and Attention - Psychophysiological Responses

The student involved in this project will work with psychophysiological data collected through a research study investigating the role of a single session of mindfulness-based meditation on sustained attention and resistance to cell-phone distraction. The student will be responsible for extracting data from Biopac recordings, calculating measures such as eye movement, pulse rate, and skin conductance responses to a sustained attention task and cell phone notifications. The student will also code questionnaire data, run statistical analyses, and contribute to literature reviews.
Mentor: Elizabeth Belcher
Minimum Qualifications: Familiarity with research methods, Microsoft Excel, and statistics. Self-driven worker with strong attention to detail.
Preferred Qualifications: Students who have experience coding and analyzing data in Matlab, Python, and/or R are especially encouraged to apply. Passing grade in PSY201 and PSY202.

Public Health

PACE: Bodies, Time, and Everyday Life

This project explores how people experience and cope with the rapid pace of everyday life, with attention to how time pressure becomes embodied. Using qualitative interviews and follow-up conversations, the research examines how individuals adapt to speed through everyday practices such as technology use, household and food shortcuts, outsourcing labor, and deliberate slowing strategies. The interview process is designed as affective attunement, encouraging participants to notice and reflect on pace in daily life, with follow-up conversations capturing new insights. The student researcher will recruit participants, schedule and conduct interviews independently and/or with the faculty mentor, manage transcripts, assist with coding, and gather relevant cultural texts. The student will receive hands-on training in qualitative research methods, interviewing, transcription, coding, and reflexive analysis. I will mentor the student through interview techniques, ethical qualitative practice, analytic memo writing, and theory-building, with regular meetings focused on data analysis, emerging themes, and conceptual framing.
Mentor: Jessica Hayes-Conroy
Minimum Qualifications: Prior coursework or experience in qualitative research methods. Strong interest in social research, lived experience, and embodiment. Excellent organizational and communication skills. Ability to work independently and responsibly with human subjects.
Preferred Qualifications: Previous experience conducting interviews or qualitative fieldwork. Coursework in public health, GSIJ, environmental studies, anthropology, sociology, or related fields. Interest in critical theory and affect theory.

Religious Studies

ReligioN and Entrepreneurship

This research explores the intersection between religion and entrepreneurship. It showcases how entrepreneurs use their connections to faith, rituals, community, and institutions to create value in their pursuits of profit. It calls into question the relationship between the social behaviors of religious entrepreneurs and their attitudes toward trade, risk-taking, value creation, and money-making activities. It weighs on Weberian and Marxist views on whether human actions are driven by religious motivations or economic behaviors. Following Weber’s work, Protestant Ethics and the Spirit of Capitalism, this research seeks to understand whether religious beliefs and values have any impact on entrepreneurial intentions, choices, decisions, and outcomes. Students will explore how faith, rituals, communities, and sacred spaces present religious followers with business opportunities and non-profit engagements. Appropriate for Rising Sophomores.
Mentor: Shalahudin Kafrawi
Minimum Qualifications: The candidate is expected to have familiarity with religious studies and the importance of meanings and values in entrepreneurial studies.
Preferred Qualifications: Preference is given to a candidate (1) who is familiar with research methods, with a good command in finding books and peer-reviewed journals, and with writing synopsis and (2) who majors in religious studies or Business Management and Entrepreneurship with the concentration in Meanings and Values across Cultures.

Fashion and Cultural Regimes in the Age of AI

This summer project investigates how cultural regimes govern fashion and assesses whether AI reinforces the system of cultural power in its architectural design and delivery. The project evaluates discursive regimes in fashion through elaborations of what counts as norms, aesthetic standards, moral framings, and senses of belonging and how these systems of knowing are used to exclude or include non-Western fashion practices. Drawing from Foucauldian theory, it criticizes the political hegemony of fashion that generates “a synaptic regime of power” to emerge (1972), demonstrating how a widespread acceptance of fashion “truths” within social bodies gets normalized. The project further elaborates how agentic social bodies comply with the pressures of fashion regimes and the political economy of capitalism undergirding the rise of fast fashion. This research questions whether AI reinforces fashion regimes in its architectural and social processes, underpinning what counts as norm and aesthetics in the fashion industry. Students in this project will have the opportunity to ask new inquiries on the intersection of fashion, cultural regimes, and AI and bring their intellectual interests to enrich the topics at hand. Appropriate for Rising Sophomores.
Mentor: Etin Anwar
Minimum Qualifications: Religious Studies, Art History, Fashion studies, and/or Museum Studies
Preferred Qualifications: REL 295 Sustainability, Fashion, and Justice

Seneca Review

Literary Journal Stewardship

Student editors will continue to improve the journal's new website while focusing on ways of increasing revenue. We will hold at least one fundraiser (and more, if possible), while expanding our online store and its digital reach; strengthening connections between the journal and local businesses; creating more ephemera, merchandise, and "swag"; planning for next years Broadside Poetry Prize; and fortifying ties between Seneca Review and the official student club (SRC).
Mentor: Geoffrey Babbitt
Minimum Qualifications: 1) ENG or WRRH major or minor 2) Current sophomore or junior
Preferred Qualifications: 1) ENG 392 / WRRH 328 (Small Press Book Publishing). 2) Membership in the student Seneca Review Club.

Spanish and Hispanic studies

Literary Biodiversity in Colombia

Contemporary authors Pilar Quintana, Maria Ospina, and Tania Ganitsky, among others, present Colombia’s biodiversity through a feminist lens, clearly setting themselves apart from predecessors who subscribed to the “novela de la selva” and “magic realism”. This research project will focus on exploring, documenting, contextualizing, and analyzing these newer ecocritical voices in Colombian literature. We will also consider connections to related trends in visual arts, popular culture, and music and explore options for applying our research to course development.
Mentor: May Farnsworth
Minimum Qualifications: Courses in Spanish above level II
Preferred Qualifications: Student fluent in Spanish with literary research experience