HWS News Top Stories
6 February 2023Dobkowski Reflects on Holocaust Documentary
Professor of Religious Studies Michael Dobkowski will participate in a panel discussion in Rochester as part of a screening of the new Ken Burns documentary The U.S. and the Holocaust.
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2 February 2023Dahouda Discusses Ivory Coast’s Postwar Reconstruction
Associate Professor of French, Francophone and Italian Studies Kanate Dahouda offers a significant political contribution to understanding the Ivory Coast’s road to economic recovery and nation-building under the presidency of Alassane Ouattara.
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18 January 2023Dean in The Nation
In a Q&A with The Nation, Professor of Political Science Jodi Dean discusses her new anthology Organize, Fight, Win: Black Communist Women’s Political Writing.
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11 January 2023Considering a Career in Law?
Associate Professor of Environmental Studies Beth Kinne says she’s excited to serve as the Pre-Law Adviser and guide both students who are curious about the field and those students who are set on attending law school.
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5 January 2023Professor Bodenlos on Being the Change
A new book by Professor of Psychological Science Jamie Bodenlos offers practical guidance for activists to maximize their impact as agents of change.
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22 December 20222022: A Remarkable Year
As our historic Bicentennial year comes to a close, we pause to look back on the many successes of the past year.
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2 December 2022Vicious is My Middle Name
Professor of International Relations Kevin Dunn’s debut novel is “a must-read for anyone who has ever felt like a misfit and found solace in books and music.”
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17 November 2022New Art by Ruth Featured in NYC Gallery
Professor of Art and Architecture Nick Ruth will attend the opening reception of into this world, an exhibition at Planthouse art gallery in New York City that showcases his work. Ruth’s 2022 screenprint and colored pencil This Place X (pictured here) is featured on the exhibit announcement card.
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10 November 2022Remembering Professor Grant Holly
A successful screenwriter, scholar of literary theory, and member of English faculty for 52 years, Professor Holly passed away on campus on Tuesday.
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10 November 2022Do Dogs "See" Smell?
In his latest blog on Psychology Today, Associate Professor of Psychological Science Daniel Graham details new research from Cornell University Veterinary College that explores differences in how dog brains process smells.
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26 October 2022Gearan Launches Voices of Democracy Podcast
The inaugural episode features former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and political commentator and strategist James Carville LL.D. ’13, P’17.
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30 September 2022Crow Awarded Research Fellowship
Associate Professor of History Matthew Crow has been awarded a residential research fellowship by the Omohundro Institute at the College of William and Mary for his study of the influence of the Renaissance and Reformation on the Enlightenment and Age of Revolutions, and on the origins of the United States.
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22 September 2022Dobkowski Gives Talk at Jewish Book Festival
Professor of Religious Studies Michael Dobkowski spoke on mortality and the Holocaust in conversation with author Dara Horn at the Rochester’s Jewish Book Festival.
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22 September 2022Critical Lenses, Clear Pathways
Provost and Dean of Faculty Sarah Kirk previews the Colleges’ academic outlook for this year and beyond, new programs, priorities and the unrivaled interdisciplinary, residential education that students find at HWS.
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16 September 2022Harris to Speak on Vietnam
As a featured guest for the Asian Film & Talk Series: Masculinity, Food, and Social Changes at New College Florida, Professor of Sociology Jack Harris P’02, P’06 will present his research on Vietnam.
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9 September 2022Farnsworth Named Kinghorn Global Fellow
Professor of Spanish and Hispanic Studies May Summer Farnsworth is the 2022-23 John R. and Florence B. Kinghorn Global Fellow.
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9 September 2022Endowed Professor Spotlight: Anna Creadick
Professor of English Anna Creadick, who holds the George E. Paulsen ’49 Professorship, is an interdisciplinary scholar of 20th century U.S. literature and culture.
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7 September 2022Passavant on 2020 Police Tactics
Professor of Political Science Paul Passavant assesses the Louisville police’s protest plan during the summer of 2020 and where it ran afoul of First Amendment protections.
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6 September 2022Friedman Publishes Health and Media Textbook
Professor Emeritus of Media and Society Lester Friedman’s newest book explores the social impact at the intersection of health and media.
Read More1 September 2022Dean Coauthors Article in Boston Review Ahead of Book Release
Professor of Political Science Jodi Dean is the coauthor of an article in Boston Review about Black communist women’s historic and enduring impact on labor movements.
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22 August 2022Hood to Speak on Mark Twain
Professor of History Clifton Hood will discuss Mark Twain’s writing on Thursday, Aug. 25 as part of the Mark Twain Speaker Series hosted by the Chemung County Historical Society.
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18 August 2022Princeton Review Ranks HWS Faculty Best in Nation; Environmental Stewardship Noted as Strength
In the 2023 edition of Best 388 Colleges, Hobart and William Smith are among only 25 schools recognized for having professors who, based on student surveys, get high marks, “are interesting, and bring their material to life.”
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11 August 2022The Internet, The Brain and Neuroscience Insights
Associate Professor of Psychological Science Daniel Graham discusses his research on the human brain with Columbia University Press, which will publish his latest book An Internet in Your Head in paperback this fall.
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3 August 2022“All the World’s a Stage:” HWS Theatre Abroad
This summer, Lucas Amaral ’23, Hannah Angelico ’25 and A King ’25 participated in the “Advanced Studies in England” Theatre Summer School in Bath, England.
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3 August 2022HWS Community Mourns Dean Banks
Dr. Cerri Banks, former dean of William Smith College and member of the Education Department, has passed away.
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24 July 2022Hood Discusses NYC Subway History on American Built
Clifton Hood, the George E. Paulsen ’49 Professor of American History and Government, is featured on Fox series about engineering marvels.
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21 July 2022Blanchard Presents her Song Dynasty analysis at Stanford
Professor of Art and Architecture Lara Blanchard facilitated a workshop at Stanford University based on her award-winning book about female representation in Song Dynasty painting and poetry.
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18 July 2022Faculty Honored for Teaching, Scholarship, Service and Inclusion
Four professors were awarded the annual honors recognizing faculty excellence.
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18 July 2022HWS and NY6 Receive $1.5M Mellon Foundation Grant
Mellon grant will support a three-year leadership program for faculty members in the humanities.
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17 July 2022Shafer Helps Produce 25th Annual Finger Lakes Environmental Film Festival
FLEFF is one of the world’s longest running environmental film festivals.
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29 June 2022Faculty Dance Concert 2022
Three Faculty Choreographers join Guest Artist Olive Prince ’99 in three performances.
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25 June 2022Huskie's Appearance on Jeopardy Airs July 4
Andrea “Andie” Huskie, director of secondary education, will be a contestant on Jeopardy beginning Monday, July 4.
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1 June 2022Atomic Physics with Prof. Allen
Associate Professor of Physics Ted Allen explains recent research on quantum mechanics.
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24 May 20227th Fulbright-Hays Award for Russian Studies and Economics
The grant from the U.S. Department of Education will fund an intensive course abroad on the politics, economics and culture of Georgia.
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18 May 2022Conroy-Goldman's Fiction in the Normal School
Professor of English Melanie Conroy-Goldman’s short story “De Domum” appears in the online literary magazine The Normal School.
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12 May 2022Metz Named Associate Provost
In his new role, Associate Professor of Geoscience Nick Metz will help oversee faculty affairs and development.
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2 May 2022Princeton Review Names HWS a "Best Value College"
The national list recognizes Hobart and William Smith’s academic excellence, affordability and career outcomes for graduates.
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27 April 2022Yoshikawa Awarded Fulbright to Taiwan
The award supports a research project examining the colonial politics of nature in the Asia-Pacific region.
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31 March 2022Music for a New Apocalypse
Music for a New Apocalypse,composed by Associate Professor of Music Mark Olivieri, premiered this month with a performance by pianist Andres Gomez-Bravo.
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30 March 2022Once Upon a Time in the Italian Western
Sebastiano Lucci, instructor of Italian and director of the Less Commonly Taught Languages, will reflect on the birth, development and culmination of the midcentury westerns made by Italian filmmakers like Sergio Leone.
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18 March 2022Tribute to Cadence Joy Whittier
The late Professor of Dance Cadence Joy Whittier, who served at HWS from 2000-2021, will be remembered on Sunday, April 10, from 2-4 p.m. in Deming Theatre.
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17 March 2022Dean Kaenzig Receives PLEN’s National Award for Mentorship
For nearly three decades of work to advance and train the next generation of public policy leaders, William Smith Dean Lisa Kaenzig was honored with the 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Public Leadership Education Network (PLEN) on Wednesday, March 16 in Washington, D.C.
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24 February 2022HWS Experts Discuss Russian Invasion of Ukraine
John Sipher ’83, P’19, who worked for the CIA’s clandestine service for 28 years, and Professor of Political Science David Ost, an expert on Eastern European politics and society, unpacked the latest developments in the unfolding crisis.
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22 February 2022Anwar’s Book Makes Top 10 List
A Genealogy of Islamic Feminism recognized by Indonesian publisher.
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1 February 2022Stressed? Mindfulness Can Help, Says New HWS Research
New scholarship by faculty and student researchers examines stress, anxiety and the habit of replaying the past — and where mindfulness can help.
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13 January 2022Dahouda Discusses Ivory Coast Civil War and Post-War Socio-Economic Recovery in “Le Patriote” and “Lebanco”
French Professor Kanaté Dahouda examines how the politics of ethnic identities led to a Civil War in the Ivory Coast in 2010.
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9 November 2021Professor Hood Highlighted on the History Channel
Clifton Hood, the George E. Paulsen '49 Professor of American History and Government, is featured in the History Channels The Engineering that Built the World series.
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25 October 2021Printmaking: "New and Improved"
A new exhibit showcases HWS professor and artist Nick Ruths latest work exploring everyday encounters with the infrastructure of social systems.
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12 October 2021Werner's Stripped Named to Best Book List
Stripped, written by Associate Professor of Writing and Rhetoric Maggie Werner and published by Penn State University Press, has been named to Book Authority's list of 20 best new rhetoric books for 2021.
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2 October 2021Can Progressives Make Progress?
Associate Professor of Political Science DeWayne Lucas on whats at stake in negotiations among Democratic lawmakers. In the Christian Science Monitor this week, Associate Professor of Political Sc
Read More30 September 2021Jefferson, Melville and Democracy
Professor Crow shares his research on Thomas Jefferson, Herman Melville and U.S. legal history at the University of Missouris Kinder Institute on Constitutional Democracy.
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17 September 2021The African Diaspora in Italy
HWS professors design a new course on Black Italy after a summer workshop exploring the contemporary presence of the African diaspora in Italy. With an eye toward further diversifying the Italian c
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14 September 2021Pulteney Street Podcast: An Internet in Your Head
The third season of Pulteney Street Podcast kicks off with Associate Professor of Psychological Science Daniel Graham, whose new book explores the parallels between the internet and the human brain.
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6 September 2021Secret Sauce at HWS: The Faculty
Hobart and William Smith Faculty Ranked Among Best in Nation, Again!
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30 June 2021Lucci Selected as 2021-22 Kinghorn Fellow
Sebastiano Lucci, director of the Self-Instructional Language Program and instructor of Italian, is the 2021-22 John R. and Florence B. Kinghorn Global Fellow.
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10 June 2021Investigative Journalism, the Nation of Islam and Racial Uplift
An article about Muhammad Speaks by Khuram Hussain, Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, is featured in JSTOR Daily.
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6 June 2021Celebrating Community Engagement in 2021
Hobart and William Smith recognize students, faculty and partners in Geneva for their investment in the local community.
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14 May 2021Jimnez to Deliver Baccalaureate Address
Associate Professor Emerita of Africana Studies Marilyn Jiménez P'12 will deliver the Baccalaureate address to the Classes of 2021.
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9 April 2021HWS Supports Bridges Over Walls Leadership Project in Geneva
Everything happening nationally is happening locally, and we need these discussions about nonviolent communication and capacity building so we can be stewards of public good.
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1 March 2021Its a W-I-N for HWS Spelling Bee Team
A team made up of HWS faculty and staff took home first place honors in the annual adult spelling bee that raises funds for the nonprofit organization Literacy Volunteers Ontario-Yates.
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23 December 2020Asian Studies Pursuits Funded by Tanaka Grant
Funding from the Tanaka Memorial Foundation allowed Carly Shiever '21 to hold a remote internship and Associate Professor of History Lisa Yoshikawa to pursue continued book research.
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11 December 2020Blanchard Honored with Joseph Levenson Book Prize
Described by the Association for Asian Studies as a “triumph of intertextual and intervisual methods in gender studies,” Professor of Art and Architecture Lara Blanchard is the winner of the 2020 Joseph Levenson Pre-1900 Book Prize (China).
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16 October 2020Across the Galaxy with HWS Physics
During Homecoming and Family Weekend 2020, a virtual panel discussion explored some of the research that HWS faculty, staff and alums are undertaking to unravel the mysteries of space.
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15 October 2020Black Holes, Astrophysics and the 2020 Nobel
This month, the Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to three scientists whose research on black holes has pushed astrophysics into new territory, recognizing “areas of physics that have become critical for our fundamental understanding of the universe,” says Associate Professor of Physics Steven Penn, whose work supported the discoveries honored with the Nobel in 2017.
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9 October 2020HWS Awarded NSF Grant on Evolution in Cities
A new grant from the National Science Foundation will support a collaborative research project that, through a study on eastern gray squirrels, will explore the ways cities shape animal evolution.
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28 September 2020Žigelytė Co-Curates Stonewall Exhibit
The Rochester region has a rich LGBTQ history worth celebrating, says Visiting Assistant Professor of Media and Society Lina Žigelytė, who recently served as co-curator of the Rochester Public Library’s exhibit “Stonewall: 50 Years Out.”
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27 August 2020Martin-Baron Edits Book on Queer Motherhood
With her first book, Visiting Instructor of Writing and Rhetoric Sherri Martin-Baron and her coeditors explore the complex, multifaceted, and legally and culturally variable realities of queer parenthood.
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27 July 2020Data from Perkin Observatory Confirms Existence of New Exoplanet
Observations with the Colleges’ Richard S. Perkin Observatory have been used to help confirm the existence of a new extra-solar planet, according to an article co-authored by Associate Professor of Physics Leslie Hebb that appears this month in The Astrophysical Journal.
Read More17 June 2020Crow on Empire, Oceans, Law and Melville
In two new publications, Associate Professor of History Matthew Crow tracks the history of legal thought across empires and oceans, discussing contemporary questions of law and authority in the context of American literature and history.
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4 June 2020Bayer to Moderate Women in Medicine Discussion
Professor of Women’s Studies Betty Bayer, the immediate past president of the National Women’s Hall of Fame, will lead the Hall’s inaugural book club discussion of The Power of Rare by Victoria Jackson.
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26 May 2020Karofsky '89 Supports Study Abroad with Gift to McGuire Fund
Robert Karofsky '89 was already an economics major when he had his first class with former Interim President and Professor Emeritus of Economics Patrick A. McGuire L.H.D. '12. "Taking that class accelerated my learning and excitement for the discipline," says Karofsky, who today serves as Co-President of the Investment Bank at UBS and a member of the UBS Group Executive Board. "He's the most extraordinary professor I have had. I believe I owe a lot to him."
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17 March 2020Pandemic Explained: Linton on COVID-19 Response and What to Expect Next
A national authority on the history of medicine and immunology, Professor of History Derek Linton reflects on the international response to 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) and what history can — and cannot — tell us about the new pandemic.
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12 March 2020Six Members of HWS Faculty Earn Tenure
At its most recent meeting, the Hobart and William Smith Colleges Board of Trustees, upon recommendation of President Joyce P. Jacobsen, approved tenure and promotion.
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14 February 2020Penn Earns NSF Grant to Improve LIGO Capability
Associate Professor of Physics Steven Penn and Syracuse University Professor of Physics Stefan Ballmer are leading a new project funded through a National Science Foundation Grant to develop improved instrumentation for detecting gravitational waves.
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16 January 2020An Epic Conversation on Womens Activism
In conjunction with the fourth annual Women March and coincident with the centennial year of women’s suffrage, Professor and Chair of the Women’s Studies Department and former director of the National Women’s Hall of Fame Betty Bayer will moderate a panel discussion on everyday activism every day with leading activists from across the USA.
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18 October 2019Penn Elected Chair of LIGO Scientific Collaboration
This month, Professor of Physics Steven Penn was elected Chair of the LIGO Scientific Collaboration (LSC), an international group of more than 1,300 researchers focused on the direct detection of gravitational waves as a means to explore the fundamental physics of gravity and to advance astronomical discovery.
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16 October 2019Pulteney Street Podcast with Jodi Dean
Jodi Dean, professor of political science and director of the Fisher Center for the Study of Gender and Justice, joins President Joyce P. Jacobsen on the latest episode of the Pulteney Street Podcast, discussing Dean’s newest book Comrade, published this month, as well as her other work around politics, technology, democratic society and extraterrestrial life.
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1 February 2019Spelling Bee Fundraiser for Literacy
Members of the Hobart and William Smith community are preparing for the 17th annual Literacy Volunteers of Ontario-Yates (LVOY) Spelling Bee, which will take place on Sunday, Feb. 10 at Geneva High School. Proceeds from the event will fund important literacy initiatives in the region.
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21 December 2018Endowed Professor Spotlight: Jodi Dean
Professor of Political Science Jodi Dean, who held the Donald R. Harter ’39 Professorship of the Humanities and Social Sciences from 2013 to 2018, is the author or editor of 12 books, including Blog Theory, The Communist Horizon and Democracy and Other Neoliberal Fantasies.
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7 May 2018Bayer Offers Tribute to Dr. Blackwell
Professor of Womens Studies Betty Bayer joined a panel of distinguished speakers for the unveiling of the historic plaque marking the hospital founded by Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell Class of 1849, the first woman in America to receive her degree as a Doctor of Medicine.
Read More16 March 2018Spelling Bee Benefits Literacy
The Literacy Volunteers of Ontario and Yates Counties (LVOY) hosted the 16th Annual Adult Spelling Bee at Geneva High School on Sunday, Feb. 11.
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17 November 2017Himmelhoch Presents on Agamemnon's Retreat in Iliad
Associate Professor of Classics Leah Himmelhoch recently presented a paper at the annual conference of the Classical Association of the Atlantic States, held in New York City in early October.
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13 October 2017Penn Hosts Major Scientific Discovery Event
In the ongoing research to understand the origins and the nature of the universe, the detection of gravitational waves ripples in spacetime has been a pivotal discovery.
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28 September 2017First Joint Discovery of Gravitational Waves by LIGO and Virgo
The LIGO Scientific Collaboration (LSC), of which Hobart and William Smith Professor of Physics Steven Penn is a prizewinning scientist, and the Virgo collaboration have reported their first joint discovery of gravitational waves.
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16 June 2017Spates Reflects on Ruskin, Commencement
On his website, Why Ruskin, Professor of Sociology Emeritus Jim Spates reflects on the parallels between renowned 19th century British art and social critic John Ruskin’s ideas of inclusivity and the 2017 Commencement remarks of former President Bill Clinton and HWS President Mark D. Gearan L.H.D.’17.
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1 June 2017LIGO Detects Gravitational Waves for Third Time
Results Confirm New Population of Black Holes
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11 May 2017Trias Writers Charm Critics
April brought rave reviews for Jeff VanderMeer and Mary Gaitskill, HWS Trias Writers in Residence for 2016-2017 and 2012-2013 respectively.
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17 April 2017HWS Presents at National Physics Conference
Bringing the Finger Lakes to Atlanta, Assistant Professor of Physics Ileana Dumitriu, physics lab technician Peter Spacher Ph.D. and Christopher Demas ’17 recently presented their respective research at the winter conference for the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT), the largest conference for physics teachers across the globe.
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3 February 2017Discovery Receives Breakthrough Prize
Associate Professor of Physics Steven Penn is among the international team of scientists being recognized this month for their pioneering discovery of gravitational waves.
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