HWS News Top Stories
29 September 2023HWS Awarded NIH Anticancer Research Grant
A $386K grant from the National Institutes of Health drives interdisciplinary research to develop molecules with anticancer properties.
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28 September 2023Malhotra '26 Gains Legal Research Experience
Work this summer investigated environmental law under the Clean Water Act.
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20 September 2023Learning About Science Over Lunch
Four biologists will present their work this fall in a series presented by the HWS Department of Biology.
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22 August 2023Students Explore Scientific Research Working at Cornell Lab
Professional experience prepares students for science careers.
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16 August 2023Students Catalogue Public Art at HWS
Two students explored the history of the Colleges’ public art this summer.
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12 May 2023Remembering Dr. Arthur Patchett P'88
A graduate of Princeton University, Cambridge University and Harvard University, Dr. Arthur Patchett P’88 worked at Merck & Company, Inc. for 44 years, retiring as Vice President of Medicinal Chemistry.
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27 April 2023A Moment of Science: Lab Work, Cancer Research and STEM Careers
Professor of Biology Patricia Mowery and Professor of Chemistry Erin Pelkey discuss their collaborative research.
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17 March 2023Brook Trout and Lake Trout Research Showcased
Director of Introductory Biology Laboratories Susan Cushman took three students to the New York Chapter of American Fisheries Society research conference at Stony Brook University in February.
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17 March 2023HWS Presents at Eastern Psychology Association Conference
Students and faculty attend the Eastern Psychology Association conference, presenting research, networking and representing the HWS chapter of Psi Chi, the international psychology honor society.
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1 March 2023A Passion for Math
After presenting research and networking at the Nebraska Conference for Undergraduate Women in Mathematics in January, mathematics majors share their experiences with the campus community.
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9 November 2022Biomedical Research
The National Institutes of Health selected Maegan Manning ’22 for a highly competitive Postbaccalaureate Intramural Research Training Award.
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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.
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1 September 2022Student Research at Cornell AgriTech
Several Hobart and William Smith students took to the laboratory and the field to carry out diverse experiments at the Cornell AgriTech New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva this summer.
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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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16 July 2022Dwyer ’23 Earns Goldwater Scholarship
Alex Dwyer ’23 has been selected for the Goldwater Scholarship, the preeminent undergraduate award of its type in natural sciences, mathematics and engineering.
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20 June 2022Brathwaite ’22 Presents Honors Research
A recent conference showcased the unsung expressions of Guyanese feminism that Kaitlyn Brathwaite ’22 studied as part of her Honors project.
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18 May 2022Honors Project Tackles a Marketing Makeover for Blockbuster Video
Be King, Rewind: Katherine Ruggles ’22 rebrands Blockbuster Video for her Media and Society Honors project.
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6 May 2022Aquatic Science Students Present Their Research
Seniors showcase their lake research at New York State Federation of Lake Associations Conference in April.
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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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10 December 2021Mathematics Research Students Win Awards
The Department of Mathematics summer Research Experience for Undergraduates provided students with close faculty mentorship, research opportunities and insight about graduate study in the field.
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9 December 2021Donors Step Up to Fund Repairs to The William Scandling
Thanks to the generosity of the Fred L. Emerson Foundation and other benefactors who value the work HWS performs both on campus and in the community, the Colleges’ floating laboratory will continue its educational voyage.
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30 September 2021Upscaling Downtown
The ethnographic Honors research conducted by Chloé Sudduth ’17 at HWS has been published as a peer-reviewed article in The Journal for Undergraduate Ethnography
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17 September 2021Water Quality Solutions
This summer, chemistry students and faculty searched for solutions to the harmful effect contaminants have on the water supply. Lauren Jackson 23 As members of Assistant Professor of Chemistry Ela
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16 September 2021Widing '22 Earns Research Scholarship to Germany
With the support of a prestigious scholarship, Charlie Widing '22 will research water purification techniques at the Technological University of Berlin this summer.
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16 September 2021Physical Geography journal Publishes Hecht '14 and Professor Lairds work
Research conducted on the microclimates in Watkins Glen gorge by Chad Hecht 14 and Professor of Geoscience Neil Laird was recently published in the scientific journal Physical Geography.
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16 September 2021Staging Geneva's Unheard Voices
Summer research students in the HWS Theatre Department have developed a play based on the lives of historic African American Genevans.
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10 June 2021HWS Awarded Nearly $50K for Finger Lakes Research
Two new grants support HWS researchers in their exploration of harmful algal blooms, both historical and contemporary, in the Finger Lakes.
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8 June 2021Smith '21 Lands Policy Internship on Capitol Hill
Graduating magna cum laude in biology with a minor in economics, Amelia Smith '21 has landed an internship with the House of Representatives Committee on Natural Resources.
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30 April 2021Improving Filtration for Cleaner Water
Using water pressure and a series of filters, reverse osmosis is a common method of water purification.
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16 April 2021Lewicki '21 Earns NIH Research Training Award
Sarah Lewicki ’21 is the recipient of a prestigious award that will support up to two years of hands-on biomedical research training at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
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5 November 2020Does Climate Literacy Persist?
Associate Professor of Psychological Science Emily Fisher and Professor of Geoscience Nan Crystal Arens co-authored an article titled Geoscience Education and Motivated Reasoning: Learning about Climate Change that was published by the Journal of College Science Teaching, a National Science Teaching Association publication, in May.
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3 November 2020The Substance (and Science) Behind the Art
From painting and literature to comedy and country music, first-year students at HWS probed the making and meaning of a wide range of artistic media.
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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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1 October 2020Salter's Kinghorn Fellowship Explores the Varieties of Global Citizenship
As the 2019-20 John R. and Florence B. Kinghorn Global Fellow, Professor of Religious Studies Richard Salter '86, P'15 engaged the HWS community and local students in a series of conversations about the role of religion, education and public policy in the life of a global citizen.
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23 September 2020Bodenlos and Students Publish on Cognitive Fusion
Cognitive fusion, which occurs when we equate our thoughts with reality, is the topic of an article in the Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science by Associate Professor of Psychological Science Jamie Bodenlos and three of her former students: Elizabeth Hawes '19, Sarah Burstein '19 and Kelsey Arroyo '18. The article, titled Association of Cognitive Fusion With Domains of Health, will appear in the October 2020 issue.
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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.
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23 June 2020Independent Study Urges Young People to Explore Their Identities
As part of an independent study, studio art major Grace Hammett '20 and architectural studies major Caroline Turino '20 published an online booklet and website titled "Today I am..."
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16 June 2020Linscott '21 Accepted to National Undergraduate Climate Research Group
A double major in geoscience and Spanish and Hispanic Studies, Gabby Linscott '21 is one of only 14 students from across the nation who have been accepted to Penn State Climate Research Experiences for Undergraduates, a 10-week program to pursue research in climate science, scientific inquiry and science communication.
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4 March 2020Students Present at National SCCR Conference
Students of Associate Professor of Psychology Brien Ashdown presented their work at the annual meeting of the Society for Cross-Cultural Research (SCCR) in late February in Seattle.
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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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22 October 2019Monitoring the Finger Lakes Water
For Bethany Kharrazi '21, lake week is perhaps the best part of her summer water quality research. One week each month, she and Professor of Environmental Studies John Halfman collect water quality data from each of the Finger Lakes to monitor nutrients (nitrate and phosphate levels) and other critical variables.
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22 October 2019HWS Hosts State's Geological Association
The HWS Department of Geoscience hosted the New York State Geological Association's annual meeting this fall.
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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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4 October 2019Student Research Symposium
Over the summer, more than 50 students completed research alongside faculty members, investigating cutting-edge research topics ranging from cancer-killing compounds to the prevalence of Islamophobia in religious communities, and the science behind tie-dying your clothes.
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13 September 2019National Journals Publish Kingery and Bodenlos' Work on Mindfulness
Mindfulness is the topic of a peer-reviewed article recently published by Associate Professor of Psychology Julie Newman Kingery, Associate Professor of Psychology Jamie Bodenlos and student colleagues. The article discusses data collected from HWS students by Bodenlos and her research assistants.
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18 April 2019Ashdown Publishes on Conducting Research with Undergraduates
Associate Professor of Psychology Brien Ashdown has published an opinion article in the March 29 issue of the journal Frontiers in Psychology. His text is titled "Involving Undergraduates in Publishable International Research: Experiences in Latin America." Ashdown performs research in Guatemala every summer, often accompanied by students.
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4 April 2019Burstein '19 Presents at Behavioral Medicine Conference
Two years of research and study came to fruition for psychology major Sarah Burstein '19 when she presented her Honors thesis, Facets of Mindfulness and Emotional Health Among a Predominantly Low-Income Community Sample, at the Society of Behavioral Medicine's 40th Annual Meeting and Scientific Sessions. Burstein attended the Washington, D.C. conference with one of her co-authors Elizabeth Hawes '19 in March.
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26 February 2019Metz Studies Lake Effect Snow Bands
A weather phenomenon associated with lake effect snow bands in the Great Lakes region is the subject of an article by Associate Professor of Geoscience Nicholas Metz published in The Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology.
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21 August 2018Exploring the Benefits of Mindfulness
Mindfulness and social support are positively correlated with emotional wellness for college students, according to a new study conducted by Associate Professors of Psychology Julie Newman Kingery and Jamie Bodenlos and Jessica Lathrop '18.
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21 August 2018Perkins Discusses Problem Drinking at University of Pittsburgh
In a recent presentation at the Bradford Campus of the University of Pittsburgh, Professor of Sociology Wesley Perkins addressed a campus-wide forum for faculty and staff, discussing social norms and the role of data in positively changing student attitudes and behaviors around alcohol.
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11 June 2018Tapper '64 Funds Scientific Research
Working closely with the HWS science faculty, fellow alums and supporters of the Colleges programs in science, Dr. Edward Tapper '64 is making dreams and opportunities for student research in the
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3 May 2018Collaborating on Cancer Research
Under the direction of Associate Professor of Biology Patricia Mowery, Alvin Randall '19 has been developing protocol modifications for assessing cell metabolic activity within breast cancer cells.
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11 April 2018Psychology Students to Present at the Society of Behavioral Medicine's Conference
Does having depressing thoughts equate to being depressed? After two years of researching the implications of cognitive styles on college students, Kelsey Arroyo '18 and Elizabeth Hawes '19 will head to New Orleans with Associate Professor of Psychology Jamie Bodenlos to present their work at the annual conference of the Society of Behavioral Medicine in April.
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8 December 2017Bird Migration the Focus of Faculty-Student Research Project
The migration patterns of eared grebes, a type of waterfowl, are the focus of an article co-written by Professor of Geoscience Neil Laird and Augusta Williams '13, published in the International Journal of Biometeorology.
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21 November 2017Kingery Article Addresses Loneliness in Anxious Youth
Associate Professor of Psychology Julie Newman Kingery is the co-author of an article on the social adjustment of youth with anxiety disorders that will appear in the December issue of the Journal of Anxiety Disorders.
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27 October 2017Psychology Class Attends Educational Conference
For psychology major Elise Wyatt '18, the opportunity to augment her classroom work by attending a major conference in her field was significant. "The NAMI [National Alliance on Mental Illness] conference was absolutely beneficial for my engagement in the Introduction to Psychopathology class, as well as for encouraging my interest in pursuing a career in psychology," she says.
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20 October 2017Research Opportunities Helped Smith '15 Excel
For psychology alums such as Rachael Smith '15, research and field work played a major role in the learning process at HWS.
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17 October 2017Recent Grads Begin Medical, Dental School
With a robust scientific foundation and career guidance through the Health Professions program, recent Hobart and William Smith alums are beginning the next phases of their educations.
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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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28 August 2017HWS Summer Psychology Research
This summer, the Department of Psychology has been working on several research projects ranging from iconography in Guatemala and Geneva, the implications of online friendships, and the correlations between health and internet use.
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23 June 2017Graham and Pugach '15 Publish Study on Aesthetic Preferences
In a cross-sectional study appearing in a special issue of the journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, Assistant Professor of Psychology Daniel Graham, Cameron Pugach '15 and their colleague Helmut Leder of the University of Vienna in Austria explore the stability of aesthetic preferences.
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8 June 2017Metz Publishes in American Meteorological Society
Assistant Professor of Geoscience Nick Metz has recently published two articles on high-impact weather in the Midwest U.S. and along African Highlands.
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1 June 2017LIGO Detects Gravitational Waves for Third Time
Results Confirm New Population of Black Holes
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9 May 2017Bodenlos Publishes Psychologists Guide to Civic Engagement
Taking a revolutionary approach to everyday mental health, Associate Professor of Psychology Jamie Bodenlos and her colleague Dara G. Friedman-Wheeler of Goucher College argue that cognitive behavior strategies commonly used for managing psychological disorders can help individuals become more effective activists. Their research titled "On Becoming an Activist: Tips from Cognitive Behavior Therapy" is the first to apply this strategy to public service and will appear in the June edition of The Behavior Therapist.
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21 April 2017Piersante '18 Pursues Atmospheric Research
Jeremiah Piersante ’18, a double major in Geoscience and Spanish & Hispanic studies, was recently selected to take part in the Significant Opportunities in Atmospheric (SOARS) program through the National Center for Atmospheric Research.
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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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9 March 2017Studying Marivaux
Professor of French and Francophone Studies and Dean of William Smith Catherine Gallouet was so inspired by research conducted by students in her advanced level French course in the fall of 2015 that along with Olivia Woodruff '16, she wrote Doing Marivaux in an undergraduate classroom.
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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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3 February 2017Bio-Chem Collaboration on Anti-Cancer Research
In a recent article in the journal Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters, two HWS faculty members, four alums and four students coauthored a study.
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10 January 2017Fisher to Present at Mid-America Theatre Conference
Jacqueline Fisher '18 is one of three students selected from a national pool of applicants to serve on the Emerging Scholars Undergraduate panel during the Mid-America Theatre Conference in Houston.
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21 November 2016Laird, Metz Publish Articles on Lake Effect
Professor of Geoscience Neil Laird and Assistant Professor of Geoscience Nick Metz have co-authored two scientific journal articles recently published in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society and International Journal of Climatology.
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3 November 2016HWS Sociology Presents at NYSSA
At the annual New York State Sociological Association (NYSSA) meeting, Christopher Demas '17 and Chloe Sudduth '17, accompanied by Assistant Professor of Anthropology and Sociology Ervin Kosta, presented research from their independent study and Honors projects.
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