Research News

While traversing the scenic peaks of the Adirondacks or canoeing through quiet backcountry streams, few first-year students are thinking about algorithms and linear optimization. But these mathematical ideas are as much a part of Hamilton orientation trips as any pack or paddle: they ensure that incoming students have the most worthwhile experience possible.

Life-threatening diseases could become easier to detect thanks to a Hamilton student-faculty research team and its partnership with an internationally recognized biomedical research institute here in Utica.

In the stagnant air of subway stations, unnoticed by countless commuters, the sounds of street musicians ornament the harsh rumble of passing trains. Some of these performers go viral for their abilities; many more remain unseen and unheard. But how exactly do they contribute to the fabric of the communities they inhabit?

Artificial intelligence and climate change are among the very foremost hot-button issues of today. This summer, a project by Adam Koplik ’25 and Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies Heather Kropp is using one to explore the other—by employing machine learning to measure vegetation change in the Arctic.

Hamilton students take on unique projects that reflect their talents and interests. In many cases, they collaborate with faculty mentors on this work, which often leads to co-authored papers, joint presentations at professional conferences, and professors mentoring students during academic competitions. Check out what some of our students have been up to recently.

From Phoenix to Flagstaff, our caravan of three white vans trundled down interstates and bumpy dirt roads. Pulling off to the side, a stream of 34 people would rush out onto roadside outcrops, hand lenses strung around our necks and field notebooks in hand.

Professor of Philosophy Russell Marcus was an invited speaker at the Joint Mathematics Meeting (JMM) that took place recently in Boston, and several Mathematics faculty members and students presented research.

Three Hamilton environmental studies majors — Emily Benson ’23, Katie Tanner ’23, and Ellie Sangree ’24 — presented their research at the American Geophysical Union Annual Meeting in Chicago in December. The students were accompanied by Aaron Strong and Heather Kropp, assistant professors of environmental studies.

Following a summer spent conducting research in Oriskany Creek and working alongside their faculty mentor, two student researchers recently earned recognition for their work at the Geological Society of America's Annual Meeting.

After two years of supporting virtual conference attendance, ROOTS — Hamilton’s Society for Students of Color in STEM — took 14 members to the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minoritized Students (ABRCMS) in Anaheim, Calif. The trip, which took place from Nov. 8 to 12, came at no fee to students, thanks to funding from the Dean of Faculty’s Office and a grant from Howard Hughes Medical Institute.