In impoverished countries such as Guatemala, education and other opportunities for women and girls could help substantially in improving the state’s overall economic health. However, Guatemalan women, particularly those belonging to the Mayan tribe, are all but ignored when it comes to proper education and healthcare. Rebecca Ross ’14 spent the summer in Guatemala, analyzing the conditions facing Mayan women and studying the concept of battling poverty through gender equality.

Assistant Professor of Physics Natalia Connolly recently participated in a summer outreach program with four high school students and their physics teacher, Jeff  Rodriguez, at Anderson High School in Cincinnati, Ohio.

“What are you thinking?” That question, voiced or simply pondered, is a common query considered by most of us from time to time. Austin Walker ’12 spent most of his summer posing similar questions to Kenyan youth. Specifically he was focused on uncovering what young people view are the most pressing issues facing them and their country. Walker worked with Professor of Government Steve Orvis with funding from a 2011 Levitt Research Fellowship Grant.

Certain chemical structures called clathrate hydrates can be found on the bottom of our oceans or built in a lab. This summer seven students are working with Assistant Professor of Chemistry Camille Jones to conduct research related to hydrates, including examinations of different hydrate properties.

Parasitic species can help control their hosts’ populations and add to an ecosystem’s biodiversity. This summer Kristin Forgrave ’12, Christopher Kline ’12, James Liebow ’13, Jaclyn Specht ’12, and Abby Koppa ’12 worked with Visiting Assistant Professor of Biology Ashleigh Smythe on a project to explore parasitic worms in natural habitats.  The group worked on three separate projects that dealt with different worm species and hosts.

Entrepreneurship among immigrants to the U.S. has a significant impact on the economy’s growth. Yet many economists don't study this particular facet of economic development in detail. Noah Ford ’13, a recipient of a 2011 Levitt Research Fellowship Grant, is exploring immigrant entrepreneurship with Professor of Economics Paul Hagstrom.

Associate Professor of Chemistry Myriam Cotten and her research team spent 10 days this summer at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory in Tallahassee, Fla., to study piscidins, antimicrobial peptides from fish. Student researchers were Akritee Shrestha ’13, Christopher Rider ’12,  Leah Cairns ’13, Robert Hayden ’14 and Victoria Bogen ’14.

Geoscience students Natalie Elking ’12 and Manique Talaia-Murray ’12 conducted summer research related to sediment cores from Antarctica.  Elking is working on the organic geochemistry (carbon and nitrogen isotopes) of sub ice shelf sediments and Talaia-Murray is conducting a radiocarbon dating project using microfossils. 

Public schools, and particularly the teachers who staff these schools, play an integral part in shaping the future. Marcus Sesin ’13, a recipient of a 2011 Emerson Summer Grant, is studying the recent changes in tenure acquisition procedures in NYC public schools. Through interviews and research, Sesin hopes to understand the effect of the new procedures on teachers.

Serotonin is a neurotransmitter linked to aggression, depression, and neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia. This summer, Anisha Bhanot ’13, Marla Marquez ’14 and Bridget Fitzpatrick ’13 conducted research on two serotonin receptor subtypes in male rats with regard to how different drugs affect each type of receptor. They worked under Douglas Weldon, the Stone Professor of Psychology and director of the Neuroscience Program.