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“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.

Like many cities, Boston encourages bicycling as an alternative mode of transportation that’s good for one’s health and for the environment.  To help encourage bike-riding cities must implement bike-friendly features such as bike lanes and racks. The Boston Cyclists Union helps make that city conducive to bicycling, and Molly Haughey ’12 was a summer intern there, writing articles for the organization’s newsletter and creating an informational video about the Union.

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.

New York City is known as a bright, loud “city that never sleeps.” Yet despite the glamorous side of the city, poverty-stricken communities such as East Harlem face issues of food scarcity and poor nutrition. Emma Taylor ’13 is spending her summer interning for Nourishing USA, helping to alleviate nutritional problems in some of New York’s poorest communities.

Museums offer the public an immense wealth of shared cultural artifacts in the form of various art mediums, and their employees help ensure that they remain a valued resource for treasured works. Eleanor Gartner ’12 is spending the summer as an intern for the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City, conducting research on the life and work of former New Yorker magazine art critic Calvin Tomkins. Her research is supported by the Kevin Kennedy Class of '70 Internship Fund for the Arts through the Career Center.

Human rights violations infringe upon the basic, international rights that everybody should have. Sara Miller ’12 is spending the summer as a fighting discrimination intern at Human Rights First. Her efforts are focused on human rights violations in Uganda, and specifically she is helping to target the Ugandan Anti-Homosexuality Bill. Her internship is supported by a Summer 2011 Levitt Public Service Internship Grant.

A museum doesn’t have to large or showy to be an influential and cherished part of a community. In fact, smaller museums can still have a significant impact on their environment while housing invaluable works of art. Kelsey Brow ’12 is spending the summer as an intern for the Museum Education department at the Munson Williams Proctor Museum of Art in Utica, N.Y. Her internship is supported by the Couper Fund through Hamilton's Career Center.

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.

For students interested in public relations, the opportunity to work with a large public relations firm translates into valuable career-related experience. Anne Loizeaux ’12 spent the summer in New York City as an intern with Planned Television Arts (PTA). She worked directly with authors as well as prominent media outlets to set up interviews for PTA clients. Her internship was supported by the Joseph Anderson Fund through the Career Center.