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“It is the one of the toughest and, at times, most brutal prisons in America,” said Doran Larson, professor of English, in introducing the Attica symposium on Sept. 16.  The symposium detailed the uprising of 1971 that left 39 dead and led to major prison reform.

A panel of four authorities on the 1971 Attica Prison uprising—historians Theresa Lynch and Scott Christianson, former Attica inmate Melvin Marshall and Commissioner of the New York State Department of Corrections Brian Fischer—will debate on the legacy of Attica and the current state of American prisons on Friday, Sept. 16, at 6:30 p.m., in the Hamilton College Chapel.

Hamilton College’s Arthur Levitt Public Affairs Center is offering another series of lectures this fall focused on issues of sustainability, security, and inequality and equity. The lectures are free and open to the public.

With generous funding from Arthur Levitt, Jr., the Arthur Levitt Public Affairs Center has developed a new opportunity for rising sophomores and juniors.  The Levitt Leadership Institute, to be launched in early 2012, will offer two weeks of practical training in competencies that make people effective at all levels of an organization and that are essential to anyone seeking to manage or lead others.  Applications for the institute will be available on Thursday, Sept. 1, on the institute site.

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.

Associate Professor of Economics Julio Videras became the new director of the Arthur Levitt Public Affairs Center on July 1. He replaces Ann Owen, the Henry Platt Bristol Professor of Economics, who served a two-year term as the center’s director and oversaw a reorganization of the center’s programming and the initiation of several new projects.

Women and families have unique health and safety issues, yet sometimes the policymaking process can overlook these concerns. The National Research Center (NRC) for Women and Families helps address various topics in women’s and children’s health and safety by providing information to the media, policymakers and the public. Caroline Novas ’13 is spending the summer as an intern with the Center, doing research for some of the nonprofit organization’s projects.

The Levitt Center has recently published the spring 2011 edition of Insights, the academic journal that features the best undergraduate social science research papers written by Hamilton students.

Utica’s refugee population has often provided unique opportunities for Hamilton students interested in urban community research and outreach. This summer, Elly Field '13, Ryn Steck '12, Dave Schwartz '13 and Amy Dow '12 will be working with Visiting Assistant Professor of Sociology George Hobor on a research project examining local alternative economic development strategies (LEADS) in Utica.

Refugees and recent immigrants to the United States often face an uncertain future. In a new culture, many must confront the daunting challenge of learning new skills and a new way of life. Fortunately, there are organizations that help new residents adjust to United States culture, some of which rely on caring interns to continue their nonprofit work.  Susannah Spero ’13, a recipient of a 2011 Levitt Public Service Internship Grant, will work with Vermont newcomers to help them establish their independence in organic farming.