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Literary criticism is a deceptively simple field; it seems easy enough to separate written work into fiction and non-fiction. Rising senior Kathleen Naughton (Cromwell, Conn.), however, challenged this assumption with her research into the autobiography. Naughton, a creative writing and chemistry minor, has always been interested in the resonances of the writer upon his or her subject matter, which she researched this summer.

Steven Beale '09 (Durham, N.C.) is a world politics major with a long-standing interest in international security and the War on Terror. This summer, he combined these two fields with a newer interest in Russian policies to design research on the Russian reaction to the U.S.-led War on Terror, for which he has a Levitt Fellowship. Beale worked with Lecturer in Government David Rivera.

Fenglin Zhao dreams of a career in finance. A rising sophomore, she decided she wanted to spend the summer working in New York City even if she couldn't land an internship in the financial sector. Fortunately for her, a former employer tipped her off to an internship with his company, International Enterprise Singapore, which Zhao secured for the summer.

When he started his research this summer, Hilary Masuka '09 (Chitungwiza, Zimbabwe) wanted to study the migration between Zimbabwe and South Africa and the experiences of the thousands of people who have risked their careers to cross the South African border. Masuka quickly recognized this topic as too broad for a summer's work and focused his research on the migration of medical personnel from Zimbabwe to South Africa and the effects this movement has had on the health sector, the society, and the economy of both countries.

"It's so refreshing to work in a division where everyone is friends," said Chelsea Mann '09 (Chevy Chase, Md.) of her summer internship. Mann's stories of a relaxed atmosphere, however, disguise the competitive nature of her internship: Mann was one of only 16 students selected to serve as a 2007 intern with the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). She spent her summer working in Washington, D.C. as a marketing intern with the NAHB at their publications arm BuilderBooks.

"My grandfather's experience as a white officer in a black munitions unit in the U.S. Army during World War II was pivotal in shaping his beliefs about the importance of integration and equality," explained Julia Stahl '08 (Salem, Mass.).

"I am often asked the following question: 'Why are you a comparative literature major if you want to go on to become a human rights activist?'" Keya Advani '08 opened her Emerson grant proposal with this statement. Subsequently awarded the grant, Advani set out this summer to explore the potential of literature as an increasingly important vehicle of protest and social change as seen in the contemporary writing of the Indian Dalit community.

Ben Noble '08, a native of LaGrange Park, Ill., is preparing to move from one hill to another. A summer intern in the office of Congressman Peter Roskam (R-Ill.), Noble spent his summer networking, absorbing political savvy, and getting the necessary experience for a potential D.C. employee.

Chris Sullivan ’09 (Shutesbury, Mass.) has a research grant for this summer, but he won’t spend his time in a library. Sullivan, an environmental studies major, has been awarded a Levitt Fellowship to spend his summer traveling across the country on a motorcycle as he researches community-sustained agriculture in the U.S.

Archery Capital, a fund of funds based in New York City, was also a fund for Hamilton students this summer. The office was home for three Hamiltonians: Timothy Foley '06, Xiaobo Ma '09, and Ramunas Rozgys '09 (Naujoji Akmene, Lithuania). Rozgys, whose responsibilities were fluid and varied, enjoyed the environment. "It's like a small family group," he said.