Butterfly populations, and the changes within them, can speak volumes about the ecosystem that these insects call home. Abby Koppa and Professor of Biology Ernest Williams will examine one particularly threatened species of butterfly in relation to its habitat in the Rome Sand Plains. 

For the past several years, the economic downturn has been making headlines, and so it seems uncommon to study a market specifically for its stability. Yet this is precisely how Mao Ding ’14, a recipient of a 2011 Emerson Summer Grant, plans to spend his summer, researching the reasons behind the surprising steadiness of the Chinese real estate market, which was expected to collapse in 2008 or 2009.

As much as science has uncovered about the human brain, the relationship between brain and movement remains relatively unclear. For example, when attempting to point to or touch a specific, moving target, response times vary based on a wide variety of factors. This  summer, Elin Lantz ’13 and Robert Hawkins ’13 along with Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience Jonathan Vaughan will study how speed and accuracy of movement are different in the right and left hands.

Rats may be notorious for their unappealing image, but in a scientific laboratory they can be instrumental toward testing hypotheses and unlocking new discoveries. In psychology, studying the behavior of rats can shed light on otherwise baffling animal phenomena. This summer Sarah Cocuzzo ’13 and Megan Lander ’13 are studying rats with regard to the phenomenon of contrafreeloading. Their project will examine the tendency to work for a reward even when it is readily available without any effort.

Previous research has shown music to be a powerful tool in shaping mood, memory, and perspective. Yet many neuroscientists consider music to be too abstract and therefore incapable of providing the concrete details that assist in real-world processing. Sam Briggs ’12 hopes to challenge this perspective with his summer research. Briggs will work with Assistant Professor of Psychology Jeremy Skipper to examine some effects of music for his project, “Re-singing.”

A Hamilton research group will attempt to quantify isolate and study the concept of self-esteem in a resreach project this summer. Arielle Berti ’13, Ellen Doernberg ’13 and Ashley Sutton ’13 will work with Associate Professor of Psychology Jennifer Borton on a study of self-esteem and how it affects everyday life.

The banjo can reveal much about socioeconomic class, slavery and music in the 19th century. Catherine Crone ’13 certainly sees the value in this often-neglected instrument. She will spend this summer researching the banjo in order to build an Internet resource about its past and its significance. Crone will be working under an Emerson Summer Grant with Professor of Music Lydia Hamessley to create their project, “A Study of Banjo Instruction Manuals from the 19th Century.”

Four Hamilton students were co-authors of a paper accepted for presentation at the ACM CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing held May 7-12 in Vancouver, B.C.

The subject of medieval times frequently conjures up images of knights, chivalry and the iconic and mysterious King Arthur. Most historians agree that King Arthur is probably only a legend, yet his image pervaded medieval history and politics. Meghan Woolley ’13, a recipient of a 2011 Emerson Summer Grant, will spend the summer exploring the role of Arthurian legend in English monarchies of the 12th to 16th centuries.

Throughout history, the interplay of morality and law has proved to be a point of debate and intense interest for philosophers. Specifically, does one concept determine the other? And if so, does law establish what is moral or should it be the other way around? The issue is even more perplexing in modern society, where religion plays a much smaller role than in most other cultures in history. Thomas Cheeseman ’12 is studying the complex philosophical principles regarding law, morality and religion under a Levitt Research Fellowship Grant with Professor of History Doug Ambrose.