The Great Recession left a deep mark on the American economy, most notably on the labor market. While this market is recovering, progress is very slow and many Americans remain in search of a job. Furthermore, current labor market trends are highly unexpected, leaving many economists looking for a definitive explanation. Mihai Dohotaru ’13, a recipient of a Summer Levitt Research Fellowship Grant, will work toward the answer with Professor of Economics Christophre Georges over the course of his project “The Housing Bubble and the U.S. Labor Market after the ‘Great Recession.’”

Computer programming, and specifically natural language processing, has the potential to decode sentence structure and organize immense quantities of information. This summer, Richard Klockowski ’12 is working with Associate Professor of Computer Science Alistair Campbell with aspirations to automatically extract information from Pubmed’s database of medical research papers.

Fluorescent materials have important implications for modern technologies. However, the study of fluorescence can be a complex and precise matter. This summer, Erin Bessette-Kirton ’12, a physics major with minors in math and geology, will work with Professor of Physics Ann Silversmith to investigate the structure of terbium in doped sol-gel glass and the terbium concentration’s effect on fluorescence decay.

By teaching children sustainable, environmentally-friendly practices, educators make strides toward changing the future for the better. At summer camps, for example, children can learn about sustainable farming while exploring the world around them and breathing fresh air. Sarah Gamble ’13 will spend the summer as an intern for Shelburne Farms in Shelburne, Vt., where she will help run a series of camps. She is supported by the Joseph F. Anderson ’44 Internship Fund.

In an opinion piece in the Naples Daily News titled "Land Bought By the Gallon? Today Not So Much," rising senior Glenn Watkins wrote about the environmental crisis unfolding in Florida and specifically the Everglades. A volunteer for the Everglades Foundation in Miami, Watkins described how “the restoration of the Everglades is not just about restoring an ecosystem, but it’s also an economic development and economic security project. South Florida’s ability to foster economic growth and create jobs hinges on the success or failure of protecting and enhancing our water supply.”

The human brain reacts differently to emotional cues depending on which hemisphere is processing them. By exploring  hemisphere  reactions to varying  stimuli, these two student researchers hope to unmask some of the brain's mysteries.

Fifteen years after the end of a brutal war, Bosnia and Herzegovina is still struggling to reach autonomous statehood. For Bosnian natives, the process can inspire a range of feelings and attitudes. Jasmina Hodzic ’13, a 2011 Levitt Summer Grant Recipient, will explore Bosnia and Herzegovina’s progress toward democracy and possible routes for getting there. She is being guided in her research by Alan Cafruny, the  Henry Bristol Professor of International Affairs.

Canada has recently declared a chemical known as BPA to be a toxic substance. Europe has partially banned BPA from consumer products. The United States also faces a similar push to remove BPA from products in which the chemical can be ingested. Claire Zurlo ’14, a recipient of an Emerson Summer Grant, and Amanda Ng ’14, funded with summer research funds, will spend the summer contributing to this effort. They will work with Professor of Chemistry Tim Elgren to perform a BPA analysis on various beer samples.

Joe Harmon ’12 is fascinated with the culture of boxing—and he's certainly not alone; there is a mystique to the sport that has allured Americans for more than a century, and boxing has given birth to some of the biggest stars in the sporting world. An Emerson grant recipient, Harmon will spend the summer studying “Filmic Interpretations of Boxing” with Visiting Professor of Film History Scott MacDonald.

Solar cells hold the potential to provide an efficient and environmentally-clean energy source. With the recent interest in alternative forms of energy, solar power is gaining importance, and so is research on solar cell efficiency. Over the summer, Sarah Fobes is working on an innovative method of improving solar cell efficiency using rare earth elements. She is collaborating with Professor of Physics Ann Silversmith on their project, “Quantum Cutting to Enhance Solar Cell Efficiency.”