One of the summer’s most labor-intensive student projects on the Hill is the maintenance of the Hamilton College Community Farm (HCCF) garden. Student workers are constantly brainstorming about ways to streamline the farming process, which begins in February with germination within the greenhouse and doesn’t end until the final crops are harvested in the fall. The most recent advance for the community farm was made by former farm manager Sarah Gamble ’13 and co-founder Andrew Pape ’11, who developed a comprehensive farm almanac through which they hope to pass on their knowledge and experience to future farmers.

Learning a second language is undoubtedly a challenging undertaking, and the pedagogical methods involved in teaching a second language can make the process easier or more difficult for students.  Linda Yu ’12 will spend this summer with Professor Hong Gang Jin, the William R. Kenan Professor of East Asian Languages, testing different pedagogical methods for teaching Chinese. Their project, “Attention to What? An Investigation on the Linkage Between Attention and Input,” is funded by an Emerson Summer Grant.

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. 

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.

From healthcare to education to immigration, every citizen has concerns related to the government. In a large constituency, such as that of a Senate member, a single politician could not possibly respond to all these voices alone. For this reason, local Senate offices play a critical role in making citizens’ opinions heard. Dylan Wulderk ’13 is spending the summer in just this position, interning for Senator Frank Lautenberg’s office in Camden, N. J.

For students interested in public policy, a think tank offers an ideal environment to begin exploring a range of policies, methods of research, and potential solutions to current issues. Elizabeth “Betsy” Bilharz ’12, an economics major with a public policy minor, plans to take full advantage of a think-tank environment; she will spend her summer as an intern for the New Hampshire Center for Public Policy Studies in Concord, N. H.

Climate change is a major topic of discussion among economists, lawmakers, businesses and the general public. As climate change becomes an increasingly pressing issue, environmental law gains importance for society. Victoria Grieves ’12 will spend the summer contributing to environmental efforts by serving as an intern at the Environmental Law Institute in Washington, D.C.  Her internship is funded by the Levitt Center through its new Leadership Program.

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.

The availability of basic human rights concerns everybody on the planet, and human rights violations are not only pertinent to the area where they take place, but to the global community. For this reason, human rights organizations garner great benefits from supporters around the world, and anybody who spends time with such an organization has the potential to provide critical aid. Roxanne Makoff ’12 will spend her summer as an intern with Amnesty International in New York City in support of the organization's goal of rectifying bhuman rights violations .

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.