Student Research

Undergraduate Research

Through independent projects, the Senior Program, and summer internships with faculty members, Hamilton provides an increasing number of opportunities for students to engage in significant -- often publishable -- research at the undergraduate level.

2013 Summer Research

More than 130 Hamilton students are spending part of their summer conducting research with faculty members. From Clinton to Washington and Oneida Lake to Greece, students are collaborating with Hamilton faculty members on Levitt Center public affairs-related research, Emerson fellowships and science research.

Recent News

Nate Goebel '15

Goebel ’15 Delves Into Chekhov in Emerson Project

June 18, 2013 

Last fall, Nate Goebel ’15 realized that he wasn’t satisfied with the way he read plays and decided to improve his reading of what happens between the lines of dialogue. In an Emerson Foundation Grant project titled “Apocalypse at Dinner: A Creative-Minded Study of Anton Chekhov’s Craft,” Goebel will immerse himself in the plays and short stories of Anton Chekhov and will ultimately adapt one of the author's stories into a short play, developing a first-hand knowledge of playwriting.

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 Jamie McLean '15 and Madison Beres '15 enjoying an introductory dive through Thetford Reef.

Domack, 18 Hamilton Students Head Down Under for Geology Field Course

June 17, 2013 

Eugene Domack, the Joel W. Johnson Family Professor of Geosciences, and 18 Hamilton College students left June 7 for a three-week field course to Australia and Tasmania. Three flights and 30 hours later the group landed in Cairns, a city located on the coast of Northeast Australia. Read about their trip and see photos here.

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Catherine Oglevee '15 and Laura Rivera '16

Students Examine Luminescence of Rare Earth Sol-gel Metals

Laura Rivera ’16 and Catherine Oglevee ’15 Working With Prof. Karen Brewer

June 17, 2013 

The world of technology is changing at a rapid pace and new materials need to be utilized to make further advancements.  Rare earth metals are in a strong position to be more widely used for various applications, ranging from small electronic devices to large television screens. Laura Rivera ’16 and Catherine Oglevee ’15 are working with terbium and europium, two rare earth metals, this summer to understand their fluorescent properties.

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Neil Edwards '14

Levitt Researcher Examines Relationship Between China and Tanzania

Neil Edwards ’14 Studies Whether Trading and Investment are Mutually Beneficial

June 14, 2013 

There’s no shortage of media coverage when it comes to China’s booming economic sector.  Reforms dating back to the 1970s have launched China’s economy on a trajectory that was unfathomable 40 years ago.  Now that the country has established industrial and financial infrastructures, it is looking for ways to sustain its economic growth.  Neil Edwards ’14 is examining the developing investment of China in Tanzania to see if it fosters a mutually beneficial relationship between the countries.

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Ashleigh Stephan '15 and Jacob Wagner '15

Preserving Proteins with Advanced Sol-Gel Technique

Jacob Wagner ’15 and Ashleigh Stephan ’15 Examine Amine Oxidase

June 12, 2013 

Enzymes and proteins, typically when left unattended or unprotected, can easily lose their structural integrity and fall apart.  Sol-Gel is an emerging material that helps encapsulate the enzymes and protect them from the dangers of degradation.  The technology can be used in numerous applications, one of them being a new method for slow-release medications.  These slow release medicines allow for the introduction of necessary chemicals over a period of time, avoiding any negative side effects from releasing all the medication at once.

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