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Three Hamilton students are helping Associate Professor of Biology William Pfitsch and Leonard C. Ferguson Professor of Biology Ernest Williams continue their extensive research on the effect of tree removal on wild Lupine butterfly populations in the Rome sand plain this summer as summer science students. Veteran researchers Heather Michael '07 (Red Hook, N.Y.), Megan Malone '06 (Guilford, Conn.) and Max Falkoff '08 (Stamford, Conn.) are working together to study the lupine and butterfly population in the nearby Rome Sand plain. Their project is titled "Butterfly Oviposition and Habitat Management."

Three Hamilton students and a Hamilton alumnus are working with Winslow Professor of Chemistry George Shields and Visiting Assistant Professor of Chemistry Karl Kirschner to continue long-term research on an enediyne anti-cancer project. Frank Pickard '05 (Escondido, Calif.) Tumie Gopolang '08 (Orapa, Botswana) Evan Savage '08 (Delmar, N.Y.) Jovan Livada '08 (Belgrade, Yugoslavia) are researching esperamicin A1 in the enediyne family in their project titled "Exploring Bergman Cyclization Energy Barriers in Esperamicin A1."

Veteran summer science researcher Amber Gillis ’06 (Clifton Park, N.Y.) and newcomer Kathryn Hansen ’07 (Montpelier, Vt.) are working with Professor of Biology David Gapp on a biology research project this summer. Gillis and Hansen are studying the effects of different hormones, drugs and neurotransmitters on the smooth muscle contractions in turtles at various temperatures in a project titled “The Contractile Effects of Extracellular Calcium on Smooth Muscle of Trachemys scripta.”

Christina Nemeth ’06 (Evans Mills, N.Y.) and Erica Colligan ’06 (Buffalo, N.Y.) are working together on two projects this summer as summer neuroscience researchers under the advisement of Stone Professor of Psychology Douglas Weldon. The two neuroscience majors will be working on research projects titled “Calcium binding proteins and their expression after tactile deprivation in the superior colliculus” and “Differential firing patterns in collicular neurons with assymetrical rewards.” The students have been working in the lab with rats for both projects.

Kat Lexa ’05 (Santa Rosa, Calif.), a veteran summer science researcher, is teaming up with rising sophomore Amanda Salisburg ’08 (Duanesburg, N.Y.) to conduct alpha-fetoprotein research this summer under the advisement of Winslow Professor of Chemistry George Shields and Visiting Assistant Professor of Chemistry Karl Kirschner.

Greg Hartt ’08 (Troy, N.Y.) has always been interested in scientific research. “The idea that you could be discovering something new was always appealing to me,” Hartt says. He hopes to find out a few new things about sulfur species in the atmosphere as a student researcher at Hamilton this summer.

Although only a rising sophomore, Daniel Tomb ’08 (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) is no stranger to summer research at Hamilton. He worked for Winslow Professor of Chemistry George Shields and Visiting Assistant Professor of Chemistry Karl Kirschner prior to his freshman year as part of Hamilton’s research program for incoming students. “During my freshman year, I had the opportunity to do more research. This summer, I am continuing my research from last summer and from during the school year,” Tomb explains.

United States Olympic swimmer Kristy Kowal visited Hamilton on June 29 to speak to participants of the Hamilton College Competitive Swim Camp and the Hamilton kids’ athletic camp about her experiences as a high school, collegiate and Olympic athlete.

It seems as though everyone uses a cell phone today for communication. Some may be even more advanced and use their cells for e-mail, pictures and Internet. However, Erik Goulding ’06 (West Suffield, Conn.), Mike Gruen ’06 (Englewood, N.J.), and Aram Kudurshian ’06 (New York, N.Y.) are working to develop a new use for cell phones. These three Hamilton students are working with Professor Mark Bailey to create a system in which people can work in the same computer files in different places and use a programmed Blue Tooth cell phone to automatically synchronize the data.

As a double major in chemistry and studio art, Sarah Felder '07 spends much of her time on-campus in the lab and the studio. This summer, however, you will find her in a rather unusual location: local farming fields. The recipient of an Emerson Grant, Felder is working on a summer-long photography project on local farming communities under the advisement of Associate Professor of Art Ella Gant.