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Hamilton's chapter of Chi Psi fraternity recently was awarded The Thayer Trophy at its annual conference, held this year at Cornell University. The Thayer is awarded annually to the most outstanding Alpha (chapter) of Chi Psi and is the highest honor a chapter can receive from the national fraternity. More specifically, it is given to the Alpha judged superior in areas such as scholarship, financial operations, campus activities, community relations, and the use of Chi Psi educational programs and traditions.

For the 27th consecutive year, more than 50 percent of Hamilton alumni made contributions to the college. Of the 52.2 percent who participated in the annual fund, more than half increased the size of their gifts. Total dollars raised for the fund were $5.82 million, a record for this unrestricted fund.

For Kaitlin Britt '09 (Charleston, S.C.), summer research, following a junior year with the Associated Colleges in China program, has been one more step in pursuing a long-held interest. Britt came to Hamilton because of its Chinese language program, she says, and spending a year in Beijing pursuing intensive language study, learning 150-200 characters a day, was exactly the opportunity she wanted. Her developing language skills allowed her to learn more about Beijing, as well. "Being in touch with language helps," she explains, since her knowledge of Chinese allowed her to talk to people herself, rather than basing her opinions solely on what she heard on the news.

Professor of Chemistry Timothy Elgren has been appointed as a SENCER leadership Fellow by the National Center for Science and Civic Engagement. He is one of 76 educators elected to the inaugural class of Fellows by the members of the National Fellowship Board. SENCER – Science Education for New Civic Engagements and Responsibilities – is the National Science Foundation-supported signature program of the National Center for Science and Civic Engagement, a research center affiliated with Harrisburg University of Science and Technology.

A team of Hamilton faculty led by Associate Dean of Faculty for Diversity Initiatives Steve Yao was recently awarded a grant of $6500 from the Consortium on High Achievement and Success. It was in support of their proposal for "A Pedagogical Practicum for Fostering Productive Dialogue in the Diverse College Classroom." The grant will fund an ongoing practicum for Hamilton faculty to address the pedagogical challenges that arise from addressing "difficult" topics such as race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality and class within an increasingly diverse classroom environment. Other signatories to the grant include Professors Shelley Haley, Nancy Rabinowitz and Stephen Orvis.

Meredith Harper Bonham, executive assistant to the president and secretary to the Board of Trustees, has been selected as an Accent on Excellence winner by the Utica Observer-Dispatch and Northland Communications. The annual award, sponsored by the two organizations, recognizes the significant contributions that 10 individuals, all younger than 40, have made to the community. 

Before researchers can develop treatment for Type II diabetes, they must improve their understanding of the disease's biological progression. So far, it is clear that diabetic mice often exhibit osmotic red blood cell fragility, meaning that their red blood cells are more likely to burst than normal cells in aqueous solutions. Osmotic red blood cell fragility can cause diseases such as retinopathy, a disease of the retina that results in blindness. In an effort to lay the groundwork for diabetic medical developments, Sven Oman '10 (Watertown, N.Y.) is investigating the progression of red blood cell fragility in diabetic mice with Assistant Professor of Chemistry Nicole Snyder and Professor of Biology David Gapp. 

After spending the past year abroad with the Hamilton College Academic Year in Spain, Emily Powell '09 (Merion, Pa.) is putting her language skills to good use. Powell is working this summer as an undergraduate intern with the Safe Horizon Domestic Violence Law Project in Brooklyn, N.Y.. Her internship, she says, allows her to improve her Spanish skills and to learn about the dynamics of domestic violence, family law and public benefits.

Associate Professor of Theatre Craig Latrell presented a paper titled "Cultural Ownership and the Malaysian Chinese" for the panel "Dramatic Representations of the Chinese Diaspora in Southeast Asia" at the Association for Theatre in Higher Education 2008 Annual Conference in Denver, Colo., on August 2.  The paper concerned the history and representation of the Chinese population in Sarawak, East Malaysia, and how it relates to current political developments in the country.

Marianne Janack, the Sidney Wertimer Associate Professor of Philosophy, has been awarded a National Science Foundation grant from its Science and Society division.  The $93,000 grant is to support work on her book on the metaphysics of experience and the theory of mind. The book is titled The Educability of Experience: Value, Theory, and the Problem of Objectivity.