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She dropped in on Sunday morning, unpacked, made a nuisance of herself all day and then left by evening. Hurricane Irene made a somewhat uneventful visit to Hamilton College on Aug. 29, bringing drenching rain and strong winds but leaving without serious damage.

With generous funding from Arthur Levitt, Jr., the Arthur Levitt Public Affairs Center has developed a new opportunity for rising sophomores and juniors.  The Levitt Leadership Institute, to be launched in early 2012, will offer two weeks of practical training in competencies that make people effective at all levels of an organization and that are essential to anyone seeking to manage or lead others.  Applications for the institute will be available on Thursday, Sept. 1, on the institute site.

“What are you thinking?” That question, voiced or simply pondered, is a common query considered by most of us from time to time. Austin Walker ’12 spent most of his summer posing similar questions to Kenyan youth. Specifically he was focused on uncovering what young people view are the most pressing issues facing them and their country. Walker worked with Professor of Government Steve Orvis with funding from a 2011 Levitt Research Fellowship Grant.

Assistant Professor of Anthropology Nathan Goodale and Professors of Anthropology Tom Jones and Charlotte Beck recently published an article titled “Natural Selection and Material Culture” in a special edition of the journal Evolution: Education and Outreach.

A. Todd Franklin, professor of philosophy, conducted six days of workshops from Aug. 2-7 on the nature of a liberal arts education as part of an academic summer camp for students of LOGOS, a private high school in Tbilisi, Georgia. Founded by Giorgi Chavleishvili ’08, LOGOS is unlike other high schools in the Republic of Georgia, providing students with a full college prep curriculum consisting mainly of small discussion oriented classes.

Certain chemical structures called clathrate hydrates can be found on the bottom of our oceans or built in a lab. This summer seven students are working with Assistant Professor of Chemistry Camille Jones to conduct research related to hydrates, including examinations of different hydrate properties.

Due to the approach of Hurricane Irene, all students participating in the College’s New York City program are returning to campus tonight. In light of the tropical storm warnings for Washington, D.C., participants in the College’s program in that city have been requested to shelter in place.

Dean of Faculty Patrick Reynolds announced the promotion of five Hamilton faculty members to the rank of professor.  Todd Franklin, philosophy; Marianne Janack, philosophy; Katherine Kuharic, art; Bruce Walczyk, dance and movement studies; and Steven Yao, English and creative writing, were promoted effective July 1.

Ann Owen, the Henry Platt Bristol Professor of Economics, was interviewed for an American Public Media Marketplace evening report about what Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke might announce at Friday’s conference in Jackson Hole, Wyo. Owen said the Fed could trade its holdings in short-term Treasuries for long-term ones and that  the goal of that would be to lower long-term interest rates.

Like many cities, Boston encourages bicycling as an alternative mode of transportation that’s good for one’s health and for the environment.  To help encourage bike-riding cities must implement bike-friendly features such as bike lanes and racks. The Boston Cyclists Union helps make that city conducive to bicycling, and Molly Haughey ’12 was a summer intern there, writing articles for the organization’s newsletter and creating an informational video about the Union.