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The wonder and beauty of aquariums are enchanting to children and adults alike. Marine life offers a wealth of intricate diversity to our planet and these species help maintain ecosystems throughout the world. Johanna Farkas ’12 is spending the summer at one of the premier aquariums and world leaders in marine research, the Mystic Aquarium and Institute for Exploration. Farkas’ internship is supported by the Jeffery Fund through the Career Center and the Renwick Prize in Biology.

Hamilton students and faculty are working with the U.S. Air Force this summer on a project that measures the neurological responses to fear, frustration and suspicion of humans as they interact with computers.

Chemistry Professor Robin Kinnel has recently discovered the chemical compound dichlorobouillonamide, which is released by a cyanobacteria in the Lyngbya family. The chemical has never been studied in depth, and it is possible that dichlorobouillonamide has potential applications in pain treatment. This summer Aaron Danilack ’13 and Jeffrey Blackburn ’13 are working with Kinnel to carry out a laboratory synthesis of dichlorobouillonamide.

Societal pressures shape the way in which many young people develop into adulthood. In fact, cultural norms are so ubiquitous that there are few examples of people who truly break the mold. Kadahj Bennett ’12, an Emerson Summer Grant recipient, is working with Associate Professor of Theater Mark Cryer to create an interdisciplinary, innovative street theater performance piece, Letters to the Shadows in the Sky, on the male black identity in modern society.

When working with human afflictions such as hypothyroidism and diabetes, researchers find it beneficial to study model organisms that can exhibit the same conditions. Animals such as mice and turtles, for example, can provide insight about the biological traits and medical conditions they share with humans. This summer Melanie Hundt ’13, Nicole Nietlisbach ’13 and Max Vaickus ’12 examined hypothyroidism and diabetes in mice and tested for the hormone ghrelin in turtles. The students worked with Professor of Biology David Gapp.

Assistant Professor of English Katherine Terrell presented a paper at Natio Scota: The Thirteenth International Conference on Medieval and Renaissance Scottish Language and Literature, held in Padua, Italy.

Women and families have unique health and safety issues, yet sometimes the policymaking process can overlook these concerns. The National Research Center (NRC) for Women and Families helps address various topics in women’s and children’s health and safety by providing information to the media, policymakers and the public. Caroline Novas ’13 is spending the summer as an intern with the Center, doing research for some of the nonprofit organization’s projects.

Good advertising can make all the difference in how well a brand performs, no matter what a company is selling. Effective advertisements, however, take innovation and skill, which is why so many brands trust advertising agencies to spread the word about different goods and services. Josephine Jones ’12 is spending the summer in Boston with Arnold Worldwide, a global communications company renowned for its successful advertising campaigns.

The Utica area is sometimes described as a food desert, or an area where healthy, fresh food is not immediately available. This lack of fresh food forces residents to turn to cheaper, less healthy options such as convenience store food. Stephanie Ingraham ’13 is an intern with Utica Urban Gardens at For the Good, Inc., an initiative that works to fight poverty and provide low-income individuals with fresh crops while preserving the environment.

Over the weekend of July 29,  Dan Mermelstein’14, Carmen Montagnon ’13 and Alvin Wu ’13 presented their research at the 10th Molecular Educational Research Consortium in Undergraduate Computational chemistRY (MERCURY) conference at Bucknell University. The three students have been working this summer in the laboratory of Assistant Professor of Chemistry Adam Van Wynsberghe.