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Computer programming, and specifically natural language processing, has the potential to decode sentence structure and organize immense quantities of information. This summer, Richard Klockowski ’12 is working with Associate Professor of Computer Science Alistair Campbell with aspirations to automatically extract information from Pubmed’s database of medical research papers.

Fluorescent materials have important implications for modern technologies. However, the study of fluorescence can be a complex and precise matter. This summer, Erin Bessette-Kirton ’12, a physics major with minors in math and geology, will work with Professor of Physics Ann Silversmith to investigate the structure of terbium in doped sol-gel glass and the terbium concentration’s effect on fluorescence decay.

Assistant Professor of Chemistry Nicole L. Snyder has received fellowships from the Max Planck Society and Deutscher Akademisher Austausch Dienst (DAAD) to support her collaborations this summer with world renowned carbohydrate chemist Peter H. Seeberger at the Max Planck Institute (MPI) for Colloids and Interfaces, Department of Biomolecular Systems in Berlin, Germany.

By teaching children sustainable, environmentally-friendly practices, educators make strides toward changing the future for the better. At summer camps, for example, children can learn about sustainable farming while exploring the world around them and breathing fresh air. Sarah Gamble ’13 will spend the summer as an intern for Shelburne Farms in Shelburne, Vt., where she will help run a series of camps. She is supported by the Joseph F. Anderson ’44 Internship Fund.

De Bao Xu, professor of Chinese, was invited to give a talk at ICICE7, the 7th International Conference on Internet Chinese Education,  in Taipei, Taiwan, June 17-19. His talk was titled “The Participatory and Interactive Online Tools and the Standards to Choose Virtual Classroom Software.”

In an opinion piece in the Naples Daily News titled "Land Bought By the Gallon? Today Not So Much," rising senior Glenn Watkins wrote about the environmental crisis unfolding in Florida and specifically the Everglades. A volunteer for the Everglades Foundation in Miami, Watkins described how “the restoration of the Everglades is not just about restoring an ecosystem, but it’s also an economic development and economic security project. South Florida’s ability to foster economic growth and create jobs hinges on the success or failure of protecting and enhancing our water supply.”

World hunger is a pressing issue, yet its causes aren’t fully known and there is much debate about what responsibilities developed countries should have in ending it. Daniel Knishkowy ’13, a recipient of a 2011 Emerson Summer Grant, will explore the issue of world hunger with Associate Professor of Philosophy Katheryn Doran for their project, “World Hunger: The Debate About its Causes and the Scope of Our Ethical Responsibilities.”

Ernest Williams, the Christian A. Johnson Excellence in Teaching Professor of Biology, presented a gallery talk on June 19 at the Arts Center in Old Forge, N.Y.

Ten years after it was established in April 2001 with a $100,000 gift, the Hamilton College Town-Gown Fund has reached its $1 million goal. As of June 15, the fund has received gifts from 450 individuals and businesses totaling $1,005,351. These contributions are invested as part of the Hamilton College endowment, bringing the market value of the fund to $1,279,395.  

The human brain reacts differently to emotional cues depending on which hemisphere is processing them. By exploring  hemisphere  reactions to varying  stimuli, these two student researchers hope to unmask some of the brain's mysteries.