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iPhones are slick and manageable, which is why the owner of one gets a certain satisfaction out of using it. He likes the sleek black frame and the way the icons slide effortlessly across the screen. The way in which he interacts with this piece of technology is called the user interface -- the ease with which a person is able to assess the state of system and how he can use it to his best advantage. This summer, Samuel Hincks '11 will analyze how cognitive workload can help facilitate user interface.

Although Travis Mockler '11 has never taken a women's studies course at Hamilton, he has found himself at the epicenter of a project started in 2008 by a global feminism class. He is continuing work on a Burmese weaving project at Mohawk Valley Resource Center for Refugees through the Levitt Community Service Fellowship, one of two this summer. The emphasis on culture and identity is what attracted Mockler, who is an English major.

"Who wouldn't want to know how the mind works?" Morgan Williams '11 asks. A rising junior, this summer she is working with Stone Professor of Psychology and Director of the Neuroscience Program Douglas Weldon on a project titled "The Neurobiology of Frustration"  that will survey the part of the brain that controls aggression.

Some organisms breathe gases. But others don't. While it may seem plausible that certain bacteria can "inhale" solids as part of the respiratory process, our preconceived notions of some solids – like iron – are rigidly robust. Never would we consider a solid such as iron a breathable entity. But it is, at least for one bacterium known to biologists as Shewanella oneidensis. David Brown '10 and Amy Allen '10 are probing through previous research on the organism this summer with Associate Professor of Biology Michael McCormick.

After taking three courses with history professor Esther Kanipe, Susan Perham '12  felt comfortable in proposing a research project under Kanipe's direction and pursuing necessary funding  via an Emerson Grant.  She is now working with Kanipe on a documentary that delves into the lives of Oneida County's African-American World War II veterans.

If you've ever seen a Roomba vacuum cleaner, you know that it's a pretty cool gadget. Not only does it rid your carpet of grime, but infrared sensors help navigate its way around your living room. This summer, Tom Williams '11 will play with robots that look just like these, except they're not mini-maids. They're designed to think and deduce like humans.

This summer, 10 pre-med students from Hamilton are gaining valuable clinical experience working directly with patients at the Burke Rehabilitation Center, in White Plains, N.Y. The students, Amy Rumack '09, Caroline Briggs '10, Mimi Briggs '10, Andrea DeSimone '10, Ben Saccamano '10, Nedzada Smajic '10, Valerie Valant '10, Elizabeth Wahl '10, Ben Dropkin '11, and Kristen Randolph '11, have been working as nurses' assistants at the hospital since the end of May. The hospital has generously provided housing for those students not from Westchester County.

As President Obama eases travel restrictions between Cuba and the U.S., curbing the tension between the two countries will become a priority. The conflict dates back to 50 years ago, when Cubans flocked to America following Fidel Castro's revolution in 1959. The exodus forced immigrants to reshape their core beliefs, and caused both countries to become engulfed in changing attitudes. Rachel Pohl '11 will work with Assistant Professor of Women's Studies Anne Lacsamana to study how assimilation affects an ethnic group's philosophy and perspective.

Anoop Pandey '10 is responsible for distributing the famed "golden bikes" for free student use on campus, but the part of the globe he's studying certainly isn't accessible by bike. This summer, Pandey is using remote sensing to study unusual fold structures along faults in the Western Desert of Egypt. He is working with Upson Chair for Public Discourse and Professor of Geosciences Barbara Tewksbury. 

Jason McGavin '12 and Matthew Baxter '11 understand that a peptide's structure can say a lot about how it functions in the body. This summer, they are studying two versions of the peptide Piscidin – Piscidin 1 and Piscidin 3. They will work alongside Associate Professor of Chemistry Myriam Cotten, whose previous work in this field has illustrated that there is a distinct difference between them.