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Monk Rowe, the Joe Williams Director of the Jazz Archive and lecturer in music performance, recently presented two programs at the International Society for Music Educators conference in Glasgow, Scotland. He also conducted interviews with Swedish jazz pianist Hakan Rydin and British guitarist Laurence Juber to add to the Jazz Archive.

In the U.S, buildings account for about 40% of primary energy use and 40% of C02 emissions. Improving energy conservation and efficiency is important for individuals today, but more so, for future generations. One way to increase efficiency is through accessible information for individual homeowners. This summer, physics and environmental studies double major Anna Mowat ’18 is tackling this issue by studying the heating efficiency of residential buildings. Her goal is to develop an accurate model that helps understand and improve the efficiency of residential houses. The research is supervised by Professor of Physics Seth Major.

Titled “Russian elites are more expansionist, militaristic, and anti-American than at any point since 1993,” an analysis published in the Washington Post’s blog, The Monkey Cage, by Associate Professor of Government Sharon Werning Rivera affirms the article’s title.  The July 22 piece was written by Rivera with students in her Levitt Research Group – James Bryan ’16, Emma Raynor ’18, and Hunter Sobczak ’17.

Katherine H. Terrell, associate professor of English literature and creative writing, presented work at two conferences in the U.K. in July. At the Leeds International Medieval Congress she presented research on the Middle English romance Richard Coeur de Lion, which she is currently translating for Broadview. At the New Chaucer Society Congress in London, Terrell presented a poster titled "Chaucer in Scotland: Networks of Transmission."

Professor of Economics Derek Jones presented a keynote address and co-presented a paper at the 18th Conference of International Association for the Economics of Participation (IAFEP) on July 8. The biennial conference was held at the Copenhagen Business School

When Assistant Professor of Biology Cynthia Downs was awarded a Christian A. Johnson Teaching Enhancement award in November 2015, she used the grant to upgrade and expand the vertebrate physiology-teaching lab and offer students high-tech approaches to study aerobic fitness.

In the late 1990s, many Latin American countries turned away from the democratization and free market economies promoted by the United States. Instead, leaders such as Hugo Chávez, Lula da Silva and Evo Morales inaugurated a new era of left-leaning social movements and policies known as the Pink Tide. Over the past five years, many have surmised that Latin America is turning away from the values of the Pink Tide. A Levitt Summer Research Group is now researching the extent to which that’s true.

Alexander Baradari ’17, a neuroscience major, said that he wants to help improve the lives of individuals affected by debilitating diseases. This summer as a research intern, he is studying Multiple Sclerosis (MS) at the Rocco Ortenzio Neuroimaging Lab, part of the Select Medical Research Hospital in West Orange, N.J., in order to increase the understanding of the disease. His summer research advisor is Dr. Brian Yao.

 In Germany, the rapeseed honey produced in the spring is known to have an exceptionally sweet taste, and draws a great demand in the honey market. As a beekeeper for eight years, Olivia Box ’17 did not want to miss the opportunity to learn about rapeseed honey and work with bees. This summer, she joined the research group of Sina Alizadeh and Hermann Behling at University of Göttingen in Germany. The goal of the research is to determine the efficiency of pollination at various hive placements.

Zaila showcased her senior thesis findings in an oral presentation called, “Diversities of endosymbiotic Rickettsia in the fish parasite Ichthyophthirius multifiliis.”