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Hamilton seniors Jesse Browner-Hamlin and Jessica Mariglio have each been awarded the college’s prestigious Bristol Fellowship. The Bristol Fellowship was begun in 1996 as part of a gift to Hamilton College by William M. Bristol, Jr., (Class of 1917). The purpose of the fellowship is to perpetuate Mr. Bristol’s spirit and share it with students of the college that was such an important part of his life. Created by his family, the fellowship is designed to encourage Hamilton students to experience the richness of the world by living outside the United States for one year and studying an area of great personal interest.

In "Poetry and Avant-Garde Film," pubished in the new issue of Poetics Today (Vol. 28, no. 1), Visiting Professor of Art History Scott MacDonald explores the intersection between 20th Century avant-garde/experimental film and modern poetry, focusing on three recent contributions: Rick Hancox's re-presentation of Wallace Stevens' "A Clear Day and No Memories" in ‘Waterworx (A Clear Day and No Memories)”;  Matthias Muller's cinematic transmission/translation of Ernst Jandl's “Gedichte an die kindheit” in “nebel”; and Clive Holden's cinematic edition of “Trains of Winnipeg.” Poetics Today is published by Duke University Press.

Associate Professor of Africana Studies Tiffany Ruby Patterson presented a talk on Zora Neale Hurston's Caribbean Folklore and her politics at two different events recently. She was the keynote speaker at the African American Studies Annual Spring Lecture Series in April at University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh. Her paper was titled "What Haiti Meant to Zora Neale Hurston Politics." A revised version of this paper was delivered at the St. Lucie County's Zora Fest in Fort Pierce, Florida, on April 28. Patterson and Rutgers University Professor Cheryl Wall, a major authority on Hurston's literary work, were also interviewed for a documentary on Hurston's life and work.

Hamilton’s sophomore seminar on The Once and Future Hudson took a field trip to the Hudson Valley on May 2. The day began with a hike to Kaaterskill Falls, an inspiration for Thomas Cole and other Hudson River painters. Other activities included meetings with officials in the cities of Newburgh and Hudson to discuss urban planning and riverfront revitalization and a boat trip through the Hudson Highlands. Students in the seminar will make a multimedia presentation about the once and future Hudson on Monday, May 7 at 4 p.m. in the Science Auditorium. The students are Jane Barnes, Stu Lombardi, Ceci Laseter, Steve Shen, Jennifer Karl, Joe Bock, Jennifer Kleindienst, Jimmy Gibson, Emma Stewart, Kevin Osborne, Amy Rumack, Mike Singer, Jessie Gelber, Alex Caruso, John McRae, Matt Fellows, and Ash Wall.

Hamilton College researchers have identified molecules that have been shown to be effective in the fight against breast cancer. A paper detailing the research, "Computational Design and Experimental Discovery of an Anti-estrogenic Peptide Derived from Alpha-Fetoprotein," will be published in the May 16 issue of the Journal of American Chemical Society. Winslow Professor of Chemistry George Shields and co-director of the Center for Molecular Design Karl Kirschner led the Hamilton research team with undergraduate students Katrina Lexa '05, Amanda Salisburg ‘08, Katherine Alser '09.

Hamilton College's highest awards for teaching were presented on May 4 to five faculty members. Chemistry Professor Robin Kinnel was awarded the Samuel & Helen Lang Prize for Excellence in Teaching; Assistant Professor of Sociology Yvonne Zylan received the John R. Hatch Excellence in Teaching Award; Assistant Professor of Biology Mike McCormick was awarded the Class of 1963 Excellence in Teaching Award; Professor of Music Lydia Hamessley received the Class of 1962 Excellence in Teaching Award; and Professor of Economics James Bradfield received the Sidney Wertimer Award. They were honored during the college's Class & Charter Day celebration, an annual convocation recognizing student and faculty excellence during the preceding academic year.

Academic achievement prizes, prize scholarships and other recognition of student accomplishments were awarded at Hamilton's 57th annual Class & Charter Day convocation on Friday, May 4, in the Chapel. Among the top prizes, Laura Hartz '07 was awarded the James Soper Merrill Prize and Julianne Jaquith '08 won the Milton F. Fillius Jr./Joseph Drown Prize Scholarship.

Herm Lehman, associate professor of biology, presented a talk titled “Social regulation of neurotransmitter synthesis” at Neurofest, in Skanetateles, N.Y., in April. Neurofest is an annual meeting of the upstate New York neuroscience community that is attended by faculty and students from Syracuse University, SUNY Upstate Medical Center, Lemoyne University, SUNY Cortland, University of Rochester and Hamilton College. His talk examined the social behavior of honey bees and how the manifestation of this social behavior is regulated by the synthesis of octopamine, a neurotransmitter in the bee brain.

Hamilton College's Class & Charter Day celebration, an annual convocation recognizing student and faculty excellence during the preceding academic year, will take place on Friday, May 4, at 12:15 p.m. in the Chapel. This year's speaker, Hamilton Charter Trustee Susan Skerritt, is a 1977 graduate of Kirkland College. She will present remarks titled “Kirkland Mattered: A Brief Personal Account.” An all-campus picnic will follow the awards and HamTrek, the fourth annual campus triathalon, will begin at 2:30 p.m.

Associate Professor of English Naomi Guttman's new book of poems, Wet Apples White Blood (McGill-Queen's University Press), has been reviewed in ForeWord Magazine. Published six times a year, ForeWord showcases critical reviews of titles from independent book publishers.