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A memorial service will be held in the Chapel on April 8 at noon for Michael J. Cleary, a member of the Class of 2003. Michael Cleary was killed Tuesday, December 20, 2005, in Samarra, Iraq. Michael was the son of John “Pat” ’68 and Marianne Cleary. Michael’s sister, Erin Flanagan, is a member of the Class of 1991.

Ernest Williams, the Leonard C. Ferguson Professor of Biology, gave a talk to the Biology Department at Trinity College titled "Population Structure and Conservation of Three Rare Butterflies" on March 9. He is the author of The Nature Handbook: A Guide to Observing the Great Outdoors, which is a field guide to patterns in nature and was released in 2005 by Oxford University Press. Williams is also co-author of The Stokes Butterfly Book.

Music historian Christopher Wilkinson ’68 has broken new ground in his research on the history of musical life of black West Virginians from 1930 to the beginning of World War II. Wilkinson has been awarded one of this year's two Benedum Distinguished Scholar awards, the premier research honor at West Virginia University. "This year's recipients meet the high standard that has been established during the many years of this program," said C. B. Wilson, associate provost for academic personnel.

Associate Dean of Students for Diversity Berenecea Johnson spoke on "New Inspiration for the Nation," a program broadcast on WPHR Power 106.9 FM in Auburn, N.Y. on Sunday, March 12. She addressed "What are the factors that affect the academic success of African American students in high school and beyond?"   

Thirty-eight 8th grade students, 16 high school alumni, and the staff from the Citizen Schools program 8th Grade Academy in Boston spent three days and two nights exploring the Hamilton College campus during February.

Joey Campanella '08, Benjamin Critton ’06, Sarah Felder '07 and Liz Herring ’08 have work included in the "Speak Out" art exhibition at the Utica Library, which is located at 303 Genessee Street. This regional juried college student art exhibition includes work from students from Hamilton College, Colgate University, Syracuse University and Pratt at Munson William Proctor. The exhibition will close on March 31, 2006.

John Ryle of the School of Oriental & African Studies at London University, who is currently the visiting professor of anthropology and human rights at Bard College, gave a lecture at Hamilton on March 9 titled "War and Peace in Sudan: History, Ethnicity and Hip-Hop." Ryle, whose academic background is in both English literature and anthropology, has extensive experience in human rights and aid work in Sudan. He is the chair of the Rift Valley Institute, which is a non-profit research and training organization which works in Eastern Africa, particularly in Sudan. Hamilton Assistant Professor of English Gillian Gane, who introduced Ryle, called him "an inspiration" for his passionate commitment to human rights.

Hamilton College has made permanent its five-year experiment that allows students to choose which standardized tests to submit as part of their application for admission.

Cheng Li, the William R. Kenan Professor of Government and Brookings Institution senior fellow, was quoted on the front page of The New York Times in an article titled "China Attacks Its Woes With an Old Party Ritual," on Wednesday, March 9. Li discussed the efforts to rebuild grass-roots party organizations that have been falling apart in an article written by the Times Beijing bureau chief. The same article was also printed in the International Herald Tribune.

Keeper of the Kohn, a documentary directed by Hamilton alumnus, David Gaynes ’99, will make its television debut on Maryland Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) on Monday, April 3, at 10:30 pm. The film was recently shown at Hamilton College as part of the film and lecture series, “Forum for Images and Languages in Motion.” Last April his film won the Jury Award for Best Documentary at the Vail International Film Festival in Colorado and the Audience Award for Best Documentary at the Palm Beach International Film Festival in Florida.