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Ernest Williams, the Christian A. Johnson Excellence in Teaching Professor of Biology, recently attended the annual meeting of the Ecological Society of America in Albuquerque, N.M, where he gave a talk titled "Habitat change and population loss and gain in a montane butterfly." This talk summarized research he has conducted over the past 25 years on Gillett's Checkerspot butterfly in the Rocky Mountains; the distribution of this species has changed as the meadows they inhabit have been altered by climate change, forest fire, and vegetative succession. Also, Williams had an article published in American Butterflies (vol. 17, pages 4-13; summer 2009 issue) titled "Lifestyles of the scaled and beautiful: Pearl and Northern Crescents." For a number of years, Williams and students have conducted research on Pearl Crescent butterflies and their host plants, with parallel studies being run from a chemical viewpoint by Silas D. Childs Professor of Chemistry Robin Kinnel and his students.

Jen Santoro ’11 enjoyed catching frogs and spending time outside when she was younger, and has an affinity for nature still. Her love for plant life and for creatures flitting from tree to tree translated into a desire to be an environmental studies major, with a focus in biology. Her research partner, Gary Bedrosian ’11, also claims to have loved biology ever since he was very small. Together they're working on a project at the Rome Sand Plains with Associate Professor of Biology William Pfitsch. This summer, their goal is to study the relationship between wild blue lupine plants and the Frosted Elfin butterfly, and how different soil types in the area could lead them to more conclusions on the topic.

New York City has a historic connection with neighborhoods and community intimacy. The five boroughs each have distinct qualities, and even smaller communities within them take pride in what they have assembled out of the masses. However, Kevin Rowe ’10 fears that these neighborhoods have surrendered their rights to the organization of their own community. This summer he is researching community-based urban planning programs like West Harlem Environmental Action (WE ACT) and Sustainable South Bronx (SSB) that work to reverse this effect.

The world of modern art comes to mind when students mention their internships at cutting-edge museums. However, Katie He ’11 feels that her internship at the Rubin Museum of Art, which collects Himalayan works from as early as the 2nd century, is just as “hip” as the more offbeat pieces held in other museums. The Rubin explores the artistic and cultural legacy of the Himalayas in a way that makes it both an art museum and a history museum. It also organizes programs and events to encourage a deeper appreciation of art in the Chelsea, New York City, community.

An article by Michael Gregg ’08 and Associate Professor of Physics Seth Major titled “On Modified Dispersion Relations and the Chandrasekhar Mass Limit,” has been published in the International Journal of Modern Physics D [Vol 18 (2009) 971]. In the article, based on Gregg’s senior project, they report on the results of their study of the consequences of modifying special relativity.

Andrew Steele ’10 is working at a quiet organization this summer, with fewer than 30 staff members and 10 to 12 interns. Despite the fact that it is relatively calm inside, the Center for Study of the Presidency and Congress (CSPC) is surrounded by the commotion of the nation’s capital. Steele says he is excited to be in a place like Washington, D.C., where bustling streets represent the constant hum of political activity.

As a sequel to the biological sampling from earlier in the summer, Kira DesJardins ’10 is taking the next step in identifying the species that inhabit the depths of Green Lakes. Other students have extracted the DNA of organisms in the water samples and prepared them for genetic analysis. DesJardins has created a “clone library” out of the fungal DNA with Professor of Biology Jinnie Garrett.

On the eve of the 40th anniversary of Woodstock, Maurice Isserman, the James L. Ferguson Professor of History and Woodstock attendee, was interviewed by Minnesota Public Radio with Woodstock performer Richie Havens and longtime New York disc jockey Pete Fornatale. The Chronicle of Higher Education published Isserman’s essay, “3 Days of Peace and Music, 40 Years of Memory” on the same day, Aug. 10.

In Bollywood movies, romance is trailed by an international shadow. The majestic palaces and cathedrals of Europe have become iconic of love themes in Hindi language movies. It is also common to see scenes of men sweeping women off their feet as mountains like the Swiss Alps rise to a clear sky in the background. The ways in which both women and nation are portrayed in Bollywood movies are fascinating to (Catherine) Fiona Kirkpatrick ’10, whose research this summer will analyze these gendered and nationalist discourses. Her collaboration with Assistant Professor of Anthropology Chaise LaDousa is funded by the Emerson Grant Foundation, created in 1997 to encourage students to work with faculty on research that suits their specific interests.

Women stick together in hard times. During World War II they lifted one another’s spirits when their husbands left for the battlefield. Organizations like NOW (National Organization for Women) have constructed alliances that combat forces deterring women’s rights. Even female textile workers as early as two centuries ago formed supportive and cooperative groups. These social groups were known as British friendly societies, and they provided mutual aid to women in the era of the rise of the British welfare state. Lauren Perillo ’10 is working on a Levitt-funded project with Associate Professor of History Lisa Trivedi to examine the advantages of friendly societies to women who needed more financial assistance.