HWS News Top Stories
15 May 2025A Bat-Like Robot Design Using Echolocation Could Help Find Disaster Survivors
Faculty and student research in AI and robotics comes together to create more effective and cost-efficient methods for search and rescue missions.
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30 April 2025Graham Flips Perspective on Neural Coding
Associate Professor Daniel Graham parses new viewpoint on brain dynamics research that can create better understanding of disorders such as epilepsy.
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24 April 2025National Research Recognition: HWS Receives “Research College” Designation from Carnegie Classification of Colleges and Universities
Carnegie recognizes HWS as one of the most committed institutions among colleges and universities across the country for research and development, highlighting opportunities for faculty mentored study and impact of cutting-edge research.
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22 April 2025More Than Adornment: The Magical World of Renaissance Gemstones
In her translation of a 1502 treatise, Associate Professor of Art and Architecture Liliana Leopardi explores how gemstones were once viewed as tools of healing, magic and political power.
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15 April 2025HWS Presents at the 96th Annual Meeting of the Eastern Psychological Association
Student-Faculty research explores the influence of medical and mindfulness practices on mental health and behavioral outcomes.
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10 April 2025Unlocking Solutions: New NSF Grant Propels Microplastic Research
Professor Arens secures prestigious National Science Foundation grant to explore the environmental impact of microplastics across the Finger Lakes watershed.
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18 March 2025Examining Art Through a Lesbian Lens
Opportunity to nationally showcase Honors project on queer art history helps further excitement for postgraduate study.
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14 March 2025Pike '25 Explores New Approaches to Alzheimer's Research
Independent study leads to career at Back Bay Life Science Advisors in Boston as an investment banking analyst.
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23 January 2025Seeing and Feeling
Associate Professor of Psychological Science Dan Graham’s most recent research explores the connections between what people see and how they feel about what they’re looking at.
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15 January 2025Talmage Explores Breweries and Community Development
Associate Professor of Business Management and Entrepreneurship Craig Talmage discusses his research regarding the impact breweries can have on community development in The Academic.
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22 October 2024Gu and Zulkarnain Publish on AI in Higher Education
Media and Society faculty Jiangtao Harry Gu and Iskandar Zulkarnain both contributed to The Journal of Cinema and Media Studies with research on artificial intelligence and higher education.
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21 October 2024Students Explore Scientific Work at Cornell AgriTech
Experience in field and lab provides insight into scientific careers.
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16 October 2024Invasive Species, AI and Climate Solutions
A new study coauthored by Professor of Biology Brad Cosentino highlights how the eradication of invasive species supports biodiversity and carbon sequestration in island ecosystems.
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2 October 2024Zhou Explores How China Might React to U.S. Foreign Policy in the Post-Election Years
How the U.S.’ policy toward China may change following the presidential election.
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12 September 2024How Satisfied Are HWS Grads with Their Education?
A new report by Professor Emeritus of Sociology Wes Perkins and Jesse Whelan-Small ’24 details how satisfied HWS alumni are with their education and their lives after graduation.
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22 August 2024Articulating the FLX Brand
Associate Professor of Sociology Ervin Kosta, Abigail Cole ’25 and Piper Polga ’26 studied the Finger Lakes Region brand and its economic growth this summer.
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15 August 2024Turning on Enzymes
With Professor of Chemistry Kristin Slade, student researchers investigate one enzyme’s relationship with certain types of cancers.
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15 August 2024Exploring Space
HWS students conduct research in New Mexico that focuses on the structure of planets and absorption of stars.
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31 July 2024The Great Lakes Effect
HWS researchers study winter lake-effect patterns that impact the entire Great Lakes Region.
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23 July 2024Geology of the Pacific Northwest
During a summer course, geoscience students and faculty traveled the coast and mountains of the Pacific Northwest exploring the geology, climatology, and aquatic science of the region.
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11 July 2024"Rollercoaster of Rights"
Students’ exhibit explores the Equal Rights Amendment and local political activism.
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9 July 2024Narrating Peace: Research on Post-Conflict Societies
Chair of International Relations Stacey Philbrick Yadav and summer research students explore peacebuilding and post-conflict societies.
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9 July 2024Innovations in Drug Design
A deep appreciation of scientific collaboration emerges as Professor of Chemistry Justin Miller and summer research students generate potential pharmaceutical compounds.
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9 July 2024Student Researchers Investigate Fish Habitat and Diet in the Finger Lakes
Student researchers examine changes in aquatic communities in Seneca Lake and its watershed.
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14 June 2024Old Colors, New Life
This summer, students are studying how ancient people were able to produce colored paints utilizing heat.
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12 June 2024An Interdisciplinary Look at Modern Southeast Asia
Professor of History and Asian Studies Lisa Yoshikawa and Assistant Professor of Media & Society Jiangtao Harry Gu ’13 are participating in a summer institute in Hawai’i exploring Southeast Asia and ways to enrich the HWS curriculum.
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7 June 2024Reconstructing the Climate of the Eocene
Alongside Professor of Geoscience Nan Crystal Arens, students are using fossils to model the Earth’s climate 55 million years ago.
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5 June 2024Exploring Rock-Cut Architecture and Art in Ethiopia
A member of the HWS Anthropology Department, Brian Clark presented his work on the archaeology of post-Aksumite Ethiopia at Debre Berhan University.
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16 April 2024Gillespie '24 Debuts "Four Million of Our Brethren" Display
In a senior capstone project, Lucas Gillespie ’24 details the history of enslavement and emancipation in Ontario County.
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5 April 2024Animal Behavior During the Eclipse
During the total solar eclipse on April 8, HWS faculty and students will be studying how the change in light impacts animals on land and in the water.
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21 March 2024HWS PRESENTS AT EASTERN PSYCHOLOGY ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE
Student-faculty research projects explore schizophrenia, public perceptions of science and the relationship between mental health and sleep.
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14 March 2024Halfman Publishes Two Papers on Finger Lakes
Salt concentration explored with MaryBridget Horvath ’24 and published in Antropocene; and, Internal waves, seiches, and surges published in Limnology and Oceanography.
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13 March 2024“Pushing the Boundaries of Knowledge”
Kate Feller '06, a neurobiologist and assistant professor at Union College, was the subject of a recent feature story exploring her research on animals’ visual systems, which began with her Honors work at HWS with Professor of Biology Kristy Kenyon.
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26 February 2024Tracing the History of the Adams Intercultural Center
Bilal Akeem '28 looks back at the history of the Adams Intercultural Center.
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26 February 2024Laird and Crossett '15 Publish on Weather and Visibility in Greenland
Influence of weather, such as fog, rain, and blowing snow on limiting visibility examined for a 40-year time period in Greenland to help explore hazardous coastal weather conditions.
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22 January 2024Paleobiology Journal Features Research by Arens and Students
Research calls for greater diversity in editorial staff and changes to review process to increase gender diversity in scientific journals.
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19 January 2024Yoshikawa Earns Grant to Study Coral in Taiwan
Professor of History and Asian Studies Lisa Yoshikawa was awarded a grant from the Global Taiwan Institute to continue her research on the history of coral science and international scientific cooperation.
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18 January 2024“Life-Changing Impacts”: Gift Supports Opportunity and Experience
A new gift celebrates first-generation students and wide-ranging research opportunities, with support for an endowed scholarship and four endowed summer research funds.
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18 January 2024Self-Care in the Post-Covid Era
HWS psychology research sheds light on the impact of physical activity and self-compassion on overall wellbeing during the recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.
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30 November 2023UV Light Kills Fire Blight, Scourge of the Apple Blossom
A new study coauthored by Alexandra Davidson ’24 reveals how ultraviolet light suppresses the bacteria that causes fire blight, which can decimate apple and pear harvests.
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29 November 2023Eradicating Invasive Giant Hogweed with USDA Grant
HWS' Finger Lakes Institute Awarded $400K Grant from USDA.
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6 November 2023Sociology Grads Earn Top Honors for Graduate Work
Three recent graduates were recognized by their respective master’s programs for outstanding thesis projects.
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29 September 2023HWS Awarded NIH Anticancer Research Grant
A $386K grant from the National Institutes of Health drives interdisciplinary research to develop molecules with anticancer properties.
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28 September 2023Malhotra '26 Gains Legal Research Experience
Work this summer investigated environmental law under the Clean Water Act.
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20 September 2023Learning About Science Over Lunch
Four biologists will present their work this fall in a series presented by the HWS Department of Biology.
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22 August 2023Students Explore Scientific Research Working at Cornell Lab
Professional experience prepares students for science careers.
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16 August 2023Students Catalogue Public Art at HWS
Two students explored the history of the Colleges’ public art this summer.
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12 May 2023Remembering Dr. Arthur Patchett P'88
A graduate of Princeton University, Cambridge University and Harvard University, Dr. Arthur Patchett P’88 worked at Merck & Company, Inc. for 44 years, retiring as Vice President of Medicinal Chemistry.
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27 April 2023A Moment of Science: Lab Work, Cancer Research and STEM Careers
Professor of Biology Patricia Mowery and Professor of Chemistry Erin Pelkey discuss their collaborative research.
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17 March 2023Brook Trout and Lake Trout Research Showcased
Director of Introductory Biology Laboratories Susan Cushman took three students to the New York Chapter of American Fisheries Society research conference at Stony Brook University in February.
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17 March 2023HWS Presents at Eastern Psychology Association Conference
Students and faculty attend the Eastern Psychology Association conference, presenting research, networking and representing the HWS chapter of Psi Chi, the international psychology honor society.
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1 March 2023A Passion for Math
After presenting research and networking at the Nebraska Conference for Undergraduate Women in Mathematics in January, mathematics majors share their experiences with the campus community.
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9 November 2022Biomedical Research
The National Institutes of Health selected Maegan Manning ’22 for a highly competitive Postbaccalaureate Intramural Research Training Award.
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6 September 2022Friedman Publishes Health and Media Textbook
Professor Emeritus of Media and Society Lester Friedman’s newest book explores the social impact at the intersection of health and media.
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1 September 2022Student Research at Cornell AgriTech
Several Hobart and William Smith students took to the laboratory and the field to carry out diverse experiments at the Cornell AgriTech New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva this summer.
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21 July 2022Blanchard Presents her Song Dynasty analysis at Stanford
Professor of Art and Architecture Lara Blanchard facilitated a workshop at Stanford University based on her award-winning book about female representation in Song Dynasty painting and poetry.
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16 July 2022Dwyer ’23 Earns Goldwater Scholarship
Alex Dwyer ’23 has been selected for the Goldwater Scholarship, the preeminent undergraduate award of its type in natural sciences, mathematics and engineering.
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20 June 2022Brathwaite ’22 Presents Honors Research
A recent conference showcased the unsung expressions of Guyanese feminism that Kaitlyn Brathwaite ’22 studied as part of her Honors project.
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18 May 2022Honors Project Tackles a Marketing Makeover for Blockbuster Video
Be King, Rewind: Katherine Ruggles ’22 rebrands Blockbuster Video for her Media and Society Honors project.
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6 May 2022Aquatic Science Students Present Their Research
Seniors showcase their lake research at New York State Federation of Lake Associations Conference in April.
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1 February 2022Stressed? Mindfulness Can Help, Says New HWS Research
New scholarship by faculty and student researchers examines stress, anxiety and the habit of replaying the past — and where mindfulness can help.
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10 December 2021Mathematics Research Students Win Awards
The Department of Mathematics summer Research Experience for Undergraduates provided students with close faculty mentorship, research opportunities and insight about graduate study in the field.
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9 December 2021Donors Step Up to Fund Repairs to The William Scandling
Thanks to the generosity of the Fred L. Emerson Foundation and other benefactors who value the work HWS performs both on campus and in the community, the Colleges’ floating laboratory will continue its educational voyage.
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10 June 2021HWS Awarded Nearly $50K for Finger Lakes Research
Two new grants support HWS researchers in their exploration of harmful algal blooms, both historical and contemporary, in the Finger Lakes.
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8 June 2021Smith '21 Lands Policy Internship on Capitol Hill
Graduating magna cum laude in biology with a minor in economics, Amelia Smith '21 has landed an internship with the House of Representatives Committee on Natural Resources.
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3 November 2020The Substance (and Science) Behind the Art
From painting and literature to comedy and country music, first-year students at HWS probed the making and meaning of a wide range of artistic media.
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16 October 2020Across the Galaxy with HWS Physics
During Homecoming and Family Weekend 2020, a virtual panel discussion explored some of the research that HWS faculty, staff and alums are undertaking to unravel the mysteries of space.
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15 October 2020Black Holes, Astrophysics and the 2020 Nobel
This month, the Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to three scientists whose research on black holes has pushed astrophysics into new territory, recognizing “areas of physics that have become critical for our fundamental understanding of the universe,” says Associate Professor of Physics Steven Penn, whose work supported the discoveries honored with the Nobel in 2017.
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9 October 2020HWS Awarded NSF Grant on Evolution in Cities
A new grant from the National Science Foundation will support a collaborative research project that, through a study on eastern gray squirrels, will explore the ways cities shape animal evolution.
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27 July 2020Data from Perkin Observatory Confirms Existence of New Exoplanet
Observations with the Colleges’ Richard S. Perkin Observatory have been used to help confirm the existence of a new extra-solar planet, according to an article co-authored by Associate Professor of Physics Leslie Hebb that appears this month in The Astrophysical Journal.
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14 February 2020Penn Earns NSF Grant to Improve LIGO Capability
Associate Professor of Physics Steven Penn and Syracuse University Professor of Physics Stefan Ballmer are leading a new project funded through a National Science Foundation Grant to develop improved instrumentation for detecting gravitational waves.
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18 October 2019Penn Elected Chair of LIGO Scientific Collaboration
This month, Professor of Physics Steven Penn was elected Chair of the LIGO Scientific Collaboration (LSC), an international group of more than 1,300 researchers focused on the direct detection of gravitational waves as a means to explore the fundamental physics of gravity and to advance astronomical discovery.
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11 June 2018Tapper '64 Funds Scientific Research
Working closely with the HWS science faculty, fellow alums and supporters of the Colleges programs in science, Dr. Edward Tapper '64 is making dreams and opportunities for student research in the
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28 September 2017First Joint Discovery of Gravitational Waves by LIGO and Virgo
The LIGO Scientific Collaboration (LSC), of which Hobart and William Smith Professor of Physics Steven Penn is a prizewinning scientist, and the Virgo collaboration have reported their first joint discovery of gravitational waves.
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1 June 2017LIGO Detects Gravitational Waves for Third Time
Results Confirm New Population of Black Holes
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17 April 2017HWS Presents at National Physics Conference
Bringing the Finger Lakes to Atlanta, Assistant Professor of Physics Ileana Dumitriu, physics lab technician Peter Spacher Ph.D. and Christopher Demas ’17 recently presented their respective research at the winter conference for the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT), the largest conference for physics teachers across the globe.
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3 February 2017Discovery Receives Breakthrough Prize
Associate Professor of Physics Steven Penn is among the international team of scientists being recognized this month for their pioneering discovery of gravitational waves.
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3 November 2016HWS Sociology Presents at NYSSA
At the annual New York State Sociological Association (NYSSA) meeting, Christopher Demas '17 and Chloe Sudduth '17, accompanied by Assistant Professor of Anthropology and Sociology Ervin Kosta, presented research from their independent study and Honors projects.
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