Hobart and William Smith Colleges

Anjalee Wanduragala ‘25 and Caroline Gannon ‘26 place the mesocosm racks into a pond at Henry Hanley Biological Field Preserve to simulate the conditions typical for algal growth in the region. After 5 days, Chlorophyll levels in the samples are measured and will help determine which nutrients drive this growth.

An aerial view of the 108-acre Henry Hanley Biological Field Preserve with Cayuga Lake in the background.

This week, we take a look at the research HWS students are conducting working with HWS’ Finger Lakes Institute this summer. Here, FLI Lab Manager Trevor Massey, Daudi Aden ’26, Ingrid Miller ’26, Caroline Gannon ’26, Anjalee Wanduragala ’25, Isabella Mujevic ’26 and Jaylynn McCarthy ’26 pose for a photo aboard the William Scandling research vessel.

In the Finger Lakes Institute lab, Jaylynn McCarthy ’26 and Ingrid Miller ’26 prepare a slide containing a sample collected from Seneca Lake.

Caroline Gannon ‘26 and FLI Lab Manager Trevor Massey look at a depth and temperature graph to determine the thermocline sampling point on the William Scandling research vessel.

Daudi Aden ’26 prepares an Exo Sonde before it is lowered into Seneca Lake to profile water chemistry at different depths.

At HWS’ Henry Hanley Biological Field Preserve, Anjalee Wanduragala ‘25 secures water samples that have been treated with different concentrations of nutrients to floating mesocosm racks.

Anjalee Wanduragala ‘25 and Isabella Mujevic ’26 record the environmental conditions of Seneca Lake in a field notebook.

On a dock at Keuka Lake State Park, Isabella Mujevic ‘26 filters surface water for dissolved nutrients while Maddy Buck ‘26 logs the temperature, wind speed and weather conditions.

Maddy Buck ‘26 and Isabella Mujevic ‘26 identify and sort macrophytes collected from the boat launch at Keuka Lake State Park to develop knowledge that aids in preventing the spread of aquatic invasive species throughout the Finger Lakes.

At the Geneva Lakefront, Isabella Mujevic ‘26 and Maddy Buck ‘26 collect surface water samples from Seneca Lake to survey total nutrients and chlorophyll while Program Assessment Manager Bill Brown executes a rake-toss to sample rooted macrophytes from the bottom of the boat launch.

Fireworks illuminate the sky during Reunion.

On the patio of the Scandling Campus Center, Associate Provost Susan Pliner leads a discussion in “History of Disability” for students in the Master of Higher Education Leadership program.

The William Smith field hockey team and Hobart football team practice under a beautiful fall sunset.

The HWS sailing team practices on Seneca Lake.

Assistant Professor of Media and Society Jiangtao Harry Gu ’13 teaches “Documentary Production” on the steps of Coxe Hall.