Hobart and William Smith Colleges

At the Classes of 1972 Outdoor Classroom, students working with Professors of Geoscience Neil Laird and Nick Metz this summer hear from Augusta Williams ‘13 and Caitlin Crossett ‘15 about their career journeys and experiences as women in science.

Under the direction of Professor of Geoscience Nan Crystal Arens, Arshi Fawad '26 and Bailey Gervais '27 clean and preserve Early Eocene-age leaf fossils from southwestern Alabama to gain information on earth’s climate 54 million years ago.

Kevin Frost ‘25 and Ava Lee ‘25 use liquid nitrogen to freeze hemp tissue samples for preservation to later conduct DNA analysis while working at Cornell AgriTech in Geneva.

With Professor of Chemistry Walter Bowyer, Angelina Jordan ’27, Ameer Muse ’26 and Jessica Finnerty ’26 study how ancient people were able to produce colored paints using heat.

Summer Scholars Research Fellow Hannah Angelico '25 collaborates on the Seneca Review’s ‘Beyond Category’ online database with Geoffrey Babbitt, Associate Professor of Writing and Rhetoric and of English and Creative Writing. The project is part of the Office of Academic Affair’s Summer Scholarly Experience.

Greta Paasch '27 and Mia Tetrault '25 (center) work with Professor of Gender, Sexuality, and Intersectional Justice Betty M. Bayer (right) and Rochester Institute of Technology Professor Juilee Decker to arrange photos for an exhibition at The National Women's Hall of Fame titled “The Rollercoaster for Women’s Rights, Equality, and Freedom.”

Working with Associate Professor of Practice in Biology Susan Cushman, Eliza Chace ’26, Jonah Friedman ’26 and Victoria Smith ’25 process collected fish from Hector Falls Creek to analyze for contaminants as part of the Seneca tributary survey of aquatic communities.

Audrie Fazio ‘25 works with the Clarence A Davis ’48 Visual Arts Curator Meghan Jordan to unframe photos after the closing of the show “Frames of History: Selections from the George Stephanopoulos Collection.”

Working with Professor of Geoscience Nan Crystal Arens, Mohammad Yassin ‘25 uses data analytics to assess the impacts that landfills have on air quality in Geneva, N.Y.

Professors of Spanish and Hispanic Studies Fernando Rodríguez-Mansilla and May Farnsworth lead a read along and discussion of “Los Abismos” by Pilar Quintana with students at Empire Coffee & Donuts.

Professors of International Relations Vikash Yadav and Stacey Philbrick Yadav talk with Rafael Aguilar ‘25, Kelly Howe ‘26 and Sandeep Tissaaratchy ‘26 during Weekly Donuts, an event hosted by faculty members for students doing research during the summer. Philbrick Yadav and students are conducting research on post-conflict societies.

Marcella Venettozzi ’25, Professor of Biology Patricia Mowery and Delaney Williams ’26 test compounds synthesized in Professor of Chemistry Erin Pelkey’s lab for anti-cancer activity.

At Cornell AgriTech, Andrew Painton ‘25 prepares to transfer fungal samples as part of a study of diseases that affect apple trees in order to test various treatments.

Associate Professor of Anthropology Chris Annear meets with Chloé Woods ‘27, Najma Ahmed ‘26, Michelle Mangione ‘27 and Estelle Bignet ‘26 to discuss their research on Chinese engagement in Zambia. This work supports Annear’s upcoming book "Big Brother, Big Man."

Associate Professor of Physics Leslie Hebb takes a selfie with Jake Romney '26 and Biruk Nardos '25 at the Space History Museum in Alamogordo, New Mexico. This summer, Romney is analyzing spectra of hundreds of stars to measure their magnetic activity and see how it changes over time, while Nardos is working on a project to simulate the interior structure of extrasolar planets.

Piper Polga ’26 and Abigail Cole ’25 visit Anthony Road Winery’s vineyard with Cornell University graduate student Donald Caldwell as part of research on the history and economics of the Finger Lakes wine region with Associate Professor of Sociology Ervin Kosta.