BRONFMAN SCIENCE CENTER PROGRAMS
Serving as the home of the Computer Science, Mathematics, and
Psychology departments, as well as providing offices and research laboratories
for faculty representing all the other science departments, Bronfman Science
Center fosters interdisciplinary interaction among all members of the Science
Division. This interaction is facilitated through the sharing of core research
equipment and services; through interdepartmental programs; and, to a great
extent, by the spatial juxtaposition of faculty with common interests regardless
of their departmental affiliation. Several Science Center activities promote
this further by specifically encouraging discourse among scientists at Williams.
This is carried out in many ways, including informal faculty presentations at
Tuesday lunches (both during the summer and academic year), the maintenance of a
weekly science calendar, the publication of the Report of Science at Williams,
and the faculty lectures sponsored each semester by the local Sigma
Xi chapter.
The programs based in the Bronfman Science Center lie at the
heart of the Science Division. It is here that we carry out such vital
functions as the coordination of grant proposals to federal agencies and private
foundations, the distribution of more than $200,000 of research funds annually,
and the allocation of space within the science division. In 1999-2000,
individual Williams College science faculty received over $1,000,000 from active
federal grants for the purchase of equipment and support of student-faculty
research projects. The faculty and student research projects and summer
research opportunities supported by internal divisional funds, as well as those
supported by external grants, are detailed below and in the various departmental
reports.
Summer Student Research Participation
Summer Research Fellowships were awarded to 137 at Williams in
2000. Many of the summer research students are entering their senior year and
beginning work that will lead to senior honors research. A large number of
research fellowships were awarded to rising sophomores and juniors who were
getting their first taste of independent research. The summer research program
also included students from outside Williams. Students from a variety of other
institutions were sponsored NSF/REU site grants to the math and physics
departments and worked with Williams College math and physics faculty members.
As participants in a chemistry department exchange program, two students from
the University of Leiden worked with chemistry professors at Williams while two
Williams chemistry majors worked with professors at the University of
Leiden.
The summer is a relaxed, yet concentrated time for research,
without the competition of course work to interrupt collaborative efforts
between students and faculty. In addition to the actual research experience,
Bronfman Science Center sponsors a weekly Tuesday luncheon featuring a member of
the faculty lecturing on current research, an annual science division picnic,
and a poster session at the end of the summer where summer research students
present their results.
Support for summer research, a $3300 stipend for 10 weeks plus
housing, came from a variety of sources including College funds, external grants
to individual faculty, foundation grants, and endowed fellowships provided by
generous donations from alumni and friends of the sciences. The Wege-Markgraf
endowment, gifts from Peter Wege and the Class of 1952 in honor of Hodge
Markgraf ’52, Emeritus Professor of Chemistry, supports summer research
fellowships in chemistry. The Betty and Lewis Somers ’48 Student Summer
Internships Fund supports summer research fellowships in physics. The Williams
Bicentennial Psychology Scholarship Fund supports summer research fellowships in
psychology. The Whitehead Scholarship Fund, a gift from John Whitehead
’76, to provide an opportunity for Williams students and faculty to
interact with scientists at the prestigious Whitehead Institute, supports summer
research fellowships for Williams biology students to spend the summer doing
research at the Whitehead Institute. The Arnold Bernhard Foundation Endowed
Summer Science Fellows Program, made possible by the generosity of Jean Buttner,
Williams Trustee from 1982-1997, supports summer research fellowships across the
division.
Full or partial federal, foundation and alumni support for
summer student stipends was provided by the following sources:
Source of Funding Students
|
College funds*
|
40
|
NSF and NIH research grants to individual faculty
|
15
|
Howard Hughes Medical Institute*
|
32
|
Essel Foundation
|
15
|
NSF/REU
|
9
|
Wege/Markgraf Fellowships
|
4
|
Merck
|
4
|
Research Corp
|
3
|
Keck Foundation (Geology)
|
4
|
Keck Foundation ( Astronomy)
|
2
|
Beckman Grant
|
2
|
Space Grant
|
2
|
POWRE
|
2
|
Dreyfus
|
2
|
Pfizer
|
2
|
NSF/RUI
|
2
|
Premeasurement Physics Grant
|
2
|
PRF
|
1
|
Somers Fellowship
|
1
|
Synnot Physics Fellowship
|
1
|
Sperry
|
1
|
* Note: some students are supported by multiple
grants.
|
|
2000 Summer Science Students and Their Faculty
Advisors
Astronomy
|
|
Gabriel Brammer
|
K Kwitter
|
Sun Mi Chung
|
K. Kwitter
|
Misa Cowee
|
J. Pasachoff
|
David M. Gioiello
|
J. Pasachoff
|
Cheng Hu
|
J. Pasachoff
|
Joel Iams
|
S. Martin
|
Jason Otenson
|
J. Pasachoff
|
Joey Shapiro
|
M. Demianski
|
Daniel Seaton
|
J. Pasachoff
|
Biology
|
|
Robert Adamo
|
S. Zottoli
|
Kate Alexander
|
J. Edwards
|
Benjamin Angarita
|
S. Zottoli
|
Alana Belfield
|
S. Swoap
|
Alan Brelsford
|
H. Art
|
Gildade Boursiquot
|
D. Lynch
|
Margaret Cooley
|
J. Edwards
|
Erin Davies
|
N. Roseman
|
Joshua Easter
|
S. Zottoli
|
Sara Grote
|
E. Adler
|
Kelly Grogan
|
S. Zottoli
|
Kathryn Hibbert
|
N. Roseman
|
Nicholas Hiza
|
S. Zottoli
|
Kelly Ishizuka
|
S. Swoap
|
Maya Kapoor
|
J. Carlton
|
Ueda Ken-ichi
|
H. Art
|
Yeowon Kim
|
N. Roseman
|
Elizabeth Lo
|
W. Raymond
|
Duncan Meiklejohn
|
R. Savage
|
Timothy Menza
|
N. Roseman
|
Caren Mintz
|
J. Carlton
|
K. Mutyambizi
|
S. Zottoli
|
Jennifer Nierman
|
S. Zottoli
|
Christine Palmer
|
J. Edwards
|
Jonathan Peterson
|
S. Zottoli
|
E. Peacock-Villada
|
S. Zottoli
|
Meghan Vrabel
|
S. Zottoli
|
Joel Schmid
|
S. Swoap
|
Vivian Schoung
|
H. Art
|
Katherine Schorling
|
D. Lynch
|
Rebecca Semble
|
E. Adler
|
Leah Sharpe
|
E. Adler
|
Natalie Stephens
|
S. Zottoli
|
Liana Thompson
|
W. Raymond
|
Zuzana Tothova
|
W. Raymond
|
Cortni Tyson
|
S. Zottoli
|
Aimee Vasse
|
S. Zottoli
|
Andrew Werbrock
|
R. Savage
|
Matthew Wessler
|
D. C. Smith
|
Brooke Wright
|
D. Lynch
|
Chemistry
|
|
Carolyn Adams
|
J. Thoman
|
Laura Almstead
|
D. Weiss
|
James Apgau
|
Thoman/Weiss
|
Jessica Bauman
|
Lovett/Raymond
|
Peta-Gaye Burnett
|
C. Lovett
|
Katherine Belecki
|
T. Smith
|
Jaren Chachu
|
C. Lovett
|
Daniel Clayburgh
|
J. Chihade
|
Maria Drinane
|
L. Park
|
Renee Dumouchel
|
C. Lovett
|
Erica Dwyer
|
C. Lovett
|
Shakierah Fuller
|
C. Lovett
|
Biniam Gebre
|
C. Lovett
|
Benjamin Guidi
|
D. Weiss
|
Sarah Hart
|
Richardson/Art
|
Ryan Hayman
|
D. Richardson
|
Tracey Jackson
|
D. Richardson
|
Cindy Kaltner
|
J. H. Markgraf
|
Samantha Kim
|
J. Chihade
|
Leah King
|
C. Lovett
|
Susan Levin
|
Chihade/Raymond
|
Gerald Lindo
|
M. Schofield
|
Bevan Londergan
|
B. Koehler
|
Valerie Lothian
|
A. Skinner
|
Matthew Luedke
|
Richardson/Lynch
|
Marsha Lynch
|
L. Park
|
Kendrid Mays
|
A. Skinner
|
Daisy Pierce
|
C. Lovett
|
Elizabeth Roller
|
M. Schofield
|
Jay Slowik
|
B. Koehler
|
Mithandra Stockley
|
C. Lovett
|
Sophie van Alphen
|
T. Smith
|
Alan Velander
|
T. Smith
|
Lindi von Mutius
|
C. Lovett
|
Mark Walrod
|
L. Park
|
Peter Webb
|
J. H. Markgraf
|
Kamille Williams
|
M. Schofield
|
Computer Science
|
|
Carlett Malcom
|
B. Lerner
|
Douglas Thunen
|
W. Lenhart
|
Geosciences
|
|
Stephen DeOreo
|
R. Cox
|
William Ouimet
|
Dethier/Wobus
|
Mathematics
|
|
Sami Assaf
|
T. Garrity
|
Amie Bowles
|
T. Garrity
|
Li-Chung Chen
|
T. Garrity
|
Andrew Cotton
|
T. Garrity
|
Lukasz Fidkowski
|
T. Garrity
|
Amanda Folsom
|
T. Garrity
|
David Freeman
|
T. Garrity
|
Carmen Lefever
|
T. Garrity
|
Amy Marinello
|
T. Garrity
|
Alexander Pekker
|
T. Garrity
|
Julia Snyder
|
T. Garrity
|
James Tripp
|
T. Garrity
|
Physics
|
|
Daniel Bissex
|
S. Bolton
|
Camille Burnett
|
S. Bolton
|
Kenneth Dennison
|
W. Wootters
|
S. Charles Doret
|
P. Majumder
|
Paul Friedberg
|
P. Majumder
|
Rachel Horwitz
|
D. Aalberts
|
Duane Lee
|
W. Wootters
|
John Parman
|
D. Aalberts
|
Sarah Reynolds
|
S. Bolton
|
Andrew Speck
|
P. Majumder
|
Hans Stabenau
|
D. Aalberts
|
Psychology
|
|
Gail Anderson
|
P. Cramer
|
Ivelina Borisova
|
S. Fein
|
O’Neil Campbell
|
S. Fein
|
Audrey Chen
|
B. Zimmerberg
|
Adam Colestock
|
P. Solomon
|
K. Hadley Cornell
|
M. Sandstrom
|
Sandra DiPillo
|
N. Sandstrom
|
Anne Dwyer
|
N. Sandstrom
|
Abby Eisenhower
|
L. Park
|
Matthew Gunther
|
P. Solomon
|
Daniel Klasik
|
M. Schofield
|
Andrea Lee
|
N. Sandstrom
|
Alice Li
|
S. Engel
|
Valerie Lothian
|
L. Heatherington
|
Karen McCloskey
|
L. Heatherington
|
Alexander McWhorter
|
S Fein
|
David Mihm
|
T. Ben-Zeev
|
Dana Lea Nelson
|
K. Savitsky
|
Liliana Rodriquez
|
G. Goethals
|
Abigail Rosenthal
|
B. Zimmerberg
|
Grace Rubenstein
|
L. Heatherington
|
Aleksandra Stark
|
B. Zimmerberg
|
Nicole Stephens
|
K. Savitsky
|
Lida Ungar
|
G. Goethals
|
Summer Research Colloquia 2000
A luncheon is provided every Tuesday for participants in the
summer science program. Faculty members from the science departments give talks
on their research at these lunches, with opportunity for discussion afterwards.
The speakers this summer were:
Professor Anne Skinner, Dept. of Chemistry, Williams
College
“The EPA is Coming – Be Safe or Be Very
Sorry”
Professor Ronadh Cox, Dept. of Geology, Williams
College
“A Tale of Times Past: Beachfront Property in Central
Arizona, Just 1.7 Billion Years Ago”
Professor Protik Majumder, Dept. of Physics, Williams
College
“Diode Lasers, Thallium, and the Next Decimal
Place”
Professor Lee Park, Dept. of Chemistry, Williams
College
“Designing Molecular Wires”
Professor Jay M. Pasachoff, Dept. of Astronomy, Williams
College
“Solar Eclipses”
Professor Frank Morgan, Dept. of Mathematics, Williams
College
“Double Bubbles”
Professor Noah Sandstrom, Dept. of Psychology, Williams
College
“Hormones and the Brain: Where Did I Put That
Estrogen?”
Professor Elizabeth Adler, Dept. of Biology, Williams
College
“Can a Cold Remedy Affect Anorexia and Epilepsy? Zinc
and Neuropeptide Y”
Academic Year “Bag Lunch” Colloquia
During the academic year, the science faculty meets for lunch
on Tuesdays in the Mathematics Library to discuss matters of interest to the
sciences as a whole, and to hear informal reports on faculty research and other
science developments. The following talks or discussions were held during
1999-2000.
Professor Markes E. Johnson, Dept. of Geology, Williams
College
“Ancient Shorelines of Inner Mongolia,” (Results
of Summer 1999 Field Project
Professor Robert Savage, Dept. of Biology, Williams
College
“Leeches and You: Evolutionary Insights from a Maligned
Creature”
Professor Susan Engel, Dept. of Psychology, Williams
College
“Five Ways to Look at a Narrative: How to Analyze the
Stories People Tell”
Professor Steve Swoap, Dept. of Biology, Williams
College
“Stop Eating that Cookie, It’s Affecting Your
Blood Pressure”
Professor Stewart Johnson, Dept. of Mathematics Williams
College
“Some Mathematical Techniques in Cancer
Chemotherapy”
Professor Colin Adams, Dept. of Mathematics, Williams
College
“Molecular Rigidity”
Professor Thomas Smith, Dept. of Chemistry, Williams
College
“Toward the Ideal Chemical Synthesis”
Professor Joseph Chihade, Dept. of Chemistry, Williams
College
“How a Chemist Thinks About Evolution”
Professor Charles M. Lovett, Dept. of Chemistry, Williams
College
“Genome to Gene Arrays: Biotechnology at
Williams”
Professor Betty Zimmerberg, Dept. of Psychology, Williams
College
“Multimedia Neuroscience Education Project”
(Interim Report on a NSF DUE Grant)
Professor Sarah Bolton, Dept. of Physics, Williams
College
“Squeezing Semiconductors”
Professor Talia Ben-Zeev, Dept. of Psychology, Williams
College
“Implementation of Hamming Codes, or How to Win the
Office Pool”
Professor Cesar Silva, Dept. of Mathematics, Williams
College
“Exploring the Mandelbrot Set”
Professor Paul Karabinos, Dept. of Geosciences, Williams
College
“Winter Study and How It Affects Division III and
Psychology”
Professor John J. Thoman, Dept. of Chemistry, Williams
College
“Water, Water Everywhere ......”
Professor Steven Zottoli, Dept. of Biology, Williams
College
“HHMI Funding”
Professor Jerome Reiter, Dept. of Mathematics, Williams
College
“Statistics and Causality”
Professor Frank Morgan, Dept. of Mathematics, Williams
College
“Rumors of Proofs of the Double Bubble
Conjecture”
Pre-First Year Summer Science Program
In its fourteenth summer in 2000, the Summer Science Program
(SSP) provides an enriching and intensive five-week immersion in science,
mathematics, and English for a talented group of science-oriented Williams
pre-first year minority students. The goal of the Program is to promote and
encourage continuing participation in science and science related studies by
members of minorities that have historically been under represented in the
sciences.
Seventeen students took classes in chemistry (including a
major laboratory component), biology, mathematics and English (literature and
expository writing). Although not replicas of Williams’ academic year
offerings, the Summer Science Program classes are taught at a college level,
thus introducing participants to the rigors and demands of college academics.
In addition to the regular classes, the students participated in geology
laboratory and field experiments. They also engaged in a variety of
extracurricular activities, including the Williamstown Theatre Festival, a
weekend trip to Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and a day trip to Six Flags
over New England.
Enthusiasm for the Program has been high. Participants have
taken full advantage of the opportunity to study at Williams in the summer.
Their academic year experiences have, as a result of the Program, been
successful and many of the students have continued their studies in science or
mathematics. A significant number of former participants have returned to
campus in the summertime as summer research students in science and mathematics,
have become tutors for the Summer Science Program, or have secured positions
elsewhere in science research institutes.
Professor Charles M. Lovett, Director of the Summer Science
Program, taught the chemistry lectures and Professor David P. Richardson
conducted the laboratory sessions. Professors Olga R. Beaver and Cesar Silva
taught the mathematics component. Professors Nancy Roseman and Daniel Lynch
taught the biology lectures. Professor Grant Farrad taught the English sessions
and Professor David Dethier conducted the geology-in-the-field laboratory. Dr.
Michael Payne led the students in discussions of goals, data management, and
approaches to college life. The tutors for the Program in 2000 were Leah King
’03, Gerald Lindo ’03, and Kamille Williams ’03.
The Summer Science Program has been funded primarily by
Williams College as part of the institution’s commitment to encourage the
participation of women and minorities in the sciences. Since 1991, SSP has
received additional funding from a biological sciences award from the Howard
Hughes Medical Institute. This grant contributed support for several SSP
components, and has provided summer research stipends for SSP students after
their first year at Williams. Special thanks go to the many science faculty and
students of Williams College who, during the summer as well as during the
academic year, have contributed to the success of the Program and of its
participants.
Pre-First Year Program Participants
Students (’04)
|
Tutors
|
Faculty
|
Michelle Allen
|
Leah King
|
Charles M. Lovett, Director
|
Georgina L. Calderon
|
Gerald Lindo
|
Olga R. Beaver
|
Jonathan Cartagena
|
Kamille Williams
|
Grant Farrad
|
Jenica A. Chambers
|
|
Daniel Lynch
|
Sonia A Collymore
|
|
David Richardson
|
Jude A. Dumfeh
|
|
Nancy Roseman
|
April N. Figueroa
|
|
Cesar Silva
|
Victoria Fletcher-Smith
|
|
David Dethier
|
Kali K. Gairy
|
|
Dr. Michael Payne
|
Brett S. Hammond
|
|
|
Estelita Nimoh-Boateng
|
|
|
Chigozirim P. Nwankpa
|
|
|
Arthur C. Okwesili
|
|
|
Sasha Shekhar
|
|
|
Christina S. Villegas
|
|
|
Marina Vivero
|
|
|
Thomas G. Williams
|
|
|
Williams College Sigma Xi Chapter
The Williams College Sigma Xi Chapter has played an active
role on the Williams Campus since it was founded as the Sigma Xi Club in 1969.
Sigma Xi is a national society honoring and encouraging research in science. At
Williams, it also sponsors outreach programs designed to stimulate interest in
science among grade school, junior high and high school students. The officers
for 1999-2000 were Professor Jay M. Pasachoff of the Astronomy Department,
President, and Professor Protik Majumder of the Physics Department,
Secretary/Treasurer.
During the 1999-2000 academic year, our chapter sponsored two
events. In the fall, Professor Steven Swoap of the Biology Department gave two
lectures entitled “Muscle Adaptation: From Bench Press to Lab Press”
and “IIB or Not IIB: The Generation of Fast Twitch Muscles”. The
first talk provided an overview of the adaptations of muscle in response to
altered physiological environments and their function consequences. The second
talk addressed the molecular mechanisms that are involved with the differential
expression of this “fast” gene in the adult mammal. In the spring,
Professor Phebe Cramer of the Psychology Department who works in developmental,
identity and clinical psychology gave two lectures entitled “Predicting
the Self: The Three Monkeys Revisited” and “The Road to
Identity”. The first lecture focused on cognitive operations, known as
defense mechanisms, that people use everyday to maintain self-esteem and protect
themselves from excessive anxiety. The second lecture discussed the different
pathways that adolescents follow to reach a sense of identity, what happens when
identity is threatened and how this relates to the use of defense mechanisms,
and how the different stages of identity are related to different personality
characteristics as function of gender.
The Sigma Xi Club sponsored a High School Science Award for a
student at Mount Greylock Regional High School, Williamstown, MA, in recognition
of his/her high level of motivation and accomplishment in his/her science
courses. This year the award was given to Elizabeth Peacock-Villada.
One of the primary purposes of Sigma Xi is to recognize
graduating science students who have demonstrated exceptional ability and
promise for further contributions to the advancement of scientific research.
These students are elected as Associate Members of Sigma Xi and are then
inducted into the Society at a ceremony during Class Day on Commencement
Weekend. On Saturday morning, the Chapter honored 45 newly elected Associate
Members from the Class of 2000 in a ceremony in the Bronfman Auditorium. A
detailed description of the research projects of these students is presented
later in this Report.
Associate Sigma Xi members from the Class of 2000
Astrophysics
|
|
Rebecca Cover
|
J. M. Pasachoff
|
Sara Kate May
|
J. M. Pasachoff
|
Kevin D. Russell
|
J. M. Pasachoff
|
Biology
|
|
Lauren B. Buckley
|
J. Edwards
|
Patrick M. Burton
|
S. Swoap
|
Erin L. Davies
|
N. Roseman
|
Joshua H. Goldstein
|
J. McKenna
|
Jason M. Langheier
|
S. Zottoli
|
Randall L. Lindquist
|
S. Swoap
|
Charles N. Munyon
|
H. Williams
|
Jillian A. Pepsin
|
D. Lynch
|
Aya E. Reiss
|
H. Art
|
Jeffrey D. Roizen
|
N. Roseman
|
David J. Seward
|
S. Swoap
|
Emily L. Simpson
|
H. Art
|
Lauren m. Singer
|
N. Roseman
|
Andrew H. Werbrock
|
R. Savage
|
Chemistry
|
|
Karelle S. Aiken
|
D. Richardson
|
Biniam T. Gebre
|
C. M. Lovett
|
Michael D. Hurwitz
|
J. Chihade
|
Veena Mandava
|
C. M. Lovett
|
Megumi Onishi
|
M. Schofield
|
Michelle Pacholec
|
J. Chihade
|
Amish A. Shah
|
C. M. Lovett
|
Computer Science
|
|
Reed L. Townsend
|
W. Lenhart
|
Geosciences
|
|
Rebecca K. Atkinson
|
R. A. Wobus
|
Patricia G. Hines
|
R. Cox
|
Cordelia R. Ransom
|
M. Johnson
|
Taylor F. Schildgen
|
D. Dethier
|
Mathematics
|
|
T. Cheslack-Postava
|
T. Garrity
|
Thomas R. Fleming
|
C. Adams
|
Cory R. Heilmann
|
J. Reiter
|
Adam D. Schuyler
|
T. Garrity
|
Physics
|
|
Mark R. Acton
|
S. Bolton
|
Ginel C. Hill
|
K. Jones
|
Anthony M. Ndirango
|
W. Wootters
|
Kevin M. O’Connor
|
W. Wootters
|
Andrew J. Speck
|
P. Majumder
|
Psychology
|
|
Deborah F. Frisone
|
B. Zimmerberg
|
Stephen M. Gray
|
L. Heatherington
|
Dahra N. Jackson
|
L. Heatherington
|
Kathryn C. Kavanaugh
|
L. Heatherington
|
Meghan Moscati
|
B. Zimmerberg
|
Rebecca J. Norwick
|
S. Kassin
|
Maria G. D. Pereira
|
K. Savitsky
|