Introduction This post is the second in a series highlighting the fantastic astronomy research Amherst students have conducted this summer. For more information on the series, visit ,,this post. This week, Astronomy Department Editor William Balmer (that’s me) interviewed one of the six Follette Lab students who presented at the Colloquia. Khalid Mohamed ‘22 led…
Supporting PEERs in Biology: An Interview with Prof. Josef Trapani
Prof. Trapani joined Amherst College in 2011. He is an Associate Professor in the Biology Department and also contributes to the Neuroscience program. He has chaired the Biology department since July this year. His research involves the use of the model organism larval zebrafish to look at how hair cells encode information which leads to…
“What We Think”: Psychology Lecture on Children’s Social-Emotional Development During COVID-19
On September 17th, 20 students hopped onto a Zoom call to learn about how COVID-19 has impacted children’s social and emotional development. Professor McQuade of the psychology department was joined by Amherst alum Adaora Achufusi ‘13. Specializing in play therapy, Achufusi works in New York as a treatment coordinator at a therapeutic preschool for children…
Accretion Machines
Introduction This post is the first of a series highlighting the fantastic summer astronomy research Amherst students conducted. For more information on the series, visit this post. This week, Astronomy Department Editor William Balmer (that’s me) interviewed three of the six Follette Lab students who presented at the Colloquium. Beck Dacus ‘22, Cailin Plunkett ‘23,…
Astronomy Summer Research Teams Take Physics Colloquia By Storm
Updated: Oct 16, 2020 On September 8th and 15th, the Physics and Astronomy Department colloquium showcased the summer research of 21 Amherst students during a series of “Flash Talks.” These three-minute presentations gave the students the opportunity to demonstrate their newfound knowledge and share their summer experiences. Despite COVID-19, students worked at a variety of labs…
Reflection on my SURF experience
Hi everyone. It has been a while since I posted my last blog. I am editing this blog from my dorm room at Amherst College. I moved in a few days ago and it has been wonderful reconnecting with this lovely campus. I will provide some updates on what happened in the virtual Trapani lab…
Remote Research with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute
Going into the summer, I hoped that my research would not be entirely remote. I hoped I would be able to go into the lab towards the end of the summer. That I could go on a research cruise. I had no idea that the pandemic would get worse. However, I also was surprised by…
Creating Videos, Becoming Politically Active and Adapting to Remote Learning
Hi everyone! It has been more than an entire month since my last/first post and since I started my internship! I cannot believe that July is over and that in less than two weeks, some of us might be back on campus, starting our classes, and preparing for a new and interesting academic year. Although…
Mammals of the Pioneer Valley
The following statement comes from Ainsley Mackenzie ’22, Sabrina Lin ’21, Nawoo Kim ’22, and Rachel Lovejoy ’23, undergraduate researchers of the Kristensen lab. As they monitor the population dynamics of black bears in Massachusetts, this statement discusses how they collaborate with Massachusetts residents to collect data and how you can help. Our lab seeks…
My Experience with Remote Research
Hey everyone! Sorry it has taken so long from my first blog post to this one, it has been a busy summer filled with lots of cool science. For my last two blog posts, I am going to talk about my experience with remote research and then in the second one what motivates me to…