News Plans of Concentration
Laura Rachel Baetscher
Bachelor of Arts
ANTHROPOLOGY & HISTORY & LANGUAGES/Spanish
Plan: An analysis of the Arabization of the Iberian Peninsula and the legacy of Moorish Spain, using the Spanish language.
Project: A paper on the Arabization of the Iberian Peninsula (756 - c.a. 1100 AD).
Sponsors: Gloria Biamonte, Carol Hendrickson, Timothy F. Little, Resha Cardone
Outside Evaluator: Maryanne Leone, Assumption College
Valerie Barrett
Bachelor of Arts
ECONOMICS
Plan: A study of political economy with an emphasis on poverty and labor markets in the United States.
Project: A paper on the living wage movement as a way of addressing income inequality and economic opportunity.
Sponsors: James A. Tober, Geraldine Pittman de Batlle
Outside Evaluator: Jeanette Wicks-Lim, University of Massachusetts-Amherst
John Berry
Bachelor of Arts
ECONOMICS & AMERICAN STUDIES
Plan: An exploration of economics and American studies focused on environmental public policy of the mid-to late- 20th century.
Project: An interdisciplinary paper on American deindustrialization and the rise of urban brownfields.
Sponsors: James A. Tober, Kathryn E. Ratcliff
Outside Evaluator: William Shutkin, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Colin Mark Bonnington
Bachelor of Arts
THEATER
Plan: Studies in theater with particular attention paid to the craft of the actor.
Project: Preparation and performance of The Zoo Story, by Edward Albee.
Sponsor: Paul D. Nelsen
Outside Evaluator: Edward Isser, College of the Holy Cross
Lydia Borowicz
Bachelor of Arts
THEATER
Plan: A study of theater that focuses on an exploration of directing with supporting studies in dramatic literature, theater history and criticism, with a focus on the plays of Edward Albee.
Project: The selection, study, rehearsal and performance of Edward Albee’s play, The Goat, or Who is Sylvia?
Sponsor: Paul D. Nelsen
Outside Evaluator: Edward Isser, College of the Holy Cross
Cameron Campbell
Bachelor of Arts in International Studies
POLITICAL SCIENCE & DEVELOPMENT STUDIES & RELIGION
Plan: An investigation of religious and political development paradigms.
Project: A case study of the development rhetoric in the case of the Dayak of West Kalimantan, Indonesia.
Internship: East and West Kalimantan, Indonesia
Sponsors: Meg Mott, Amer Latif
Outside Evaluator: Lini Wollenberg, University of Vermont
Ryan Campbell
Bachelor of Arts
RELIGION
Plan: An examination of the relationship between God and man (creator and creature) in Christian and Islamic traditions, supported by analysis of works by Ibn al-’Arabi, Herman Melville and the Book of Job.
Project: A set of papers comparing the monotheistic understanding of creation in the Bible and Qur’an, and the relationships made possible by such a worldview, through the Book of Job and the works of Ibn al-’Arabi.
Sponsors: Amer Latif, John Sheehy
Outside Evaluator: Michael Pittman, Albany College of Pharmacy
Margaret O’Brien Cassidy
Bachelor of Arts
AMERICAN STUDIES/Photography
Plan: A study of urban planning and the built environment in Chicago from 1890 to the present, with supporting work in photography.
Project: A paper exploring reforms of urban spaces in Chicago from 1871 to 1909.
Sponsors: Kathryn E. Ratcliff, John Willis
Outside Evaluator: Francis Couvares, Amherst College
Amanda Charland
Bachelor of Science
BIOLOGY/Alpine Ecology & RELIGION
Plan: An examination of environmental biology including ecological field work in a Rocky Mountain ecosystem, and an investigation of environmental ethics from religious perspectives.
Project: A paper presenting and analyzing data on soil carbon in avalanche zones at different stages of recovery from a field study in the Colorado Rocky Mountains.
Sponsors: Robert E. Engel, Jennifer Ramstetter, Amer Latif
Outside Evaluator: Joy Ackerman, Antioch University New England
Nathan Chates
Bachelor of Arts
BIOLOGY/Ecology
Plan: A broad study across the field of biology with an understanding of the ecology of Vermont.
Project: A study of winter adaptations in Vermont birds with a focus on feeding dynamics in black-capped chickadees.
Sponsors: Jennifer Ramstetter, Robert E. Engel
Outside Evaluator: Rosalind Yanishevsky, Ecological Consultant
Franklin Crump
Bachelor of Arts in International Studies
POLITICAL SCIENCE & THEATER
Plan: The development of Theater of the Oppressed, its theoretical background and its efficacy as a tool for change.
Project: An investigation of Augusto Boal’s theories and techniques, through the teaching of an introductory class on the Theater of the Oppressed.
Internship: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Sponsors: Paul D. Nelsen, Gerald E. Levy
Outside Evaluator: Mara B. Sabinson, Dartmouth College
Hannah Curtin
Bachelor of Arts
LITERATURE & HISTORY
Plan: An exploration of how 20th century Irish writers negotiate an “Irish” identity when reflecting on their national and cultural history.
Project: A comparison and analysis of the Irish identities constructed and put forward by James Joyce and William Butler Yeats.
Sponsors: Laura D’Angelo, T. Hunter Wilson, Timothy F. Little
Outside Evaluator: Paul Cullity, Keene State College
Wylin Daigle
Bachelor of Arts
LITERATURE & WRITING & DANCE
Plan: An exploration of the literary devices in Dante’s Inferno using a fourfold interpretation, a dance performance exploring images from The Divine Comedy and a collection of original short fiction based on the importance of place.
Project: A paper exploring how Dante weaves allusions from the biblical world, the classical world and his own time into his depiction of place in the Inferno and how this layering creates a literary palimpsest.
Sponsors: Geraldine Pittman de Batlle, T. Hunter Wilson, Dana Holby, Laura C.
Stevenson
Outside Evaluator: Franklin Reeve, Wesleyan University, emeritus
Sonia Darrow
Bachelor of Arts
SOCIOLOGY
Plan: A focus on the topic of intentional communities as manifestations of dissatisfaction with mainstream society and as attempts to improve on existing society. An examination of the motiviations behind, and the successes and failures among, such communities.
Project: Two ethnographic case studies: one about a successful community and the other about a problematic one.
Sponsor: Gerald E. Levy
Outside Evaluator: Willem Brooke-deBock, Kaplan University
Sarah Dobbins
Bachelor of Arts
BIOLOGY & PHOTOGRAPHY
Plan: A study on public health in Peru using immunology and photography.
Project: A research project on the epidemiology of parasitosis and anemia in children from rural Peru.
Sponsors: Todd Smith, John Willis, Robert E. Engel
Outside Evaluator: Sharon McDonnell, Dartmouth College
Alyssa Follansbee
Bachelor of Science
BIOLOGY
Plan: An effort to apply biological principles to the graphic and biological design of dragons.
Project: A paper examining the physiology and behavioral ecology of dragons.
Sponsors: Robert E. Engel, Timothy J. Segar
Outside Evaluator: Hector Galbraith, Environmental Consultant
Micaela French
Bachelor of Arts
ECONOMICS/Development Studies
Plan: A study of development economics with an emphasis on urbanization, social entrepreneurship and the role of non-governmental organizations.
Project: A paper exploring trends in urbanization as they affect the dairy industry in Bangladesh, with a case study of BRAC Dairy based on field research.
Sponsors: James A. Tober, Lynette Rummel
Outside Evaluator: James Levinson, Tufts University
Justin Friedman
Bachelor of Arts
RELIGION/Political Science
Plan: A study of the intersection between religion and politics, with a focus on Messianism in the Hebrew Bible and Synoptic Gospels.
Project: Textual analysis of the development and understanding of Messianism in the Hebrew Bible and Synoptic Gospels.
Sponsors: Meg Mott, Amer Latif
Outside Evaluator: Jed Donelan, Franklin Pierce College
Christopher John Gabriel
Bachelor of Arts
THEATER
Plan: An exploration of ritual practice and its relationship to performance.
Project: The adaptation of the Tibetan Book of the Dead into a staged performance.
Sponsor: Paul D. Nelsen
Outside Evaluator: Edward Isser, College of the Holy Cross
Daniel Garcia-Galili
Bachelor of Science
PHYSICS/Astronomy & Computational Methods
Plan: A study of astrophysics and applicable computational techniques, as well as methods in science outreach.
Project: Research on star formation, focused on energetic protostellar outflows in molecular clouds.
Sponsor: Travis Norsen
Outside Evaluator: Jason Zimba, Bennington College
Emma Louise Gardner
Bachelor of Arts
AMERICAN STUDIES/Literature
Plan: An exploration of changing attitudes towards and interactions with the environment in post-World War II American society, with an emphasis on patterns of domination and cultural resistance.
Project: A paper analyzing the aboveground nuclear weapons testing program during the Cold War.
Sponsors: Kathryn E. Ratcliff, Gloria Biamonte
Outside Evaluator: Randall Knoper, University of Massachusetts-Amherst
Silver Gerety
Bachelor of Arts in International Studies
POLITICAL SCIENCE/Political Theory & French
Plan: A series of essays in political theory addressing the theme of personal judgment in the face of the incomprehensible.
Project: An essay on the problem of individual complicity in systemic crimes.
Internship: Kigali, Rwanda
Sponsors: Lynette Rummel, Meg Mott, Laura D’Angelo
Outside Evaluator: Penny Gill, Mount Holyoke College
Kirsten Gravdahl
Bachelor of Arts
VISUAL ARTS
Plan: A study in visual arts focusing on architecture through design, research, photography and sculpture.
Project: An exhibit of architectural design, model making, photography and sculpture.
Sponsors: John Willis, Timothy J. Segar
Outside Evaluator: Karolina Kawiaka, Dartmouth College
Camille Grec
Bachelor of Arts
VISUAL ARTS
Plan: Through visual arts, a study and documentation of movement, mapping physical intersections with personal experience.
Project: Exhibition of two-dimensional and three-dimensional artwork that maps and abstracts everyday movement and travel experiences.
Sponsors: Cathy Osman, Carol Hendrickson
Outside Evaluator: Olivia Bernard, Independent Artist
Esther Hall-Reinhard
Bachelor of Arts
MUSIC/Performance
Plan: To gain an understanding of Baroque violin performance practice.
Project: Two recitals: the first serves as an introduction to the experience of historically informed performance; the second reflects the paper topic of the evolution of the repertoire by presenting works which span the entire period and exhibit differences in national styles of composition.
Sponsor: Stanley Charkey
Outside Evaluator: Myron Lutzke, Mannes College of Music
Jessica Hanna
Bachelor of Arts
AMERICAN STUDIES & FILM/VIDEO STUDIES
Plan: A study focusing on narratives of national identity in 20th century U.S. culture, drawing on historical scholarship, history textbooks and media representations aimed at a popular audience.
Project: A paper exploring shifting portrayals of the American Revolution in the context of broader social, political and educational changes across the 20th century.
Sponsors: Kathryn E. Ratcliff, Jay Craven
Outside Evaluator: Daniel Horowitz, Smith College
Jordan Hendrickson
Bachelor of Arts
BIOCHEMISTRY & DANCE & BIOLOGY
Plan: A study of natural science and dance in an effort to understand signaling and mate selection.
Project: A study of mate selection and gender recognition, with an emphasis on human pheremones.
Sponsors: Todd Smith, Dana Holby, Robert E. Engel
Outside Evaluator: Catherine Parker, University of Pennsylvania
Andrew Hood
Bachelor of Arts
FILM/VIDEO STUDIES
Plan: An exploration of war and U.S. visual media from the end of the Vietnam War to the present, with an emphasis on television.
Project: A television screenplay and pilot episode examining the Iraq War through comedy and narrative.
Sponsors: Jay Craven, Kathryn E. Ratcliff
Outside Evaluator: Kenneth Peck, Burlington College
Katherine Marie James
Bachelor of Arts in International Studies
ASIAN STUDIES/Mandarin Chinese & PHOTOGRAPHY
Plan: An examination of identity and nationality in 20th century China through text, photography, and speech.
Project: A history of ethnic identity and nationalism in modern China.
Internship: Kunming, China
Sponsors: Seth Harter, John Willis
Outside Evaluator: Pamela Crossley, Dartmouth College
Ian Reid Jones
Bachelor of Arts
CERAMICS & ANTHROPOLOGY
Plan: A firm grounding in ceramics and anthropology with a focus on Japanese tableware and food culture, and an emphasis on wheel-thrown forms and traditional foods as they relate to Japanese identities.
Project: A ceramics exhibit displaying utilitarian works created with inspiration from Japanese ceramic traditions.
Sponsors: Carol Hendrickson, Michael Boylen
Outside Evaluator: Angela Fina, Independent Artist
Margaret Jones
Bachelor of Arts
POLITICAL SCIENCE/Political Theory
Plan: An investigation of the politics of apathy and desire, with attention to consumerism, ’60s nostalgia and the de-politicization of modern youth in the United States.
Project: A series of graphic novel vignettes exploring issues of representation, sexuality, and personal and political freedom.
Sponsor: Meg Mott
Outside Evaluator: Barbara Cruikshank, University of Massachusetts-Amherst
Robin Kageyama
Bachelor of Science
BIOCHEMISTRY/Molecular biology
Plan: A study of biochemistry and molecular biology, with an emphasis on the enzyme telomerase.
Project: An experimental study on the expression of telomerase in the regenerating tail of the axolotl salamander.
Sponsor: Todd Smith
Outside Evaluator: Hong Zhang, University of Massachusetts Medical School
Melissa Kaiser
Bachelor of Arts
HISTORY/Languages
Plan: A study of the biblical figure Mary Magdalene from early Christian sources to medieval hagiography and legend, and how her role changed with the development of Christianity.
Project: A series of papers which examine the history of Mary Magdalene as a historical figure and legendary person through literature and art.
Sponsors: Thomas Mayo, Timothy F. Little, Anne Heath, Laura D’Angelo
Outside Evaluator: Paul Cullity, Keene State College
Adam J. Katrick
Bachelor of Arts
BIOLOGY/Writing
Plan: A study of the wolf through biology, literature and writing.
Project: A study of the theories of animal cognition with a focus on Canis lupus.
Sponsors: Robert E. Engel, Laura C. Stevenson
Outside Evaluator: Robert Siegel, University of Wisconsin
Ryan Kish
Bachelor of Arts
VISUAL ARTS/Painting & Sculpture
Plan: A body of work in sculpture and painting (informed by the relationships of the body to architecture) and an encounter with the work of the 20th century painter Philip Guston.
Project: An exhibition of paintings and sculptures that deal with the subject of the physicality of space and the relationship between two- and three-dimensional representation.
Sponsors: Cathy Osman, Timothy J. Segar, Carol Hendrickson
Outside Evaluator: Dennis Congdon, Rhode Island School of Design
Christina Deserae Knoepfel
Bachelor of Arts
DANCE & LITERATURE
Plan: A study of dance art forms and of literature. The specific focus of literature will be on man’s separation from land and community in Native American literature.
Project: A dance performance focused on the spiritual and communal qualities of dance storytelling.
Sponsors: Dana Holby, Geraldine Pittman de Batlle
Outside Evaluator: Andrea Olsen, Middlebury College
Kara Kriss
Bachelor of Arts
BIOLOGY/Physiology
Plan: The study of how knowledge of physiology and anatomy can help both music teachers and performers excel in their fields.
Project: A science experiment to compare hyperflexibility and fine motor skills between musicians and non-musicians.
Sponsor: Todd Smith
Outside Evaluator: Alison Mott, Independent Artist
Elyse Lattanzio
Bachelor of Arts
AMERICAN STUDIES & SOCIOLOGY
Plan: An exploration of subcultural artistic expression in the contemporary United States with a focus on graffiti.
Project: A paper analyzing emerging forms of graffiti in relationship to an evolving subculture.
Sponsors: Gerald E. Levy, Kathryn E. Ratcliff, Carol Hendrickson
Outside Evaluator: Joe Austin, University of Wisconsin
Rebecca Lawrence
Bachelor of Arts in International Studies
HISTORY/Vietnamese Education
Plan: A study of education in Vietnam through history, policy and student views.
Project: An analysis of the work of the U.N. with youth and the education system in Vietnam: contemporary practice and future possibility.
Internship: Hanoi, Vietnam
Sponsor: Seth Harter
Outside Evaluator: Dung Ti My Lam, Vietnam National University
Jennifer Irene Lee
Bachelor of Arts in International Studies
ANTHROPOLOGY
Plan: A study of the Maya, past and present, drawing on archaeology and social/cultural anthropology.
Project: The history of Copan with a focus on 18-Rabbit and the Great Plaza, including an in-depth analysis of the hieroglyphic text and images on Stela A.
Internship: Tecpán, Guatemala
Sponsor: Carol Hendrickson
Outside Evaluator: Christopher Jones, University of Pennsylvania
Gabriel Lein
Bachelor of Arts
COMPUTER SCIENCE/Security & MATHEMATICS/Cryptography
Plan: A broad study within computer science and mathematics with an emphasis on Internet security and cryptography.
Project: The development of a course on computer networking and Internet security.
Sponsors: Matthew Ollis, Jim Mahoney
Outside Evaluator: Matthew Dailey, Dartmouth College
Matthew Levasseur
Bachelor of Arts
PSYCHOLOGY & ANTHROPOLOGY
Plan: An exploration of certain theoretical formulations in the fields of psychology, anthropology and post-structuralism, in the context of field research in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
Project: An evaluation of fieldwork within the framework of Anti-Oedipus by Deleuze and Guattari.
Sponsors: Carol Hendrickson, Thomas L. Toleno
Outside Evaluator: Jennifer Burrell, University at Albany
Melanie Eileen Lewis
Bachelor of Science
BIOLOGY/Conservation Biology
Plan: A study of biology and conservation biology, with a focus on the tiger (Panthera tigris) and the history of human–predator interactions.
Project: A paper detailing issues of predator conservation, particularly as applied to tigers and other apex predators.
Sponsor: Robert E. Engel
Outside Evaluator: Rosalind Yanishevsky, Ecological Consultant
Aja Warner Lippincott
Bachelor of Arts
ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES & ANTHROPOLOGY
Plan: A broad understanding of environmental studies and anthropology with an emphasis on sustainability, deep ecology and community.
Project: An exploration of the concept of deep ecology including its history and contemporary influence.
Sponsors: Jennifer Ramstetter, Carol Hendrickson
Outside Evaluator: Tom Wessels, Antioch University New England
Jeremy Loeb
Bachelor of Arts
ASIAN STUDIES & RELIGION/Sustainable Development
Plan: A study of sustainable development issues in contemporary Vietnam, from the perspectives of rural development theory, religious ethics and ecologically sustainable agriculture.
Project: A paper on the political, economic and distributive aspects of sustainable development and natural resource equity in rural Vietnam, based on library research and a summer of fieldwork in an agrarian commune near Hanoi.
Sponsors: Seth Harter, Amer Latif
Outside Evaluator: James Levenson, Tufts University
Sonia Lowe
Bachelor of Arts
AMERICAN STUDIES
Plan: An exploration of 19th and 20th century print culture with a focus on the dissident press.
Project: A historical case study of a feminist and free thought labor journal from the 1820’s.
Sponsor: Kathryn E. Ratcliff
Outside Evaluator: Randall Knoper, University of Massachusetts-Amherst
Timothy Michael Martin
Bachelor of Arts
PSYCHOLOGY/History and Theory
Plan: A study of the history and theory of psychology.
Project: Two papers discussing history and theory of phenomenology, psychoanalysis, phenomenological psychology, cognition and perception.
Sponsor: Thomas L. Toleno
Outside Evaluator: Larry Davidson, Yale University
Christian McCrory
Bachelor of Arts
PHILOSOPHY & POLITICAL SCIENCE/Environmental Ethics
Plan: A philosophical examination of the ethical consequences of specific cosmological conceptions of the natural world, with a focus on how such conceptions might inform an ecologically responsible political theory.
Project: An examination of Schopenhauer’s metaphysics and its ethical implications.
Sponsors: Neal O. Weiner, Meg Mott
Outside Evaluator: Thomas Wartenberg, Mount Holyoke College
Evan Mehler
Bachelor of Arts
THEATER
Plan: A study of theater focusing on American drama and the work of Arthur Miller.
Project: Production and direction of Arthur Miller’s Incident at Vichy at the Whittemore Theater.
Sponsor: Paul D. Nelsen
Outside Evaluator: June Schlueter, Lafayette College
Lisa Ann Miskelly
Bachelor of Arts
POLITICAL SCIENCE/Political Ecology
Plan: A study of the role of power in the formation of identities using the experiences of subjugated populations.
Project: A study of how land use prohibits or promotes political identities using a case study of Uttaranchal, India.
Sponsors: Meg Mott, Jennifer Ramstetter
Outside Evaluator: Barbara Cruikshank, University of Massachusetts-Amherst
Michelle Rose Montalbano
Bachelor of Arts
RELIGION & LITERATURE
Plan: A study of the use of mythology and narrative forms in the construction of identity, paying special attention to classical Hindu texts and post-colonial Indian literature.
Project: A set of papers exploring the religious significance, structure and function of myths, culminating in an examination of the Bhagavad Gita.
Sponsors: Amer Latif, John Sheehy
Outside Evaluator: Michael Pittman, Albany College of Pharmacy
Willow Martin O’Feral
Bachelor of Arts
FILM/VIDEO STUDIES/French
Plan: An exploration through practice and analysis of the oneiric and imaginary dimensions of cinema.
Project: The production of two original short films exploring oneiric and nonlinear themes in storytelling.
Sponsors: Jay Craven, Laura D’Angelo
Outside Evaluator: Lynn Higgins, Dartmouth College
Eva Ann Salomon
Bachelor of Arts
VISUAL ARTS/Sculpture & Art History
Plan: An investigation of the aesthetics of food in visual art, paying particular attention to Japanese representation of food, Pop Art and the Western still-life tradition.
Project: A sculptural installation of handmade forms interpreting food as object, supported by analysis of Japanese plastic food.
Sponsors: Timothy J. Segar, Anne Heath
Outside Evaluator: Mary Lum, Bennington College
Moses Sandrof
Bachelor of Arts
BIOCHEMISTRY/Toxicology
Plan: A look at toxic compounds and their interactions with biological systems.
Project: A description of the toxicology of selected toxic metals including their chemical behavior, biochemical interaction in the organism and physiological effects.
Sponsor: Todd Smith
Outside Evaluator: Anthony Bishop, Amherst College
Lillian H. Schrank
Bachelor of Arts
VISUAL ARTS
Plan: A study in visual arts using photography and printmaking to explore both the observed world and constructed realities. The Plan will also incorporate sculpture and drawing and will be supported by work in art history.
Project: A portfolio of photographic representations of constructed spaces and a solo exhibition of an original body of drawn worlds presented through printmaking.
Sponsors: John Willis, Cathy Osman, Anne Heath
Outside Evaluator: Amy Montali, The School of the Museum of Fine Arts
Hayley Jeanne Shriner
Bachelor of Arts
RELIGION/Arabic Language
Plan: A study of Arabic literature, pre-Islamic to classical, with a focus on the works of Ibn al’Arabi, a medieval Sufi theologian.
Project: Translations from and a paper on the metaphysical and literary themes of the collection of mystical poetry The Tarjuman al-Ashwaq, by Ibn al’Arabi.
Sponsor: Amer Latif
Outside Evaluator: James Morris, Boston College
Margaret A. Singleton
Bachelor of Arts
THEATER/Costume Design
Plan: A study of theater with a focus on costume. Studies explore how to read scripts, interpret character and envision how dress works as a critical element of performance.
Project: Costume design and wardrobe management of two student-directed productions.
Sponsor: Paul D. Nelsen
Outside Evaluator: Joan Peters, Independent Designer
Kaylie Smedley
Bachelor of Arts
BIOCHEMISTRY/Neuroscience
Plan: A study of the biochemistry of nociception with a focus on the endocannabinoid system as an emerging therapeutic target.
Project: Paper on the anandamide system in the PAG and analysis of its therapeutic potential in treatment of neuropathic pain.
Sponsor: Todd Smith
Outside Evaluator: Adam Hall, Smith College
Evan Smith
Bachelor of Arts
AMERICAN STUDIES/Literature
Plan: A historical and literary exploration of the great migration of African-Americans from the South into the urban North, 1900-1930.
Project: An essay focusing on migration to Chicago, with an emphasis on housing issues.
Sponsors: Gloria Biamonte, Kathryn E. Ratcliff
Outside Evaluator: Joanne Hayes, Greenfield Community College
Suzannah Haley Sosman
Bachelor of Arts in International Studies
DEVELOPMENT STUDIES & ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES
Plan: A study of social change in Brazil with an emphasis on the Amazon region.
Project: A paper addressing land, people and power in Brazil.
Internship: Santarem, Brazil
Sponsors: Jennifer Ramstetter, Lynette Rummel
Outside Evaluator: Amity Doolittle, Yale University
Katie Soule
Bachelor of Arts
LITERATURE/Music
Plan: A study of the acquisition of knowledge in Western literature and music.
Project: An analysis of the acquisition of knowledge in George Eliot’s Middlemarch and Graham Swift’s Waterland.
Sponsors: Geraldine Pittman de Batlle, Luis C. Batlle
Outside Evaluator: Joanne Hayes, Greenfield Community College
Ambrose Sterr
Bachelor of Arts
MATHEMATICS & COMPUTER SCIENCE
Plan: A broad study of mathematics and computer science focusing on both the mathematical theory of computation and a computational approach to mathematics.
Project: The design and implementation of efficient computer algorithms to look for combinatorial designs.
Sponsors: Matthew Ollis, Jim Mahoney
Outside Evaluator: Jeff Dinitz, University of Vermont
Eric Strom
Bachelor of Arts
BIOCHEMISTRY/Neuroscience
Plan: A study of neuroscience with emphasis on lipid biochemistry.
Project: A research project measuring the rate of omega-3 fatty acid incorporation into erythrocytes of hybrid tilapia.
Sponsor: Todd Smith
Outside Evaluator: Yeonhwa Park, University of Massachusetts-Amherst
Elizabeth Young Thompson
Bachelor of Arts
LITERATURE/Writing
Plan: An exploration of the themes of family and race in American culture.
Project: A memoir exploring themes of family and race, supported by several papers exploring the same themes in American literature and culture.
Sponsors: Gloria Biamonte, John Sheehy, Geraldine Pittman de Batlle
Outside Evaluator: Joanne Hayes, Greenfield Community College
Holly Thompson
Bachelor of Arts
HISTORY
Plan: A broad study of Irish history, culture and identity focusing on early Christian and present-day Ireland.
Project: A paper examining the development of the Irish and British churches during the early Christian era.
Sponsors: Carol Hendrickson, Timothy F. Little, Joseph Callahan
Outside Evaluator: Paul Cullity, Keene State College
Michelle Threadgould
Bachelor of Arts
POLITICAL SCIENCE/Political theory & FILM/VIDEO STUDIES
Plan: An exploration of how art is a survival technique against nihilism and disenfranchisement.
Project: A short film, Loved, Love, and Loving, a story dealing with surviving a relationship.
Sponsors: Gloria Biamonte, Jay Craven, Meg Mott
Outside Evaluator: Lise Shapiro, Hampshire College
Nathanael Edward Totushek
Bachelor of Arts
PSYCHOLOGY/Perceptual Learning & BIOLOGY/Endocrinology
Plan: Building a foundation in biology and psychology to connect the following topics: behavioral endocrinology, cognitive neuroscience and perceptual learning.
Project: Research in endocrinology and background writing in fields of endocrinology and psychophysiology.
Sponsors: Thomas L. Toleno, Robert E. Engel
Outside Evaluator: Margaret Anderson, Smith College
Amalia Jorah Var
Bachelor of Arts
PSYCHOLOGY & AMERICAN STUDIES/Gender and Sexuality
Plan: A broad study of psychology with an emphasis on gender and sexuality.
Project: Two papers utilizing the disciplines of psychology and history. The first explores the maternity home system in America, focusing on the post-war period. The second paper explores young and unwed motherhood in contemporary U.S. society through the vantage points of psychology, social work and public policy.
Sponsors: Kathryn E. Ratcliff, Thomas L. Toleno
Outside Evaluator: Linda Whiton, Greenfield Community College
Tessa Walker
Bachelor of Arts
HISTORY & ASIAN STUDIES/Urban studies
Plan: A study of urban planning, exploring planning theory and unregulated urban change, with a focus on the urban morphology of post-socialist cities.
Project: Case studies on Hanoi, Vietnam and Budapest, Hungary examining urban developments as the cities transitioned to market economies.
Sponsors: Seth Harter, Timothy F. Little
Outside Evaluator: Piper Gaubatz, University of Massachusetts-Amherst
Jesse Welch
Bachelor of Science
PHYSICS & MATHEMATICS
Plan: A broad study of physics and mathematics with an emphasis on complex systems.
Project: A study of the chaotic pendulum, including calculations of the characteristic exponents and an exploration of parameter space.
Sponsors: Travis Norsen, Matthew Ollis
Outside Evaluator: Jason Zimba, Bennington College
Trevor D. Wentworth
Bachelor of Arts
WRITING & LITERATURE
Plan: Studying the writing of fantasy novels and examining the classical, medieval and renaissance literary influences on the modern fantasy genre.
Project: An original fantasy novel entitled The Guardians and the Gems.
Sponsors: Laura C. Stevenson, Geraldine Pittman de Batlle
Outside Evaluator: Franklin Reeve, Wesleyan University, emeritus
Amanda Rose Wilder
Bachelor of Arts
FILM/VIDEO STUDIES & LITERATURE
Plan: A study of “poetic documentary” and “documentary poetry,” comprising an exploration of documentary film and video considered as an art form and a critical consideration of selected poets whose poetry and critical writing
engage questions of the relationship between reality and art.
Project: A reflexive poetic documentary film about Fair Winds Farm, the family that runs it and threads that connect it to personal experiences with farms and family.
Sponsors: T. Hunter Wilson, Jay Craven
Outside Evaluator: P. Adams Sitney, Princeton University
Katherine Williams
Bachelor of Arts
THEATER/Political Science
Plan: A study in theater with a focus on light and lighting, particularly in terms of the representation of power and spectacle.
Project: A lighting design, in applied and conceptual versions, for A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Sponsor: Paul D. Nelsen
Outside Evaluator: Gerald Stockman, University of Massachusetts-Amherst
Matthew Winner
Bachelor of Arts
PSYCHOLOGY/Religion
Plan: A comparative study of major theories of symbolism including contemplation about the questions this research raises.
Project: Studying major theories of symbolism in psychology and religion.
Sponsors: Thomas L. Toleno, Amer Latif
Outside Evaluator: Thomas Hersh, Psychologist
Sarah E. Wise
Bachelor of Arts
PAINTING
Plan: A study, through studio practice and exploration of contemporary painting, of the formal and conceptual elements integral to the development of symbolic imagery, where sensitivity to process informs content.
Project: An exhibition of works on paper that play with characterization and situation in order to conceptually depict the various ways individuals relate to their environments. A paper on the concepts, sources and working methods
employed by the abstract painter Julie Mehretu.
Sponsors: Cathy Osman, Carol Hendrickson
Outside Evaluator: Rie Hachiyanagi, Mount Holyoke College
Jonna Wissert
Bachelor of Arts
DANCE & PSYCHOLOGY
Plan: A study of female teenage behavior in group settings, including the environment, group dynamics and culture in which these programs take place, and a look at curricula that facilitate successful dance programs.
Project: An evening-length performance inspired by Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland incorporating jazz, modern and hip-hop technique and adolescent development.
Sponsors: Dana Holby, Thomas L. Toleno
Outside Evaluator: Rebecca Nordstrom, Hampshire College
Hannah L. Zola
Bachelor of Arts
LITERATURE/History
Plan: A study of Victorian literature and how it is influenced by the historical atmosphere of 19th century Britain, with a focus on the works of Jane Austen, the Brontes and Anthony Trollope.
Project: A paper examining Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, looking at how they represent the Victorian standards of love and marriage and the duality between appearances and reality.
Sponsors: T. Hunter Wilson, Geraldine Pittman de Batlle, Timothy F. Little
Outside Evaluator: Joanne Hayes, Greenfield Community College
