91ֱ�� to Offer Bachelor of Science Degree Beginning Fall 2026</h1> <article> <h1>91ֱ�� to Offer Bachelor of Science Degree Beginning Fall 2026</h1> <p>mreed — Thu, 16 Oct 2025 19:20:14 +0000</p> <span>91ֱ�� to Offer Bachelor of Science Degree Beginning Fall 2026</span> <span><span>mreed</span></span> <span><time datetime="2025-10-16T15:20:14-04:00" title="Thursday, October 16, 2025 - 15:20">Thu, 10/16/2025 - 15:20</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The new degree gives students pursuing a wide range of eligible majors—from biochemistry and computer science to psychology and economics—the opportunity to graduate with either a Bachelor of Arts (BA) or a Bachelor of Science (BS), depending on the balance of their coursework. Students who complete at least one BS-eligible major and 16 full courses carrying the Natural Science and Mathematics designation may choose to receive the BS degree.</p><aside class="pull obj-right"><div class="basic-box basic-box--light"><h2 class="small-headline">Majors Eligible for</h2><h2 class="small-headline">the Bachelor of Science:</h2><ul class="list--clean"><li><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/chemistry-biochemistry/curriculum" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="5124b507-99df-4595-9104-bdb9c6a22310" data-entity-substitution="canonical" title="Academic Program in Chemistry and Biochemistry">Biochemistry</a></li><li><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/biology/curriculum" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="5954f263-77c8-4106-80db-2cb993408d8a" data-entity-substitution="canonical" title="Academic Program in Biology">Biology</a></li><li><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/business/curriculum" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="8ad7fc7e-532c-4cd8-9b35-8391defc685b" data-entity-substitution="canonical" title="Academic Program in Business">Business</a></li><li><a href="/biochemistry" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="755c73bb-f2ba-4bbe-bfb4-8fc57b94dd7c" data-entity-substitution="canonical" title="Biochemistry">Chemistry</a></li><li><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/computer-science" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="b1e2c8e5-2a8b-4967-8a6d-f8ce5cea4476" data-entity-substitution="canonical" title="Computer Science">Computer Science</a></li><li><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/data-science/curriculum" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="fe3d12fe-2a64-4438-b738-5fe696675b00" data-entity-substitution="canonical" title="Academic Program in Data Science">Data Science</a></li><li><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/economics/curriculum" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="30752c27-cce4-4efa-9ba3-c310d98b61a7" data-entity-substitution="canonical" title="Academic Program in Economics">Economics</a></li><li><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/environmental-science/curriculum" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="66900a61-06bd-4aa7-9555-e85efa26654b" data-entity-substitution="canonical" title="Academic Program in Environmental Science">Environmental Science</a></li><li><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/finance/curriculum" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="6911f8f3-bb76-4a72-a710-9869a094b462" data-entity-substitution="canonical" title="Academic Program in Financial Economics">Financial Economics</a></li><li><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/geosciences/curriculum" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="0a12379d-58d4-489b-a75d-68d46edd4214" data-entity-substitution="canonical" title="Academic Program in Geosciences">Geosciences</a></li><li><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/global-health" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="cf90288b-047f-4d2f-ac3a-91691901fde1" data-entity-substitution="canonical" title="Global Health">Global Health</a></li><li><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/mathematics/curriculum" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="50eb3820-b9e6-4a08-b060-92ebf3b1a4eb" data-entity-substitution="canonical" title="Academic Program in Mathematics">Mathematics</a></li><li><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/neuroscience/curriculum" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="8e28996c-7931-4f76-912f-28f4ec621121" data-entity-substitution="canonical" title="Academic Program in Neuroscience">Neuroscience</a></li><li><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/physics-and-astronomy/curriculum" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="d36e1693-1165-4e42-ac58-9f9bfb1b9a0d" data-entity-substitution="canonical" title="Academic Program in Physics and Astronomy">Physics</a></li><li><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/psychology/curriculum" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="2655a549-4d67-4820-a808-9a7fb471e11f" data-entity-substitution="canonical" title="Academic Program in Psychology">Psychology</a></li></ul></div></aside><p>“This is an important evolution for 91ֱ��,” says David Kamitsuka, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “The Bachelor of Science degree reflects the strength of our existing programs and the multidisciplinary nature of scientific work today. It gives our students new ways to signal the depth of their scientific training. For example, in all of the eligible majors, undergraduates routinely co-author with their faculty mentors in scholarly peer-reviewed scientific journals.”</p><p>Kamitsuka noted that several programs outside traditional STEM areas—such as economics, business, and psychology—also qualify for the BS. “That reflects how today’s problems are solved,” he says. “Understanding markets, managing complex organizations, and studying human behavior all require the same analytical and evidence-based thinking we teach in the natural sciences. The BS degree captures that spirit of interdisciplinary inquiry grounded in the liberal arts tradition that is at the heart of an 91ֱ�� education.</p><p>The new degree will also broaden 91ֱ��’s appeal to prospective students. Across U.S. higher education, more than half of all international students pursue <a href="/arts-and-sciences/sciences-at-oberlin" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="6b83b150-0f8e-435b-9594-08382bdb4e2f" data-entity-substitution="canonical" title="Sciences at 91ֱ��">degrees in STEM or science-related fields</a>—a trend that makes 91ֱ��’s new BS degree especially attractive to global applicants.</p><p>For people like Associate Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry Jason Belitsky, the degree represents a way to better acknowledge the work many students already do.</p><p>“Our students in chemistry, physics, biology, and related disciplines already engage in extensive lab work, data analysis, and scientific problem-solving that meet the expectations of a Bachelor of Science education,” Belitsky says. “This new degree formally recognizes that rigor and affirms the quality and breadth of scientific preparation our students bring to graduate study and professional work.”</p><p>Belitsky emphasizes that the BS option doesn’t change 91ֱ��’s approach to teaching—it enhances it. “What’s exciting is that students will be able to show both sides of their education: deep technical and analytical expertise, and the creativity and communication skills that come from a liberal arts environment.”</p><p>The degree was endorsed by the college’s Educational Plans and Policies Committee earlier this year and approved by the College Faculty. The Bachelor of Science will be available to students beginning in fall 2026.</p><hr><h3>How to Qualify for the BS Degree</h3><p><em>To earn a Bachelor of Science at 91ֱ��, students must:</em></p><ol><li>Declare at least one major from the list of BS-eligible programs.</li><li>Notify the Office of the Registrar of their intention to convert their Bachelor of Arts degree to a Bachelor of Science.</li><li>Complete at least 16 full courses designated as Natural Science and Mathematics.</li></ol><p><em>Students who meet the criteria may choose to graduate with either a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science—but not both.</em></p><hr></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">The new degree option expands academic pathways in the sciences, social sciences, and interdisciplinary fields. </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2025-10-16T12:00:00Z">Thu, 10/16/2025 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Communications Staff</div> <div class="text-content field field--name-field-intro-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p> 91ֱ�� will begin offering a <a href="/arts-and-sciences/bachelor-of-science" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="122754f5-47f5-4c43-a02d-0fce89dcb008" data-entity-substitution="canonical" title="Bachelor of Science (BS) at 91ֱ��">Bachelor of Science</a> degree option to students in the<a href="/arts-and-sciences" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="c6983a98-0d9e-4cc8-b7f9-ba6f11fa4cbb" data-entity-substitution="canonical" title="College of Arts and Sciences"> College of Arts and Sciences</a>, expanding pathways in the natural sciences, social sciences, and emerging interdisciplinary fields. Students may elect to pursue the BS program beginning in fall 2026.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=4112">New Programs</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25246">Biochemistry</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25251">Biology</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=187731">Business</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25306">Chemistry</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25321">Computer Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=415031">Data Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25341">Economics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=468171">Financial Economics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25366">Geosciences</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25401">Mathematics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=4861">Neuroscience</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25411">Physics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25286">Psychology</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/chemistry-biochemistry" hreflang="und">Chemistry and Biochemistry</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/biology" hreflang="und">Biology</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/business" hreflang="und">Business</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/computer-science" hreflang="und">Computer Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/data-science" hreflang="und">Data Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/economics" hreflang="und">Economics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/environmental-science" hreflang="und">Environmental Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/finance" hreflang="und">Financial Economics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/geosciences" hreflang="und">Geosciences</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/global-health" hreflang="und">Global Health</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/mathematics" hreflang="und">Mathematics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/neuroscience" hreflang="und">Neuroscience</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/physics-and-astronomy" hreflang="und">Physics and Astronomy</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/psychology" hreflang="und">Psychology</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Mike Crupi</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-article-header field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">0</div> </article> <article> <h1>Amelia Merithew ’25 Earns Fulbright to Cameroon</h1> <p>mreed — Thu, 11 Sep 2025 01:42:29 +0000</p> <span>Amelia Merithew ’25 Earns Fulbright to Cameroon</span> <span><span>mreed</span></span> <span><time datetime="2025-09-10T21:42:29-04:00" title="Wednesday, September 10, 2025 - 21:42">Wed, 09/10/2025 - 21:42</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p id="docs-internal-guid-df1a2bfd-7fff-a5ca-5951-79bc37e6c8ba">While at 91ֱ��, Amelia wrote and copyedited for <em>The Synapse</em>, worked at the Science Library, was a teaching assistant in the <a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/anthropology/curriculum" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="30de11c3-d196-48a0-8171-21105cfede1c" data-entity-substitution="canonical" title="Academic Program in Anthropology">anthropology</a> and <a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/biology/curriculum" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="5954f263-77c8-4106-80db-2cb993408d8a" data-entity-substitution="canonical" title="Academic Program in Biology">biology</a> departments, and volunteered with the Cleveland Metroparks. “I also occasionally used my sewing skills to costume for the 91ֱ�� Musical Theater Association or organize events for the Office of Environmental Sustainability!” she adds.</p><p><strong>How did 91ֱ�� shape or influence you to pursue the Fulbright? </strong><br>The anthropology department as a whole definitely inspired me to want to build international connections after graduation, and to build those connections slowly, within an existing community. My Human Origins and Introduction to African Studies classes both stand out in my mind as I think about traveling to and working in Cameroon.</p><p><strong>How does pursuing the Fulbright align with your post-college life and career goals? </strong><br>I hope to go to graduate school in the near future to study primatology and paleoanthropology. Hopefully, I’ll be able to do fieldwork in Central Africa throughout my career, so building strong relationships with the communities of students and scientists in Cameroon is really important to me. </p><p><strong>What’s the best advice you’ve received from your 91ֱ�� faculty mentor?</strong><br>Associate Professor of Anthropology <a href="/amy-margaris">Amy Margaris</a> reminded me frequently to be open and honest in all of my writing. Whether I’m working on an essay for class, my Honors project, or an application, she is a big proponent of being up front about what we do and don’t know, and how who we are impacts what we’re saying. That’s been a really helpful way of reminding me that it’s okay not to know, and that the best science and most personal growth happens when we admit that we do not have all of the answers. Or even just one full answer.</p><hr><p><em>If you’re a rising or graduating senior interested in Fulbright, connect with </em><a href="/node/4526"><em>Fellowships & Awards</em></a><em> to learn more about pursuing research or an arts project, obtaining a graduate degree, or teaching English in a foreign country of your choice following graduation.</em></p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">The anthropology and biology double major will be an English Teaching Assistant. </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2025-09-30T12:00:00Z">Tue, 09/30/2025 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Communications Staff</div> <div class="text-content field field--name-field-intro-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Amelia Merithew ’25 has earned a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) to Cameroon for the 2025-2026 academic year. In addition to teaching English in Yaoundé, the Dayton, Ohio, native “hopes to take students to the primate sanctuary so that we can learn about behavioral observation and our closest living relatives together,” she says. “I’m also really excited to learn more about Cameroonian clothes and how they’re made.” </p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2360">After 91ֱ��</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2373">Awards and Honors</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=4080">Fellowships</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=24656">Anthropology</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25251">Biology</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/anthropology" hreflang="und">Anthropology</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/biology" hreflang="und">Biology</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Tanya Rosen-Jones ’97</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-article-header field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">0</div> </article> <article> <h1>Marketing For Good</h1> <p>awillia2 — Sun, 09 Mar 2025 04:09:15 +0000</p> <span>Marketing For Good</span> <span><span>awillia2</span></span> <span><time datetime="2025-03-08T23:09:15-05:00" title="Saturday, March 8, 2025 - 23:09">Sat, 03/08/2025 - 23:09</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Professor of Environmental Studies and Biology <a href="/node/5696" target="_blank">John Petersen ’88</a> says yes to both. “The tools advertisers have developed to influence people’s behavior are well researched,” he explains. “Instead of convincing people to buy a lot of things they don’t need, we should be using ads to convince people to exhibit pro-environmental and pro-community behavior.” </p> <p>Petersen and Professor of Psychology and Environmental Studies <a href="/node/6296" target="_blank">Cindy Frantz</a> coauthored a field study published in 2024 in the journal <em><a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/17/7312" target="_blank">Sustainability</a></em> that demonstrated digital signs were effective in fostering positive environmental norms and behaviors. This includes greater awareness of (and sense of connection with) the local community and ecology; increased electricity conservation; and increased perception of youth engagement. “There are advertisements all over the place, and a lot of people believe they’re not influenced by them,” Frantz says. “But research shows you can be persuaded even if you’re not consciously paying attention.”</p> <p>The professors first zeroed in on the online opportunities for digital research and social connections. The problem, Petersen and Frantz explained, is that people tend to occupy online communities that reinforce their preexisting beliefs. Unless people purposefully seek them out, pro-environmental messages can get lost in virtual echo chambers. </p> <p>Around 70 percent of U.S. residents report they believe in climate change. But people also greatly underestimate the beliefs of others. For example, Petersen notes that people who care about climate change but believe other people don’t are less likely to take action to address the problem.</p> <p>Frantz and Petersen theorized that public digital advertising, which is encountered by happenstance, can circumvent online habits. With funding from sources like the Environmental Protection Agency’s People, Prosperity and the Planet program and the Great Lakes Protection Fund, Petersen developed the Environmental Dashboard, a system of digital signs across the city of 91ֱ��. The signs display community events, environmental conditions, and consumption of electricity and water.</p> <p>The Environmental Dashboard also highlights Community Voices (CV), a series featuring images of community members with quotes about their positive activities in 91ֱ��. A previous Frantz and Petersen study in the journal PLOS One demonstrated that people shown CV content in a controlled setting felt more environmental concern. </p> <p>Testing the messages in the real world on the Environmental Dashboard was the next step. To populate the CV images, 91ֱ�� students collected positive thoughts and actions related to the environment and the community from local residents. The project intentionally developed more content representing the perspectives of Black residents to negate a false perception that white Americans are more concerned about the environment than Black Americans. The team then worked with community members to place the signage in high-traffic public areas where people from diverse social, economic, and racial backgrounds would encounter them. </p> <p>Student research assistants working with Frantz and Petersen surveyed 174 community members at six Environmental Dashboard sites before the signs were installed and 133 people two years after the screens were placed. They asked questions about community and environmental norms they predicted would be most affected by Environmental Dashboard content. </p> <p>“We found that when the environmental actions of community members are made visible, it really does shift social norms,” Frantz said. “If you see people you identify with making statements about what they’re doing or what’s important to them, it makes you more hopeful and more likely to take action.”</p> <p>The researchers found a significant increase in pro-environmental beliefs two years after the signs were installed. They also found that boosting Black representation on the screens made a significant impact on the responses from Black respondents, with their environmental norms shifting more than those of white interviewees. </p> <aside class="pull obj-right"> <div class="basic-box basic-box--light"> <h2 class="small-headline">Student Researchers</h2> <ul class="list--clean"> <li>Emma Grant-Bier ’26</li> <li>Thomas Holmes ’26</li> <li>Bryn Kearney ’25</li> <li>Derya Taspinar ’25</li> <li>Chau Anh Tran ’28</li> </ul> </div> </aside> <p>Based on their results, Petersen and Frantz have launched a similar study on climate change action. The team is also installing digital signs in Cleveland to test the impact of Community Voices, using vignettes of community climate action and more climate-oriented content. </p> <p>Petersen praises 91ֱ��’s collaborative environment for his decades-long research partnership with Frantz. “There’s a creativity here that happens in no other environment,” he says. “And there are so many opportunities for students with broad interests to engage with faculty who are working in unique ways across disciplines.” </p> <p>Frantz says she is excited about what the future might hold with the power of environmental messaging. “We have this impression that nobody cares about climate change,” she says. “But that’s not true. And we’re turning that false narrative on its head, using digital signs to shift social norms and make people more likely to take action on climate and environmental issues.”</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Cindy Frantz and John Petersen ’88 found that leveraging stealth marketing can encourage pro-environmental thoughts and action.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2025-03-21T12:00:00Z">Fri, 03/21/2025 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Jen DeMoss</div> <div class="text-content field field--name-field-intro-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Advertising signs are used to sell everything from legal services to razor blades. But are there ways to leverage advertising psychology for the good of the planet? And could digital signs be used to encourage pro-environmental thoughts and action?</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=4292">91ֱ�� Research Review</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25286">Psychology</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25351">Environmental Studies and Sciences</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25251">Biology</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-faculty field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/cindy-frantz" hreflang="und">Cynthia (Cindy) Frantz</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/john-petersen" hreflang="und">John Petersen ’88</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/psychology" hreflang="und">Psychology</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/environmental-studies" hreflang="und">Environmental Studies and Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/biology" hreflang="und">Biology</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-cte-images field--type-list-string field--label-hidden field__item">Yes (Gallery Style)</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Flotsam Jetsam</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-flex-content field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden vertical-spacing--basic field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <div id="obj-40350" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-copy paragraph--view-mode--default o-flex--basic-copy basic-copy"> <hr> <p><em>Chair of the Department of Psychology Cindy McPherson Frantz is a professor of psychology and environmental studies. Frantz graduated from Williams College and earned her doctorate in social and personality psychology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She is a social and environmental psychologist whose research, teaching, service, and activism focus on mitigating and preparing for climate change. She directs the award-winning Community-Based Social Marketing Research Project, a collaborative research program between faculty, students, and staff to develop, test, and promote behavior change programs that reduce 91ֱ�� College’s carbon emissions. She is also a founding member of a grassroots environmental justice organization POWER (Providing 91ֱ�� With Efficiency Responsibly), which seeks to promote energy efficiency in 91ֱ�� and surrounding areas.</em></p> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="field field--name-field-bio-card-el-biography field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <div class="biography-card"> <figure> </figure> <div class="biography-card__content"> <h2><span>Cynthia (Cindy) Frantz</span> </h2> <ul class="item-list list--clean" style="margin-top: 0px;"> <li class="professional-title">Professor of Psychology and Environmental Studies</li> <li class="professional-title">Chair of Psychology</li> </ul> <a class="view-more" href="/cindy-frantz">View Cynthia (Cindy) Frantz’s biography</a> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div id="obj-40351" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-copy paragraph--view-mode--default o-flex--basic-copy basic-copy"> <hr> <p><em>John Petersen ’88, 91ֱ��’s Paul Sears Distinguished Professor of Environmental Studies and Biology, is a systems ecologist. His research focuses on understanding the role of feedback control in environmental and social systems. </em></p> <p><em>Through the Environmental Dashboard project he leads, he has been instrumental in developing real-time feedback display technologies for buildings, organizations, and whole cities with the goal of engaging, educating, motivating, and empowering resource conservation and pro-environmental and pro-community behavior. A founder of the design firms Lucid and Community Hub, he has developed technology that’s now installed in thousands of buildings across the U.S. and Canada. Petersen earned a master’s at Yale University and a doctorate at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.</em></p> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="field field--name-field-bio-card-el-biography field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <div class="biography-card"> <figure> </figure> <div class="biography-card__content"> <h2><span>John Petersen ’88</span> </h2> <ul class="item-list list--clean" style="margin-top: 0px;"> <li class="professional-title">Paul Sears Distinguished Professor of Environmental Studies and Biology</li> </ul> <a class="view-more" href="/john-petersen">View John Petersen ’88’s biography</a> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div id="obj-40381" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-copy paragraph--view-mode--default o-flex--basic-copy basic-copy"> <h2 class="small-headline" style="margin-top: 1.25rem;">About the Illustration</h2> <figure class="captioned-image obj-right" data-cte style="margin-bottom: 1.75rem;"> <figcaption><em>Click the image to expand</em></figcaption> </figure> <p class="subhead" style="margin-bottom: 0; color: var(--darkgray);">Illustrator: Flotsam Jetsam</p>  <p> </p> <hr class="hr--light" style="clear: both; margin: 1.25rem 0;"> <p><a class="view-more" href="/node/488025">Return to <em>91ֱ�� Research Review</em></a></p> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div id="obj-40352" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-copy paragraph--view-mode--default o-flex--basic-copy basic-copy"> <p class="header-tag no-show" id="header-tag">91ֱ�� Research Review</p> <style> .no-show { display: none } </style> <script> (function() { var header = document.querySelector(".story-header"); var headerTag = document.getElementById("header-tag"); header.insertBefore(headerTag, header.firstElementChild); headerTag.classList.remove("no-show"); })(); </script>  <script> (function() { var credit = document.querySelector(".top-combo__figure .figure__credit"); credit.innerText = credit.textContent.replace("Photo credit","Image credit"); })(); </script>  <style> aside .list--clean li { margin-bottom: 0.25rem; } aside ul.list--clean { margin-top: .5rem; font-family: var(--font-sans-serif); font-size: 0.875rem; } aside .basic-box { margin: .5rem 0; max-width: 240px; } aside .basic-box .small-headline { font-size: 1rem; } </style> </div> </div> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Unpacking Baffling Bacterium</h1> <p>awillia2 — Fri, 07 Mar 2025 05:26:57 +0000</p> <span>Unpacking Baffling Bacterium</span> <span><span>awillia2</span></span> <span><time datetime="2025-03-07T00:26:57-05:00" title="Friday, March 7, 2025 - 00:26">Fri, 03/07/2025 - 00:26</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>“For the longest time folks haven’t really paid that much attention to it except for it being this really quirky bacteria,” Moore says, noting that scientists were originally interested in <em>Caulobacter</em> for its unusual crescent shape. In order to help biologists better understand all of the surprising features of <em>Caulobacter</em>—for example, although it’s generally considered a non-pathogen, it’s <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0230006" target="_blank">caused infections in immunocompromised patients</a>—Moore built a library of <em>Caulobacter</em> mutants for researchers to study.</p><p>Typically, when biologists want to study a bacterial process, they start randomly mutating the bacteria. Mutations can produce bacteria with weird appearances and processes; the hope is that one will have the change they’re looking for. “The issue with that is you need some kind of phenotype you’re looking for,” Moore says, “and you’re often looking for the most striking amount of change. You only learn about the ones that are successful and don’t learn about the rest of the population.” </p><p>Instead of using the traditional (yet scattershot) process, Moore decided to make something targeted and useful for all the research groups interested in <em>Caulobacter</em>. The project turned into the first ordered transposon mutant library for the bacteria, called CauloKO. An <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.11.02.514973v1" target="_blank">article covering this</a> is currently in revision at the <em>Journal of Bacteriology</em>.</p><p>To create the library, which was part of their doctoral work, Moore used transposons, or pieces of DNA with an enzyme that “basically hop around” and integrate into a genome. The long transposons act as a sort of knockout punch for a gene because if you stick this extra DNA into a gene, that gene fails. If you introduce transposons into enough cells, you can individually turn off nearly every gene in a genome. Combine that with a little DNA sequencing, and you have a collection of identifiable mutants—and Moore’s library.</p><p>The next step was identifying where the changes were happening in the mutants, which were located within 34,000 <em>Caulobacter</em> colonies in the wells of bacterial plates. A single plate of the bacterial library had 96 wells; each well in turn contained a different bacterial mutant. By placing 400 of those plates into a larger grid, you could identify each mutant by two things: its location within the larger grid of plates, <em>and</em> the smaller grid of wells within an individual plate.</p><aside class="pull obj-right"><div class="basic-box basic-box--light"><h2 class="small-headline">Student Researchers</h2><ul class="list--clean"><li data-list-item-id="efbb233961db4673450ec0fed0ca2387a">Sasha Chen ’27</li><li data-list-item-id="eb909584f5d61f6adf5eb655f6df8c713">Riley Conklin ’26</li><li data-list-item-id="ed04b27d9e9e11bdacbab23715ccd70a3">Javier Iniguez ’26</li><li data-list-item-id="e47851b4dfcf2899b62c048728f92357d">Mia King-O'Brien ’27</li><li data-list-item-id="ebb016f33562baf0435540b6bdd093e24">Diane Lee ’25</li><li data-list-item-id="e14886b4b88a6b8395d819acd1ff96fda">Julia Ludwig ’27</li><li data-list-item-id="e02ceba3d476c14438301ab5cb326485c">Lillian McFarlin ’25</li><li data-list-item-id="eafdb210d77f88f627bfda4d775a62cd9">Julian Mendiola ’26</li></ul></div></aside><p>It’s a technique called <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms13270" target="_blank">“knockout sudoku”</a> with similarities to a sudoku board, where every row and column, as well as every square, has no repeat numbers. Moore arranged the bacterial plates containing the library of transposon knockout mutants into their own pools of materials to sequence the rows, columns, and “sudoku”-esque squares.</p><p>The proportions of the results identified where each sequenced mutant is located, in the same way you can identify where on your sudoku all instances of a certain number (say, the 4s) have to go. It’s a clever way to reduce the total sequencing for an entire genome from close to 30,000 to just 54.</p><p>The library covers about 70 to 80 percent of the total genome because many genes can’t tolerate transposon insertions. “Some of these things, if you knock it out, the organism just will not survive,” Moore says. “We call these essential genes.”</p><p>Two complete physical copies of the library exist, and Moore also created an online database so that every researcher who uses it can report errors; this way, the collection can continuously be improved and updated. “With buy-in from the community who do more screens in <em>Caulobacter</em> than I do now,” Moore says, “we can update the annotations and make the tool continuously useful in the future.”</p><p>Going forward, Moore’s lab at 91ֱ��—called The Gaybe Lab—is branching out to find and study other bacteria considered low-level pathogens. “We need to study these so if they become a problem in the clinic or in the world, then we already know a lot about them,” Moore says. In 2024, five students collected bacteria from places all over the 91ֱ�� campus and are zeroing in on a unique specimen to study, working alongside three other students focused on public health analysis. This connection across typically disparate research disciplines reflects Moore’s interest in public health and the social determinants that impact infections—and their skill in creating community to impact change.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Gaybe Moore ’15 has made a genetic library to help uncover the secrets of the bacteria Caulobacter crescentus.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2025-03-21T12:00:00Z">Fri, 03/21/2025 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Dyani Sabin ’14</div> <div class="text-content field field--name-field-intro-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Bacteria are everywhere you go. In the case of <em>Caulobacter crescentus</em>—the funky, crescent-shaped star of a recent paper by Assistant Professor of Biology Gaybe Moore ’15 —this is no exaggeration. It’s in the soil, in the water, and around your plants, and it surprisingly produces the world’s stickiest superglue as a biofilm.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=4292">91ֱ�� Research Review</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25251">Biology</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-faculty field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/gabriel-moore" hreflang="und">Gabriel (Gaybe) Moore</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/biology" hreflang="und">Biology</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-cte-images field--type-list-string field--label-hidden field__item">Yes (Individual Images)</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Kelsey Dake</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-flex-content field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden vertical-spacing--basic field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <div id="obj-40344" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-copy paragraph--view-mode--default o-flex--basic-copy basic-copy"> <hr><p><em>Gaybe Moore’s research examines the intersections of public health policy and pathogenicity. The Gaybe Lab is working to identify and characterize bacteria discovered on the 91ֱ�� campus, as well as investigating whether a patient’s social factors correlate with whether they get a health care-associated infection. Moore earned their doctorate at Princeton University and was a Science and Politics Postdoctoral Fellow at the Eagleton Institute of Politics.</em></p> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="field field--name-field-bio-card-el-biography field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <div class="biography-card"> <figure> </figure> <div class="biography-card__content"> <h2><span>Gabriel (Gaybe) Moore</span> </h2> <ul class="item-list list--clean" style="margin-top: 0px;"> <li class="professional-title">Assistant Professor of Biology</li> </ul> <a class="view-more" href="/gabriel-moore">View Gabriel (Gaybe) Moore’s biography</a> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div id="obj-40379" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-copy paragraph--view-mode--default o-flex--basic-copy basic-copy"> <div style="padding:56.25% 0 0;position:relative;"></div><script src="https://player.vimeo.com/api/player.js"></script><hr><h2 class="small-headline" style="margin-top:1.25rem;">About the Illustration</h2><figure class="captioned-image obj-right" style="margin-bottom:1.75rem;" data-cte><p></p><figcaption><em>Click the image to expand</em></figcaption></figure><p class="subhead" style="color:var(--darkgray);">Illustrator: Kelsey Dake</p><p class="icon-text"><span class="icon-text__icon fas fa-fw fa-link" style="color:black;" aria-label="Phone"></span><a href="https://kelseydake.com/" target="_blank">kelseydake.com</a></p><p class="icon-text"><span class="icon-text__icon fas fa-brands fa-instagram" aria-label="Instagram"></span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/kelseydake" target="_blank">@kelseydake</a></p><hr class="hr--light" style="clear:both;margin:1.25rem 0;"><p><a class="view-more" href="/node/488025">Return to <em>91ֱ�� Research Review</em></a></p> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div id="obj-40345" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-copy paragraph--view-mode--default o-flex--basic-copy basic-copy"> <p class="header-tag no-show" id="header-tag">91ֱ�� Research Review</p> <style> .no-show { display: none } </style> <script> (function() { var header = document.querySelector(".story-header"); var headerTag = document.getElementById("header-tag"); header.insertBefore(headerTag, header.firstElementChild); headerTag.classList.remove("no-show"); })(); </script>  <script> (function() { var credit = document.querySelector(".top-combo__figure .figure__credit"); credit.innerText = credit.textContent.replace("Photo credit","Image credit"); })(); </script>  <style> aside .list--clean li { margin-bottom: 0.25rem; } aside ul.list--clean { margin-top: .5rem; font-family: var(--font-sans-serif); font-size: 0.875rem; } aside .basic-box { margin: .5rem 0; max-width: 240px; } aside .basic-box .small-headline { font-size: 1rem; } </style> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-article-header field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">0</div> </article> <article> <h1>Why All Life on Earth is Made of Cells</h1> <p>awillia2 — Wed, 05 Mar 2025 07:09:02 +0000</p> <span>Why All Life on Earth is Made of Cells</span> <span><span>awillia2</span></span> <span><time datetime="2025-03-05T02:09:02-05:00" title="Wednesday, March 5, 2025 - 02:09">Wed, 03/05/2025 - 02:09</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>“With evolutionary biology, it’s not best practice to come up with a reason why something might have occurred and then declare that’s why it did occur,” he says. “And when you’re studying the transition between non-life and life, there is no definition in the literature that says life is made out of cells.”</p> <p>Determining when and how all life on Earth came to be made of cells is a way to approach the tantalizing question of the origin of life. But Goldman’s research zeroes in on the insights gleaned from examining <em>how</em> this fundamental biological process of cellularity emerged.</p> <p>For example, he’s conducted studies involving computer simulations that model Earth’s early environment and the organisms that evolved within it. These digital life simulations allowed student researchers in his lab at 91ֱ�� to interrogate specific evolutionary pressures and dynamics related to the origin of cellularity. Their findings were <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00239-020-09961-1" target="_blank">published in a 2020 article</a> in the <em>Journal of Molecular Evolution</em>, with students Diep H. Nguyen ’19 and Yuta A. Takagi ’16 as co-first authors.</p> <h2 class="h3">The link between cellularity and proteins</h2> <p>Goldman’s most recent research on cellularity, published in July 2024 in <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00239-024-10188-7" target="_blank"><em>Journal of Molecular Evolution</em></a>, investigated the tree of life—a model depicting how all life is related, with new branches emerging as new traits evolve— to uncover when key features of cellularity evolved early on. </p> <p>The root of the tree of life branches to form two “domains,” the bacteria (think single cells without a nucleus or other internal cellular organization, like E. coli) and the archaea (also single cellular life, but with some specific proteins and ribosomal features that make them distinct from bacteria). Our form of life, the eukaryotes–which includes humans, plants, slugs, or life with both a nucleus and internal cell organization–emerged from the archaeal group.</p> <p>Because bacteria, archaea, and eukaryotic life are all very different, some researchers have wondered if cellularity evolved after the last universal common ancestor of all life (LUCA) that preceded them. But other researchers have suggested that cellularity occurred earlier than the LUCA—even during the origin of life itself. For example, Goldman points out that if you take the lipid portion that was part of early meteorites, the fats will form a bubble structure that looks like a cell membrane. These types of early, naturally occurring membranes could have been precursors to cellularity as we know it today. </p> <aside class="pull obj-right"> <div class="basic-box basic-box--light"> <h2 class="small-headline">Student Researchers</h2> <ul class="list--clean"> <li>Asha Agarwal ’26</li> <li>Charlie Endres ’26</li> <li>Jimmy Fitzgerald ’25</li> <li>Shaswat Gajurel ’27</li> <li>Baer Hodge ’26</li> <li>Reese Hyatt ’25</li> <li>Freya Kailing ’25</li> <li>Meaghan Kramer ’27</li> <li>Long Ly ’26</li> <li>Tashia Nyamunama ’28</li> <li>Iksha Phipps ’28</li> <li>Ezra Taub ’25</li> </ul> </div> </aside> <p>In order to build a better timeline of the origin of cellularity, Goldman and the student researchers in his lab reconstructed the functions proteins present in three things: the LUCA; the last archeal common ancestor; and the last bacterial common ancestor. Together, these represent the first branch on the tree of life. They found that a number of proteins involved in cellular membranes were present in all three reconstructions, despite the variations between bacterial and archeal life. This indicates that cellularity evolved before the archaeal and bacterial branches split—and perhaps before the LUCA. </p> <p>“Organisms across the tree of life use slightly different chemical components to build their membranes, and this has been taken as evidence that the last universal common ancestor of life was not cellular,” Goldman says. “But this study shows that cellularity was well established by the time of the last universal common ancestor of life. Organisms at that point were already controlling what was getting through their cellular membrane, using their cellular membrane to generate energy through an electron transport chain, and directing the process of reproduction through cell division.” </p> <p>Currently, the members of Goldman’s lab are working on releasing an update of “LUCApedia,” a database of the available information about early life and its biological functions, to enable more researchers to investigate aspects of early evolutionary history. “We won’t really be able to know everything about early evolution, because we don’t fully understand the complete diversity of life on earth,” Goldman says. “But looking at evolutionary history gives us insight into why biology works the way it does—and as diverse as the biosphere is today, it gives us an understanding of what all life shares.”</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Aaron Goldman wants to know how and when cellularity became the organizing principle of life.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2025-03-21T12:00:00Z">Fri, 03/21/2025 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Dyani Sabin ’14</div> <div class="text-content field field--name-field-intro-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>From a very young age, we’re taught that being made of cells is a defining feature of life. In fact, associate professor of biology Aaron Goldman encountered this assumption in a college textbook and initially used it as a springboard to discuss the benefits of cellularity with his students. But the more Goldman thought about it, the more he realized that cellularity isn’t something to be taken for granted—even (and especially) when it comes to the origins of life.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=4292">91ֱ�� Research Review</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25251">Biology</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-faculty field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/aaron-goldman" hreflang="und">Aaron Goldman</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/biology" hreflang="und">Biology</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-cte-images field--type-list-string field--label-hidden field__item">Yes (Individual Images)</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Laurindo Feliciano</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-flex-content field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden vertical-spacing--basic field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <div id="obj-40338" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-copy paragraph--view-mode--default o-flex--basic-copy basic-copy"> <hr> <p><em>Aaron Goldman’s research revolves around questions of early evolutionary history with a current focus on when cellularity became the organizing principle of life. He earned his PhD at the University of Washington and was a postdoctoral research fellow at Princeton University.</em></p> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="field field--name-field-bio-card-el-biography field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <div class="biography-card"> <figure> </figure> <div class="biography-card__content"> <h2><span>Aaron Goldman</span> </h2> <ul class="item-list list--clean" style="margin-top: 0px;"> <li class="professional-title">Professor of Biology</li> </ul> <a class="view-more" href="/aaron-goldman">View Aaron Goldman’s biography</a> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div id="obj-40374" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-copy paragraph--view-mode--default o-flex--basic-copy basic-copy"> <h2 class="small-headline" style="margin-top: 1.25rem;">About the Illustration</h2> <figure class="captioned-image obj-right" data-cte style="margin-bottom: 1.75rem;"> <figcaption><em>Click the image to expand</em></figcaption> </figure> <p class="subhead" style="margin-bottom: 0; color: var(--darkgray);">Illustrator: Laurindo Feliciano</p> <blockquote data-add-quotes data-no-attribution> <p>My illustration process is a creative fusion of digital painting and collage. The text is highly abstract and may be challenging for non-scientists to grasp, making it particularly difficult to translate into a single image. However, I have identified key concepts to guide the visualisation: cellularity, the tree of life, and computer simulations. To convey these ideas, I chose to simulate the scientific lab experience, experimenting with different ways to represent cells and their observation. The final result is a vibrant and intricate illustration of life, depicted through framed representations of cells.</p> </blockquote> <p class="icon-text"><span aria-label="Phone" class="icon-text__icon fas fa-fw fa-link" style="color: black;"></span><a href="https://laurindofeliciano.com/" target="_blank">laurindofeliciano.com</a></p> <p class="icon-text"><span aria-label="Instagram" class="icon-text__icon fas fa-brands fa-instagram"></span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/laurindof" target="_blank">@laurindof</a></p> <hr class="hr--light" style="clear: both; margin: 1.25rem 0;"> <p><a class="view-more" href="/node/488025">Return to <em>91ֱ�� Research Review</em></a></p> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div id="obj-40339" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-copy paragraph--view-mode--default o-flex--basic-copy basic-copy"> <p class="header-tag no-show" id="header-tag">91ֱ�� Research Review</p> <style> .no-show { display: none } </style> <script> (function() { var header = document.querySelector(".story-header"); var headerTag = document.getElementById("header-tag"); header.insertBefore(headerTag, header.firstElementChild); headerTag.classList.remove("no-show"); })(); </script>  <script> (function() { var credit = document.querySelector(".top-combo__figure .figure__credit"); credit.innerText = credit.textContent.replace("Photo credit","Image credit"); })(); </script>  <style> aside .list--clean li { margin-bottom: 0.25rem; } aside ul.list--clean { margin-top: .5rem; font-family: var(--font-sans-serif); font-size: 0.875rem; } aside .basic-box { margin: .5rem 0; max-width: 240px; } aside .basic-box .small-headline { font-size: 1rem; } </style> </div> </div> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Phoebe Brown ’24 Earns Fulbright to Spain</h1> <p>mreed — Thu, 06 Jun 2024 18:22:40 +0000</p> <span>Phoebe Brown ’24 Earns Fulbright to Spain</span> <span><span>mreed</span></span> <span><time datetime="2024-06-06T14:22:40-04:00" title="Thursday, June 6, 2024 - 14:22">Thu, 06/06/2024 - 14:22</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Phoebe Brown ’24 has earned a <a href="/node/467299">Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship</a> (ETA) to Spain for the 2024-2025 academic year, giving her the opportunity to teach English in an early education school in the Canary Islands. “I have never been to Spain – let alone the Canary Islands – so I am very excited to venture there and learn more about the diverse culture of the Canaries,” says the <a href="/node/79086">biology</a> major, who earned minors in <a href="/node/3206">Spanish</a> and <a href="/node/70706">dance</a> and had concentrations in <a href="/node/322311">global health</a> and <a href="/node/25226">education studies</a>. “I’m also looking forward to teaching and applying what I have learned at 91ֱ�� while exploring new teaching methods at the local primary schools.”</p> <p><strong>How did 91ֱ�� influence you to pursue the Fulbright? </strong></p> <p>I realized that the teaching and mentoring opportunities built into 91ֱ��’s curriculum set up students well for grants such as Fulbright. Like many 91ֱ�� Fulbright grantees before me, my language teaching began through a program started by <a href="/node/5831">Kim Faber</a>: <a href="/node/166296">Spanish in the Elementary Schools</a> (SITES). As part of SITES, I took a Language Pedagogy course, which explores various pedagogical techniques and provides students with a groundwork of language through phonetics, culture, and bilingual education. I attribute much of my interest in language teaching and learning to that class and SITES, as they gave me plentiful opportunities to draft lesson plans, teach, reflect, and try again!</p> <p>I am also grateful to have taken many wonderful Spanish courses at 91ֱ��. I took Elementary Spanish I, taught by Kim Faber on Zoom during my freshman year, mainly to fulfill my diversity credit. Despite the online class, this was the first time I realized that language learning could be fun; it spans more than grammar and conjugation charts! Whether I knew it then, I think that experience planted the seed for my interest in (language) pedagogy and encouraged me to continue taking Spanish language classes within the <a href="/node/3206">Hispanic studies department</a>. </p> <figure class="captioned-image obj-right"> <figcaption>Photo Credit: Tanya Rosen-Jones ’97</figcaption> </figure> <p>One of my other biggest mentors throughout my four years has been <a href="/node/6546">Holly Handman-Lopez</a>. Aside from my studies, I love to <a href="/node/70706">dance</a>! Holly is one of those professors who endlessly cheers you on and advocates for you from the start. She is someone who has contributed significantly to my growth as an artist, as she has overseen many of the dance-related projects I have been involved in. </p> <p>I recently took a Dance Pedagogy course with <a href="/node/6581">Alysia Ramos</a>, and I realized there is much overlap between teaching a language and dance. Both involve breaking down steps, memorizing patterns, and figuring out ways to communicate. I love watching Holly and Alysia apply this in their teaching; having such skilled mentors has been wonderful. Dance — and the support I’ve received from the 91ֱ�� dance environment — are things I hope to bring with me abroad! </p> <p><strong>How does pursuing the Fulbright align with your post-college life and career goals?</strong></p> <p>I plan to work in healthcare as a nurse or a physician assistant. I think the core of Fulbright is breaching cultural barriers, which is an essential part of working in health. A huge part of <a href="https://vimeo.com/878790928">being a healthcare worker</a> involves being a compassionate patient educator. Being a part of the Fulbright program will allow me to understand what being a compassionate educator means — and how that can be applied across many disciplines.</p> <p><strong>What’s the best advice you’ve received from your 91ֱ�� faculty mentor?</strong></p> <p>Take advantage of 91ֱ��’s expanse of activities. Don’t be afraid to take the random courses that sound exciting, but don’t fit into your major. You never know what you might learn; don’t be afraid to be curious.</p> <p><strong>Activities Phoebe was involved in at 91ֱ��:</strong> Co-founded and co-presided the Adopted Obies Club; <a href="/node/62401">Ballet 91ֱ��</a> Teacher; <a href="/node/451852">Vibe Dance Company</a> Member; <a href="/node/10251">SITES </a>Instructor (2022-2023), <a href="/node/10701">OWLS </a>Clear Mentor (2023-2024).</p> <hr> <p><em>If you’re a rising or graduating senior interested in Fulbright, connect with <a href="/node/4526">Fellowships & Awards</a> to learn more about pursuing research or an arts project, obtaining a graduate degree, or teaching English in a foreign country of your choice following graduation.</em></p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">The biology major will be teaching English in an early education school in the Canary Islands.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2024-07-11T12:00:00Z">Thu, 07/11/2024 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Communications Staff</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2373">Awards and Honors</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3831">Fulbright</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25251">Biology</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=4796">Hispanic Studies</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-faculty field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/holly-handman-lopez" hreflang="und">Holly Handman-Lopez</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/kim-faber" hreflang="und">Kim Faber</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/alysia-ramos" hreflang="und">Alysia Ramos</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/biology" hreflang="und">Biology</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/hispanic-studies" hreflang="und">Hispanic Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/dance" hreflang="und">Dance</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Tanya Rosen-Jones ’97</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>From 91ֱ�� College to Goldman Sachs</h1> <p>ygay — Thu, 16 May 2024 19:37:29 +0000</p> <span>From 91ֱ�� College to Goldman Sachs</span> <span><span>ygay</span></span> <span><time datetime="2024-05-16T15:37:29-04:00" title="Thursday, May 16, 2024 - 15:37">Thu, 05/16/2024 - 15:37</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Anna Silverman ’22 has made a remarkable leap, from 91ֱ�� to the investment banking firm Goldman Sachs. A political science major with an integrative concentration in education studies, Silverman applies the critical thinking and problem-solving skills she honed at 91ֱ�� to her work as a global markets senior analyst. She recently shared how her background in political theory shaped her career path in finance and contributed to her early success in a competitive field.</p> <p><strong>How has your political science degree contributed to your work at Goldman Sachs?</strong></p> <p>Although my role at Goldman Sachs differs from my political science major, my education from 91ֱ�� has been invaluable. The diverse curriculum, extending beyond politics to the core subjects, taught me to efficiently learn and adapt to new challenges. This skill set has been crucial at Goldman, where I regularly encounter unfamiliar problems. Unrelated to my politics degree, my experience dissecting a rat in <a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/biology">Biology</a> 101 prepared me not to fear any challenge—even in the finance world.</p> <p><strong>Can you share how your extracurricular activities at 91ֱ�� impacted your professional development?</strong></p> <p>My time in Harkness co-op was instrumental in preparing me for Goldman Sachs. As a head cook for two years, I developed skills in multitasking, working under pressure, and leading a team. The culture of debate in the co-op’s governance taught me to confidently advocate for my ideas. I am truly grateful for this experience, as it significantly contributed to my career success.</p> <p><strong>What advice would you give 91ֱ�� students looking to enter competitive fields?</strong></p> <p>Make sure you leverage 91ֱ��’s unique qualities, such as its passionate professors and <a href="/life-at-oberlin/clubs-organizations">quirky clubs</a>, to make your job applications stand out. Building relationships with professors in your major is key. Take their classes, participate in the classroom, and go to office hours. 91ֱ��’s small community allows for these meaningful connections, which can be pivotal in obtaining strong references and recommendations. Also, don't hesitate to reach out to alumni in your desired field. Most are more than willing to help with the application process.</p> <p><strong>Were there any mentors at 91ֱ�� who were crucial to your professional growth?</strong></p> <p><a href="/eve-sandberg">Eve Sandberg</a>, my foreign policy professor, gave really great insights in her class as to what the expectations and realities are of working in fast-paced, high-stakes foreign policy fields. I found her advice to be transferable to my career now. My professor <a href="/joshua-freedman">Joshua Freedman</a> helped me build confidence in my abilities when I was in his seminar and worked as his research assistant. There are too many others to name, but all my professors have had an impact on my growth in one way or another.</p> <p><strong>What is your fondest memory from your time at 91ֱ��?</strong></p> <p>My fondest memory is of taking a samba class during a summer semester. When the weather was nice, we went out to dance in Tappan Square! It was not just a class, but a place where I formed lasting friendships and also gained an appreciation for 91ֱ��’s beauty in the summer. It’s a memory I’ll always cherish.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Global Market Senior Analyst Anna Silverman ’22 Shares How 91ֱ�� Helped Shape Her Career Path</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2024-05-16T12:00:00Z">Thu, 05/16/2024 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Communications Staff</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2360">After 91ֱ��</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=4063">Co-op</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2355">Student Organizations</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25251">Biology</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=468171">Financial Economics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25331">Dance</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25416">Politics</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-faculty field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/joshua-freedman" hreflang="und">Joshua Freedman</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/biology" hreflang="und">Biology</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/finance" hreflang="und">Financial Economics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/dance" hreflang="und">Dance</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/politics" hreflang="und">Politics</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Anna Silverman</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Courtesy of Silverman</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Friday Afternoon with Lab Crawl</h1> <p>jstrauss — Mon, 30 Oct 2023 15:08:42 +0000</p> <span>Friday Afternoon with Lab Crawl</span> <span><span>jstrauss</span></span> <span><time datetime="2023-10-30T11:08:42-04:00" title="Monday, October 30, 2023 - 11:08">Mon, 10/30/2023 - 11:08</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Every fall at 91ֱ��, <a href="/node/463463">Lab Crawl</a> shines a spotlight on research happening all over campus: across the sciences, but also in the humanities, the arts, the conservatory, and elsewhere. This year, Lab Crawl drew what may be the largest crowd in the event’s illustrious history, with some 500 students and dozens of faculty taking part. Missed out on the excitement? It looked something like this (click to expand any images below)...</p> <p>Explore more scenes from Lab Crawl on <a href="https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjB1NRn">91ֱ��’s Flickr page</a>.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">91ֱ��'s annual research open house celebrates the sciences—and much more.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2023-10-30T12:00:00Z">Mon, 10/30/2023 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Communications Staff</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3948">Lab Crawl</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2358">Undergraduate Research</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2363">Academics & Research</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25411">Physics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25251">Biology</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=4861">Neuroscience</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-faculty field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/gabriel-moore" hreflang="und">Gabriel (Gaybe) Moore</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/michelle-johnson" hreflang="und">Michelle Johnson</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/mike-miller" hreflang="und">Mike Miller</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/physics-and-astronomy" hreflang="und">Physics and Astronomy</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/biology" hreflang="und">Biology</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/art" hreflang="und">Studio Art</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/neuroscience" hreflang="und">Neuroscience</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Lab Crawlers get an insider's look at a science lab on campus.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Tanya Rosen-Jones '97</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-flex-content field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden vertical-spacing--basic field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <div id="obj-37913" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-cont-img-section paragraph--view-mode--photoswipe-images photoswipe-gallery"> <div class="o-flex--basic-copy basic-copy"> <div class="image-grid image-grid--single-caption pull"> <div id="obj-31747" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-image-row paragraph--view-mode--photoswipe-images"> <div class="image-row"> <div class="image-row__images" data-cols="3"> <div id="obj-29961" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-figure paragraph--view-mode--photoswipe-images"> <figure> <a href="/sites/default/files/content/figure/labcrawl2023-016.jpg" class="photoswipe" data-pswp-width="3600" data-pswp-height="2400"> </a> </figure> </div> <div id="obj-29963" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-figure paragraph--view-mode--photoswipe-images"> <figure> <a href="/sites/default/files/content/figure/labcrawl2023-014_0.jpg" class="photoswipe" data-pswp-width="3600" data-pswp-height="2400"> </a> </figure> </div> <div id="obj-29962" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-figure paragraph--view-mode--photoswipe-images"> <figure> <a href="/sites/default/files/content/figure/labcrawl2023-008_0.jpg" class="photoswipe" data-pswp-width="3600" data-pswp-height="2400"> </a> </figure> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="figcaption"> <div class="figure__caption"> <p>Neuroscience professor <a href="/node/463859">Michelle Johnson</a> (seated, far left) helps students sign in and secure their passports, which get stamped at each Lab Crawl station they visit. Far right: The Mad Scientist—aka Biology Department Manager <a href="/forrest-rose">Forrest Rose</a>—welcomes students beginning their journey.</p> </div> <div class="figure__credit"> Photo credit: Tanya Rosen-Jones '97 </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div id="obj-37914" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-cont-img-section paragraph--view-mode--photoswipe-images photoswipe-gallery"> <div class="o-flex--basic-copy basic-copy"> <div class="image-grid image-grid--single-caption pull"> <div id="obj-31748" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-image-row paragraph--view-mode--photoswipe-images"> <div class="image-row"> <div class="image-row__images" data-cols="3"> <div id="obj-29970" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-figure paragraph--view-mode--photoswipe-images"> <figure> <a href="/sites/default/files/content/figure/labcrawl2023-067.jpg" class="photoswipe" data-pswp-width="3600" data-pswp-height="2400"> </a> </figure> </div> <div id="obj-29971" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-figure paragraph--view-mode--photoswipe-images"> <figure> <a href="/sites/default/files/content/figure/labcrawl2023-030.jpg" class="photoswipe" data-pswp-width="3600" data-pswp-height="2400"> </a> </figure> </div> <div id="obj-29972" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-figure paragraph--view-mode--photoswipe-images"> <figure> <a href="/sites/default/files/content/figure/labcrawlventuri.jpg" class="photoswipe" data-pswp-width="1800" data-pswp-height="1200"> </a> </figure> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="figcaption"> <div class="figure__caption"> <p>Students tour a biochemistry lab with a student guide (left); biology professor <a href="/node/459641">Gaybe Moore</a> leads a demonstration on infection in wax moths (center); photography students experiment with technique in the Venturi Art Building (right).</p> </div> <div class="figure__credit"> Photo credit: Tanya Rosen-Jones '97, Reyna Berry </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div id="obj-37915" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-cont-img-section paragraph--view-mode--photoswipe-images photoswipe-gallery"> <div class="o-flex--basic-copy basic-copy"> <div class="image-grid image-grid--single-caption pull"> <div id="obj-31749" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-image-row paragraph--view-mode--photoswipe-images"> <div class="image-row"> <div class="image-row__images" data-cols="3"> <div id="obj-29973" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-figure paragraph--view-mode--photoswipe-images"> <figure> <a href="/sites/default/files/content/figure/labcrawl2023-088.jpg" class="photoswipe" data-pswp-width="3600" data-pswp-height="2400"> </a> </figure> </div> <div id="obj-29974" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-figure paragraph--view-mode--photoswipe-images"> <figure> <a href="/sites/default/files/content/figure/labcrawl2023-076.jpg" class="photoswipe" data-pswp-width="3600" data-pswp-height="2400"> </a> </figure> </div> <div id="obj-29975" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-figure paragraph--view-mode--photoswipe-images"> <figure> <a href="/sites/default/files/content/figure/labcrawl2023-152.jpg" class="photoswipe" data-pswp-width="3600" data-pswp-height="2400"> </a> </figure> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="figcaption"> <div class="figure__caption"> <p>Machinist <a href="/node/322066">Mike Miller</a> (left) leads a demonstration in the machine shop. Center and right: Lab Crawl stations offer plenty of interesting specimens to examine.</p> </div> <div class="figure__credit"> Photo credit: Tanya Rosen-Jones '97 </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Lab Crawl: It’s Not Just for Scientists</h1> <p>tapplega — Wed, 11 Oct 2023 18:29:09 +0000</p> <span>Lab Crawl: It’s Not Just for Scientists</span> <span><span>tapplega</span></span> <span><time datetime="2023-10-11T14:29:09-04:00" title="Wednesday, October 11, 2023 - 14:29">Wed, 10/11/2023 - 14:29</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Have you ever peeked through a lab’s open door on your way to class and wondered about the research happening inside? Maybe you've heard students talk in passionate terms about the work they’re taking on with their faculty mentors? 91ֱ��’s <a href="/undergraduate-research/lab-crawl">Lab Crawl</a>, which happens in buildings throughout campus on Friday, October 27, is where your curiosity turns into opportunity.</p><p>Initially fashioned as a celebration of 91ֱ�� science, Lab Crawl is an annual autumn open house that welcomes informal drop-ins on labs and other research spaces, with faculty at the ready to share their ongoing work with students.</p><p>This year, Lab Crawl is broadening its horizons. While still retaining its strong roots in STEM, there’s a focus on highlighting research in the humanities (think <a href="/node/318461">art history</a> and <a href="/node/3226">cinema studies</a>), social sciences (<a href="/node/3366">psychology</a> and <a href="/node/3381">archaeology</a>, among others), and conservatory departments (<a href="/node/51641">TIMARA</a> and <a href="/node/3331">musicology</a>). Numerous campus offices are also onboard, among them <a href="/node/4236">Undergraduate Research</a>—the office that organizes the Crawl—<a href="/node/4416">Bonner Center for Community-Engaged Learning, Teaching and Research</a>; <a href="/node/4521">Career Exploration and Development</a>; and <a href="/node/395516">Entrepreneurship</a>.</p><p>It all happens from noon to 1:30 p.m.</p><p><a href="/node/459641">Gaybe Moore</a> fondly remembers Lab Crawl from his days as an 91ֱ�� biology student. Now the 2015 grad is back on campus, in his first year as an assistant professor of biology, and he’s back in line for Lab Crawl—this time as a faculty presenter.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Oct. 27 open house highlights research across the sciences—and just about everywhere else.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2023-10-24T12:00:00Z">Tue, 10/24/2023 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Communications Staff</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2358">Undergraduate Research</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2363">Academics & Research</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2390">Events</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2764">Science Center</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3846">Engaged Liberal Arts</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25251">Biology</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-faculty field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/gabriel-moore" hreflang="und">Gabriel (Gaybe) Moore</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/biology" hreflang="und">Biology</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Participants in 91ֱ��'s 2022 Lab Crawl gather around neuroscience professor Gunnar Kwakye (second from right).</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-cte-images field--type-list-string field--label-hidden field__item">Yes (Individual Images)</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Amanda Phillips</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-flex-content field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden vertical-spacing--basic field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <div class="body-centered-layout"> <div id="obj-30157" data-direction="up" data-order="backward" data-count="2" class="stack pull"> <div class="stack__images"> </div> <div class="figcaption"> <div class="figure__caption"> <p>Gaybe Moore ’15 as a student in Maureen Peters’ biology lab (left)...and Moore today, as an assistant professor of biology.</p> </div> <div class="figure__credit"> Photo credit: Tanya Rosen-Jones '97 </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div id="obj-27832" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-copy paragraph--view-mode--default o-flex--basic-copy basic-copy"> <p>“Lab Crawl is an 91ֱ�� tradition has stayed with me since my time as a student,” says Moore, who will lead a demonstration on infection in <em>Galleria mellonella</em>—aka the greater wax moth. “It was one of the first times I saw the many ways scientific research is accomplished. It’s a full-circle moment to show my research during Lab Crawl this year, and I hope to add to the breadth and diversity of laboratory experiences.”</p><p>The format is simple: Pick up a Lab Crawl passport in any participating building (<a href="/node/4041">Science Center Atrium</a>, <a href="/node/3846">King Building</a>, <a href="/node/3536">Carnegie Geology Lounge</a>, <a href="/node/396216">Center for Engaged Liberal Arts</a>, <a href="/node/4061">Severance Hall</a>, <a href="/node/3976">Peters Hall</a>, and the <a href="/node/3566">Ward</a> and <a href="/node/4151">Venturi</a> art buildings) and make your way through buildings and stations, collecting stickers for your passport along the way. Each sticker is also an entry to win prizes in the raffle that concludes the Crawl.</p><p>Learn more about Lab Crawl 2023—including a list of participating labs and tips for earning a free T-shirt and unlocking your pizza bonus—on the Office of Undergraduate Research’s <a href="/undergraduate-research/lab-crawl">Lab Crawl page.</a></p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-article-header field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">0</div> </article> <article> <h1>Stitches to Startup</h1> <p>tapplega — Tue, 26 Sep 2023 16:48:40 +0000</p> <span>Stitches to Startup</span> <span><span>tapplega</span></span> <span><time datetime="2023-09-26T12:48:40-04:00" title="Tuesday, September 26, 2023 - 12:48">Tue, 09/26/2023 - 12:48</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>In the midst of a pandemic, while many were seeking solace in newfound hobbies, Andrea Muliawan ’26 was weaving her passion into a burgeoning online business: <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/andreasfiberarts?ref=shop-header-name&listing_id=1524180661">Andrea's Fiber Arts</a>. The initiative began with a crochet needle, thread, and a profound sense of creativity.</p> <p>As Muliawan’s designs took shape, so did her entrepreneurial spirit. With the support of a <a href="https://www.bdmorganfdn.org/oberlin-college">Burton D. Morgan Microgrant</a>, Muliawan realized how this small business could turn into a lifelong side gig. On September 27, the second-year <a href="/node/3346">biology</a> and <a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/history">history</a> student will share insights from her entrepreneurial voyage in a talk in Moffett Auditorium (lower level of Mudd Center) hosted by the Office of Entrepreneurship. Intrigued by her journey and keen to know more about how she manages her business aspirations alongside her dream of attending medical school, we caught up with Muliawan for a quick Q&A.</p> <p><strong>What sparked your journey into crocheting, and how did that transition into the inception of Andrea’s Fiber Arts on Etsy?</strong></p> <p>I began crocheting during the early days of the pandemic, with my mom’s knitting tools. Initially, I followed online patterns, but soon I felt the urge to freehand my designs, allowing for more creative expression. A few months after I initiated my Instagram account, I was propelled to start my Etsy shop. The platform seemed an apt space to showcase and sell my creations.</p> <p><strong>Managing a growing online store while balancing college studies must have been quite the challenge. How did you adapt your business model to fit your academic commitments?</strong></p> <p>My primary challenge was advertising my products while keeping up with my studies. I also participated in on-campus markets, which meant some of my Etsy-listed items were sold in person. This made fulfilling online orders on the fly quite challenging. I pivoted to making items to order for Etsy and later transitioned to selling digital downloads of my Hera Top pattern. This shift allowed me to focus more on school without compromising the business.</p> <p><strong>The Burton D. Morgan Microgrant was a game-changer for you. What made you apply, and how has it reshaped your outlook towards Andrea’s Fiber Arts and your future goals?</strong></p> <p>I initially applied for the microgrant after seeing it advertised in the Campus Digest. I had already made some pieces that I was excited about selling, so that spurred me on. Receiving the grant was an eye-opener. Before it, my professional goals were centered on attending medical school and embarking on a physician’s journey. That’s still a dream I’m ardently pursuing. However, the microgrant made me realize I could juggle a side gig that did not have to be a primary source of income but could serve as a creative outlet. It’s all about having fun, experimenting, and picking up interpersonal skills that can be applied anywhere—including in a medical profession!</p> <p><em>For those inspired by Andrea’s journey and wish to witness her creativity firsthand, you can explore her unique crochet designs on her Etsy shop, <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/andreasfiberarts?ref=shop-header-name&listing_id=1524180661">Andrea's Fiber Arts.</a> To stay updated with her latest creations and entrepreneurial ventures, give her a follow on Instagram at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/andreasfiberarts/">@andreasfiberarts</a>.</em></p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Andrea Muliawan recieved a grant that helped her turn a hobby into a budding business.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2023-09-27T12:00:00Z">Wed, 09/27/2023 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Tyler Applegate</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2395">Entrepreneurship</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2563">Grants</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2390">Events</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25251">Biology</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25381">History</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/business" hreflang="und">Business</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/biology" hreflang="und">Biology</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/history" hreflang="und">History</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">courtesy of Andrea Muliawan</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> </main></body></html>