Category: News

Amherst College Science Center

Toward the “Sustainocene”: The Promise of Professor Nocera’s Bionic Leaf

Energy is a necessity for human survival, and in recent history, we have burned coal and drilled into the Earth’s surface to power our rapidly advancing societies. However, these methods place an enormous strain on the planet we call home. As humans are faced with the alarming ecological impacts of our energy decisions, we can…

Dr. Anthony Fauci Sits Down With Amherst Students

This article is written by Olivia Law ’27, Nora Lowe ’26, Kyle Hur ’25, and Jiahuai Kang ’28. Dr. Anthony Fauci, one of this year’s esteemed LitFest guests, spoke with four Amherst students about the necessity of science in times of uncertainty, the American medical system, and the implications of Covid. A few hours prior…

Math/Stats Alumni Panel: New Perspectives and Exciting Discussions

By Julia Aram and Ava Wang On Saturday, November 9th, Amherst alumni Ina Petkova ‘06, Michelle Ngo ‘15, and Tara Yoo ‘15 spoke at the Math and Statistics Alumni Panel Discussion facilitated by Nika Jafar Nia. Following delicious food catered by El Comalito, these graduates offered accounts of their career paths while providing valuable words…

Building a Brain with Dr. Barresi

By Andrea Yan and Henry Sun Michael Barresi, a Professor of Biological Sciences at Smith College, was the speaker for the Biology Monday Seminar on December 4th. A prominent developmental biologist specializing in the development of vertebrae brains, he is a co-author of the widely-used textbook Developmental Biology. In his talk, he guided us through…

Hughes Symposium Panelists Glimpse into the Future of Healthcare

For over a decade, Amherst College has hosted an annual bioscience symposium for students to have the opportunity to hear from and connect with highly experienced Amherst alumni. This year, this event was named the Hughes Symposium as a tribute to the late Dr. Edward Hughes ‘62, P’95, ‘01, an Amherst alumnus whose prestigious career…

Knot Theory and DNA: A Tangled-Up Pair

From boat ropes to shoelaces, knots are found everywhere in our day-to-day lives. But where things really get tied up is on the microscopic scale. Even the basic code for life inside our cells can sometimes be prone to tangles. So, why exactly are knots found in our DNA, and what are the biological causes?…

The Incorporation of Transformative Methods into Science Teaching

By Andrea Yan and Henry Sun Cover image credit: https://lsa.umich.edu/chem/people/faculty/gshultz.html In a packed Kirkpatrick Lecture Hall on October 18th, students and faculty in the Chemistry Department gathered for the week’s Cheminar series, which addressed an unconventional topic. Ginger Shultz, the week’s speaker, is an Associate Professor of Chemistry and Associate Chair for Education Development and…

tidychangepoint: A New Method for Tackling a Common Statistical Dilemma

Seen from the back of a lecture hall, an individual stands next to a projection slide displaying the text "tidychangepoint" in neon blue.

Photo and article by Maya Maaloul What makes changes in data significant? How do we, as humans with subjective opinions, decide this? What methods can detect these changes the best, and what if we can’t find the best tool? During an Amherst College Statistics and Data Science (SDS) Colloquium on September 24, Ben Baumer, a…

Klara Matuszewska ’26 Wins at the Chambliss Astronomy Achievement Student Awards

A woman with dyed pink hair talks to another woman in a red sweater in a cavernous room with an electronic poster board propped up between them.

By Ryogo Katahira Klara Matuszewska ’26 won a Chambliss Astronomy Achievement Student Award for 2024. The award is to “recognize exemplary research by undergraduate and graduate students” and is selected by the American Astronomical Society (AAS). Matuszekska is a physics and astronomy double major from Warsaw, Poland and works in Professor Daniella Bardalez Gagliuffi’s research…

Nobel Prize Winner Moungi Bawendi Lectures at Amherst College

Moungi Bawendi, Nobel Prize winner

On Friday, April 5, the Nobel Prize in Chemistry winner Moungi Bawendi lectured at Amherst College. The lecture was held in Lipton lecture hall and was titled “Quantum magic and quantum dots: a synthesis unlocks a nano-world of opportunities.” Bawendi opened his talk by explaining how electrons have different properties at the quantum level.  “So…