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Report of Science at Williams College 2014-2015

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Report of Science at Williams College 2014-2015 Report of Science at Williams College 2014-2015 A Record of the Professional and Academic Activities of Faculty and Students in the Natural Sciences Williamstown, Massachusetts Front Cover Image: is composite gure of M31 (the Andromeda Galaxy) demonstrates the wide-ranging locations of its planetary nebulae. Each dot, color-coded by brightness, represents one of the more than 3000 of these glowing gas shells powered by UV photons from the dying stars at their centers. Many are hidden by the inset, which shows, to scale, the familiar inclined galactic spiral of M31, located 2 million light-years away. Karen Kwitter (Astronomy) and her students study these planetary nebulae to determine their evolutionary histories and chemical compositions. With Emma Lehman '10, she co-authored a paper on the 16 labeled planetary nebulae shown here (http://iopscience.iop.org/0004-637X/753/1/12/pdf/0004-637X_753_1_12. pdf ). And with Kerry Hensley '13, she co-authored a paper on eight more planetary nebulae even farther from the center of M31 ( http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0004-637X/807/2/181/pdf). One puzzling result: the oxygen abundance in these planetary nebulae remains almost constant regardless of their distance from M31's center, contrary to the fall-o at larger distances seen in most other spiral galaxies. An intriguing possibility involves the aermath of a close passage from M31's neighboring spiral galaxy, M33, about 3 billion years ago, which may have stirred up enriched material from which the currently- observed planetary nebulae formed. Figure compiled by K. Kwitter (M31 image source: Bill Schoening,Vanessa Harvey/REU program/NOAO/ AURA/NSF) e Science Executive Committe wishes to express its gratitude to the extensive eorts of all of the science departmental executive assistants in preparing this publication. Editor: Norman Bell Coordinator of Science Facilities is document is printed on recycled paper III Williams College admits men and women of any background to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the College. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, sexual orientation, or national ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other college administered programs. e College does not discriminate on the basis of sex in violation of the Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1973, or the regulations thereunder, in the education programs or activities which it operates, including employment therein. e College does not discriminate on the basis of handicap in violation of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act 1973, or the regulations thereunder, in admission or access to its programs and activities. Inquiries concerning the College’s non-discrimination policies may be referred to the Dean of the College, Hopkins Hall, Williamstown, MA 01267. IV Table of Contents e Sciences at Williams College 1 Major Science Center Funding 2 Major Programs in the Sciences 3 Winter Study 2015 Oerings 7 Science Center Programs 11 2015 Student Summer Science Research 11 Funding Sources 12 Students and their Faculty Advisors 13 August 14, 2015 Poster Session 16 Colloquia 19 Pre-First Year Summer Science Program 20 Summer Science Lab Program 22 Sigma Xi 23 Science Lunch Colloquia 25 Department News Astronomy 26 Biology 31 Chemistry 41 Computer Science 51 Geosciences 59 Mathematics and Statistics 67 Neuroscience 84 Physics 86 Psychology 92 Abstracts from Student eses 103 Abstracts from Publications and Presentations 129 V e Sciences at Williams College Students learn science best by doing it -- when they ciate members, aer being nominated by faculty and formulate and test their own hypotheses, using meth- reviewed by members of the Williams College chapter ods capable of producing convincing evidence. is of Sigma Xi. Williams College has become a leader in is true at the introductory level, where students be- the training of future scientists with more than 50 stu- come interested in further study by encountering dents going on to Ph.D. programs in science each year. science as discovery rather than rote facts. It is even As a result of this commitment, Williams has ranked more important at advanced levels, where students are rst among predominantly undergraduate institutions most likely to become interested in science careers by in students receiving NSF pre-doctoral fellowships, working as fully involved junior colleagues with pro- averaging about 7 per year over the past ten years. fessionally active faculty on research projects that ex- We attribute this success to an energetic faculty and plore new scientic ideas. e ability to conduct cut- sta dedicated to providing an excellent educational ting-edge research at Williams helps to attract talented experience and to the many research opportunities scientists as faculty and keeps them at the forefront of available to Williams students at both advanced and their disciplines, which in turn allows faculty to bring introductory levels. the excitement of their research work to their teaching It has long been recognized that a positive undergrad- and course development at all levels. e College has uate research experience is the single most important invested deeply in this ambitious program of research inspiration for future scientists. As documented in and teaching through research funding, modern lab- this report, more than 250 students were engaged in oratory space, shared instrumentation, and technical science research with Williams faculty this year. Many support. e relatively large number of faculty in all students conducted independent research projects the science departments promotes breadth and depth during the academic year with 72 completing theses in both research activities and curricular scope. and 180 were engaged in fulltime research with Wil- In 2000, a $47 million science facility was completed liams science faculty during the summer of 2015. Doz- to unify all science departments in a single complex ens of Williams students participated in conferences surrounding a central science library. Our model of where they presented the results of their research, the entire science division as a cohesive programmatic and at least 50 students co-authored publications in unit has ourished. Plans have begun for a new sci- peer-reviewed journals in the past academic year. ence center renovation/construction project that will Concurrent with the increased student involvement become the foundation for science at Williams in the in science, Williams has attracted talented and vibrant 21st century. Funds for major equipment, for individ- science faculty engaged in competitive research and ual student-faculty research projects, and for stipend dedicated to teaching undergraduates. As a result, the support of students doing research with faculty are number of external grants awarded to support faculty coordinated on a division-wide basis by the Science research or curricular innovation puts Williams near Center Director, the Science Executive Committee the top of all non-Ph.D-granting institutions. Since and the Divisional Research Funding Committee. By 2009, Williams faculty members were awarded 21 NSF working together, we are able to share not only facil- grants totaling $4,358,000 and 6 NIH grants totaling ities and equipment, but also ideas and enthusiasm, $1,622,104. e large number of individual faculty and so provide a “critical mass” of activity that might grants, together with recent grants from the Sherman not be possible within an individual department at a Fairchild Foundation, the Clare Boothe Luce Founda- small institution. tion, endowed funds from the Kresge Foundation, the e class of 2015 had 522 graduates, with 222 majors Keck Foundation, and other sources, has enabled us to in a science or mathematics discipline. Approximately purchase and maintain state-of-the-art equipment for 25% of students in 2015 have expressed interest in ca- teaching and research. Emphasizing close student-fac- reers in scientic research. e quality of the College’s ulty interactions, the opportunities in undergraduate science programs has nurtured this interest and this science education at Williams are exciting, diverse, year 53 students were inducted into Sigma Xi as asso- and forward-looking. 1 Major Science Center Funding Kresge Foundation Equipment Grant Clare Boothe Luce Research Scholarships Williams was awarded a large grant from the Kresge Funded by the Luce Foundation, the Clare Boothe Foundation in 1990 to replace and update major items Luce research scholars grant will increase the number of scientic equipment and instrumentation. is of female students at Williams who declare majors in three-part grant is used to purchase new equipment, the physical sciences (astrophysics, computer science, to support maintenance contracts and the repair of geosciences, mathematics/statistics, and physics) existing instruments, and also to support technical sta and will increase the proportion of women in these members who oversee the instruments. One aspect of elds conducting honors thesis research and pursuing the grant is that the College sets aside endowment funds doctoral degrees and careers in science. e Clare for the depreciation and eventual replacement of items Boothe Luce research grant supports cohorts, of purchased under the grant. rough this grant the eight women each year for three years, with funding college has purchased and maintains
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