www.union.edu
Jay Read ’07
Major: Physics
Minor Math
Minerva: Golub House
Hometown: Westport, MA
When Jay Read ’07 heard about Union College from his college counselor at Moses Brown High School in Providence, R.I., he placed it at the top of his list.
In Union, he saw a small liberal arts school with strong science departments that allowed for undergraduate research experience – exactly what he was looking for. When he went on an overnight visit and saw the campus firsthand, Read was hooked.
“After that, I just couldn’t wait to be back on campus as a student,” says the Westport, Mass. “I knew right away that Union was a place where I could really grow.”
After moving into West College, the freshman wasted little time in becoming active in several student groups.
“In my first few days on campus, I made several of my best friends here. They’re some very interesting people who have helped shape who I have become over the last few years,” he says.
One of them is Matt Ernst ’07, a former member of the U.S. Climbing Team. They became fast friends, discussing their love of climbing and going to the Electric City Rock Gym, an indoor climbing gym on Jay Street. There was only one problem about the facility: the cost was climbing, too.
“Some friends and I had been spending a lot of time climbing, and we thought it might be a good idea to see if we could become a recognized club on campus, with funding. Our first year, we got a grant; and by winter term of my sophomore year, we officially became the Rock Climbing Club.”
As the club’s co-presidents, Read and Ernst have enjoyed watching it grow in the past year and a half. The College covers nearly all climbing costs for members. Those who have their own equipment pay only $2 per visit to Electric City; those who need to rent pay $5.
Early on, Read also made his presence known athletically, becoming active in the popular Ultimate Frisbee Team.
“Playing Frisbee was a way to meet some great upperclassmen I may have never met,” Read says. “Frisbee had always been a hobby, but at Union, it became a sport, a place to compete.”
As co-captain, Read has seen the team evolve. In the fall, members traveled to a tournament hosted by the University of Massachusetts as Amherst, competing, for the first time, in the open division. These tournaments, open to all ages, invite some of the strongest Frisbee teams in the nation. To the Union team’s credit, the players broke seed in the tournament, playing beyond all expectations.
Read has also displayed remarkable initiative academically. Last summer, he stayed in Schenectady to assist Rebecca Koopmann, professor of physics, in her research.
“I spent the summer accessing data from the radio telescope at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico. We looked for a connection between galaxies and hydrogen discs in order to determine if certain galaxies are in a cluster,” Read says. “The experience was amazing. At large schools, undergraduates never even get to work one-on-one with professors, and it is almost unheard of to get this sort of opportunity in the summer before junior year.”
This winter, Read is on a term abroad, doing research on the Tasmanian logging industry. It’s not only interesting, but relevant, too. His family owns several parcels of land in the Adirondacks, where they use an environmentally friendly technique known as “replenished logging.”
“Tazmania is one of the few places in the world that is still truly wild,” Read enthused before leaving. “I look forward to meeting new people and learning about the logging industry, a topic that hits close to home.”
He also hoped to go on some hikes and do some camping there. The treasurer of the College’s Outing Club, he is the quintessential outdoorsmen who would rather be out with nature than in his dorm.
When he is in, though, Read makes the most of that experience, too, by serving as head resident assistant for Fox Hall.
“I love my job as an R.A.,” he says. “Fox houses people from several class years. I’ve gotten to know some really great kids.”
He also has a home away from Fox at his fraternity, Sigma Chi. “The guys at Sigma Chi are awesome. Last spring, I had a great time going on the journey that is pledging, and now I love having a place to hang out with some of my best friends.
“Union is a place with so many opportunities and such a storied history,” he says, reflecting on his time here. “I’m just trying to leave my mark.”