People in the news - Week of May 3, 2019

Publication Date
Students at a chemistry conference.

Students, faculty and alumni participated in the 257th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society in Orlando. Ellen Robertson, assistant professor of chemistry, gave a poster presentation, “Amphiphilic Peptoid Polymers for Directing the Assembly of Gold Nanoparticles at the Oil-Water Interface.” Hayden Paneth '20 and Elizabeth Whitney '20 were co-authors. Seven students attended and presented posters on their research: Nicole Derosier '19, Michael Aldoroty '19, Scott Ambos '19, Stephanie Kearing '19, Xiao Peng Li '19, Yifei Zhu '20 and Aaron Rapaport '20. Michael Hagerman, professor of chemistry, co-presented with Rapaport.

These students performed research under the direction of one or more of the following faculty members: Hagerman; Joanne Kehlbeck, associate professor of chemistry; Laura MacManus-Spencer, associate professor of chemistry; Mary Carroll, the Dwane W. Crichton Professor of Chemistry; Ann Anderson, the Agnes S. MacDonald Professor of Mechanical Engineering; and Bradford Bruno, professor of mechanical engineering.

As part of the conference, Carroll also participated in ACS governance activities as councilor for the Eastern New York ACS Section and associate member of the Committee on Science.

Michael Morris ‘14, a doctoral student in biochemistry at the University of California-Irvine, organized the LGBTQ+ Graduate Student & Postdoctoral Scholar Research Symposium and presented a poster on his graduate research. Jake Ulrich '17, a graduate student at Duke University, also presented a poster.

Student at physics conference.

A contingent from Union represented the College at the spring meeting of the Astronomical Society of New York at the University at Albany. Jennifer Carter, visiting assistant professor of physics and astronomy, presented a talk, “Modeling the Thermal Radiation of Exoplanets.” Six students presented posters about their astronomy research projects including Helen Black ‘21, Jake Feinstein ‘21, Christos Kakogiannis ‘22, Georgia Mraz ’21, Aiyana Poulin '19 and Jason Sindoni ’21. Poster advisors include Carter; Francis Wilkin, senior lecturer of physics and astronomy; and Rebecca Koopmann ’89, professor of physics and astronomy. Paul Amy ‘08 presented a talk about his graduate work at RPI.

Julie Lohnes, director and curator of art collections and exhibitions, Robyn Reed, associate librarian and head of access services, and Deidre Hill Butler, associate professor of sociology, co-presented at a conference at Columbia University. The group presented “Black Space and Branding in the AfroFuture: The Rippling Effect of Schaffer Library’s Afrofuturist Exhibitions” at the 10th annual Diversity in Research and Practice Conference.

Chad Orzel, the Gordon Gould Associate Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, presented a talk at the April meeting of the American Physical Society. The event brings together physicists from 24 divisions and topical groups, with an emphasis on particle and nuclear physics and astrophysics. This year's meeting, focused on “Quantum to Cosmos,” was held in Denver. Orzel's talk, “Science Blogs and Talking Dogs: Reflections on 17 Years in Social Media,” was in an invited session as part of the organization’s Forum on Outreach and Engaging the Public. See his abstract here.

A forthcoming book by Bradley Hays, associate professor of political science, was featured in an “Author Meets Critics” panel at the New England Political Science Conference. The book is titled States in American Constitutionalism: Interpretation, Authority, and Politics.

An article by Katherine Lynes, associate professor of English, will be included in an upcoming volume of conference proceedings published by Cambridge Scholars, titled The U.S. and the World We Inhabit. Her article, “‘Words Fail Me Here:’ The Subject of Nature in Black Ecopoetry," stems from her participation at the AISNA Biennial Conference held at the University of Milan. In June, Lynes will present a paper in Perpignan, France, at an international symposium. Her paper is titled: “‘how on earth do you read me’: Stepping Outdoors in Harryette Mullen’s Urban Tumbleweed.

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