In August 2019, science faculty and arts faculty teamed to deliver a two-day pilot STEAM (STEM+A) camp for high school girls from Cayuga County schools. The STEAM team was comprised of professor of chemistry Chris Bailey, assistant professor of biology Leah Elliott, Victor Hammer Fellow Leah Mackin and associate professor of studio art Katie Waugh. Marian Brown, director of the Center for Sustainability and the Environment, provided camp coordination. The faculty offered a number of interesting interactive activities that guided students through intersections between science and art. Faculty from area junior and senior high schools were invited to nominate their best and brightest for this unique experience; the participants were enthusiastic in their evaluation feedback. This pilot STEAM Camp was underwritten by a grant from the CNY Women's Fund.
Lindsay Burwell, assistant professor of chemistry, received a scholarship to attend the 2019 MDI Laboratory Bioinformatics T3: Train the Trainer workshop in Bar Harbor, Maine. The workshop focused on strategies to implement bioinformatic tools in the undergraduate curriculum.
From Aug. 18 to Aug. 23, 2019 Leah Elliott, assistant professor of biology; Linda Galbato, director of academic and career advising; Deborah Gagnon, professor of psychology; Sarah Markowitz, associate professor of psychology; and Lindsay Burwell, assistant professor of chemistry, took six students (Kara Reynolds '20, Shenelle Buckley '20, Jessica Mebane '20, Taylor Sofo '20, Morgan Gravlin '22 and Aliah Gilkes Richardson '21) to Carthage Area Hospital for the 2019 Rural Health Immersion Program. Throughout the week, students were able to experience how health care is carried out in a rural community and collect feedback from health care providers and community members about the quality of health care in that region. The feedback was presented at an open community presentation at the end of the week.
Gehan Dhameeth, assistant professor of business, attended the Digital Marketing Conference (DIGIMARCON) held May 9 and 10, 2019 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City. He also:
In August, Siouxsie Easter, professor of theatre, directed We Will Not Be Silent—a new play about Sophie Scholl and the White Rose movement—at the Morgan Opera House. The play, written by David Meyers, was the winner of the Gloria Peter Playwright Competition. The play included the acting talents of Wells students Luke Lauchle '20 and Mallory Cleere '20, was designed by Assistant Professor Patti Goebel, and featured Julie Bacorn '20 as the light board operator.
In May, M. E. Hogan, visiting lecturer in mathematics, attended the 55th Cornell Topology Festival, held at the Department of Mathematics at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y. On May 31, he gave a lecture, entitled "Commutative Diagrams for Quantum Cosmology" as part of EGM22: the 22nd Eastern Gravity Meeting, hosted by the Department of Mathematics, Department of Physics and the Center for Scientific Computing and Visualization Research at the University of Massachusetts–Dartmouth in Dartmouth, Mass. Also in attendance was Aaron Connolly '21.
Professor of art Ted Lossowski has a retrospective show of his sculpture in the String Room Gallery that exhibits some of his work over the past 40 years. The show opened on Sept. 6, 2019 and will be open to the public until Oct. 11. The Citizen newspaper (Auburn, N.Y.) published an article in its Sept. 11 edition profiling Professor Lossowski's show.
Niamh O'Leary, professor of environmental science, concluded a year of sabbatical research that focused on water quality in the Fall Creek watershed of Cayuga Lake. The primary goal of the research was to determine trends in phosphorus inputs to the lake over several decades. Phosphorus inputs are the focus of Cayuga Lake management because phosphorus is the limiting factor for algal growth in the lake. In addition to a detailed study of Fall Creek, additional data on northeastern Cayuga Lake tributaries in Cayuga County were also analyzed. Her sabbatical activities allowed other opportunities to contribute to ensuring the health of Cayuga Lake. She was invited to join the Water Resources Council that advises the Tompkins County Legislature on water resource issues, and was also invited to join the Cayuga Lake Monitoring Partnership, which will guide the lake and watershed through the adoption of a forthcoming lake management plan. She was also invited to contribute to the development of the harmful algal bloom action plan for Cayuga Lake.
