This weekend, independent film lovers in Oregon will watch a film made at Randolph College.
Beholder, which was created as part of the Randolph College Summer Research Program this year, was accepted in the Mt. Hood Independent Film Festival in Hood River, Oregon. Beholder will be screened at 10 a.m. Saturday, November 9.
“Being accepted to the Mt. Hood Film Festival was both incredibly exciting and validating,” said Ashley Peisher ’15, one of the students who worked on the film. “It’s easy to fall in love with something you pour your time and abilities into, so it was fantastic to hear that it was valued by others on such a level. It felt like we had done the message justice.”
Beholder tells the story of a man who carries his ailing father into the mountains in hopes that his father will learn to see the beauty in the world. Jim Peterson, a Randolph English professor who retired this year, wrote it as a play. Peisher worked with Sonja Cirilo ’15, former Randolph theatre professor Mace Archer, Randolph videographer Skip Wallace, and others to turn the play into a short film. They recorded it on a nearby mountainside in June.
As part of the Summer Research Program, they explored the techniques used in adapting a play for the screen. The experience helped the students learn about everything from storyboarding to post-production editing. “I’ve tried to branch out as much as I can within our theatre department, so it was a truly beautiful experience to dip my toes into film,” Peisher said. “It has given me a new perspective on the difference between the two crafts.”
Showing posts with label summer research 2013. Show all posts
Showing posts with label summer research 2013. Show all posts
Thursday, November 7, 2013
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Independent film festival selects film produced in Summer Research
A film created by students, faculty, and staff in the Randolph College Summer Research Program has been accepted into the Mt. Hood Independent Film Festival.
The Hood River, Oregon, festival will screen Beholder on Saturday, November 9.
Beholder was written by Jim Peterson, a Randolph English professor who retired this year. Ashley Peisher ’15 and Sonja Cirilo ’15 worked with Mace Archer, who was a Randolph theatre professor, and Skip Wallace, a videographer for the College, this summer to turn it into a film.
The Hood River, Oregon, festival will screen Beholder on Saturday, November 9.
Beholder was written by Jim Peterson, a Randolph English professor who retired this year. Ashley Peisher ’15 and Sonja Cirilo ’15 worked with Mace Archer, who was a Randolph theatre professor, and Skip Wallace, a videographer for the College, this summer to turn it into a film.
Monday, August 19, 2013
Randolph will participate in College Colors Day
August 30 is College Colors Day, “an annual celebration dedicated to promoting the traditions and spirit that make the college experience great by encouraging people across America to wear apparel of their favorite college or university throughout the day.” College Colors Day has been organized since 2005, and many organizations and colleges encourage participation.
The College not only wants you to participate, but we also want you to show off that school pride. On August 30, snap a picture of yourself wearing black and yellow at work, at your current school, at the pool or the park, or wherever you happen to be. Then share your photo on the Randolph College Facebook page.
We would also love for you to join Wanda WildCat and the whole College community at City Stadium that evening for Randolph College Night with the Lynchburg Hillcats. Your Randolph gear will get you into the baseball game for a discounted $3. Don’t miss the first pitch thrown by Randolph President Bradley W. Bateman, the National Anthem performed by Touch of Harmony, and lots of other fun activities with the Randolph community.
Monday, July 8, 2013
Students continue studying inertial navigation
Tim Slesinger ’14 continued research this summer to find a way to turn one of the most common electronic devices into a powerful navigational tool.
Last summer, he began working with Peter Sheldon, a Randolph physics professor, to find a way to use smartphones and other common electronic devices for inertial navigation, a process which tracks an object’s speed, direction, location, and orientation using only physical forces generated by the motion rather than outside sources such as GPS satellites. They used an iPod Touch to record accelerometer data while riding roller coasters, and then Slesinger worked with that data to try extrapolating the roller coaster’s route.
This summer, Alex Tran ’15 joined the project. They focused on more basic experiments to determine how they can most accurately record and analyze accelerometer information. Most of their experiments involved a one-dimensional motion created by pushing a wheeled cart along a short track.
“We do it over and over again so we can take more data,” Tran said. “The data is very complex. We have to get rid of the noise and estimate the position as best as we can.”
The students used several devices to push on the cart and record accelerometer data so they could see what type of accelerometer was most accurate. “We noticed the accelerometer on the fourth-generation iPod Touch is much better than on the second generation,” Slesinger said. Both recorded data with less noise—which could be caused by magnets or external vibrations—than a professional grade accelerometer. A Samsung Galaxy S3 smartphone had the best accelerometer of all the devices they tested.
If the research team comes up with a reliable way to do inertial navigation with these more affordable devices, it would open up more possibilities for physics teachers to do advanced experiments with their students without breaking the bank.
They also recorded video of each experiment this summer, allowing them to verify whether the cart was traveling at the same speeds that their calculations indicated, and they explored how to incorporate data from the devices’ gyroscopes.
The one-dimensional test is less exciting than a roller coaster, but Slesinger said it will allow him and Tran to perfect the method of processing the accelerometer readings. Then a three-dimensional map would be more attainable. “If we get a perfect, ideal program for the one-dimensional navigation, it will be miles easier to go into the complexity of a three dimension system,” he said.
Last summer, he began working with Peter Sheldon, a Randolph physics professor, to find a way to use smartphones and other common electronic devices for inertial navigation, a process which tracks an object’s speed, direction, location, and orientation using only physical forces generated by the motion rather than outside sources such as GPS satellites. They used an iPod Touch to record accelerometer data while riding roller coasters, and then Slesinger worked with that data to try extrapolating the roller coaster’s route.
This summer, Alex Tran ’15 joined the project. They focused on more basic experiments to determine how they can most accurately record and analyze accelerometer information. Most of their experiments involved a one-dimensional motion created by pushing a wheeled cart along a short track.
“We do it over and over again so we can take more data,” Tran said. “The data is very complex. We have to get rid of the noise and estimate the position as best as we can.”
The students used several devices to push on the cart and record accelerometer data so they could see what type of accelerometer was most accurate. “We noticed the accelerometer on the fourth-generation iPod Touch is much better than on the second generation,” Slesinger said. Both recorded data with less noise—which could be caused by magnets or external vibrations—than a professional grade accelerometer. A Samsung Galaxy S3 smartphone had the best accelerometer of all the devices they tested.
If the research team comes up with a reliable way to do inertial navigation with these more affordable devices, it would open up more possibilities for physics teachers to do advanced experiments with their students without breaking the bank.
They also recorded video of each experiment this summer, allowing them to verify whether the cart was traveling at the same speeds that their calculations indicated, and they explored how to incorporate data from the devices’ gyroscopes.
The one-dimensional test is less exciting than a roller coaster, but Slesinger said it will allow him and Tran to perfect the method of processing the accelerometer readings. Then a three-dimensional map would be more attainable. “If we get a perfect, ideal program for the one-dimensional navigation, it will be miles easier to go into the complexity of a three dimension system,” he said.
Friday, June 28, 2013
Summer Research students study courts' influence on civil rights discourse
As the Supreme Court of the United States has announced decisions on several high-profile cases this week, many people have been reading their judicial rulings and scouring the Internet for articles about the cases and the issues they addressed.
That is what this entire summer has been like for Penny Trieu ’15 and Connor Dye ’15, who are helping Vincent Vecera, a Randolph political science professor, continue research on the way judicial decisions affect public discourse by declaring civil rights.
People on either side of an issue might start their discussions based on the prudence of the policies they support. But if a court issues a decision that declares a civil right, the argument changes, he said. “Once you’ve taken the argument to the rights level, you have to respond with a rights argument,” he said. “With rights arguments, you can’t negotiate.”
But proving that idea requires studying the way public discourse shifts after a court renders a decision that defines a civil right.
Trieu and Dye each approached Vecera to ask about opportunities with Randolph’s Summer Research program. He asked them to take a part in his ongoing research by looking at court decisions on two topics. Trieu studied several state court decisions that concluded that individuals have a right to same-sex marriage. Dye explored Supreme Court decisions related to rights of gun ownership.
The students found news and opinion articles on the topics of same-sex marriage or gun control before and after the court cases. They classified each argument as being based on civil rights or based on other ideas.
They only recently amassed enough data to begin detailed analysis, but Trieu said there did seem to be a shift towards rights-based arguments about same-sex marriage after court rulings affirm such rights. (Although the Supreme Court issued two rulings related to same-sex marriage laws this week, they will not be incorporated into Trieu’s research because they did not declare a constitutional right to marriage.)
Dye said he saw similar patterns in arguments about gun control and second amendment rights. Other events tend to also impact the discourse, but only for a limited time. “Whenever there is a big tragedy, there will be a lot more arguments about regulating gun ownership for mentally ill people,” Dye said. “Then they turn off to another argument, like the rights argument.”
This summer has helped Trieu and Dye learn a lot about judicial rulings and public policy, but it also has taught them patience with the sometimes tedious art of research, as they each had to read hundreds of articles. Vecera assures them that the effort is worth the reward of approaching and answering important questions.
“The things that make research worthwhile aren’t necessarily found in the day-to-day action of it,” he said. “You feel them at the beginning and the end.”
That is what this entire summer has been like for Penny Trieu ’15 and Connor Dye ’15, who are helping Vincent Vecera, a Randolph political science professor, continue research on the way judicial decisions affect public discourse by declaring civil rights.
People on either side of an issue might start their discussions based on the prudence of the policies they support. But if a court issues a decision that declares a civil right, the argument changes, he said. “Once you’ve taken the argument to the rights level, you have to respond with a rights argument,” he said. “With rights arguments, you can’t negotiate.”
But proving that idea requires studying the way public discourse shifts after a court renders a decision that defines a civil right.
Trieu and Dye each approached Vecera to ask about opportunities with Randolph’s Summer Research program. He asked them to take a part in his ongoing research by looking at court decisions on two topics. Trieu studied several state court decisions that concluded that individuals have a right to same-sex marriage. Dye explored Supreme Court decisions related to rights of gun ownership.
The students found news and opinion articles on the topics of same-sex marriage or gun control before and after the court cases. They classified each argument as being based on civil rights or based on other ideas.
They only recently amassed enough data to begin detailed analysis, but Trieu said there did seem to be a shift towards rights-based arguments about same-sex marriage after court rulings affirm such rights. (Although the Supreme Court issued two rulings related to same-sex marriage laws this week, they will not be incorporated into Trieu’s research because they did not declare a constitutional right to marriage.)
Dye said he saw similar patterns in arguments about gun control and second amendment rights. Other events tend to also impact the discourse, but only for a limited time. “Whenever there is a big tragedy, there will be a lot more arguments about regulating gun ownership for mentally ill people,” Dye said. “Then they turn off to another argument, like the rights argument.”
This summer has helped Trieu and Dye learn a lot about judicial rulings and public policy, but it also has taught them patience with the sometimes tedious art of research, as they each had to read hundreds of articles. Vecera assures them that the effort is worth the reward of approaching and answering important questions.
“The things that make research worthwhile aren’t necessarily found in the day-to-day action of it,” he said. “You feel them at the beginning and the end.”
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Student Center is strengthening community on campus, Summer Research study shows
Randolph’s new Student Center buzzed with activity late into the night after an opening ceremony earlier this year. Students enjoyed food from the Skeller; socialized in the new commons area; played ping pong, pool, and video games; tried out a new dance floor; and exercised on state-of-the art fitness equipment overlooking the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains.
Amidst all of this excitement, Tsubasa Watanabe ’14 looked around and saw a research opportunity.
Watanbe, a sociology major, frequently ponders questions about how society functions and how people integrate with each other, particularly in the Randolph College community. As the $6 million Student Center renovation drew to a close, she proposed an independent study and Summer Research project that would examine the way the center impacts campus life.
“I thought maybe this is a chance to learn the answers to daily life questions through a scientific approach. That’s research,” Watanabe said.
Watanabe spent part of the spring semester observing how people interacted in the Student Center. She took note of the demographics of those using the student center, the activities they participated in, and with whom they interacted. She followed this with a survey that asked students questions about how they use the Student Center.
While analyzing the data this summer, Watanabe has determined that the new facility has served to strengthen community interaction on campus.
“The Student Center is really encouraging a sense of community,” Watanabe said. “I think it’s doing this very well because many people, according to the survey data, come to the Student Center alone, but they find someone here. It’s a nice place to just drop by and chat with people.”
Some survey responses indicated that sharing such a nice facility inspires students to treat the center—and each other—with respect, Watanabe said. “Since this is new and everybody likes it, everyone wants to keep it clean and nice. That also is creating a sense of community by making something symbolic for everyone to share on this campus.”
Watanabe is still analyzing some of the data she collected to learn more about the interaction between different demographic groups. She hopes her research can result in suggestions that will help more people use the Student Center and create a stronger community among the diverse student body.
“Many people have already found that they can do so many different things in the Student Center: they can eat, talk, play games, and study,” she said. “Having that kind of place is really nice. As many people do that, there are more opportunities for different people to get to know each other and find something in common.”
Amidst all of this excitement, Tsubasa Watanabe ’14 looked around and saw a research opportunity.
 |
| Tsuabasa Watanabe ’14 focused her independent study and a Summer Research project on Randolph's Student Center. |
Watanbe, a sociology major, frequently ponders questions about how society functions and how people integrate with each other, particularly in the Randolph College community. As the $6 million Student Center renovation drew to a close, she proposed an independent study and Summer Research project that would examine the way the center impacts campus life.
“I thought maybe this is a chance to learn the answers to daily life questions through a scientific approach. That’s research,” Watanabe said.
Watanabe spent part of the spring semester observing how people interacted in the Student Center. She took note of the demographics of those using the student center, the activities they participated in, and with whom they interacted. She followed this with a survey that asked students questions about how they use the Student Center.
While analyzing the data this summer, Watanabe has determined that the new facility has served to strengthen community interaction on campus.
“The Student Center is really encouraging a sense of community,” Watanabe said. “I think it’s doing this very well because many people, according to the survey data, come to the Student Center alone, but they find someone here. It’s a nice place to just drop by and chat with people.”
Some survey responses indicated that sharing such a nice facility inspires students to treat the center—and each other—with respect, Watanabe said. “Since this is new and everybody likes it, everyone wants to keep it clean and nice. That also is creating a sense of community by making something symbolic for everyone to share on this campus.”
Watanabe is still analyzing some of the data she collected to learn more about the interaction between different demographic groups. She hopes her research can result in suggestions that will help more people use the Student Center and create a stronger community among the diverse student body.
“Many people have already found that they can do so many different things in the Student Center: they can eat, talk, play games, and study,” she said. “Having that kind of place is really nice. As many people do that, there are more opportunities for different people to get to know each other and find something in common.”
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Students make film for Summer Research
On a warm summer day, as the late afternoon sun beat down on a mountain in Amherst County, Virginia, Sonja Cirilo ’15 applied a thin layer of makeup to make Bill Bodine’s face look paler and older. A few feet away, theatre professor Mace Archer looked out over a valley and ran through a script in his head.
When the camera began rolling a few minutes later, Archer portrayed Bobby, a man carrying his aged father on a miles-long hike into the mountain wilderness. “Ain’t got a name, far as I know,” he said. “Besides, you don’t need to know where it is.”
Archer and students have worked together this summer to produce a film adaptation of Beholder, a one-act play written by retiring Randolph English professor Jim Peterson. Students took on roles ranging from storyboarding to post-production, giving them insight and hands on experience in the art of filmmaking.
“It was much more tedious than I anticipated. It took a long time, but it was a good experience,” said Ashley Peisher ’15.
In Beholder, Bobby realizes that his father, “Pop,” likely will die soon. He carries Pop into a mountain where he hopes to reconcile their flawed relationship and help his father open his eyes. After discussing the phrase, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” Bobby implores, “You got to learn to be a beholder, Pop!”
“They do have a lot of conflict between each other. They have a big secret that has torn them apart,” Peisher said. “It is really about trying to give his father this enlightenment before he dies.”
Archer directed and acted in Beholder more than 10 years ago when he and Peterson each taught at Montana State University – Billings. After Peterson came to teach at Randolph, Archer produced several more of Peterson’s plays in Montana.
Cirilo and Peisher each helped Archer in a Summer Research project last year when they produced a play in a local motel as an experiment in environmental theatre. He invited both of them to participate in this new project this year. “I thought that the opportunity to shoot a film and give students the opportunity to see that process would be really exciting,” Archer said.
Because of Peisher’s design talent, Archer asked her to produce the storyboards—sketches that demonstrate the basic look of each scene and camera shot. He assigned Cirilo to oversee continuity—making sure that costumes, lighting, and props remain consistent from one scene to the next. He also wanted Cirilo, who hopes to act on television someday, to see how acting in front of a camera is different from acting on stage.
“I thought it was a really cool idea, and I wanted to get on board with it,” Cirilo said.
Skip Wallace, Randolph’s video producer, filmed the show and taught the students how to edit it using modern editing software.
The production crew recorded Beholder on a mountain over a period of several evenings in the past two weeks. This week, they are going through a painstaking editing process. The students hope to have the video ready to show by July 5, when Summer Research students will present the results of their projects. Then they will submit the video to several film festivals.
Peisher hopes that people will see the film and “I hope you will look around you and acknowledge the beauty of things around you, and really take in your surroundings, and be a beholder of beauty,” she said.
When the camera began rolling a few minutes later, Archer portrayed Bobby, a man carrying his aged father on a miles-long hike into the mountain wilderness. “Ain’t got a name, far as I know,” he said. “Besides, you don’t need to know where it is.”
 |
| Sonja Cirilo ’15 makes notes during the filming of a scene in Beholder. |
“It was much more tedious than I anticipated. It took a long time, but it was a good experience,” said Ashley Peisher ’15.
In Beholder, Bobby realizes that his father, “Pop,” likely will die soon. He carries Pop into a mountain where he hopes to reconcile their flawed relationship and help his father open his eyes. After discussing the phrase, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” Bobby implores, “You got to learn to be a beholder, Pop!”
“They do have a lot of conflict between each other. They have a big secret that has torn them apart,” Peisher said. “It is really about trying to give his father this enlightenment before he dies.”
Archer directed and acted in Beholder more than 10 years ago when he and Peterson each taught at Montana State University – Billings. After Peterson came to teach at Randolph, Archer produced several more of Peterson’s plays in Montana.
 | |
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Because of Peisher’s design talent, Archer asked her to produce the storyboards—sketches that demonstrate the basic look of each scene and camera shot. He assigned Cirilo to oversee continuity—making sure that costumes, lighting, and props remain consistent from one scene to the next. He also wanted Cirilo, who hopes to act on television someday, to see how acting in front of a camera is different from acting on stage.
“I thought it was a really cool idea, and I wanted to get on board with it,” Cirilo said.
Skip Wallace, Randolph’s video producer, filmed the show and taught the students how to edit it using modern editing software.
The production crew recorded Beholder on a mountain over a period of several evenings in the past two weeks. This week, they are going through a painstaking editing process. The students hope to have the video ready to show by July 5, when Summer Research students will present the results of their projects. Then they will submit the video to several film festivals.
Peisher hopes that people will see the film and “I hope you will look around you and acknowledge the beauty of things around you, and really take in your surroundings, and be a beholder of beauty,” she said.
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Transfer student finds more fun and academic opportunity at Randolph
A year ago, Elizabeth van Noppen ’14 had to make a difficult choice. She knew she should leave the campus that she had called home for her first two years of college.
At her first college, she did not experience the academic challenge that would help her grow. She also wanted greater diversity among her classmates and more social activities. “I wanted a place where everyone wanted to stay and have fun on the weekends,” van Noppen said. “I wanted a place that had a dynamic atmosphere and character.”
Randolph College is celebrating Transfer Week June 24 – 28. Learn more and schedule a tour of campus at www.randolphcollege.edu/transfer.
That spring, she watched her older sister Marian van Noppen ’12 graduate from Randolph College. Inspired by her sister’s pride and positive experiences here, she decided to tour Randolph for herself. “During the tours and the interviews I had, there was a clear difference,” she said. “I felt like I was connecting with this school. There was diversity, there was challenge, and there was more opportunity in my field.”
A psychology major, van Noppen spent part of that first campus tour talking to Beth Schwartz, the Catherine E. & William E. Thoresen Chair in Social Sciences and assistant dean of the College. Schwartz told her about a Summer Research Program project she was working on to study how honor codes affect academic honesty and cheating. Hearing that Randolph students have opportunities to work on summer projects alongside experienced professors helped van Noppen decide to transfer to Randolph.
Today, van Noppen is continuing that same research project on academic honesty in the 2013 Summer Research Program. Over the past few years, Schwartz and Megan Hageman ’13 conducted surveys to test how people viewed various dishonest academic behaviors. They found that students at colleges with traditional honor codes—featuring self-scheduled exams, a student-run judicial system for honor violations, and the expectation that students report violations—are more aware of standards of academic integrity than students at schools without honor codes or with a non-traditional honor code.
Van Noppen became interested as she saw the way Randolph’s honor system, including self-scheduled exams and many take-home tests, fostered integrity. “I noticed that the culture is really different. With less supervision, with more trust in your students, it makes students act more honestly, because there is that responsibility on them,” she said. “It’s helpful to see what mechanisms help reduce dishonesty in the classroom. I had always thought, to reduce cheating, you should add more consequences or try to manipulate the environment. Coming here and looking at the research, I've realized that's not the case.”
Van Noppen has continued analyzing data, focusing on the way gender affects academic honesty. She also helped finish a paper on the research which they submitted to the Journal of Ethics and Behavior.
In addition to Summer Research, van Noppen has enjoyed singing with Songshine, Randolph’s female a cappella group, and participating in events like Ring Week, when juniors and first-year students exchange gifts and juniors receive their class rings.
She encourages other college students who are looking for a change to tour Randolph and see whether it offers what they are looking for. “If you come here, you will have really special relationships with faculty and your peers,” she said. “You’ll be challenged academically, and you will have fun sporting events to attend. You’ll do quirky traditions. You’ll graduate knowing people you never thought you'd meet, and having friends you never thought you'd be friends with.”
At her first college, she did not experience the academic challenge that would help her grow. She also wanted greater diversity among her classmates and more social activities. “I wanted a place where everyone wanted to stay and have fun on the weekends,” van Noppen said. “I wanted a place that had a dynamic atmosphere and character.”
Transfer Week
A psychology major, van Noppen spent part of that first campus tour talking to Beth Schwartz, the Catherine E. & William E. Thoresen Chair in Social Sciences and assistant dean of the College. Schwartz told her about a Summer Research Program project she was working on to study how honor codes affect academic honesty and cheating. Hearing that Randolph students have opportunities to work on summer projects alongside experienced professors helped van Noppen decide to transfer to Randolph.
 |
| Transfer student Elizabeth van Noppen ’14, left, has enjoyed singing in Randolph’s female a cappella group Songshine, fun traditions, and academic opportunities like the Summer Research Program. |
Van Noppen became interested as she saw the way Randolph’s honor system, including self-scheduled exams and many take-home tests, fostered integrity. “I noticed that the culture is really different. With less supervision, with more trust in your students, it makes students act more honestly, because there is that responsibility on them,” she said. “It’s helpful to see what mechanisms help reduce dishonesty in the classroom. I had always thought, to reduce cheating, you should add more consequences or try to manipulate the environment. Coming here and looking at the research, I've realized that's not the case.”
Van Noppen has continued analyzing data, focusing on the way gender affects academic honesty. She also helped finish a paper on the research which they submitted to the Journal of Ethics and Behavior.
In addition to Summer Research, van Noppen has enjoyed singing with Songshine, Randolph’s female a cappella group, and participating in events like Ring Week, when juniors and first-year students exchange gifts and juniors receive their class rings.
She encourages other college students who are looking for a change to tour Randolph and see whether it offers what they are looking for. “If you come here, you will have really special relationships with faculty and your peers,” she said. “You’ll be challenged academically, and you will have fun sporting events to attend. You’ll do quirky traditions. You’ll graduate knowing people you never thought you'd meet, and having friends you never thought you'd be friends with.”
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Summer Research student examines Blackwater Creek health
For 10 years, Randolph College students have been testing the health of Blackwater Creek, a tributary of the James River flowing through Lynchburg. This summer, Kavya Pradhan ’14 will analyze all of the test results and decipher what that data says about the waterway.
“We have 10 years’ worth of data, but we didn’t have anyone analyzing it,” Pradhan said. “I want to know whether we have recorded any trends.”
Karin Warren, the Herzog Family Chair of Environmental Studies, began teaching her students how to test water quality in 2003, shortly after she began her position at the College. She still assigns students in her beginning environmental studies classes to take water samples each fall, with more advanced students serving as project leaders. They examine the stream’s physical and chemical characteristics, as well as the volume of insects, worms, and other small organisms that can be found in samples. “We’ve had well over 300 students who have worked on this project over the last decade,” Warren said.
A few years after Warren’s students began testing the waters, Lynchburg began efforts aimed at improving Blackwater Creek. Those efforts have included sewer system upgrades designed to stop sewer lines from overflowing into the creek during storms, as well as erosion control programs. By analyzing test results from before the work began to more recent data, Pradhan hopes to measure the impact that the improvement efforts have had.
“It’s really essential to see whether or not a type of remedial action is having an effect,” Pradhan said. “You might be spending millions of dollars on it without improving it.”
In addition to analyzing test results from previous years, Pradhan is collecting new information. On Monday, she led a group on a testing expedition on a section of the creek not far from the College. They spent a few hours collecting water samples, counting creatures found in the mud, and running other tests. It was a welcome break from more mundane data analysis.
“That’s what’s great about this project. I can stay inside and work on the computer going over the data sheets. But I can also go out and get into the stream,” Pradhan said. “It might be frustrating to get down the steep bank to the creek, but when you get down there you can look around and it’s really pretty.”
The project was featured in a story by a local television station on Monday. Read the WDBJ-7 story here.
“We have 10 years’ worth of data, but we didn’t have anyone analyzing it,” Pradhan said. “I want to know whether we have recorded any trends.”
 |
| Kavya Pradhan ’14, right, and Galen Shen, a high school student assisting with the project, take water samples from Blackwater Creek in Lynchburg. |
A few years after Warren’s students began testing the waters, Lynchburg began efforts aimed at improving Blackwater Creek. Those efforts have included sewer system upgrades designed to stop sewer lines from overflowing into the creek during storms, as well as erosion control programs. By analyzing test results from before the work began to more recent data, Pradhan hopes to measure the impact that the improvement efforts have had.
“It’s really essential to see whether or not a type of remedial action is having an effect,” Pradhan said. “You might be spending millions of dollars on it without improving it.”
 |
| Ludovic Lemaitre ’11, sustainability coordinator, Sarah Lawson, an environmental science and physics professor, Karin Warren, the Herzog Family Chair of Environmental Studies, and Mimansha Joshi ’14 look for tiny organisms in leaves pulled from Blackwater Creek. |
“That’s what’s great about this project. I can stay inside and work on the computer going over the data sheets. But I can also go out and get into the stream,” Pradhan said. “It might be frustrating to get down the steep bank to the creek, but when you get down there you can look around and it’s really pretty.”
The project was featured in a story by a local television station on Monday. Read the WDBJ-7 story here.
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Student looks to the skies in astronomy research project
If scientists ever discover a giant asteroid on a collision course with our planet, they will owe a lot of their information on the asteroid to the observations of amateur astronomers such as Hart Gillespie ’15.
Gillespie is conducting a Summer Research project at Winfree Observatory, Randolph College’s 90-year-old observatory with a 14-inch telescope. He hopes to record an asteroid occultation and submit the data to an international database that helps scientists track asteroids.
An asteroid occultation is an instance when an asteroid passes between the earth and a star, blocking part or all of the light. An astronomer can observe that part or all of the star disappears momentarily, ranging from a split second to as long as 20 seconds. This can provide valuable information on an asteroid that is otherwise invisible.
“All you need is one occultation to see that the asteroid was there, but you would know where it was in only one instance in time,” said Gillespie, a physics major. “You would have no idea where it’s going, or how fast it is going, and you would not know the shape of the asteroid.” Those additional details can be pieced together as astronomers from many locations track occultations and send their data to the International Occultation Timing Association.
Gillespie’s plan is to pay attention to asteroid occultation predictions, usually published about a week in advance of a potential occultation, to schedule time to work in the observatory in hopes of viewing an occultation.
Observing occultations has been more difficult than Gillespie had anticipated, mainly because of weather conditions over the past several weeks. “I’ve learned it's cloudy a lot, so maybe I should go into radio astronomy,” he said.
While waiting for clear skies, Gillespie has been working with the College’s facilities staff on plans to improve the observatory facility with an electrical upgrade, scaffolding that will make the telescope easier to use, and a first-floor classroom area. He hopes the changes will make Randolph College Star Parties, held about once a month, more enjoyable for amateur astronomers in Lynchburg and more useful for physics education at Randolph.
Gillespie is conducting a Summer Research project at Winfree Observatory, Randolph College’s 90-year-old observatory with a 14-inch telescope. He hopes to record an asteroid occultation and submit the data to an international database that helps scientists track asteroids.
An asteroid occultation is an instance when an asteroid passes between the earth and a star, blocking part or all of the light. An astronomer can observe that part or all of the star disappears momentarily, ranging from a split second to as long as 20 seconds. This can provide valuable information on an asteroid that is otherwise invisible.
“All you need is one occultation to see that the asteroid was there, but you would know where it was in only one instance in time,” said Gillespie, a physics major. “You would have no idea where it’s going, or how fast it is going, and you would not know the shape of the asteroid.” Those additional details can be pieced together as astronomers from many locations track occultations and send their data to the International Occultation Timing Association.
Gillespie’s plan is to pay attention to asteroid occultation predictions, usually published about a week in advance of a potential occultation, to schedule time to work in the observatory in hopes of viewing an occultation.
Observing occultations has been more difficult than Gillespie had anticipated, mainly because of weather conditions over the past several weeks. “I’ve learned it's cloudy a lot, so maybe I should go into radio astronomy,” he said.
While waiting for clear skies, Gillespie has been working with the College’s facilities staff on plans to improve the observatory facility with an electrical upgrade, scaffolding that will make the telescope easier to use, and a first-floor classroom area. He hopes the changes will make Randolph College Star Parties, held about once a month, more enjoyable for amateur astronomers in Lynchburg and more useful for physics education at Randolph.
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Sending Order Through Chaos: Student examines "Rule 30" math problem
A Randolph College student is using his math and computer programming skills to help solve a puzzling mathematical problem.
Nam Hoang ’15, an engineering physics major, and Marc Ordower, a mathematics professor, are working with Stephen Wolfram’s “Rule 30” to explore ways to keep chaos from disrupting a pattern. When Hoang expressed interest in the Summer Research Program, Ordower suggested working on this problem because it has fascinated him for several years.
Wolfram’s Rule 30 demonstrates entropy—the move toward chaos. To apply the rule, mathematicians define a pattern in a row of cells that can be either alive or dead. On the next row, the status of each cell depends on the pattern of cells immediately above it. After a few rows, the entire system begins to demonstrate chaos.
Ordower wanted to find out if there is a way to create a pattern that can remain constant over an infinite number of new rows, even as chaos grows around the pattern. If such a pattern does exist, it could have implications for numerous situations, such as sending data electronically. “We transmit data all the time, and some of that data is lost,” Ordower said. “There are lots of people working on how robust you can make a message, and how many resources you need to make a message robust so it arrives correctly.”
Ordower and Hoang are spending most of their research time with pencil and paper trying to devise an algorithm and mathematical proof that would show that there is a pattern that could continue indefinitely. Hoang also has been writing computer programs to help dig deeper into the question. “At first it looked like it was so simple. We were trying to prove that we could send information through chaos,” Hoang said. “It turned out that it was very complicated. I’ve learned to analyze it and understand it.”
Hoang’s efforts have yielded some insight. His computer program discovered a pattern that disappears into chaos, but parts of the pattern emerge again.
Solving a complex problem like this is much larger than a summer project, so Ordower expects he and Hoang will continue seeking an answer even after the Summer Research program completes. He said it is great experience for Hoang, who hopes to become a computer engineer, in working with a mathematics problem that has never been solved, which is the real work of mathematics.
“The bigger mathematics gets, the more open problems there are,” Ordower said. “There are thousands of mathematicians working on millions of open problems around the world.”
Nam Hoang ’15, an engineering physics major, and Marc Ordower, a mathematics professor, are working with Stephen Wolfram’s “Rule 30” to explore ways to keep chaos from disrupting a pattern. When Hoang expressed interest in the Summer Research Program, Ordower suggested working on this problem because it has fascinated him for several years.
 |
| This computer simulation demonstrates how Rule 30 can be applied to a pattern. After enough rows, the pattern (the alternating on-and-off straight lines) disappears into chaos. |
Ordower wanted to find out if there is a way to create a pattern that can remain constant over an infinite number of new rows, even as chaos grows around the pattern. If such a pattern does exist, it could have implications for numerous situations, such as sending data electronically. “We transmit data all the time, and some of that data is lost,” Ordower said. “There are lots of people working on how robust you can make a message, and how many resources you need to make a message robust so it arrives correctly.”
Ordower and Hoang are spending most of their research time with pencil and paper trying to devise an algorithm and mathematical proof that would show that there is a pattern that could continue indefinitely. Hoang also has been writing computer programs to help dig deeper into the question. “At first it looked like it was so simple. We were trying to prove that we could send information through chaos,” Hoang said. “It turned out that it was very complicated. I’ve learned to analyze it and understand it.”
Hoang’s efforts have yielded some insight. His computer program discovered a pattern that disappears into chaos, but parts of the pattern emerge again.
Solving a complex problem like this is much larger than a summer project, so Ordower expects he and Hoang will continue seeking an answer even after the Summer Research program completes. He said it is great experience for Hoang, who hopes to become a computer engineer, in working with a mathematics problem that has never been solved, which is the real work of mathematics.
“The bigger mathematics gets, the more open problems there are,” Ordower said. “There are thousands of mathematicians working on millions of open problems around the world.”
Monday, June 3, 2013
Research Rocks: Randolph student and high school assistants making discoveries in Randolph's geological collection
A Randolph College senior and two E.C. Glass High School students are spending this summer transforming a geological collection with thousands of rocks and minerals.
They are cleaning, sorting, identifying, and labeling items in Randolph’s collection to make them more useful for education and research. Mimansha Joshi ’14, a Randolph student from Nepal, is leading the project.
“If we clean, identify, and archive them, they will be accessible not only for students and professors here, but also for other researchers in the region,” Joshi said.
The College’s collection of rocks and minerals is part of a larger natural history collection that includes bird, mammal, and insect specimens, many of which date to the late 1800s. Students started updating the collection and repairing specimens over the past couple of years, led by Emily Smith ’12, who now serves as a curatorial coordinator for the collection.
There are more than 1,000 pieces in the geological collection. “Some of the specimens are likely very rare, since some are from regions where mining and collecting are now restricted,” Smith said. “It is far too valuable an asset not to be catalogued and stored carefully.”
Galen Shen and Annemarie Taheny, rising juniors at E.C. Glass High School in Lynchburg, are assisting Joshi in cleaning and organizing the rocks and minerals.
Shen said that with her mother, Karin Warren, and stepfather, Marc Ordower, teaching at Randolph and working with the College’s Summer Research Program nearly every year, she has always wanted to participate. But they always told her she was too young. This year, her mother, the Herzog Family Chair of Environmental Studies, became the faculty sponsor for Joshi’s project and asked Shen if she would like to help.
Shen hopes to someday turn her research toward the skies as an astronomer, but she was happy to have the opportunity to start with researching rocks. “I’ve always had an interest in research in general,” she said.
Shen invited Taheny, a friend of hers, to participate in the project as well. “I’ve never done a research project before, but I’m interested in going into science,” she said.
Shen said this project has helped expand on what they have been learning in school. “We both had earth science, so we know in general about different types of rocks, but this is much more in depth,” she said.
The project began with a mystery this summer: Many of the rocks and minerals in the collection have stickers with numbers written on them, but no one knows what the numbers mean. Joshi believes there must be a list somewhere. The research team has combed the attic of Martin Science Building and the archives of Lipscomb Library without luck yet, but they plan to keep looking. “Our mission is also to find the key to all those labels,” Joshi said. As they organize and identify the rocks, Joshi will enter them into an electronic database for the natural history collection.
Joshi is sharing stories and photos related to the research here on the Randolph College Natural History Collection blog.
They are cleaning, sorting, identifying, and labeling items in Randolph’s collection to make them more useful for education and research. Mimansha Joshi ’14, a Randolph student from Nepal, is leading the project.
“If we clean, identify, and archive them, they will be accessible not only for students and professors here, but also for other researchers in the region,” Joshi said.
There are more than 1,000 pieces in the geological collection. “Some of the specimens are likely very rare, since some are from regions where mining and collecting are now restricted,” Smith said. “It is far too valuable an asset not to be catalogued and stored carefully.”
Galen Shen and Annemarie Taheny, rising juniors at E.C. Glass High School in Lynchburg, are assisting Joshi in cleaning and organizing the rocks and minerals.
Shen said that with her mother, Karin Warren, and stepfather, Marc Ordower, teaching at Randolph and working with the College’s Summer Research Program nearly every year, she has always wanted to participate. But they always told her she was too young. This year, her mother, the Herzog Family Chair of Environmental Studies, became the faculty sponsor for Joshi’s project and asked Shen if she would like to help.
Shen hopes to someday turn her research toward the skies as an astronomer, but she was happy to have the opportunity to start with researching rocks. “I’ve always had an interest in research in general,” she said.
Shen invited Taheny, a friend of hers, to participate in the project as well. “I’ve never done a research project before, but I’m interested in going into science,” she said.
Shen said this project has helped expand on what they have been learning in school. “We both had earth science, so we know in general about different types of rocks, but this is much more in depth,” she said.
The project began with a mystery this summer: Many of the rocks and minerals in the collection have stickers with numbers written on them, but no one knows what the numbers mean. Joshi believes there must be a list somewhere. The research team has combed the attic of Martin Science Building and the archives of Lipscomb Library without luck yet, but they plan to keep looking. “Our mission is also to find the key to all those labels,” Joshi said. As they organize and identify the rocks, Joshi will enter them into an electronic database for the natural history collection.
Joshi is sharing stories and photos related to the research here on the Randolph College Natural History Collection blog.
Friday, May 31, 2013
Summer Research project looks for Middle East peace
Sarah Terlizzi ’15 and Becca Leo ’15 have a lofty goal for their Summer Research project: peace in the Middle East.
While they do not expect a major international treaty soon to come from their summer work, they are researching and brainstorming ideas that could contribute towards a peaceful end to the conflict between Israel and Palestine that has waged for decades. “We’re not naive about this issue. We know it’s not going to change overnight,” Terlizzi said. “It’s going to take a lot of work and a lot of time, but in the end, it will be worth it.”
Jennifer Dugan, a political science professor, and Terlizzi have been planning this project since Terlizzi first participated in the Model United Nations program in 2012. They invited Leo to join them because she studied the Middle East conflict extensively for the 2013 Model U.N. conference. The purpose of the project is to study the role that the U.N. can and should play in creating peace.
They have studied every peace plan or “roadmap” proposed for the region over the past 13 years so they can look for common concepts. They also are examining proposals that have passed in the U.N. to determine what types of proposals could conceivably be adopted. “Our ultimate hope is to come up with our own roadmap to peace,” Leo said.
Leo was fascinated to see ideas emerge as she examined the proposals. “There was no one who was more pessimistic than I after coming out of a whole semester of studying this problem,” she said. “But there are many more points of consensus among these peace plans than I ever imagined. That’s something really positive to me.”
Terlizzi, Leo, and Dugan are adapting the common themes they identified and adding their own thoughts, too. One idea they hope to incorporate into their road map is to have the U.N. Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) provide management for sacred sites in Jerusalem. This could protect and preserve holy monuments and locations in the city and alleviate some concerns of religious interests in the region, Leo said.
Next week, they will test their ideas by presenting them to two groups in Washington, D.C., one that represents Israeli Americans and one that represents Palestinian Americans. Those meetings will provide feedback to help them refine their ideas.
Terlizzi said her research has given her a more realistic understanding of what has caused the ongoing conflicts. Education is key to unwinding the animosity and establishing peace, she said. Leo added that economic advances and time will be necessary, too.
“As the younger generation gets to the age where they are running for office and being leaders, there will be less animosity,” Leo said. “Public opinion will change. It always does. We’re trying to see what we can do to help create public opinion flow in a way that would be positive.”
While they do not expect a major international treaty soon to come from their summer work, they are researching and brainstorming ideas that could contribute towards a peaceful end to the conflict between Israel and Palestine that has waged for decades. “We’re not naive about this issue. We know it’s not going to change overnight,” Terlizzi said. “It’s going to take a lot of work and a lot of time, but in the end, it will be worth it.”
 |
| Sarah Terlizzi ’15 and Becca Leo ’15 participated in Model U.N. this spring, and now they are exploring Middle East peace opportunities. |
They have studied every peace plan or “roadmap” proposed for the region over the past 13 years so they can look for common concepts. They also are examining proposals that have passed in the U.N. to determine what types of proposals could conceivably be adopted. “Our ultimate hope is to come up with our own roadmap to peace,” Leo said.
Leo was fascinated to see ideas emerge as she examined the proposals. “There was no one who was more pessimistic than I after coming out of a whole semester of studying this problem,” she said. “But there are many more points of consensus among these peace plans than I ever imagined. That’s something really positive to me.”
Terlizzi, Leo, and Dugan are adapting the common themes they identified and adding their own thoughts, too. One idea they hope to incorporate into their road map is to have the U.N. Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) provide management for sacred sites in Jerusalem. This could protect and preserve holy monuments and locations in the city and alleviate some concerns of religious interests in the region, Leo said.
Next week, they will test their ideas by presenting them to two groups in Washington, D.C., one that represents Israeli Americans and one that represents Palestinian Americans. Those meetings will provide feedback to help them refine their ideas.
Terlizzi said her research has given her a more realistic understanding of what has caused the ongoing conflicts. Education is key to unwinding the animosity and establishing peace, she said. Leo added that economic advances and time will be necessary, too.
“As the younger generation gets to the age where they are running for office and being leaders, there will be less animosity,” Leo said. “Public opinion will change. It always does. We’re trying to see what we can do to help create public opinion flow in a way that would be positive.”
Students and biology professor aim to rid compost of deadly bacteria
A group of Randolph researchers hope to save lives by fighting bad cheese bacteria with good cheese bacteria.
The bad cheese microorganism is Listeria monocytogenes, which is dangerous and potentially deadly to the elderly, children, and pregnant women, and is sometimes found in soft cheeses. The good cheese bacterium is Lactococcus lactis, which is used to make cheddar cheese. They are studying whether putting Lactococcus lactis in compost will kill any Listeria and make the fertilizer safer to use.
“Municipalities and commercial entities are starting to get into mass composting,” said Adam Houlihan, a Randolph College biology professor. “If that compost becomes contaminated with some sort of food-born pathogens, those could possibly contaminate produce grown with the compost.” That contamination could result in more illness and death.
Houlihan asked Elizabeth Delery ’14 and Meron Demeke ’15 to work with him on this research project.
They turned four trash cans into composting bins and filled each with compost. One bin contains only the compost, while another contains the compost and Listeria (although a non-deadly form). The other two contain compost, Listeria, and different forms of Lactococcus lactis. Their theory is that the lactic acid and nicin produced by the Lactococcus lactis will help kill the Listeria.
Each day, the research team takes the temperature of each batch of compost. They also take samples to test for acidity and bacteria levels. Within a couple of weeks, the data should show hints about the validity of their theory, but Houlihan said the research will continue throughout the summer.
Delery has already started another research project with Houlihan to investigate a cancer treatment idea that she had. She said the compost research has helped her to develop laboratory skills that would be useful in her desired career as a medical doctor or in other careers she may choose. “I enjoy the research and the hands-on experience with lab techniques,” she said.
Demeke, who is weighing the options of attending medical school or pursuing a Ph.D., looks forward to finding out whether their method of killing Listeria works. “If we succeed in what we’re doing, we’ll be saving lives, which is the ultimate goal,” she said.
The bad cheese microorganism is Listeria monocytogenes, which is dangerous and potentially deadly to the elderly, children, and pregnant women, and is sometimes found in soft cheeses. The good cheese bacterium is Lactococcus lactis, which is used to make cheddar cheese. They are studying whether putting Lactococcus lactis in compost will kill any Listeria and make the fertilizer safer to use.
 |
| Meron Demeki ’15 probes the temperature of compost. |
Houlihan asked Elizabeth Delery ’14 and Meron Demeke ’15 to work with him on this research project.
They turned four trash cans into composting bins and filled each with compost. One bin contains only the compost, while another contains the compost and Listeria (although a non-deadly form). The other two contain compost, Listeria, and different forms of Lactococcus lactis. Their theory is that the lactic acid and nicin produced by the Lactococcus lactis will help kill the Listeria.
Each day, the research team takes the temperature of each batch of compost. They also take samples to test for acidity and bacteria levels. Within a couple of weeks, the data should show hints about the validity of their theory, but Houlihan said the research will continue throughout the summer.
 |
| Elizabeth Delery ’14 prepares to streak a petri dish. |
Demeke, who is weighing the options of attending medical school or pursuing a Ph.D., looks forward to finding out whether their method of killing Listeria works. “If we succeed in what we’re doing, we’ll be saving lives, which is the ultimate goal,” she said.
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Students tackle real-world research questions in 2013 Summer Research Program
Elizabeth Delery ’14 and Meron Demeke ’15 hope to use compost to keep soft cheeses and fruits free from bacteria that can prove deadly for pregnant women and the elderly.
Meanwhile, Hart Gillespie ’15 will spend much of his summer tracking asteroids through the Winfree Observatory telescope and sending data to NASA.
And Kavya Pradhan ’14 will find out whether the efforts to clean up Lynchburg’s Blackwater Creek are having the intended effect.
It’s all in a day’s work for Randolph College’s Summer Research students.
The 2013 Summer Research Program kicked off this week with a luncheon during which students and professors introduced their research plans. This summer, 24 students are working with 14 faculty members to conduct research in topics ranging from theatre to geology and from biophysics to political science.
Throughout this summer, come back to the Randolph College blog for details and stories about each project. You will find out how the students are doing research, what they discover, and how they are having fun along the way.
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