Summer in San Francisco</h1> <article> <h1>Summer in San Francisco</h1> <p>jreinier — Wed, 05 Oct 2022 15:19:15 +0000</p> <span>Summer in San Francisco</span> <span><span>jreinier</span></span> <span><time datetime="2022-10-05T11:19:15-04:00" title="Wednesday, October 5, 2022 - 11:19">Wed, 10/05/2022 - 11:19</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Soprano Cassondra Davies is currently studying with Kendra Colton and plans to continue on to graduate school for voice. But that's not all—a double degree in biochemistry, she also wants to earn her M.D. She has worked in the labs of Catherine Oertel and Shuming Chen and has recently joined the lab of William Parsons where she is pursuing an Honors Project during the 2022-2023 academic year. </p> <p>Amber Rogers, Conservatory Communications student assistant, recently spoke with Davies and her studio teacher, Professor Kendra Colton.</p> <p>AR: Professor Colton, why do you encourage your students to seek out summer study opportunities? </p> <p>KC: I've always told my students that they could be the greatest singer in the world, but if no one ever hears them, what future do they have as performers? They need to be heard far and wide outside the �鶹��Ƶ arena.</p> <p>AR: How did your �鶹��Ƶ training prepare you for this summer experience, Cassie?</p> <p>CD: �鶹��Ƶ prepared me wonderfully. My training with Kendra Colton is immensely helpful to me. She is so specific with technique, musicality and artistic detail that I felt very prepared for my master classes and concerts.</p> <p>Professor Bandy, one of �鶹��Ƶ’s vocal coaches, was also a great help with Czech and Russian diction. I had the opportunity to sing in Graham Johnson’s Schubert concert, which is also a testament to Professor Colton because she helped me so much in preparing my Schubert pieces. During my coachings at SongFest, I found that only small notes were given, like tempo changes. I attribute all the wonderful experiences I had during Songfest to Kendra because she has given me such a strong foundation and pushes me to be the best singer I can be.</p> <p>AR: What are some things you learned at Songfest that you will apply during your �鶹��Ƶ studies?</p> <p>CD: At the end of last year, my voice started to change, so I was experiencing a bit of a transition. During Songfest, our now-retired �鶹��Ƶ voice professor Lorraine Manz gave me many helpful strategies to add to my toolbox.</p> <p>She gave me the confidence to start connecting with my bigger voice coming in. We did straw techniques to help connect with my breath. I benefited from this and will apply it during the rest of my studies. We worked on some of the classic arias together, which was great. I really appreciated having that support from her over the summer while I was, and still am, experiencing this vocal transition.</p> <p>AR: How did having so many �鶹��Ƶ students at this program contribute to your experience?</p> <p>CS: Well, not only were there �鶹��Ƶ students in my class, there were �鶹��Ƶ alumni in the Professional Program! It did make me more comfortable, and it gave me the support of familiar people that I could trust. Together we all met a lot of people and expanded our networks even more. It was also great to hear them sing! We are often so busy during the year and aren’t able to hear each other perform, so it was great to hear each other. I am delighted I had �鶹��Ƶ students with me during this experience.</p> <p>AR: What growth do you see in students who take advantage of summer study opportunities, Professor Colton? </p> <p>KC: Students return to school excited about what they have learned and how they succeeded in the programs they’ve attended. They seem more focused and goal-oriented in what they want to do going forward. Their experiences are validating and help build the confidence that is necessary to perform and achieve. It's a joy to share in their growth and enthusiasm for singing.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Cassondra Davies' experience at SongFest</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2022-10-05T12:00:00Z">Wed, 10/05/2022 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Amber Rogers</div> <div class="text-content field field--name-field-intro-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>�鶹��Ƶ’s Vocal Studies students are often encouraged to seek out summer enrichment opportunities. These experiences add to �鶹��Ƶ’s training and allow students to explore potential roles and repertoire while expanding their network. SongFest, an art song program in California, has been a regular choice for many �鶹��Ƶ vocal students. This program offers master classes, concerts, daily lessons, and coachings. </p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2410">Students</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2590">Summer Projects</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2356">Conservatory</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=35596">Voice</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/vocal-studies" hreflang="und">Vocal Studies</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Courtesy of Cassondra Davies</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Beyond Her Years</h1> <p>jreinier — Tue, 04 Oct 2022 19:04:26 +0000</p> <span>Beyond Her Years</span> <span><span>jreinier</span></span> <span><time datetime="2022-10-04T15:04:26-04:00" title="Tuesday, October 4, 2022 - 15:04">Tue, 10/04/2022 - 15:04</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The <a href="https://musicacademy.org/">Music Academy of the West</a> has been around since 1947, and it's rare to see someone gracing its prestigious stage at the mere age of 21. This summer, �鶹��Ƶ senior Kylie Kreucher did just that, spending a transformative eight weeks as the youngest vocal fellow at this year's Music Academy. One of the nation's preeminent summer schools and festivals for classical music, the Academy takes place in Santa Barbara, California. Kylie was thrown right in, singing alongside the other 19 vocal fellows, who were mostly Master's and doctoral students.</p> <p>Kreucher remembers, "The opening night I was so nervous. I knew I was the youngest and was so scared that I would hear all these people and think, 'I don't belong here.'" But the butterflies quickly faded. "When I got onstage, I didn't feel nervous. I felt like, 'Yes I’m here and I can do this and I belong here.' That was a very special moment for me."</p> <p>Kreucher’s strong start was followed by a duo with Sasha Cook—a mezzo at the Met—in a special event for the Academy's sponsors. She continued with a role in the summer opera, <em>Eugene Onegin</em>, by Pyotr Illyich Tchaikovsky, as well as a collaborative performance with a piano fellow in the Academy's Marilyn Horne art song competition. Kreucher shares, "I made so many incredible friendships: the level was so high, but there wasn’t any competitiveness in the air. Everyone was super supportive of each other."</p> <figure class="captioned-image obj-right"> <figcaption>Kreucher in a lesson with Katherine Jolly</figcaption> </figure> <p>Kreucher also owes much to the support of her studio teacher, Katherine Jolly, who received �鶹��Ƶ Conservatory's Excellence in Teaching Award in 2021. "Receiving the Excellence in Teaching Award is highly affirming," says Jolly. "I am inspired every day by my students' talent, dedication, passion, and their willingness to embrace the process of learning how to sing, which requires tremendous vulnerability. I'm honored to be a part of their path." In particular, Jolly lauds her student: "Working with Kylie over the past three years has been a great joy. She is innately musical, linguistically flexible, intellectually curious, has an incredible work ethic, and she is a generous spirit."</p> <p>On Kreucher's part, the success of the academy has increased both her skill and her confidence. She reflects, "I thought about this a lot this summer: I love how “new” singing feels for me each time, each performance. I love the adrenaline. It never gets old, it’s always exciting, and it’s always a little bit scary, but that keeps me invested in it. Getting the opportunity to share music and messages with all sorts of people is so special."</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">�鶹��Ƶ soprano Kylie Kreucher’s experience at the Music Academy of the West</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2022-10-04T12:00:00Z">Tue, 10/04/2022 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Joshua Reinier</div> <div class="text-content field field--name-field-intro-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Kylie Kreucher reflects on the confidence she gained this summer.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2410">Students</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2590">Summer Projects</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2356">Conservatory</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=35596">Voice</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-faculty field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/katherine-jolly" hreflang="und">Katherine Jolly</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/vocal-studies" hreflang="und">Vocal Studies</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Courtesy of Music Academy of the West</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>A Voice Major Recounts Her Summer at SongFest</h1> <p>eburnett — Tue, 03 Sep 2019 14:46:25 +0000</p> <span>A Voice Major Recounts Her Summer at SongFest</span> <span><span>eburnett</span></span> <span><time datetime="2019-09-03T10:46:25-04:00" title="Tuesday, September 3, 2019 - 10:46">Tue, 09/03/2019 - 10:46</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>During the summer months, Obies travel far and wide to learn, perform, and teach all over the world. But what does a typical summer look like for an �鶹��Ƶ vocal performance major?</p> <p>This summer I spent four weeks as a student at SongFest, a festival dedicated entirely to the study of art song, which combines poetry set to music for voice and (usually) piano. Held at the Colburn School in downtown Los Angeles, SongFest was a deeply transformative experience—and not just because this East Coast mezzo lived the West Coast lifestyle for more than a month.</p> <p>Throughout SongFest, voice teachers, coaches, performers, and composers from around the world convene to work with singers and collaborative pianists. Students range in age from first-year undergrads to those with established careers. A day at SongFest usually includes yoga, morning and afternoon master classes, lessons, coachings, and an evening concert.</p> <p>To be honest, I felt semi-heroic for waking up for an 8 a.m. yoga class six days a week for four weeks. Do the math. Anyways, we needed to move to a bigger studio after the first class because there was so much interest, and the next day I walked into the new studio to find floor-to-ceiling windows with a view of the L.A. Phil covered in a giant banner of Gustavo Dudamel applauding. Somewhere in the timeless abyss of holding “down dog” for any longer than 15 seconds, it’s truly encouraging to glance up from the sweat tracing your forehead and see Gustavo frozen in praise. Gotta take your wins when you can.</p> <figure class="captioned-image obj-right"> <figcaption>�鶹��Ƶ connections were plentiful at SongFest 2019.</figcaption> </figure> <p>Back to basics. SongFest’s faculty includes educators from schools such as Juilliard, Mannes, USC, and NEC—and this year’s program included master classes and discussions with Schubert legend Graham Johnson, mezzo-soprano Susan Graham, L.A. Opera Music Director James Conlon, L.A. Master Chorale Artistic Director Grant Gershon, and composers Jake Heggie, Libby Larsen, and Martin Hennessy. �鶹��Ƶ has strong representation on the faculty, with vocal coach Tony Cho and voice professor Lorraine Manz in addition to alumna soprano Martha Guth ’98, a professor of voice at Ithaca College, and Mark Moliterno ’83, vocalist and founder of YOGAVOICE.</p> <p>The intimate nature of SongFest led to a community enthusiastic about art song, meaning that texting a group chat “we’re all listening to Schumann in my room, come hang” wasn’t a strange occurrence. The chance to live and work alongside top-level musicians allowed me to realize that even the most famous artists are just curious, passionate students of music who maybe have a few years on you. It makes a career seem more accessible—and, honestly, everyone has to take the same elevator.</p> <figure class="captioned-image obj-right"> <figcaption>Maskelony (second from right) performing with a quartet in SongFest's final concert. (courtesy of Jeanine Hill Photography)</figcaption> </figure> <p>One of my favorite performances at SongFest was the final concert, a cabaret of American Songbook classics. Works from the American Songbook are familiar...what are you going to give an audience with “Blue Skies” that they haven’t seen before? Why is this song necessary in this exact moment? How do you express that impulse? Answering those questions showed me new ways to open myself up onstage.</p> <p>That fearlessness is also a skill I’ve learned at �鶹��Ƶ. On the last day of SongFest, I walked into a coaching session and was greeted with, “Do you want to sing some Swedish today?” What the coach meant was, “Do you want to sight sing a Swedish art song in actual Swedish?” We took five minutes to cover the basic diction rules of Swedish—a language with which I had no experience—and then we tore through the piece. After the final chord, he looked up and said, “Do you want to try Finnish?”</p> <p>Handling that situation with decent confidence demonstrates how �鶹��Ƶ prepared me for high-level musicianship; my choir sight reading, aural skills courses, and many diction classes and coachings empowered me to stare down a new art song in a foreign language and resist the urge to blink.</p> <p>As SongFest came to an end, I spent the next week meandering back to the East Coast. On my way, I stopped by the Santa Fe Opera, where bass-baritone Cory McGee ’18 was singing in the opening weekend of <em>The Pearl Fishers</em>, and Wolf Trap Opera, where I caught up with bass-baritone Jeremy Harr ’18 in his Wolf Trap debut. I also grabbed a lesson with my pre-�鶹��Ƶ teacher, soprano Jennifer Casey Cabot ’86. It was a good summer to catch Obies in action!</p> <figure class="captioned-image obj-right"> <figcaption>As a first-year student at �鶹��Ƶ, Maskelony served as assistant director of Angel's Bone.</figcaption> </figure> <p>The lessons I learned at SongFest help me approach my current work with more clarity. Back home in D.C., I’ve been preparing for my roles in the workshop of the new opera <em>The Wild Beast of the Bungalow</em>, with music by Rachel J. Peters and libretto by Royce Vavrek, which will receive its world premiere at �鶹��Ƶ in January. I especially look forward to this project because, as a first-year student, I served as assistant director on Du Yun ’01 and Vavrek’s Pulitzer Prize-winning opera <em>Angel’s Bone</em>, which was presented during winter term of 2018. It’s exciting to work with Mr. Vavrek again, this time as a performer.</p> <p>Learning an opera that was almost literally written last month and has exactly zero recordings available provides plenty of challenges, but by working with the patience required for art song, I feel more confident navigating a new piece. As I return to �鶹��Ƶ, I’m grateful to SongFest for how the people there taught me to cherish detail and specificity, and then to throw it all off a bridge into a fast-moving river. You do the work, breathe, and trust that spontaneous performance includes your preparation.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2019-09-03T12:00:00Z">Tue, 09/03/2019 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Charlotte Maskelony '21</div> <div class="text-content field field--name-field-intro-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Charlotte Maskelony's month of intensive study included numerous �鶹��Ƶ connections.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2356">Conservatory</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2590">Summer Projects</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2403">Career Exploration & Development</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=35596">Voice</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=32971">Opera Theater</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/vocal-studies" hreflang="und">Vocal Studies</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">courtesy of Charlotte Maskelony</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Q&A with Cole Scholar Ilana Foggle ’21</h1> <p>eulrich — Tue, 28 May 2019 13:58:28 +0000</p> <span>Q&A with Cole Scholar Ilana Foggle ’21</span> <span><span>eulrich</span></span> <span><time datetime="2019-05-28T09:58:28-04:00" title="Tuesday, May 28, 2019 - 09:58">Tue, 05/28/2019 - 09:58</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p><strong>Can you talk about how you came across this opportunity with Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign?</strong></p> <p>The opportunity to work on Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign would not exist without the <a href="/node/83946" target="_blank">Cole Scholars Program</a>, <a href="/node/6261" target="_blank">Professor Michael Parkin</a> who facilitates the program, and <a href="/node/6271" target="_blank">Professor Eve Sandberg</a>, who helped to set up my placement. All Cole Scholars have one-on-one meetings with Eve, where they discuss their research goals for the summer, as well as their ideal campaign placements. Going into my meeting, I knew that my dream would be to work on Kamala Harris’ communications team. Eve already knew that I had previous campaigning experience and that I really wanted to work on a presidential campaign. When we met, Eve told me that she would pass on my resume to the Iowa communications director to see if they had any interest in bringing me onto the team for the summer. After interviewing with the communications director and sending along references, I was officially offered the position. I am so incredibly grateful to the Cole Scholars Program for not only making my dream a reality, but also for providing the financial resources to make sure that all students can participate in the program.</p> <p><strong>What kind of fieldwork will you be doing for the campaign?</strong></p> <p>I will be working on Kamala Harris’ communications team in Des Moines, Iowa, and doing fieldwork and youth organizing in the area. A lot of my communications work will involve building relationships with local press, compiling media coverage lists, and assisting in the management of Harris’ Iowa social media platforms. A lot of my fieldwork and organizing will be centered around voter mobilization in preparation for the Iowa caucuses on February 3, 2020.</p> <p><strong>Has your position as an �鶹��Ƶ student helped you prepare for this position?</strong></p> <p>Absolutely, yes! I would not have the experience, knowledge, or skills to prepare me to work on Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign if it weren’t for �鶹��Ƶ. The <a href="/career" target="_blank">Career Development Center</a> has helped me obtain <a href="http://www2.oberlin.edu/wt/" target="_blank">winter term</a> internships in the political world that have prepared me for the fast-paced environment of a political campaign. My professors in the politics department have given me the knowledge and support to successfully navigate the current political climate while working on a presidential campaign. In fact, assistant professor <a href="/node/6221" target="_blank">Jenny Garcia</a> encouraged me to write my final research paper for her class, American Presidency and Power, on a winning campaign strategy for Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign. I honestly could go on and on about the incredible faculty, support systems, and resources that have prepared me for interning at Kamala Harris’ campaign this summer.</p> <p><strong>What do you do within the Cole Scholars Program and how has it informed your experiences within and outside of �鶹��Ƶ?</strong></p> <p>Going into the Cole Scholars Program, I had already worked on a congressional campaign and interned at a progressive political campaigning firm in Washington, D.C. These opportunities gave me a lot of insight about political campaigning through a practitioner’s lens. As part of the Cole Scholars Program, I took the Studies in Electoral Politics course, in which we analyzed political campaign strategy from an academic and research-based approach. The combination of these experiences has completely shaped the way that I look at political campaigning and the importance of voter mobilization efforts. When we return from our summer placements to �鶹��Ƶ in the fall, Cole Scholars will be writing individual research papers combining our fieldwork research and our academic research. My hope is to write my paper on the intersections of voter mobilization, identity, and communications. With that said, the Cole Scholars program hasn’t just informed my experiences as a campaign practitioner or as a political researcher. It has also informed my experiences as a voter. As the 2020 election comes closer, I hope to take the knowledge and experience that I have gained as a Cole Scholar and apply it to mobilizing young voters in our community.</p> <p><strong>What part of this experience are you most looking forward to?</strong></p> <p>Wow, I don’t know if I can pick just one! First, I am super excited to be in Des Moines as a part of Harris’ campaign. Not only is Iowa the first state to hold primary elections in the 2020 election cycle, but the nature of the Iowa Democratic caucus also provides an interesting framework for me to research voter mobilization efforts as part of a presidential campaign. The results from the Iowa caucuses will be extremely telling of who the likely frontrunners are for the Democratic nomination, and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to be involved in this process. Second, I am so happy to be working on a campaign for a candidate that I have always looked up to. On the night of the 2016 election, I felt devastated, fearful, and discouraged. As a 16-year-old who was unable to vote, I felt incredibly disillusioned with the electoral process. However, when I heard that former attorney general of California Kamala Harris had won her Senate campaign, I felt an emotion stronger than fear: I felt hopeful. I think my 16-year-old self would be incredibly proud that less than three years later, I would end up working on this presidential campaign.</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2019-05-28T12:00:00Z">Tue, 05/28/2019 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Phoebe Pan ’20</div> <div class="text-content field field--name-field-intro-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Politics major and Cole Scholar Ilana Foggle ’21 will spend the summer in Des Moines, Iowa, participating in fieldwork on Kamala Harris’ 2020 presidential campaign as a member of the communications team.</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2590">Summer Projects</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2403">Career Exploration & Development</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25416">Politics</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-faculty field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/michael-parkin" hreflang="und">Michael Parkin</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/jenny-garcia" hreflang="und">Jenny Garcia</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/politics" hreflang="und">Politics</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Ilana Foggle ’21</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Courtesy of Ilana Foggle</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Summer Research at FAST</h1> <p>eulrich — Thu, 04 Oct 2018 18:18:11 +0000</p> <span>Summer Research at FAST</span> <span><span>eulrich</span></span> <span><time datetime="2018-10-04T14:18:11-04:00" title="Thursday, October 4, 2018 - 14:18">Thu, 10/04/2018 - 14:18</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Located in the economically depressed Guizhou province in China, FAST has attracted onlookers from around the world. The 500-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST) cost the Chinese government more than $180 million to construct and has brought in not only tourists, but some of the world’s most adept radio astronomers. Didier Banyeretse ’20 and Hengrui Zhu ’21, both physics majors at �鶹��Ƶ, had the opportunity to conduct research at the FAST site, which included working alongside Chinese astronomer Weiwei Zhu to implement data from the FAST telescope at �鶹��Ƶ.</p> <p>Both Banyeretse and Zhu were research assistants for Francis D. Federighi Professor of Physics Dan Stinebring in 2017, who has been instrumental in connecting Obies with research opportunities at the FAST site.</p> <p>These international research opportunities for students are funded by the North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves (NANOGrav), of which Stinebring is a senior researcher, with support from the National Science Foundation.</p> <p>Stinebring has been a faculty member at �鶹��Ƶ for more than 25 years and has long been a proponent of the lasting effects of international research opportunities on students. </p> <p>He says, “Like other �鶹��Ƶ faculty members in the sciences, my own research is greatly enriched by the collaborative work that students and I do together. These experiences can help shape a life, whether or not the student decides to pursue a career in astronomy.”</p> <p>Stinebring, who frequently involves students in his research, also facilitated <a href="/node/47581" target="_blank">a research fellowship for Shana Li ’20</a> with the FAST research group in the summer of 2017.</p> <p>Although nearby Pingtang has been dubbed “Pingtang Astronomy Town” because of the considerable number of tourists who have flooded the region, Banyeretse says that he was able to work with relative quiet and peace of mind throughout the summer because of the numerous checkpoints leading to the FAST site. </p> <p>Banyeretse’s research at FAST was not only a prestigious opportunity, but an extension of his previous research opportunities guided by Stinebring. Banyeretse says, “My plans to participate in this research began in January of this year when Professor Stinebring and I traveled to the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico. From there, I got acquainted with some wonderful people at NANOGrav who facilitated this amazing research opportunity.”</p> <p>For Stinebring, seeing his students thrive while pushing themselves out of their comfort zones is invaluable. “It is very exciting to see these young researchers gaining experience, confidence, and a set of international contacts,” he says.</p> <p>“The research we are pursuing may result in the detection of long-wavelength gravitational waves from orbiting supermassive black holes. These students will be on the forefront of that effort as we expand our collaboration to include Chinese researchers and facilities.”</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2018-10-04T12:00:00Z">Thu, 10/04/2018 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Erin Ulrich ’18</div> <div class="text-content field field--name-field-intro-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Physics majors Didier Banyeretse ’20 and Hengrui Zhu ’21 spent the summer working at the largest radio telescope in the world—the FAST telescope in China.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2363">Academics & Research</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2367">Science & Math</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2590">Summer Projects</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25411">Physics</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/physics-and-astronomy" hreflang="und">Physics and Astronomy</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Hengrui Zhu ’21 and Didier Banyeretse ’20 at the FAST site (back row, left to right), alongside NSF delegation visitors</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Photo Courtesy of FAST</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>STRONG Returns for Its Fourth Year</h1> <p>eulrich — Thu, 20 Sep 2018 18:27:10 +0000</p> <span>STRONG Returns for Its Fourth Year</span> <span><span>eulrich</span></span> <span><time datetime="2018-09-20T14:27:10-04:00" title="Thursday, September 20, 2018 - 14:27">Thu, 09/20/2018 - 14:27</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Science and Technology Research Opportunities for a New Generation (<a href="/node/47691" target="_blank">STRONG)</a> returned this summer with a cohort of eight incoming first-years participating in research activities ranging from conducting interviews for the citywide environmental dashboard to searching for dark matter. To be eligible for the STRONG program, students must either be women, Pell-eligible, students of color, or the first in their immediate families to attend college. Since its inception in 2015, STRONG has paired first-year students with �鶹��Ƶ College professors in STEM fields to conduct research together. </p> <p>STRONG intentionally introduces students typically underrepresented in STEM fields to college-level research—allowing them to delve into their fields of interest before taking their first college class. STRONG scholars fresh out of high school are immersed in research with professors—something that typically requires students to demonstrate significant diligence, even as upperclassmen.</p> <p>Assistant Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, Director of Undergraduate Research, and Assistant Professor of Comparative American Studies and Africana Studies Afia Ofori-Mensa, who designed the program in 2014 and has since served as STRONG program director, says that the approach the program takes around issues of belonging, identity, and care, are relevant not just to STEM fields, but to institutions of higher learning as a whole.</p> <p>Ofori-Mensa says, “The idea with STRONG is that if underrepresented students want to remain in STEM, they should be able to remain in STEM. It is not skills, or even resilience, that those students are often lacking. It is things like confidence—their own confidence in themselves and the confidence of others in their capabilities—and a sense that they belong here, in this place that may feel so different from everything they’re used to.”</p> <p>Although the program lasts for five weeks, the professors involved in the program are committed to seeing through their students’ success long after the program ends. Many STRONG scholars go on to participate in research with their program leaders-turned-mentors, even choosing them as advisors for their senior theses.</p> <p>True to the program’s mission to make research accessible, STRONG scholars earn a $2,000 living stipend for conducting full-time research throughout the program, funding to cover travel expenses to and from �鶹��Ƶ, as well as to help pay for textbooks their first year.</p> <p>But STRONG is about more than introducing scientifically gifted first-years to the often intimidating space of a college lab. STRONG scholars get a head start adjusting to college life—meeting twice a week for workshops designed to prepare them for their undergraduate courses, such as Math for Science and Study Skills and Time Management.</p> <p>The nature of the program’s eligibility requirements necessitates that the professors involved reflect on the makeup of their respective fields. Associate Professor of Physics and Chair of Physics and Astronomy Jason Stalnaker says that �鶹��Ƶ’s commitment to demonstrating a continued interest in this type of programming goes deeper than the institution’s concerns.</p> <p>“Physics is notoriously bad at representation—if you go to conferences it’s 80-90% white males. I think �鶹��Ƶ’s long history of inclusion is one of its strong points, and STRONG is an example of this. To me, it’s broader than �鶹��Ƶ,” Stalnaker says.</p> <p>While students selected for the program benefit in obvious ways, the program also enhances professors’ abilities to advance their research during the summer. Paul Sears Professor of Environmental Studies and Biology John Petersen says, “The reality is that I’m really looking for good students who are at a level in which they can participate and be colleagues in my research.”</p> <p>“I think all students benefit from community-engaged learning,” says Petersen. “At the end of the day, one of �鶹��Ƶ’s goals is and should be to prepare students to be successful agents of change in the larger world. The community of �鶹��Ƶ and surrounding regions that we’re working with are the real world. The cty of �鶹��Ƶ is a small community, which means that we can affect change fairly rapidly with personal engagement.”</p> <p>In addition to their propensity to becoming leaders—or “experts in �鶹��Ƶ,” as Petersen calls them—STRONG scholars have a special opportunity to develop relationships and receive advice from their peers, many of whom are advanced undergraduates helping out in professors’ labs. Associate Professor of Biology Maureen Peters says, “Integrating an incoming student with continuing students allows STRONG scholars to have a larger support community, including near peers who can share valuable information about their personal path in STEM at �鶹��Ƶ—the highs and the lows—as well as practical information like how to find ‘K’ vs. ‘A’ rooms in the Science Center.”</p> <p>Friendly faces are more than just a perk of the program—these student connections act as a catalyst for incoming STEM students to ask questions, seek the resources they need, and simply be able to see themselves as leaders in the fields they’re passionate about.</p> <p>Assistant Professor of Neuroscience Leslie Kwakye leads a STRONG research group and believes �鶹��Ƶ is poised to be at the forefront of conversations around representation in STEM. She says, “These underrepresented individuals in STEM have the potential to offer novel viewpoints in scientific research and medicine and to reshape the priorities of scientific endeavors in such a way as to better serve disadvantaged groups.”</p> <p>Ofori-Mensa echoes the idea that STRONG scholars are not only prepped to be leaders, but that programs like this can transform the way STEM fields think about the places of typically underrepresented scientists. She says, “I’ve noticed that one of the most pronounced effects of STRONG so far is that STRONG scholars identify strongly as scientists. They tend to declare their majors earlier than others in their class, a lot of them within their first year. They come into college identifying with STRONG, and because STRONG is a STEM program, it also means they identify with STEM.”</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2018-09-20T12:00:00Z">Thu, 09/20/2018 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Erin Ulrich ’18</div> <div class="text-content field field--name-field-intro-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>STRONG brings incoming first-year students from underrepresented demographics in STEM to campus early, showing them that they have a place in these disciplines.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2363">Academics & Research</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2590">Summer Projects</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2367">Science & Math</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2358">Undergraduate Research</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=4861">Neuroscience</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25351">Environmental Studies and Sciences</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25411">Physics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25251">Biology</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-faculty field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/leslie-kwakye" hreflang="und">Leslie Kwakye ’06</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/jason-stalnaker" hreflang="und">Jason Stalnaker</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/john-petersen" hreflang="und">John Petersen ’88</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/physics-and-astronomy" hreflang="und">Physics and Astronomy</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/biology" hreflang="und">Biology</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/neuroscience" hreflang="und">Neuroscience</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/environmental-studies" hreflang="und">Environmental Studies and Science</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Regina Stasser de Gonzalez and Jason Stalnaker</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Yvonne Gay</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> </main></body></html>