Rising Temps at the Bottom of the World
Research in Antarctica by climate scientist Dana Veron ’95 has implications for people around the globe. By Robyn Rime One of the hottest spots for studying climate change right now is also one of the coldest. The vast ice sheet of Antarctica — the largest single mass of ice on the planet — is melting at a rate most scientists find alarming. That matters, in part because it signals a warming climate, but also because it...
VIDEO: Muons Over Letchworth
Geneseo faculty and students placed muon detectors at Letchworth State Park to show how – muons – a subatomic particle interacts with us, every second. Watch a video about the community engagement project:
Seeing the Invisible
Geneseo faculty and students placed detectors at Letchworth State Park to show a subatomic particle interacts with us, every second. By Kris Dreessen Cosmic rays from outer space collide with atoms in the upper atmosphere, creating subatomic particles called muons that fall to earth. Muons pass through everything on their journey, including us. If you hold your arm out right now, two or three will pass through your outstretched hand...
Geneseo Fulbrights Across the World
Students and alumni who have earned the prestigious fellowships are informal ambassadors who are transformed by the experience. By Kris Dreessen Watch a series of videos from Fulbrighters about their experience: go.geneseo.edu/fulbright Rachel Britton ’18 always appreciated nature, but it took an undergraduate study abroad program in Iceland to truly feel a part of it. Exploring ancient island rock formations and the literature they...
Discoveries in the Deep
Marine biologist Mackenzie Gerringer studies the depths of the world’s oceans from the rolling hills of Geneseo. By Robyn Rime Down in the ocean’s trenches — far beyond the reach of sunlight — the deep sea is unimaginably dark, a world of frigid temperatures and immense pressures. Marine organisms manage to flourish in these harsh environments, and assistant professor of biology Mackenzie Gerringer studies how. “I fell in love...
Video: Fuel for the Future
In his lab in the Integrated Science Center, Barnabas Gikonyo, lecturer in chemistry and director of introductory chemistry labs, teaches students the foundations of chemistry research. Last year, 10 of them assisted with long-term projects to support better health and more sustainable use of resources. Gikonyo, an expert in organic and materials chemistry, and his team are developing both biofuels and a biocompatible cement that may...
Seeds and Harvest
While Geneseo’s mission is to foster student growth, faculty and staff learn and gain inspiration from students as well. By Kris Dreessen In higher education, we most often hear about how students learn from professors and staff. But just as often, those faculty and staff members say they learn from and are inspired by students. They are mentors, but their support of students comes back to them in many, sometimes revelatory, ways....
Breaking Higher Ed’s Gender Barriers
How Geneseo and two professors are shaping the future of women and underrepresented groups in academia, especially in STEM fields. By Lonny Lippsett Though women in academia have made strides in recent decades, they remain stubbornly underrepresented in higher professorial ranks, especially in STEM fields. Two initiatives at Geneseo have been launched to help surmount entrenched barriers for women faculty. Wendy Pogozelski,...
Toothsayer
Tanya Smith ’97 shows how simple teeth can reveal complex stories about how humans evolved. By Lonny Lippsett When Tanya Smith ’97 peered into the time capsules, two small children who lived 250,000 years ago came back to life. They were Neanderthals, an ancient species of now-extinct evolutionary cousins of humans, who had dwelled in what is now southeastern France. One child, Smith could make out, was born in springtime and was...
Video: The Power of Music and Science
Jamie Sacca Dostal ’08 blends science and music to help children with disabilities. Learn about her work in the classroom and read her profile about the power of...
Scene Around the World
Where will you take your issue of the Geneseo Scene? Check out our Scene Around the World photo gallery and submit your own snapshot.