EXCEL Scholars
Rebecca Citrin ’14 Gets Kids Excited about Science and Technology
Rebecca Citrin ’14 (Springfield, N.J.) loves to see kids get excited about science and technology. She has put countless hours into two projects to help generate that enthusiasm. Citrin, a civil engineering major, is developing the curriculum for an interactive museum-based game that will help students ages 9-12 learn about sustainability concepts and environmental engineering [...]
Prof. Christopher Phillips Breaks New Ground with Book on the Epic’s Influence on American Culture
A “stupid” mistake turned into one of Christopher Phillips’ smartest discoveries during the research process for his new book, Epic in American Culture, Settlement to Reconstruction (The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2012). Phillips first visited the U.S. Supreme Court building on a Saturday, only to find the building, of course, closed. But serendipity was on his [...]
Student-Faculty Team Explores Effects of Video Chat on Toddlers
With online communication options such as Skype and FaceTime becoming increasingly popular, people can keep in touch all over the world through real-time video conversations. These technologies can be a blessing that allows family and friends to stay connected with children who live far away. A video conversation is certainly enjoyable for adults, but are [...]
Student-Faculty Team Researches Effects of Gravitational Waves on Pulsars
David Nice, associate professor of physics, and a team of students are bringing the role of gravitational waves—ripples in space-time generated by very distant massive black hole binary systems—into perspective through their research on pulsar timing. Nice is part of an international group of physicists that received a $6.5 million, multi-institution grant from the National [...]
Daniela Filip ’15 Contributes to Two Films by Professor Nandini Sikand
By Michele Tallarita ’12 Working with an accomplished filmmaker this summer gave Daniela Filip ’15 a big boost in fulfilling her dream of becoming a filmmaker herself. A double major in film & media studies and international affairs, she edited video, collected research, acquired permissions for shooting footage, and performed other work as an EXCEL [...]
Professor Gary Gordon and Dorde Rakic ’15 Explore How Social Media Affects People’s Choices
In the world of Facebook and Twitter, rumors fly quickly. Gary Gordon, professor and associate head of mathematics, and Dorde Rakic ’15 (Belgrade, Serbia) are delving into social media to learn how rumors affect people and influence their behavior. “Think of people on Facebook, with two people connected if they are friends. How quickly does [...]
Professor Justin Corvino Receives $150,000 NSF Grant for Geometric Analysis Research
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded Justin Corvino, associate professor of mathematics, a $149,052 grant to continue his research on geometric analysis problems inspired by Einstein’s theory of gravitation (general relativity). The Research at Undergraduate Institutions (RUI) grant will fund his research and travel, as well as that of participating students, through 2015. There [...]
Professor Deborah Byrd and Kristin Anderson ’14 Work to Design Housing Programs for Young Parents
“One of the things I’ve discovered in working with young moms and dads is that they are often in desperate need of safe, affordable housing, particularly after they graduate from high school,” says Deborah Byrd, professor of English. Since 2005, Byrd has been involved with the Family and Development Research Program (FDRP), which provides mentoring [...]
John Keller ’14 Presents Navigation Software at International Conference
In high school, John Keller ’14 (Orwigsburg, Pa.) taught himself how to program robots. His biggest achievement was tweaking a Roomba—a vacuum-cleaning robot—so that it could figure out where it was in a room and travel wherever it was told. A computer science major, Keller has since moved on to bigger tasks. This summer, he [...]
Amanda Smith ’10 Applies Deep Economic Analytical Skills to the Casino Business
As an operations analyst for Station Casinos, headquartered in the Las Vegas suburb of Summerlin, Nev., Amanda Smith ’10 mines a host of performance metrics to guide the company in its decision-making. “An operations analyst provides intelligence about how properties are doing financially and makes comparisons among them,” she says. “We’re a company that prides itself [...]
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