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Collaborative Research
Skidmore students and their professors have worked together
on numerous research projects. This kind of high-level scholarship
does more than enhance a student's understanding in a given
disipline; the practical, hands-on experience and "real-world"
accomplishment also instill a sense of confidence that will
benefit a graduate in any career. Such research often leads
to co-authored articles in professional journals and presentations
at conferences.
Project: Linking Plant and Ant Distributions to Present and Historical Land Use in Skidmore's North Woods Participants: Joshua Ness, Assistant Professor, Department of Biology; Doug Morin '07 Plan: Approximately 30% of herbaceous plants rely on ants to disperse their
seeds. We compared the distributions of these plants and ants with
respect to 1880 land use in Skidmore's North Woods. We divided the
woods into 35 25,000m2 plots and censused each for plants and ants.
Both plants and ants occurred less frequently in plots that were
cleared in 1880, relative to historically wooded plots. Behavioral
observations demonstrated that some ants may be better seed collectors
than others. These better partners are disproportionately common
within 1m of ant-dispersed plants and more common in cells that were
forested in the 1880s. We conclude that nineteenth century land use
continues to influence the plant and animal communities present today.
Project: Water Quality Monitoring in the Kayaderosseras Creek and Saratoga Lake: Past, Present and Future Participants: Judy Halstead, Professor, Department of Chemistry; Kristina Connolly '07 Plan: The project has three related goals: collecting, reading and analyzing
past sources of water quality data and monitoring in Saratoga Lake's
watershed and surrounding regions, conducting a field and laboratory
assessment of current water quality parameters in the tributaries of
Saratoga Lake, and recommendations for future water quality monitoring
projects. Past sources were organized into bibliographies to be shared
with local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and state and local
agencies. A tributary survey, event sampling and a main branch
sampling were conducted in the watershed testing for conductivity,
dissolved oxygen and pH in the field and collecting samples for the
testing of nutrients, common anions, suspended solids, and metals in
the laboratory. The project serves as a stepping stone to future water
quality monitoring projects and a basis to recommendations for future
studies.
Project: Investigation of Spiropyran-Doped Molecularly Imprinted Polymers for Use in Metal Ion Sensing Applications Participants: Shannon E. Stitzel, Assistant Professor, Chemistry; Andrew Williams '07 Plan: There are numerous sensors to measure physical properties such as
temperature, but there are few sensors available to monitor chemical
changes in our environment. This project's long-term goal is to
develop sensors using light-activated molecules imbedded in a
chemically stable, polymer matrix. Ideally, photochemical control of
the surface chemistry will protect the sensor and extend its useful
lifetime.
The aim of this summer's project was to characterize the solution
chemistry of spiropyran, a light-activated dye that changes color
depending on the presence or absence of metal ions. Initial
experiments imprinting the dye in polymer matrices were also
conducted. Research on this topic will continue in the fall, but this
summer's work has provided insight on how the metal, dye, and polymer
interact with each other.
Project: Development of a Luciferase Enzyme Assay to Quantitate Cell Lysis
During the Purification of a Surface-Associated Metalloprotease from
V. Fischeri Participants: Michelle West Frey, Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry; Andrew Lynch '07 Plan: The bioluminescent bacterium Vibrio fischeri and the Hawaiian
bobtail squid, Euprymna scolopes, participate in an exclusive
symbiotic relationship that provides a unique model system for the
study of pathogenic relatives of V. fischeri such as V.
cholerae (the causative agent of human cholera). A surface
associated protease enzyme is hypothesized to play an important role
in the establishment of this relationship. The goal of this project
was to develop a sensitive method for the quantification of cell lysis
that occurs during the purification of this enzyme. The method chosen
was detection of luciferase, an enzyme found only in the interior of
V. fischeri. The methods and procedures were determined using
sample luciferase and then used to quantify luciferase concentration
due to cell lysis.
Project: Cloning and Expression of a Novel Surface Associated PepN Enzyme from
Vibrio Fischeri Participants: Michelle West Frey, Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry; Kate
Fegan '07 Plan: The bioluminescent bacterium Vibrio fischeri and the
Hawaiian bobtail squid, Euprymna scolopes, participate in a
symbiotic relationship that provides a model system for the study of
pathogenic relationships between bacteria and host, specifically V.
cholera, a relative of V. fischeri. Research has found a
surface-associated protease enzyme which is hypothesized to play an
important role in the establishment of this symbiotic relationship.
Understanding the role of this enzyme may provide insight into other
pathogenic bacteria relationships. We have successfully cloned the
gene encoding the enzyme of interest, PepN, and we are now able to
establish a protocol for the preparation of large quantities of
protein for further research. Studies are under way to optimize the
expression and purification of this enzyme.
Project: Immobilization of Active Spinach PSI on Clay Films Participants: Steven T. Frey, Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry and
Physics; Evan Shalen '08 Plan: The goal of our project is to create a novel material in which
Photosystem I (PSI), one of the components of the photosynthetic
machinery of spinach leaves, is immobilized and thereby stabilized on
the surface of a synthetic clay. Over the course of the summer we
successfully synthesized and carried out partial characterization of a
layered double hydroxide (LDH) clay, and made significant progress on
a procedure to isolate and purify PSI from spinach leaves. We intend
to perfect the PSI isolation procedure and to introduce purified PSI
to the LDH clay during the fall 2005 and spring 2007 semesters. Our
ultimate goal is to create a device that uses our PSI-LDH material to
produce electrical energy in response to the absorption of light.
Project: An Empirical Evaluation of Inequality in Pollution Abatement in U.S. Manufacturing Sector: Interstate Study Participants: Monica Das, Assistant Professor, Department of Economics; Sarah Fansler '07 Plan: The EKC is a theoretical relationship between pollution and economic
growth whose existence is debated in the current literature. To
determine whether this relationship is seen in the United States, we
used the Pollution Abatement Costs and Expenditures data set as well
as state income data which were obtained from the U.S. Census Bureau. We
found by using least squares estimation that there was a significant
relationship between pollution and income. While all forms of
pollution abatement were found to increase at higher income levels,
water pollution abatement leveled off as the state income level
reached its highest levels, and solid pollution abatement was found to
peak at moderately high levels of income and then decrease at the
highest levels of income.
Project: Eschúchennos: Why We Came to America Participants: Lenora de la Luna, Assistant Professor, Department of Education; Julia Raufman '06 Plan: In our study, we collected and analyzed life history narratives of
Latino students enrolled in the Amsterdam English Language Learners
Program (AELLP). Providing the phenomenological experiences of Latino
immigrants working to strengthen their educational, economic, and
social positions is beneficial for multiple reasons. First, because
understanding literacy requires understanding social groups and
institutions within which people are socialized, students' life
histories will help strengthen the AELLP and make it more responsive
to students' needs. By understanding the interrelated set of
historical, economic, social, cultural, and political practices, the
AELLP will be better able to connect language and literacy activities
to sustainable social practices that lead to higher school success,
social status, and political power. Additionally, life history
interviews allow us to understand how race, ethnicity, linguistics,
and education, as a multiplicity of identifications, produce,
reproduce, and transform identities. An obvious benefit of life
history narratives is that they can offer important insights into the
lives of those being investigated. Yet, they can also generate
fruitful insights about the larger context in which the lives are
lived. As a result, life histories offer benefits to immigrants, to
educators, and to policy makers.
Project: The Role of mTOR in Skeletal Muscle Insulin Resistance Participants: T.H. Reynolds, Assistant Professor, Department of Exercise Science; Andrew M. Miller '07 Plan: Type 2 diabetes is a devastating public health problem that is
associated with insulin resistance and obesity. The mammalian target
of rapamycin (mTOR) is a signaling molecule that has been suggested to
play a role in the development of type 2 diabetes. The purpose of this
study was to determine if treating mice with rapamycin, a highly
specific inhibitor or mTOR, would improve insulin action in
genetically obese and fat-fed mice. Genetically obese (Ob/Ob) mice and
wildtype controls, or fat-fed mice and aged-matched controls were
subjected to a glucose tolerance test and an insulin tolerance test
with or without rapamycin. Rapamycin appears to improve glucose
tolerance only in the wildtype controls and showed no beneficial
effect on insulin tolerance in any of the mice studied.
Project: The Evolving Justification for Capital Punishment in America: An Examination of Deterrence and Retribution Participants: Beau Breslin, Associate Professor, Department of Government; Molly Appel '07 Plan: Since America's Founding in the late eighteenth century, deterrence
(the principle that punishment should be used as a utilitarian means
to discourage crime) and retribution (the idea that criminal activity
requires a proportional penal response) have been used to justify the
death penalty. Our project will examine the historical evolution of
these principles. It is an important study because so much of the
contemporary debate about capital punishment relies on the uncontested
fact that executions were quite common in the seventeenth, eighteenth,
and nineteenth centuries. What is missing from these arguments,
however, is an analysis of the historical context: Perhaps there was a
deterrent and retributive purpose to capital punishment during the
early period of American history that, due to various advancements in
the criminal justice system, is no longer present. This study will
remedy that troubling omission.
Project: Development of An Interactive Web Site for the Water Resources Initiative Participants: Michael Ennis-McMillan, Associate Professor, Department of Sociology,
Anthropology and Social Work; Karen Kellogg, Assistant Professor,
Environmental Studies Program; Alison Barnes, Lecturer, Department of
English; Adam Wallace '06 Plan: This project consisted of designing an interactive and artistic
Web site as an outreach and educational resource for the Water
Resources Initiative. WRI is an interdisciplinary, community-based
initiative that studies water issues in the local region. The site
displays information about the initiative with categories that
include: mission statement, faculty coordinators, visualizing a
watershed, faculty publications, student projects, student engagement
monitoring, resources, and sponsors. Each page incorporates visual
elements to create an engaging aesthetic that allows viewers to
understand interactions in the Saratoga Lake watershed. This Web site
had been designed to make the work of WRI accessible to a range of
constituencies such as community members, Skidmore students and
faculty, and local organizations.
Project: Water Conflicts and Contradictions: Recreation and Invasive Species in Saratoga Lake Participants: Michael Ennis-McMillan, Associate Professor, Department of Sociology,
Anthropology and Social Work; Molly Bergen '07; Karen Kellogg,
Assistant Professor, Environmental Studies Program; Leah Wohl-Pollack '08 Plan: Through a stakeholder analysis of our local water issues, we found
that recreation and invasive species are, in part, shaping people's
perceptions of Saratoga Lake as a supplemental drinking water source
for Saratoga Springs. To further explore recreation and invasive
species, we transcribed over 40 interviews with informed county
residents and coded them for themes. Based on these data, we concluded
that residents' perceptions of Saratoga Lake are influenced by their
desire to protect their recreational interests, representing the
economic and emotional value they place on Saratoga Lake. We also
concluded that personal interaction with invasive species influences
residents' perceptions of which species are problematic and which
species management plans are desirable. Our study indicates that
personal interests often overshadow environmental concern for Saratoga Lake.
Project: Scribner Campus Speaks: The History of Skidmore's First Home Participants: Robert Jones, Assistant Professor, Department of Economics; Heather Moore '08 Plan: Our presentation will begin with a GIS model of the Scribner Campus'
growth from 1911 to 1969. We have found in our research that Scribner
Campus was home to over 80 buildings at one time or another. Because
of time constraints, Professor Jones and I have limited ourselves to
the ten buildings that we feel have the richest and most substantial
recorded histories. These buildings include Skidmore Hall, Scribner
Hall, Father's Hall, Hathorn Hall, College Hall, the Music Hall,
Griffith Hall, the library, South Hall, and the President's House. We
have unearthed stories that tell more than just the location, but
rather imbue the personality and lifestyle of Skidmore's first home.
Our future plans for a walking tour book will also be discussed.
Project: Agri-Mark and Dairygold: Cooperative Organizations in an Age of Globalization Participants: James J. Kennelly, Associate Professor, Department of Management and Business; Sarah Bailey '07, Meredith Peeke '07 Plan: If this is indeed the "age of globalization," then multinational
corporations are clearly its dominant institutions. With their
economies of scale and scope, access to resources, flexibility,
mobility and self-proclaimed statelessness, MNCs are the leading
instruments of globalization. Cooperative organizations, on the other
hand, are anchored to geographic and cultural spaces, deeply rooted in
place and community, almost the opposite of MNCs. This project
involved researching two medium-sized dairy cooperatives, the
Agri-Mark cooperative in the United States and the Dairygold
Cooperative Society in County Cork, Ireland, and producing written
case studies for pedagogical purposes. An examination of both
organizations provides a detailed view of some of the challenges
facing such "rooted" firms in an "age of globalization."
Project: The Effect of Bupropion on Sexual Motivation in Female Rats Participants: Hassan López, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology; Gabriel Wurzel '07, Benjamin Ragen '08 Plan: The development of novel pharmacological treatments for low libido is
dependent upon valid and reliable animal models. The current study
explored the effect of bupropion (Wellbutrin), a dopamine and
norepinephrine agonist, on sexual motivation in female Long-Evans
rats. Sixty-three sexually experienced, ovariectomized female subjects
traversed a straight-arm runway to approach 1) an empty goalbox, 2) a
nonestrous female, or 3) a male. A Plexiglas partition within the
goalbox prevented copulatory behavior. Both run time (latency to
goalbox entry) and proximity time (time spent within the vicinity of
the target) were utilized as behavioral indices of motivation.
Subjects were divided into six treatment groups and re-tested for
their motivation to approach the three goalbox targets under
experimental conditions. Half of the subjects were put into estrus via
administration of estradiol benzoate and progesterone prior to
testing. Subjects were also given one of three doses of bupropion, 45
minutes prior to testing: 0.0 mg/kg, 7.5 mg/kg, or 15 mg/kg. Results
indicated that, as predicted, estrous females expressed greater sexual
motivation than nonestrous females. The motivational effects of
bupropion will be discussed.
Project: Early Meanings of the Hudson River Participants: Rik Scarce, Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, Anthropology
and Social Work; Megan McAdams '07 Plan: From its discovery by Henry Hudson in 1609, the Hudson River
landscape's meanings changed dramatically and repeatedly throughout
history. Our project's goal was to develop a theory to describe the
earliest of those shifting meanings and to explain the forces that
gave rise to them. We focused on two historical periods, the first
beginning with the date of Hudson's visit and extending to the Dutch
forfeiture of the colony to the British in 1664, the latter running
from 1665 through the French and Indian War to just before the
American Revolution in 1775. Our data were drawn from a wide range of
materials, including the earliest-known archival sources, interviews
with scholars, as well as maps and works of art as varied as oil
paintings and powder horn carvings. We inductively analyzed those
data, initially working with quotations, then identifying
commonalities between them to create more abstract categories, then
combining categories to develop even more general concepts—the core
meanings of the Hudson's landscape in those periods. Ultimately, we
identified eight of those central meanings in the earlier period and
eleven in the latter, and many of them support our fundamental
theoretical observation: That power, in some form, was dependent upon
the Hudson River landscape. In that sense, the landscape, not human
culture, was the ultimate arbiter of meaning in the Hudson's earliest
recorded periods.
Project: The Experience of Student-Athletes at Skidmore College Participants: Catherine Berheide, Professor; Sociology, Anthropology and Social
Work; Katrina Perez '07 Plan: Analyzing 2003 and 2005 surveys of Skidmore College student athletes,
this research identifies the factors predicting a positive athletic
experience. Athletes' rating of student support has the greatest
effect on athletes' rating of the athletic environment. This study
indicates that athletes' rating of the overall athletic facilities at
this college is the second most powerful determinant of whether they
rate the athletic environment highly. While there has been improvement
in the athletes' rating of the athletic facilities between 2003 and
2005, there has been little change in their rating of student support.
By identifying the most important factors affecting athletes'
perceptions regarding the quality of their athletic experience, this
research should help Skidmore College as it seeks to improve the
experience of student athletes.
