Category: Academics
January, 2016
Geologist Shaper
Geology professor Ray Rogers has trained a nationwide network of colleagues.
A Computer Science Sabbatical
Professor Shilad Sen’s sabbatical resulted in grant funding and knowledge that will benefit students.
Literary Publishing
From manuscript to finished paperback, students in a hands-on English course work their way through the publishing process.
December, 2015
Gates Grant for PhD Research
Zoë Campbell ’09 will join a program that helps Tanzanian farmers as she earns her PhD.
On the Cancer Frontlines
In his second summer at MD Anderson Cancer Center, Liang “Adrian” Chang continued cutting edge research into breast cancer metastasis.
Learning in Israel
Ben Shields ’17 explored once-in-a-lifetime opportunities in the Middle East thanks to Mac Classics connections.
Temple Power
Every fall, a couple dozen Macalester students get up before dawn and drive an hour south to a Buddhist temple to feed hungry ghosts.
Lung Cancer Research
Through Macalester’s Academic Health Sciences Summer Research Program, Alexander Dash worked in lung cancer treatment and research.
Greece, Ancient and Modern
From translating Aristophanes to picking oranges, Kacie Reilly experienced Greece across the centuries.
Asthma and Public Health
Omar Mansour investigated factors related to asthma and received the public health award for Outstanding Poster Presentation at a national conference in Washington, D.C.
November, 2015
Research at Mayo
Lisa Levoir studied the relationship between inflammation and colon cancer as a Mayo Summer Undergraduate Research Fellow.
COP21, Confronting Climate Change
Students share their experiences at COP21, the international conference devoted to addressing climate change.
In Uninhabited Rainforest
In Queensland, Australia, their search for answers about evolutionary biology introduced Jill Oberski and Joanne Johnson to some surprising creatures.
Mac Alumni Named RISE Fellows
Three Macalester alumni were awarded RISE fellowships to help make social justice projects a reality.
Breaking Down Barriers
As an intern with Harriet Tubman Chrysalis Center, Alexa Peters Posner ’16 supports clients in need of safe shelter, legal services, and counseling.
Research Opportunities with Alumni in Science
Science alumni bring qualified Mac students into their labs for outstanding summer research opportunities.
At the Feet of Dinosaurs
Patrick Sullivan’s study of fossils reveals information about creatures that inhabited a Montana swamp 75 million years ago.
English FYC Students See it All
Students in Professor English’s course Ecstasy and Apocalypse: have had superb opportunities for some experiential education.
Bee Guts
Katherine Lane went to Switzerland to study the bacteria in honey bee guts and their roles in honey bee health and biology.
Reimagining Portraits
For a photography class, Alexandra Greenler ‘15 re-created pictures of Macalester female students of yesteryear.
Biochem Fights Alzheimer's
Nicole Mandel worked on purifying a protein that helps regulate copper in the body.
How Voters Act
In Political Psychology of Mass Behavior, students explore voter actions through multiple academic disciplines.
October, 2015
Macalester College celebrated Marlon James
Sustainability for Global Citizenship
Students combined class time with a paid summer practicum as teams developed sustainability projects with community organizations.
Front of the Classroom
Lucy Short ’15 teaches 10th grade Honors World Literature as part of the Master of Arts in Teaching program at Brown University.
Software Engineer
Sam Naden ’15 landed a job as a software engineer with Thomson Reuters, a multinational mass media and information firm.
Moral Psychology
How do we make moral judgments about our own and others’ behavior?
Tackling TB
Mariah Carray ’16 traveled to Ghana to help develop social protection programs for tuberculosis patients.
Brief History
English Professor Marlon James has won the 2015 Man Booker Prize for Fiction.
Big Data and Public Health
As a data scientist at the Minnesota Department of Health, Akanksha Dua contributed to a healthier Minnesota.
Research Opportunities with Alumni in Science
Science alumni bring qualified Mac students into their labs for outstanding summer research opportunities.
Multicultural Courses
Multiculturalism has long been among Macalester’s chief values and academic requirements.
Crafts of Writing: Poetry Field Trip
Students camped with Professor Wang Ping for their poetry writing course.
Top Prize for PTSD App
Tyler Skluzacek’s team took top prize at HackDC, a 36-hour coding competition dedicated to addressing PTSD.
Educational Equity
Ruthanne Kurth-Schai explains the difficulties of creating educational equity—the topic of this year's 22nd Annual International Roundtable.
September, 2015
When Fireflies Flash Together
Esha Datta and her team employed a new field of applied mathematics to explore how similar oscillators—like fireflies—synchronize.
Regenerative Medicine
Zahrah Abdul-Shakur and Samia Habli stretched their previous research skills and developed new ones through Minnesota’s Regenerative Medicine Internship Program.
Seeing What’s Never Been Seen
Alex Gordon observed and analyzed dwarf galaxies with the help of the Hubble and other powerful telescopes.
Homelessness & Health
Chidyaonga Shalita found community-based research with the homeless to be a powerful complement to laboratory research.
Smoking-Related Tumors
Working under Macalester alumna Lisa Peterson, Tia Eskridge investigated the chemicals involved in smoking.
What Mussels Tell
Geology major Molly Guiney snorkeled in Minnesota rivers in pursuit of Plain Pocketbooks and White Heelsplitters—mussels that are indicators of river health.
Learning with Lasers
Bradley Pearlman ’16, with colleague Ian Wyse ’16 and Professor Tom Varberg, used laser spectroscopy to study the molecule gold sulfide.
From Classroom to Lab
As part of the HHMI Young Researchers group, Jonathan Amezquita took to the lab, where he gained valuable research skills and new friends.
Summer Internships
Macalester students went far and wide this summer during their internships, from Amman, Jordan to Washington, D.C.
Climate Change & the City
This summer, Macalester environmental studies professors and students worked on climate-adaptation projects across St. Paul.
Capitol Course
A popular political science class blends a traditional syllabus with an internship at the state capitol.
August, 2015
Narrative Journalism
Public radio host and editor Stephen Smith ’82 shares his 30+ years of journalism experience by teaching Macalester students.
Goats and Garlic Mustard
Macalester biology students lived and worked at Ordway Field Station this summer, conducting research on plant nutrition and more.
July, 2015
Alum returns to give lecture-recital
Martínez will give lecture-recital regarding his recent book and CD on the Colombian composer Maruja Hinestrosa (1914–2002).
From Chopin to Chromactics
Along with the usual concerts and a capella performances, Macalester’s Music Department hosted many special guests and witnessed the inaugural performances of new student groups.