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"For animals to respond properly to environmental changes, such as temperature fluctuations, their nervous systems must be regulating correctly. It’s a biological function that is vital to survival. The question of why some cannot continue managing these necessary bodily functions, possibly leading to the onset of high fever-induced febrile seizures, is one that Sarah Iannone ’25 has spent her summer researching with Alexis Hill, assistant professor of biology. Iannone is one of dozens of 17�Թ��� students who participated in the College’s Charles S. Weiss Summer Research Program. Her research project builds off previous student research undertaken in Hill’s lab and whose findings were published in the scientific journal PLOS Genetics in 2019."

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8/20/22 - Former CBL Student, Kit Meszaros '24 and Time Slips Project Story Featured on 17�Թ��� Instagram

Kit Meszaros '24 has been spending her summer doing research at St. Mary Health Care Center in Worcester on Time Slips, an intergenerational storytelling program for people with memory loss. Kit was introduced to  program through her MONT CBL course taught by Prof. Beard. Recently, Kit told her summer research story on 17�Թ���' Instagram. !

8/19/22 - Weiss Summer Research Student, Brenna McCormick '24 and Fruit Fly Fertility

"As a student participating in the College’s Charles S. Weiss Summer Research Program, Brenna McCormick ‘24 spent eight weeks this summer working with Associate Professor of Biology Geoff Findlay to examine how a novel gene found in only a handful of fruit fly species has evolved to be a major player in fly reproduction. By understanding which genes are most essential for a fly’s reproductive ability, researchers are identifying potential targets of pesticides or genetic engineering to stop the spread of fly species that prey on fruit orchards. Her research builds off of the lab’s prior work, conducted with several 17�Թ��� students, that was supported with a grant from the National Science Foundation and published in the scientific journal Molecular Biology and Evolution in 2017."

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8/15/22 - Weiss Summer Research Student, David Pritchard ’23 and Political Polarization on Twitter

"David Pritchard ’23 is a political science and psychology major at the 17�Թ���. As part of this year’s Charles S. Weiss Summer Research Program, the Longmeadow, Massachusetts, native is turning to social media to examine whether conversations on Twitter have become more polarizing since 2012. "

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8/15/22 - Mattie Carroll Promoted to Assistant Director

Mattie Carroll '19 has been promoted to Assistant Director of the Donelan Office, after serving one year as the Donelan Office's Experiential Learning Fellow. In this role, Mattie will continue her work in supporting community partners, advising the CBL Intern Program, working with the J.D. Power Center Ambassadors, and more. Please join the J.D. Power Center and the Donelan Office in thanking Mattie for her excellent work thus far and congratulating her on this new position. We are delighted that Mattie is now in a permanent role with us!

8/12/22 - Weiss Summer Research Student, Emma Grayeb ’24 and How Chinese American Identity Was Portrayed in Vintage WWII-Era Comics

Emma Grayeb '24 analyzed how war propaganda and changing American sentiment affected how Chinese Americans were portrayed during the post-WWII era through the onset of the Cold War.

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8/11/22 - Weiss Summer Research Student, Gabriella Trznadel '24 and Techniques of Refugee Artists in Worcester

During the summer, Gabriella Trznadel '24 along with Susan Rodgers, Distinguished Professor Emerita of Ethics and Society, created a digital archive for the nonprofit project Refugee Artisans of Worcester (RAW).  This project was funded by Prof. Rogers' Scholarship In Action Grant. 

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8/8/22 - Weiss Summer Research Student, Catherine Yackira’s ’24 and the Supreme Court Decisions Throughout Time

"Catherine Yackira ’24 completed her sophomore year at the 17�Թ��� and planned to use this summer to research U.S. Supreme Court decisions from more than a century ago. The cases, ranging from 1897 to 1937, focus on rights founded through substantive due process, a key legal ingredient in American life, but one that primarily exists in ambiguity to the public."

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8/4/22 - Weiss Summer Research Student, Augusta Ding '23 and Women in Sports

"From a young age, Augusta Ding ’23, who grew up in Shanghai, China, gravitated toward video games. Now, as a rising senior at the 17�Թ���, the psychology major has transformed that passion into a Charles S. Weiss Summer Research Project examining how gender roles affect the professional gaming industry.

Ding realized that while 40% of gamers are women, almost none advance to the professional level. Her research will examine why. "

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8/3/22 - Weiss Summer Research Students, Brendan Fay ’23 and Karina Calhoun ’24 and Simulating Wormholes

"To the untrained eye, the code, which Brendan Fay ’23 and Karina Calhoun ’24 spend hours typing into a computer, appears to be gibberish. But to Ben Kain, professor of physics and the pair’s advisor for their work in the Charles S. Weiss Summer Research Program, the data depicts a theoretical wormhole. 

While wormholes are straight out of science fiction and may exist in the theoretical universe, the skills Fay and Calhoun are gaining not only add to their passion of computer science but also provide valuable real-world experience. "

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