Summer Research 2018

Students present results of 2018 Summer Research

Josh Yeast '19 (left) and Damien Douglas present a poster about the project,

Randolph students participating in the 2018 Summer Research program presented the results of eight weeks’ worth of lab work, cultural and sociological studies, innovative teaching strategies, and environmental research today during the Summer Research Program Symposium. Several groups have also been invited to present their work at national conferences within the next year. Participating students and their... READ MORE >>

Davis contributes coding skills to ongoing Alzheimer’s patient monitoring research

Physics professor Katrin Schenk and Emad Davis '19 work to develop their web application to help caregivers monitor Alzheimer's patients

When Emad Davis ’19 considered transferring to Randolph a few years ago, he was intrigued by physics professor Katrin Schenk’s ongoing work developing monitoring devices for Alzheimer’s patients and their caregivers. Now, he’s leading the project and using his coding and software programming skills as part of Summer Research. “My best friend’s father has Parkinson’s... READ MORE >>

Ukuleles and a bearded dragon are essential to the creative process

English professor Laura-Gray Street, Celina Matthews '19, and Elsker look through some of the submitted poetry and artwork for their project.

If you walk up to the fourth floor of Smith Hall this summer, you might hear the sound of music coming from English professor Laura-Gray Street’s office. And if you enter, you’ll probably find Street and Celina Matthews ’19 strumming ukuleles while a bearded dragon named Elsker watches intently from her perch on Matthews’s shoulder.... READ MORE >>

By the numbers

Professor Liz Perry-Sizemore, San Hoang '20, Anh “Jessica” Bui ’20, and Leo Cohen look at a map of Lynchburg.

In an economics class last year, Anh “Jessica” Bui ’20 was amazed to learn all the ways statistics could bring about positive change in communities. “Just based on numbers, you can tell a lot about a community, and that can be used to help community leaders make decisions,” Bui said. She is now hoping to... READ MORE >>

Local teachers go back to school

Teachers do an experiment on the viscosity (resistance of flow) of fluid in volcanos

Earlier this week, the smell of hot sauce permeated the biology lab in Martin Science Building. Inside, Lynchburg area elementary school teachers worked in groups, lathering Texas Pete sauce as well as hand sanitizer, Vaseline, and other solutions onto pieces of plastic, and tying them together with string. “Which one of these will keep biofilm... READ MORE >>

Fun times with finite group invariants

Jude Quintero '20 (left) and mathematics professor Michael Penn work on an equation

One of the things Jude Quintero ’20 enjoys most about his Randolph experience is getting to know and work with his professors. This summer, he and mathematics professor Michael Penn are bonding over some advanced algebraic equations. “We’ve had a lot of fun,” Penn said. “If you understand this level of math and the language,... READ MORE >>

Summer Research project tests water quality for rainwater harvesting

Thinh Bill Pham '20 collects a sample of rainwater from a parking lot on campus

While most people hope for sunshine and clear skies in their summer forecast, Margaret Van Beek ’19 and Thinh “Bill” Pham ’20 are holding out for some more cloudy, rainy days. After all, rainwater is essential for their Summer Research project. “I have seen the weather app a lot this summer,” Van Beek said. “It’s... READ MORE >>

A Glowing Recommendation: Matthew Williams '20 manipulates phosphoric material for summer research project

Close-up of glowing phosphor

A 17th century alchemist discovered that phosphor could glow, and believed he had found the legendary Philosopher’s Stone. It was nearly 400 years later when scholars discovered its true properties.... READ MORE >>

Looking through the glass: Sara Primm '20 relocates, digitizes the College's archaeology collection

Art history professor Andrea Campbell and Sara Primm '20 look at glass samples from Randolph's archaeology collection

One of the things Sara Primm ’20 is learning from Summer Research is just how much work goes into relocating a historical collection. She and art history professor Andrea Campbell are relocating and digitizing the College’s archaeology collection. Glass fragments from ancient Rome and Carthage are one of the main items being sorted through currently.... READ MORE >>

Turning hydrogen peroxide green

Yuriy Snyder '19 (left) and chemistry professor Jesse Kern test a molecule using computational modeling software

In addition to its antiseptic properties, hydrogen peroxide is used in water treatment, textile and paper bleaching, as detergent, and as an oxidizing agent. But despite its many uses, the production process can be expensive and harmful to the environment. This summer, Randolph chemistry professor Jesse Kern and Yuriy Snyder ’19 are working to find... READ MORE >>