Division of Science, Mathematics, and Computing

Recent News

• Bard Professor Felicia Keesing Elected a Fellow of the British Ecological Society
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  Bard Professor Felicia Keesing Elected a Fellow of the British Ecological Society

  

  Felicia Keesing.
  

  Felicia Keesing, the David and Rosalie Rose Distinguished Professor of Science, Mathematics, and Computing at Bard College, has been elected a fellow of the British Ecological Society (BES). The fellowship is bestowed in recognition of outstanding contributions to ecology through research, teaching, leadership, policy, and the practical application of ecological science. BES is the oldest ecological society in the world, and brings ecological experts together to seek science-based solutions for some of the most pressing challenges of our time.
  
  Keesing is a community ecologist who studies the consequences of interactions among species, particularly as biodiversity declines. Her recent work focuses on how biodiversity influences the probability that humans and other animals will be exposed to infectious diseases. She has worked in Kenya since 1995, studying how the disappearance of elephants, giraffes, and other large mammals influences the way African savannas function. Keesing has also worked extensively to improve biology education for undergraduate students.
  
  Founded over a century ago, the British Ecological Society was the first Society in the world committed to understanding our earth through ecology, the science studying the relationship between living things and their environment. That goal remains today with a global community spanning 120 countries and a strategic mission to find ecological solutions for a planet under threat.  
  
  Separately, Keesing has also been awarded a month-long residency by the Rockefeller Foundation, an organization that promotes the well-being of humanity by finding and scaling solutions that advance opportunity and reverse the climate crisis. The residency will take place at the Bellagio Center on Lake Como in Italy, a retreat center funded by the foundation. Residencies at the Bellagio Center are intended to foster 'breakthroughs essential to humanity’s well-being.' The Center’s residency program has hosted Nobel Laureates, economists, writers, Supreme Court justices, and world leaders.
  
  Post Date: 01-27-2026
  
• Bard College Awarded Department of Energy Grant for Quantum Computation Research Project
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  Bard College Awarded Department of Energy Grant for Quantum Computation Research Project

  

  Abhinav Prem, assistant professor of physics.
  

  Bard College Assistant Professor of Physics Abhinav Prem has received a two-year research award from the US Department of Energy to develop new methods that make quantum computers more stable and reliable. The project, “Leveraging Novel Symmetries for Noise-Resilient Topological Quantum Computation,” is a joint collaboration with professor Stephan Haas at the University of Southern California (USC) and was funded under the DOE EXPRESS 2025 program. Bard is the lead institution and recipient of $300,006 of the $500,000 award.
  
  Quantum computers promise dramatic speedups for problems like materials design, drug discovery, and complex climate modeling. But unlike conventional computers, quantum bits — or qubits — are extremely sensitive to their surroundings. Small disturbances such as heat, vibrations, or stray fields can flip or erase quantum information, causing errors that quickly cascade and wreck a computation.
  
  Instead of trying to stop every disturbance, professor Prem uses a different strategy: build “tracks” that guide errors into predictable paths where they can be caught and corrected. These tracks come from mathematical structures called symmetries and from exotic states of matter known as topological phases. By designing systems where errors are forced to behave in regular, controllable ways, this research program aims to create quantum memories and operations that are naturally resilient, reducing the overhead for constant external correction.
  
  “Think of an error as a runaway train,” Prem explains. “If the train can go anywhere, it will crash. Our project is about building the tracks that force those errors to move along very specific, predictable pathways. By constraining how errors propagate, we can effectively 'catch' and correct them before the train goes off the rails. This approach could lead to scalable quantum devices that are inherently resilient to inevitable environmental noise."
  
  The two-year project will combine theoretical work with practical protocols aimed at near-term quantum devices, and will support one postdoctoral researcher each at Bard and USC.
  
  Post Date: 01-21-2026
  
• Article by Astrophysicist Clara Sousa-Silva Featured in the New York Times
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  Article by Astrophysicist Clara Sousa-Silva Featured in the New York Times

  

  Clara Sousa-Silva, assistant professor of physics at Bard, holding a model of the molecule phosphine. Photo by Greta Rybus
  

  Clara Sousa-Silva, assistant professor of physics at Bard College, was interviewed in the New York Times about an article she coauthored in the Science journal. The article explains how the detection of the molecule phosphine in the atmosphere of a brown dwarf—a class of celestial objects too large to be considered a gas giant planet but not massive enough to fuse hydrogen like a star—may help astronomers in their search for life elsewhere in the Milky Way. On Earth, phosphine is a molecule that is produced by living things, and because life as we know it is unsustainable on a brown dwarf, the finding can help refine our understanding of how the molecule could be produced under other circumstances. Detecting the phosphine molecule in places that cannot sustain life “will be a critical piece of the puzzle for figuring out what business phosphine has anywhere else, including in a potentially habitable environment,” Sousa-Silva told the New York Times.
  
  The Bard Physics Program is dedicated to helping students at all levels gain a better understanding of the universe and how it works.
  

  Read the research article in Science
  

  Read more in the New York Times
  

  
  Post Date: 10-14-2025
  
• International Year of Quantum, Co-coordinated by Physicist Paul Cadden-Zimansky, Recognized at the Quantum World Congress
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  International Year of Quantum, Co-coordinated by Physicist Paul Cadden-Zimansky, Recognized at the Quantum World Congress

  

  Bard Associate Professor of Physics Paul Cadden-Zimansky.
  

  The International Year of Quantum Science and Technology (IYQ), managed in part by Bard Associate Professor of Physics Paul Cadden-Zimansky, who is a global coordinator for the event, was recognized by the Quantum World Congress in Washington DC. The Congress gave IYQ the “Organization of the Year” award, one of four annual awards selected by a panel of academic and political leaders. The United Nations declared 2025 the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology to mark the 100th anniversary of the study of quantum mechanics, and to help raise public awareness of the importance and impact of quantum science and applications on all aspects of life.
  
  “The International Year of Quantum would not have worked without the dozens of countries, hundreds of institutions, and thousands of people across the globe who believed in the mission of using the centennial of quantum mechanics as an occasion to improve public awareness of how central quantum is to our world,” said Cadden-Zimansky. “I think everyone who is putting in time and effort to make it a reality [can] share in this award and can take it as an encouragement to continue the mission of illuminating quantum science and technology for all.”
  

  Read the IYQ Press Release
  

  
  Post Date: 09-30-2025
  
• Bard Professors Craig Anderson and Swapan Jain Awarded $427,016 National Institute of Health Research Grant
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  Bard Professors Craig Anderson and Swapan Jain Awarded $427,016 National Institute of Health Research Grant

  

  L–R: Craig Anderson, Wallace Benjamin Flint and L. May Hawver Professor of Chemistry and Director of Undergraduate Research, and Swapan Jain, professor of chemistry.
  

  Bard College is pleased to announce that Craig Anderson, Wallace Benjamin Flint and L. May Hawver Professor of Chemistry and Director of Undergraduate Research, and Swapan Jain, professor of chemistry, have been awarded an R15 Academic Research Enhancement Award (AREA) by the National Institute of Health (NIH). The three-year grant, in the amount of $427,016, will support Anderson and Jain’s research on the synthesis and biochemical evaluation of ruthenium complexes.
  
  The project consists of the synthesis, characterization, and biochemical evaluation of ruthenium-based compounds as potential pharmaceutical agents. Ruthenium compounds have gained attention as potential therapeutic agents against infections, cancer, and diabetes. Most pharmaceutical agents either target DNA or proteins; however, ruthenium compounds offer the opportunity to target RNA, a polymeric molecule that is essential for most biological functions. This project, supported by the NIH grant, will investigate how ruthenium complexes bind to various RNA molecules.
  
  “We are very excited about this NIH award as it will increase and enrich research opportunities for our undergraduate students at Bard College,” said Anderson and Jain. “We believe that  undergraduate research is one of the highest impact practices that contributes to the success of our students. We would like to thank Johnny Brennan in OIS and Bard College leadership for their help and support.”
  
  The National Institutes of Health is part of the US Department of Health and Human Services and the country’s medical research agency. The Institute’s goal is to seek fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems and the application of that information to enhance health, lengthen life, and reduce illness and disability. Research mentioned above and published through this project is supported by the National Institute Of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number R15GM159331. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
  
  Post Date: 09-23-2025
  
• Professor Japheth Wood Directs 12th Annual Bard Math CAMP
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  Professor Japheth Wood Directs 12th Annual Bard Math CAMP

  

  Professor Japheth Wood.
  

  This August, Director of Quantitative Literacy and Associate Professor of Mathematics Japheth Wood co-directed the 12th annual Bard Math Circle's Creative and Analytical Math Program (CAMP). Running from August 4 to 8, CAMP invited 23 middle school mathematicians to Bard’s Annandale campus from the Hudson Valley area and beyond. The program brought students into contact with various areas of math using coding, Rubik's Cubes, card tricks, and more. Students also got outside to play “amoeba tag” and hike around Bard’s scenic grounds.
  
  CAMP is a summer academic enrichment program for middle school students taking place on Bard’s campus every summer. It was recognized by the American Mathematical Society with the Epsilon Award. CAMP aims to explore topics in math outside what students are normally exposed to in school, bringing together the study of math, computer science, and art. The program is led by Bard Math Circle, which also holds Math Afternoons at the Kingston Library.
  
  Post Date: 09-09-2025