Division of Science, Mathematics, and Computing

Recent News

• 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
  
• Kingston Air Quality Initiative at Bard College Reports After Five Years of Monitoring
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  Kingston Air Quality Initiative at Bard College Reports After Five Years of Monitoring

  

  Bard Community Sciences Lab Tech Julia Beeman (masked) and SUNY Albany PhD student James Nimo (from Dr. Aynul Bari’s lab) install monitors measuring air quality on Kingston’s Andy Murphy Neighborhood Center roof. Photo by Desirée Lyle
  

  The Center for the Environment Sciences and Humanities at Bard College (CESH) is pleased to announce the findings of the Kingston Air Quality Initiative (KAQI) after five consecutive years of research and data collection.
  
  KAQI began in January 2020 as a partnership between Bard’s Community Sciences Lab and the City of Kingston Conservation Advisory Council’s Air Quality Subcommittee. Since then, Kingston residents and Bard College students, staff, and faculty have facilitated both indoor and outdoor air quality monitoring projects throughout the Hudson Valley. The first air quality study of its kind in Kingston, KAQI’s monitoring efforts focus on a regional assessment of air pollution as measured from the rooftop of the Andy Murphy Neighborhood Center on Broadway in Kingston.
  
  “As a compact urban city, with a large percentage of our community living in either disadvantaged communities designated areas and/or potential environmental justice areas, we are acutely aware of the localized impacts of air pollution on our community members and quality of life,”said Julie L. Noble, sustainability coordinator for the city of Kingston. “The partnership we have had with Bard has been tremendously positive for us, providing sound, local data that we have been able to share, in real time, with our residents, to help them stay safe, plan accordingly, and make better choices for their own health and for the health of our environment.”
  
  This is the first year that Hudson Valley Air Quality Coalition (HVAQ) has joined in producing the report, marking the first ever “Kingston Community Air Quality Report,” which is based on data produced through the Hudson Valley Community Air Network (HVCAN), a regional, community-powered outdoor air monitoring project. The newly released Community Air Quality Report for Kingston will be used as a model for other municipal areas where HVCAN has sensors. These annual air quality reports are intended to emulate the Drinking Water Quality reports that are issued by municipalities every year.
  
  “Kingston residents should feel proud that we are one of the rare US communities that produces an annual report on the air we breathe! The information it contains may be new to many people, such as the outsized effect woodburning has on our air quality, our health and the climate,” says Lorraine Farina, long-time community scientist and HVAQ Coordinator. “This report, along with the extraordinary partnership between HVAQ and the Bard Community Sciences Lab and the new JustAir alert system will help us make well-informed decisions that are within our local control to preserve and improve our air quality.”
  
  Additionally, Bard’s Center for Environmental Sciences and Humanities, through the Community Sciences Lab, is excited to announce that the success of KAQI has led to an expansion of air quality initiatives in the Hudson Valley, including the recent launch of a new online tool that allows people in the Hudson Valley community to have better access to information about their air. CESH has partnered with JustAir, an environmental justice tech start-up, to create the Hudson Valley Community Air Network x JustAir platform that gives direct access to real-time, validated air quality data in an accessible format. Air quality monitoring is critical to people’s knowledge of what they are breathing, and the more hyperlocal data, the better. Both street level data and regional data are essential for a complete picture of air quality.
  
  “The Just Air app is an exciting next step in our collaborative efforts to protect air quality, residents' health, and the health of our environment,” said Farina. “During these times of increased wildfire activity, knowledge is increasing that fine particulate matter, from wildfires and from local wood burning, are major challenges to these goals. This app will make it more apparent and easier for people to  keep track of their air quality and to recognize we have control of local contributions to poor air quality.”
  
  KAQI’s main monitoring efforts focus on a regional assessment of air pollution from fine particulate matter (PM2.5), made up of microscopic particles from burnt fuel that are released into the air from oil burners, gas burners, automobiles, cooking, grilling, and both indoor and outdoor wood burning. PM2.5 particles are so tiny, they stay suspended in the air for long periods of time, allowing them to travel long distances before depositing. When these particles are inhaled, they can enter the bloodstream through the lungs, creating or worsening health issues. There is no safe level of exposure. The World Health Organization (WHO) states that “small particulate pollution has health impacts even at very low concentrations – indeed no threshold has been identified below which no damage to health is observed.”
  
  Residential wood burning is the largest source of PM 2.5 in Ulster County. It is responsible for more than half of emissions from all sources combined (including all types of vehicle emissions and all types of fuel source emissions). Burning wood is more polluting than burning oil, gas, or coal.
  
  After five years of comprehensive monitoring in Kingston, we continue to uncover valuable insights into our air quality and its connection to our daily activities and decisions as citizens. Kingston air quality in 2024 slightly improved from 2023 (based on PM 2.5 concentrations). This was likely due to a decrease in ground-level Canadian wildfire smoke, although we detected increased wood smoke pollution during several Ulster County wildfires in November 2024. 
  
  We also found that air quality measured from a rooftop is helpful as a regional air quality indicator, but that street-level air quality often has worse air quality, since PM 2.5 and other air pollutants can settle and move more slowly amongst city buildings. This phenomenon has confirmed our need for more street-level sensors in all Kingston area neighborhoods to be able to help our community make informed decisions when it comes to air quality. Having this public information would allow us to protect ourselves and our families when air quality worsens, and also allow us to make informed decisions about helping to improve air quality during those times.
  
  One consistent observation over the past five years is the seasonal trend of higher PM 2.5 concentrations in the winter and summer months, likely attributable to wood and fuel used for heating and recreation. Another critical factor and ongoing research subject is atmospheric inversions and their implications for ground-level air pollution in Kingston. These events occur when the temperature of the atmosphere increases with altitude and surface level air parcels are unable to rise up, trapping air pollution at ground level. Given Kingston's location in the Hudson Valley, where air circulation is restricted, awareness of these events is crucial for informed decision-making to mitigate air pollution.
  
  As we continue to research the complexities of air quality management, it's essential for Kingston residents to stay informed and engaged. By adopting sustainable practices, supporting clean energy initiatives, and advocating for policies that prioritize air quality, we can work together to create a healthier environment for all. More details about KAQI’s findings can be found at the Center for Environmental Sciences and Humanities website: https://cesh.bard.edu/kingston-air-quality-initiative-kaqi/
  
  “This unprecedented partnership with the city of Kingston is a model for Hudson Valley cities building resiliency in the face of climate change,” said Eli Dueker, associate professor of environmental studies and biology, and director of the Bard Center for Environmental Sciences and Humanities. “By monitoring our own air quality, we, as a community, can together make decisions about the air we breathe. As last year’s Canadian wildfire smoke, and Ulster County wildfires reminded us, we cannot take clean air for granted. The air we breathe relates directly to our health, and it is important that we as a community ensure that everyone has access to clean, healthy air. Each of us can contribute to this effort, by making decisions about what we contribute to the air, including respecting city laws related to outdoor woodburning in city limits, decreasing indoor woodburning (particularly during inversion events), biking and walking more, and participating in city-led efforts to move to sustainable (and less polluting) energy sources as we further climate-proof our city.”
  
  ​​“At the Community Sciences Lab, democratizing access to local, real-time and historical environmental data is what we do, said Desirée Lyle, Community Sciences Lab Manager at Bard College. “And working to make that data digestible and actionable is a critical step toward environmental justice and empowering communities to protect their health, improve and extend their quality of life, and advocate for a safer, more resilient Hudson Valley.”
  
  The Center for the Environment Sciences and Humanities at Bard College, through the Community Sciences Lab, has been working on a handful of air quality related projects centralized around community needs and concerns. These include:

  • Neighborhood-level air quality monitoring, through the fast-developing Hudson Valley Library Air Quality Network. Using outdoor real-time air quality monitoring devices stationed at public libraries, air quality data is free and accessible online. If any libraries are interested in joining, please reach out to [email protected].
  • In partnership with SUNY-Albany and the EPA, conducting indoor and outdoor air quality monitoring in homes with woodsmoke, mold and structurally-related air quality challenges.
  • In partnership with SUNY-Albany, tracking air pollutants such as Ozone, Black and Brown Carbon, and VOC’s from HVCAN’s four Hudson Valley regional air quality stations.

  For more information or ways to get involved, please visit https://cesh.bard.edu/kingston-air-quality-initiative-kaqi/
  
  Further coverage:
  Bard College expands Hudson Valley air monitoring initiative, details findings in Kingston (WAMC)
  How's the Air? How's the Water?? (Radio Kingston)
  Bard College measures air quality in four areas of region (Mid Hudson News)
   
  
  Post Date: 06-26-2025