News

California Academy of Sciences exhibit engineer and Bard alumnus Tosh Chiang '04 has designed a series of exhibits for the museum in his dream job.

Bard class of 2013 alumni Arthur Holland Michel and Dan Gettinger, founders of the Center for the Study of the Drone at Bard, argue for an interdisciplinary and nonpartisan approach to drone study.

President Botstein talks about Bard's fresh look at college admissions, the evolving job market, and the future of higher education in this Huffington Post interview. "Learning, like love, death and eating, are fundamental human activities," says President Botstein. "It's at the core of human existence and its character has a resilience of continuity that is part of what makes up human nature."

Bard High School Early College's Steven Mazie on the new tech meritocracy.

The Bard Math Circle will host the AMC 8 Math Contest on Tuesday, November 19, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. at Bard College. The AMC 8, first offered in 1985, is an annual contest in middle school mathematics sponsored by the Mathematical Association of America. In 2012, more than 150,000 students from 2,300 schools participated in the AMC 8 contest, including 49 students at Bard College from around the Mid-Hudson Valley. The AMC 8 program at Bard will include an inspirational talk by Bard mathematics professor Sam Hsiao, and a panel discussion for parents entitled "Supporting Your Child as a High Achiever in Math and Science." Click Here to Register

Deer are often blamed for the spread of Lyme disease, but researchers now point to the increase in white-footed mice and the decline of their natural predator, the red fox. “It is an animal weed,” says Dr. Keesing of the white-footed mice. “Anything that causes a surge in the population of these mice is something to watch.” (Scientific American)

Bard alumnus Dan Gettinger '13, of the Center for the Study of the Drone at Bard College, considers questions of collectivism and individuality raised at the recent Maker Faire in New York City.

Keith O'Hara's new course, (De-)Coding the Drone, looks at the public perception of drones and the gap between science and science fiction.

Arthur Holland Michel '13, of the Center for the Study of the Drone at Bard, met with all manner of drones at a recent convention in Washington, D.C.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has increased its estimate of U.S. Lyme disease diagnoses from 30,000 to 300,000. Michael Specter looks at the new numbers.

Starting this summer, students in the Bard Prison Initiative—which provides incarcerated men and women in five New York State prisons the opportunity to earn Bard College degrees while serving their sentences—are taking part in Citizen Science, the same rigorous three-week introduction to scientific thinking that all Bard first-year undergraduates are required to take.

Hannah Bronfman '11 is a woman of many talents—among them DJ, restaurateur, and brand creator. In this interview, she talks about her new mobile app and gives advice to enterprising college students.

"[W]hen I look up from my e-reading, I realize that the physical books are serving a new purpose—as constant reminders of what I’ve read," writes Verlyn Klinkenborg.

Arthur Holland Michel '13, of Bard's Center for the Study of the Drone, examines the many possible uses of drone technology, and the ethical implications of drone development.

Middle school students from underserved New York City schools come to Bard for three weeks every year to participate in the Summer Program for Mathematical Problem Solving (SPMPS). Collaborating with Bard's undergraduate program, the Master of Arts in Teaching program, and the Bard High School Early Colleges, SPMPS gives students an academic boost toward admission to competitive high schools.

Can evidence-based teaching transform undergraduate education in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math? Biology professor Felicia Keesing spoke at a recent conference of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Alex Kalman cofounded Red Bucket Films while studying at Bard. Later this month he plans to release a new, free app called Camra, which enables users to edit a one-minute video on the go.

The Bard College Center for Civic Engagement (CCE) announces a new summer science program for students in the local Red Hook and Germantown school districts. Working closely with Bard and middle school faculty, the Bard College Farm and the Bard Science Summer Research Institute, student program directors, and CCE VISTA volunteers developed the Build, Learn, Play! Summer Science program. The four-day program utilizes the farm and Bard’s state-of-the-art Reem and Kayden Center for Science and Computation.

Environmental and Urban Studies faculty member Michael Specter discusses Lyme disease in the United States and the controversy over how to treat it.

Bard alumnus Ben Rubenstein '04 MAT '06, a member of the mathematics faculty at BHSEC Manhattan, has received a 2013 Blackboard Teaching Award. Presented by Manhattan Media, the United Federation of Teachers, Columbia Teachers College, and the New School, the Blackboard Awards honor outstanding educators from all grade levels and education communities.

Environmental and Urban Studies professor Michael Specter examines the battle over how to treat Lyme disease.

Biology faculty member Bruce Robertson's research on evolutionary traps contributed to a recent NPR feature by science journalist Robert Krulwich.

From July 1–3, Bard College and Ulster County BOCES will host the Mid-Hudson Math Teachers Circle Summer Intensive, a three-day session linking problem solving and enrichment activities to the new Middle School Mathematics Common Core Standards. The program takes place at Bard College and is free and open to all mid-level math teachers, mathematics professors, and mathematicians in the Mid-Hudson region.

Shweta Katti grew up in Mumbai's largest red light district and overcame all odds to get an education. Now she has received a full scholarship to come to Bard this fall.

The success of DARPA's defense research reveals how Congress can support sustainable technology development, writes Bard CEP and MBA student Brady McCartney.

Biology faculty member Bruce Robertson recently coauthored a paper on evolutionary traits that lead animals into danger when they encounter environments altered by human activity.

Depending on one’s viewpoint, it would seem either incongruous or quite likely that twins would study the same subjects at the same college. But for Alina and Janeta Marinova ’06, a double major in economics and mathematics at Bard was simply something both of them wanted to pursue. Here, they talk about their time at Bard and where their careers have taken them since then.

Macalester College professor and Bard alumna Karen Saxe '82 has been named a Congressional fellow of the American Mathematical Society and elected as second vice president of the Mathematics Association of America.

Biochemist Raed Al-Abbasee ’13 took an unlikely path to Bard. Fleeing the escalating violence in Iraq in the midst of his medical school training, Raed connected with Bard and received a scholarship to continue his studies. Bard chemistry professor Swapan Jain writes about Raed's time at the College as the senior prepares to graduate.

Eric Kramer looks at the difficulty of updating science textbooks with outdated information about osmosis.

More than 3,000 people from 115 institutions participated in the National Conversation on Democracy and Climate, which was organized by C2C Fellows at Bard and available virtually to organizations across the country. The event featured a coordinated nationwide screening of the film The Island President, followed by an interactive expert panel.

Arendt Center director Roger Berkowitz looks at Massive Open Online Courses and the transformative power of teaching.

A study coauthored by Bard CEP's Rebecca Barnes looks at decreased snow and increased drought risk in the Rocky Mountains.

Millennials like Bard sophomore Anna Daniszewski are changing the way we communicate, says Wired magazine.

Bard alumnus Nsikan Akpan '06 made the jump from biomedical research to science journalism, and gives advice to his fellow science writers on how to do the same.

Perry Scheetz is a multisport athlete at Bard, competing in soccer, track, and cross-country. She's also a star student who has completed research internships in Brazil and Canada, and will pursue a Ph.D. in inorganic chemistry at Dartmouth College after graduation. Her goal is to take part in the creation of a green alternative fuel for the airline industry.

Assistant Professor of Psychology Kristin Lane gave the keynote presentation on unconscious biases at the MIT Lincoln Laboratory's Diversity Summit.

More than 85 colleges and community organizations across the country have joined the Bard Center for Environmental Policy and C2C Fellows Network in leading a national conversation on democracy and climate change with a screening of The Island President—the 2011 documentary that chronicles Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed’s efforts to confront climate change and rising sea levels, which threaten to submerge the low-lying island nation. The film will be screened on Wednesday, April 17.

Alexis Gambis '03 has crafted a career at the intersection of science and film, launching a film festival, pursuing advanced degrees in molecular biology and film, and making movies that tell a different story about scientists.

Former United States Surgeon General C. Everett Koop died on February 25 at the age of 96. Professor Specter writes that he was a man of science in the midst of a politically charged and controversial career.

Psychology Professor Andrew Gallup and colleagues offer a new explanation for the evolution of selfishness, arguing that a few selfish individuals can benefit an altruistic community.

The liberal arts college experience at Bard helped Steven discover his passion for computer science research. He received his BA in math and computer science from Bard in 2012, PhD in computer science from the University of Pennsylvania in 2017, and was a postdoctoral researcher at Microsoft Research in New York City. He is broadly interested in algorithm design, specifically in the areas of data privacy, fairness in machine learning, and algorithmic game theory. He joined the University of Minnesota–Twin Cities as an assistant professor in the Computer and Engineering Department in the fall of 2018.

Min Kyung Shinn ’14 is the 2012 recipient of the Katherine Lynn Mester Memorial Scholarship at Bard. Mester was a professional actress, Pilates teacher, and the wife of Joseph Luzzi, Bard College associate professor of Italian studies. The scholarship is awarded to students who exhibit Katherine Mester’s spirit of generosity, kindness, and genuine love of learning.

In the Bardian

Few of us truly appreciate how our most essential element—water—makes its way from the source, through plumbing, and out a tap. In fact, millions around the world consider basic water and sewerage systems a far-off luxury. Fortunately, people such as Christophe Chung ’06, a water supply and sanitation consultant at the World Bank, are helping to bring the life-sustaining liquid to some of the world’s most water-scarce places, North Africa and the Middle East.

The World Bank lends money for capital projects, provides infrastructure-planning expertise, and collaborates with public agencies, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and private firms to initiate projects in many developing countries. Chung is an urban water specialist working on teams that aim to upgrade and expand water infrastructure in Beirut, improve basic service delivery in slum areas of Cairo, and help implement pollution control programs in Lebanon and Egypt. He also works on a capacity-building project based in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, which trains public officials to better manage water resources. “I do believe the work is needed, especially now with so many transitions in the region,” says Chung. “But while I’ve developed a real love for infrastructure and utility management, I’ve come to realize that talking about it
may not be the best pick-up line to use.”

Bringing water and sewerage systems to poor urban and rural communities is critical to economic progress and social stability. Chung points out that contaminated water is the leading cause of cholera, dysentery, and typhoid—diseases that contribute to high infant and child mortality rates in some African nations. Illness decreases worker productivity, prevents children from attending school, and increases medical expenses for families already living on meager incomes. In addition, no industrial or agricultural product can be made or grown, packaged, and distributed without ample, sanitary water. Put simply, clean water saves lives.

Chung helps with the planning and preparation necessary for getting these complex projects off the ground. Says Chung, “The World Bank requires that all proposed projects go through an extensive review to ensure that the project is beneficial, realistic, and self-sustaining by the time the bank’s involvement is complete. We also make sure that social and environmental safeguards are taken into account so that the project doesn’t have an adverse impact on people and the environment. We consult with local governments and stakeholders, NGOs, community leaders, and universities to ensure that those affected by and benefiting from the project are taken into account in our project design and implementation. Also, at a very macro level, we have to evaluate the country’s existing capacity, finances and budgeting, and its ability to maintain or operate the system after it’s built.”

Chung’s interest in addressing the challenges faced by residents of the Middle East began while he was a political studies major at Bard. However, it was an art history course about war and architecture that took his political thinking in a different direction. He says, “I was initially concerned with the broader question of how peace could be brought about through political system reform, but then I came to believe that stability is also contingent upon basic considerations, like how people of different ethnicities and religions interact with each other in their day-to-day lives. That led me to examine the role of public space in postwar stability and redevelopment, which drew me to explore the political dimensions of urban planning and architecture.”

When he was a senior, Chung won a Watson Fellowship, which provides college graduates with a $25,000 stipend for international travel and independent study. Fellows are chosen from among the nation’s leading colleges and universities. Recipients stay abroad for 12 months and delve deeply into a particular issue or project. Chung traveled to rural communities in Peru, Bolivia, Vietnam, and India, where he studied terrace farms—multileveled fields built into mountains and hills and supported by various types of retaining walls.

Terraced fields reduce erosion and water runoff, making them more water efficient. Chung became particularly interested in how traditional farming techniques can be used to adapt to climate change and water scarcity. He also documented how rural residents maintain their agricultural livelihoods in the face of political difficulties, globalized food markets, and the constant pull of the city. “Rural farmers continually wrestle with the idea of leaving the farming life and moving to the city. This tension got me interested in urban migration and growth.”

Returning to the United States, Chung worked as a program assistant in New York City for the UN Development Programme’s Equator Initiative and enrolled in the master’s program in urban planning at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 2009. “Going from Bard to MIT seemed to fit,” he says. “What I appreciated at both places were the small classes, discussion-based learning, and emphasis on innovation and critical thinking.” In his master’s program, Chung became deeply interested in studying water and sanitation infrastructure. He spent the summer of 2010 in Ethiopia working for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees; he conducted water-quality assessments in four refugee camps, where many children suffered from water-borne diseases. The very existence of the camps—their size and the relative spontaneity with which they appear—is exactly the type of social problem that urban planners hope to deter. Wrote Chung in his blog from Ethiopia: “The fact that a settlement of thousands—a virtual city—can form in the middle of nowhere, and a small office of individuals is made responsible for all aspects of the refugees’ lives, is challenging, to say the least.”

Chung has been working at the World Bank for more than a year, and he plans on staying put. “I like Washington, D.C.,” he says. “After traveling so much, I’m happy to be settled. I’ve even started buying stuff for myself. Like furniture.”

Read the fall 2012 issue of the Bardian:

Millions around the world consider basic water and sewerage systems a far-off luxury. Fortunately, people such as Christophe Chung ’06, a water supply and sanitation consultant at the World Bank, are helping to bring the life-sustaining liquid to some of the world’s most water-scarce places, North Africa and the Middle East.