News

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.”

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.

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.