Olivia DrakeAugust 30, 20122min
By looking at high-resolution images captured by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, scientists are able to see gullies, which are argued to be geologically recent. Because they are most likely formed by water, it is believed that they can answer the question of whether or not there is still "active" water on Mars. As a summer Wesleyan McNair scholar, astronomy major Lavontria Aaron '14 used a hyperspectral instrument to determine if the gullies contained minerals (salts) which would be left behind by water brines. "By examining the spectrum of the brines, we'll be able to learn more about Mars' history and…

Olivia DrakeAugust 7, 20127min
Students majoring in earth and environmental sciences, biology, molecular biology and biochemistry, chemistry, physics, psychology, environmental health, safety and sustainability presented their summer-long research projects during the Wesleyan Summer Research Poster Session Aug. 2 in Exley Science Center. Quantitative Analysis Center summer fellows, Hughes fellows, and McNair scholars also presented their research. Photos of the event are below (Photos by Olivia Drake):

Olivia DrakeMarch 26, 20123min
Eleven Wesleyan seniors will speak on their undergraduate research projects during the Spring 2012 McNair Fellow Presentation Series March 29 through April 26. The presentations describe the research that students conducted with Wesleyan faculty mentors. Many of the projects also are the subject of student theses or final papers presented for the Wesleyan B.A. requirements. The Wesleyan University Ronald E. McNair Post Baccalaureate Achievement McNair Program was established in 2007. It assists students from underrepresented groups with preparing for, entering, and progressing successfully through postgraduate education. They are often first generation college students from low-income families, OR African-American, Hispanic, Native…

Olivia DrakeApril 13, 20113min
The Wesleyan McNair Program assists students from underrepresented groups in preparing for, entering, and progressing successfully through post-graduate education. The program provides guidance, research opportunities, and academic and financial support to students planning to go on to Ph.Ds. All fields of research leading to a Ph.D. are eligible. In efforts to prepare undergraduates from diverse backgrounds for graduate studies, the McNair Program hosts a series of research talks. These talks are designed for interested, non-expert, students. They are free and open to all students. The next McNair Research Talk will take place from noon to 1 p.m., Friday, April 15…

David PesciApril 13, 20093min
McNair Fellows Asia Neupane ’09 and Aivi Doan ’10 have both received recognition for their research initiatives. Neupane, who also is a Mellon Fellow, was awarded first prize for her poster presentation "Mercury Pollution in Tobago, West Indies" at the 8th Annual New England Science Symposium, which was held April 3 at Harvard Medical School. Neupane collected samples for her research this summer in Tobago, West Indies, and has been analyzing them in the Earth and Environmental Sciences lab of Johan Varekamp, the Harold T. Stearns Professor of Earth Science. She has been a research assistant with Professor Varekamp since…