Jeff DeFelice ’11
(Photo by David Smith)

Jeff DeFelice ’11, a Chemistry and Mathematics double major, returned to Norwich University in April to give a Larsen Science Lecture on his doctoral research in chemistry at Dartmouth College.

You can catch up with Jeff and learn about how his work in the College of Science and Mathematics prepared him for graduate work by reading the story on the Norwich News page.

The Larsen Science Lecture Series is sponsored by the Larsen Fund, established in 1998 to honor Dr. Frederick D. Larsen, Emeritus Dana Professor of Geology.

Honored by Joint Resolution of Vermont Legislature

To view story click here.

Jeff Kyle Hay an Enviromental Science major from Cape Coral, FL,  won in the Junior Technical category for his paper “Geomorphic Changes of the Dog River Channel Post-Tropical Storm Irene Flooding.”

Robyn Taylor, a Mathematics major from Cayce, SC, took the prize in the Senior Technical category for her paper “Integrals and Interesting Series Involving the Central Binomial Coefficient.”

The two students will receive a cash prize for their efforts during Student Scholarship Celebration activities at Norwich University.  The prize is sponsored by the Friends of the Kreitzberg Library.

Additionally, several COSM majors will have posters of their research shown during the Student Scholarship Celebration poster session in the Milano Ballroom.

Dr. Gerard LaVarnway and Robyn Taylor ’13 at the Hudson River Undergraduate Mathematics Conference

Taylor was the only student among the hundreds in attendance who gave two talks.  Her first talk, entitled “The Hill Cipher: A Cryptosystem Using Linear Algebra” was advised by Dr. Gerard LaVarnway, chair of the mathematics department.  The second was entitled “Integrals and Interesting Series Involving the Central Binomial Coefficient.“  The paper was mentored by Dr. Robert Poodiack.

A large group of students were on hand to cheer for their friends.  Participants work against the clock to solve integrals, mathematical objects that can be interpreted as areas or generalizations of areas.  Integrals and derivatives are the fundamental objects of calculus.

Prapat Kotpat, a junior civil engineering major from Washington, DC was the Grand Champion for Integration Bee XI.  Kotpat won a gift certificate for a bus tour from Milne Travel.  He narrowly beat Antonio Diaz, a senior mathematics major from Pittsford, VT.

Kotpat and Diaz (l to r)

Finishing with Kotpat and Diaz in the Top Three was Ryan Grindle, a sophomore mathematics major from Essex Junction, VT.

Ryan Grindle

Rounding out the Elite Eight were Colby Goodhue, a freshmen mechanical engineering major from Pepperell, MA; Pete Wagner, a sophomore mechanical engineering major from Graniteville, VT; Anthony Belval, a sophomore civil engineering major from Essex Junction, VT; Joshua Kinsley, a sophomore mechanical engineering major from Williston, VT; and Sean Cristofori, a sophomore mathematics major from Waterford, MI.

For the past few years, the Department of Mathematics has given the Katy and Kelli Tyner Award to the two Integration Bee participants who best embody the spirit of the competition.  The prizes are generously funded by Dr. Dennis and Patty Tyner in honor of two of their daughters, who competed fiercely in the first few Integration Bees.  The Tyner Awards for Integration Bee X were presented to Shaun Brunner, a sophomore mathematics major from Barre, VT, and to Jacob Maheu, a sophomore mechanical engineering major from Belchertown, MA.  Katy Tyner was on hand to present the Tyner Awards this year.

Katy Tyner ’03 and Math Dept. Chair Gerard LaVarnway

The Integration Bee was co-sponsored by the Department of Mathematics and by Wolfram Research, makers of Mathematica and Wolfram|Alpha.  All participating integrators were given a one-year license for Mathematica for Students.

The talk is on Thursday, April 18th at 12:30 p.m. in Cabot Science 085.  Pizza and drinks will be served!
This lecture series is sponsored by the Larsen Fund, established in 1998 to honor Dr. Frederick D. Larsen, Emeritus Dana Professor of Geology.

Marion Weir, University of Vermont

Marion Weir, a graduate student in the Department of Biology at the University of Vermont, delivers the next talk in the College of Science and Mathematics Lecture Series on Tuesday, April 9th.

Weir will lecture on “Retinal expression of key players in the growth cone collapse pathway.”  A full abstract is available by clicking here.

The lecture happens on Tuesday, April 16th at 12:10 p.m. in Cabot Science 085.  The public is welcome to attend and lunch will be available.

Prof. Richard Dunn got called in on a major archaeological project on Easter Island where he spent his spring break carrying out stratigraphic studies to unravel the volcanic and post-volcanic history of the island.

While he was working there, Profs. David Westerman and Chris Koteas took a vanload of students to Virginia and West Virginia where they linked up with alumnus Paul Magness (ES’95). Their trip looked at geological and environmental sites from west of the WV Valley and Ridge, across the Blue Ridge and Piedmont provinces to the Coastal Plain, before heading north.

But instead of starting classes immediately, the full faculty of the department, along with four students and a recent graduate, spent two days in Breton Woods, NH at the annual meeting of the Northeast Section of the Geological Society of America where they collectively presented eleven papers and posters.

CLIFT, Anne E., SPRINGSTON, George E. and BECKER, Laurence, 2013, USE OF LIDAR IN A LANDSLIDE INVENTORY PROTOCOL IN VERMONT: Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 45, No. 1, p. 111.

HAY, Jeffrey K.*, CONLEY, Matthew J.*, WATERS, Kevin*, KOTEAS, G. Christopher, DUNN, Richard K., SPRINGSTON, George E., and GRIGG, Laurie D., 2013, A PRE- AND POST- TROPICAL STORM IRENE COMPARATIVE ASSESSMENT OF CHANNEL GEOMORPHOLOGY ALONG THE DOG RIVER, CENTRAL VERMONT: Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 45, No. 1, p. 118.

HERMANSON, T.M.* and DUNN, R.K., 2013, A PROBABLE LATE WISCONSINAN GLACIAL READVANCE SITE, HONEY BROOK, CENTRAL VERMONT: Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 45, No. 1, p. 94.

KIM, Jonathan J., SPRINGSTON, George E. and BECKER, Laurence R., 2013, ANALYSIS OF GROUNDWATER RESOURCES IN THE TOWN OF EAST MONTPELIER, CENTRAL VERMONT: Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 45, No. 1, p. 81.

KOTEAS, G. Christopher, WILLIAMS, Michael L., SEAMAN, Sheila J., and DUMOND, Gregory, 2013, THE ROLE OF MELT-ENHANCED SHORTENING AND SHEARING AT GRANULITE GRADE: EVIDENCE FOR LOCALLY VARIABLE STRENGTH OF THE DEEP CRUST FROM THE ATHABASCA GRANULITE TERRANE, NORTHERN SASKATCHEWAN: Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 45, No. 1, p. 87.

LENS, John E., DEWOOLKAR, Mandar M., SPRINGSTON, George E., and BECKER, Laurence R., 2013, SEISMIC HAZARD ASSESSMENT OF THE BURLINGTON AND COLCHESTER QUADRANGLES, NORTHWESTERN VERMONT: Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 45, No. 1, p. 51

SPRINGSTON, George E., UNDERWOOD, Kristen L., ROBINSON, Keith and SWANBERG, Ned, 2013, RAINFALL, FLOOD MAGNITUDE, AND GEOMORPHIC IMPACTS OF TROPICAL STORM IRENE ON THE WHITE RIVER WATERSHED, EAST-CENTRAL VERMONT: Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 45, No. 1, p. 83.

THOMAS, Ethan** and DUNN, Richard K., 2013, ANALYSIS OF FAULT BLOCK MOTION RELEVANT TO HARBOR RECONSTRUCTION AT THE MYCENAEAN ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE OF KALAMIANOS, GREECE: Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 45, No. 1, p. 54.

WATERS, Kevin*, LE, Dan*, GRIGG, Laurie D., and DUNN, Richard K., 2013, SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL VARIATIONS IN SEDIMENTATION AT TWIN PONDS, CENTRAL VERMONT: Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 45, No. 1, p.92.

WEBB, Laura E., WESTERMAN, David S., SPRINGSTON, George E., KIM, Jonathan, KLEPEIS, Keith, KOTEAS, G. Christopher, RUKSZNIS, Abigail, MEHRTENS, Charlotte, BECKER, Laurence R., and GALE, Marjorie, 2013, FIELD-BASED UNDERGRADUATE CURRICULUM AND RESEARCH EXPLORING GEOPHYSICAL METHODS, WITH APPLICATIONS TO THE STATE OF VERMONT: Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 45, No. 1, p. 118.

WESTERMAN, David S., RONI, Emanuele, ROCCHI, Sergio, DINI, Andrea, and STEVENSON, Carl T., 2013, USING DETAILED AMS AND MEGACRYST FABRIC ANALYSES TO UNDERSTAND MAGMA FLOW WITHIN THE SAN MARTINO MULTILAYER LACCOLITH SYSTEM, ELBA ISLAND, ITALY: Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 45, No. 1, p . 88.

Bold is DGES member; *student author; **recent graduate

Dr. John G. Thomas

Thomas, a Norwich University graduate, will speak on “The Human Microbiota in Health and Disease:  We are what our bugs eat.”  A poster with abstract is available by clicking here.

The lecture happens at 12:10 p.m. in Cabot Science 085 on Tuesday, April 2nd.  Students are especially encouraged to attend.  Lunch will be provided.

Dr. Silenzio will give a talk entitled “Epidemics of Depressing Proportions: Measuring Emotional and Social Contagion in Online Social Media.”

The lecture happens on Thursday, March 28th at 12:30 p.m. in Cabot Science 085.  Pizza and drinks will be served!

This lecture series is sponsored by the Larsen Fund, established in 1998 to honor Dr. Frederick D. Larsen, Emeritus Dana Professor of Geology.