Soda Pop Money and Smart Phones: Improving Access with Scholly

Submitted on Tuesday, 2/18/2014, at 3:34 PM

by William Sweet

Getting help with your college expenses just became as easy as picking up a phone, thanks in part to the work of Bryson Alef ’14.

Amidst all the news about increasing higher-education costs, Scholly, a new smartphone app that helps students sniff out the best scholarships, has been catching some attention, not to mention clicks at the App Store and Google Play. Alef, a double major in computer science and psychology, designed the app.

Starting at the Top: Eric Lax '13 and Trext

Submitted on Tuesday, 2/18/2014, at 3:35 PM

by William Sweet

Like many members of the recently graduated Class of 2013, Eric Lax is starting the summer in a new job. Unlike many of his counterparts, he’s starting at the top.

Putting aside his original plans to find an entry-level job for two years and go on to an economics Ph.D. program or business school, Lax is starting the summer as chief executive officer of Trext, Inc., a software firm that he founded with three students from Hampshire College.

For ’13 Alumna, Soros Fellowship Is Icing on the Cake

Submitted on Tuesday, 3/22/2016, at 3:48 PM

July 31, 2013

By Daniel Diner ’14

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Bess Hanish ’13

Churchill Scholar: Battling Famine with Bioengineering

Submitted on Tuesday, 8/4/2015, at 4:20 PM

AMHERST, Mass. -- Christopher Finch ’14, Amherst College’s latest recipient of a Churchill Foundation Scholarship, intends to apply science to benefit a hungry planet, much in the way he conducted research to help fellow hockey players avoid injury.

The scholarship will allow the Steamboat Springs, Colo., native to conduct research in plant bioengineering next year at the University of Cambridge in England. For Finch, this award comes toward the end of an Amherst career noted for excellence in science and its application to real-world issues.

LGBTQIA? "You Can Play" at Amherst

Submitted on Tuesday, 7/9/2013, at 11:57 AM

by William Sweet

Teamwork means sticking up for your teammates, putting aside distractions and disputes, and aiming for achievement. Amherst student-athletes understand this, so it’s no surprise that they have come out to declare that Amherst Athletics welcomes and celebrates its LGBTQIA athletes.

Amherst athletes and staff collaborated this semester to create a video for the You Can Play Project, a national effort advocating respect for all collegiate athletes, regardless of sexual orientation. It offers a simple yet profound message: If you can play, you can play.

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Amherst College Juniors Christopher Gerry and Christopher Finch Awarded Goldwater Scholarships

Submitted on Tuesday, 5/14/2013, at 4:09 PM

May 14, 2013

By Daniel Diner '14

Amherst College juniors Christopher Gerry of Roslyn Heights, N.Y., and Christopher Finch of Steamboat Springs, Colo., are among the 271 U.S. undergraduates to receive Goldwater Scholarships for the 2013–2014 academic year.

Look Before You Text: Leah Thompson ’15 Studies Distraction

Janurary 18, 2013 • By William Sweet

“Look both ways before crossing the street.”

It’s a lesson that most of us learn by the age of 6. But according to Leah Thompson ’15, who spent this past summer studying pedestrian behavior, it’s also a lesson that many adults have managed to unlearn or ignore.

The culprit, in many cases, is the smartphone.

Memory and Movies

July 26, 2012

By Angelina Gomez ’14

My parents recently went on a vacation to Hawaii. While talking to my mom about the trip, I heard about the colors of the flowers they saw on a hike, how she felt about taking time off work, how she had arranged for someone to take care of their cat while they were away, the flavors of the fish they ate and more. My dad’s report of the week: “We hiked. We swam at bit. The hotel was nice. It was fun!”

Drivers of Change

Submitted on Wednesday, 1/6/2016, at 6:16 PM

By Katherine Duke ’05

Photos by Rob Mattson

In the parking lot next to Grosvenor House, off of Route 9, you’ll notice two unusual new features: a small standing structure called a PEP Station and a parking space labeled ELECTRIC CAR ONLY. The Amherst College campus can now serve as a pit stop for charging up electric vehicles, and Amherst College Emergency Medical Services (ACEMS) now uses such a vehicle to come to students’ aid, thanks primarily to two juniors who are “very into cars” and eager to see Amherst become a leader in the movement toward greener automotive technology and infrastructure.

Introducing Amherst's Newest Students

Submitted on Tuesday, 8/4/2015, at 4:05 PM
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After Amherst, at Amherst: The Post-Baccalaureate Fellows

2012_04_20_RM_Kim_400x267They have the parchments and the canes, and they are now officially alumni—but these Amherst graduates just will not leave. It’s for a good reason: A select few among the Class of 2012 are staying on campus for Post-Baccalaureate Summer Research Fellowships.

Chinese Amherst Students Hit Rio+20 with Big Plans for Environmental Change

Submitted on Thursday, 6/14/2012, at 3:32 PM
Three students originally from China, who met on the Amherst College campus and became united in their concern for the environment, hope to make waves over the next couple of weeks in Rio de Janeiro,Brazil, at the Rio+20 Earth Summit, a major United Nations conference attended by many countries’ political leaders.