Gone in 100 Seconds: A Historic Look at Pluto

Field Telescope in New Zealand

by William Sweet

This summer three Amherst students traveled to the other end of the world to glimpse the other end of the solar system.

Carolina Carriazo '18, Jason Mackie '17 and Aaron Resnick '16, on an internship with the Southwest Research Institute, trekked to New Zealand and Australia to spend 100 seconds watching Pluto block a distant star, affording once-in-a-lifetime views of the dwarf planet’s atmosphere.

When One—or Two—Isn’t Enough: Triple Majors Balance Academics, Ambition and Time

July 15, 2015

By Elaine Jeon ’17

Pursuing two majors at Amherst has become increasingly common. Perhaps this is thanks to the flexibility of open curriculum, or perhaps it’s because the College attracts academically ambitious students. A small group of students take this trend even further, graduating as triple majors. In the past five graduating classes, there have been one to eight triple majors each year. The record in the past three and half decades was set by the class of 1994, in which 16 students graduated with three majors each.

Here are just three of the remarkably driven students who recently completed or are currently pursuing triple majors on campus.

Successful Annual Fund Finish

Each year, Amherst’s Annual Fund provides vital support to the College’s operating budget. Thanks to the generous support of alumni, parents and friends, the Annual Fund raised $10.1 million during the fiscal year that ended on June 30, 2015.

The Annual Fund—started in 1906—allows the College to fund immediate priorities year after year: scholarships for exceptional students, resources for our faculty and for student research, and support for campus preservation and upkeep.

By the Numbers:

Student Group Sends Trio to Peru to Immerse Themselves in Medicine, Community

July 28, 2015

By Elaine Jeon ’17

Project_Salud_1_400x267.jpg

The members of Project Salud, with healthcare workers at a partner clinic in Peru

Tucked away on the outskirts of Lima, Peru, is Manchay, a small shantytown that lacks basic sanitation and medical resources. This summer, three rising Amherst juniors and members of the student organization Project SALUD—Thais Calderon, Sam Chen and Kramer Peterson—have been interning at a clinic in Manchay, assisting doctors, practicing their own medical skills and interacting with locals.

For the Birds: Student Research Project Studies Parasites’ Effects on Swallow Nestlings

July 1, 2015

By Elaine Jeon ’17

IMG_4674_400x267.jpg

Elizabeth Black ’16 and Victoria Luizzi ’17, collecting data

Rain or shine, four dedicated biologists Elizabeth Black ’16, Joely DeSimone ’15, Victoria Luizzi ’17 and Natalie Sun ’18 have been spending seven days a week in the College’s Wildlife Sanctuary this summer collecting data on the effects blood-sucking fly larvae have on the growth and health of tree swallow nestlings.