15 results for science

Bennington sounds like my dream school and I'm really in love with the whole Plan thing, but I really want to study math and technology. Do you guys have a strong math and computer department? It seems like most of the science courses are for things like natural science. — Asked by Anonymous

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It is true, there are lots of courses in the natural sciences — but math and computing are equally strong and AWESOME!

We have many students this year alone who are doing their senior work in Computing and mathematics, some of these students are integrating this work into the natural sciences (Rebecca) others are simply programming (John is designing an anonymous forum for discourse). Others, myself including, use math and computing as modes for understanding relationships between, for example, social behavior and online interactional environments. 

(the pic above is from two other computing students, check out what they are up to)

-Eric ‘13

Is there a veterinary program at Bennington? If so, how is it? — Asked by Anonymous

Hey there!

So there is no specific Pre-Vet program here at Bennington, but we offer all the classes you need to take before applying to Vet school. As a animal science student who wants to apply to Vet school after Bennington, I found this website: click here, really helpful. It tells you the prerequisites for all Veterinary schools in the US. You can then check out Bennington’s curriculum here and see what we offer to compare. But the requirements are very basic and I haven’t had any trouble taking the classes I need. Hope this helps!

Good Luck!

Madeline ‘15

Finals

The sun majestically perforated the clouds this morning, striking one lone snow-tipped mountain. For some, these rays breaking through the windows of their sleepy dorm rooms stimulated their natural circadian responses, and they rose up like the rest of their animal brothers and sisters in the woods. For others, however, this dawn meant only that another hour had passed in their sleep-deprived delirium. Why, I sometimes ask myself, at a school where there are ostensibly no “requirements,” where we are free to design our own education, do we CHOOSE to do this? The answer, I think, is because we love our work so much.

Here’s what some of us are doing for finals. Check it out:

Read more »

Check out this brilliant vocalist we have hiding in our midst! Liam benningtonpostbac: Here’s our second Postbac in the Spotlight: Today is Dan’s 30th birthday! Dan, postbac ’13, hails from the small, rural town of Bucksport in Downeast Maine. When Dan graduated from Bucksport High School he was one of less than a hundred students in the senior class. He went on to a successful career as a vocalist, earning his BFA in Vocal Performance at the University of Southern Maine and sang professionally in the US and Europe as a soloist for many choruses, churches and opera companies. His resume includes performances of Leporello in Mozart’s Don Giovanni, Professor Bhaer in Mark Adamo’s Little Women, and Elijah in Mendelssohn’s Elijah. It’s been a big year for Dan- apart from the big Three Oh, he made the decision to change his career path from music to medicine, enrolled at Bennington, and was married between the summer and fall terms! We love the diversity of interests and backgrounds in the postbac program and all that each student brings to the group. Here Dan answers a couple of questions from his fellow students: What influenced your decision to pursue medicine?  “I have always loved helping people.  Music was the driving force in my life though, until I began volunteering at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, MA.  While at Dana-Farber I saw just how amazing medicine could be when the highest quality care is combined with true compassion.  It is my hope that one day I can give that same excellent care and compassion to people in small-underserved communities like my hometown. “ Favorite aspect of the program?  “The small class size has afforded me with the individualized attention I needed to succeed in the challenging classes.  In other programs I might have been in classes with 100 other students made of mostly undergrads.   But here at Bennington classes are almost exclusively postbacs and do not exceed 20 students.  This allows for personalized, individual attention from the professors.  Another exciting part of Bennington’s program is the Field Work Term.  This two month long winter break gives students time to volunteer in the healthcare field.  I will be shadowing physicians in Toronto, and volunteering at a research lab in Boston.” Happy Birthday to Dan, and congrats!

Check out this brilliant vocalist we have hiding in our midst!

Liam

benningtonpostbac:

Here’s our second Postbac in the Spotlight:

Today is Dan’s 30th birthday! Dan, postbac ’13, hails from the small, rural town of Bucksport in Downeast Maine. When Dan graduated from Bucksport High School he was one of less than a hundred students in the senior class. He went on to a successful career as a vocalist, earning his BFA in Vocal Performance at the University of Southern Maine and sang professionally in the US and Europe as a soloist for many choruses, churches and opera companies. His resume includes performances of Leporello in Mozart’s Don Giovanni, Professor Bhaer in Mark Adamo’s Little Women, and Elijah in Mendelssohn’s Elijah.

It’s been a big year for Dan- apart from the big Three Oh, he made the decision to change his career path from music to medicine, enrolled at Bennington, and was married between the summer and fall terms! We love the diversity of interests and backgrounds in the postbac program and all that each student brings to the group.

Here Dan answers a couple of questions from his fellow students:

What influenced your decision to pursue medicine? 

“I have always loved helping people.  Music was the driving force in my life though, until I began volunteering at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, MA.  While at Dana-Farber I saw just how amazing medicine could be when the highest quality care is combined with true compassion.  It is my hope that one day I can give that same excellent care and compassion to people in small-underserved communities like my hometown. “

Favorite aspect of the program? 

“The small class size has afforded me with the individualized attention I needed to succeed in the challenging classes.  In other programs I might have been in classes with 100 other students made of mostly undergrads.   But here at Bennington classes are almost exclusively postbacs and do not exceed 20 students.  This allows for personalized, individual attention from the professors.  Another exciting part of Bennington’s program is the Field Work Term.  This two month long winter break gives students time to volunteer in the healthcare field.  I will be shadowing physicians in Toronto, and volunteering at a research lab in Boston.”

Happy Birthday to Dan, and congrats!

Octopuses

Everybody knows it’s OctoPI, right??? That’s what I thought. Last week, though, I heard biology faculty David Edelman talk about his work with Octopuses — he’s teaching a class next term on the Science of Consciousness, and uses these invertebrates as a way to discover a definition of consciousness that applies not just to humans but to animals with very different kinds of brains. Then Parke wrote about Paul Voice using the word “octopuses” — and getting away with it because of his awesome South African accent.

But what’s correct? Apparently, since “octopus” is originally a Greek word, the use of the archaic Latin plural ending “-i” is kind of incorrect… the archaic Greek ending would make it “octopodes.” But since the word has been in the English language so long, the most correct version is Octopuses. Weird.

Check out this great documentary that David Edelman was involved in (David shows up after 9:00)!

-Ezra ‘13

benningtonpostbac: Serious Fun in PhysicsIn yesterday’s Physics I lab (Forces & Motion with Dr Hugh Crowl) in honor of Halloween, postbac and undergrad students built a trebuchet and launched pumpkins outside Dickinson Science Building. Breaking into teams, each team focused on measuring specific data: angle, velocity, range and timing among others. Careful measurements of each pumpkin taken beforehand factor in to the final result: measuring the effect of air resistance.  An annual campus spectator sport, it’s always exciting when one hits an unintended arboreal target- click on the picture to see a 30 second video of the best launch of the day.

benningtonpostbac:

Serious Fun in Physics

In yesterday’s Physics I lab (Forces & Motion with Dr Hugh Crowl) in honor of Halloween, postbac and undergrad students built a trebuchet and launched pumpkins outside Dickinson Science Building. Breaking into teams, each team focused on measuring specific data: angle, velocity, range and timing among others. Careful measurements of each pumpkin taken beforehand factor in to the final result: measuring the effect of air resistance. 

An annual campus spectator sport, it’s always exciting when one hits an unintended arboreal target- click on the picture to see a 30 second video of the best launch of the day.
Hey there! I was wondering if I could get a student's opinion on the environmental and science concentrations. I'm interested in the arts (which I can already tell seem fantastic at Bennington!) and also the sciences. Do you guys find that you/environmental science oriented friends are well qualified for science-related internships, careers, and the like? Thanks! — Asked by Anonymous

I’ll throw in my two cents. Primarily at Bennington I study behavioral ecology and evolution, although I’ve also done some field- and classwork with environmental studies stuff (specifically wildlife conservation and climate change). I can say that the work I’ve done at Bennington has really conditioned me into a scientist - that is, to say, that I never came to Bennington expecting to study science (so it sounds like you already have a leg up on me). 

What happened for me was that, through the Plan Process, I came to realize that my interest in the environment extended much further into the realm of quantifiable study and experimentation (a la the sciences) than in more sociopolitical spheres. What I’ve found working in the sciences is that Bennington really asks students to think like scientists - that is, from day one, you’re reading primary scientific literature, having wide-ranging discussions on any number of mechanics or papers, and designing and conducting your own research projects. Something I’ve said before on this blog and will continue to say again is that science at Bennington (and really, all disciplines at Bennington) is about learning how to ASK good questions - the answers will come with a holistic understanding and inquiry into the field at hand.

Field Work Term is also an excellent opportunity to get involved in the sciences - there are countless labs, researchers, and field sites looking for interested student workers. I think the combination of Field Work Term and the Plan work in concert to prepare students really well for grad school and the professional world, as well - by the end of four years here, you’ve got four solid contacts on your resume (great for networking), a heavy courseload full of all the relevant science coursework you need to qualify for grad programs, and a healthy body of work couched within your own research interests. For more general posts on science, check out this page. And if any other specific questions come up for you about the sciences, go ahead and email me at evanb@bennington.edu.

-Evan ‘13

benningtonpostbac: Student Research at Bennington From the new faculty blog Science & Math at Bennington: Research is at the core of a Bennington science education. It is in the practice of science that students begin to appreciate what being a scientist really means. There are many paths by which Bennington students can conduct their own research. Some classes feature research projects as part of the curriculum; some students opt for research tutorials in which they work closely with faculty research advisors; other students have the opportunity to do research during Field Work Term. Students pursuing advanced work in science conduct independent research and present their findings in formal project papers or theses as well as orally at Science Workshops, attended by faculty and students. Here, postbac premed student Mia McNulty and undergraduate student Jiaying Liu present their Chem 4 research poster titled The Great Migration: Behavior of 1,2-Hydride Shifts at the annual poster session on campus. Click on the picture to read more about student research at Bennington and see more posters. Liam

benningtonpostbac:

Student Research at Bennington

From the new faculty blog Science & Math at Bennington:

Research is at the core of a Bennington science education. It is in the practice of science that students begin to appreciate what being a scientist really means. There are many paths by which Bennington students can conduct their own research. Some classes feature research projects as part of the curriculum; some students opt for research tutorials in which they work closely with faculty research advisors; other students have the opportunity to do research during Field Work Term. Students pursuing advanced work in science conduct independent research and present their findings in formal project papers or theses as well as orally at Science Workshops, attended by faculty and students.

Here, postbac premed student Mia McNulty and undergraduate student Jiaying Liu present their Chem 4 research poster titled The Great Migration: Behavior of 1,2-Hydride Shifts at the annual poster session on campus.

Click on the picture to read more about student research at Bennington and see more posters.

Liam

WoOoOoOooO science

Oh, you know, just thought I’d leave this here. If you’re at all interested in scientific pursuits, you should really check out our new math + science site. It’s being added to weekly, and it lets you keep an eye on what’s going on at science workshop; take a look at some of the classes that are available; learn about some of the faculty; and see some student work. Work by yours truly is on display - I dare you to not be impressed by my use of terms such as “polydirectional defense plasticity” and “ant.”

So yeah! Check it out. Us science kids know how to have fun too.

-Evan ‘13

benningtonpostbac: In the Classroom: Electrochemical BiosensorsPostbac Katie Giarra (Princeton ‘09), in collaboration with undergraduate Carly Flynn (concentrating in Science and Dance) gave the first student presentation of the term in Chemistry 3 this week. The two explained the theory behind the operation of electrochemical glucose meters. These devices, used by millions of diabetics all over the world, employ enzymes bound to the anode of a small disposable electrochemical cell whose current output is directly proportional to blood glucose levels. They explained the background theory and led a discussion that included questions concerning sources of error in the measurements and strategies to minimize them, as well as recent developments in the field. Click on the pic for more stories on Bennington’s dynamic science program at the new faculty blog Science & Math at Bennington.

benningtonpostbac:

In the Classroom: Electrochemical Biosensors

Postbac Katie Giarra (Princeton ‘09), in collaboration with undergraduate Carly Flynn (concentrating in Science and Dance) gave the first student presentation of the term in Chemistry 3 this week. The two explained the theory behind the operation of electrochemical glucose meters. These devices, used by millions of diabetics all over the world, employ enzymes bound to the anode of a small disposable electrochemical cell whose current output is directly proportional to blood glucose levels. They explained the background theory and led a discussion that included questions concerning sources of error in the measurements and strategies to minimize them, as well as recent developments in the field.


Click on the pic for more stories on Bennington’s dynamic science program at the new faculty blog Science & Math at Bennington.
Bennington seems to be centered around the arts and its students' talents but how does its math and science programs compare to those of other schools with a structured core curriculum and designated majors? — Asked by Anonymous

Hey thurr. I answered a similar question a few weeks ago and I think it can maybe help to illuminate an answer to your question.

I also just recently answered a question about the pre-med program at Bennington, and I think the latter half of my answer speaks to the strengths of Bennington’s science program vs. the traditional science program.

Hope these are useful! Email me at evanb@bennington.edu if you have any remaining unanswered questions about science and math at Bennington.

-Evan ‘13

I'm intending on going to medical school after my undergrad and I really love Bennington. I was wondering if Bennington sends a number of students to medical school? — Asked by Anonymous

Yes indeed! Some of those that go on to grad school belong to our postbac pre-med program, which is comprised of students who have graduated from other institutions with non-science degrees and are now specifically interested in going to med school. As for undergrads, we have a very comprehensive science curriculum that totally sets you up for entry into med school. You can read the actual curriculum here.

The great thing about being a science student at Bennington is that you’re constantly reading primary scientific literature; designing and conducting your own experiments*; and  constantly meeting with the science faculty (who are themselves established scientists). As a biology student, I think the most valuable part of my education at Bennington has been the fact that no part of my studies have been wasted sitting in 200-person lecture halls; doing canned labs; and having to go through TAs to get face-time with faculty - instead, I was able to come here on day one, and immediately was asked to start thinking, working, and living as a scientist.

-Evan ‘13

*Originally I wrote classes here, when I actually meant to say experiments. My bad! Hadn’t had enough coffee.

Continuing in our class spaces series (if you wanna call it that) this week is Dickinson Science Building. This is pretty much where I spend all my time (aside from Bingham) so if anyone has any science-y questions, ask away!

Enjoy.

-Evan ‘13

benningtonpostbac: The Cell Bio Research lab is a colorful place.  (Taken with Instagram at Bennington College) [reblogged by Ellie]

benningtonpostbac:

The Cell Bio Research lab is a colorful place.  (Taken with Instagram at Bennington College)

[reblogged by Ellie]

benningtonpostbac: The pond behind Dickinson Science Building is looking very springy. (Taken with instagram) [reblogged by Ellie]

benningtonpostbac:

The pond behind Dickinson Science Building is looking very springy. (Taken with instagram)

[reblogged by Ellie]