Year-Round Learning

By Patrick Bohn, August 1, 2024

H&S Summer Scholars program provides students with research opportunities.

(L to R) Architectural studies majors Cassidy Hopkins ’25, Kelsey Tonacatl, ’24, Oliver Gooderhan ’25 with assistant professor of art, art history, and architecture Zohreh Soltani. (Photo by Patrick Bohn)

For students in the School of Humanities and Sciences, the summer months offer a unique opportunity to hone their research skills while working with professors in the Summer Scholars program. Students don’t have to worry about missing out on the income from a summer job since they are paid to do the research, which also allows them to collaborate with faculty to produce a capstone project and develop valuable professional skills.

The results of their eight weeks of hard work were shared recently during the annual Summer Scholars Showcase held in Emerson Suites, as close to 30 students gave both oral and poster presentations on a wide variety of topics.

Jaiden Collier ’24 gave an oral presentation on writing and researching historical fiction, and shared how the program enabled him to stoke his passion.

In addition to posters, students had the opportunity to give oral presentations of their research. (Photo by Patrick Bohn)

“When you’ve been reading your whole life, when they fuel your ambition, you want to write a story of your own, to catch lightning in a bottle,” said the creative writing and religious studies double major, who was mentored by professor of writing Eleanor Henderson.

Following the talks, students set up poster and other presentations. JJ Delligatti ’25, a physics major who is minoring in computer science, worked with associate professor of physics and astronomy Matthew Price and created an integrated light switch system with a stop light circuit and a metal detector circuit — essentially, a miniature traffic light with an accompanying vehicle detector.

The project, which was borne out of work he was doing in a design lab course, gave Delligatti an opportunity to delve deeper into classroom learning, where he originally learned how to code an Arduino — an open-source electronics platform that allows users to design and build interactive devices, using a programmable circuit board and software.

“[The project] was intense but it was a great opportunity to fully engage with the work because we were encouraged to view it as work,”

Kelsey Tonacatl ’24

“Having the freedom to work with equipment in a lab and to work on something I enjoy was great,” he said. “And professor Price was a great mentor. I’d already taken classes with him, so we were comfortable together. We spoke about my progress on the project daily, and he was always there to answer questions. I’ve learned so much through this experience.”

Physics major and computer science minor JJ Delligatti ’25, created a miniature traffic light with an accompanying vehicle detector.

The showcase featured work from students in majors across the school, including some that had not previously been included in the Summer Scholars program.

Architectural studies majors Cassidy Hopkins ’25, Kelsey Tonacatl ’24, and Oliver Gooderhan ’25 created a model for their project: the development of a park at Markle’s Flats in Ithaca that utilized green space, and was accessible for individuals with disabilities.

“What I loved about Summer Scholars was getting the freedom to explore ideas,” said Tonacatl. “I grew up in a more urban area where there wasn’t a park close by, so I was really interested in creating something I didn’t always get to see.”

The trio said that the professionalism of the project was apparent throughout the process.

“It was intense but it was a great opportunity to fully engage with the work because we were encouraged to view it as work,” Tonacatl said.

The model created by Cassidy Hopkins ’25, Kelsey Tonacatl ’24, and Oliver Gooderhan ’25 featured green space and accessibility features. (Photo by Patrick Bohn)

“This project showed us what it’s like to work like in a professional architectural setting where you’re always in groups,” added Hopkins.

The ability to provide her students with a chance to tackle with a project with depth was rewarding for Zohreh Soltani, assistant professor of art, art history, and architecture.

“It’s a valuable opportunity for architectural students because they don’t often get the chance to focus just on design in their work or get the opportunity to focus all their attention on one project,” she said. “I also love the practical experience Summer Scholars provides. Working in a group is good practice for students who will need to learn to work in a firm.”

"We are immensely proud of our H&S Summer Scholars program,” said Claire Gleitman, dean of the School of Humanities and Sciences. “Because of the financial support Summer Scholars receive, they are able to devote themselves fully to their project, without the distractions of a summer job. Hence, they have the unique opportunity to really delve into their chosen topic, to lay the groundwork for their future professional goals, and to be a part of a highly engaged, industrious community of student scholars and faculty members.”