New College’s Pritzker Marine Biology Research Center was filled with the excited voices of students who had completed an in-depth investigation of oyster shells this week and were discussing their findings. The session was part of a two-week summer program designed to give nearly three dozen middle and high school students an opportunity to take advantages of the area’s beaches with an eye toward science.

The melodic, almost haunting sounds of contemporary bluegrass/folk band Passerine could easily be the theme music for a biopic of Sarasota. Its blossoming arts scene, the modern bluesy tunes that creep down narrow roads and out of cafes mix well with the weeping moss on the trees and the free running miles of beach, sand and water. It’s the purity of an untainted oasis that makes the city so special and Passerine offers the same organic passion in its music. David Brain (dobro), Tanya Radtke (vocals, acoustic guitar), Sara Moone (vocals, fiddle), Dave Baker (vocals, bass) and Carmela Pedicini (vocals, acoustic guitar) make up the group distinctly named after the bird for its revealing and inspiring nature. [David Brain is a sociology professor at New College and Sara Moon is a New College alumna.]

Anita L. Allen has been named vice provost for faculty at the University of Pennsylvania, effective July 1.  She is the Henry R. Silverman Professor of Law in the Penn Law School and professor of philosophy in the School of Arts and Sciences. … She earned a J.D. from Harvard Law School, a Ph.D. and M.A. in philosophy from the University of Michigan and a B.A. in philosophy, classics and literature from New College of Florida.

The University of Pennsylvania today named Anita L. Allen, a Penn Law School professor and professor of philosophy, as the new vice provost of faculty. … Allen has her law degree from Harvard, a doctorate and master’s degree in philosophy from the University of Michigan and a bachelor’s in philosophy, classics and literature from New College of Florida.

The students are attending PUSH/SUCCESS, marking its 10th year as a summer program at New College. Students will work in the “wet lab” of the College’s Pritzker Marine Biology Research Center, learning valuable lab skills and developing an understanding of how their health is affected by the health of the coastal environment.

For example, in one experiment, the students will use video microscopes to look at the effect of oil on sea urchin development. In other hands-on activities, they will experiment with anenomes and learn their role in medical science, collect and test water samples, and observe oyster habitats – both in the lab and from kayaks in Sarasota Bay.

Students also will get to try snorkeling and scuba diving after training and under close supervision in the New College pool.

Along the way, program director Dr. Sandra Gilchrist, professor of biology, and assistants will teach students about the scientific method, graphing and writing lab reports. Students also will participate in programs on leadership and conflict resolution.

Gilchrist notes that the participating students are not necessarily top science students at their schools. “We push all of them to at least try, and they may find a talent or skill they haven’t discovered before,” she said.

The program concludes with students’ presentation of projects and a graduation ceremony June 22 at Pritzker.

PUSH (Preparing Unique Students for Healthcare careers) is for students in grades 9 through 11. SUCCESS (Students United to Create Culturally and Educationally Successful Situations) is for students in grades 6 through 8. Both programs focus not on typical, not gifted, students, and on students from demographics under-represented in science.

White was selected as one of two fellows for this year’s cohort of the Engaged Scholars Studying Congregations, a fellowship program funded by the Lilly Foundation and administered by Hartford Seminary, a theological college. The Engaged Scholars program provides $18,000 in research funding over two years, and offers mentorship for scholars investigating the practices of congregational life.

As a complement to the fellowship, White also was selected to be a scholar-in-residence at the Burke Library of Union Theological Seminary, the graduate theology program of Columbia University. At Burke, she will conduct archival research in the records of the New York City Council of Churches. Her project will examine liberal Christian congregations and their overlap with protest movements of the late 1960s and 1970s, including Gay Liberation, Black Power and the Young Lords movements.

White has taught at New College since 2009 and has served on the Institutional Research Board’s human subject research review committee. She is expected to serve as an adjunct faculty member in the fall. White received her bachelor’s degree from Eastern University and her master’s and doctoral degrees from Princeton University.

Polar bears may have little immunity to new germs and parasites likely to move north along with new animals as the Arctic climate warms. Animals in the Arctic are exposed to a low number of pathogens — that is, disease- and illness-causing viruses and bacteria—  and parasites, but with rapid climate warming, this is expected to change, say the authors of the Government of Nunavut-supported study recently published in the Animal Conservation journal. … “We greatly appreciate their efforts and thank the hunters,the Government of Nunavut, their technicians and conservation officers for the collection of polar bear tissues,” said the researchers led by Diane Weber from the New College of Florida.

The decrease in Arctic ice as a result of global warming has already taken it’s toll on polar bears, leaving them with fewer habitats and increased difficulty in finding food. But scientists have now discovered a larger, and potentially more lethal, threat to the Arctic mammal. They discovered that the immune system of polar bears is unable to adjust to new pathogens that have come about as a result of rising temperatures. Professor Diana Weber at New College of Florida, together with a large group of international researchers, studied the immune system of 98 polar bears in Canada.

On her second attempt at tree climbing using the single-rope technique, Rebecca Tripp quickly ascended a 15-foot rope hanging from a branch of a pin oak on the Baker University campus. [New College student Snousha Glaude is pictured climbing into one of the trees. The article mentions Meg Lowman, New College professor of Biology and Environmental Studies from 2003-2010, who pioneered the single-rope technique's use in biological field research.]

The program opened Monday, June 3, with a lunch hosted by New College Provost Stephen Miles and a welcome speech by President Donal O’Shea, a mathematician himself.

EDGE’s goal is to help women complete graduate programs in mathematics. Its philosophy is that women who have had success in early math courses, but who have had limited exposure to advanced courses, are capable of earning doctorates.

Dr. Poimenidou said a program like EDGE is vital for women in her field. “Women in mathematics often feel isolated and marginalized in math departments and graduate program and many of them decide to quit their math studies or change fields,” she said.

“EDGE has been successful in strengthening the ability of young women, especially from underrepresented minorities, to persevere and successfully complete their graduate studies and receive their PhDs in mathematics.”

EDGE has a documented record of success. Studies at multiple universities have found that 30 to 70 percent of students drop out of doctoral programs. A 2002 study at one major university found that nearly 60 percent of its 363 new doctoral students left their programs after two semesters.

Over the first eight years of the EDGE program, more than 90 percent of participants had either received their master’s or doctoral degrees or were still pursuing their studies. Only 8 percent had ended their studies without receiving a master’s degree. Forty-six of the participating students have received their doctorates.

The program’s participants are women who have completed undergraduate courses in analysis and abstract algebra and have been accepted to graduate programs in math. The program focuses in particular on women from under-represented demographics.

The program’s centerpiece is the four-week summer session, where students take core courses in analysis and linear algebra, mini-courses in pure and applied mathematics and work with faculty in problem-solving sessions.

The instructors include four math professors, the program’s two national directors, its co-founder and two graduate mentors. Students also meet with visitors from academia and industry.

After the summer program ends, EDGE provides ongoing mentoring and support, and offers funding for students to take sabbaticals and give research talks.

New College is one of eight colleges and university partners in EDGE. The summer program rotates between the schools each year; New College first hosted it in 2006.

The program was founded in 1998 by Bryn Mawr College and Spellman College. It is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Security Agency.