Investing in the future of the liberal arts | Binghamton News – Binghamton

For the first time, Harpur College of Arts and Sciences has awarded graduate- student support from the new Harpur Deans Graduate Investment Initiative, made possible thanks to Mitchell J. Lieberman 80 and Susan G. Lieberman.

The couple established the fund to enhance graduate education in Harpur at the student and programmatic levels. The support empowers Harpur to focus on immediate initiatives and those that will shape the future of the college.

Dozens of graduate students received essential funding this past spring to advance their work. Fourteen of them have projects dedicated to the arts and received approximately $11,000 in total funding; other projects are focused on activities outside the arts, with 24 students each receiving $1,000. Here are just some of the recipients:

The primary documents needed to advance pathbreaking research can sometimes be a world away.

Fourteen graduate students in the arts received a total of about $11,000 to advance their projects.

Twenty-four graduate students received $1,000 each to propel their non-arts research.

Elizabethan court records, probate lists, letters, glass fragments and orders for window glass and repairs are just some of the items he pored over in museums, archives and libraries. Most of the materials can be viewed only in person.

Such documents are crucial for understanding the decline and resurgence of the English glass industry and the transparent window glass introduced in England during the mid-16th century, he says.

I argue that the introduction of transparent window glass sparked a glass mania that altered how Elizabethans perceived themselves and their surroundings, he says. Ultimately, my research aims to accomplish several overarching goals: encourage people to pause and take note of ubiquitous materials around us, consider how material innovations change our experiences in the world and prompt readers to not just peer through the glass but also look upon the glass.

Olorunshola, an international student from Nigeria, received crucial funding to investigate the role of biofilm bacteria in the progression of atherosclerosis, a chronic disease that leads to extreme narrowing of arteries, reduced blood flow and increased risk of heart attack and stroke.

A research project of this scale demands more than just intellectual commitment and dedication; it also requires substantial financial support to effectively convert innovative ideas into verifiable scientific outcomes, she says. Without this funding, I wont be able to complete important experiments that will advance me in completing my PhD.

Enzyme assay kits are just some of the necessary supplies she was able to buy to carry out her research.

I aim to investigate if the bacterial biofilm of interest has the potential to produce and release the degradative enzymes that can further weaken cardiovascular tissues, she says. The findings will contribute immensely toward finding a long-lasting solution to the worlds leading causes of death: heart attack and stroke.

What fuels her work and pursuit of a doctorate in biological sciences? Olorunshola says its her passion for medical research, advancing knowledge about microorganisms and their impact on human health, and her drive to contribute to a better understanding of our world.

Jacobs, a masters student in vocal performance, was finally able to say yes to attending the two-week Midsummer Music Dream Festival in Quebec last summer.

The funds present our students with amazing opportunities, contributing to our graduate students artistic and professional growth, and helping them to create new knowledge and hone their artistic skills. The funding will help to ensure that these opportunities are available to all of our students, regardless of their financial means. This generous gift addresses such an important goal in Harpur College. We are so grateful to the Liebermans for helping us give students a stellar education!

Harpur College Dean Celia M. Klin

I was offered a place at the festival [the previous summer], but I had to turn it down because I couldnt afford to go, she says. I am very grateful to have this opportunity!

With support for expenses, Jacobs gained more vocal training, made recordings to prepare for a busy audition season this fall and established vital connections in the opera world.

Her goal? A performance contract or acceptance into an artist diploma (AD) program to continue her vocal growth, she says.

There is nothing like being on stage, she says. I could not live my life without it.

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Investing in the future of the liberal arts | Binghamton News - Binghamton