St. Lawrence in the News - Nov. 1, 2021
This regular roundup features a selection of recent mentions of St. Lawrence University and its students, faculty, and staff in regional, national, and international media outlets.
Karin Heckman & Grace Smith
Associate Professor of Biology Karin Heckman and Grace Smith ’22 discussed their survey about COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy in the North Country on the radio station NewsB99.3 on Tuesday, Oct. 26.
“The goal of our research is just to hear community members’ opinions toward the COVID-19 vaccine,” said Smith. “We want to further understand how we can best support the needs of the community, really hear our community members, and get a variety of perspectives on the vaccine.”
“One thing that we’re trying to figure out from this survey is whether residents of the North Country have similar opinions as what we see across the U.S. Is there something unique about the population here in the North Country? Is there a particular age group, for example, that is most likely or less likely to receive the vaccine?” said Heckman.
Smith is from Ithaca, N.Y. and a member of the Class of 2022. At St. Lawrence, she is majoring in biology, minoring in public health and sports studies and exercise sciences, and utilizing the COVID-19 vaccination survey as part of her senior thesis project. Smith is a member of the Pre-Health club, SLU EMS, Women’s Ice Hockey, and Vice President of Alpha Phi Omega.
Heckman’s research focuses on naturally occurring substances, such as plant pigments, that modulate the immune system and identifying potential therapeutic agents for multiple sclerosis and melanoma. At St. Lawrence, she teaches Immunology, Human Nutrition, Biology of Cancer, as well as foundational courses in Cell Biology and General Biology. Heckman holds a Ph.D. in Biomedical Science: Immunology from the Mayo Clinic and a B.S in Community/Medical Dietetics from Viterbo University.
Make a Difference Day
As part of Make Difference Day on Saturday, Oct. 23, more than 400 St. Lawrence students completed service projects at parks, schools, churches, farms, and homes throughout the North Country.
Aidan Daly ’24, Ryan Hart ’24, Flynn Stewart ’22, St. Lawrence’s Habitat for Humanity chapter, and student athletes were featured in photos published by NorthCountryNow.com on Sunday, Oct. 24 and Monday, Oct. 25.
Make a Difference Day has been an annual community service event St. Lawrence students take part in for more than 20 years. Sponsored by the Canton Chamber of Commerce, Canton Catholic Campus Ministry, St. Mary's Church, and St. Lawrence University, it is one of the many ways for St. Lawrence students to engage in service opportunities.
Jeff Frank
Associate Professor and Chair of Education Jeff Frank’s research focuses on the philosophy of education, liberal education, as well as teaching and teacher education. He reflected on the lessons parents can learn about how to treat school board members in an op-ed published by the Times Union on Sunday, Oct. 24.
“We can think together about how we should teach responsible digital citizenship in schools, and we can aspire to be good digital citizens ourselves. We don’t have to directly confront hateful protesters, but our lives can be an example of decency our children can model and that can give others heart,” said Frank.
Frank has taught a First-Year Seminar (FYS) titled What Does it Mean to be Educated and courses in Contemporary Educational policy, Teaching and Teachers, and American Philosophies of Education. He holds a Ph.D. in Philosophy and Education from Columbia University and a B.A. in Philosophy from Middlebury College.
David Murphy
Associate Professor and Chair of Environmental Studies David Murphy’s research that provides insights into net-energy transition and wise energy consumption was referenced in an article published by Byline Times on Wednesday, Oct. 20.
The article cautions readers about the rapid pace of the collapse of the global oil system and its impact on renewable energy and notes that Murphy and fellow researchers “found that 15.5% – more than a tenth – of the energy produced from oil worldwide is already necessary to keep producing all the oil.”
Murphy is an environmental scientist whose recent work analyzes the impact that the current renewable energy policies in New York State may have on greenhouse gas emissions and the energy return on investment of the electrical grid system. He holds a Ph.D. and an M.S. in Environmental Science from the State University of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry, as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Biology from The College of the Holy Cross.
Ronnie Olesker
Associate Professor of Government Ronnie Olesker’s work focuses on international relations and security studies. She recently used her expertise to weigh in on the Palestinian-led movement Boycott, Divestments and Sanctions (BDS), whose mission is to end international support of Israel’s oppression of Palestinians, in an article published by the international media outlet, inews.co.uk on Tuesday, Oct. 12.
“[BDS calls] on individuals and firms to divest from Israel and for states to sanction it for its consistent violation of international law and the human rights of Palestinians,’” said Olesker. “It has gained support among civil society, and especially on American and British campuses among academics and students.”
Olesker’s work focuses on international relations and security studies. Courses she regularly teaches at St. Lawrence include Introduction to International Relations, Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, and Middle East Politics. She holds a Ph.D. in International Relations from the Fletcher School at Tufts University and is a former assistant prosecutor at the Central District Attorney’s office in Tel Aviv, Israel.
St. Lawrence in the News is a roundup that features a selection of recent mentions of St. Lawrence University and its students, faculty, and staff in regional, national, and international media outlets. Submit media mentions for potential inclusion in an upcoming edition of St. Lawrence in the News.
