What makes us stand out
Why Lafayette
Meet a few members of the Class of 2021 and hear why they made Lafayette their home away from home.
Student and Faculty Mentorships
First-year and second-year students are involved in real research with faculty mentors. Here are a few teams and projects.
Computer Science
Team
assistant professor, computer science
computer science
computer science
computer science and mathematics
Working on
Recommender systems
What’s that?
When you shop on sites like Amazon, online recommenders list items under headings like “Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought.” In other words, they make recommendations based on your purchasing behavior or how your behaviors might match others like you.
Challenge
Can recommender systems work in real-time experiences, like moving visitors around a tourist site or helping diners make a dessert selection at a restaurant?
Project
Map out the 100+ artworks on campus and recommend pieces to viewers based on their preferences, proximity, and crowd control.
Development
The team is creating algorithms and maps that will live within a downloadable app.
Team dynamic
The students have classes together and coordinate independent parts of the project, so the team united quickly. “I am exposed to real research, contributing to this project and carrying just enough responsibility as to not get overwhelmed,” says Fuller.
Real-world application
Imagine a museum, like the Met, helping visitors navigate with ease vast collections of art in a manner that has them view works they’d love.
Mechanical Engineering
Team
associate professor, mechanical engineering
assistant professor, engineering studies
chemical engineering and mathematics/ economics
Working on
Solar thermal heat transfer
What’s that?
Solar thermal systems absorb the sun’s energy via a panel and transfer it via a working fluid, like water, to a storage tank. Energy is removed
from the tank using a heat exchanger for uses such as hot water or home heating.
Challenge
Can we store and extract hot water efficiently and at a low cost so that these renewable systems can compete better with natural gas?
Project
The team is conducting simulations to determine how the shape of internal walls in the tank improve heat transfer.
Development
Nicodemus conducted prior experimental investigations based on other researchers’ models. “We are investigating more accurate numerical models of the system to increase our understanding of the extraction of energy from the storage tank,” says Smith.
Team dynamic
Vijay is excited to be exposed to “valuable college-level research as a first-year student and feeling like an integral part of the decision-making process.” Nicodemus says, “We are part of a global community of researchers, all working on a piece of the larger goal of sustainably meeting our energy needs.”
Real-world application
Climate change is creating a pressing need to move away from fossil fuels. This research is about economically replacing these finite resources with solar heat in people’s homes.
Meet some of the standouts in the Class of 2021
Academic & Community
Mario Sanchez Castillo ’21
- Arts and Culture editor at The Lafayette, student newspaper
- Wrote articles on black history, women’s history, and Hamilton star Daveed Diggs
- Won the English department’s Jean Corrie Poetry Prize
Symphony Bryant ’21
- Plays in the front pack on the rugby team
- Summer tour guide
- “My tour guide made me excited to come here I want to give that same type of experience.”
Katherine Aube ’21
- Live Well adviser
- Helps organize events that inspire mindfulness and mental health
- “College can be a toiling experience; it’s important to take time for yourself.”
Marquis Players
Maddy Proulx ’21
- First role at age 8 — Once Upon a Mattress
- First lead role — Little Shop of Horrors
Owen McKenna ’21
- First role at age 8 — Oliver
- First lead at age 14 — Hair
Sarah Frankel ’21
- Performed in 23 shows!
- First role at age 9 — Guys and Dolls
- First lead role at age 13 — Once Upon a Mattress
Division I Athletes
Krista Kissell ’21
- Starting forward
- Patriot League Rookie of the Week
- Leading scorer
Natalie Kucowski ’21
- Starting forward
- Patriot League All-Rookie Team
- Five-time Patriot League Rookie of the Week
Grace Angelella ’21
- Starting forward
- Patriot League Rookie of the Week
- Leading scorer