What we do to prepare students

Majors

Cur Non Majors mean finding what you are passionate about and then making it happen. We transcend traditional academic boundaries with an interdisciplinary curriculum. We offer 51 areas of study across four academic divisions.

Letters From Professors

Faculty and students establish deep and meaningful connections at Lafayette. Take for example the nine graduating seniors whom we surprised. Each read aloud a handwritten, personal letter from a faculty mentor. Cue the smiles, tears, and heart-swelling memories. At the end of the letter, in walks the professor. Huge hugs all around.

Dear Taylor,

The first time I met you, you were so excited to take Women’s & Gender Studies 101 you hopped up and down while talking to me after class. You sat in the front row Every. Single. Day. Once you got so disgusted with the idea of systemic inequality you slumped forward and put your head on your desk—and I had to write something on the board so you couldn’t see me smile.

Students often come to WGS wary or anxious. But not you. You came with curiosity and passion and about 42 questions-per-minute. And that’s also how you came to Feminist Theory. And to Gender & STEM. And to Sexuality Studies. And to the all outstanding EXCEL work you did with me. And you always came prepared. Really prepared.

So perhaps it is not a surprise that you’ll be the first person to graduate from Lafayette with a BA in WGS and a BS in Neuroscience taking honors in both degrees. Doing really “good science” while offering a critique of “how science is done” takes a sharp mind, a huge work ethic and—let’s face it—nerves of steel. I am proud that you took this challenge on, and I am proud to see how brilliantly you have carried it through.

When you leave Lafayette, your transcript will testify that you are a remarkably intelligent and extremely hard-working person. But as your professor, I know things that a transcript can’t show. I know you are authentically curious. I know you are committed to thinking things through and that you persist when tasks get complicated or difficult. I know you are ferociously dedicated to fairness and to the well-being of the people around you. I know you treat everyone with respect. And I know you are brave.

It is these qualities that make a person special. And it is these qualities that will carry you forward, whatever life throws at you. So hold on tight to them.

It has been my pleasure to be one of your teachers and mentors at Lafayette, Taylor, and I am as excited about your bright future as you were to take WGS 101. May the future bring you every possible happiness.

Professor Armstrong

Research

Meet some of the students who spent a summer at the College working with professors as part of the EXCEL Scholars Program.

(Left to Right) Elene Karangozishvil ’21, Emily Emick ’20, Nick Grams ’19

Elene Karangozishvil ’21

Mathematics
Professor Derek Smith and Ethan Berkove

Finding Short Paths in Fractals

Imagine a Rubik’s Cube. Remove the central piece on each side and the center of the Cube. In mathematics you have just begun the process to create a fractal known as the Menger Sponge. Karangozishvil assisted her professors by helping them edit a paper they are writing on finding short paths in the Menger Sponge. She then tested and modified their proofs to handle generalizations of the Menger Sponge and related fractals in higher dimensions.

“I want to be a mathematician. In class I can work on problems, but through research like this, I can dig deeper and confirm that I really like the work and can do it.”

Emily Emick ’20

Economics
Professor Matthew Larsen

Healthcare Coverage and Test Scores

Looking at how students perform when lacking basic needs is not new, but the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has created an opportunity to look at new datasets. Prof. Larsen received a grant to study the ACA, so Emick is coding and correlating lots of data. coverage data from the ACA, demographic data from the American Community Survey, and testing
data from Stanford Education Data Archive. Her goal is establishing a control group in order to begin analysis.

“I love data analysis. Doing this research helped me realize that I am both capable of it and really like it. It is especially engaging in Prof. Larsen’s area of specialization—labor, education, and healthcare.”

Nick Grams ’19

Biology
Professor Manuel Ospina-Giraldo

Genome Sequencing of a Soybean Pathogen

Soybeans are a crucial ingredient for consumer products, animal feed, and biofuels, but a pathogen, Phytophthora sojae, is causing root and stem rot which destroys the entire plant or leaves the beans unusable. Grams looked at the entire genetic code for the pathogen and then used that information to locate many cell wall degrading genes that allow the pathogen to enter the plant. They also studied the pattern for when and which degrading genes are expressed in hopes to develop control measures.

“I have spent two years as a research and teaching assistant, gaining valuable experience that has put my name on two pending publications and had me present at several conferences. As I look for grad school programs, this background will make me a competitive applicant.”

Careers

Explore the possibilities. Plot your path. Find a career you love. You may have a clear vision of your future…or not! Either way, we will help you navigate the way. We want to help you explore your interests, values, and passions. We will guide you and connect you with the resources you need to achieve your goals.

ROI

CAREERS/INTERNSHIPS