Megan Ferguson (Chemistry) received $108,219 from a $430,500 National Science Foundation grant for an undergraduate research project titled “Surface and Analytical Chemistry to Elucidate Fundamental Biofilm Properties and Mechanisms of Biofilm Control.” Ferguson is one of three principal investigators on the project; the other two are Eileen Spain from Occidental College in Los Angeles and Megan Nunez from Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Mass.
James H. Ottaway Jr. presented a lecture on the history and future of the newspaper industry at a Lifetime Learning Institute event on Dec. 4. He said newspapers are declining in all major markets. He added that he believes democracy is dependent on a public understanding of the important issues. He concluded that democracy cannot survive without accurate and fair reporting. Ottaway, retired CEO of Ottaway Newspapers, created the James H. Ottaway Sr. Visiting Professorship at the college.