Posted on Apr 27, 2001

Thomas Werner, the Florence B. Sherwood Professorof Physical Sciences, Martha Kronholm '01 and TaniaMagoon '01 are featured on a radio magazine show aboutthe College's emphasis on undergraduate research.

They are on “The Best of Our Knowledge,” a 30-minuteweekly show produced by WAMC in Albany, and distributed topublic radio stations nationwide.

The program was taped last month as the College wassending a group of 40 students to the National Conference onUndergraduate Research (NCUR).

“If you want to take a course in mountain climbing,an instructor would take you out in terrain he or she is familiarwith,” said Werner, former chair of the NCUR Board of Governors,in describing the traditional classroom experience. “But ifthe instructor says, `There's a peak over there that I've never beento' … you will develop new skills,” he said. “During that climbthe relationship changes … to a more collegial one.”

Magoon described her research with Werner toseparate chiral drugs: “Looking at compounds on a piece of paperis totally different from how you handle them (in the lab),” shetold the reporter. “Interacting with the compounds is very helpful.”

Kronholm, who presented at NCUR on “The `Ruin' ofWomen: Female Virginity in Defoe and Austen,” said her workhas provided the opportunity to filter new information throughwhat she already knows. “That's the point of education, right?”

The show, which airs on WAMC (90.3 FM) Friday at3 p.m., can also be heard on the Web atwww.wamc.org/tbook.html.