Advanced Math/Science Research Profile: Lizzy Steiner '10 Lizzy and her mentor, Dr. Earleywine Elizabeth Steiner ’10 of New York is a member of the Advanced Math/Science Research class and is this week’s featured student.  Lizzy is working with Dr. Mitch Earleywine at the State University of New York, Albany (SUNY).  Dr. Earleywine is a Professor of Clinical Psychology at SUNY, where he teaches drugs and human behavior, substance abuse treatment and clinical research methods. Among his many accolades, he has received 10 teaching commendations, including the coveted General Education Teaching Award from the University of Southern California. He serves on the editorial boards of four psychology journals, reviews for over a dozen, and has more than seventy publications on drug use and abuse. He has been quoted in The Economist, The San Francisco Chronicle, Chicago Tribune, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, USA Today, Time magazine, Sacramento Bee, Rolling Stone, Salon, and The Nation. He has also appeared on National Public Radio’s “Talk of the Nation” and “Weekend Edition”. Click here to learn more about Dr. Earleywine. For her project, Adolescent Substance Abuse: Examining Media Influences versus Impulsivity Patterns, Lizzy is conducting a large-scale online survey of students age 13-22, analyzing the results and creating a film documentary. She seeks to examine the unique relationship between substance abuse and the media as well as to determine the place of youth substance abuse within a wider range of impulsive behaviors. “It's very exciting to be involved in a program that's so dynamic and groundbreaking,” said Lizzy. “It was a little intimidating at first being the social sciences ‘test case,’ but I'm loving every minute of it. The Math/Science Research program has also allowed me to combine my love of the social sciences with filmmaking. As a part of my research, I'm creating a documentary film on the subject of youth substance abuse in Western Massachusetts.” In the next month or so, Lizzy will be partnered with an additional mentor who will help guide her filmmaking efforts. The course instructor and Chair of the Math Department, Kurt Schleunes, is impressed by the scope of her research. “"Lizzy is creating a large scale survey and then doing serious statistical analysis and interpretation of the results. On top of that, she is then doing a documentary film that brings the results to life. When you think about it, we have a high school student essentially creating an entirely new genre that is best described as scientific reseacher/documentary film maker. I've been teaching for 27 years and this is one of the most innovative projects I've seen." What does Lizzy like most about Berkshire? “It's the sense of community that always leaves me taken aback. Never have I been at a school with such a strong, tight-knit group of students and teachers. Also, I'm amazed at the opportunity that this place offers. Where else can I analyze English literature, conduct research, rehearse for a play, work on a documentary, and go snowboarding, all in the same day?” she said. Lizzy’s previous film work has won awards in two festivals (Berkshire International Film Festival & Williston-Northampton Film Festival). In her free time she likes to read novels, write short fiction, and spend time with friends. Click here to read more about Math/Science Research at Berkshire. Click here to read about the research of students in the Advanced Math/Science Research class.     Date: 1/27/2010

NEWS Berkshire at Tanglewood Wil Smith Faculty Focus Online Registration California Dreamin' more news...