Top 10 Harpur College stories for 2025

As Binghamton University’s oldest and largest school, Harpur College of Arts and Sciences is full of amazing stories, including groundbreaking research and creative work.

Here are the top 10 stories of this year, according to statistics from BingUNews, the University’s news feed.

New study reveals Neanderthals experienced population crash 110,000 years ago

A new study by an international team of scholars, including Professor of Anthropology Rolf Quam and graduate student Brian Keeling, suggests that Neanderthals experienced a dramatic loss of genetic variation during the course of their evolution, foreshadowing their eventual extinction.

Easter Island’s statues actually ‘walked’ – and physics backs it up

How did the people of Rapa Nui — what we know today as Easter Island — transport their famous statues? Studying nearly 1,000 moai, Binghamton University Professor of Anthropology Carl Lipo and the University of Arizona’s Terry Hunt found that the people of Rapa Nui likely used rope and “walked” the giant statues in a zig-zag motion along carefully designed roads.

Insects are disappearing due to agriculture – and many other drivers, new research reveals

Insects are disappearing at an alarming rate worldwide, but why? Agricultural intensification tops the list of proposed reasons, but there are many other, interconnected drivers that have an impact. A team of Binghamton University researchers analyzed more than 175 scientific reviews and created an interconnected network of 3,000 possible links, including everything from beekeeping to urban sprawl.

Science I time capsule provides a glimpse of Harpur’s past

As crews began work on Binghamton University’s Science I building this summer, they discovered something unexpected: a sealed silver box behind the cornerstone. Here’s what was in it.

Binghamton University unveils statue of abolitionist Harriet Tubman

The Harriet Tubman Center for Freedom and Equity at Binghamton University unveiled a statue of Tubman during a special event on March 21 at the Binghamton University Downtown Center. The center is led by Director Anne Bailey, a history professor at Harpur, and Associate Director Sharon Bryant, associate dean for diversity, equity, and inclusion in the Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences.

Six Binghamton University faculty achieve SUNY distinguished professor status

Jennifer Gillis Mattson in psychology, Ruth Van Dyke in anthropology and Chuan-Jian Zhong in chemistry were among those receiving the honor, as well as Adam Laats, who has appointments in both history and Teaching, Learning and Educational Leadership.

Alumnus is hitting all the right notes at the Met

You can find opera singer Tshombe Selby, MM ’22, performing on stage and assisting backstage at Lincoln Center.

Meet Binghamton’s first Noyce Scholarship Program recipient

Math major Erica Fitch is the University’s first Noyce scholar, a program offering financial support and mentorship for new middle and high school mathematics teachers.

Study uncovers alarming anxiety rates among autistic college students

According to a new study led by psychology researchers at Harpur, autistic college students face dramatically higher rates of anxiety and depression compared to their non-autistic peers.

Bridging the gap between research and teaching in second-language acquisition

When faced with a disconnect between second-language acquisition in classrooms and evidence from related research, who is responsible for bridging the gap? Masatoshi Sato, a professor of applied linguistics at Universidad Andrés Bello in Chile, addressed this topic during a lecture sponsored by Harpur’s Department of German and Russian Studies.