University of Massachusetts Amherst - Index Yearbook (Amherst, MA)

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FOSTER FURCOLO Governor, The Commonwealth of Massachusetts 20

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FACULTY The faculty year in review would be incom- plete if some mention were not made of the prog- ress being made at the University by our educa- tors. Here is a picture of what the University staffs, both here and in the Extension Service, are doing on their own time for tlie furthering of your education, and in the long run, for the benefit of all humanity. Needless to say, there is no such thing as a complete list of research grants and faculty publications, for new grants are being constantiy awarded and many articles and books are being prepared right this very day. All this is being done because there is a never ending search for knowledge in our world. Knowledge can come to us only through the efforts of individuals such as those on our faculty. The following is taken from a memorandum sent by Provost McCune to President Mather: It is the obvious feeling of the Research Council that the University staff should carry on research and creative writing and publish their results. It is felt that as this is done, it will enhance the teaching program which is the primary purpose of the University. It is evident that many faculty members have adopted the foregoing statement as a basis for their academic activities. Since a complete list is impossible to obtain, we have attempted to gather information which can best represent the different work being done by each department. The advances made in the field of science are an integral part of our daily lives. These days, new developments are being announced which affect every aspect of our existence. In the Chemistry Department, Dr. Stein, Dr. Little, and Dr. Carpino are doing major research projects: these include the examination of the synthesis and reactivity of a new class of organic com- pounds and a study of amorphous polymers. Members of the Zoology Department are equally busy. Some of their work, sponsored by the National Institute of Health, includes a study of diet, temperature, toxins produced by tricho- mandas, and research on the growth and hyper- trophy of the foetal rat kidney. The United States Department of the Interior is sponsoring Dr. L. Bartlett ' s work dealing with a comparative study of tastes and smells in birds. In addition, the zoology staff has been a regular contributor to various periodicals concerned with zoology and related fields. Within Clark Hall, members of the Botany Department are also engaged in research and development projects. Dr. Bigelow has obtained funds in order to make a prelimin- ary investigation of the fungi of Massachusetts. Professors Gentile and Shuster have received University of Massachusetts Teachers grants for further study. The former of the organic acid metabolism of rumex virus tumors and the latter for the study of hepaticae of Eastern North America. The Entomology Department may be unfamil- iar to many students but the work being done there should be of interest because it concerns us. In this school year alone nearly $17,000 worth of grants have been given to this depart- ment. Some of the projects are: a taxonomy of the Plecoptera of the Eastern Seaboard region, a study of the distribution of the crane flies of the Western United States and Canada, and the Control of Tree and Shrub insects by Chemo- therapy. Practical scientific aid to humanity is only one goal of effective research work; another import- ant goal should be the enlightenment of the in- dividual and his problems. Why are these so necessary? They are useful for the purpose of an all-around education, for the promotion of better understanding among individuals, and for the practical application of new theories to life itself. The work done by those departments whose interests lie in the fields of social science, humanities and the arts, affects these three purposes. 22