College of Arts and Sciences News Archive

Andrei Lapenas stands with trees in the Academic Podium courtyard.
Do Trees Really Explode in the Cold? 5Q with Andrei Lapenas
What causes the loud cracking noises that trees sometimes make in extremely cold weather? Andrei Lapenas, a professor in the Department of Geography, Planning & Sustainability, explains this phenomenon.
Two professors, one sitting on a desk with a black vest and blue collared shirt, the other seated at a computer, look facing the camera as a graphic display of AI in gaming is shown on an Apple iMac computer with a row of books behind the computer.
UAlbany Researchers Reveal Geometry Behind How AI Agents Learn
A new study from the University at Albany shows that artificial intelligence systems may organize information in far more intricate ways than previously thought. The study, “Exploring the Stratified Space Structure of an RL Game with the Volume Growth Transform,” has been published online through arXiv.
A woman in a beige blazer and floral blouse smiles, posing for a portrait, in a biology lab.
Study: Crosstalk Inside Cells Helps Pathogens Evade Drugs
New UAlbany research shows that tiny mobile structures inside pathogens "collaborate" in previously unknown ways; in so doing, the broader cell learns how to evade drugs designed to kill it. The work advances our understanding of antibiotic resistance and could someday inform the development of new treatments against disaeases like listeriosis.
A man wearing glasses and a blue shirt holding a small stuffed mouse toy stands in front of a portrait of himself holding a mouse sketched on paper.
'Goggles and Galleries’ Exhibit Shows Off Student Art Celebrating the Brain
For about a decade, UAlbany's Ewan McNay, who retired this month, prompted students to create "brain art" for extra credit. Before departing, the artworks were displayed at the first "Goggles and Galleries" event designed to encourage creative exploration in STEM fields.
A young woman smiles broadly, arms crossed, standing in a lavender-painted hallway lined with colorful art pieces.
Caring for the Community: 5Q with Clinical Psychology PhD Student Vanessa Aryee
Clinical psychology PhD student Vanessa Aryee is among the team of student clinicians who provide mental health services at the Psychological Services Center. Aryee shared insights on her work at the Center, what she's studying in her latest research pursuits on campus, and how her research informs her approach to care.
A man sits behind a lab bench peering into a white microscope.
The Short Version Returns: In the Fly of the Beholder
With the assistance of a fly-sized movie theater and treadmill, of sorts, Assistant Professor Max Turner and his students track how neurons in the fly brain react to visual stimuli, how that translates to movement and what we can learn from fruit flies in the quest to better understand the human brain and how it's impacted by disease.
A man sits at a desk with a desktop computer and types code on a laptop.
UAlbany Launches Minor in Ethics and Philosophy of Artificial Intelligence
The University at Albany has launched a new undergraduate minor in Ethics and Philosophy of Artificial Intelligence designed to provide students from any major with an interdisciplinary framework for examining how artificial intelligence is transforming society and raising urgent ethical, legal and philosophical questions.
A gloved hand holds a gold-colored silicon wafer reflecting the image of a person in a cleanroom "bunny" suit.
Engineering, Life Sciences Lead R&D Growth at UAlbany
UAlbany’s nearly $472M in 2024 R&D more than doubled the number the University reported in the NSF Higher Education Research and Development survey in 2023, driven largely by the return of the Department of Nanoscale Science & Engineering and its semiconductor industry R&D partnerships at the NY Creates Albany NanoTech Complex.