Welcome to the winter 2021 edition of Colgate Research. In this issue, we explore real and metaphorical structures. Some facilitate research and the development of knowledge; some create, and others demand re-creation or repair.

In these stories of structure, we find Colgate faculty members from a variety of disciplines, who are driven by a common desire to understand cause and effect — the relationship that intrigues children and inspires Nobel Prize winners. Great research draws on humankind’s obsession with that relationship.

At Colgate, we bolster curiosity with a liberal arts tradition that breaks down boundaries of thought and encourages collaboration. We share our ideas, experiments, setbacks, and glories with colleagues down the hall and around the world — as well as with Colgate students, who work alongside us in our labs, offices, and archives.

So, in this issue, we prove that you can study all kinds of structures without letting any of them hold you back. Enjoy and be well.

Tracey E. Hucks ’87, MA’90
Provost and Dean of the Faculty
James A. Storing Professor of Religion and Africana & Latin American Studies