Month: February 2021

Corinne Moss-Racusin, associate professor of psychology at Skidmore College, has been awarded the 2021 American Psychological Association Distinguished Scientific Award for Early Career Contribution to Psychology for her innovative research on gender-based discrimination.
Awarded to just a handful of researchers each year, the prize honors early-career scientists for exceptional work conducted in the first decade following completion of their doctorate.
Moss-Racusin leads the social cognition and intergroup dynamics lab at Skidmore.
She received the prize for her work in the area of social psychology.
“I’m honored to be recognized by the leading professional organization in my field,” Moss-Racusin said. “One of the major things I try to do in my work is to see how we can use the tools of science—the robustness of the scientific method and experimentation—to tackle really thorny social problems, including gender bias.”
Moss-Racusin completed her doctorate in social psychology at Rutgers University in 2011 and was a postdoctoral researcher at Yale University from 2011 to 2013. Since joining the Skidmore faculty in 2013, she has received grants from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and Smithsonian Institution, among other organizations, for research focusing on the impact of gender bias in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields.

By Jill Nagy
Dan Marchese, co-owner of Marchese Ford of Mechanicville, may be the new guy in town, but he is an old hand at the automobile business.
The Marchese brothers, Dan and Joe Jr., were long-time owners of J&J Auto Sales, a used car dealership in Troy founded in 1956. They purchased the former Jack Byrne Ford dealership at 1003 Hudson River Road in Mechanicville in November.
Dan Marchese said they kept most of the Jack Byrne staff and brought the J&J staff from Troy to Mechanicville. Their used car operation was closed. They also own Goewey Ford in New Lebanon, N.Y., which they are keeping.
In Mechanicville, they increased inventory, service capacity and advertising, Marchese said. Otherwise, they did not make changes.

By Christine Graf
Motorcycle helmet manufacturer Kirsh Helmets launched its first product, the CHM-1 half shell helmet, in December. The company has also expanded its network of independent agents throughout the country.
“Our agents are working to get our helmets into stores—primarily motorcycle dealerships,” said Donald DeVito, president and chief operating officer. “We have 18 agents right now and would like to add a few more.”
Manufacturing and assembly is in full swing at the company’s 5,000-square-foot facility in Queensbury. The space is leased from Seeley Machine Work and opened one year ago with support from Warren County Economic Development.
“You launch motorcycle products the same way you do in the automotive industry. You start out of the east coast and west coast and then work your way into the interior. That’s how we are approaching it right now.”

Saratoga PLAN has conserved the Drumm Farm, 170 acres of farmland in the Town of Saratoga.
The land is now permanently protected from development and will forever be accessible for agricultural use. The process was completed in November. Partial funding for the project was provided by the state Department of Agriculture and Markets.
The property, located near the Saratoga Monument and Victory Woods, is owned by Ruth Drumm. Saratoga PLAN said it consists of primarily fertile soils for farming, as well as some forests and wetlands that provide wildlife habitat.
“It was my husband’s wish to protect this land and I have finally succeeded in doing it,” said Drumm. “I love the farm, I love farm life. A conservation easement is the only way to see that the land stays this way.”