Research in Brazil’s rain forest led by James Petersen, associate professor of anthropology, was the subject of a lengthy feature article in the Dec. 3 issue of the Chronicle of Higher Education. Petersen and colleagues are excavating sites rich in “terra preta,” fertile soil which they believe indicates the existence of early civilizations in the region. “We’re providing the proof,” said Petersen, who has spent the past ten years conducting research in the Brazilian Amazon.

Other tops stories reported last month include:

• Dr. Charles Houston, professor emeritus of epidemiology and environmental medicine, was a guest on the PBS program “NOW with Bill Moyers” Dec. 10.

• Gregory Gause, associate professor of political science and director of UVM’s Middle East Studies program, was quoted in a Dec. 7 USA Today story regarding the Saudi al-Qaeda attack on the U.S. Consulate in Jeddah.

• The men’s hockey team and coach Kevin Sneddon were featured in the Dec. 3 issue of the Boston Globe.

For a complete list of the best UVM stories reported in the local and national news media last month, go to Recent News Coverage of UVM.