Mainebiz features Kate Webber ’11, the inaugural curator of the Frances Perkins Center

The publication covered the appointment of Kate Webber ’11 to be the first curator at the Frances Perkins Center, the official philanthropic partner of the Frances Perkins National Monument located in Newcastle, Maine.

, “Kate Webber brings 15 years of experience working with cultural organizations across Maine.” As the curator, Webber will lead the center’s education and interpretation team that hopes to expand and modernize educational programming around Francis Perkins, who served as Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s Secretary of Labor from 1933 to 1945 (the first woman in a U.S. Cabinet) and was instrumental in the creation of Social Security and other vital programs for American workers. The center is open seasonally to visitors until Oct. 11.

Coverage for The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout ’77

In May Penguin Random House published The Things We Never Say, the 11th novel by Elizabeth Strout ’77, to widespread acclaim. In a review for The New York Times, author Maggie Shipstead praises Strout’s “assured” storytelling style and the way that “scenes and tangents and remembered incidents gradually coalesce into collective meaning like found objects being woven into a bird’s nest.” Shipstead concludes the novel, which departs from Strout’s typical Maine settings to a seaside town in Massachusetts, is worth a second look: “The Things We Never Say rewards rereading, as the whole story is present, though disguised, from the beginning. Curious details and offbeat observations in the early chapters are pieces of a puzzle, their significance clear only after viewing the whole.”

Reviewing for , Claire Adam writes, “Let’s hope that this fine author continues steadily along her path, delivering unto her loyal readers story upon story, gift upon gift.” Other coverage for The Things We Never Say appeared in and .

Coverage of a new role for Carolyn Ryan ’86 in The Contending 

The Contending, a digital magazine, to the board of The Peabody Awards, which “annually honors storytelling that reflects the social issues and emerging voices of the day.” The Peabody Awards board relies on the strength of the board, said Jeffrey Jones, the executive director of the awards program, in order to evolve with “the changing landscape that is television, podcasts, radio and interactive content.” 

The announcement describes Ryan, managing editor at The New York Times, as a masthead leader “deeply involved in managing the newsroom staff, handling everything from recruiting journalists to shaping lines of coverage. Ryan came to the Times in 2007 to serve as New York political editor and helped lead the paper to a Pulitzer Prize for coverage of the downfall of Governor Eliot Spitzer.”

Ryan Smith ’23 featured in The Boston Globe for record marathon win, qualifying for Olympic trials

Ryan Smith ’23 ran his first marathon on May 24, not only winning and breaking the record for the Vermont City Marathon, but qualifying for the Olympic trails. Smith was featured in the in a story that highlighted his surprise victory. “[Qualifying] was something I was going to spend 10 years trying to do,” he told the paper. “Now I have to raise the bar and think of new ways to challenge myself.” Smith completed the marathon in 2 hours, 15 minutes, and 52 seconds. The qualifying time for Olympic trials is 2:16.

In an interview on NBC5 immediately after crossing the finish line, Smith credits “community” and continuing to run with his college friends after graduation. “It keeps it fun,” he told . Originally from Connecticut, Smith ran at �ֲ���ý and was captain of the cross-country, indoor track, and outdoor track teams. 

Solo row across the Atlantic by Renee Blacken ’05 featured in The Boston Globe

about her achievement in rowing 3,200 miles from the Canary Islands to Antigua, a journey that took her 65 days. She told the paper it was “the longest, wildest, most remote thing I’ve done.”

Blacken was rowing as a part of the Atlantic Dash, an annual event where rowers cross the Atlantic unsupported. She became the fourth American woman in history to make such a crossing, event organizer Billy Taylor told the newspaper.

Blacken undertook the row to raise money for her organization , a nonprofit that funds trauma recovery services in Northern New Hampshire through feats of sport. Blacken told the Globe, “Having lived through some traumatic life experiences myself … programs really helped me regain agency on my own healing journey.”

“There was a lot of time to think … which is why I went out there,” she said. “I didn’t really see another person face to face after I left until I reached Antigua.”

Blacken was on the women’s rowing team at �ֲ���ý. 

WMUR9 features Chicks on Cliffs founder Hannah Kothari ’26

Hannah Kothari ’26, founder of was interviewed by WMUR Channel 9 in a live segment broadcast in March for Women’s History Month. The segment aired across New Hampshire and is available on Kothari’s and . She discussed the organization’s goals to help women build skills and gain confidence in the outdoors. Kothari told host Alanna Flood that her organization began after she posted about her own experience hiking and skiing. Kothari heard from women on TikTok expressing their concerns about safety in the outdoors, along with interest in joining in the adventures with other women.

As a response to those interested in connecting, Kothari created an Instagram account — — in November. Kothari told Flood that in its first few months, the organization hosted over 50 events in Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Vermont and New York — including backcountry skiing, hiking, and snowshoeing. This month, Chicks on Cliffs is hosting its first overnight trips.

“We want to make sure that people feel welcome in the outdoors,” Kothari told WMUR. We want to make sure that they feel that they have the tools to safely, comfortably, confidently explore everything beautiful that nature has to offer.” Kothari won �ֲ���ý’ Bobcat Ventures competition this year with a grant of $12,000 to support Chicks on Cliffs.

The Associated Press covers the career of Kim Gamel ’90, dead at 57

The death of Kim Gamel ’90, correspondent in Europe and the Middle East, was reported by her colleagues at , and the wire service’s coverage was picked up in outlets nationally.

A native of Idaho, Gamel majored in Russian at �ֲ���ý and wrote for The �ֲ���ý Student. She went on to earn a master’s degree from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.

For the Associated Press, she reported on the Middle East during the height of the Iraq war and the Arab Spring. The AP’s article noted Gamel’s storytelling around Shams Karim, a young Iraqi girl who was blinded and disfigured by a 2006 bomb that also killed her mother. Gamel’s reporting on Karim gained international attention and fundraising that helped Karim receive treatment, according to Robert H. Reid, the AP’s former Middle East regional editor, who also worked with Gamel later at Stars and Stripes. “Whatever good things happen to Shams in the future are due to Kim Gamel and her big heart,” Reid told the AP. Gamel, who had lymphoma, was 57.

Many �ֲ���ý faculty have received grants, awards, and other acknowledgements of their strong teaching and research. Earlier, we highlighted two English faculty — Jessica Anthony and Myronn Hardy — who received Guggenheim Fellowships and two faculty Fulbright grantees — Elena Maker Castro and Michel Droge. Read on for more great faculty news. 

Professor of Digital and Computational Studies Carrie Diaz Eaton received support from the Hewlett Foundation. Diaz Eaton leads the Institute for a Racially Just, Inclusive, and Open STEM Education (RIOS Institute). The Hewlett Foundation renewed their support for RIOS with a two-year, $1-million fund for general operating support.

Associate Director of Counseling & Psychological Services Allison Brown was named one of the 2026 Harriett Copher Haynes Leadership Mentoring Award winners. This award, given by the Association for University and College Counseling Center Directors, comes specifically from the Inclusive Excellence and Equity Committee. The award celebrates and supports “talented mental health professionals who belong to an identity group that experiences systemic barriers.”

Emily Kane, professor of sociology, was awarded the Periclean Faculty Leader course grant. This program is generously funded by the Mellon Foundation, with additional support from the Eugene M. Lang Foundation. The Periclean Faculty Leader grants support enhancements to an existing course — in this case, “Sociology of Gender” — to “empower students to make positive change in their communities and help revitalize democracy.”

On June 5, the �ֲ���ý community gathered at the Garcelon Field flagpole for its annual Pride flag-raising ceremony, celebrating Pride Month with joy, reflection, and a renewed commitment to the fight for LGBTQ+ rights. During the event, Anthony Del Real, assistant director of LGBTQ+ programs at �ֲ���ý’ Student Center for Belonging and Community, offered opening remarks. Community members shared personal stories highlighting the small yet meaningful steps the campus community can take to support LGBTQ+ people. 

Del Real provided historical context for contemporary Pride Month celebrations, and their relationship to the Stonewall Riots. On the early morning of June 28, 1969, police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in Greenwich Village. Raids on gay gathering places were habitual practices for the police, but on this date, they met with resistance from a fed up queer community and the demonstrations grew. Eventually, Del Ray said, this led to “more organized and concrete efforts to create spaces for queer people to be present and not fear being arrested for being authentically themselves.” Pride Month commemorates the anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. 

Del Real highlighted the advocacy and efforts of Marsha P. Johnson, who will be celebrated at NYC Pride later this month. The New York City Pride gathering and parade is officially themed “For All of Us,” drawing inspiration from Johnson’s work. Johnson was a transgender Black activist, sex worker, and performer who co-founded STAR House, which provided food and shelter for transgender youth beginning in 1970. After years of advocacy, frequently focused on supporting those impacted by the HIV/AIDS epidemic, Johnson was found dead — presumably murdered — in 1992. Despite the harm, violence, and prejudice that she experienced, Johnson’s actions demonstrated her commitment to “love, home, and justice for her community,” Del Real said. 

The threats to the LBGTQ+ community are heightened currently, Del Real said, including executive orders that reverse rights. “It is unfair,” Del Real said, “but I ask each of us to continue to stay vigilant and look out for one another.”  

Pride celebrations like the �ֲ���ý flag-raising are an annual reminder of the actions of our LGBTQ+ ancestors to fight for and establish the rights we have today, Del Real said in closing. 

“There is no one symbol, action, identity, that can serve as the beacon to bring pride for all. However, it is my hope that even in moments like this, that this flag can serve as a symbol for a queer person who cannot be ‘out’ but can still know that they matter. It is in these moments that we continue the work of Marsha P. Johnson, and so many other queer ancestors in the fight for pride for all.” 

As we celebrate our graduating seniors, wishing each of them the very best in what is ahead, we are highlighting some �ֲ���ý students who are already turning the page to their exciting next chapters. Read ahead to learn about 14 �ֲ���ýies with a range of experiences awaiting them.

Tomas Alberola

Miami, Fla.

Economics major

Where are you headed for your next chapter after �ֲ���ý? 

After �ֲ���ý, I’m heading to New York City, where I will be continuing to grow a small business in the skincare space with a friend of mine. We are focused on treating skin damage from solar, environmental, and chemical radiation. At the same time, I’m starting a master’s degree in global sport, with a focus on international football, at NYU. Soccer has been my longest passion, so getting to study the business side of it, such as how agencies work, how clubs and brands build commercial value, and how the global game actually runs, will be an unreal opportunity for me.

How did your time at �ֲ���ý prepare you ?

It took me a while to fully appreciate how much help I was getting along the way, and now it makes complete sense to me. I can’t wait until I’m further along in my career and I’m the one on the other end of conversations, sitting down with a current �ֲ���ý student, sharing whatever insight I’ve picked up, opening a door for them the way people opened doors for me. The �ֲ���ý network was really amazing throughout my time here. 

What were some favorite �ֲ���ý experiences?

Definitely exploring Maine! Honestly, Maine wasn’t what drew me in to �ֲ���ý, but once I got here, I understood why it pulls so many people to want to come to �ֲ���ý. I had never been to the state before, and four years later some of my favorite memories are exploring the islands off the coast, the beaches, the wildlife, and getting to live through four real seasons.

John Campana

Plymouth, Mich.

Religious studies major, Spanish minor

Where are you headed for your next chapter after �ֲ���ý? 

I will be attending Harvard Divinity School this upcoming fall in the Master of Theological Studies program. There, I will be studying the religions of South Asia and the interactions between religion and empire for the next two years. 

Can you share an example of mentoring that you experienced at �ֲ���ý?

The most obvious answer for me has to be my Short Term abroad experience in Ladakh, India, led by my advisor, Associate Professor of Religious Studies Alison Melnick, and Assistant Director for Learning Strategies at the Student Academic Support Center Eric Dyer, when I was able to learn more about Tibetan Buddhism as well as ethnographic research. Alison and Eric taught me how to act appropriately as a guest in another’s culture and the importance of relying on my peers for support, whether it was academic or emotional while we were on the other side of the world. 

What were some favorite �ֲ���ý experiences?

Upon my arrival at �ֲ���ý, I specifically told myself that I did not want to join a singing group because of some negative experiences in high school, but after going to the a cappella concert at the amphitheater during orientation, I decided to audition and see what happened. I ended up joining the �ֲ���ý College Deansmen (somewhat reluctantly at first, I must admit), and as each year has passed here, I have come to thank my past self profusely for taking a chance and auditioning for the group.

Gail Curtis

Rockport, Maine

English, creative writing major, rhetoric, film, and screen studies minor

Where are you headed for your next chapter after �ֲ���ý?

I’ll be spending the summer at home in Maine before leaving in August for my Peace Corps assignment. For the next two years, I’ll be teaching English at a university in Mexico, where I’ll lead classes, assist students with career preparation, and help organize local projects within my community. After that, I hope to continue my education and pursue an MFA in creative writing.

Can you share an example of mentoring that you experienced at �ֲ���ý?

The most significant mentorship I have received during my time at �ֲ���ý has come from my major and thesis advisor, Senior Lecturer in English Jessica Anthony. Writing is such a personal and intimate process, and over the past year, she has guided me with incredible skill, kindness, and generosity through the experience of writing a novel for my thesis.

What were some favorite �ֲ���ý experiences?

Honestly, my favorite activity at �ֲ���ý is just spending time with my friends. It doesn’t matter what we’re doing — we could just be sitting in Commons or on a porch somewhere or laying on Garcelon or dancing in the Gray Cage — but I’m always happiest whenever I’m with my friends! Also, I didn’t anticipate when I arrived at �ֲ���ý how passionate I would be about Tea Club. I was a coffee drinker before I came to �ֲ���ý, but now I only drink tea.

Yuleibi De Los Santos

The Bronx, New York

Neuroscience major, chemistry minor 

Where are you headed for your next chapter after �ֲ���ý? 

After �ֲ���ý, I will be attending Tufts University School of Medicine in Fall 2026, where I will pursue a master’s degree in biomedical sciences. I am excited for this next chapter because it will allow me to continue growing academically and personally while preparing for a future career in healthcare and medicine.

Can you share an example of mentoring that you experienced at �ֲ���ý?

When I arrived at �ֲ���ý in 2022, I carried fear with me of my accent, fear of making mistakes, and fear of not belonging. Senior Director of Sponsored Programs and Research Compliance Shonna Humphrey constantly reminded me that I deserved to be here and that I was here for a reason. Associate Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry Geneva Laurita showed me the importance of being not only a good professor, but also someone who leads with empathy and kindness toward students. Assistant Director of Learning Strategies Eric Dyer always encouraged me to step outside of my comfort zone, reminded me of my potential, and made me feel seen and supported during moments when I doubted myself the most.

How did your time at �ֲ���ý prepare you?

My chemistry classes and labs, along with my biology courses, gave me a strong scientific foundation and taught me how to think critically, manage challenges, and work through complex problems. Beyond academics, �ֲ���ý taught me the importance of asking for help when I need it and understanding that I do not have to face challenges alone.

Mary DeWitt

Litchfield, Maine

Double major in American studies and gender and sexuality studies

Where are you headed for your next chapter after �ֲ���ý?

I will be a student at Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.

Can you share an example of mentoring that you experienced at �ֲ���ý?

I took a practitioner-taught short term in 2024 which was taught by Vice President of News at CNN Elizabeth Hartfield ’08, who really helped me hone my journalism skills and develop the confidence to apply to grad school. She also wrote my letter of recommendation!

How did your time at �ֲ���ý prepare you? 

Through both of my majors I got to develop skills I will continue to use in the field of journalism. I was able to take an abroad program which was a journalism course with a 10-day simulation aspect that really inspired me to follow a path that I had been passionate about since I was a kid!

James Hillers

De Witt, N.Y.

Biology major, digital and computational studies minor

Where are you headed for your next chapter after �ֲ���ý? 

I am going to work at Harvard Medical School as a research technician in Alice and Rodman W. Moorhead III Professor of Neurobiology Bernardo Sabatini’s lab. My time will be spent doing research on the integration rules between the motor cortex and the brainstem motor nuclei.

Can you share an example of mentoring that you experienced at �ֲ���ý?

I have worked as a peer mentor for both first-generation college students and younger STEM students. It gave me an opportunity to give back to the �ֲ���ý community so much of the knowledge that it gave me and bring my lived experience outside of �ֲ���ý into the campus as well.

How did your time at �ֲ���ý prepare you for this next chapter? 

Working with and receiving mentorship from faculty like Wagener Family Professor of Equity and Inclusion in STEM April Horton and Colony Family Professor of Digital and Computational Studies Barry Lawson early on was key in getting me thinking about my future early and allowing me access to my first couple research experiences. This was facilitated by the STEM Scholars program and Bobcat First programming.

McKayla Kendall

Bangor, Maine

Biochemistry and French and Francophone Studies double major

Where are you headed for your next chapter after �ֲ���ý? 

I will be heading to medical school at the Tufts University School of Medicine’s Maine Track program. I’ll be heading to Boston in the fall for my first year of medical school and then will be in Portland at Maine Medical Center for the three years following. 

Can you share an example of mentoring that you experienced at �ֲ���ý?

I experienced mentoring from the relationships that I formed with professors at �ֲ���ý, particularly Visiting Assistant Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry Michael Sommer, Lecturer in Biology Levi Adams, and Associate Professor of Biology Larissa Williams. On the flip side, I was able to spend the last year or so working as a teaching assistant for the biology department and a peer advisor within the Center for Purposeful Work.

How did your time at �ֲ���ý prepare you for this next chapter? 

I truly believe that the liberal arts experience at �ֲ���ý played a large role in preparing me for the next steps. I had the ability to explore courses of all varieties, ending up with majors in biochemistry and French and Francophone studies. I was able to study abroad in Senegal during the fall of my junior year and complete a public health-related program and internship, which provided the foundation for my senior thesis.

Aleisha Martinez Sandoval

Mexico City

Biochemistry and politics major

Where are you headed for your next chapter after �ֲ���ý? 

I am headed to Harvard Medical School to work as a research technician at Boston Children’s Hospital. I will be working at the Agarwal Lab, conducting research on rare mitochondrial diseases and helping lead a clinical trial with a newly-approved FDA approved drug.

Can you share an example of mentoring that you experienced at �ֲ���ý?

One of the most meaningful mentoring experiences I had at �ֲ���ý College was through the STEM Scholars program. They helped me navigate everything from adjusting to rigorous STEM coursework to thinking about internships, research opportunities, and long-term career goals. What I appreciated most was that the mentorship never felt transactional; mentors genuinely cared about our growth and well-being both inside and outside the classroom.

What were some favorite �ֲ���ý experiences?

I loved being part of �ֲ���ý EMS. It gave me an incredible sense of community and taught me how important it is to stay calm, support others, and work as part of a team. Another experience I’m especially proud of was starting and growing the menstrual product drive on campus. What began as a small initiative turned into something much bigger, and it showed me how much impact students can have when they care deeply about an issue and are willing to advocate for change.

Matthew Peeler

New York City

Politics major, math minor

Where are you headed for your next chapter after �ֲ���ý? 

After �ֲ���ý, I am heading to Yale Law School to study constitutional law, with a focus on the Second Amendment. 

Can you share an example of mentoring that you experienced at �ֲ���ý?

As a first-year student, I took “Constitutional Law I” with Professor of Politics Stephen Engel. Every day after class, I stayed back to talk with him about various legal topics. While these conversations were initially somewhat short, over the semester, Engel and I began having longer and longer conversations, to the point that we inevitably ended each class in his office. Engel became easily one of the most important figures in my college experience, introducing me to various opportunities, most notably the Truman Scholarship.

What were some favorite �ֲ���ý experiences?

My favorite activity at �ֲ���ý was being part of the Deansmen. Before college, I never sang a cappella, but I was in such awe after my first-year Puddle Concert that I immediately signed up to audition. I made some of my closest friends over the past four years through the Deansmen and I will miss them all dearly.

Izzi Sander

Needham, Mass.

Earth and climate sciences major

Where are you headed for your next chapter after �ֲ���ý? 

Following graduation, I am pursuing a Master of Science in City Planning at Boston University. I was also selected by MassDOT to be the transit planning coordinator co-op for the rest of 2026. There, I am updating the statewide visual database of transit routes (public and private) across Massachusetts.

What were some favorite �ֲ���ý experiences?

One club I didn’t expect to join when starting at �ֲ���ý was WRBC. However, I am extremely grateful I discovered it and broadcast for five semesters. From early morning Monday 8 a.m. shows, to late night 1 a.m. shows, to my personal favorite time slot Thursday from 7-8 p.m., every minute on air was a blast. I looked forward to making my playlist for each show every week.

How did your time at �ֲ���ý prepare you? 

The skills I learned at �ֲ���ý are very transferable to all aspects of life. Academically, I will be prepared for the rigorous coursework for my master’s program, in writing and analysis. For work, I will be performing computer programs, data synthesis, and analytical research that STEM at �ֲ���ý has prepared me well for.

Evan Skufca

Niskayuna, N.Y.

Biochemistry major, music minor

Where are you headed for your next chapter after �ֲ���ý? 

Following �ֲ���ý I will be working in a post-baccalaureate research program at the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston. Here I will spend two years conducting research on brown fat tissue as a metabolic regulator and potential target for therapeutic treatments of metabolic disease.

What were some favorite �ֲ���ý experiences?

I really enjoyed competing as a cross-country/track athlete and performing at many on and off campus events as a musician through the �ֲ���ý Musicians’ Union. Music especially has become a much larger part of my life than I ever could have expected thanks to the friends and mentors I found at �ֲ���ý who encouraged me to keep learning and performing.

Can you share an example of mentoring that you experienced at �ֲ���ý?

During my last semester I was able to conduct an independent study with Associate Professor of Music Hiroya Miura. Despite not being a music major, I completed a semester-long creative project with the support of Miura. This was an experience way beyond what I imagined I could complete at �ֲ���ý, and would not have been possible without the encouragement of Miura, his belief in my independent and creative abilities, and the support of the rest of the music department at �ֲ���ý.

Olivia Smith

Lafayette, Ind.

Philosophy major, Russian minor

Where are you headed for your next chapter after �ֲ���ý? 

I will be working in Almaty, Kazakhstan, as the assistant resident director for the Russian Overseas Flagship program, a federal government initiative that provides immersive overseas language study for undergraduate students from major US universities. 

What were some favorite �ֲ���ý experiences?

During my first few weeks here, I decided to walk on to the rowing team. It was a real challenge to learn the lingo, wake up for 5 a.m. practices, and actually just learn how to row, but I deeply enjoyed the opportunity to be a novice in a place where hard work was expected from both the most and least experienced. Led by Head Coach Peter Steenstra, the �ֲ���ý rowing program is all about “making good people better,” and I cannot overstate the positive impact that the program has had on me.

How did your time at �ֲ���ý prepare you? 

I started studying Russian in my sophomore year at �ֲ���ý, and during my time here I reached the professional level of fluency necessary to work in Kazakhstan with Russian as my primary language. Visiting Lecturer in Russian Cheryl Stephenson pushed me not only to learn the language thoroughly, but also to take advantage of the opportunities that my Russian studies made available to me. In my first week of studying Russian, when I still didn’t know how to pronounce most letters of the Cyrillic alphabet, the idea of studying abroad in an immersive program in Kazakhstan came up. At the time, this sounded like a crazy idea, but with Cheryl’s encouragement, I jumped on it and spent the fall of my junior year in Almaty. Doing so would ultimately lead me to accepting a job offer there after graduation. 

Aidan Stark-Chessa

Falmouth, Maine

Philosophy major, rhetoric, film, and screen studies minor 

Where are you headed for your next chapter after �ֲ���ý? 

After �ֲ���ý, I will be living in Portland and working on the business I started while at �ֲ���ý, Weeping Willow Co. The business is a non-alcoholic cocktail company. We are currently in stores and restaurants around southern Maine. 

Can you share an example of mentoring that you experienced at �ֲ���ý?

I think what stands out to me most is my time in my second year, when I pitched my business to Bobcat Ventures. I received help and support from many people at the Center for Purposeful Work and from the easily accessible alumni network. After I won, I reached out and was able to access support moving forward.

How did your time at �ֲ���ý prepare you? 

�ֲ���ý is a place where each student is given time and space to be creative and supported in doing so. I was pleased to have my academic interests align with my extracurricular ones. This, in turn, allowed the two to work in tandem and give me balance, and gave me the opportunity to enrich my whole life. Living sustainably, in every sense of the word, is very important to me, and �ֲ���ý allowed me to meet this end. 

Lucy Whitelam

Reading, Mass.

Earth and climate sciences and dance double major

Where are you headed for your next chapter after �ֲ���ý? 

I will be attending the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand, to pursue an MSc in geology. I am specifically studying igneous petrology and volcanology, and will be using geochemical techniques, fieldwork, and modeling. Additionally, I will be working as a field/ teaching assistant for Frontiers Abroad, a geology abroad program that I attended my junior year. 

What were some favorite �ֲ���ý experiences?

I came into college with no intention of dancing, let alone pursuing the major! However, after I took one class my freshman winter, I was hooked. The faculty and the students have formed such a beautiful community, and I was exposed to a thoughtful and collaborative type of dance education that made me excited to come into the studio and learn. 

How did your time at �ֲ���ý prepare you? 

The thoughtfulness and commitment of the professors and students has created an environment that makes me so grateful to be learning, and I can’t wait to continue to build on my education. Additionally, all of my time in the EACS department, from field trips to time in the lab to my rigorous thesis process, has made me feel very prepared to jump into this next step.

When Trinity Monstwillo ‘26 made her way across the country from Oregon as an incoming student at �ֲ���ý, she was anticipating the unexpected. But seeing another student hand-wash and hang dry their clothes to save the $3 that each on campus load of laundry cost wasn’t just unexpected. It was unwelcome. 

“It made me sad that he was hand-washing his clothes,” said Monstwillo. She’d perceived �ֲ���ý as progressive. Why wasn’t laundry free, particularly for students on financial aid? “That would have been a great way to make the space more equitable.”

Before long, she realized that laundry mattered to a lot of students and she connected with Aleisha Martinez Sandoval ’26 of Mexico City on the issue. When they began asking questions to see if this change might happen, the two came to understand some of the challenges of simply making laundry free for the entire campus. Encouraged by Kim Trauceniek, senior associate dean of students for campus life, Monstwillo, a politics major, and Martinez Sandoval, a biochemistry and politics double major, continued to gather information. Eventually they created a proposal and prepared a presentation for senior leadership. 

“We got to learn a lot about �ֲ���ý and just how many students pay full tuition, how many students don’t pay full tuition, and how we could potentially work out a plan,” said Martinez Sandoval. 

While their proposal was well-received and they appreciated being heard, they were told that free laundry was not possible. Laundry would continue to cost $3 a load through a contract with a third-party provider, CSC ServiceWorks.

But momentum continued to build around the issue. New students like Mohammad Zayd ’27, of the Bronx, N.Y., arrived on campus and experienced their own frustrations around laundry. When Martinez Sandoval returned from study abroad, she found that there was renewed energy around an issue. And she wanted to do what she could for the students who came after her.

“I am someone who is very grateful to the �ֲ���ý financial aid department, just because I would have never been able to attend this school without it,” said Martinez Sandoval. She wanted to be sure the accessibility efforts were thorough and reflected student need. “I really wanted to bring those opportunities to other students.”

Zayd, a neuroscience major with a double minor in physics and chemistry, came to understand the context and complexity around this one issue, and when he ran for student government co-president with Zach Richards ’26 of Princeton, Mass., free laundry was on their minds.

“Free laundry matters because it addresses a fundamental need of all students,” said Richards, a politics and economics double major. “The price of laundry services has long been among the hidden costs of life at �ֲ���ý, posing a financial barrier to the well-being of many students on campus.”

Zayd and Richards reached out to Monstwillo and Martinez Sandoval to see what could be learned from their initial outreach. The four students began working together to see what might have been missing. They deepened their research, they clarified their arguments, and they tried again. 

The new proposal offered three tiers for senior leadership to consider: free laundry for those with an estimated family contribution of less than $15K, free laundry for Pell-grant eligible students (and international students with similar financial needs), and free laundry for those on full aid. They gave their presentation and shared their proposal and this time, the answer was yes. Free laundry for all �ֲ���ý students.

“This milestone is the result of a great collaborative effort with our student government leaders, whose dedication and partnership were instrumental in making this a reality,” said Rosanna Ferro, vice president for student affairs. “It presents a wonderful opportunity for us to remove a practical daily barrier and continue building a more supportive campus environment where every Bobcat can thrive.” 

�ֲ���ý students will certainly feel the impact of this decision in $3 increments across future semesters. The success of this work will also linger for those involved in this collaboration. 

“I’m really proud of my assembly and the executive board,” Zayd said. “I’m really proud of the research that was put into it. I think it’s going to be a very beneficial thing for all of us.” 

Martinez Sandoval, Monstwillo, and Richards got the news just as they were about to graduate. It was a good note to end on, and to carry forward. “Something that I will definitely take with me is the ability to communicate with different groups of people for a shared common purpose,” said Martinez Sandoval. Another takeaway, even though she knows it to be kind of a cliché, is that “good things take time.” 

The experience was intended for the public good but for Monstwillo, there was a personal benefit as well. “The overall process of recognizing a problem, compiling tons and tons of research and putting it into this really nice, neat proposal is a skill that’s really valuable for my future endeavors,” she said.

Persistence, revision, and collaboration led to a small but critical change at �ֲ���ý. As these student leaders make their mark, the shift reflects something important about �ֲ���ý as well. 

“Seeing �ֲ���ý make this change shows that the college’s leaders follow up their words with actions,” Richards said. “As a leader in student government, I see the success of this initiative both as a result of the thoughtfulness of the �ֲ���ý administration and of the power of student advocacy. The process of working on our most recent laundry proposal highlighted to me what a collaborative place �ֲ���ý is and the sincerity with which faculty and staff seek to elevate student voices.”

Elena Maker Castro, assistant professor of psychology, and Michel Droge, visiting assistant professor of art and visual culture, have both earned Fulbright fellowships for the 2026-2027 academic year. They join a large group of 15 �ֲ���ý students and one recent alumna who recently received Fulbright Student international exchange awards for 2026–2027.

Elena Maker Castro will spend time at the  Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico in Mexico City, working with collaborators to explore adolescent and young adult sociopolitical development throughout Mexico City. 

“Sociopolitical development is the way that young people develop critical social analysis of the systems and structures around us,” Maker Castro said. This theory of youth civic engagement further explores how young people “engage in action to challenge and transform inequitable systems.” 

The Fulbright fellowship will enable Maker Castro to look at sociopolitical development beyond the US, helping to extend research in a field of study that tends to be rooted in our own national context.

“We need to move beyond that narrow context and think about what sociopolitical development looks like across different kinds of national cultural environments,” she said. 

Her time in Mexico City will allow her to bring more cross-cultural research to her classes — most directly to her course “Youth Sociopolitical Development.” In courses like “Developmental Psychology” and “Educational Psychology,” Maker Castro works to draw in structural and cultural factors that impact development. For example, “religion, family values, experiences with violence, experiences with belonging and discrimination might inform how youth think and act against injustice and inequity,” she said.

“In psychology, we can risk thinking about the individual absent their context,” Maker Castro said. She anticipates that the support from Fulbright along with collaboration with students and faculty in Mexico City will energize her context-informed work when she returns to �ֲ���ý. 

Michel Droge received a joint Fulbright award in art and design to work in Greece and Iceland, where they will embark upon a project entitled “Light, Salt and Stone” in collaboration with marine scientists at the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research’s Institute of Oceanography in Greece and at the University of Akureyri in Iceland.

This project, which will culminate in exhibitions in both countries along with public programming, is an extension of Droge’s recent work, which has focused on the deep sea as inspiration for their paintings. Droge is familiar with making art as a result of collaboration with scientists, having worked as an artist depicting deep-sea research in collaboration with Beth Orcutt, vice president for research and senior research scientist at Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences in Boothbay, Maine.  

“Over the past five years I’ve been doing deep-sea research and making work around that,” Droge said. “I’m now climbing out of the ocean onto the land. So the deep sea I looked at was more of an unconscious and the land is that liminal space.”

Droge’s work with scientists means that they are looking at the ocean both scientifically and metaphorically as they travel to two islands — Iceland and Greece — that are a part of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. 

“Over the past five years I’ve been doing deep-sea research and making work around that,” Droge said. “I’m now climbing out of the ocean onto the land. When researching the deep sea, I thought a lot about the metaphor of the unconscious dream state mind. My newer work will be exploring tidal marshes and rivers and become a metaphor for the liminal space between the dream world and the tangible world, the unconscious realms and the conscious, the unseen becoming visible.”

Droge’s time working with scientists shows up not only in their painting, but impacts the ways that they approach the classroom and the curriculum. “To have time to really immerse myself in my research is such a gift, such an honor, and it’s such an important thing for both my practice, but also the rest of my teaching career.”

As �ֲ���ý softball celebrates its 50th anniversary, the program is moving forward with a significant transformation of its home facility at Lafayette Street Field — marking a major investment in the future of softball at �ֲ���ý. Fundraising efforts have met the $1 million dollar threshold thanks to gifts from a number of donors.

“I’m incredibly excited about what this project represents for our softball program and for the entire department,” said Director of Athletics Stacey Bunting. “As we celebrate 50 years of �ֲ���ý softball, this project both recognizes the program’s history and invests in its future, creating a space that will support championship-level competition and enhance the daily experience for our student-athletes.” 

Improvements include professional-grade drainage and installation of artificial turf. Drainage issues, along with lingering snow early in the season, have often required the softball team to travel for practice and games. Now they won’t have to.

“Turfing the field gives us consistency and a true home we can take pride in,” said softball Head Coach Kat McKay. “It will allow us to train as needed and compete at a high level regardless of the weather.”

There will be upgrades to the fencing and safety features. “It’s a much more modern, sleek, and functional look,” said Chris Streifel, director of capital planning and construction. “Definitely an improvement on the current chain link fence.” The field will be strategically reconfigured as well, with a new scoreboard in left field. Grandstand seating and a custom windscreen are also part of the improvements. 

Leadership Gifts Officer Chelsea Turner ’94, who played softball throughout her time as a student at �ֲ���ý, remembers a season the team traveled to Trinity College for their first game having never practiced outside. The weather and the field forced them to practice in Clifton Daggett Gray Athletic Building. Inspired by her experience as a player, Turner worked with donors on the project to transform the softball field. 

For softball’s coach, there’s no doubt this project is “transformational,” but McKay also points out that her players have “never made excuses — they’ve made it work everywhere — different spaces, different fields, tough conditions, even traveling for ‘home’ games.”

Trustee Jeremy B. Chase ’91 and Christine Werthmann Chase ’92 were lead donors for the project, sponsoring a match to help reach this initial goal.

The team is heading into their postseason, having swept Trinity in a double header on Senior Day at home, but Coach McKay is already anticipating the future, with gratitude. “This gives our current players — and our alumni — something they’ve earned after 50 years of softball: a home field they can be proud to call theirs. This elevates everything we do and sets us up for where we want to go as a program.”

When Josiah Lee Johnson ’29 visited �ֲ���ý as a high school student, he wasn’t sure what it would be like to leave New York City and attend a school that might be so different from his home. Here for �ֲ���ý Beginnings, he attended the cultural showcase co-hosted by the Caribbean Student Association (CSA) and Raíces Unidas. While he might have been considering several colleges when the showcase began, it was a decisive event.  

“When the host pulled me onto the stage, the sudden shift from spectator to participant transformed my experience,” Johnson said. “Hearing that roar of the crowd wasn’t just a warm welcome, it was an instinctive confirmation that I wouldn’t have to marginalize my own identity to fit in. In that moment of collective energy, the abstract idea of ‘community’ became a tangible reality, and I knew I had found my place.”

Johnson chose �ֲ���ý, and this year he found himself back on stage as a first-year student. He was one of more than 60 performers in the showcase which highlights and celebrates  — through performance — diverse cultures of the Caribbean and Latin American students at �ֲ���ý. This year’s showcase on April 17 was entitled “Here to Stay: Rhythms that Raised Us,” which points to both the past and future cultural influence of Latine and Caribbean cultures in the United States and at �ֲ���ý. In addition to traditional dances, there were also contemporary dances, singers, and performances from collaborating groups 2Beats, Bollywood Dance Team, and the Deansmen. Samba Viva, a Brazilian samba ensemble based in Boston, joined the performance. 

Andrea Alfonzo ’27 of Long Island City, N.Y., was deeply involved with this year’s production, both backstage and onstage. A biology major with a dance minor, Alfonzo worked alongside other members of CSA and Raíces Unidas to coordinate the evening of entertainment and community. 

“This showcase has always been incredibly impactful for our community because it gives us the opportunity to express a part of ourselves that we often don’t get to share in other spaces,” Alfonzo said.

Aaron Martinez ’26 of New York City (with family from Ecuador and Puerto Rico) was invited to participate in the showcase during his first year at �ֲ���ý, as a model for one of the Carnival costumes. 

“That year somebody was organizing a dance and they didn’t really have that many people. I was like, ‘Okay, I can do it. I know how to move a little bit. Why not?’” 

Before he knew it, he found himself even more involved.

Martinez stepped up as a leader his sophomore year and helped bring a new generation of students to the organization and the showcase. He will graduate this semester with minors in dance and Latin American & Latinx Studies. (He also just completed his thesis for his economics major.)

For some students involved in this year’s showcase, there was a clear urgency to claim space and celebrate culture. 

“I felt a deep responsibility to contribute a role that is both personal and political,” Johnson said. “We currently live in a political climate where the rights of immigrants and people of color are under constant scrutiny and support systems are being dismantled. That being said, I wanted my performance to be a deliberate act of reclamation.” 

Acknowledging that everything is political, Martinez noted the celebratory elements of the cultural showcase. “It felt amazing to be able to share and spread the message in a way that didn’t feel super political,” Martinez said. “It felt like more of a celebration of our culture than a fight or a struggle. I think a lot of the times what’s highlighted is the struggle, but I think there’s a lot to say about the resistance being joy. Joy is resistance.”

Alfonzo expressed a similar sentiment, as she looked back at the success of the show that she helped bring together.   

“I feel like a big part of the showcase is bringing joy to each other and celebrating together. That’s my main takeaway,” Alfonzo said. “‘Here to stay’ is a way of saying that we belong, that we matter, that we deserve to be here and to stay and to celebrate and to keep showing our cultures and to be proud of them.”

Every other week, an open space in the Student Center for Community and Belonging (SCBC) used by students for studying, gaming, and just spending time together transforms. Furniture is repositioned. Speakers are connected and music plays. Ring lights are placed. On the windowsills, light filters through containers filled with Barbasol and combs. Barber chairs are wheeled into their spots. For a few hours, the SCBC becomes a barbershop. 

Faded Lines, as the program is known, emerged from need and evolved out of desire. Tonya Bailey, associate dean and director of the SCBC, knows that a trip to the barbershop is about more than a trim.

“Men in my family have always gone to a barbershop every Saturday, but they spend all day there,” Bailey said. “It’s not just because they’re getting a haircut, it’s because they’re in community there.”

A hairstylist or barber can be hard to find in any new place. Those who come to �ֲ���ý for Faded Lines specialize in ethnic hair, filling an important need for many �ֲ���ý students. 

“We are literally able to witness students relaxing their shoulders as they sit in the chair,” Bailey said. “Seeing a barber that looks like you, can make you feel safer and trust that you will get a cut that feels familiar and makes you feel confident. And if something that small can make that big of a difference, then I think that we’re doing good work.”

As accepted students are visiting campus to finalize their choices, Assistant Director of LGBTQ+ Programs Anthony Del Real has noticed that Faded Lines stands out as a program to facilitate that belonging. He talked with students at �ֲ���ý Beginnings, a program for admitted students held on days in March and April, where the barbers and stylists seemed to be a highlight for several prospective students. 

“A lot of people are not so used to having that as an accessible thing on campus,” Del Real said, “so they were really surprised and excited to learn about Faded Lines.”

It can be difficult to manage tasks like getting a haircut while juggling classwork, activities and campus jobs. Having the haircut come to you eases that stress. Students pop in for a trim or come with friends ready to try out a whole new style. The barbers and stylists are available for all students, regardless of identity or need. 

Bailey, who also worked as a stylist, understands that these students are looking for more than a haircut when they walk into the SCBC on Faded Lines days. 

“Folks tend to ask me how we are able to have a space that truly is for everyone with so many moving parts. And hair care is just central to that for many cultures, but I think speaking really culturally, for Black and brown communities, hair has always been an area of expression. And when you are surrounded by folks that may not look and express themselves in the way that you do, and then you don’t see yourself when you look in the mirror, it is hard to feel that you belong in that environment. So when we think about identity, we think about how closely we can help you feel that you are all of who you are. And part of that is how you visually present.”

When Mekkawy Mohamed ’29 of Alexandria, Egypt, came to �ֲ���ý, it wasn’t long before he gravitated toward the SCBC. “I met my best friends here at �ֲ���ý in the SCBC. It’s a place that makes you feel at home. I told my mom, ‘There’s a place that you can go play games, relax, read, study, and just be with your friends.’ As an international student, I was really surprised to learn how hard it was to get basic things done here in the U.S.” Basic things, he said, like “just getting a haircut.” Mohamed couldn’t believe that �ֲ���ý had thought of that. 

“An inclusive environment,” Mohamed said, “means that everyone is welcome and that people have thought about ways to welcome them without students having to tell them what they need. Somebody actually thought about stuff like that before we asked. They thought about us.”

Part of the beauty of the project is the community that is forming beyond the chair. Students are building relationships and extending their circles beyond �ֲ���ý. Kenny “Free” Scales is one of the two barbers who offers haircuts on these packed days. An independent barber, he has been working in the field for 21 years. He keeps showing up because he sees that he is meeting a need.

“It’s a great program,” Scales said. “I was in Maine when they didn’t have Black barbers or Black barbershops. I know what it feels like to need something.”

The second barber who is also crucial to the success of Faded Lines is Tyrone “Rome” Jones, who understands giving haircuts as a way of “giving back to the students who can’t go back home. The look on their faces when they leave the chair — that’s the best feeling,” he said. Jones has been working for six years as an independent barber. 

Scales and Jones work with clippers, and although they are fully-booked, they still try to make space for students who walk in. Cindy Storer-Blazer, who owns Taboo Hair Design in Lewiston and has been a stylist for 40 years, uses shears for her cuts. 

Collectively, the two barbers and the stylist give about 50 haircuts every two weeks. What’s unique at Faded Lines is the collaboration that sometimes happens between these three. 

“They’re not in competition with one another at all and they just really value the fact that what they’re doing is so appreciated by who they’re doing it for,” Bailey said. Even at �ֲ���ý, collaboration from campus partners enables the work. This program has been jointly sponsored by the Office of Equity and Inclusion, the Center for Purposeful Work, Campus Life, the Office of Residence Life, and the Center for Global Education. “It’s about a collective ownership of the purpose. And to me, that’s the quintessential part of the program. And why it needs to be widespread.”

The popularity of Faded Lines has created what Bailey calls “a good problem.” The barbers are booked solid, but there are more students who need and want haircuts. It’s “brutal” to see them turned away, Bailey said, although the students adapted to make sure they get a spot in the next session, booking early.

She has two longer term hopes for Faded Lines: to expand the program and to make it a permanent offering. Additional funding is needed to make those hopes a reality, but Bailey is sure of one thing. “What is happening on these afternoons matters,” Bailey said.

Two �ֲ���ý faculty members, both in the Department of English, have been awarded Guggenheim Fellowships. The John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation announced that Jessica Anthony ’96, senior lecturer, and Myronn Hardy, associate professor, are part of the foundation’s 101st class of Guggenheim Fellows. This year’s class of winners includes 223 individuals working across 55 disciplines.

The Guggenheim offers fellowships to “exceptional individuals in pursuit of scholarship in any field of knowledge and creation in any art form, under the freest possible conditions.” 

A fellowship with no expiration, the Guggenheim is an emphatic vote of confidence. “As a poet, as a writer, as an artist, the word ‘no’ is usual, common,” Hardy said, “It’s breathtaking to hear, read, and experience ‘yes.’  I’m profoundly grateful.  I’m walking around spellbound.” 

Hardy’s Guggenheim is a career prize, celebrating his body of work while supporting future endeavors. Hardy has published six volumes of poetry, most recently, Aurora Americana. His books have received numerous accolades including the PEN/Oakland Josephine Miles Award, the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award, and the Griot-Stadler Prize for Poetry. 

“My current project centers poems that speak to colliding civilizations and what is made from, out of ruins. The large question of the project is: How do we, how can we live in the aftermath?”

Jess Anthony is the author of four novels, including The Most, which was longlisted for the National Book Award for Fiction in 2024.  Anthony anticipates that the Guggenheim will create opportunities that she cannot quite imagine yet. 

“This award allows a novelist to carve out large swathes of time to focus and write. I plan to use this support to minimize distractions and busywork for as long as possible, and I will be embarking upon several research trips related to my project. “

Anthony said that the Guggenheim “both acknowledges the several years of work which led up to the moment of application, and supports the direction the writer is about to travel next. I am now working on my fifth book of fiction, a satiric, quasi-historical novel examining this moment’s unique brand of American isolation and indifference.”

Since its founding in 1925, the Guggenheim Foundation has honored more than 19,000 fellows and has awarded nearly $450 million. Applications in the creative arts and humanities were up 50 percent and applications in the sciences were up 86 percent this year, bringing this year’s total number of applicants to 5,000. 

“Our new class of Guggenheim Fellows is representative of the world’s best thinkers, innovators, and creators in art, science, and scholarship,” said Edward Hirsch, award-winning poet and president of the Guggenheim Foundation. 

Hardy teaches courses in poetry, focusing both on the writing of poetry and the study of poetics. Anthony teaches introductory and advanced fiction and nonfiction workshops and advises students writing creative theses. 

“My courses at �ֲ���ý often reflect my own interests as a novelist,” Anthony said, “My previous novel, The Most, was developed through one of my favorite courses, ‘Women Writers of the 1950s.’”

“The fact that we have two Guggenheim fellows teaching creative writing at �ֲ���ý speaks to the caliber of faculty that our students work with every day,” Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty Joanne Roberts said. “Myronn and Jess make important contributions in and out of the classroom, and I’m thrilled to see them both celebrated with such a prestigious award for their creative work.”

“This is a dreamlike award,” Hardy said. “And to have received this from such an esteemed selection committee and organization, suggests, even shouts that what I’ve made as a writer is valued by the culture.”