At ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Reunion in June, the Alumni Association gathered to present the annual Alumni Council Awards, recognizing the exceptional career and service achievements of five alumni.

“It is truly inspiring to witness the transformative power of our alumni as they engage in informed civic action and lead in diverse fields,â€� said Leah Elsmore ’12, president of the Alumni Association for the 2025-26 academic year. “This year’s recipients reflect the ardor and devotion — Amore ac Studio — that define the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ experience, serving as a powerful reminder of the potential within our entire alumni network.â€�

Peter R. Basiliere ’76 received the Alumni Community Service Award in recognition of his leadership and civic service in Milford, N.H., where he was elected town moderator and school district moderator. After retiring from a career as a leader in additive manufacturing, Basiliere, an active Rotarian, began serving as a volunteer with the American Red Cross. Since then he has joined disaster relief teams in California, Vermont, the Carolinas, and, most recently, Guam, where he oversaw the Red Cross’ food operations after a super typhoon hit the island. Basiliere’s commitment to service and strengthening communities around the country reflects ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½â€™ ideals of purposeful work and responsible stewardship of the wider world.

Scientist Noah E. Petro ’01 earned the Alumni Professional Recognition Award in recognition of his career and leadership at NASA, where he has worked since 2007. Since 2017, he has been the lab chief of NASA’s Planetary Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry lab, which conducts research on Mercury, Venus, Earth, and their satellites. He is the project scientist for Artemis III, the 2027 mission that will bring astronauts to the moon’s surface for the first time since 1972. Petro’s work at NASA, both highly scientific and serving the general public, exemplifies ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½â€™ mission of combining intellectual rigor with public good.

Physician Christopher B. Lanoue ’99, P’26 earned the Bruce Stangle ’70, P’96, GP’26 Award for Distinguished Service to the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Community in recognition of his commitment to supporting ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ students and alumni through their medical school journeys. An emergency medicine specialist with MaineHealth, Lanoue has worked closely with the Center for Purposeful Work, mentoring ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ies pursuing medical careers, and done so with “generosity, warmth, and openness.â€� His leadership and service, emblematic of ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½â€™ values, has touched countless people as they themselves prepare for a career of serving others through medicine.

Rachel Ebersole ’17 was presented with the Distinguished Young Alumni Award in recognition of her career as a museum educator and her leadership within the alumni community. Ebersole is the manager of teen programs at The New York Historical museum and library, where she also oversees a digital learning lab and makerspace. Ebersole is a dedicated leader within the New York ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Network, fostering alumni community and hosting events. Her volunteer service to the college is an inspiring example of the transformative power of the young alumni network.

Erica Seifert Plunkett ’86 earned the Helen A. Papaioanou ’49 Distinguished Alumni Service Award, which recognizes alumni who have given exceptional service to the college. Plunkett served as class co-president while at ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ and, since graduating, as an Alumni Council member, a dedicated class agent, and a committee leader. Plunkett has also led an accomplished career in research; she spent more than 25 years at the Wellesley Centers for Women supporting research projects studying mental health literacy and mental health in adolescents. She is now a project manager at Brown University’s Hassenfeld Child Health Innovation Institute, working on projects related to adolescent depression prevention.

The Office of College Advancement also presented Kathryn (Kali) M. Brown ’21, Craig E. Comins ’81, and Meg W. Curran ’11 with ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½â€™ Best Awards, which recognize dedicated volunteers who have expressed a passion and commitment for advancing the mission of the college.

“Our alumni continue to do incredible work in their communities and professions, and honoring this year’s award recipients is a privilege,â€� said Assistant Vice President for Alumni Engagement Sarah Cameron. “Every year, these awards remind us of the strength and reach of the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ network, and we look forward to seeing who our community nominates next.â€�

Want to nominate someone for a 2027 award? Nominating forms are available now. 

ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ College has announced the election of three new trustees, effective July 1, 2026.

• Scott F. Higgins ’91, P’27 is a business leader currently working as a senior executive in the commercial insurance industry. 
• Matthew B. Schecter ’89, P’20 is a leader in the life sciences industry whose work has focused on advancing healthcare communication, education, and access.
• Sophia B. “Sophie” Wagener ’17 is an attorney based in California, whose practice is focused on general liability matters and toxic tort, defending plaintiffs in personal injury lawsuits involving exposure to dangerous chemicals and hazardous substances. 

“On behalf of the board, I want to express how grateful we are to Scott, Matthew, and Sophie for their willingness to share their considerable expertise with ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ and for the not insignificant time commitment that comes with supporting the board’s work,â€� said Gregory A. Ehret ’91, P’23, chair of the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ College Board of Trustees. “They join an incredibly dedicated group of trustees, and I know each of them will bring valuable experiences and perspective to the board. I look forward to working with them to help ensure ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ is fulfilling its mission.â€� 

The new trustees will serve five-year terms that extend to June 30, 2031.

Scott F. Higgins ’91, P’27

Scott Higgins is a business leader currently working as a senior executive in the commercial insurance industry. 

Higgins is the executive vice president for Burns & Wilcox, overseeing the firm’s North American commercial insurance division. He executes Burns & Wilcox’s comprehensive strategy and maximizes client and market relationships.

Prior to joining Burns & Wilcox, Higgins worked for Travelers for more than 30 years. He held a variety of roles at the insurance giant, working in nearly every aspect of North American operations and holding the title of executive vice president and president of Middle Market and National Property for Travelers.

At ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½, Higgins majored in political science. A football player, he was a recipient of the Robert P.  Schmidt Award, given to a teammate who demonstrates physical and mental courage while bringing honor and achievement to themselves and their team. He earned an MBA from the Lally School of Management at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI). As a member of the alumni community, Higgins has served as a class agent and been an Alumni in Admission volunteer. He continues to work closely with other football alumni.

Higgins’ volunteer work outside of ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ includes a deep commitment to Vista Life Innovations, a nonprofit that provides programs and services to empower individuals with disabilities to achieve personal success and independence.

Higgins and his wife Heather P’27 reside in Connecticut and are the parents of Karly and Cole ’27, a politics major with a minor in history. Cole is a member of the football team. Scott’s mother Althea Curtis Higgins ’70 also attended ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½.

Matthew B. Schecter ’89, P’20

Matthew B. Schecter is the founder and chief executive officer of The Lockwood Group, a global pharmaceutical services organization specializing in medical communications, market access, regulatory affairs, and clinical consulting. Founded in 2007, The Lockwood Group employs over 800 professionals worldwide.  In 2021, Ares Management made a strategic investment in the company to support its continued growth and expansion.

During a 30-year career in the life sciences industry, Schecter has built and led organizations dedicated to advancing healthcare communication, education, and access. 

At ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½, Schecter majored in political science and excelled at track and field. He was a three-time NCAA All-American, NCAA national champion, and still holds the college’s high jump record. He is a member of the College Key. As an alumnus, he served on his 25th Reunion committee, co-chaired his 35th Reunion gift committee, and has volunteered as a class agent and Alumni in Admission representative.

Schecter is active in several civic and philanthropic organizations, including Children of Fallen Patriots, which supports the families of fallen service members and helps their children pursue higher education. 

He and his wife Jill P’20 live in Palm Beach, Fla. They have two adult children, Zachary and Samantha ’20. Samantha earned a degree in neuroscience from ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ and works as a senior marketing coordinator at Kohn Pedersen Fox in New York. Schecter’s brother, Michael Schecter ’86, is executive vice president, general counsel and chief administrative officer for Morgan Properties. Michael is married to Sharon Jane Curry ’88, a lactation consultant at Sibley Memorial Hospital.

Sophia B. “Sophie” Wagener ’17

Sophie Wagener is an attorney working as an associate at California-based Walsworth LLP. Her practice focuses on general liability and toxic tort litigation — complex cases involving exposure to harmful substances. It’s work that calls on both her scientific background and legal precision.

Before joining Walsworth, Wagener gained hands-on litigation experience serving as second chair in two civil jury trials and helping defend clients across a broad spectrum of cases, including professional, product, and premises liability. During law school, she interned with a nonprofit supporting cancer patients, in-house at a healthcare company, at the city attorney’s office, and at the United States District Court for the Southern District of California. 

At ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½, Wagener pursued biology with a minor in public health and a concentration in Asian studies — an academic combination that reflects her wide-ranging interests and love of interdisciplinary thinking. In 2023, she earned her JD from the University of San Diego School of Law, magna cum laude, and is a member of the Order of the Coif.

Wagener is an active member of the alumni community who looks forward to annual reunion weekends with her close-knit circle of ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ friends. Her commitment to the college extends beyond participation — just one year after graduating, Wagener and her parents, Shaw B. Wagener and Debbie J. Heitz, established the Wagener Family Professorship at ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½, dedicated to advancing equity and inclusion in STEM. Today, April Horton carries that mission forward as the Wagener Family Professor of Equity and Inclusion in STEM.

Since its founding in 1996, Lewiston’s Maine Museum of Innovation, Labor, and Learning (formerly Museum L/A) has engaged in a decades-long educational partnership with ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ College. That’s no surprise, given that the museum called the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Mill Complex home for the last 30 years.

In recognition of that relationship, ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ is making a $75,000 gift to Maine MILL’s new, stand-alone building, which opens June 27. Visitors to the new museum at 1 Beech St. — housed in another mill, most recently known as the Camden Yarns Mill — will enter through the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ College Welcome Center.

“We are delighted to partner with Maine MILL as it starts a new chapter in its new home,â€� said ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ President Garry W. Jenkins. “Both institutions share a commitment to education and access that makes this collaboration a perfect fit. And we love the thought that ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ will be one part of the rich and complex Lewiston story that guests from around the country and the world will learn about during their visit to Maine MILL.â€�

The Maine MILL gift is the most recent example of the college’s investment in the region. Since Rachel Ferrante ’10 joined the museum in 2021 as executive director, the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½-Maine MILL partnership has only expanded.

“ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ is an enormous asset for Lewiston, as Lewiston is an enormous asset for ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½,â€� Ferrante said. “We’re thrilled that ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ is deeply invested in the partnership with Maine MILL and connection to Lewiston.â€�

This partnership reinforces ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½â€™ longstanding and deep commitment to Lewiston. For decades, the Harward Center for Community Partnerships has brought campus and community together to enrich the learning experience for ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ students and the lives of our neighbors in Lewiston and Auburn.

“At ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½, we examine what it really means to join — as equal participants — within a community’s self-led work, however the community is defining it,â€� says Darby Ray, director of the Harward Center. “This goes beyond superficial forms of place-based engagement. It’s not just, ‘We’re located here so let’s get involved.’ We are committed to doing the deep listening to understand what is really happening in the community and how we might join the community’s work. And we’ve tried to model that kind of accompaniment or presence over decades, which has fostered relationships of trust and accountability.â€�

The museum was founded in 1996 to preserve artifacts and stories from Lewiston-Auburn’s once-prosperous textile mill industry. When Associate Professor of History Joe Hall first took students to Maine MILL — then called Museum L-A — in 2003, there were weaving looms still threaded and covered with “dust fiber hanging like Spanish moss from trees,â€� Hall said. They sat exactly where they had been when the mill was operating. He quickly realized how valuable it was for students to physically observe the industries they were learning about in his courses. It was a way, he said, to show that history doesn’t just happen “in some imaginary cloud world.â€� 

Not long after, trips to the museum became a regular part of Hall’s “U.S. Environmental Historyâ€� course. Numerous other ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ faculty have also brought their students to the museum to supplement courses on everything from economics to Japanese textiles to Francophone history. 

“It’s been great as a way of grounding their learning, but also showing what it is that people here want to teach other people,â€� Hall said.

Students appreciate, Hall said, that the museum is led by a ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ graduate. Ferrante oversaw the 2023 rebranding to Maine MILL, a name that aligns more closely with the museum’s subject matter and reflects the institution’s goal to tell more wide-ranging stories from the region. ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ faculty have supported that effort; Associate Professor of Sociology Marcelle Medford, for example, led an extensive project collecting oral histories from Black Mainers, now included in the museum’s collection.

“We are focused on making sure that as a community history museum, we are telling the broadest version of our area’s history,â€� Ferrante says. “That also means what history has looked like here over the last 20 or 30 years since the mills have closed. Of course, Black voices have been incredibly important before that time, but are a huge part of Lewiston’s more recent history. Having that represented in the collection felt like a critical missing piece.â€�

ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ also connects with the museum through student interns, like Tristan Seavey ’26 of Calais, Maine, who has interned at Maine MILL off and on since his first year on campus. During his last Short Term at ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½, he completed a full-time internship at the museum funded through the Harward Center for Community Partnerships. A double major in history and German, Seavey is also Hall’s student. 

As an intern, Seavey has led museum tours, done archival and operations work, helped with event planning, and 3D-scanned the gallery. He developed a passion for telling stories about people who have been underrepresented in popular history, inspired by Ferrante and Hall’s work. 

The internship “changed the way that I approach history,â€� Seavey said. “Before ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ and before working at Maine MILL, it was really just listing off dates and doing timelines. But working with Rachel and also working with Joe and doing my own research, I’ve really had this new perspective on how we tell history in a compelling way.â€�

Seavey’s senior thesis, which Hall advised, retraced the steps of a Black family living in his hometown of Calais in the mid-19th century, ultimately arguing that the impact of the Black community on that area was more important than previously discussed.

Hall watched as Seavey applied what he was learning at ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ to work that needed to be done in the community, and then returned to the classroom, enriched by the experience. “It was really helpful to see how one person can use what they learn to offer new lessons to others,â€� Hall said.

Additional partnerships between ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ and Maine MILL include the museum’s annual fundraiser, Soirée en Blanc. ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Dining, Conferences, and Campus Events handles catering for the events, and many ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ dining staff members are from Lewiston-Auburn, Ferrante said, turning the fundraisers into full-circle moments.

“This museum is their museum, and what excites me is that they are helping make their own museum possible,� she said.

This year’s Soirée en Blanc will be held in the new museum building on Friday, June 26, the evening before the museum officially opens, meaning that ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ will have a hand in welcoming the public to the new space for the first time. 

“One of the things that makes this place so special is the relationships and the community that exists here,â€� Ferrante said. “It’s a huge part of what drives what we do and why we do it and who we do it for.â€� 

It’s 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, and the 160th ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Commencement procession has just set off from Alumni Walk. It will wind along campus walkways en route to the Historic Quad and its final destination, Coram Library. 

Jeremy Caron of Lewiston has been waiting in his wheelchair on the Quad for nearly three hours. He got there early to secure a location where he could easily see and greet the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ seniors he’s come to know over the last four years.

For many, Commencement is a whirlwind, one-time visit to ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½. But for some like Caron, who choose to attend year after year, it is an annual touchstone, a chance to support the graduates while reconnecting with a community that has shaped their lives and created a lifetime of memories.

Not far from Caron, a trio of octogenarian ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ retirees — Judy Marden ’66, her classmate Bill Hiss ’66, and Elaine Freeman — watch the proceedings from a prime perch, the steps of Hathorn Hall. Collectively, they’ve seen around 150 Commencements.

Marden joined the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Advancement staff shortly after her own graduation, which was held in the Armory a few blocks from campus. (Lore has it that the Armory was an especially stuffy venue because the circus and its elephants had just left town.) By the mid-1970s, Marden had assumed a new position created by President Thomas Hedley Reynolds, “liaison officer for college functions.â€� A veteran World War II tank commander, Reynolds might’ve pulled the job title from an Army handbook. 

A big part of Marden’s job was to run Commencement and Convocation, plus summer programs, which she did with help from Freeman, a director in Facility Services. Marden also advised the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Outing Club. 

Decades later, the twin ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ events help anchor and give meaning to Marden’s annual trip around the sun. “My year ends with Commencement and begins with Convocation,â€� she says. “If it did not, it would have no form.â€�

Ever since Reynolds introduced the tradition, a bagpiper has led the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Commencement procession. (Reynolds was also responsible for relocating Commencement from the Armory to the Quad.) On Sunday, the piper’s arrival on the Quad reminds Marden and Freeman of a Commencement task back in the day: appearing with goblets and scotch so Reynolds could share a down-the-hatch drink with the piper at the end of the ceremony.

For Hiss, a retired ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ admission dean who forged the college’s famed test-optional admission policy, attending Commencement is an act of bearing witness. “Commencement is about ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ doing, and continuing to do, what America needs. It’s that simple,â€� he says. 

Meanwhile, down on the Quad, Caron awaits the procession. He hasn’t missed a ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ graduation since 2006, but he’s more than just a Commencement regular. He attends scores of campus events each year, especially Bobcat sports. Which ones? “Every single one,â€� he says. That’s around 125 contests annually. “I love sports, and I always tell the athletes that I’ll support them through thick and thin,â€� he says. “I want to celebrate all their hard work and effort.â€�

By 9:45, the seniors are nearing Caron’s spot on the Quad. The procession route is full of parents standing elbow to elbow taking pictures and the passing grads, seeming to tower above Caron in his wheelchair. But no matter: They spy their loyal fan, break from the ranks, and reach out for a fist bump, handshake, or hug.

That included Zach Rosenthal ’26, a politics and history double major from Chicago who handled game-day operations for ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Athletics as a student worker. Seeing familiar ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ faces like Caron’s on Commencement day was “really cool,â€� he said later. “It’s cliché, but it’s a full-circle moment. You see these people all the time throughout the past four years, and to see them at the final stop of your academic journey is really special.â€�

Caron was born without the use of his legs. At age 10, he learned to use an adaptive bicycle, and he’s been an avid biker ever since, including riding in the annual Dempsey Challenge for cancer support. Asked to offer advice to seniors, Caron reflects on his own experience. “There are times you have to adapt,â€� he says. 

Longtime Lewiston resident Ernie Ashton, a retired local elementary school teacher, has been a driver for the Bobcat Express student shuttle for 23 years. Ashton wasn’t shuttling on Sunday, but there’s no way he would miss graduation. “It’s a pleasure to be here year after year. I just love them,â€� he says. “You watch these kids for four years, and they do such a great job. They keep me young.â€� 

He likes to talk up Lewiston to his passengers on the shuttle, “places they should see before they leave,� like Thorncrag Nature Sanctuary and Veterans Memorial Park by the Androscoggin River. “And they do.�

This March, Paul Menice retired as head of Campus Safety after 36 years of service to the college. He’s seen and supported students at their best and worst. “Everyone makes mistakes when they’re young,� he says. When he sees students at Commencement, he sees maturity and appreciation. “It’s a highlight, getting hugs and handshakes, and them saying ‘thanks.’�

Another local at Commencement is Russ Dillingham, an award-winning photographer for Lewiston’s Sun Journal. He’s on the job today, but the event tugs at his heart. “I grew up over there,� he says, pointing to Campus Avenue, where there used to be wood-frame residences, replaced in recent years by college buildings like Bonney Science Center and Chu and Kalperis halls.

When he was a child, Dillingham wore corrective leg braces. A ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ student who babysat the Dillingham children would bring Russ over to campus for walks. He got stronger, and his legs straighter. “I’m pretty sure that’s why I can walk straight today,â€� he says. He enjoys covering Commencement. “It’s relaxed, friendly, and joyful.â€�

On a walkway near Carnegie Science Hall is Peter Slovenski, son of legendary ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ track coach Walter Slovenski. Retired after coaching track at Bowdoin for 34 years, Slovenski stopped by to support graduate Zach Jawor ’26 of Lewiston, one of his very best counselors at his Slovenski Camps on Panther Pond in Raymond.

Slovenski remembers being awed as a little kid by towering ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ athletes of the day, figures like Howard Vandersea ’63 or Thom Freeman ’63. “As the years go by, as you see more and more students being able to grow into adults at a place like ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½, you realize it’s less about individuals. More of a relay race, passing it forward.â€�

One of Walt Slovenski’s former ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ runners, Tom Leonard ’78, is another Commencement stalwart. An accomplished amateur photographer based in North Granby, Conn., Leonard travels around the Northeast each year from his home to photograph Bobcat athletes in action. Commencement is the final meet of the year, as it were. “Today recognizes the fact that all ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ students have accomplished something incredibly meaningful,â€� Leonard says. 

“When I was a student, I don’t know if I appreciated the scene as much as I do as an old person,� he adds. “I mean, my God, look at all these people who helped get these kids to where they are today. And that’s a beautiful thing.�

As ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ 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 ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½. 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,â€� said Director of Athletics Stacey Bunting. “As we celebrate 50 years of ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ 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.â€� 

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,â€� said Chris Streifel, director of capital planning and construction. “Definitely an improvement on the current chain link fence.â€� 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 ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½, 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.�

ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ is embarking on a $45 million project to update two key athletic facilities and construct a new fitness and well-being center to serve the full campus community. With a major gift of $10 million from a couple who met at ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½, Jon W. Brayshaw ’90, P’25 and Jocelyn Stoddard Brayshaw ’88, P’25, the college is a vital step closer to that construction, and has a name for the new facility: the Stoddard Fitness and Well-Being Center. 

“Thanks to the wonderful generosity of Jon and Jocelyn Brayshaw, our goal of a new center to support our students as they pursue their personal health and fitness goals is within reach,â€� President Garry W. Jenkins said in a joint announcement with Vice President for Student Affairs Rosanna Ferro. “This facility will be transformative in strengthening ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½â€™ commitment to overall student well-being.â€�

While today marks the public announcement of the new facility, fundraising for the project has been underway for over 18 months and support has come from more than 50 leadership donors. With the Brayshaws’ gift, ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ is within $4 million of its fundraising goal of $31 million. The college is investing alongside its donors to renovate and update infrastructure in the beloved Alumni Gymnasium and the Clifton Daggett Gray Athletic Building, underscoring the importance of fitness and well-being to the entire ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ community. 

“We have a holistic approach to engaging students around well-being and this new facility will allow us to elevate and celebrate that,â€� Ferro said.  

The Stoddard Fitness and Well-Being Center will double the amount of fitness space available to the campus community. Designed by internationally acclaimed Sasaki Associates Inc., the same architectural firm that gave Commons its distinctive look and created the vision for Alumni Walk, the new Stoddard Fitness and Well-Being Center will bridge Alumni Gym and Gray Athletic Building. With its striking windows and expansive architecture, it will open up onto a dynamic and vibrant Ladd Library Quad in the heart of campus.

The Stoddard name is a tribute to Jocelyn’s parents, Donald and Judith Stoddard, who both died in 2021. 

“For us, this gift is deeply personal,� Jon Brayshaw said. “Don and Judy taught us that true well-being comes from intentional living — nourishing the body, staying active, caring for one’s inner life, and making choices that honor long‑term health. Seeing their names associated with a space dedicated to fitness and holistic wellness feels like a natural extension of how they lived and what they valued most.�

This virtual fly-through of the future Stoddard Fitness and Well-Being Center shows new and enhanced locker rooms, athletic facilities, office space, and more. (Rendering courtesy of Sasaki Associates Inc.)

Vice President for College Advancement Eric Foushée P’22, P’26 expressed deep gratitude to the Brayshaw family. “This gift puts us close to 90 percent of our goal to break ground on this exciting and much-needed project,â€� Foushée said. “I know the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ community will join me in thanking the Brayshaws for this resounding commitment to the college’s future.â€�

“Athletics was at the center of our ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ experience,â€� Jon Brayshaw said. It’s how the couple met: “We were both part of a group of students that helped start the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ College Rowing Association.â€� The association has since transitioned to varsity status at the college, fielding some of the most successful men’s and women’s rowing teams in the country.

Even at that time, Jon and Jocelyn were conscious that ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½â€™ interest and belief in fitness and well-being was bigger than what the physical campus could support.

“Although most of our time was spent out on the water, we remember how challenging it was to find adequate facilities on campus for off-season or inclement weather workouts,â€� Jon Brayshaw said. “When we learned that the college was interested in building a facility to expand fitness and wellness offerings and to also modernize and enhance Alumni Gym, we both saw a great opportunity to address this longstanding challenge for ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ student-athletes and others who would benefit from greater access to state-of-the-art fitness facilities.â€�

In addition to ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½â€™ 31 varsity teams, there are many club and intramural athletes on campus, as well as many fitness, strength training, yoga, and pilates enthusiasts. Some may be students pursuing wellness activities for the first time in their lives. An average of 450 students use the Davis Fitness Center in Underhill Arena daily. “We’ve maxed out that space,â€� said Director of Capital Planning and Construction Chris Streifel. Factoring in faculty and staff, the number of ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ community members using these facilities potentially tops 2,600. “We’re more than ready for this additional facility,â€� Streifel said.

The hope is for a spring groundbreaking on May 1. “A gift like the Brayshaw family’s is truly a game-changer,â€� Foushée said. “At the same time, we know we have work to do to spread the word about the significance of this project and meet our critical fundraising goal.â€� 

“This facility will be transformative in strengthening ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½â€™ commitment to overall student well-being.â€�

President Garry W. Jenkins

The scope of the project is considerable, encompassing improvements to Alumni Gym (originally opened in 1928) such as necessary infrastructure upgrades and renovations to lounges and other vital spaces. The restoration and reopening of a viewing balcony in Alumni Gym will enhance the vibrant atmosphere of this much-loved athletic facility. A new practice basketball court will be added to Gray Cage.

The project will provide new and newly renovated locker rooms for 11 teams: baseball, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, field hockey, men’s alpine skiing, women’s alpine skiing, men’s Nordic skiing, women’s Nordic skiing, men’s soccer, softball, and volleyball. There will also be a new space for sports medicine.

The Stoddard Fitness and Well-Being Center will be home to new coaching offices and program spaces. The center will support students’ personal health, wellness, and fitness goals, allowing for improved workouts for all — from varsity and club athletes preparing for their next big competition to students integrating physical activity for balance in their lives. A breathtaking second-level studio for yoga and pilates will overlook Ladd Library Quad, and the facility will also be home to a number of spaces to support well-being.  

Director of Athletics Stacey Bunting said the Stoddard Fitness and Well-Being Center represents the physical embodiment of what she’s seen of ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ students’ passion for holistic well-being since she joined the college in July 2025.

“This facility will have a tremendous impact on the student-athlete experience, but its reach extends far beyond athletics,� Bunting said. “The Stoddard Fitness and Well-Being Center creates a modern, dedicated space where every student can define and prioritize their own well-being. That shared experience across the entire campus is what makes this project so powerful.�

To learn more about the vision for the project, and to view architectural renderings and videos, visit these pages. Individuals interested in furthering momentum for the project through additional philanthropic support are encouraged to contact Vice President for College Advancement Eric Foushée P’22, P’26 or Director of Leadership Giving Seth Williams.

Eric Foushée | efoushee@bates.edu | 207-755-5985 

Seth Williams | swilliams2@bates.edu | 207-755-5988

ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ has been building momentum for the Stoddard Fitness and Well-Being Center for 18 months. Here’s a glimpse at the energy that brought us to this announcement. (Video by Patrick Wine for ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ College)

Carrie Cushman talks Museum of Art’s Marsden Hartley Legacy Project on Maine Public

Carrie Cushman, director of the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Museum of Art, spoke about the museum’s current projects .

In conversation with Heather McDougall, manager of music and people at Maine Public Classical, Cushman, who joined the museum in August 2025, discussed the excitement of arriving at ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½. The museum is preparing to launch the Marsden Hartley Legacy Project, an online digital catalog of all known paintings and ephemera by modernist painter and Lewiston native Marsden Hartley, which has been in development since 2019.

“We’re really lucky that this is happening at ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½, and we will be the home of it and responsible for stewarding it into the future,â€� Cushman told McDougall.

The ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Museum of Art was founded because of the Marsden Hartley Memorial Collection, Cushman explained, comprising over 400 paintings and ephemera by Hartley — by far the largest collection of Hartley’s work — which Hartley’s niece donated to the college in 1955. 

“We have people coming to the museum almost weekly requesting to see work from the collection, and many are artists who are looking for inspiration in this 20th century modernist who is finally getting his due,� Cushman said.

Additionally, Cushman’s exhibition The Worlds of Ilse Bing was featured in a in the online magazine What Will You Remember?.

The exhibition is on view through May 24 at Wellesley College’s Davis Museum, where Cushman previously worked as the Linda Wyatt Gruber ‘66 Curatorial Fellow in Photography. Exploring Bing’s rise to prominence, coinciding with 35mm photography’s growing popularity, the exhibition “brings her work into conversation with her creative influences and with those who she influenced in the worlds of modern art.�

What Will You Remember? also included the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Museum of Art’s exhibition Shellburne Thurber: Full Circle, co-curated by Thurber and ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ assistant curator Samantha Sigmon, in its February roundup. On view through March 21, the exhibition demonstrates how Thurber’s photography has “visualized interior work that is private, domestic, psychological, or insular.â€�

Mara Tieken opines on rural schools, students in The Hechinger Report; Women Writers, Women’s Books

Though public school closures and consolidations are becoming increasingly common, they rarely serve their intended purpose of saving struggling school districts money, writes Professor of Education Mara Tieken in an .

For school districts with declining enrollment or decreasing state and federal funding, “school closures may seem logical,� Tieken writes. “Close schools, ‘right-size’ districts, save money. Problem solved.�

However, she explains, school closures require additional transportation and renovation costs, often leading to districts saving little to no money, while students’ test scores and future college and employment outcomes decrease.

Tieken has extensively researched and written about rural schools and their students. On Feb. 5, she published a piece about the process of developing her latest book — Educated Out: How Rural Students Navigate Elite Colleges—And What It Costs Them — in an .

While writing the book, which explores how students from rural places experience attending a small elite college, Tieken developed an approach to research characterized by slowly developing relationships with the students she was interviewing, she writes.

“We often think of research as a one-way process, a passing of ‘data’ from ‘subject’ to ‘researcher,’� Tieken writes. “But that approach is neither ethical (in fact, it’s often quite exploitative) nor useful. So much more can be learned when the relationship is actually relational.�

The 13 years that Tieken spent researching and writing the book taught her to be a more patient teacher, she says, with an expanded awareness of the struggles that her students from rural backgrounds may be facing. The book culminates with suggestions for how academic institutions can better support rural students.

“All those recommendations that I make in the book’s final chapter?â€� Tieken writes. “I have to do them, too, and I feel obligated—in a really good way—to encourage others to do them, as well.â€� 

Caylin Carbonell ’12 gives public talk exploring daily life, labor dynamics in colonial New England

Caylin Carbonell ’12, an assistant professor of history at Bowdoin College, gave a public lecture about labor dynamics in colonial New England households, .

The talk, entitled “Laboring Lives and Hidden Stories in Colonial New England,” was the second installment in a series of free online lectures hosted by the Lincoln County Historical Association, based in Wiscasset, Maine.

Carbonell shared insights on “the daily lives inside colonial households as the country was beginning to take shape, with a focus on laborers, often a diverse group ranging from enslaved and indentured people to hired workers, including Indigenous, African, and European women and men.�

She also discussed the challenges of uncovering the stories of 17th and 18th century laborers from incomplete or nonexistent records. Carbonell, who majored in history at ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½, is currently working on a book manuscript that closely explores daily life in colonial New England households.

Boston Globe, Sun Journal cover MLK Day at ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½

The held during ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½â€™ Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day,  “From Silencing to Empowerment: Exploring Anger, Justice, and Post-traumatic Growth Among Refugee Women and Women of Color,â€� led by Yun Garrison, assistant professor of psychology, and Fowsia Musse from Maine Community Integration.

During the workshop, Garrison and Musse presented a framework of healing from trauma that they developed by examining the experiences of refugee women. For Musse, herself a refugee from Somalia, and other Somalian refugees and immigrants living in Lewiston, the workshop was particularly topical, the Globe reports; Musse said that anxiety caused by the Trump administration’s immigration deportation agenda led her to reflect on past trauma from her immigration experience.

“When something traumatic happens, how do we hold both anger and peace at the same time? Because sometimes they are pulling us in opposite directions,� Garrison said. “Maybe love and healing can bridge this. I do not know, but that’s what I’m sitting with right now.�

The Lewiston given by Myisha Cherry, an associate professor of philosophy at the University of California, Riverside.

Cherry’s address — â€œWhat Do We Do With All This Fear?â€� — explored the day’s theme of “Love, Anger and the Struggle for Justiceâ€� by closely examining and interpreting MLK’s writings and words.

The Sun Journal quoted from President Garry W. Jenkins’ introductory remarks addressing the day’s theme, sharing his interpretation of how love and anger may intersect in the pursuit of justice.

“I would rather spend my days in a space of love rather than a space of anger,� Jenkins said. “But we don’t always get to make that choice. … In linking these two, we have to wrestle with how they exist together — both in tension and in harmony.�

In sharing MLK’s thoughts about fear, Cherry explained that not all fear was negative; it can, in fact, be harnessed and transformed into a powerful force for change, the Sun Journal reported.

“We should be maestros as opposed to mere masters of our normal fears … and we should transition that normal fear into courage,� Cherry said. “Courage is just not doing something in spite of your fear, it’s taking your fear and matching it up with confidence … and engaging in action.�

As the Sun Journal reported, Cherry linked this healthy fear to MLK’s nonviolent protests and actions, urging all in the audience to use their “normal� fear to advance causes they care about.

“What we should do with this fear is make something beautiful out of it,â€� Cherry said. “This is a time of fear for lots of us … Turning to King has been illuminating, and I find that fear doesn’t mean that we are weak, it doesn’t mean we’ve given people the upper hand. It means that we’re sensitive to injustice. It means we value the people we’re fearful for and we value the principles that we are scared we are going to lose.â€� 

Brian Shankar Adler featured in DownBeat magazine’s cover story

Brian Shankar Adler — percussionist and ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ instructor of drum set, tabla, and other hand percussion — and Grammy-award winning soprano saxophonist Jane Ira Bloom released their debut album once like a spark, in their February issue’s cover story, “Making music in the moment.â€� 

The magazine used the stage at Olin Concert Hall as the setting for a photo shoot with the two musicians, who have performed extensively in Lewiston and Portland, Maine as a duo.

“We played each other’s compositions, and the music came alive instantly,� Adler told DownBeat. “Over the years, we built up a hefty book of tunes and a musical language with which to communicate.�

Without chorded or bass instruments, the brass-drum duo is a rare one, DownBeat reported. The combination makes for a unique, melodic sound, with roots in jazz, North Indian Hindustani, and Indonesian musical traditions.

“The way I see it, music is interconnected and has the power to communicate beyond borders,� Adler told DownBeat. “Listening to and playing jazz, it’s evident that the music has roots beyond America and arms that extend to virtually every corner of the world. When approached with open ears, curiosity and a sense of respect for the traditions, the possibilities for exchange are really limitless.�

Art New England reviews current exhibition at the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Museum of Art

On Feb. 5, of “Precision and Expression: American Studio Ceramics from the E. John Bullard Collection,â€� the current show at the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Museum of Art, co-curated by Assistant Curator Samantha Sigmon and Lecturer in Art and Visual Culture Susan Dewsnap. “…Bullard sought diversity and individuality in his acquisitions,â€� Little writes. “He also embraced humor and joy: many of the pieces will prompt a smile.â€� 

Calling it an “entertaining and enlightening exhibition,� Little highlighted an “exquisite vessel� by Mark Bell, “Spherical Vase,� ca. 2011, which he said “exemplifies the Blue Hill, Maine, artist’s seamless style.�

Little also explained the motivation behind Bullard’s generous gift to the museum. “The collector’s longtime ties to Haystack and the Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts in Newcastle, Maine, inspired his gift, as did the college’s ceramics program led by Susan Dewsnap, who co-curated the exhibition and accompanying catalogue,â€� Little writes. “Bullard envisions future students exploring and learning from these singular objects. That vision is already happening: interns at the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Museum researched artists for the catalogue and labels.â€� 

Mohammed M. Obaid Shwani ’24 has been a world traveler and an award winner since he was a teenager. In 2016, he first came to the United States after being named an Iraqi Young Leader through a State Department program, then traveled to Bosnia to attend United World College on a scholarship before landing in Maine for college.

As a first-year student at ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½, he won the Dana Award, the highest honor bestowed on a student in their first year. He majored in politics, minored in philosophy, and graduated summa cum laude and a member of Phi Beta Kappa. After time in England and a return to Iraq, he’ll soon embark on another journey with a fresh accolade, heading to Beijing as a Schwarzman Scholar.

This month Shwani was named one of 150 Schwarzman Scholars, representing 40 countries and 83 universities from around the world, who will attend a one-year, fully-funded master’s degree program in global affairs at Schwarzman College, Tsinghua University. Selected from a pool of over 5,800 candidates worldwide, Shwani is a part of the most competitive cohort to date. 

When the State Department selected him as a Young Iraqi Leader, they saw a determined student from Kirkuk who grew up amid terrorism and instability, and who, at just 16, founded Iraq’s first National Model United Nations association. At ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½, Shwani was curious about global systems and approached this work from an interdisciplinary perspective. His work at ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ was followed with a year in England studying law at the University of Oxford. These experiences, he says, helped him learn to critically analyze power, history, and governance. “ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ didn’t give me a single narrative,â€� he notes. “It gave me the tools to deconstruct them and form my own conclusions.â€� 

Shwani returned to Iraqi Kurdistan after ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ and has been leading global partnerships at the Kurdistan Foundation, tasked with attracting investment, collaboration, and strategic alliances to the region.

“For years, my country and I have oriented ourselves around ‘what will the U.S. do, and how does its system work?’� he says. “But my country is now actively engaging with another great power whose system we do not understand. We have strong economic ties with China, but almost no insight into its strategic culture, its governance model, or its long-term vision. Kurdistan and Iraq’s future leaders must understand and have connections with all sides to be able to navigate the country’s relationships in this new multipolar world.�

This need for understanding led him to the Schwarzman Scholars program, a scholarship created to respond to the geopolitical landscape of the 21st century and designed to prepare the next generation of global leaders.

“Our eleventh cohort is a truly impressive group that fills me with optimism,� says Stephen A. Schwarzman, founding trustee of Schwarzman Scholars, “I am hopeful that their interest in China and global affairs, coupled with their leadership potential, will create opportunities for collaboration and dialogue at Schwarzman College and beyond.�

As Shwani prepares for Beijing, he looks forward to reuniting with Scarlett Wang ’23, who now lives in Beijing. “It’s been years since we were on campus together,â€� he says. “The idea that a ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ friend will be part of my first community in China makes this huge transition feel more like a homecoming. It reminds me that no matter where I go, the network and relationships from ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ are a permanent foundation.â€�

Basketball (and family) history makes TV and newspaper news

During a 70-66 overtime win against the University of Southern Maine, Elsa Daulerio ’26 became the 22nd ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ women’s basketball player to score 1,000 career points, and the  and all reported on the event. Her teammates swarmed the court after the game to celebrate Daulerio, who is the 2025–26 team captain.

The achievement has made Daulerio and her mother, ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Associate Director of Athletics Adrienne Shibles ’91, the second-documented mother-daughter duo in the country to both earn 1,000 career points at the same institution. 

“It means so much,� Daulerio told the Kennebec Journal/Morning Sentinel. “I love her so much. She’s been my idol since I was a little girl. I always looked up to her, and she’s been my No. 1 supporter, along with my family. It’s just so special and I’m honored to be up there with her. She’s the hardest worker I know.�

Like her daughter, Shibles was team captain at ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ — twice. She ended her college career with 1,005 career points and went on to coach basketball at Swarthmore, Bowdoin, and Dartmouth before returning to ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½.

A ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ alum talks to national press after her reality show jackpot

In November, Perla Figuereo ’21 was featured in an after winning Squid Game: The Challenge Season 2, a competitive reality television show based on the fictional thriller Squid Game. Figuereo entered the game with her twin brother Jeffrey Figuereo and her “gameplay came down to being her ‘most authentic self’ and tapping into her emotions,� Marie Claire reported.

The prize for winning the show was $4.56 million, which Figuereo plans to split with her brother. As , Figuereo “was made to play against her brother Geoffrey [sic], putting them both in a difficult position. He decided not to take part, instead encouraging his sister to go on and win the game for the both of them. And she did just that.�

In an, Figuereo discussed her win and reminisced on her time in Lewiston, which she calls her “second home.�

“My strategy was just to be myself,� Figuereo told the Sun Journal. “I’m a very social person. Genuinely one of my passions in life is people, so my strategy was just to get to know people like I do in my everyday life.�

The show, , and , among other outlets, also covered the news.

Francesco Duina visits Maine Calling to talk about inequality

Francesco Duina, professor of sociology, was featured on Maine Public’s Maine Calling program on December 2.

Duina’s new book The Social Acceptance of Inequality: On the Logics of a More Unequal World analyzes the ways in which people think about economic inequality—and the reasoning that leads many to accept the disparities around us. Co-edited with Luca Storti, an associate professor of economic sociology at the University of Turin, Italy, Duina’s collection includes voices from across the globe contributing their perspectives on why we justify and accept economic inequality.

Maine Calling host Jennifer Rooks asked Duina why he chose to look at the logics, or justifications, people have for the great inequality in the world now. 

“The logics or the justifications, are drivers or these inequalities,� Duina responded. “So if we want to understand where they come from or why they are sustained, we want to understand why some people are okay with them. A surprisingly large number of — and diverse — number of people support, to varying degrees, inequalities. We are talking specifically about economic inequalities here. Inequalities of wealth or income.�

Rooks asked Duina about his process, including how he challenges his ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ students to consider the topic. “I suspect that people, sometimes, if they are asked, outright, ‘Do you support income inequaity’ might have a different answer then the answer you get when you start to dig down,â€� Rooks said. 

Duina agreed. “Most people, I think, would probably say ‘No,’� he said. “Though some people will say, ‘I’m perfectly comfortable,’ for whatever reasons. But it’s also true that, as I investigate with students, and I kind of challenge them, it’s also true that most people don’t want perfect equality either. So then the question is, at what point do people become uncomfortable, and at what point do people continue to accept economic inequalities?�

To listen to the full conversation, which included two guest panelists,
Marc Dixon, professor of sociology from Dartmouth College and Megan Tobias Neely, assistant professor of sociology, University of Colorado, Boulder, visit ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ News interviewed Duina about the topic in November.

ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ football success featured in the Portland Press Herald

Head Football Coach Matt Coyne was featured in which ran in the Maine Trust for Local News publications, including the Portland Press Herald, in late October. Coyne noted that ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ football is at a turning point this year. “We’ve played, you know, much better complementary football across the board, offensively and defensively,â€� Coyne said. “I think the biggest thing is in critical moments in some of those games against the top-half teams, we made the plays against Amherst and Tufts; then in some other games, we didn’t.â€� Coyne pointed to the team’s depth in both offense and defense calling out junior linebacker Ryan Rozich of Cromwell, Conn. leading the NESCAC with 89 tackles, and sophomore Carmel Crunk of Chatsworth, Calif. with 63 tackles.

In the Sun Journal, Darby Ray visualizes a community gathering spot

Lewiston community members are considering the future of The Red Shop at Simard-Payne Memorial Park. Built in 1938, the building was once a machine shop for the mill. Discussions about the possible uses for the building are underway. Darby Ray, who serves as director of the Harward Center for Community Partnerships and is the Donald W. and Ann M. Harward Professor of Civic Engagement, was interviewed in a , where she shared her ideas for the future of the building. Ray imagines people coming together at The Red Shop–for family reunions and other celebrations, saying “I think we need more spaces where folks can come together on a chilly winter day like today and maybe share ideas about something, have a forum or a conversation or a square dance. We need places to gather that are easily accessible and low barrier in terms of expense.�

Kamal Kariem in The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education

Kamal Kariem, assistant professor of anthropology who joined the faculty at ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ this year, was . Kariem, a graduate of Connecticut College, earned his masters and PhD at Princeton University in anthropology. Kariem is noted as a scholar of global Indigeneities and “comparative imperial formations as these intersect with nature protection.â€� Kariem is currently teaching “Cultural Anthropologyâ€� and “Indigeneity Today.â€� He shared that he looks forward to working with students to consider their own engagement with Indigenous scholars, considering “convergences and divergencesâ€� that emerged in his own work studying Indigenous peoples in the U.S. and Russia.

Muncie’s Star Press features alum’s appointment at Ball State

Bette Smith ’87 was of Muncie, Ind. for her new appointment at Ball State University. Smith was named director of Ball State University’s Center for Innovation and Collaboration. Originally from New York, Smith was a Russian major at ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ before earning a masters in sociology at University of Colorado, Denver. Smith has spent more than two decades working in higher education, and will use her experience to focus on organizational change and partnership development. In her new role, Smith will help shape the center’s initial organizational structure and expand Ball State University’s partnerships with the community and local industry. Smith has served as principal of Destra Consulting Group since 2013, supporting clients on transformation initiatives, stakeholder engagement, and leadership alignment.