Education (Colleges & Universities)
Here's a look at documents from public, private and community colleges in the U.S.
Featured Stories
Virginia Tech: Murat Kantarcioglu Named Fellow of the American College of Medical Informatics
BLACKSBURG, Virginia, Oct. 25 -- Virginia Tech issued the following news:
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Murat Kantarcioglu named fellow of the American College of Medical Informatics
By Barbara L. Micale
Murat Kantarcioglu has been elected a fellow of the American College of Medical Informatics (ACMI).
A professor and Commonwealth Cyber Initiative Faculty Fellow in the Virginia Tech Department of Computer Science and core faculty at the Sanghani Center for Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics, Kantarcioglu conducts research on integrating cybersecurity, data science, and blockchain technologies to develop
... Show Full Article
BLACKSBURG, Virginia, Oct. 25 -- Virginia Tech issued the following news:
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Murat Kantarcioglu named fellow of the American College of Medical Informatics
By Barbara L. Micale
Murat Kantarcioglu has been elected a fellow of the American College of Medical Informatics (ACMI).
A professor and Commonwealth Cyber Initiative Faculty Fellow in the Virginia Tech Department of Computer Science and core faculty at the Sanghani Center for Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics, Kantarcioglu conducts research on integrating cybersecurity, data science, and blockchain technologies to developsecure and efficient data processing and sharing mechanisms.
"I am honored to be recognized for my work in advancing health care data privacy," Kantarcioglu said. "Working closely with colleagues at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, we have developed tools to protect sensitive health information while enabling meaningful research. Our solutions address privacy challenges in genomic data sharing and record linkage."
Elements of this work have been adopted by the National Institutes of Health All of Us Research Program and the National Cancer Institute to support secure and responsible biomedical discovery.
"Murat's selection as an ACMI Fellow highlights the sort of research we value most in our department: it is rigorous, collaborative, and aimed squarely at improving people's lives," said Christine Julien, professor and head of the Department of Computer Science. "This is a well-deserved nod to his impact across both computer science and medicine."
Initially incorporated in 1984, The American College of Medical Informatics is a college of elected fellows within the American Medical Informatics Association. Its fellowship is one of the most prestigious recognitions in the field of biomedical and health informatics and is awarded to individuals who have demonstrated major contributions in the field, have achieved national recognition, and are committed to advancing the organization's charitable, scientific, literary, and educational objectives.
Kantarcioglu, who joined Virginia Tech in September 2024, earned his Ph.D. in computer science from Purdue University in 2005, where he was awarded the university's CERIAS Diamond Award for Academic Excellence. He has held affiliations as faculty associate at Harvard's Data Privacy Lab and as visiting scholar at the RISELab at University of California, Berkeley.
His research has been funded by numerous grants from agencies that include the National Institutes of Health, Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, National Science Foundation, Air Force Office of Scientific Research, Office of Naval Research, Army Research Office, and National Security Agency.
He has authored more than 180 peer-reviewed papers in top-tier venues, has served as program co-chair for prestigious national conferences in his field, and has been featured by such media as the Boston Globe and ABC News.
He is the recipient of several notable awards, including the Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) award and the AMIA Homer R. Warner Award in 2014. In 2017, he received the IEEE Intelligence and Security Informatics Technical Achievement Award for his contributions to data security and privacy.
Kantarcioglu is a fellow of both the American Association for the Advancement of Science and IEEE.
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Barbara L Micale, Dean of Science (0379), blmicale@vt.edu, Work Phone:571-858-3008
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Original text here: https://news.vt.edu/articles/2025/10/murat-kantarcioglu-named-fellow-of-the-american-college-of-medic.html
Virginia Tech: Long-term Partnership Between Hume Center, RTX Creates Opportunities for Students
BLACKSBURG, Virginia, Oct. 25 -- Virginia Tech issued the following news:
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Long-term partnership between Hume Center, RTX creates opportunities for students
By Isabella Rossi
This spring, Ella Rasmussen walked across the graduation stage and right through the door as a software engineer at RTX.
It was a door that opened in part because of her participation in the workforce development program between the global aerospace and defense company and Virginia Tech.
"The [RTX Fellowship] program is the reason I always recommend that people do undergraduate research," said Rasmussen, who graduated
... Show Full Article
BLACKSBURG, Virginia, Oct. 25 -- Virginia Tech issued the following news:
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Long-term partnership between Hume Center, RTX creates opportunities for students
By Isabella Rossi
This spring, Ella Rasmussen walked across the graduation stage and right through the door as a software engineer at RTX.
It was a door that opened in part because of her participation in the workforce development program between the global aerospace and defense company and Virginia Tech.
"The [RTX Fellowship] program is the reason I always recommend that people do undergraduate research," said Rasmussen, who graduatedwith a bachelor's degree in computer science and secure computing. "I had never worked on anything that moved before. My classes at Virginia Tech were almost entirely software engineering focused. So if I hadn't taken the chance to work on something different through this program, I might not have found out that this is what I'm passionate about."
Students across seven cohorts have gained such critical experience through the RTX Fellowship Program, including 15 who participated in internships through the program this summer. Offered through the Hume Center for National Security and Technology, the program has seen 23 students go on to careers with RTX after graduating.
The Hume Center is housed within the Virginia Tech National Security Institute and serves as the hub for national security-focused experiential learning and workforce development at the university.
"The program with RTX has been vital for Hume Center students, providing them with hands-on experiences tackling real world national security challenges and preparing them to enter the national security workforce with RTX," said Ehren Hill, director of education and outreach at the National Security Institute. "Over the long term, this program has built a pipeline of highly skilled graduates who not only advance the Hume Center's mission but also benefit from mentorship, applied research, and career opportunities that set them apart in the workforce."
The fellowship, which started its seventh year this fall, was the first workforce development program established at the Hume Center and aligns with the center's mission to cultivate the next generation of national security leaders by developing and executing research and experiential learning opportunities. It offers students lectures, seminars, research stipends and undergraduate research positions, as well as a guaranteed summer internship with RTX.
"There have been some changes over the years, but this program was truly one of the building blocks of the Hume Center's workforce development effort," said Tiasha Khan, program manager with the Hume Center. "From that model of workforce development program came a lot of the other ones that we have to date with the Hume Center."
For Rasmussen, the program gave her the opportunity to participate in research on Virginia Tech's autonomous vehicles team, which competes with universities across the country to build autonomous air and ground vehicles. Rasmussen served as the team's lead during her senior year, which she said helped her expand her skill set beyond what she'd learned in a traditional classroom setting.
"Being in charge of the team taught me so many of the things that people would call soft skills, but are so important when you are working a job and not in the classroom," Rasmussen said. "Ordering parts, creating a timeline, communicating with different types of engineers on the team and also with our project managers and sponsors - those are all things I had never done in class but now I do all the time at work."
Along with workforce development, the program has enabled the Hume Center and National Security Institute to expand their relationship with RTX. This includes joint research initiatives between university faculty and RTX and offering more broad student opportunities, such as the East Coast RTX Autonomous Vehicles Competition at the Virginia Tech Drone Park in April 2024.
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Isabella Rossi, Communications Manager, Education and Outreach (3713), Email: izzyr@vt.edu
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Original text here: https://news.vt.edu/articles/2025/10/hume-center-rtx-long-term-partnership.html
University College London: Neighbourhood Trust Benefits Some But May Increase Mental Illness Risk in Others
LONDON, England, Oct. 25 (TNSjou) -- The University College London issued the following news:
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Neighbourhood trust benefits some but may increase mental illness risk in others
Living in a neighbourhood where people trust each other is linked to an increased risk of severe mental illness among people from ethnic minority groups, despite the opposite being true for white majority populations, finds a new study in Sweden led by UCL researchers.
People in Stockholm who live in neighbourhoods where they feel safe and supported have a lower risk of psychotic disorders and bipolar disorder -
... Show Full Article
LONDON, England, Oct. 25 (TNSjou) -- The University College London issued the following news:
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Neighbourhood trust benefits some but may increase mental illness risk in others
Living in a neighbourhood where people trust each other is linked to an increased risk of severe mental illness among people from ethnic minority groups, despite the opposite being true for white majority populations, finds a new study in Sweden led by UCL researchers.
People in Stockholm who live in neighbourhoods where they feel safe and supported have a lower risk of psychotic disorders and bipolar disorder -but only for people of Swedish or European origin, according to the Nature Mental Health study by researchers from UCL and Karolinska Institutet.
For people of African or Middle Eastern origin, an increased risk of psychosis was seen in the same high-trust neighbourhoods.
The researchers investigated how different forms of social capital in residential areas affect the risk of developing serious mental illnesses, such as psychosis and bipolar disorder. The study is based on data from over 1.4 million people born in Sweden and living in Stockholm County, who were followed for up to 15 years.
The researchers focused on three types of social capital: political trust, welfare trust and personal trust, i.e. the experience of being able to get help when needed and feeling safe in one's neighbourhood.
The results show that higher levels of personal trust in the neighbourhood were associated with either a reduced or increased risk of developing psychotic disorders and bipolar disorder without psychosis, depending on the person's origin. Among residents with parents from Sweden or Europe, high personal trust had a protective effect, while the opposite effect was seen among residents with parents from Africa and the Middle East.
The explanation may lie in who experiences trust in the neighbourhood.
Lead author Professor James Kirkbride (UCL Division of Psychiatry) said: "The levels of personal trust measured in the study were based primarily on responses from people with Swedish-born parents. This means that people from different backgrounds may not have the same experiences or access to social networks that foster safety and trust.
Co-author Dr Anna-Clara Hollander (Karolinska Institutet) said: "Our results indicate that high personal trust in the residential area does not automatically benefit everyone. To promote mental health among the entire population, we need to create inclusive environments for everyone."
The researchers emphasise that the results cannot be interpreted as a causal relationship, but that they provide important clues as to how social factors affect mental health.
The study also shows that political and welfare-related trust had no clear link to mental illness.
Previous research has shown that foreign-born people living in Sweden and other high-income countries have an increased risk of developing psychosis, schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders. There is also evidence suggesting that the risk is lower among people living in areas with a high proportion of individuals from the same country of origin.
Professor James Kirkbride added: "Population interventions that aim to improve neighbourhood cohesiveness could be effective in protecting against severe mental illnesses, but that these need to be created sensitively and equitably to ensure that all groups can benefit from positive social resources and connections in a community."
The study was conducted in collaboration with Region Stockholm. It was funded by the Swedish Research Council, Forte, Wellcome, and the Royal Society, among others.
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Links
* Professor James Kirkbride's academic profile
* UCL Psychiatry
* PsyLife lab
* Research paper in Nature Mental Health
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Original text here: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2025/oct/neighbourhood-trust-benefits-some-may-increase-mental-illness-risk-others
UNM Campus Housing Continues to Build on Safety Improvements
ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico, Oct. 25 -- The University of New Mexico issued the following news:
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UNM Campus housing continues to build on safety improvements
By Megan Borders
In October 2023, The University of New Mexico initiated a safety and security update by distributing the Campus Safety Culture Survey to faculty, staff and students. Its goal was to gather the opinions and experiences of each on-campus constituent group to understand their perspectives, practices, and how they felt about leadership commitment toward the campus environment.
As a direct result of the survey, numerous
... Show Full Article
ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico, Oct. 25 -- The University of New Mexico issued the following news:
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UNM Campus housing continues to build on safety improvements
By Megan Borders
In October 2023, The University of New Mexico initiated a safety and security update by distributing the Campus Safety Culture Survey to faculty, staff and students. Its goal was to gather the opinions and experiences of each on-campus constituent group to understand their perspectives, practices, and how they felt about leadership commitment toward the campus environment.
As a direct result of the survey, numeroussecurity investment projects have been initiated and several completed over the last year and a half.
That way, during the second week of August each year or move-in week, first-year students and their families can feel confident and secure in their on-campus housing experience.
For many, this will be the first time they are away from their home and families for any length of time. A bittersweet goodbye for parents and siblings, but an exciting new adventure for the new college student, knowing that adventures and opportunities await.
"We work hard to preserve that feeling of safety that each student brings from home," said Megan Chibanga, executive director of Residential Life and Student Housing.
"Everything we do to maintain a student's feeling of safety also needs buy-in from our residents, so we are here to help each resident develop their own personal sense of responsibility to their safety. Our goal is to support each resident in cultivating their own sense of purpose and responsibility regarding their personal safety practices," she said.
Like many universities around the country, UNM has a first-year residency requirement, meaning all incoming first-year students are required to live on campus.
Chibanga and her team have been working diligently to develop, enhance and update UNM's student housing security infrastructure in line with national best practices. In doing so, they have been strengthening students' sense of safety.
She explains that "safety is the feeling you experience when you're on campus, while security refers to the procedures and technology we have in place to support that feeling of safety."
Since the 2023 Campus Safety Culture Survey, the following security measures have been implemented.
* More cameras have been installed throughout the residential areas to enhance safety and security.
* Residents now have greater access to the student safety team. They are always available to provide escorts for students and have dedicated phone lines, allowing residents to easily reach out to them anytime they need assistance.
* Policies on bike and guest registrations have also been revised. All guests must be registered and must be UNM students.
* Access to the residence halls will also be limited to a single entry point. This will help prevent unwanted guests who shouldn't be in the building from entering.
* Housing continues to update all building access to electronic systems, allowing students to use their ID cards to scan themselves in and out. This provides housing officials with a real-time, up-to-date list of who is in the building at all times.
UNM's Residential Life and Student Housing places safety and security information into buckets to help organize and communicate information effectively. The buckets include the following services:
Hall Security
All residence halls have a primary entrance. All other doors are exit only. Residents can use their LoboCard, just like a hotel key, to swipe for access into the residence halls.
RA on-duty
There's always an RA or resident advisor available to help. An RA is stationed on each floor of a residence hall, and every night, one RA is on call from 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. to help with emergencies in each hall. Students can reach out to an RA at any time; their names and contact information are posted in the dorm lobbies.
RAs are extensively trained to help in emergencies of all kinds, from safety and security to peer support and conflict mediation.
They also create programs and host events in the dorm to promote a sense of community.
Blue light emergency call back system
Students will find blue light emergency call phones throughout campus. These phone lines are a direct line to UNM police department.
Over the past couple of years, the UNM administration has been working on increasing the light around each phone to make it stand out more and deter crime across campus.
Student Resident Commons
The Student Resident Center (SRC) is open 24 hours for students. If a student feels unsafe for any reason, they are encouraged to reach out to the SRC by phone at (505)277-9203.
UNM Police Department
The UNM Police Department is committed to providing services, information and resources to increase the safety of the campus for all students, faculty, staff and visitors.
The UNMPD's website is full of valuable information, and they encourage everyone to review it.
They also offer escort services to anyone needing a safe way to get to on-campus locations. This service is available 24/7. Call (505)277-2241 to request an escort.
If anyone needs immediate help, call 911. For all other calls or to reach UNM PD dispatch, call (505)277-2241.
Lobo Alerts
LoboAlerts is the university's emergency messaging system. It is designed to keep faculty, staff, students and all affiliates informed on situations that affect the entire campus community. Each of these groups are automatically enrolled with the information in Banner.
The system alerts the community via text, email, website updates and campus sirens about any campus-wide alerts, including severe weather, testing of emergency sirens, and any information about events that could potentially threaten the university's daily operations.
Lobo Guardian
The University of New Mexico rolled out the LoboGuardian to help create a support network of "guardians" for all members of the UNM campus community.
The LoboGuardian is a mobile app that serves as a safety tool by creating a virtual safety network of friends and family that can help keep an eye on each person during certain times when they are on campus.
Within the app, a user can set a safety timer and status. Guardians can check user's status and locations during the safety check time frames.
The mobile app also enables users to communicate swiftly and effectively during emergencies, especially by automatically dialing the UNM Police Department.
Expectations and Conduct
Residence Life & Student Housing encourages all students living in campus housing to take an active role in maintaining their safety on campus. Residents should start by reading and familiarizing themselves with the 2025-2026 Residence Hall Handbook. The handbook outlines the policies and procedures that residents are required to follow, and it also includes information about community spaces, campus organizations, services, amenities, the housing contract, key dates, resources, safety tips, and more.
Residents should also review the additional informative links on the Expectations and Conduct webpage, which include the Student Conduct Process, the Missing Persons Policy and the Wellness check requests.
DeAnna Padilla, the assistant director of Residential Life and Student Housing, shared that "there are many ways to communicate; understanding what each resident knows helps us respond to situations quickly."
"We have made sure a staff member is always available to talk to residents. If you see something, please say something," she said.
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Original text here: https://news.unm.edu/news/unm-campus-housing-continues-to-build-on-safety-improvements
Hope College Presents Acclaimed Organist David Briggs on Nov. 04
HOLLAND, Michigan, Oct. 25 -- Hope College issued the following news on Oct. 24, 2025:
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Hope College Presents Acclaimed Organist David Briggs on Nov. 04
Hope College will welcome world-renowned organist David Briggs for a recital on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, at 7 p.m. at the Jack H. Miller Center for Musical Arts. The public is invited and admission is free. There will be a pre-concert lecture at 6 p.m. in the Howard Recital Hall.
David Briggs, Organist Emeritus of Gloucester Cathedral, UK, and Artist-in-Residence at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, New York, is an internationally acclaimed
... Show Full Article
HOLLAND, Michigan, Oct. 25 -- Hope College issued the following news on Oct. 24, 2025:
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Hope College Presents Acclaimed Organist David Briggs on Nov. 04
Hope College will welcome world-renowned organist David Briggs for a recital on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, at 7 p.m. at the Jack H. Miller Center for Musical Arts. The public is invited and admission is free. There will be a pre-concert lecture at 6 p.m. in the Howard Recital Hall.
David Briggs, Organist Emeritus of Gloucester Cathedral, UK, and Artist-in-Residence at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, New York, is an internationally acclaimedorganist known for his virtuosity, musicality and engaging performances. Recognized as one of the leading organists of his generation, his repertoire spans five centuries and he is celebrated for his transcriptions of orchestral works, offering audiences a fresh perspective on the organ.
"Mr. Briggs is one of our finest organists, and also a particularly good transcriber of orchestral works for his own instrument," according to The New York Times.
Briggs earned his FRCO (Fellow of the Royal College of Organists) diploma at age 17, receiving the Silver Medal of the Worshipful Company of Musicians. He studied as an Organ Scholar at King's College, Cambridge University, and with Jean Langlais in Paris. He was the first British winner of the Tournemire Prize at the St. Albans International Improvisation Competition and also won first prize at the International Improvisation Competition in Paisley. His early career included positions at Hereford, Truro and Gloucester Cathedrals.
He performs over 50 concerts annually at prestigious venues worldwide, including: Maison Symphonique (Montreal), Royal Albert Hall (London), Notre-Dame, St. Sulpice, and St. Eustache (Paris), Kimmel Center (Philadelphia), Berlin Philharmonie, St. James Cathedral (Toronto), International Performing Arts Center (Moscow), Valencia Cathedral (Spain), National Auditorium (Madrid), Christ Church Cathedral (Victoria, BC), Nidaros Cathedral (Trondheim, Norway), Grace Cathedral (San Francisco), and King's College (Cambridge).
The program includes:
* Tanets (2019) - Naji Hakim (b. 1955)
* Intermezzo - Jehan Alain (1911-1940)
* Concerto in D major, BWV 1054 (1738) - J.S. Bach (1685-1750), transcribed for organ by Bernard Winsemius
* Cantabile Symphonique - Camille Saint-Saens (1835-1921), arr. Virgil Fox
* Four Concert Improvisations - David Briggs (b. 1962)
For more information about David Briggs, visit www.david-briggs.org
To inquire about accessibility or accommodations to fully participate in the event, please email accommodations@hope.edu. Updates related to events are posted when available at hope.edu/calendar in the individual listings.
The Jack H. Miller Center for Musical Arts is located at 221 Columbia Ave., between Ninth and 10th streets.
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Original text here: https://hope.edu/news/2025/arts/hope-college-presents-acclaimed-organist-david-briggs-on-nov-04.html?_gl=1*ruhpwi*_gcl_au*MTc1Nzc3Mzg5MC4xNzYxMjkwMDA0*_ga*OTE3MjM2MDM4LjE3NjEyOTAwMTA.*_ga_RF3LGY13Y9*czE3NjEzNzQ5NzAkbzIkZzAkdDE3NjEzNzQ5NzAkajYwJGwwJGgw
Dartmouth Ushers In a New Era of the Arts On Campus
HANOVER, New Hampshire, Oct. 25 -- Dartmouth College issued the following news:
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Dartmouth Ushers In a New Era of the Arts On Campus
Thousands celebrate the new Roth Wing as the Hopkins Center reopens.
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From the banks of the fog-shrouded Connecticut River to the multicolored glow of the Hopkins Center for the Arts, the Dartmouth community came together for a joyful, and at times transcendent, weekend celebrating a renovation and expansion designed to take the arts on campus through the 21st century.
Internationally acclaimed performers and national arts leaders joined students, faculty,
... Show Full Article
HANOVER, New Hampshire, Oct. 25 -- Dartmouth College issued the following news:
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Dartmouth Ushers In a New Era of the Arts On Campus
Thousands celebrate the new Roth Wing as the Hopkins Center reopens.
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From the banks of the fog-shrouded Connecticut River to the multicolored glow of the Hopkins Center for the Arts, the Dartmouth community came together for a joyful, and at times transcendent, weekend celebrating a renovation and expansion designed to take the arts on campus through the 21st century.
Internationally acclaimed performers and national arts leaders joined students, faculty,and alumni to dedicate the new 15,000-square-foot Daryl and Steven Roth Wing at the Hop on Friday, Oct. 17, heralding the reopening of the 63-year-old arts center.
Bright fanfares played by members of the Dartmouth Wind Ensemble set the tone for the outdoor ceremony, where speakers reflected on the historical moment and shared their gratitude for those who helped make the multiyear project possible, especially Steven Roth '62, Tuck '63, and Daryl Roth, a Tony award-winning producer.
"Let me be the first to officially say: Welcome to a new era of the arts at Dartmouth," President Sian Leah Beilock told the enthusiastic crowd of current and former Dartmouth leaders, alumni, students, faculty, staff, and other supporters gathered on the Hop Plaza. "Today as we dedicate this Daryl and Steven Roth Wing, the gateway to our reimagined Arts District, we are making the heart and soul of Dartmouth more alive, more accessible, and more resonant than it has ever been."
The new performance venues, versatile laboratories for creation, and social spaces make the Hop an anchor to the Arts District on campus, enriching learning, strengthening community, and driving innovation in the arts.
President Beilock said students will use the flexible spaces to tell stories in new ways; faculty will have room to create, research, and drive excellence; and acclaimed artists will "create alongside us, and bring their own perspectives, using art as a focal point to talk about how we see the world, find connection, and common ground. Above all, these spaces will be laboratories of leadership where young people learn what it truly means to be part of something bigger than yourself."
Driving that point home was award-winning writer, actor, and producer Mindy Kaling '01, who as a student "discovered my people" at the Hop, she said, including "my a cappella group, The Rockapellas, where I met my closest friends to this day; my beloved improv troupe, The Dog Day Players; the drama department, where I learned how to write for the stage."
Kaling said the Hop was where she experienced both creative rejection and validation, which were critical to her development as an artist.
"I know it was those early failures, those quiet moments of disappointment that taught me how to get back up. It's so important to have a place to try things and to get better," she said.
A gift from Kaling led to the Mindy Kaling Theater Lab, and she was later surrounded by students seeking photos with her outside the new theater space, just one of several major new elements in the Roth Wing.
The arts center, which is at the same time a center of community life, is "uniquely Dartmouth," said Mary Lou Aleskie, the Howard Gilman '44 Executive Director of the Hop, her voice at times breaking with emotion during the dedication. "Yet its purpose is in service to the world."
Board of Trustees Chair Elizabeth Cahill Lempres '83, Thayer '84, said that, for her, the Hop personified the liberal arts. She thanked her fellow trustees, town and campus partners, and other supporters for their work, including the Roth family.
"Of course I'd like to add the board's thanks to Steve and Daryl Roth, a true power couple that dazzle us in everything they do," Lempres said.
Music professor Ash Fure, director of the Master of Fine Arts in Sonic Practice program, called the Hop "a building whose flexible power compels us to imagine our worlds anew."
"As arts faculty, we know the new Hop is not a cruise ship, it's a crucible," Fure said. "It's not eye candy, though it is beautiful, but it's a jet engine, a place where culture can be forged and launched into the world to change it."
'We Are Water' Premiere
The Dartmouth Arts Weekend Celebration included student and star performances, talks, and workshops with major artists who returned to Hanover for the occasion, showcasing new and refurbished spaces and venues.
A centerpiece was the Saturday, Oct. 18, world premiere of We Are Water: A Northeast Celebration, which was commissioned for the Hopkins Center reopening and featured Indigenous songs and stories about connections formed by the Kwenitekw, aka the Connecticut River, and water in general.
The sold-out concert on the David A. Graves Stage in Spaulding Auditorium featured legendary cellist Yo-Yo Ma, a Montgomery Fellow; tenor and Tobique First Nation member Jeremy Dutcher; bassist and composer Mali Obomsawin '18, an Abenaki from Odanak First Nation; Chris Newell '96, a member of the Mystic River singers and a citizen of the Passamaquoddy Tribe; Icelandic writer Andri Snaer Magnason; and other artists.
"Like water, like nature, we humans are also both destructive and creative. Only when we choose creativity do we become stronger, more resilient, more collaborative. Only then can we treat every human being with dignity," Ma said during the performance. "And remember that our survival cannot be separated from that of the planet that gives us life."
More than 250 people watched a simulcast of the concert on the Green, then joined in square dancing with artists and audience members on the Hop Plaza after the concert.
Duanduan Wang, MED '28, said the performance was "fantastic," and she also appreciated the emphasis on ties to future generations. "It was very, very inspiring," Wang said.
The We Are Water artists, and hundreds of listeners, started the day with a sunrise gathering on the banks of the Connecticut at the Kendal Riverfront Park in Hanover. Ma rode on a canoe to the riverbank, where he was welcomed with blessings and songs by Indigenous artists and students.
The weekend also included a jazz happy hour with alumni and faculty musicians; performances by Renee Elise Goldsberry, the Tony Award-winning star of Hamilton; Pilobolus dance company; the Dartmouth College Gospel Choir; alt-pop artist hemlocke springs, Guarini '23; and student dancers and a cappella groups.
Workshops With Alumni Stars
Hundreds of students flocked to free workshops and talks with Dartmouth alumni, including a conversation with award-winning producer and writer Shonda Rhimes '91 about the 10th anniversary edition of her memoir Year of Yes. Other workshops were led by actor Connie Britton '89, twin DJs Angel Coleman '13 and Dren Coleman '13, choreographer and dancer Jamey Hampton '76, and author and producer Kabir Sehgal '05.
A writing workshop with Kaling and an improv session with comedian and former Saturday Night Live cast member Rachel Dratch '88 and filmmaker, actor, and Olympic runner Alexi Pappas '12 were also big hits.
In front of a packed Top of the Hop, Rhimes and Roopika Risam, chair of Film and Media Studies, chatted on Thursday, Oct. 16, about the book, followed by a Q&A. But first, Rhimes admired the room.
"I spent so much of my Dartmouth years in this space, especially in the wintertime, up here writing and reading and meeting with friends," Rhimes said. "I love being here and seeing it reborn."
Rhimes later participated in a Fireside Chat with Kaling, talking with moderator Jake Tapper '91 about their writing processes, Dartmouth experiences, and journeys to what Tapper called "the thrones" upon which they currently reside.
Among the challenges was making the leap from writer to showrunner.
"I spent a lot of time with my production team saying, 'I don't know anything about post-production, so can somebody teach me?'" said Rhimes, describing the early days of Grey's Anatomy. "I took the time to let the people who I worked with who were experts at their particular job teach me what they were doing."
A Building for Creativity and Community
The Hop first opened in 1962, and the architecture firm Snohetta was hired to design what turned into a $123.8 million expansion and modernization.
The Roth Wing includes the Jack 1953 and Mac 2011 Morris Recital Hall, featuring flexible performance space, state-of-the-art acoustics, and sweeping views across the Green. Next to it is a revitalized Top of the Hop, designed for more programming and social conversations--it includes a Top of the Hop Bar--but also remaining a place for relaxing or studying.
New performance spaces also include the Daryl Roth Studio Theater, the Mindy Kaling Theater Lab, and the Hodgson Family Dance Studio, the first-ever space dedicated to movement in the Hop. Other improvements include upgrades to Spaulding Auditorium and other spaces and a focus on sustainability, such as energy-efficient lighting.
Faculty, along with students, are enthusiastic about what the Hop has to offer.
"The new spaces and renovations are remarkable. The Roth black-box theater enables us, for the first time, to determine the architecture of the space based on the production rather than the other way around," said Professor of Theater Peter Hackett '75. "The Mindy Kaling Theater Lab is a gem--almost three times larger than the old rehearsal hall and large enough to accommodate the ground plan of a show in The Moore Theater--the perfect rehearsal space. And it is exciting to have dance in the Hopkins Center where it belongs!"
Along with a celebration of the building, the weekend also included an Arts Are Essential discussion on Saturday with Aleskie, the Hop executive director, and alumni artists Dratch, Newell, Pappas, and actor Sharon Washington '81, exploring why the arts are not only desirable, but necessary.
A community picnic on Saturday with music by student band Day Drooler and Vermont singer-songwriter Hans Williams attracted more than 5,000 people.
And on Sunday, Oct. 19, about 250 people joined members of Pilobolus, the pioneering dance company that got its start at Dartmouth, and the Dartmouth Dance Ensemble for the weekend's grand finale: a site-specific adventure that included a playful and moving mashup as the performers made their way around the Hop, stopping for short dances in some of the new spaces.
Open House events also drew visitors to all corners of Dartmouth's vibrant Arts District, from the Hop to the neighboring Hood Museum of Art and Black Family Visual Arts Center, to the new Literary Arts Bridge just across the street.
Throughout the weekend, community members shared their excitement as they explored the Hop.
Hannah Krueger '26, a member of the Fusion Dance Ensemble, the Dartmouth Chamber Orchestra, and Dartmouth College Marching Band, said she appreciates the increased community space in the new building, including the opportunity to enjoy drinks and entertainment at Top of the Hop. The Hop also includes Lessow Student Commons, a sun-filled gathering area with comfortable seating.
"It's more of a space to gather in, as opposed to only go to when there's a concert going on," said Krueger.
Axel Schulz '28 immersed himself in the reopening with his parents and younger brother, who traveled to Hanover from Arizona to experience it.
Schulz, who is studying film modified with music, said he's looking forward to watching films at Spaulding and having "great musical experiences."
"It's really nice to know how much Dartmouth cares about arts, not only as a supplement to a liberal arts experience, but as an essential part of it."
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URL: Hopkins Center for the Arts
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Original text here: https://home.dartmouth.edu/news/2025/10/dartmouth-ushers-new-era-arts-campus?tags=791
Columbia School of Public Health: School Strengthens Its Commitment to Service Learning
NEW YORK, Oct. 25 -- Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health issued the following news:
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School Strengthens Its Commitment to Service Learning
For generations, hands-on public health work has been a cornerstone of a Columbia Mailman School education. During the summer between their first and second years, master's students apply their classroom learning to real-world public health challenges, working with one of approximately 300 organizations worldwide as part of their Applied Practicum Experience (APEx). Strengthing this committment, the School is now introducing service-learning
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NEW YORK, Oct. 25 -- Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health issued the following news:
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School Strengthens Its Commitment to Service Learning
For generations, hands-on public health work has been a cornerstone of a Columbia Mailman School education. During the summer between their first and second years, master's students apply their classroom learning to real-world public health challenges, working with one of approximately 300 organizations worldwide as part of their Applied Practicum Experience (APEx). Strengthing this committment, the School is now introducing service-learningopportunities through select courses during the academic year.
As the first step in this process, two courses in the Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health (PopFam) are providing students with the opportunity to work alongside staff at New York City-based organizations. In tandem, several students are working on yearlong service-learning projects with community-based organizations that engage with vulnerable populations. This fall, the School's Office of Education is providing support for additional faculty schoolwide to develop their own service-learning offerings. This effort is made possible by generous support from the Charina Endowment Fund.
A recent student survey found strong support for service learning. Nearly 70 percent of first-year students said service learning was an important or very important part of their graduate school education, with motivating factors including professional development, opportunities to transition to full-time employment, and engagement with the local community.
Last spring, students enrolled in the course "Adverse Childhood Experiences and Trauma Informed Care," began the semester by studying the scientific evidence on childhood adversity and how to address it. Then, they divided into teams to apply what they had learned by working alongside staff in one of three local organizations serving immigrants and communities of color. For their final project, teams worked with their organizational partners to create trainings in childhood trauma and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)--and how to respond to the effects of trauma and prevent re-traumatization. Throughout the semester, they received robust support from instructor Bijan Kimiaga, TA Joshua Carpenter, and members of the Trauma-Free NYC Team.
Taking a similar approach, another course, "The Public Health Impact of Sexually Transmitted Infections," combines instruction on the public health dimensions of STIs with hands-on work in community and school-based health clinics and the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. The course's instructor, Alwyn Cohall, professor of Population and Family Health, Sociomedical Sciences, and Pediatrics, explained the purpose of the course redesign. "Our goal was to expose students to front-line public health workers, giving them the chance to collaborate to apply their know-how to real-world challenges--namely, preventing and managing sexually transmitted infections in our community," he said.
Faculty and staff in PopFam worked to transform the two courses to align with a pedagogical model called critical service learning, which combines academic study with community service to effect transformative change. "We developed these courses in a deliberate way to ensure that everyone benefits--both students and the organizations," says Wanda Garcia, director of community engagement at Trauma-Free NYC, and one of the leads on the project. "So far, it's been a great success."
"At Mailman, we've always believed that learning shouldn't stop at the classroom door," said Michael Joseph, Vice Dean for Education. "Service learning gives our students the chance to connect theory to practice--to work with communities, not just study them. These experiences shape not only their skills, but also their sense of purpose as public health professionals."
Tangible Results
At the end of the spring semester, teams of students in Cohall's class presented the culmination of their work. They discussed collaborating with partner organizations to conduct surveys among people served by those organizations and to create maps of community resources. Their effort informed recommendations on how organizations can expand access to STI services. Staff from organizations attending the presentations universally praised students' efforts.
At the JFK campus in the Bronx, students and staff at an on-site health clinic evaluated high schoolers' awareness of the clinic's services and identified barriers to utilization. A bilingual survey and focus group revealed that some high schoolers were unclear about whether parental involvement was necessary for sexual and reproductive care (it is, and most students have a consent document on file) or whether health insurance is needed (services are free). Students recommended targeted outreach through teachers and staff, physical posters, and online.
"The quality of the data that you got back in return for all of the effort [you gave] and all of the real thoughtfulness and openness to listen to the different stakeholders is tremendous," said Dina Romo, a pediatrician affiliated with several New York City hospitals, including NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center. "I want to congratulate you and thank you for getting us this incredible data."
"I appreciated that we had the opportunity to work in the community while learning in the classroom," Aleya Philip, a student on the JFK team, said. "I was able to witness firsthand the barriers students face in accessing STI-related services and strategize ways to improve outreach and engagement."
"It's exciting to see our students learning by serving--and serving by learning," Dean Joseph concluded.
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Original text here: https://www.publichealth.columbia.edu/news/school-strengthens-commitment-service-learning
