- Karl Rove Speaks on Shaping Elections During Road to White House SeriesKarl Rove Speaks on Shaping Elections During Road to White House Series tmfonda@colgate.edu In the second installment of Colgate’s Road to the White House series, Professor of Economics Chad Sparber led a Q&A session with political strategist Karl Rove, former senior advisor and deputy chief of staff to the Bush Administration. Held in Memorial Chapel, the discussion covered Rove’s role in shaping election strategies for the Bush administration, his analysis of the current election, and his views on the importance of civic engagement on a national scale. Preceding his current work as a weekly op-ed writer for the Wall Street Journal and a political commentator, Rove oversaw the White House offices of Strategic Initiatives, Intergovernmental Affairs, Political Affairs, and Public Liaison under President Bush. In these capacities and as the former deputy chief of staff for policy, Rove is credited as an architect of Bush’s electoral victories and a vital member of the administration’s policy-making process. An especially prominent strategy that Rove leveraged in his election campaigns was the process of microtargeting: using methods such as phone calls to gather voter data and customize their advertising messages accordingly. “It’s amazing how much information is out there,” says Rove. “The object was to help us identify people who were worth spending more time, energy, and money on, and trying to get them to vote in support of our interests.” From there, based on the data collected, Rove identified and targeted low-propensity voters — eligible voters who do not typically participate in elections — and deployed volunteers to influence their voting behavior. “Many Americans, particularly those in middle age, have drifted away from politics, distracted by their busy lives,” he says. “But we need civic engagement from everyone, both young and old.” Considering the 2024 election, Rove encourages voters to evaluate their choices based on their personal values. “Both Trump and Harris, you know, have their strengths and weaknesses,” he notes, emphasizing the differences between their policies and personalities. Ultimately, however, he urged the audience to seek unity in these often divisive conversations. “Remember: the people are up for grabs in this election,” he says. “If you disagree, fine, but try and find common ground when you can. And when you disagree, make sure to treat each other with respect.” The Road to the White House, Colgate’s 2024 Lecture Series, is presented by the Office of the President and Lampert Institute for Civic and Global Affairs. Read more. Centers and Institutes Campus Life News and Updates Faculty & Staff Photo by Andrew Daddio
- Colgate Geology Students Uncover History of Augustine VolcanoColgate Geology Students Uncover History of Augustine Volcano tmfonda@colgate.edu This past summer, Colgate geology students Ryan D’Errico ’25, Rylie Berwanger ’26, and Sam Ash ’27 embarked on a once-in-a-lifetime research trip to gather samples from Augustine Volcano in southern Alaska. Led by Senior Lecturer in Earth and Environmental Geosciences Alison Koleszar, they returned with new insights to an enduring question: Is Augustine more explosive than previously thought? Koleszar, who graduated as a member of the Colgate Class of 2004, now holds research interests in geologic hazards and the eruptive styles of volcanoes. “Augustine, specifically, has a history of big eruptions that generate tsunamis up through the Cook Inlet into the population centers through south central Alaska,” she explains. “When it erupts, it throws a lot of ash into the air,” disrupting airline travel between the Eastern and Western hemispheres. In 2022, following the approval of a proposal to the National Science Foundation, Koleszar took her first group of students to Augustine, alongside scientists at the Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO), to gather samples and assess geologic evidence of its eruptive behavior. “Research works best when it is a collaborative process, which extends beyond fieldwork to the lab work, publications, and many discussions that follow,” says Jessie Farrell ’24, a student who attended the 2022 trip and presented their findings at the Geological Society of America (GSA) conference in Pittsburgh, Pa. “One of the major questions guiding our research was, ‘What mechanisms feed into why Augustine has had such drastic differences in eruption intensity over time?’” In the modern era, Augustine has had relatively small eruptions, but just a few hundred years ago, the volcano had much larger, more explosive eruptions. By collecting on-site samples of deposits of ash and pumice on Augustine, Koleszar and her students were able to gauge the explosivity of previous eruptions based on factors including grain size, componentry, and geochemistry. To reach their sampling sites, students on the 2022 trip shuttled around the volcano by helicopter. But in 2024, in the absence of this equipment, the trip looked a little different: Students hiked around the flanks of Augustine, weathering the elements to reach the site. “Augustine is located on an uninhabited island, so we had to make our own way,” says D’Errico , an attendee of the 2024 trip who also serves as co-president of Colgate’s Hiking Club. On their 8-mile hike to the site, students waded knee-deep, ice-cold waters — a “treacherous but exhilarating” experience — sometimes encountering fields of flowers and local wildlife. “I've never seen so many bald eagles before,” says D’Errico, who also encountered foxes and seals on his way to the sampling site. Captivated by the trip itself and the later research process, D’Errico will explore the subject in his senior thesis project, to develop throughout the academic year. Of his particular interest is how, by revisiting Augustine, Colgate students were able to identify an exciting new detail about its eruptive history: “One of the deposits of tephra we studied had previously been described in the literature as Tephra C, but, what the Colgate students have found working on that site for a couple of years is that we’re pretty confident that it’s actually not Tephra C — it’s actually Tephra M,” explains Koleszar. “Since we found pieces of pumice larger than previously reported, this suggests the eruption is bigger than previously thought, and also more recent,” she concludes, since volcanologists determine the size of an eruption by the thickness of the deposit. This research not only aims to predict and mitigate risks associated with future eruptions, but also to familiarize curious students with a specialized field of geology. “Experiences like this are one of the best parts of studying science here at Colgate,” says Koleszar. “It’s wonderful that we get to do this type of research with undergrads and have opportunities to go places like this.”Academics Natural Sciences and Mathematics Research Alumni Student Profiles News and Updates Faculty & Staff Student geology Jessica Zehner ’23 observes a rainbow arching over Augustine Volcano during a geologic research trip to Southern Alaska.
- Colgate University Ranks Fourth in 2024 Sustainable Campus IndexColgate University Ranks Fourth in 2024 Sustainable Campus Index sliddell@colgate.edu Colgate University has been recognized as a top performer in the 2024 Sustainable Campus Index, securing the fourth position among baccalaureate institutions and retaining its gold status. The index, published by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), acknowledges institutions’ sustainability efforts, as measured through the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System (STARS). STARS assesses environmental, social, and economic sustainability across the higher education landscape. Ratings range from bronze to platinum. Colgate’s journey toward excellence in sustainability among baccalaureate institutions has been marked by consistent improvements — work that, in 2019, led Colgate to become the first higher education institute in New York State to achieve carbon neutrality. Key accomplishments along this journey include the construction of LEED-certified buildings: two LEED Gold buildings (Burke and Jane Pinchin halls) and one LEED Platinum building (Benton Hall). Benton Hall’s sustainable design in particular has earned it numerous accolades, including New York State’s Green Building of the Year award in 2019. Colgate continues its commitment to sustainability with the construction of Bernstein Hall in Middle Campus, set to become the university’s seventh LEED-certified building. Key features include geothermal heating and cooling, which significantly lowers energy consumption, and an advanced rainwater management system that captures and reuses 90% of the rainwater on-site. The building is also designed to use 30% less energy than traditional buildings, with enhanced systems commissioning to ensure maximum efficiency. Additionally, 78% of the construction waste was diverted from landfills, and the use of low-VOC materials promotes superior indoor air quality. Through the Third-Century Sustainability Plan, Colgate has made significant strides campuswide in reducing its carbon footprint by implementing low-carbon energy technologies, retiring fuel oil heating systems, upgrading lighting, and conducting HVAC repairs. These efforts have collectively contributed to a more than 70% reduction in Colgate’s campus carbon footprint since 2009. Colgate has also integrated sustainability into its academic offerings, with more than 100 sustainability-focused and sustainability-related courses across 22 academic departments. Colgate’s sustainability intern program, Sustainability Passport program, Green Bikes program, and other green initiatives further bolster its high STARS rating. “The University’s STARS rating is a powerful testament to the collective efforts of our entire Colgate community to embrace sustainability as a core value,” stated John Pumilio, associate provost for sustainability. “Being recognized again by STARS validates our ongoing work and inspires us to push further, knowing that our efforts make a meaningful difference.” In addition to providing recognition, the AASHE STARS data collection process engages staff, interns, and members of the Sustainability Council throughout the campus community. “Our students are at the heart of our sustainability efforts,” explained Julia Sparks, assistant director of sustainability. “They lead initiatives, conduct research projects, manage the Green Bikes program and Free Store, and are active in sustainability-focused clubs and internships. They also run the S-Reps programs, care for our half-acre organic garden, teach Climate Conversations, and contribute to the Sustainability Newsletter.” This engagement from the entire Colgate community ensures that sustainability remains a top priority in daily operations and decision-making. Moreover, STARS offers a comprehensive analysis of Colgate’s sustainability program, allowing the University to identify both its strengths and areas for further improvement. As Colgate continues to advance its sustainability initiatives, Pumilio reiterated the importance of community involvement, saying, “We are incredibly proud of this achievement, but we also recognize that sustainability is an ongoing journey. There is always more we can do, and we need the support of every member of our community to keep progressing.” Looking ahead, Colgate will continue to build upon the sustainable practices it has already established and prepare for its next STARS submission in fall 2025. “Together, we can build on this momentum and create a more sustainable future for Colgate and beyond,” said Pumilio. For more information about Colgate University’s sustainability efforts and AASHE STARS ranking, please visit the STARS website.Third Century Faculty & Staff Student sustainability
- Prof. Joe Levy and Students Deploy Drones for NASA Research CollaborationProf. Joe Levy and Students Deploy Drones for NASA Research Collaboration oaquije If there are places on Earth that resemble the conditions of Mars, Joe Levy wants to know. Levy, an associate professor in Colgate’s Department of Earth and Environmental Geosciences, has spent years studying such locations as part of his work to determine where on Mars water and ice might be present. Now, Levy’s research has caught the attention of NASA. Levy and two of his students — Riley Taylor ’26 and Flannery Hogan ’26 — spent a week during the summer in the Alvord Desert in Eastern Oregon with a NASA team that’s designing a new generation of Mars helicopters with sensors to examine moisture in soil. Together, the groups worked on a NASA-PSTAR (Planetary Science and Technology from Analog Research) project called “HeliHabitable.” The collaboration involved using Levy’s research drones, which have been tested in Antarctica and are equipped with cameras and sensors that measure different wavelengths of light, to study wet soil. By analyzing the moisture in the ground of a desert in extreme summer heat using drones rather than the naked eye, researchers wanted to perform their study in the same manner that scientists would use when examining the surface of Mars. “My two summer students and I were working to figure out how detectable the muddy groundwater plume was from a helicopter-borne sensor and how the detectability of the water changed throughout the day as the water dried up in the desert sun,” Levy said. “If we could find the water with a hyperspectral camera on Earth, this would give the Mars helicopter team confidence that they could use the same approach on Mars.” The Colgate study began a few years ago with research by Levy and Jessica Johnson ’22, who together published their findings. That report caught the attention of NASA researchers, who contacted Levy about joining him at the desert study site. The NASA team heard about the Colgate study in the Alvord Desert from one of its scientists, who knew Levy from their days as grad school students. NASA contacted Levy about joining him at the desert study site. The Alvord Desert, which looks like something out of a science fiction movie, is famous for its picturesque landscape and hot springs that pour out of valley walls and disappear onto the dry lakebed. The hot springs look similar to landforms on Mars called Recurring Slope Lineae, Levy said. So far, the project has been a success. “We’re off to a great start,” Levy said. “Even though the field conditions were intense — it got up to 108 degrees on the desert floor and strong winds would blow through every afternoon. But we worked early in the day and got in lots of flights with the Colgate drones.” Levy and his students will return to the Alvord Desert the next two summers to continue their work. The NASA researchers plan to test their prototype for the new helicopter in the desert, although the project is still years away from being used in a real mission. The project has been a fulfilling experience for Levy’s students. They have learned how to prepare a drone and swap out parts that need to be replaced. They can manage missions in the desert and assess the data, he said. In addition, Taylor and Hogan are preparing a report on their findings and will present it at this winter’s Lunar and Planetary Science Conference in Houston. “It’s exciting to have student scientists working on NASA-funded research,” Levy said. “This is a chance to get right up to the cutting edge of mission design and to be part of a mission before it ever even lifts off. I hope my students get a sense of the teamwork that’s needed to get a mission off the ground—from inspiration to testing to actually getting a rover on a rocket. “I also hope they walk away excited about doing fieldwork. It’s very unlikely that I’m ever going to set foot on Mars, but by visiting the most Mars-like places on Earth, I can still be part of advancing Mars exploration while also figuring out how our home planet works.”Academics Natural Sciences and Mathematics Faculty News Research Faculty & Staff Student
- Brazile and Steele Launch 2024 Road to White House SeriesBrazile and Steele Launch 2024 Road to White House Series mcwalden@colgate.edu Former Democratic National Committee Chair Donna Brazile and former Republican National Committee Chair Michael Steele kicked off Colgate’s Road to the White House series on Sept. 4. The Q&A session in Memorial Chapel, moderated by President Brian W. Casey, gave audience members a look at the election process, the 2024 presidential campaign, and the challenges facing America — all from the perspective of political party leadership. On replacing the nominee Brazile reminded the audience that, when the rest of the Democratic Party fled President Joe Biden’s side following his debate with Donald Trump on June 27, Vice President Kamala Harris was the only one publicly supporting the president’s campaign. Why? “[Biden’s delegates] represented 14 million Americans who voted in the primary,” she says. “Number two, the president had amended his [Federal Election Commission] reports to say Biden/Harris.” This is a highly unusual practice — presidential and vice-presidential candidates typically hold separate accounts. It was a strong signal that Biden was hearing rumblings within his own party against his second-term candidacy as far back as September 2023, the point at which he made the changes. Very few took notice. “I just wish these conversations had been taken seriously in my party,” Steele says. “It would be a different race today if you had Nikki Haley at the top of the ticket versus Donald Trump.” Who’s at the party? Nearly half of Americans are not affiliated with a political party, and Trump has made a particular kind of headway by pulling from the margins. “This is not a red or blue thing,” Steele says. “This is an American thing. This is how Americans are viewing themselves. There are far more people on the outskirts of hope that we walk by politically, that we ignore politically.” According to survey data, those voters are typified by the white, female, suburban mom of two, divorced and living in New Hampshire, who, when asked why she likes Donald Trump, responds, “Because he is just like me.” And that voter is not abandoning Trump, because, as far as she is concerned, he has done what he said he would do, Steele says. Of course, candidate Trump cannot necessarily be held to what he says on the stump. In a second Trump administration, “there will be an effort made to put in place a national ban on abortion, regardless of what anyone thinks or says,” Steele says. “What you’re seeing Trump do now — he’s testing some things to see how you’re going to react to it.” Rocking the vote Brazile and Steele lead the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Election Legitimacy Initiative. They use public education campaigns to help voters understand their rights, identify misinformation, register to vote and cast ballots, and make sure votes are accurately counted. The former party chairs made their case to the Colgate community from the chapel stage: We the people have the power. Don’t give it to the political parties. “There are forces that are making it harder to register to vote,” Brazile says. “If you give the politicians and the parties power, they will use it against you.” Brazile continued to explain that the primary process is not in the constitution and can be changed to widen the field of candidates. Furthermore, Kamala Harris’ candidacy has proven that a president can be selected in three months and a two-year campaign cycle is unnecessary. The country could adopt ranked voting. Election Day could be in spring rather than the dreary end of fall. It could be a national holiday. The ability to make these choices was given to the people by the founding fathers, who feared entrenched factionalism. Steele suggested that the audience simply Google “Georgia voting” if they needed proof of the processes in play. “What is more galling to me is listening to and watching elected officials within my party target largely communities of color while, at the same time, they say, ‘Oh, we are the greatest party for black people.’ When I see what you did in Detroit, Atlanta, and Philadelphia in the last cycle, don’t hand me that. And you shouldn’t take it.” A call to the next generation Steele and Brazile spoke directly to the students in the audience, calling on them to bring the power of their numbers to the ballot box and to be engaged citizens. “It is hard to say someone cheated when that number is big,” Steele says. “Our system is designed in an ironic and interesting way. It is hard to cheat the system. It has reinforced itself against fraud.” Brazile remembered her own days as an activist, fighting alongside other college students to end South African apartheid and to make Martin Luther King Jr. Day a national holiday. These advances took place during the conservative Reagan administration because, according to Brazile, the young people of America were galvanized and organized and the two political parties had strong relationships across the aisle. “You have to understand the process, and then you have to work within it, and you can put pressure on it to make things happen,” Brazile says. And that all starts now, with an election that is 60 days away. In spite of the party politics, voter suppression, and vitriol, “it’s still about us — it’s still about our hope and dreams,” Brazile says. “This is not Donald Trump’s country; it’s our country. This is not Kamala’s country; it’s our country. We have to take ownership of our citizenship and we have to learn how to believe in each other.” The Road to the White House, Colgate’s 2024 Lecture Series, is presented by the Office of the President and Lampert Institute for Civic and Global Affairs. Read more.The Road to the White House: Colgate’s 2024 Election Series Centers and Institutes Campus Life News and Updates Alumni Faculty & Staff Student Lampert Institute Left to right: President Brian W. Casey, former Democratic National Committee Chair Donna Brazile, and former Republican National Committee Chair Michael Steele (Photo by Ryan John Lee)
- Fairuz Ishraque ’22 Receives UCAR Next Generation FellowshipFairuz Ishraque ’22 Receives UCAR Next Generation Fellowship mniedt@colgate.edu Fairuz Ishraque ’22 has been named a UCAR Next Generation Fellow. The fellowship, funded by the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR), supports engaged, motivated next-generation students as they progress through graduate school, exploring the intersections among earth system science, diversity and inclusion, and public policy — on the way to becoming changemakers in the field of atmospheric and earth system sciences. “The Next Generation Fellowship will give me access to crucial educational, research, and networking opportunities at the National Center for Atmospheric Research [NCAR],” Ishraque says. “I will be able to collaborate with NCAR scientists at the climate science and computational science research labs, and their guidance will help me hone my research targets, both during and after my PhD.” Ishraque, originally from Chattogram, Bangladesh, was a double major in astrogeophysics and applied mathematics at Colgate, receiving high honors in astrogeophysics. He worked as a tutor for the physics and astronomy department. Under the mentorship of Professor Joe Levy, he investigated boulder banding across Martian glaciers and their potential as Martian paleoclimate records. Ishraque and Levy’s research resulted in a publication in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Ishraque served as the president of the South Asian Cultural Club and the Colgate Data Science Society. He was a founding member of the Colgate Student Coalition and a presenter at the Colgate Ho Tung Visualization Lab. His contributions to Colgate’s community were recognized through various honors, including the Phi Beta Kappa Daniel H. Saracino Prize for exceptional scholarship, Allen First-Year Mathematics Prize, Sigma Pi Sigma (physics) National Honor Society, and the Class of 1997 Award. He was also an Alumni Memorial Scholar. After graduation, Ishraque started his PhD in geosciences at Princeton University with a focus in ice core paleoclimatology, under the supervision of Professor John Higgins in the Department of Geosciences and as a part of the NSF Science and Technology Center, COLDEX (Center for Oldest Ice Exploration). COLDEX has recently discovered and drilled ice cores up to 6 million years old from the Allan Hills blue ice area in Antarctica. The noncontinuous chronology of these ice cores has presented challenges in interpreting the climate signals they contain. To address these challenges, Ishraque is developing a high-resolution analysis technique known as laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). This method aims to provide clearer insights into the ancient terrestrial climate records preserved in the Allan Hills ice cores. As a UCAR Next Generation Fellow, Ishraque will collaborate with William Lipscomb, PhD, and Dan Amrhein, PhD, from the Climate and Global Dynamics Lab at NCAR. Their work will focus on modeling the history of ice flow at Allan Hills to better understand the dynamics affecting the ice core chronology. This collaboration will also involve engaging with other fellows in professional development and outreach activities, bridging science, diversity, equity, and public policy. Ishraque’s formula for success is one he encourages other Colgate students to follow. “Pursue what makes you happy,” he says. “Take classes that excite you. Participate in activities that challenge you. Your goals and progress are unique to you and only have to make sense to you.” For more information on the Office of National Fellowships and Scholarships, visit colgate.edu/onfs.Research Alumni Outcomes News and Updates Alumni onfs Department of Physics and Astronomy Department of Mathematics
- Chenango Nursery School Expands Thanks to Partnership With Hamilton Central SchoolsChenango Nursery School Expands Thanks to Partnership With Hamilton Central Schools ddevries@colgate.edu A new agreement between the Chenango Nursery School (CNS), the Hamilton Central School District (HCS), with help from Colgate University, will provide for 32 additional childcare slots at the nursery school this fall. A Hamilton institution since 1948, CNS has long provided childcare services to the local community, including for many Colgate faculty and staff. The University has played a role in assisting CNS through the years, including funding a $1.3 million physical expansion in 2013. According to Joanne Borfitz, AVP of Community Affairs, “CNS is an important community anchor providing necessary childcare services. In 2013 the University funded an expansion at its current location and we began talking about another addition but the partnership with HCS makes so much more sense. This is a great example of partners coming together to solve community challenges. The University is incredibly thankful to Hamilton Central for making this a reality.” CNS has long maintained a lengthy wait list for childcare, and Director Christina Buyea says the new agreement, which was approved by the Hamilton Central School Board on August 15, will provide the nursery school with access to five additional classrooms in the district’s building directly adjacent to the nursery school. These additional classrooms will ultimately enable CNS to increase its capacity to about 150 students, which includes an after-school program for approximately 40 children. “We’ve had a long waitlist for the last few years,” Buyea said, “This is something we talked about before COVID hit. Now, I’m happy to say that we do not have a waitlist and there are openings for new students. This might be the first time that CNS has ever had openings in the fall.” The new agreement benefits all parties involved, as school district officials say they have seen regular student enrollment decline at Hamilton Central by about 20% in the past 20 years. As a result, HCS has classrooms that are not being utilized. The classrooms are all move-in ready, and the only infrastructure investment needed for the partnership was the installation of new door locks and swipe cards for security purposes. “While this is a new expansion, our relationship with Chenango Nursery School has been a long-term partnership,” said HCS Superintendent Bill Dowsland. “We actually had discussions about expanding before COVID-19. When the pandemic struck, we needed the space for social distancing. This year, we revisited those conversations and are really excited to see this come together. It’s a great example of community partners working together to provide a much-needed service to our community. I’m thrilled we were able to make this happen. It will benefit all parties involved and is great for our entire community." HCS Business Director Matt Crumb said that in addition to filling a need within the community, the collaboration will also play a role in helping to acclimate local children to the district’s school setting. “We hope this is something that families see as a great benefit,” Crumb said. “It’s another piece attracting people to this community and ultimately we see it as helping to stabilize or increase our enrollment.” Families looking for more information about childcare at CNS can email director@
chenangonurseryschool.org, or call 315-824-1810.Institutional News News and Updates Faculty & Staff Chenango Nursery School in its additional space at Hamilton Central School (Photo by Bernie Freytag) - Colgate University Introduces Narcan (Naloxone) Access and Training to Campus CommunityColgate University Introduces Narcan (Naloxone) Access and Training to Campus Community rdowning@colgate.edu Colgate University’s Council on Alcohol and Other Drugs (CAD) is working to address the dangers of the national opioid epidemic through a new initiative that provides education, training, and the installation of emergency naloxone stations at several locations across campus. Naloxone is the generic name for Narcan, the widely used drug designed to treat accidental opioid exposure or overdoses in emergency situations. Despite a significant increase in fentanyl-related overdose deaths among young people, a study published in May in the journal JAMA Pediatrics found that fewer than 15 percent of U.S. college students are able to administer the life-saving medication to someone experiencing an overdose. Colgate’s new initiative is now offering training on administering naloxone, distributing free naloxone kits, and educating students about the dangers of opioid overdose. “We must do everything possible to educate students about accidental exposure to fentanyl and fatal opioid-related overdoses; however, education alone will not save a student’s life,” said Paul J. McLoughlin II, vice president and dean of the college. “While Campus Safety officers have Narcan available for emergencies, the national epidemic of overdose fatalities led CAD to make naloxone more readily available to students on campus. I am happy to support and recognize their efforts with this new initiative to protect our students.” A campus-wide coalition of staff, faculty, and students, CAD is charged by the dean of the college with overseeing Colgate’s approach to addressing high-risk behavior and misuse of alcohol and other drugs. Formed in 2023, CAD focuses on the education, prevention, and response to problematic consumption of substances. Naloxone training has been added to the educational sessions required of student organizations in order to host social events. Similar workshops are being offered to the student body at large as well as staff and faculty members. The 60-minute presentation includes information on the dangers of opioids, how to recognize an overdose, the use of naloxone to reverse an opioid overdose, and additional support resources. Participants receive a naloxone kit to have on hand. The kits contain a set of gloves, two doses of naloxone, a face shield, rescue strips, a resource card, and fentanyl testing strips. Community members can sign up for an upcoming training or contact the Shaw Wellness Institute at wellness@colgate.edu for more information. Later this month, purple access stations will be installed in five locations on campus to provide free naloxone kits to members of the community. The stations look similar to a newspaper stand and display information on how to recognize an overdose; how to administer the nasal spray; a warning about counterfeit drugs that contain fentanyl; the station locations on campus; contact information in case of overdose emergency; and contacts for health and wellness resources both on and off campus. The naloxone access station locations will include:Shaw Wellness Center foyer (accessible 24/7) Case-Geyer Library fifth floor (accessible 24/7) Frank Dining Hall O’Connor Campus Center Trudy Fitness Center “Naloxone is a life-saving tool, but its effectiveness depends on both the medication’s availability at the right moment and someone who knows how to use it” said Dr. Ellen Larson ’94, director of Colgate’s Student Health Services. “By making Naloxone kits accessible to students and the campus community, we aim to ensure that the medication is available in the spaces where it is needed, when it is needed.” Colgate is actively partnering with BRiDGES, the Madison County Council on Alcoholism & Substance Abuse, which has provided support in multiple ways, including partial funding for the Narcan access stations, training sessions, and kits for distribution. “Being able to partner with Colgate has helped open doors in other areas across Madison County,” said Amanda Mullenax, community opioid outreach coordinator at BRiDGES. “Colgate’s openness and receptiveness to actions that reduce the stigma of substance use disorder help pave the way for future harm reduction measures. This program gives everyone the power and encouragement and tools to save a life.” “Our two-pronged approach of prevention and harm reduction is about kindness and respect, at the intersection of compassion and community,” said Stephen Elfenbein, alcohol and drug services counselor/coordinator and CAD co-chair. Of the initiative’s origins, he said, “Back in Spring 2023, Shaw Wellness Ambassador Ellie Marotta ’25 did incredible research on the opioid epidemic and how it has impacted college campuses.” A chemistry major from Brick, N.J., Marotta identified successful initiatives such as awareness campaigns, and her work led to the development of a presentation on fentanyl reduction practices. “At this point in our lives, it’s important to be informed and make smart, educated decisions,” said Marotta. “We are still growing and developing as people and it’s important for students at Colgate to have that knowledge and prevention strategies in their toolbox in case they find themselves in a situation where it’s critically needed.” Educational programming began with Train The Trainers for the Shaw Wellness Ambassadors. “Our Shaw Wellness Ambassadors are critical to the success of this work,” said Rachel Evans, director of wellness promotion and CAD co-chair. “We are fortunate to have several of our ambassadors involved directly on the Council for Alcohol and Other Drugs, and a number of others who are involved in outreach and education pieces such as social media and poster campaigns.” The Narcan awareness initiative is just one aspect of CAD’s work, which broadly focuses on educating students — should they choose not to abstain — on the importance of knowing what they are consuming and the dangers of mixing substances. The council also seeks to underscore the importance of Colgate’s Good Samaritan and medical amnesty policies, which help students to seek medical care for themselves and their peers in situations where consumption of alcohol or other drugs leads to a medical or life-threatening emergency. “We are very appreciative to work in a community that works together to take these proactive steps,” said Dawn LaFrance, assistant vice president of wellness. “Education and harm reduction strategies are our keys to success in keeping our campus safe.” Learn More: Alcohol and Other Drugs Services at ColgateWellness Faculty & Staff Student
- Colgate University Returns Piscataway AncestorColgate University Returns Piscataway Ancestor mcwalden@colgate.edu Colgate University has officially marked the historic return of an Ancestor to the Piscataway Indian Nation in Maryland. This is the first such repatriation for Ancestral remains removed from what is now the state of Maryland through the federal Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). The Ancestor has been in the care of the Longyear Museum of Anthropology since 1948 and is the University’s longest-held Ancestor. The return follows years of collaboration between Chesapeake Bay–area Indigenous Nations and the University. Piscataway Indian Nation Chief Mark Tayac; his wife, Evelyn (Dakota); and Peter Landeros, Pascua Yaqui Tribe member and regional president of the American Indian Movement, traveled to Hamilton, N.Y., for the ceremony, which was also attended by Provost and Dean of the Faculty Lesleigh Cushing. Chief Mark Tayac, Piscataway Indian Nation, and Rebecca Mendelsohn, co-director of Colgate University Museums and curator of the Longyear Museum of Anthropology, sign repatriation transfer paperwork. Photo by Mark DiOrio During the ceremony, held at the end of the spring semester, Chief Tayac noted that his people were given original instructions by the Creator. “The last instruction is to return to Mother Earth,” Tayac said. “Today, we are helping this Ancestor fulfill that original instruction and to rest in peace. If your grandparents died, you would be sad, and you want them to rest in peace. That is what we want, too.” Provost Cushing described the ceremony as “tremendously moving. It was an honor to have been invited to this momentous event, to meet and learn from Chief Tayac and his delegation, and to participate in the solemn ceremony of return,” she said. “I am grateful to work with colleagues in our museums at Colgate who pursue their work with such care, sensitivity, and thoughtfulness, and who are committed to redressing historical wrongs in our collections practices.” The Ancestor was brought to the University — for inclusion in Colgate’s teaching collection — by sociology and anthropology professor Frederick Hulse, through a transfer from T.D. Stewart, curator of the physical anthropology department at the U.S. National Museum (now the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History). While NAGPRA requires the return of Ancestors to Bands, Nations, and Tribes recognized by the U.S. Government, this particular individual was identified as a member of the Piscataway peoples. The Piscataway Indian Nations and Choptico Band of Indians of the Piscataway-Conoy Tribe were recognized by the State of Maryland in 2012. Colgate first reported knowledge of the Ancestor to National NAGPRA in 2004, but efforts to return them to their people began in earnest in 2021, more than seven decades after their arrival. Co-director of University Museums and Curator of the Longyear Museum of Anthropology Rebecca Mendelsohn and former Curatorial Assistant and NAGPRA Coordinator Kaytlynn Lynch sent initial letters inviting consultation with state and federally recognized Nations near St. Mary’s County, Md. That year, Rico Newman, elder of the Choptico Band of Indians of the Piscataway-Conoy Tribe, responded with a proposal for the respectful disposition of the Ancestral remains in coordination with other Piscataway tribes. Anticipating forward movement, Repatriation Manager Kelsey Olney-Wall, Community Liaison Lisa Latocha (Oneida Indian Nation), with the support of Curatorial Assistant Summer Frazier (Onondaga Nation), began the necessary research required to support a return, including historical site information, land claims, and inventories. That work, carried out in 2022, was rewarded in early 2023, when the team received replies from Chief Tayac and, subsequently, Tribal Administrator Reggie Tupponce of the federally recognized Upper Mattaponi Indian Tribe in Virginia. Administrator Tupponce supported the return under NAGPRA guidelines, while the Piscataway were represented by Tayac and Newman. Community Liaison Lisa Latocha of the Oneida Indian Nation and Chief Mark Tayac of the Piscataway Indian Nation share a moment at the Oneida rock at Colgate University. Photo by Mark DiOrio “As hard as this work is — when it seems impossible — it’s not. Even if you have little to no information, even if it seems like it’s not going to work, you have to keep going. You have to make sure that all Ancestors are returned home,” says Olney-Wall. “That’s where they should have been all along. We never should have had any Ancestors to begin with. To me, it’s a privilege to be able to work with these Nations, to not have their Ancestors be in boxes on shelves, to return them to their families, to return them to rest.” Staff submitted their research and supporting documents to National NAGPRA in November of 2023, and an announcement was published in the Federal Register in January of 2024 to declare the Ancestor’s cultural affiliation and solicit comment. These official acts and consistent outreach to tribal representatives culminated in the April 30 ceremony — “a historic moment,” in the words of Chief Tayac. Landeros underscored the importance of this return for everyone involved in the complex process. “When it comes to the burial of our Ancestors, that is their final resting place. That is where they remain so that they can walk with their Ancestors. To be removed brings them back to this world. They are stuck here, in this realm of human beings. Imagine being at rest for hundreds of years, then being ripped back. Our Ancestors have to go back into the ground — this allows them to rest. Our Ancestors are not your objects.”News and Updates Faculty & Staff museums and galleries Longyear Museum picker art gallery
- 2024 Constitution Day Debate on Sept. 12 Takes on Campus Free Speech and Academic Freedom2024 Constitution Day Debate on Sept. 12 Takes on Campus Free Speech and Academic Freedom sdevries@colgate.edu Free speech on campus will be the focus of this fall’s 2024 Constitution Day Debate: “‘Snowflakes,’ Truth, and the Future of Academic Freedom,” featuring Keith Whittington of Yale Law School, author of Speak Freely: Why Universities Must Defend Free Speech, and Ulrich Baer of New York University, author of What Snowflakes Get Right: Free Speech, Truth, and Equality on Campus. The annual debate will take place from 4:30 to 6 p.m. on Sept. 12 in Love Auditorium and is sponsored by the Forum on Constitutional Government and the Center for Freedom and Western Civilization. Zoom information will be available before the event, and additional fall 2024 event information for the Center for Freedom and Western Civilization will be available later in August. Debate moderator and Professor of Political Science Stanley Brubaker: “It’s been a challenging time for higher education. War in the Middle East has found its echo in campus demonstrations, occupations, counter demonstrations, and charges of anti-semitism. Progressives have called for boycotts. Conservatives bemoan political correctness and the lack of intellectual diversity. Legislators in many states threaten to ban the training and teaching of what they call ‘divisive concepts.’ Donors ask whether their funds are being properly used. Parents question whether a college education is worth its price. Caught in the crosscurrents, presidents of several Ivy League schools have been forced to step down. “At the heart of these controversies is the issue of the mission of higher education, and within that, the question of the proper character and scope of academic freedom. For the modern academy, no question is more pressing or more fundamental. With Keith Whittington and Ulrich Baer, we are fortunate to bring to campus two of the leading voices on these issues.” Colgate celebrates Constitution Day each year by bringing to campus seasoned experts in their fields to debate topics facing the nation and encourage informed discourse among students. Since 2005, Colgate has hosted a debate on campus focused on a variety of constitutional issues, including the constitutionality of the administrative state, abortion, affirmative action in college admissions, NSA surveillance, and free speech vs. hate speech. There will be a limited number of books from each speaker available for guests, and a book signing will follow the debate. Keith E. Whittington is the David Boies Professor of law at Yale Law School. In addition to You Can't Teach That!, he is the author of Repugnant Laws: Judicial Review of Acts of Congress from the Founding to the Present (which won the Thomas M. Cooley Book Prize), Speak Freely: Why Universities Must Defend Free Speech (which won the PROSE Award for best book in education and the Heterodox Academy Award for Exceptional Scholarship), Political Foundations of Judicial Supremacy (which won the C. Herman Pritchett Award for best book in law and courts as well as the J. David Greenstone Award for best book in politics and history), and several other works on constitutional theory and law and politics. Whittington has spent most of his career at Princeton University, where he served as the William Nelson Cromwell Professor of politics from 2006 to 2024. He has also held visiting appointments at Georgetown University Law Center, Harvard Law School, and the University of Texas School of Law. He is the founding chair of the Academic Freedom Alliance’s Academic Committee and has served on the Presidential Commission on the Supreme Court of the United States. A graduate of Yale University and the University of Texas at Austin, Whittington has written extensively for a general audience. His work has appeared in The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Atlantic, Reason, and Lawfare. He blogs at the Volokh Conspiracy and hosts the Academic Freedom podcast. Ulrich Baer is university professor at New York University, where he teaches literature and photography and serves as director of NYU’s Center for the Humanities. A recipient of Getty, Humboldt, and Guggenheim fellowships, he has twice been honored with NYU’s student-nominated Golden Dozen Teaching Award. His analysis of free speech in the 21st century university in What Snowflakes Get Right deepens his widely debated defense of the university’s obligation to use free speech as a tool to create knowledge by the greatest number of participants first made in 2017 in the New York Times. As a writer, translator, and scholar, Baer believes passionately in the transformative power of ideas and books and that real conversations play a key role in our evolution as conscious, responsible, and compassionate people — hence, his publications, including single-authored and edited books, his commitment to higher education, and his podcasts. Baer’s published oeuvre includes books on a range of topics, including poetry, photography, free speech, September 11, Holocaust testimonies, as well as a dystopian novel (We Are But a Moment, 2017), and a collection of stories (Beggar’s Chicken: Stories from Shanghai, 2012). Baer was born in Germany, moved to the United States as a teenager, and attended college at Berkeley and Harvard (where he reports concentrating in varsity crew). He received his MPhil and PhD in comparative literature from Yale. He is the father of two children, an avid urban gardener, and an eternal beginner in Shaolin kung fu.Academics Centers and Institutes People News and Updates Faculty & Staff
- Colgate Partners With Dartmouth’s Tuck Business Bridge ProgramColgate Partners With Dartmouth’s Tuck Business Bridge Program mcwalden@colgate.edu Colgate University and the Tuck School of Business Administration at Dartmouth College have formed a new institutional partnership, giving Colgate students access to the prestigious Tuck Business Bridge Program. This winter, Colgate sophomores and juniors interested in exploring business careers will have the opportunity to connect their liberal arts experience with intensive business school training, provided by Tuck faculty members. “We are excited to partner with Tuck on this new initiative for our students,” says Colgate President Brian W. Casey. “For those students who want an introduction to key business and finance concepts and wish to gain skills for the marketplace, this January program will offer them a rigorous and meaningful program. I am also thrilled that alumni support will provide the funds to help make this program accessible to at least 10 Colgate students who are receiving financial aid.” Financial assistance is available thanks to the generosity of Giovanni ’94 and Maree Cutaia, who have also endowed the First@Colgate directorship, and provided critical funding for the Graduate School Access Fund at Colgate. Once accepted into the program, participants will spend three weeks during winter break learning from Tuck faculty and current MBA students who will serve as resources for students learning the curriculum. The immersive experience kicks off with a week of remote learning from home before students return to a hybrid classroom in Hamilton, N.Y., full of fellow Colgate students, learning from professors via remote feed from Hanover, N.H. Each student will be assigned to a team to deliver an in-person capstone case-study presentation that will be evaluated by successful Colgate alumni who will be on campus for the conclusion of the program. “The Colgate-Tuck Business Bridge Program will provide Colgate students with a wonderful opportunity to learn essential business skills that complement their Colgate education,” says Milone Family AVP for Career Initiatives Teresa Olsen. After completing the program, sophomore participants will join Career Services’ annual SophoMORE Connections event, beginning on January 17, 2025. Applications are now open for the 2025 Colgate/Tuck Business Bridge Program. An on-campus information session will take place Wednesday, Sept. 11. The application deadline is Sept. 30. For more information on the program and the application process, visit colgate.edu/tuckbridge.Alumni Career Development News and Updates Faculty & Staff Student Benton Hall, home of Career Services
- The Road to the White House: Colgate’s 2024 Election SeriesThe Road to the White House: Colgate’s 2024 Election Series mcwalden@colgate.edu Colgate’s academic community will come together for moments of learning and civic engagement this month during The Road to the White House: Colgate’s 2024 Election Series, presented by the Office of the President and the Lampert Institute for Civic and Global Affairs. President Brian W. Casey will interview former DNC Chair Donna Brazile and former RNC Chair Michael Steele on Wednesday, Sept. 4, at 4:30 p.m. Lampert Institute Director Chad Sparber, W. Bradford Wiley Chair in international economics and professor of economics, will interview Senior Advisor and Deputy Chief of Staff to President George W. Bush Karl Rove on Monday, Sept. 16, at 4:30 p.m. In the final installment of the series, Casey will interview New York Times Columnist Maureen Dowd and New York Times Chief Washington Correspondent Carl Hulse on Tuesday, Sept. 24, at 4:30 p.m. All events will take place in Memorial Chapel and will stream live from the University’s website. Please register to watch. Michael S. Steele Former Maryland Lt. Governor Michael Steele was the first African American elected to statewide office in Maryland (2003) and the first African American to serve as chair of the Republican National Committee (2009). Steele is currently a senior fellow at Brown University’s Institute for International and Public Affairs and a political analyst for MSNBC. He has appeared on Meet the Press, Face the Nation, HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher, and Comedy Central’s The Daily Show. In addition to his work in television, Steele co-hosted the daily radio program Steele & Ungar on the POTUS Channel on SiriusXM, and he is the host of the podcast The Michael Steele Podcast. Steele’s writings on law, business and politics have appeared in The Wall Street Journal, TheHill.com, TheGrio.com, Politico.com, TheRoot.com, BET.com, Townhall.com, The Journal of International Security Affairs, and Catholic University Law Review, among others. He is the author of Right Now: A 12-Step Program for Defeating the Obama Agenda and co-author of The Recovering Politician’s Twelve Step Program to Survive Crisis. Donna Brazile Political strategist Donna Brazile has worked on every major presidential campaign since 1976. In 2000, she became the first Black woman to serve as the manager of a major party presidential campaign, running the campaign of former Vice President Al Gore. She has twice served as the interim Chair of the Democratic National Committee. Brazile is an ABC News contributor and the author of numerous articles and books, including the New York Times bestseller Hacks: The Inside Story of the Break-Ins and Breakdowns That Put Donald Trump in the White House. An adjunct professor at Georgetown University since 2002, she is the Gwendolyn S. and Colbert I. King Endowed Chair in public policy at Howard University. She is also the founder and director of Brazile & Associates LLC, a general consulting, grassroots advocacy, and training firm based in Washington, D.C. Brazile’s work has been recognized with a variety of awards, including Harvard’s 2017 W.E.B Du Bois Medal. O Magazine chose her as one of its inaugural 20 “remarkable visionaries.” In addition, she was named among the 100 Most Powerful Women by Washingtonian magazine, placed among the Top 50 Women in America by Essence magazine, and received the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s highest award for political achievement. She is the recipient of more than 10 honorary doctorates. Brazile and Steele, were recently appointed by the Bipartisan Policy Center to lead its Election Legitimacy Initiative, a collaboration with public- and private-sector partners to undertake a nationwide public education campaign to help voters understand their rights, identify nefarious misinformation, help them register and cast ballots, and make sure their votes are accurately counted. Karl Rove Political strategist Karl Rove served as senior advisor to President George W. Bush from 2000 to 2007 and deputy chief of staff from 2004 to 2007. At the White House, he oversaw the offices of Strategic Initiatives, Political Affairs, Public Liaison, and Intergovernmental Affairs and was deputy chief of staff for policy, coordinating the White House policy-making process. He was the architect of President Bush’s 2008 and 2004 White House victories. Before the White House, he ran Rove + Co. a Texas based public affairs firm that consulted on more than 75 GOP campaigns for senator, governor, Congress, and statewide offices in 24 states. Rove writes a weekly op-ed for the Wall Street Journal, appears frequently on the Fox News Channel, and is the author of the New York Times bestseller Courage and Consequence. His latest book is The Triumph of William McKinley. A Colorado native, Rove lives in Austin, Texas, where he teaches at the University of Texas and serves on the Texas State History Museum and McDonald Observatory boards. Carl Hulse Carl Hulse is the chief Washington correspondent of the New York Times and an acknowledged authority on the U.S. Congress and national political affairs. As a Washington journalist for nearly 40 years, he has covered seven presidencies and 20 congressional election cycles. He is the author of Confirmation Bias: Inside Washington’s War Over the Supreme Court, an account of the history-making partisan battle over the makeup of the high court and the federal judiciary. He appears regularly on televised public affairs programs and has also served as the Washington editor and chief congressional correspondent of The Times. He writes the “On Washington” column and is also the drummer for the NativeMakers, a popular Capitol Hill garage band. Maureen Dowd Maureen Dowd started at The Washington Star in 1973, working as a clerk on the overnight shift, taking dictation from reporters covering the Watergate trial in the days before cellphones and laptops. Dowd became a city reporter in 1975. When The Star folded in 1981, Dowd went to TIME magazine for a couple years. Anna Quindlen subsequently hired her for the city desk of the New York Times in 1983. Dowd transferred to Washington, her hometown, in 1986, and covered the Bush I and Clinton White Houses before becoming a columnist in 1995. Dowd received the Pulitzer Prize in 1999 for distinguished commentary and has written several books, including Bushworld, which covered the presidency and personality of George W. Bush, and Are Men Necessary? When Sexes Collide, about gender politics. She has also written for GQ, Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, The New Republic, Mademoiselle, Sports Illustrated, and elsewhere.Brazile and Steele Launch 2024 Road to White House Series Throughout the semester, a number of centers and departments, such as the Max A. Shacknai Center for Outreach, Volunteerism, and Education and the Center for Women’s Studies, will also be offering election-related programs. “Elections are a pillar of democracy,” Casey says. “By educating ourselves on the issues and listening closely to a range of opinions, we become more engaged citizens.”Centers and Institutes Alumni Campus Life News and Updates Faculty & Staff Student Lampert Institute
- Colgate Joins FirstGen Forward NetworkColgate Joins FirstGen Forward Network mcwalden@colgate.edu Colgate University is one of 80 colleges and universities selected this month as a 2024–25 FirstGen Forward Network member. FirstGen Forward, formerly the Center for First-generation Student Success, selected Colgate for its demonstrated commitment to improving experiences and advancing success for first-generation college students. “The FirstGen Forward selection process is rigorous,” says Paul J. McLoughlin II, vice president and dean of the college. “Colgate’s membership in the organization reflects the University’s determination and commitment to support the more than 400 first-gen students on campus each year. I want to thank all of those whose work has made this achievement possible.” Colgate launched its own first-generation program, First@Colgate, in 2020. The Third-Century initiative works to ensure that first-gen students take advantage of all the resources available at Colgate and thrive during their years on campus. The program’s directorship was endowed through a generous gift by Giovanni ’94 and Maree Cutaia in 2021. Current First@Colgate programming helps first-generation students navigate college and Colgate while building a sense of community with first-gen peers. In addition to providing dedicated advising and support, First@Colgate highlights research and internship opportunities for first-generation students, promotes leadership and formal mentoring opportunities, and holds social events that include dinners, study groups, and game nights. Colgate’s membership in the FirstGen Forward Network is a natural next step — the first in a three-phase approach designed by the network to scale holistic first-generation student success by engaging and empowering higher education institutions to transform the first-generation student experience, advance academic and co-curricular outcomes, and build more inclusive institutional structures. Through its membership in the network, Colgate will expand its efforts beyond the First@Colgate office and its staff, engaging with all offices and every interested member of the community. “We would like to encourage a culture of support across the University,” says RaJhai Spencer, assistant dean for administrative advising and Giovanni ’94 and Maree Cutaia Director of First@Colgate. Tabisha Raymond, assistant director of First@Colgate, adds, “In addition to institutional support, we will benefit from the resources of other institutions within the network and have the opportunity to share the initiatives we’re implementing at Colgate — which will be invaluable as we continue to enhance our first-generation efforts.” FirstGen Forward Network resources include access to a wealth of first-generation student success research and data, which can inform Colgate’s ongoing work. University staff will participate in monthly calls, professional development, goal setting, annual reporting, and more, even as they make contacts at other member institutions to improve information sharing and idea generation around first-generation student success. To learn more about first-generation efforts at Colgate, visit colgate.edu/first@colgate or email first@colgate.edu. To learn more about FirstGen Forward and the Network, visit firstgenforward.org.Third Century News and Updates Faculty & Staff Student
- Colgate Shuttle Begins Service on August 30, 2024Colgate Shuttle Begins Service on August 30, 2024 jkellogg@colgate.edu Colin Idzi, Transportation Director Colgate’s new in-house shuttle service will begin on campus and in the village of Hamilton on Friday, Aug. 30. The Colgate Shuttle will operate under the direction of the new transportation department director, Colin Idzi, a former transportation coordinator and campus safety officer at Hamilton College. Housed in the Dean of the College Division — under the oversight of Joe Hernon, associate vice president for campus safety, environmental health and safety, and emergency management — the new Transportation Department and Colgate Shuttle service will allow for the coordination of safety, security, and transportation student services. “I'm incredibly excited about the launch of the new Colgate Shuttle service and the opportunity to bring these operations in-house,” Hernon says. “This change allows us to serve our community's needs better and enhance the experiences of our students, staff, and faculty.” The shuttle service will begin with a Bookstore-Apartment Route, Shopping Route, Townhouse Route, and Wellness Route. The Colgate Shuttle will also provide on-demand service to the Utica and Syracuse train stations and the Syracuse Hancock International Airport. Information and links to reserve on-demand service can be found on the Colgate Shuttle website. Students, employees, and departmental guests on University-related business may reserve the on-demand shuttle online. Please note that requests must be made at least 48 hours in advance. “I greatly appreciate all the students who provided valuable feedback throughout the transportation department director search,” Hernon says. “A special thank you to Oscar Brown ’26, Moureen Gao ’25, Jieni Wu ’26, and Neerusha Phuyal ’27 for their active participation and contributions. These students’ insights have been instrumental in shaping a service that genuinely meets the needs of our community." Oscar Brown ’26, a history major and LGBTQ studies minor and member of the Student Government Association, says he was excited to be part of Idzi’s search process. “It’s great that Colgate offers opportunities for students to get involved and have their voices heard on a subject that is essential to the functioning of campus,” he says. “Colin Idzi was a fantastic candidate, open to exploring ideas, familiar with the region, and very excited to hear student voices.” Idzi is anticipating a smooth transition from First Transit’s operations to the University’s direct operations of the Colgate Shuttle. “I’m very thankful to be here, and I’m looking forward to getting started on Thursday,” Idzi says. “There will be a learning curve at the beginning of our operations, and I ask all community members and students to reach out to transportation@colgate.edu with any questions, concerns, or feedback as we get started.” The Transportation Department office is located in the campus safety building at 88 Hamilton Street. Office hours are 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. The office can be reached at 315-228-7709 or transportation@colgate.edu. Campus Life People News and Updates Faculty & Staff Student Student Life
- TIA Summer Accelerator Inspires Confidence in Four New VenturesTIA Summer Accelerator Inspires Confidence in Four New Ventures tmfonda@colgate.edu The 2024 TIA Summer Accelerator, an eight-week program connecting experienced entrepreneurs to Colgate-community startups, propelled four ventures focused on sustainability, the media, and event promotion. Guided by alumni mentors, students and recent graduates treading into the entrepreneurship space transformed their ideas into viable businesses and nonprofits. To join the Summer Accelerator, current students and recent graduates pitch their idea in mid-February. After their applications are assessed by a panel of judges, selected awardees receive $10,000 in non-dilutive grant funding, along with workspace, room, and board in Hamilton. The program begins as teams workshop a 60-second pitch to concisely present the problem their business would address. “Before we send them off, our teams need to have some basics in place,” says Andres Echenique ’83, a long-time TIA mentor and seasoned digital marketer. “We push them to articulate what their venture would do and how it would benefit a consumer.” Afterward, teams set up focus groups and connect with 30+ potential customers to gather feedback on their business thesis. “Each part of the program builds on the one prior,” says Porter Comstock ’26, whose venture PLNT seeks to modernize the plant industry by digitizing architect and landscape contractors’ transactions. “The two-week intensive was critical for PLNT because we set goals, deadlines, and designed a step-by-step plan to execute the goals I set.” During this phase, Harshitha Talasila ’26 and Marie York ’26 refined their idea for SoilSoul: a venture committed to reducing the amount of food waste on Colgate’s campus. “We’re lucky to have this space to explore and expand the scope of our knowledge of organic recycling,” says Talasila. By speaking with members of the Hamilton Climate Preparedness Working Group, Colgate’s Office of Sustainability, composting manufacturers, and a variety of other stakeholders, Talasila and York developed potential partnerships. Other ventures from this year’s cohort, such as Nameless (Alejandro Martinez-Oletta ’18, Sami T. Ahmed ’18, Austin Hatch ’18) and Newsreel (James Gomez ’21) focused on cultivating digital communities in the event promotion and media industries. Following the feedback stage, teams refine their pitch based on customer insights. The iterative process of outreach, data analysis, and refinement continues throughout the accelerator program, which concluded in the capstone presentation in Boston, Mass. Sponsored and attended by members of the Colgate Entrepreneur Network, this event marked the culmination of the Summer Accelerator process as students presented their ventures on a Q&A panel. “It completes our process of taking some idea, putting it out there, seeing what happens, and responding accordingly,” says Echenique. “We find that by the end, participants develop a tremendous sense of confidence.” Entrepreneurship Professional Networks News and Updates Alumni Student tia TIA Summer Accelerator participants network with Colgate alumni.
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