- Hamilton-area Gardeners Learn More About Peter’s GlenHamilton-area Gardeners Learn More About Peter’s Glen tokeeffe1@colg… How do you remove nasty, invasive weeds that have an intricate root system that can stretch up to 70 feet? Very patiently and deliberately, Landscape Project Manager Katy Jacobs told 30 community members who gathered at the Hamilton Public Library for an update about the Peter’s Glen project on Colgate University’s campus. Jacobs, a landscape architect at Colgate who is leading the project, said her team had to dig 6-feet deep to remove the Japanese knotweed plaguing the hillside from Frank Dining Hall to the Dana Arts Center — the focal point of the work that began in February. The project, made possible by a gift from Peter L. Kellner ’65, will provide an important new linkage between Upper and Middle campus and significant infrastructure improvements to better handle stormwater. It also includes heated stairs along a cascading stream, new plazas where students can gather, and more open views of the beautiful Chenango Valley. Jacobs said she is excited for campus and community members to see pathways installed and plantings begin over the next several weeks. About 130 trees will be planted this fall, she said, in just the first phase of additions that will eventually include 500 trees, 593 shrubs, 4,562 container plants, and 1,000 bulbs. Ninety-five percent of everything planted is native to the Northeast, with a couple of exceptions for trees — the Norway spruce and London planetree — that already are on campus and thriving. “Everyone will soon be able to get a real sense of the layout and vision for this,” Jacobs said. What visitors won’t see is the major underground work that is such an integral component of the project. Improvements include new, larger pipes laid under the slope and subsurface chambers installed under Whitnall Field as part of the Bernstein Hall project to collect stormwater. The work will result in improved stormwater treatment and prevent overflows that at times plagued the current system. Jacobs’ talk was organized by the Hamilton Area Gardeners’ Club and its president, Michelle Coluzzi, who said she is excited by the idea of a new place for campus and community members to walk and enjoy nature. Susan Bauman, another club member, said she learned a lot about the intricacies of the project from Jacobs, who spelled out how her team has to be extremely careful as they dig into the hillside and handle not only the existing stormwater pipes but also sanitary and telecommunications lines, some of which extend into the Village of Hamilton. The construction team also had to install straw wattles and build soil terraces to prevent erosion after the existing trees, shrubs, and overgrowth were removed as part of the prep work. Seeing the hillside undergo such a dramatic change can be a shock, but Jacobs shared recent site photos that already show expanded views of the Chenango Valley. “We’re turning a stormwater nightmare into a beautiful landscape feature,” she said. Landscape architects at Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates designed the project, which is scheduled for completion in late 2025.Third Century News and Updates Faculty & Staff A concept rendering of what the bottom of the new campus glen will look like once complete. This view is of the area in between Ryan Studio and Dana Arts Center.
- On Bias and Belonging: Suchi Reddy, Artist-in-ResidenceOn Bias and Belonging: Suchi Reddy, Artist-in-Residence rtaurisano@col… Throughout this academic year, Suchi Reddy, Colgate University’s 2024–25 Christian A. Johnson Artist in Residence, is hosting a series of community conversations on bias and belonging in artificial intelligence (AI), centered on ways bias impacts our lived experience. A New York City-based architect, designer, and artist, Reddy plans to use the information from these conversations to create a textile that will represent what people think and feel about the ideas of bias and belonging, both in their personal and communal experiences. She will use the new TC2 digital loom in Colgate’s recently opened Fabulation Lab, located in Bernstein Hall on the new Middle Campus, to create the woven artifact. The final product will be exhibited in the Clifford Gallery this spring. At the first event on Oct. 23, attendees discussed their earliest life experiences with bias and belonging. Margaretha Haughwout, associate professor of art, introduced Reddy to the students, faculty, and staff in attendance, as a “down-to-earth artist.” Reddy’s work “engages material innovation and interactive technologies in the service of expressing ideas around the power of community,” Haughwout said. Thanks to her architectural training, Reddy has a spatial and experience-oriented approach to art. “I relate primarily through space,” she said. “I'm always thinking in terms of how our environments are not just these passive containers for us.” According to Reddy, our physical environments have a greater impact on our human experience than we may realize, being intertwined with our emotional, psychological, and cultural experiences. With this project, she endeavors to collect information about this dynamic human experience and transform it into art. Reddy is collecting more than words to inspire this project. “Even if you don’t say anything, I can see that you’re thinking about your experience,” she told the audience. “This energy will be part of the work too. What you're sending to me now will be the colors and the patterns that create this textile. So when you see it, just know that you're a part of it, even if you don't recognize yourself in it.” Reddy also hopes to understand how artificial intelligence (AI) is already integrated into our lives and what sort of biases shape our interaction with it currently. She believes our influence on AI will be either good or bad — not neutral — and we should be thoughtful about the ways we are moving forward with the technology. She hopes that AI will reflect our human-ness, eventually. “I can imagine when we don’t exist anymore and all that’s left is what we made, I would hope that it reflects us in the most complete way possible.” The series is presented by the art department and the Christian A. Johnson Foundation. The Christian A. Johnson Endeavor Foundation Artist-in-Residence was established in 1986 as a challenge grant to support the arts at Colgate University. The residency program permits one or more artists to become part of the Colgate community every academic year. The conversation series continues on Nov. 14 in 207 Little Hall, from noon to1 p.m. For more information, visit cliffordgallery.org/events.Arts and Humanities Third Century Arts News and Updates Faculty & Staff Department of Art 2024-25 Christian A. Johnson Artist-in-Residence Suchi Reddy leads a conversation on the bias and belonging project she is creating at Colgate (Photo by Mark DiOrio)
- Colgate Expands Relationship With Adirondack Research ConsortiumColgate Expands Relationship With Adirondack Research Consortium omiller1@colgate.edu Colgate University is expanding its long history of involvement with research in the Adirondacks in a new collaboration with the Adirondack Research Consortium (ARC). Colgate Professor of Geography and Environmental Studies Emerita Ellen Percy Kraly and Joseph Henderson ’03, an associate professor of social sciences in the environment and society department at Paul Smith’s College, are the new co-editors of the Adirondack Journal of Environmental Studies (AJES). Colgate’s Office of Information Technology Services will host the online platform for the journal, and the Environmental Studies Program will serve as the journal’s academic partner. The AJES is an interdisciplinary journal that expands understanding of Adirondacks ecology and environmental issues and informs policy — it is a project of the ARC, a network of scholars involved with research in the Adirondacks. Both AJES and ARC are 30 years old and have previously been hosted by Union College and editor Doug Klein, Kenneth B. Sharpe Professor of economics emeritus at Union. The late Bruce Selleck ’71, professor of geology at Colgate, co-edited one edition of the AJES and was a member of the ARC. When Selleck passed away in 2017, Kraly stepped in as a representative of Colgate on the ARC board. After Klein stepped down, Kraly assumed that role as well and approached Henderson — who counted Selleck among his mentors — with the opportunity to serve as co-editor. “Paul Smith’s has been a very generous host of the consortium,” Kraly says. “It’s an important institution within the Adirondacks in terms of scholarship, creativity, and education. And it’s great that Joe is a Colgate alumnus.” The decision was easy for Henderson. “Because Bruce was my adviser, and because we shared these connections to the Adirondacks, I’ve always seen some of this work as carrying on his legacy and making sure that there’s a capacity for environmental and social research in and on the Adirondacks.” Kraly is no stranger to running a journal — from 2011 to 2014, she served as editor-in-chief of the International Migration Review, one of the world’s leading and longest-running migration journals, and she continues to serve on the editorial board. Similarly, Henderson is an editor of many publications, including Environmental Education Research, a top environmental education journal with more than a half-million annual reads and articles cited over 1,000 times each year. The AJES is special, though. Because the Adirondacks are so unique, both ecologically and politically, the area is of heightened interest, and the AJES addresses that interest in its pages. “Ecologically speaking, the Adirondacks are a huge carbon sink,” Henderson says. “They have a ton of fresh water. They have a lot of really rare species. It’s an amazing vacation area and tourist area, and it’s going to be one of the most stable areas going forward in terms of climate change.” According to Kraly, Adirondack-region environmental policy is a model with global significance, given its attempts to simultaneously preserve local communities and the environment. “This 6-million-acre region is protected by the New York State Constitution to be maintained ‘forever wild’ for the people of New York State,” Kraly said. “That's radical.” According to Kraly, the AJES is also noteworthy because it is “transdisciplinary, which involves understanding that we need to ground our knowledge production within communities involved in whatever issue we’re studying,” she says. “The Adirondack Research Consortium wants to make the knowledge available to — and grounded in — the region.” Along the way, the AJES and its interdisciplinary approach to environmental analysis aligns with the values of Colgate’s liberal arts education, its commitment to student research, and its Third-Century intention to deepen the rigor of its academic programs. “I would love to involve environmental studies students, creative writing students, writing and rhetoric students who might be interested in the preparation of manuscripts,” Kraly said. The Environmental Studies Program is equally excited about the collaboration. “Faculty and students in the Environmental Studies Program have a long history of engaging with Adirondack communities and landscapes,” says Mike Loranty, program director and professor of geography. “This partnership provides new opportunities for us to further engage and share our scholarship with the Adirondack research community. We are especially grateful to Professor Kraly for working to make this happen.”Academics University Studies Faculty News Research Alumni News and Updates Alumni Environmental Studies Program
- Professor Sinhaeng Lee Earns Top Honors in U.S. and International Choral CompetitionsProfessor Sinhaeng Lee Earns Top Honors in U.S. and International Choral Competitions sliddell@colgate.edu Colgate Assistant Professor of Music Sinhaeng Lee has quickly established himself as a rising star in the world of choral conducting. In 2024, Lee was named Distinguished First Runner-up at Carnegie Hall’s conducting competition and secured first prize at the Korean Federation for Choral Music Conducting Competition. These achievements build upon earlier successes — placing third at the Korean Choral Directors Association & National Chorus of Korea Conducting Competition in November 2023, where he was also the youngest prize recipient of the year. Reflecting on these milestones, Lee is pleased to have had the opportunity to compete in Korea’s rich choral music scene, where nearly every city has its own professional choir supported by local government funding. One of the highlights was rehearsing and conducting Gioachino Rossini’s music with the National Chorus of Korea. “This competition provided me with valuable practical experience, and I was thrilled with the outcome.” Lee’s competitive successes in Korea represent only a small part of his broader mission as a conductor and educator. His work is characterized by a research-through-conducting approach, in which he uses the practical challenges of rehearsals to inform his academic inquiries. “Every gesture has meaning and is connected to the music and the musicians,” Lee says. “I’m constantly asking myself: What is the right gesture that fits my body? Experiencing and sharing music, especially in a choral setting, is about expressing your vulnerability through both music and emotion. How can I communicate this most effectively with my musicians?” Lee while passionately conducting one of his ensembles One of the most distinctive elements of Lee’s work is his cross-cultural approach to choral performance. Leading ensembles at Colgate, he brings together singers from diverse linguistic backgrounds, with non-native English speakers performing classical Western choral music and native English speakers taking on Korean choral pieces. Lee focuses his conducting on refining vowel sounds, which he views as essential to achieving a unified and high-quality performance, regardless of the language. For instance, in Korean, vowel pronunciation varies depending on region and speaker. As for consonants, the ‘f’ sound doesn’t exist. To address these nuances, he has developed guidelines for choirs to navigate the inconsistencies that arise when Romanizing Korean into English. Even modifying an ‘r’ sound in American English can significantly enhance a performance. Lee’s insights into cross-linguistic performance come from his experiences in both Korea and the United States. He contrasts the two countries’ choral traditions, noting that Korean choirs prioritize technical precision, while American ensembles focus more on emotional expression. “I used to be an extremely demanding conductor, with little tolerance for mistakes in pitch or rhythm,” he admits. However, a turning point in his philosophy occurred when one of his mentors at Westminster Choir College advised him to trust the choir to correct minor mistakes. “My mentor told me, ‘Choral music, being so deeply tied to the human voice, is close to the heart. Have faith in the choir and be gentle with them.’” Lee recalls. This advice transformed his approach, leading him to adopt a more balanced leadership style that values both high standards and empathy. At Colgate, Lee’s work goes beyond conducting performances. He is deeply invested in mentoring his students and guiding them in developing their artistic identities. “Above all, my goal is to help students recognize and appreciate good music,” Lee explains. Lee regularly invites professional conductors and singers, often fellow liberal arts graduates, to speak with his students about their future career paths. He also leads collaborative projects where students can connect with other musicians, such as upholding the longstanding partnership between the Colgate and Hamilton College choirs. Lee with his Colgate University choir Looking forward, Lee hopes to take his students on international tours, with Korea as a primary destination. “My goal is to give students the opportunity to perform abroad while immersing them in diverse cultural experiences that will expand their artistic and personal perspectives,” he says. Lee is also preparing for a 2026 performance at Carnegie Hall, where he has been invited to conduct after his recent win. Ultimately, whether Lee is competing abroad or conducting in the Colgate classroom, his passion for choral music and dedication to his students remain the core of his work. As Lee sees it, choral music offers valuable lessons not only for musicians but for society as a whole. “Choral music teaches us something essential for society — how to truly listen to one another,” says Lee. “This mutual listening creates harmony not just in music, but in life.”Faculty Profiles News and Updates Faculty & Staff Department of MusicProfessor Sinhaeng Lee conducting his choir in Colgate Memorial Chapel
- All NewsPicker Mounts Exhibition of Modern Chinese Woodcuts Donated by Former Colgate ProfessorPicker Mounts Exhibition of Modern Chinese Woodcuts Donated by Former Colgate Professor nhendrickson@c… Outside of China, there are only four significant collections of Chinese woodcut prints from the wartime period between 1937 and 1948. They are located in Australia, Paris, London — and Colgate’s own Picker Art Gallery. Colgate’s entire collection, donated by geography professor emeritus and Peace and Conflict Studies Program founder Theodore Herman (1954–1981), is now on display for the first time. The exhibit opened on Sept. 19, and it displays more than 200 woodcut pieces that depict the historical conflicts and social movements leading to the founding of the People’s Republic of China. “There’s a lot of good historical context, and there’s a lot to learn about that particular moment in Chinese history,” said Nicholas West, curator of the gallery and co-director of University Museums. Woodcut printing was invented in China and served as an accessible artistic medium, “It’s usually been thought of as a medium for the masses,” West said. “The revival of woodcuts as a medium in Chinese art was specifically responding to that traditional division between ‘high art’ and ‘low art.’” Herman lived in China with his wife, Evelyn Mary Chen Shiying Herman, from 1936 to 1948. During that time, Herman befriended many woodcut artists, and they gave him pieces to show in the United States after he left China due to the difficult political climate. “[There was] a lot of anti-communist sentiment then, and it was actually quite dangerous to be associated with China or any of the communist powers,” West said. “So eventually he ended up working here as a geography professor at Colgate. When he was trying to figure out what to do with these prints, he decided to donate them to Picker.” Leslie Ann Eliet, curator of the exhibit, was working as a director’s secretary and registrar for the Picker Gallery in 1980 when she received the prints and began working on inventorying the collection. As a printmaker herself, Eliet was familiar with the medium and conducted her own research on the collection — she even traveled to China to interview a few of the surviving artists. Years later, Eliet presented the idea of an exhibition. “I knew that this had never been seen in its entirety in the United States, and I had done a lot of research and kept up with some of the artists,” Eliet said. “I had been working on this for a long time and met with Nick to present him with this idea. And, finally, it came to fruition.” Outside of the historical aspect of the collection, there’s a lot to be learned from the medium itself. “These images are really accessible,” West said. “You’re going to come into the exhibition and understand what’s going on with these images. They are expressive, they are emotive, and they are really quite narrative.”Arts Picker Art Gallery News and Updates Faculty & Staff picker art gallery museums and galleries Opening the exhibition War, Revolution, and the Heart of China on Sept. 19. (Photo by Andrew Daddio)
- All NewsColgate Women to Pursue $200 Million Fundraising GoalColgate Women to Pursue $200 Million Fundraising Goal rtaurisano@col… During Colgate’s homecoming weekend, the Women’s Leadership Council (WLC) gathered at the Hall of Presidents for their Homecoming Leadership Luncheon. At the luncheon, Liz Buchbinder ʼ77, WLC chair, announced an ambitious goal for the women of Colgate to donate a combined total of $200 million to the Campaign for the Third Century by June 2029 — the 25th anniversary of the WLC. Read more. Alumni Third Century News and Updates Alumni Keynote speaker Mandy DiMarzo ʼ02, former Colgate women's soccer player, founder of BURN by Mandy, and TEDx speaker addresses the WLC (Photo by Andrew Daddio)
- All NewsRev. Corey MacPherson, Recently Enlisted Army Reserve ChaplainRev. Corey MacPherson, Recently Enlisted Army Reserve Chaplain nhendrickson@c… University Chaplain and Protestant Campus Minister Corey MacPherson completed three months of arduous training at Fort Jackson in the humidity of South Carolina last summer to become a U.S. Army Reserve chaplain. MacPherson has been assigned to the 403rd Civil Affairs Battalion in Syracuse, N.Y., where he provides spiritual support and counseling services to soldiers and their families. Additionally, MacPherson participates in monthly battle assemblies to continue training in preparation for the unlikely case that the unit should be deployed. MacPherson initially felt drawn to serve when he heard of the suicide rate in the Army: there have been more than 30,000 suicides among active military personnel and veterans since 2001 — versus approximately 7,000 combat deaths — according to a study by Brown University. “There’s just tremendous need,” MacPherson said. “I thought, ‘If I can help, I’m willing to help.’” The main duty of military chaplains is to offer emotional and spiritual support to soldiers and their families, or in the words of the corps, “to nurture the living, care for the wounded, and honor the fallen.” Chaplains are also the only confidential resource in the Army, allowing soldiers to share without worry of damage to their careers. MacPherson felt his experience at Colgate aided him in his training and in helping newer chaplains. Chaplains serve a variety of religions, and it can be hard for some to separate from their own spiritual traditions. “I felt like I had something to contribute in helping pastors understand that there’s a difference between a pastor and chaplain, which I think some really struggle with,” MacPherson said. Training to become a chaplain also involves intense physical preparation, something MacPherson was surprised to learn. Chaplains are required to complete full army training so that they can be prepared in the case that their unit is deployed. “Chaplains are embedded with their units wherever they go,” MacPherson said. “So I fully agree and understand the need for physical readiness because the last thing I’d want to do is to slow a unit down.” The intensity of training resulted in a spiritual challenge for MacPherson. “It must have been four or five weeks in, and I was truly miserable, praying to God saying, ‘I don’t know why I’m doing this — I just wanted to help. I shouldn’t have to go through all this just to help, right?’” MacPherson said. But his perspective changed when he was with a few hundred young recruits one morning and reflected on the weight of their sacrifices. “It occurred to me while I was sitting there that those kids are there so my kids don’t have to be — because those kids are there, Colgate students don’t have to be,” MacPherson said. “So, in that moment, something in me shifted, and I felt like I had a responsibility to finish my training and to do all that I can to care for and support soldiers, veterans, and their families.”Campus Life News and Updates Faculty & Staff veterans University Chaplain and Protestant Campus Minister Corey MacPherson
- All NewsHafez Al Mirazi Speaks on the Role of Arab Americans in the 2024 ElectionHafez Al Mirazi Speaks on the Role of Arab Americans in the 2024 Election omiller1@colgate.edu As November and the 2024 U.S. presidential election draw closer, Colgate University’s Program in Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies hosted television journalist Hafez Al Mirazi to discuss the Arab-American voter climate. The event was co-sponsored by Asian studies, film and media studies, and Core Communities. A longtime critic of censorship in journalism, Al Mirazi has more than 40 years of broadcast experience, serving as the BBC Arabic radio correspondent from Washington, D.C., between 1998 and 2000 and the Al Jazeera D.C. bureau chief for the 2000 U.S. election. He taught television journalism at the American University of Cairo and is currently a weekly columnist at the Egyptian news website AlManassa. A U.S. citizen who was born in Egypt, Al Mirazi is familiar with the difficult decision Arab Americans will face in the poll booths this November. According to Al Mirazi, the political concerns of Arab people have shifted from oil to the conflict between Israel and Palestine, Palestinian autonomy, and Israeli expansionism. Al Mirazi says that Donald Trump failed in his attempts to cater to a Jewish-American audience, and he has upset many Arab American voters in the process. Al Mirazi estimates that Arab-American support for Trump will be cut in half compared to the last election cycle after Trump said “I want the job finished” in support of Israel’s attack on Palestine. Similarly, President Joe Biden faced criticism from Arab Americans, who established an “Abandon Biden” campaign as a result of his approach to the Israel-Palestine conflict. Since Vice President Kamala Harris replaced Biden as the Democratic nominee, Arab-Americans have shown some level of forgiveness toward the party, according to Al Mirazi. Above all else, Al Mirazi argues, Arab-Americans wanted a “commitment from Democrats to a ceasefire now and to stop delivering bombs and weapons to Israel, which they didn’t get.” Many Arab Americans, Al Mirazi says, are drawn to Green Party candidate Jill Stein, who listed the conflict in Gaza as a paramount issue. Her support of Palestine has earned the respect and support of Arab-American voters, though not enough to outweigh support for Harris. The Arab-American voter population is concentrated most densely in swing states like Michigan, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania and therefore has the potential to influence the election’s outcome. The most difficult job, according to Al Mirazi, will be getting Arab-Americans to the polling booths; the demographic had a 54% voter turnout in the 2020 election, compared to the 66% national average. Meanwhile, in Arab countries, many people follow the U.S. presidential election closely. “People deprived of a peaceful transfer of power through elections are keen on watching it,” Al Mirazi says. The narrative spun by state-controlled media in many Arab countries poses the close nature of U.S. presidential elections as a promise of impending doom. “Unfortunately, Arab media look at what is going on in Washington and the elections in the U.S. and say, ‘Look, society is divided: they have a problem. They’re about to have a civil war,’” Al Mirazi says. For his part, Al Miraz believes the actual implications of such a tight race are much more optimistic. “You are sure that four or five years from now, even if you have whatever problem with the guy that the election brought in, you can get rid of that person through the ballots, not the bullets.”Academics Campus Life News and Updates Faculty & Staff MIST Debate and Discourse
- All NewsColgate’s 13th President, Neil R. Grabois, dies at 88Colgate’s 13th President, Neil R. Grabois, dies at 88 rdowning@colgate.edu Neil R. Grabois, Colgate University’s 13th president and professor of mathematics emeritus, who led the institution to new levels of stature and initiated Hamilton’s Partnership for Community Development, died peacefully in his sleep Oct. 6. As president from 1988 to 1999, Grabois led Colgate — with trademark infectious enthusiasm — through a period of growth and increased recognition among the country’s leading independent liberal arts colleges. Early in his tenure, Grabois and the Board of Trustees’ Special Committee on Residential Life led a review of student life that resulted in improved housing on campus, increased extracurricular opportunities for students, and a newly defined relationship with fraternities and sororities. Grabois guided the University through Campaign Colgate, whose $158 million in gifts over five-and-a-half years added to the endowment; provided campus upgrades and new buildings including Curtis, Drake, and Persson halls; underwrote scholarships, teaching resources, student research, and off-campus study; financed academic initiatives; and more. In 1998, Grabois invited representatives from the village, town, and University to explore ways to address the declining conditions of buildings in Hamilton. He offered seed funding for what became the Partnership for Community Development, which works to enhance sustainable economic opportunity and community vitality in the village and town of Hamilton and the surrounding area. “Neil Grabois applied his deep intellect and personable statesmanship to bring Colgate to a new level of prominence among America’s liberal arts institutions,” said President Brian W. Casey. “The Colgate community mourns his passing and owes him a debt of gratitude.” While presiding over Colgate, Grabois also taught mathematics classes when his schedule permitted. Members of his administrative staff in James B. Colgate Hall grew accustomed to seeing Grabois and his students in his office or foyer deeply engaged in discussions of math problems. Grabois held ‘drop-in hours’ at his office and at the O’Connor Campus Center for students to share their ideas or concerns during free periods between classes, and he was often seen in the warmer months riding his motorcycle to campus. His own education included a bachelor’s from Swarthmore College in 1957, and he earned his master’s and PhD in mathematics from the University of Pennsylvania. His extensive teaching career led him to the University of Pennsylvania, Lafayette College, MIT, and Williams College, where he also served in various administrative positions, including provost, immediately prior to joining Colgate. Grabois was frequently called upon by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools to serve on the external review committees that examine colleges and universities for accreditation. While still at Williams, he served as chairman of the Middle States Committee that visited Colgate during its accreditation review in the late 1980s. He also completed a term as chairman of the Commission of Independent Colleges and Universities (CICU) of New York State during his tenure at Colgate. Upon Grabois’ retirement in 1999, Colgate awarded him an honorary doctor of humane letters degree. In addition, current and former trustees at the time created a $4 million fund — dubbed ‘The eNRGy Club’ to incorporate his initials and recognize his infectious enthusiasm. The fund allowed for the creation of the Neil R. Grabois Endowed Chair in the Department of Mathematics and underwrote construction of the quadrangle between Case Library, Persson Hall, and James C. Colgate Hall in concert with the building of Little Hall. After stepping down from the Colgate presidency, Grabois went on to become vice president and director for strategic planning and program coordination for the Carnegie Corporation of NY. He later became the dean of the Milano School for International Affairs, Management, and Urban Policy at the New School in New York City and served on several boards, including Swarthmore College, The Jewish Foundation for the Education of Women, and the Michael Wolk Heart Foundation. Grabois is survived by his wife, Miriam, and sons Adam and Dan.Alumni News and Updates Faculty & Staff Department of Mathematics Neil R. Grabois, Colgate University’s 13th president and professor of mathematics emeritus
- All NewsMaureen Dowd and Carl Hulse: Road to the White House SeriesMaureen Dowd and Carl Hulse: Road to the White House Series khonore@colgate.edu The third installment of Colgate’s Road to the White House series, moderated by President Brian Casey, featured New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd and the chief Washington correspondent for the New York Times, Carl Hulse. The Sept. 24 event provided insight into the ongoing election campaign process and a glimpse into the internal workings of the candidates’ parties — as well as the state of American democracy. While Dowd and Hulse said they recognized the importance of President Biden’s stepping out of the race for president, they worried that Vice President Harris’s lack of firm positioning on policy and transparency with journalists could be detrimental to her campaign. With regard to the election overall, Hulse declared it to be one of “Joy vs. Hate,” and Dowd labeled it “Unserious Man vs. the Untested Woman.” Taking neutral stances on both parties, the two journalists acknowledged the lack of policy present within this election on both sides of the political spectrum, explaining that both parties are campaigning on different goals: Trump to maintain his own popularity by adopting popular policies and Harris to simply defeat Trump. Dowd and Hulse spoke briefly about the Trump presidency’s effect on journalism, specifically at the New York Times. Dowd said the Times now uses the term “liar” when referring to certain statements, and it has increased its emphasis on fact checking claims made by candidates. Hulse emphasized how much things have changed — gone are the days of letting candidates define truth. “You wouldn’t do that, you would leave it to the players themselves to engage in that argument,” Hulse said. In a final reflection on the state of the election, which is fewer than 40 days away, Hulse said it is a close race, and neither he nor Dowd took a firm stance on who is going to come out on top. “There’s just a lot up in the air right now,” Hulse said. Dowd shared his sentiment. “I just think there’s too many crazy, volatile things involved,” she said. Dowd and Hulse agreed that, no matter the result of the election, there would be some “really big consequences,” for American democracy. Hulse concluded with a subtle warning to Americans that, “There’s no guarantee to democracy, and I think people need to realize that — you have to keep at it.” The Colgate Road to the Whitehouse election series is sponsored by the Office of the President and the Lampert Institute for Civic and Global Affairs. Additional election-related events will continue throughout the semester. Visit colgate.edu/calendar to learn about all future upcoming events on campus.Centers and Institutes Campus Life News and Updates Faculty & Staff Debate and Discourse New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd and the chief Washington correspondent for the New York Times, Carl Hulse (Photo by Ryan John Lee)
- All NewsPercival Everett Gives First Public Reading of James During Colgate’s Living Writers SeriesPercival Everett Gives First Public Reading of James During Colgate’s Living Writers Series omiller1@colgate.edu Percival Everett proved to be a highlight of the 2024 Living Writers series when he gave the first-ever public reading of his new novel, James, in Love Auditorium on Thursday, Sept. 21 — an unofficial opening to Colgate University’s Homecoming weekend. Everett is a distinguished professor at the University of Southern California and a prolific writer with a background in biochemistry, mathematical logic, jazz music, painting — and cowboying. Longlisted for the National Book Award and shortlisted for the Booker Award, James is a reimagining of Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, told from the perspective of Huck’s sidekick, the escaped slave Jim. The novel is necessarily violent at times and comedic at others. The narrative shifts attention toward the empowerment and disempowerment of enslaved people and dismantles the stereotypes of the source material. In writing the character of James, Everett said he “wasn’t giving him agency. I was giving him an avenue to express his agency.” James is so clever that he not only teaches himself and all of the children to read and write but also to code-switch. The enslaved people of James are bilingual; they speak both intelligently and performatively, mastering stupidity for their white audience. In his dreams, James has constructive conversations with Voltaire on slavery and progress. With Huck, James’ speech is frequently monosyllabic and always phony. James is a novel about passing, survival, and true intellectual freedom. Everett recently finished writing the script for the film adaptation of James. Universal Pictures, Stephen Spielberg, and Taika Waititi are all involved with the project. Previously, Everett’s novel Erasure was adapted into the Oscar-winning film American Fiction. Besides Erasure and James, Everett has written more than 30 books. “I think I know something when I start a book, and by the time I finish, I realize I didn’t know anything. That’s the experience I love,” Everett says. “After 30 books, I know less than most people.” Everett also engaged with students in the Living Writers program during a Q&A session. He shared intimate insights regarding the importance of reading and writing, which are especially relevant in the context of James. “Reading really is subversive because no one can see what is going into you,” Everett says. “They can look over your shoulder and see all the words you see, but they will never know what they mean to you.” And he includes himself in that equation. “The work is on its own,” Everett says. “What I think it means doesn’t matter. I can put the material in front of you but you are making the meaning.” Visit colgate.edu/livingwriters to find out more about this year’s authors and to see a full schedule of upcoming events.Academics Arts and Humanities News and Updates Faculty & Staff Department of English and Creative Writing Photo by Michael Avedon
- All NewsColgate Celebrates Constitution Day with Debate About Academic FreedomColgate Celebrates Constitution Day with Debate About Academic Freedom sdevries@colgate.edu Two academic freedom experts made their cases for the role and scope of free speech in higher education during Colgate’s 2024 Constitution Day Debate: “‘Snowflakes,’ Truth, and the Future of Academic Freedom” Sept. 12. The annual debate celebrating Constitution Day is sponsored by the Forum on Constitutional Government and the Center for Freedom and Western Civilization. Since 2005, Colgate has hosted a Constitution Day 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. Keith Whittington of Yale Law School (right) speaks during the 2024 Constitution Day Debate Sept. 12, with debate moderator and Professor of Political Science Stanley Brubaker (left). Photo by Andy Daddio. Keith Whittington of Yale Law School, author of Speak Freely: Why Universities Must Defend Free Speech, believes the central mission of a university should focus on the discovery and dissemination of knowledge by academic scholars. Ulrich Baer of New York University, author of What Snowflakes Get Right: Free Speech, Truth, and Equality on Campus sees a university’s mission as grounded in not only speech, but also in equality. “Although there were some sharp differences, this year’s event was more Constitution Day discussion than debate,” debate moderator and Professor of Political Science Stanley Brubaker said after the debate. “With Prof. Whittington, we got the perspective of one at the forefront of protecting academic freedom, mindful that it is a complex, relatively recent, and hard won right, essential to an institution concerned with the pursuit of truth. With Prof. Baer, we got the perspective of a humanist professor, concerned with a foundational principle of equality, and a seasoned administrator, concerned with managing the tensions within a university before they hit the boundaries of law.” Baer acknowledged academic faculty enjoy an incredible amount of latitude and freedom when it comes to designing their courses and choosing class materials, but said they also have a responsibility to keep up with the changing paradigm of their fields. As a former vice provost at New York University, Baer said it was challenging to adjudicate these cases because as a university you want to avoid getting to a place “where some group feels the only way we feel there is just treatment is if the other people are punished. You want to get to a place where there is still a possibility of saying ‘We can work with this person, and we have to remind them of what our shared objectives are.’” Baer advocates a shift from looking at academic freedom exclusively from a speech lens, to one that includes and involves equality. Instead of focusing on the feelings of someone who is hurt or offended, he said the university should step in when speech interferes with the ability to be in the classroom and to participate the same way as everyone else. “That speech actually runs into a problem, because universities, public and private, are federally obligated to ensure equal access to educational opportunities,” Baer said. Whittington outlined his case that the core function of a university is for scholars to push the “outer boundaries of human knowledge, to ask questions we aren’t confident about what the answers are, to hold conventional wisdom and orthodoxy up for criticism, and potentially advance the range of human knowledge through that process.” There was a time when a university campus wasn’t considered a place to have intellectual controversies, he said, and faculty at American universities realized they needed greater freedom to explore those ideas without having to worry about being fired due to complaints from upset students, donors, or members of the community. “Part of what university faculty were arguing for in the early 20th century was that campuses were precisely places to have intellectual controversies and it was the job of the university president to protect faculty in those circumstances, not to punish them,” Whittington said. Those efforts led to the foundation of the current academic freedoms enjoyed by faculty in universities today, he said, including the freedom to teach controversial concepts and materials in the classroom relevant to their studies, the freedom to engage in research and publish that research without interference from the university, and to express their personal opinions in public without fear of reprisal. All debate guests were provided with a pocket Constitution and a copy of Colgate’s Student Rights and Responsibilities. Read more about the debate and speakers or view the debate recording. Academics Arts and Humanities Social Sciences Faculty News Centers and Institutes People News and Updates Faculty & StaffUlrich Baer of New York University (right) speaks during the 2024 Constitution Day Debate Sept. 12, 2024, with Keith Whittington of Yale Law School (left) and debate moderator and Professor of Political Science Stanley Brubaker (center). Photo by Andy Daddio.
- All NewsRaiders Play Waiters for CharityRaiders Play Waiters for Charity omaraquije@yahoo.com The Colgate men’s hockey team swapped its jerseys and skates for aprons and dress shoes to dish up smiles and good service for diners at the Hamilton Inn in support of charity on Monday, Sept. 30. Read more.Athletics Student
- All NewsBrehmer Theater to Present Toliver & Wakeman During Family WeekendBrehmer Theater to Present Toliver & Wakeman During Family Weekend tmfonda@colgate.edu Colgate University’s Department of Theater will stage Toliver & Wakeman, an original play by Assistant Professor of Theater Kyle Bass, at Brehmer Theater during Family Weekend, Oct. 18–21. First premiered in 2022 at Franklin Stage Company (Franklin, N.Y.), the play portrays the Civil War experiences of two Union soldiers, each fleeing past lives: Toliver is a fugitive slave and Wakeman a woman disguised as a male. Following the success of Bass’ Possessing Harriet (2019) — a production, set in Peterboro, N.Y, portraying the escape of an enslaved woman — the Franklin Stage Company commissioned Toliver & Wakeman with funding from a New York State Council on the Arts Support for Artists Grant. “My family is very connected to upstate New York, and the area is rich in histories, including those of abolition and, relatedly, slavery,” says Bass, whose course offerings this semester feature CORE C186: Black Upstate New York. Toliver, a character inspired by Bass’s great-great grandfather, flees to New York and changes his name to avoid capture. When he is later mustered into the Union Army’s 26th Regiment of Colored Troops, his wit and thoughtfulness distinguish his character. Wakeman, on the other hand (based on Sarah Rosetta Wakeman), is a young white woman born in rural upstate New York. She disguises herself as a man to flee family discord, enlisting into the Union Army as Lyons Wakeman. Though these two real people never met, Bass’ play brings them together in conversation. “To position a once-enslaved — now Union soldier — black man with a white woman who is disguising herself as a man to join the army gives us a picture of America, the image that it’s a country of many stories,” says Bass. After the performance on Friday, Oct. 18, there will be a talkback about the play with Bass and Dianne Ciccone ’74, Bass’s second cousin and namesake of the Ciccone Residential Commons. “In the 90s, she privately published a book about the history of our family that was the bedrock of my research,” says Bass, who lectured alongside Ciccone at Yale University’s Gilder Lehrman Center for the Study of Slavery in 2022 to discuss historic and dramatic interpretations of their family knowledge. Registration through Eventbrite is strongly encouraged to ensure seating at each performance. Arts and Humanities Faculty News Alumni Arts News and Updates Faculty & Staff Department of Theater At the Franklin Stage Company world premiere, Toliver & Wakeman starred Brianna Joy Ford (left) and Jelani Pitcher (right) — directed by Vernice Miller with sets and lighting design by Scott Holdrege, costume design by Lindsey Quay Voorhees (Photo by Russ Rowland)
- All NewsKarl 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 Debate and Discourse Photo by Andrew Daddio
- All NewsRepatriation and Reconciliation: The Carrolup Artworks Return to ColgateIn honor of Colgate’s Bicentennial year, the Picker Art Gallery is hosting a special traveling exhibition, Koolanga Boodja Neh Nidjuuk (Children Looking and Listening on Country), through June 30. The post Repatriation and Reconciliation: The Carrolup Artworks Return to Colgate first appeared on Colgate University News.
- All NewsGrafters X Change Builds Community ResiliencyGrafters X Change: Branches and Networks brought together Colgate and local community members, eco-artists, and activists to foster creative community resiliency. The post Grafters X Change Builds Community Resiliency first appeared on Colgate University News.
- All NewsNew Arts Initiative Promotes Inclusive Music SceneThe Mat transforms the flexible, open space of Parker Commons into a vibrant venue where student and professional artists come together to perform music for the community. The post New Arts Initiative Promotes Inclusive Music Scene first appeared on Colgate University News.
- All NewsCentury of Progress / Sleep: A Multi Media Adventure in the Vis LabApril 4–6 marked the campus debut of hybrid media artist Paul Catanese’s avant-garde opera Century of Progress / Sleep. The Ho Tung Visualization Laboratory was transformed for the production. The post Century of Progress / Sleep: A Multi Media Adventure in the Vis Lab first appeared on Colgate University News.
- All NewsLeading in the Arts Panel Considers Access, Opportunity, and ResponsibilityWhat does leadership in the arts mean to you? How do you consider your audience and the larger public? What are your responsibilities of what to represent? Lynn Schwarzer, professor of art and art history and film and media studies, posed these questions to a group of professionals representing a variety of fields in the panel discussion “Leading in the Arts.” The post Leading in the Arts Panel Considers Access, Opportunity, and Responsibility first appeared on Colgate University News.
- All NewsOpera Explores Untold History of Upstate New York’s Women’s Suffrage MovementA performance of the opera Pushed Aside: Reclaiming Gage, on Matilda Gage’s efforts — alongside those of Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton — for women’s right to vote, made its way to campus on March 24. The post Opera Explores Untold History of Upstate New York’s Women’s Suffrage Movement first appeared on Colgate University News.
- All NewsHybrid Media Artist Paul Catanese Prepares for Century of Progress/SleepPaul Catanese, hybrid media artist from Chicago and this year’s Christian A. Johnson Endeavor Foundation Artist-in-Residence, recently completed a slate of technical workshops, open rehearsals, video shoots, and class visits as part of his residency at Colgate. The post Hybrid Media Artist Paul Catanese Prepares for Century of Progress/Sleep first appeared on Colgate University News.
- All NewsColgate Alumni Dominate Academy Awards’ 2019 Best Documentary CategoryWhile nearly two decades separate their time at Colgate, Julie Cohen ’86, Chris White ’91, and Matt Renner ’01 will find themselves under the same roof on February 24: as executive co-producers and directors for films nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the 2019 Oscars. The post Colgate Alumni Dominate Academy Awards’ 2019 Best Documentary Category first appeared on Colgate University News.
- All NewsColgate Filmmakers at Sundance Film Festival'Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile' and 'Hail,Satan?' premiered at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. The post Colgate Filmmakers at Sundance Film Festival first appeared on Colgate University News.
