Remembering Howard Fineman ’70 ddevries@colgate.edu Wed, 06/12/2024 - 16:20 Howard Fineman ’70 Legendary newsman Howard Fineman ’70 has died at the age of 75 after a two-year battle with cancer. News of Fineman’s passing was shared by his wife, Amy Nathan on his X account. A stalwart Colgate supporter, Fineman loved his alma mater. Often, Fineman would provide expert counsel with respect to the University’s communications. He pulled no punches and always had the best interest of Colgate at heart. Colgate will be publishing a full remembrance of Fineman in an upcoming issue of Colgate Magazine, but for those curious about his story, visit some of the links below and listen to his 13 podcast episode, where he shares memories of his time on campus and speaks about the years he spent covering national elections as chief political correspondent for Newsweek. 13 Podcast: A Journalist’s Journey with Howard Fineman ’70 Howard Fineman, Former HuffPost Global Editor And Prolific Washington Journalist, Dies At 75 Howard Fineman, political correspondent with analytical eye, dies at 75 Howard Fineman, Veteran Political Journalist and TV Pundit, Dies at 75 Remembering Howard Fineman, 75: Iconic Newsweek writer became a star pundit Biden pays tribute to late journalist Howard FinemanAlumni Alumni Howard Fineman ’70 delivers the commencement address to the Colgate graduating class of 2011.

Students Donate Indigenous-Authored Books to Little Free Libraries in Hamilton tmfonda@colgate.edu Wed, 06/12/2024 - 09:30 In your day-to-day life, perhaps you’ve encountered a Little Free Library: a small, windowed hutch where community members exchange books to enhance access to literature and foster a shared sense of community. Last spring, in Visiting Professor of Native American Studies Tarisa Little’s Indigenous Education course, these sites were the focus of a “little activism” project, in which students each donated a book by an Indigenous author. Professor Little’s students engaged in a semester-long research project to inform their selections. They began their studies with introductory lectures on Indigenous ways of knowledge and early colonial schools. Using the Huron-Wendat Nation as a case study, Professor Little shared her expertise on federally mandated residential and day schools in Canada. These schools, which were built across North America, were designed to assimilate indigenous children into white culture. “During my PhD program, I parsed through archives from the Wendat community and was invited to do some research on their behalf,” says Little, who earned her degree at the University of Saskatchewan in 2023. “And today, even after my studies, I am still involved with their research community, helping them gather their history to share.” By sharing this connection, Professor Little taught her students about the importance of multicultural inclusion in the classroom. “No child is too young to understand the basics of what a residential school is,” says education and psychology major Maggie McCarthy ’27. For her book, McCarthy chose When We Were Alone by David Robertson — an illustrated story of resistance that introduces children to the history of residential schools in Canada. “I’m passionate about teaching reading,” says McCarthy, “And I feel equipped to bring these stories into my future classroom in an informed, sensitive way.” Ben Graham ’25 chose The Tale of Two Teams, a creation legend belonging to the Oneida Indian Nation. After originally reading the story in Professor Meg Gardner’s Ecojustice and Education course, Graham revisited it for the LFL project. “The story evokes the themes of equality and a mutually beneficial relationship between humans and nature,” says Graham, who is an active member of Colgate’s Outdoor Education Program. “It teaches important lessons about inclusion and not judging books by their covers.” These efforts to improve access to Indigenous literature represent what Professor Little calls “little activisms” — small acts with significant impact. Her students learned about the importance of multicultural inclusion in the classroom and encountered an important truth. “Talking with Indigenous people in the contemporary classroom ensures that they are heard and seen for who they are: current members of society,” says Little.Academics University Studies News and Updates Student Native American Studies Program

Colgate Celebrates Past, Present, and Future at Reunion 2024 tmfonda@colgate.edu Thu, 06/06/2024 - 12:47 Last weekend, nearly 2,100 alumni and guests returned to campus for Reunion 2024 to reconnect with longtime friends, reflect on the history of Colgate, and look toward its future. This year marked the anniversaries of several key moments in University history, including the 50th anniversary of graduates in the Class of 1974 — Colgate’s first fully coeducational class. During a Q&A session with alumni, President Brian W. Casey provided a Third-Century Plan update and revealed sketches of the Lower Campus revitalization project. Work begins this month on the first two residences, 66 and 70 Broad St., kicking off a $200 million effort to enhance student and residential life on Colgate’s Lower Campus. “This is the beginning of a long-term project that will transform the way Colgate students live,” says Casey. “We want to ensure that every Colgate student, by the time they’re juniors and seniors, has access to a robust social living experience.” Casey also affirmed the impact of the Colgate Commitment, an initiative in access and affordability, originally launched in 2020. Since its implementation, the commitment has steadily increased its impact, now replacing student loans with University grants for students whose household incomes are less than $175,000 per year and covering additional costs of attendance. Students from households making less than $80,000 per year attend Colgate tuition-free. “Colgate is most fundamentally about people,” says Casey. “We try to bring the best students, faculty, and staff to campus, because when you do that, everything else follows. So, we must have the resources to make sure our financial aid packages are sufficient — that may be one of the most important things we do.” Later, the University welcomed alumni and friends into the new Robert H.N. Ho Mind, Brain, and Behavior Center at Olin Hall, another key Third-Century priority. Throughout the weekend, reunion college events underscored the full scale of the liberal arts experience and celebrated a range of disciplines — from natural sciences to the arts — while also marking key milestones in Colgate history. On Saturday afternoon, alumni gathered to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Upstate Institute. “The Upstate Institute is small but mighty,” said Director Catherine Cardelús, professor of biology and environmental studies. “To create linkages between Colgate and the regional community, we focus on addressing community-identified needs.” Cardelús was joined by this year’s cohort of Summer Field School Fellows, who took to the microphone to describe their projects with several community-serving organizations, including The Center for refugees arriving to Utica and the National Abolition Hall of Fame and Museum in Peterboro. Many alumni led Reunion College sessions, including Eamon Javers ’94, who recapped an exposé he broke as a senior correspondent with CNBC. In this in-depth conversation, Javers described how he uncovered the story of Xu Yanjun, a Chinese spy who was subsequently convicted in U.S. federal court of trying to steal intel from GE Aerospace. “There are several factors that can cause a person to spy,” says Javers. Money, ideology, compromise, and ego could be to blame, but “in this case, I think it was flattery.” That evening, alumni of the Swinging ’Gates took to the stage for a 50th anniversary concert mirroring Taylor Swift’s Eras tour. Alumni from four eras of the Swinging ’Gates — from the ’70s to the present — performed a few songs each, from “California Dreamin’” by The Mamas & Papas to “Green Light” by Lorde. Reunion 2024 also honored the 50th anniversary of UNIDAD, the forerunner of the University’s Latin American Student Organization. Another key part of each reunion weekend is the annual Alumni Council Awards Ceremony, which recognizes alumni, faculty, and staff members for outstanding commitment and service to the University. Four alumni received the Wm. Brian Little ’64 Award for Distinguished Service to Colgate. The council also awarded 13 Maroon Citations, the Alumni Corporation Humanitarian Award, and three Ann Yao ’80 Memorial Young Alumni Awards. “I never pictured Colgate being such an important part of my identity five years out,” said Emily Kahn ’19, one of those who received the Ann Yao award. “My Colgate friends are still my best friends.” Following the ceremony, alumni marched down the hill in the Torchlight Procession, led by the Class of 1974. “I was thrilled when I arrived at Colgate and shared a pioneering spirit with the women in my class,” says Sarah Rubinton Laditka ’74, who married Jim Laditka ’73 during her graduation weekend. “My 50th Reunion was a double celebration.”Alumni Third Century Alumni Photo by Mike Roy

Colgate Unveils Plans for Carey Center Contributing Writer Tue, 05/28/2024 - 10:28 A new 65,000-square-foot basketball and volleyball arena will anchor a new athletics quadrangle at Colgate University, replacing the Reid Athletics Center. Construction of the facility, part of the University’s Third-Century Plan initiatives, is slated to begin in February. Named the Carey Center in honor of a lead $23 million gift from the Carey family — Trustee Emeritus Chase Carey ’76, his wife, Wendy, and their children Steve ’12 and Tara ’13 — the new arena will serve as the home for men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball. The facility will also be the first of two buildings planned for an athletics quadrangle that will ultimately replace the existing facilities currently housed in the Reid Athletic Center.Third Century Athletics Campus Life News and Updates Alumni Faculty & Staff Student

Michael Fitzgerald to Serve As Gretchen Hoadley Burke ’81 Endowed Chair in Regional Studies for 2024-25 sdevries@colgate.edu Fri, 05/24/2024 - 09:50 Michael Fitzgerald, recently retired commissioner at the Madison County Department of Social Services (DSS), has been appointed to serve as Gretchen Hoadley Burke ’81 Endowed Chair in regional studies for the 2024–25 academic year. Fitzgerald brings a wealth of practitioner experience, a deep commitment to community, and a strong relationship with the Upstate Institute and Colgate University. “We are particularly excited to have Mr. Fitzgerald on campus as a practitioner of community-based work who will bring a wealth of real-world experience to our faculty and students,” said Upstate Institute Director and Professor of Biology and Environmental Studies Catherine Cardelús. Fitzgerald will team teach ENST 450: Community-Based Study of Environmental Issues with Cardelús in the fall. In the spring, he will co-teach ECON 230: Economics of Poverty with Prof. Nicole Simpson. He has worked with Simpson previously, serving as a resource for her course on poverty and the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program. He has also worked with Prof. Andy Pattison for his ENST 390 community-based class on rural housing and served on the community board of the Upstate Institute and COVE. Fitzgerald received his bachelor of science from SUNY Brockport, graduating summa cum laude, and his master of public administration degree from Marist College. He joined the Madison County Department of Social Services in 1991, serving as an examiner in the public assistance unit, as a caseworker with the child protective unit, and as director of the income maintenance unit. He was named commissioner in December 2003 and oversaw a staff of 120 with a county budget of $31 million. A member of the nominating committee of the New York Public Welfare Association (NYPWA) board of directors, Fitzgerald also is the co-vice chair of the New York State Association of Counties (NYSAC) Committee on Medicaid and Human Services. He is the president of the board of directors for Stoneleigh Housing, Inc., a local low-income community housing development agency, and he is vice president of the Madison County Office for the Aging — the agency that serves at-risk seniors in Madison County. Fitzgerald serves on many local advisory boards, including the Oneida City Youth Court, Colgate University Upstate Institute/COVE Community Partner Committee, and the State Integrated Eligibility System Local Workgroup. He is also a past president of the NYPWA, a past member of the board at the Mid-York Child Care Coordinating Council, the Policy Council for Madison County Head Start, and the Madison County Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse board of directors. He has served on numerous committees at the local and state level focusing on the restructuring of public aid and child welfare and its many components to make human services work in Madison County. In 2001, together with Stacy Alvord, MSW, executive director of the Madison County Community Action Program, and Jill Tiefenthaler, PhD, he published a five-year study of how public assistance recipients fared after leaving the welfare roles. The study examined the lives of former welfare recipients and made recommendations for future changes in the public assistance service delivery system. He has also supervised Colgate Upstate Institute Field School Fellows and Colgate student interns at the DSS. The Gretchen Hoadley Burke ’81 Endowed Chair for Regional Studies was established in 2006 by Stephen Burke ’80 and Gretchen Hoadley Burke ’81. The Burke Chair aligns with the mission of the Upstate Institute to promote and advance a broad and deep understanding of the diverse cultural, social, economic and environmental resources of upstate New York through community based research, the reciprocal transfer of knowledge, and civic engagement.Academics Faculty News Research Centers and Institutes People News and Updates Faculty & Staff

Colgate Announces Faculty Promotions and Endowed Chair Appointments Contributing Writer Thu, 05/16/2024 - 11:16 During its spring meetings, the Colgate University Board of Trustees approved resolutions regarding faculty promotions to associate professor with continuous tenure and to full professor, as well as appointments to named chairs — all of which will take effect July 1, 2024. “The accomplishments of our colleagues are many and varied,” said Provost and Dean of the Faculty Lesleigh Cushing. “Together, they have made significant contributions to our academic curriculum and intellectual community, as well as to their respective scholarly communities. Their promotions are well-deserved.” Promotions to Associate Professor with Continuous Tenure Ynesse Abdul-Malak, Sociology AAS, Regents College; BS, MPH, American University of Beirut; MA, PhD, Syracuse University Ynesse Abdul-Malak served as a visiting assistant professor at Colgate in 2018–19 before joining the tenure stream in 2019. Her research centers around understanding how social structures impact the aging processes of individuals throughout one’s life — with a special focus on U.S. Caribbean immigrants. Abdul-Malak’s co-authored book, Grandparenting Children with Disabilities (Springer Publishing), was published in 2020. Her work has also appeared in several journals including the Journal of Elder Policy, Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, and Innovation of Aging. Abdul-Malak teaches courses on race, aging, gender, immigration, medical sociology, and research methodology. On campus, she has served as an elected member of the ALANA Affairs Committee and as a member of the Faculty Affirmative Action Oversight Committee and Fulbright Committee. Robert Davis, Mathematics BA, Susquehanna University; MA, PhD, University of Kentucky Robert Davis joined the Colgate faculty in 2020 following visiting assistant professor positions at both Michigan State University and Harvey Mudd College. His research focuses on polytypes and their uses within and beyond mathematics. Davis teaches courses such as Calculus III, Combinatorial Problem Solving, and Linear Algebra. His work has appeared in many journals including Discrete Applied Mathematics, Advances in Applied Mathematics, and The Electronic Journal of Combinatorics. He has also served as a referee for many journals. His service to the University includes serving as department liaison to Information Technology Services and as a member of the Curriculum Committee, Council for Faculty Development, and the Research Council. Ryan Hall, Native American Studies and History BA, University of Oklahoma; MA, MPhil, PhD, Yale University Ryan Hall joined the Colgate faculty in 2019 after teaching at the University of Toronto and Northern Arizona University. He is a historian of the North American West with a focus on Native American and borderlands history. Hall’s book, Beneath the Backbone of the World: Blackfoot People and the North American Borderlands, 1720-1877, was a finalist for the 2021 Spur Award for Best Historical Nonfiction Book. His articles have appeared in journals such as The Western Historical Quarterly, The Journal of the Civil War Era, and The Pacific Northwest Quarterly. Hall’s courses include The American West, Native American History, and Global Indigenous History. His university service includes membership on the Fulbright and Udall Fellowship Committees. Promotions to Full Professor Claire Baldwin, German BA, MA, Stanford University; MA, PhD, Yale University Claire Baldwin joined the German faculty in 2000. Before coming to Colgate, she served as assistant professor in the Germanic Languages and Literatures Department at Washington University. Her specialties include 18th-century literature and culture, contemporary literature and culture, Jewish German literature, gender studies, and narrative theory. Baldwin teaches a variety of courses, including first- and second-year German, Introduction to German Literature, seminars on Goethe, Challenges of Modernity, Core Distinction, and first-year seminars on the Berlin Wall and on Old Worlds, New Worlds. In addition to serving as department chair and university professor for Core 152, she has directed the Freiburg Study Group several times since 2003. Baldwin’s work has appeared in publications such as Transnational German Studies; Performing Knowledge, 1750-1850; Religion, Reason, and Culture in the Age of Goethe; and Women in German Yearbook. Baldwin is a past recipient of the Phi Eta Sigma National Honorary Society Professor of the Year Award. Jeff Bary, Physics and Astronomy Emory and Henry College; PhD, Vanderbilt University Jeff Bary came to Colgate in 2008 and was promoted to associate professor with tenure in 2014. His expertise in infrared and optical spectroscopy of young sun-like stars is applied to a wide range of astronomical research projects. Two of Bary’s active research projects are the effects of large star spots on early evolution of low-mass stars and understanding accretion processes in substellar and planetary mass regime. He has published in leading journals such as Nature, The Astrophysical Journal, The Astronomical Journal, The Astrophysical Journal Letters, and Astronomy and Astrophysics. A subset of the papers include Colgate student coauthors. Bary teaches a number of courses in physics and astronomy including Solar System Astronomy, Intermediate Astronomy and Astrophysics, and Astronomical Techniques, as well as a Core Sciences course on Saving the Appearances: Galileo, the Church, and the Scientific Endeavor, and a Core Communities course on Appalachia. He has contributed broadly to astronomy education through his contributions to At Play in the Cosmos: The Videogame. He has directed an extended study on In the Footsteps of Galileo. He is presently the chair of the Department of Physics and Astronomy, and he has also served as a faculty co-director of a residential commons and as the University Professor for First-Year Seminars, Global Engagements, and Core Distinction. He presently holds the Sweet Family Chair. Jonathan Levine, Physics and Astronomy BA, Cornell University; BA, MA, Oxford University; PhD, University of California, Berkeley Jonathan Levine came to Colgate in 2009 and was promoted to associate professor with tenure in 2016. His research interests are centered on the physics of the planets, planetary materials, and interactions between the Earth and its environment in space. He is the deputy principal investigator of a team developing a novel resonance ionization mass spectrometer for in situ dating of extraterrestrial samples. Their instrument has been selected to fly to the moon in 2027. He has published in leading journals including Earth Science Systems and Society, Planetary Science Journal, Groundwater, Earth and Space Science, and Planetary and Space Science. A subset of the papers include Colgate student coauthors. Levine teaches a number of courses in physics and astronomy including Solar System Astronomy, Introduction to Mechanics, and Planetary Science, as well as a Core Sciences course on The Air Up There. Jonathan is presently the faculty director of the Benton Scholars Program, directs the astrogeophysics major, and has chaired the National Fellowships and Scholarships Committee. William Meyer, Geography BA, Williams College; PhD, Clark University William Meyer first came to Colgate as the A. Lindsay O’Connor Visiting Associate Professor of American institutions and then served as a visiting lecturer and visiting associate professor before joining the tenure stream in 2012. His specialties include environmental change, hazards and resources, and environmental history. Meyer’s service to the University includes department chairmanship and membership on several committees including the Academic Affairs Board, the Library Advisory Committee, Petitions Committee, the Picker Interdisciplinary Science Institute Executive Advisory Committee, and the Environmental Studies Advisory Committee. He also served as faculty secretary at faculty meetings for four years. His monograph The Great Murdering-Heir Case: A Biography of Riggs v. Palmer is forthcoming from the State University of New York Press. His articles have appeared in several journals including Urban Geography, Geographical Review, New York History, New England Quarterly, and The Professional Geographer. Mary Simonson, Women’s Studies and Film and Media Studies BA, Rutgers University; MA, PhD, University of Virginia Mary Simonson first came to Colgate in 2008 as a lecturer in women’s studies and film and media studies. She joined the tenure stream in 2011. Simonson is the inaugural Daniel C. Benton ’80 Endowed Chair of Arts, Creativity, and Innovation. Her specialties include American cinema, American popular entertainment, film music, and 19th- and 20th-century opera and dance. Among the many courses she teaches are Introduction to Women’s Studies and Introduction to Film and Media Studies, Introduction to Performance Studies, Female Filmmakers and Feminist Films, and World Cinema. Her work has appeared in publications such as American Music, Journal of the Society for American Music, Journal of the American Musicological Society, and Leading the Way: Young Women’s Activism for Social Change. Simonson is president of the New York State-Saint Lawrence Chapter of the American Musicological Society. On campus, she has served as co-director of the Brown Commons, chair of the Colgate Arts Council, and director of the Film and Media Studies Program. Martin Wong, Earth and Environmental Geosciences BA, Williams College; PhD, University of California, Santa Barbara Martin Wong came to Colgate in 2007 and was promoted to associate professor with tenure in 2012. He studies extensional tectonics and rifting, metamorphic core complex formation, 40 Ar/ 39 Ar geochronology and thermochronology, application of thermochronology to tectonic problems, and the geology and tectonics of the western United States and northwestern Mexico. He has published in leading journals including Geology, Tectonics, Geosphere, Lithosphere, Geological Society of America Bulletin, and Tectonophysics. A subset of the papers include Colgate student coauthors. Martin teaches geology courses including Evolution of the Planet Earth, Environmental Geology, Tectonics and Earth Structure, Structural Geology, and Tectonics, as well as a First-Year Seminar course on Geology Outdoors. He has directed the spring semester Australia Study Group. Martin serves on the Faculty Affairs Committee and the Committee on Promotion and Tenure. He has previously served as the associate dean of the faculty for global and local initiatives, a member of the Emergency Operations Center, a member of the Health Analytics Team, and chair of the geology department. Appointments to Named Chairs April Baptiste, Environmental Studies and Africana and Latin American Studies Inaugural Leary Family Chair in Environmental Studies Established in 2022 by Nora Gleason Leary ’82 and her husband Robert G. Leary, this new endowed chair recognizes teaching excellence and scholarly achievements in the study of the environment and sustainability. April Baptiste joined the Colgate faculty in 2009. She previously served as a Ford Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow in the African American Studies Department and earned a Certificate in Latin American Studies from the Maxwell School of Syracuse University. Baptiste’s scholarly focus is environmental movements in the Caribbean, and she has published work examining the relationship between environmental attitudes and concerns toward oil and gas drilling in Trinidad as well as the relationship between environmental justice and the siting of aluminum smelters within the same context. Her co-authored book, Revitalizing Urban Waterways: Streams of Environmental Justice, appeared in 2018. Baptiste’s current project explores the intersection of environmental psychological variables and environmental justice issues within the region, as she links knowledge, perceptions, and behaviors to climate change in the Caribbean. Baptiste teaches courses in environmental justice, community-based perspectives on social issues, and Caribbean environments. She has served as the co-director of the Dart Colgrove Commons and is currently the associate dean of the faculty for global and local initiatives. Nina Moore, Political Science Inaugural William L. Boyle, Jr. ’55 Endowed Chair in Political Science This new chair was created to “recognize and support members of the Department of Political Science, whose contributions enrich the understanding of American government and politics, providing insight into the institutions, processes, ethical commitments, and events which influence our democratic systems.” Chairholders of this new chair are appointed for five-year terms. Nina Moore has been a member of the political science faculty at Colgate since 1998 and currently serves as director of the Forum on Race and Public Policy within Colgate’s Center for Freedom and Western Civilization. Moore’s teaching and research focus on the intersection of racial politics, institutional process, Supreme Court race jurisprudence, and criminal justice politics and policy. She is working on a manuscript titled Toeing the Line: The U.S. Supreme Court and Affirmative Action; her earlier books are The Political Roots of Racial Tracking in American Criminal Justice (Cambridge University Press, 2015) and Governing Race: Policy, Process and the Politics of Race (Praeger Publishing, 2000). Moore is a member of the editorial board of the Ralph Bunche Journal of Public Affairs and is currently serving a four-year term as a governor-appointed commissioner on the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct (CJC). She previously served a four-term as a gubernatorial appointee to the CJC and a three-year term as a New York State Senate appointee of the Advisory Council on Underage Alcohol Consumption and Substance Abuse. At Colgate, she has served as chair of the Colgate Faculty Affairs Council, treasurer of the Colgate AAUP Chapter, and vice chair of the Faculty Diversity Council. Kezia Page, English and Africana and Latin American Studies John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Chair The chair was established by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation in 1981. Since its creation, it has been awarded to a prominent faculty member in Colgate’s Africana and Latin American Studies Program. Kezia Page joined the tenure-stream faculty at Colgate in 2003. Her work has been published in the premier journals in her field including Callalou, Small Axe, Journal of West Indian Literature, and Anthurium. Her first book, Transnational Negotiations in Caribbean Diasporic Literature: Remitting the Text, was published in Routledge’s prestigious Research in Postcolonial Literatures series; her second book, Inside Tenement Time: Suss, Spirit, and Surveillance, is in the final stages of completion. Her honors have included a scholar-in-residence position at the Schomberg Center for Research in Black Culture and an NEH grant. At Colgate, Page has been an important presence in Africana and Latin American studies, where her teaching and research centers on Caribbean literature, African diaspora literatures, African American literature, and American immigrant literature. Page has also been a central figure in her home department of English, where she is recognized as an outstanding teacher and colleague. She will return to the position of director of the Africana and Latin American Studies Program in the fall.Faculty News News and Updates Faculty & Staff