Colgate University Makes History with Single Day of Giving
On Friday, December 13, a total of 3,691 alumni, parents, students, and friends of Colgate University came together to participate in a single day of giving — the Colgate Day Challenge — donating nearly $3.5 million within a 24-hour period, the most successful day of giving to the Colgate Fund in University history.
The collective generosity of donors who gave nearly $2 million unlocked an additional $1.5 million gift from a group of challengers that is designated to support the Colgate Commitment, the University’s financial aid initiative devoted to access and affordability.
“I want to extend my gratitude to our donors who made the Colgate Day Challenge a success,” says President Brian W. Casey. “Your support not only furthers Colgate’s Campaign for the Third Century, but will also make a lasting impact on how our students learn, live, and access Colgate now and in the future. We are focused on those initiatives that ensure Colgate is the finest liberal arts institution in the nation. The support from our community is a very strong vote of confidence in this mission.”
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- Spring 2025 Presidential Speaker SeriesSpring 2025 Presidential Speaker Series Contributing Writer Colgate will host a new speaker series for the spring semester sponsored by the Office of the President titled The University and the Public Good: The Role of the American College in Our Time. This series will bring together experts in higher education to discuss many of the issues facing colleges and universities today and to help unpack how the public perception of higher education has evolved through the years. These upcoming events are in the spirit of recommendations made by the Task Force on Institutional Voice, which encouraged the University to take moments of national or global concern as a call to action for developing and supporting opportunities for debate and discourse on campus. All of these events will be streamed live online, starting with the kickoff discussion in New York City with Bret Stephens of the New York Times and Goldie Blumenstyk ’79, who recently retired from the Chronicle of Higher Education as their long-time senior writer. Additional information, including links to stream the conversations online, will be shared with the campus community as the new semester begins. Thursday, January 23 6:30 p.m., New York Historical Society New York Times Opinion Writer Bret Stephens and former Chronicle of Higher Education Senior Writer Goldie Blumnenstyk ’79 Thursday, February 20 5 p.m., Love Auditorium Eddie R. Cole, author of The Campus Color Line Tuesday, February 25 5 p.m., Colgate Memorial Chapel Presidential panel discussion, moderated by President Casey and including Vassar College President Elizabeth H. Bradley, Grinnell College President Anne F. Harris, and Hamilton College President Steven Tepper Thursday, March 27 5 p.m., Love Auditorium John Tomasi of Heterodox Academy, author of The Individualists: Radicals, Reactionaries, and the Struggle for the Soul of Libertarianism Wednesday, April 16 12:30 p.m., Love Auditorium Johns Hopkins University President Ronald J. Daniels, author of What Universities Owe Democracy Academics Campus Life Institutional News People News and Updates Alumni Faculty & Staff Student
- Remains of 21 Oneida Indian Nation Ancestors Repatriated from Colgate UniversityRemains of 21 Oneida Indian Nation Ancestors Repatriated from Colgate University Contributing Writer On December 16, 2024, Colgate University repatriated the remains of 21 Oneida ancestors from the collections of the Longyear Museum of Anthropology to the Oneida Indian Nation at the Nation’s Mary C. Winder Community Center. Read more News and Updates Faculty & Staff Longyear Museum
- Colgate Students Build Community and Connections Through International DebateColgate Students Build Community and Connections Through International Debate oaquije For the Colgate Debate Society, the opportunity to square off against top debaters from the most prestigious universities across the globe has become more than intellectual competition. It is a chance to build friendships and meet others from different cultures. That was one of the highlights for the Colgate squad when it competed in the Oxford Intervarsity 2024 (known also as Oxford IV), Nov. 9–10. The tournament, held at Oxford University, welcomed hundreds of students. Many came from U.S. or U.K. institutions, though various European countries and Canada were also represented. In all, 115 teams participated, including three teams from Colgate, each made up of two students. “The Oxford IV is known for being a particularly challenging tournament, mainly because of the diverse group of debaters and the complex topics that are chosen,” says team president Sophia Lee-Wlodek ’25, a biochemistry major from Los Angeles. During debates, students make their arguments using the style followed by the British Parliament. When a motion is made, one side argues in favor of it while the other opposes it. For instance, one of the topics was titled “This House Believes That Developed Countries Should Adopt a Generalist Education System Rather Than a Specialist Education System.” Other subjects covered economic matters of foreign nations, politics, and women’s rights. “Participants only have 15 minutes to prepare their speeches, and we’re not allowed to use any external sources — no books, no internet, and no AI assistance,” Lee-Wlodek said. Each team competed in five rounds against four other colleges. “We are a fairly competitive team, often being paired against some of the best teams in the tournament,” says team treasurer Boen Beavers ’26, a political science and Russian and Eurasian studies double major. “My partner and I debated against teams from Cambridge, Harvard, and Brown University.” One of Colgate’s three teams earned a first-place finish in one of its rounds. A team from Cambridge won the competition. The Colgate team prepares for tournaments by practicing two days per week, covering everything from the basics of British Parliament Debate to advanced techniques. The team welcomes debaters of all skill levels and offers opportunities for beginners who wish to compete. Alongside the Oxford IV, the team’s calendar includes the U.S. and world debate championships — Colgate will compete in the world tournament in Panama during winter break. “Spring semester, our biggest tournament, or one we focus the most on, is our home Colgate Open,” Lee-Wlodek says. “That debate is always a great opportunity for our members to learn how tournaments run behind the scenes.” Relationships formed around the world will come in handy. “Within the debate community it is easy to make friends with other students, many of whom are from different countries and cultures, academic disciplines, and walks of life,” Beavers says. “This has also allowed us to collaborate with debaters from other countries when we host our own tournament.” Campus Life News and Updates Student Left to right: Josephine DeBono ’26, Molly O'Brien ’27, Boen Beavers ’26, Bella Duarte ’28, Sam Wolff ’28, Ben Dokupil ’25, Andrew Ludwin ’27, Sophia Lee-Wlodek ’25
- Institutional Statements and the Work of the UniversityInstitutional Statements and the Work of the University bcasey@colgate.edu A message to the Colgate community from President Brian W. Casey on the work of the Task Force on Institutional Voice. Read more. University Statements Faculty & Staff Student
- Francesca Zambello ’78 Announced as Colgate’s Inaugural Clifford Innovator in ResidenceFrancesca Zambello ’78 Announced as Colgate’s Inaugural Clifford Innovator in Residence jkellogg@colgate.edu Colgate will host Francesca Zambello ’78 as the inaugural Clifford Innovator in Residence in February 2025. Zambello is the artistic director of the Washington National Opera. She also served as the general and artistic director of the Glimmerglass Festival — transforming the lives of children and early career artists in all aspects of theater through her many apprenticeship programs. The Clifford Innovator in Residence is made possible through the generosity of J. Christopher Clifford ’67, H’11, Keena Clifford P’93, and Carrie Clifford ’93, and their support of Colgate’s Arts, Creativity, and Innovation Initiative. The residency will bring innovators from across different fields in the arts, entrepreneurship, pedagogy, and technology to share their knowledge and work with the Colgate community. During Zambello’s residency she will workshop scenes from a new opera, O’Keeffe: Kiss the Sky. The opera is based on the lives of two pioneering women in the arts, American Modernist painter Georgia O’Keeffe and Mabel Dodge Luhan, a patron of the arts associated with the Taos artist colony in the early 20th century. Zambello will work with Colgate students, faculty, staff, and a team of professional artists to develop original music, text, and choreography for the new opera. Zambello’s team includes Christopher Tin, a two-time Grammy-winning composer; Jessica Lang, resident choreographer at Pacific Northwest Ballet and artist in residence at Sarasota Ballet; and Kelley Rourke, a librettist, translator, and dramaturg. Christian DuComb, associate dean of the faculty and director of the Arts, Creativity, and Innovation Steering Committee says, “Francesca Zambello is a terrific choice for Colgate’s inaugural innovator in residence. She is not only an internationally distinguished opera and theater director, but also an entrepreneurial leader in the performing arts.” He notes that Colgate students and faculty members will have the opportunity to participate in a process of collaborative creation with high-caliber professional artists and share their work with the University community. In addition, Zambello and her team will leave Colgate at the conclusion of the residency with new material for their opera, and Colgate will be credited for support in all future productions. “It’s an honor and a privilege for Colgate to be able to support this work — and for Colgate students to contribute to its development,” says DuComb. Academics Arts and Humanities Alumni Third Century Arts Institutional News News and Updates Alumni Faculty & Staff Bernstein Hall, a hub of creativity and innovation and the anchor of Middle Campus (Photo by Bernie Freytag)
- Colgate in the Media: November 2024Colgate in the Media: November 2024 kputman@colgate.edu Colgate University faculty, staff, and alumni regularly provide their expertise and contribute to national and regional media outlets shaping discussions around vital research and current events. Mysterious ‘Dark Big Bang’ Could Explain the Origins of Dark Matter SciTechDaily, Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy Cosmin Ilie and Richard Casey ’24 New study reveals possible origins of dark matter in ‘Dark Big Bang’ scenario Phys.org, Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy Cosmin Ilie and Richard Casey ’24 New theory called “Dark Big Bang” attempts to explain dark matter Earth.com, Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy Cosmin Ilie and Richard Casey ’24 Commentary: Trump’s rhetoric is frightening and toxic Miami Herald, Associate Professor of History; University Professor, First Year Seminars Alexander Karn The corruption of MAGA comedy Salon, Associate Professor of History; University Professor, First Year Seminars Alexander Karn Explainer: Why is there a two-party system in U.S.? Geo News, Associate Professor of Political Science; Director, Public Affairs and Policy Research Initiative Sam Rosenfeld Labor consultant: Foreign workers crucial to future success of North Dakota and the nation Grand Forks Herald, W. Bradford Wiley Professor of International Economics; Chair, Department of Economics Nicole Simpson This Maine man lost his brother during WWII. He's still searching for answers. Portland Press Herald, Maine, Elmer (Pat) Wright, Class of 1942 Mark Murphy selected for Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame after 17 years atop organization Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Mark Murphy ’77 How a Buffalo Bills fan became transformative Green Bay Packers leader WFRV Green Bay, Mark Murphy ’77 Meet John Krasinski's successful older brothers Paul and Kevin — their alternative career paths revealed Hello!, Kevin Krasinski ’95 Who Is Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s Wife? All About Lori Shapiro People, Lori Shapiro ’95 Maple Leafs’ Bobby McMann finding adaptation to NHL an ongoing process Toronto Sun, Bobby McMann ’20 The Boston Fleet’s roster is set for the start of the new season. Here’s a closer look at the players. Boston.com, Sydney Bard ’24 Ottawa Charge bring ‘relentless’ identity to nation's capital in 2nd PWHL campaign CBC Sports, Danielle Serdachny ’24 Faculty News Alumni News and Updates Alumni Faculty & Staff