91ֱ�� Announces 2026 Commencement Honorees</h1> <article> <h1>91ֱ�� Announces 2026 Commencement Honorees</h1> <p>kviancou — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 15:12:17 +0000</p> <span>91ֱ�� Announces 2026 Commencement Honorees</span> <span><span>kviancou</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-04-14T11:12:17-04:00" title="Tuesday, April 14, 2026 - 11:12">Tue, 04/14/2026 - 11:12</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p> 91ֱ�� will recognize six leaders in public service, scholarship, the arts, and community at its 2026 <a href="/events/oberlin-college-commencement">commencement ceremony on May 23</a>.</p><p><a href="/news/oberlin-names-cecilia-conrad-2026-commencement-speaker"><strong>Cecilia A. Conrad</strong></a><strong>,</strong> an economist, philanthropic leader, and founding CEO of Lever for Change, will receive an honorary doctor of humanities degree <a href="/news/oberlin-names-cecilia-conrad-2026-commencement-speaker">before delivering the keynote address to 91ֱ��’s Class of 2026</a>. As a former managing director of the MacArthur Foundation, she led the MacArthur Fellows Program—popularly known as the “Genius Grant"— focused on identifying and elevating some of the most creative minds of our time.</p><p>91ֱ�� will also present honorary degrees to alumna <strong>Chloe E. Bird ’86</strong>, a leading sociologist in women’s health, who will receive an honorary doctor of science; internationally acclaimed soprano <strong>Christine Goerke</strong>, who will receive an honorary doctor of music; and <strong>Carla D. Hayden</strong>, former Librarian of Congress, who will receive an honorary doctor of humanities.</p><p>Two others will be recognized for their exceptional service: <strong>Rosa Gadsden</strong> will receive the Award for Distinguished Service to the Community for her years-long impact in 91ֱ�� and Lorain County, and <strong>Leah Modigliani ’86</strong>, a pioneering finance leader and longtime supporter of 91ֱ��, will receive the Alumni Medal, the highest honor awarded by the 91ֱ�� Alumni Association.</p><p>This year's honorees are:</p><p><strong>Chloe E. Bird ’86, PhD, Honorary Doctor of Science</strong></p><div class="align-left"> </div> <p><strong>Chloe Bird</strong> is a sociologist whose work has shaped national conversations on women’s health. She is director of the Center for Women’s Health, Sex Differences, and Population Health at Tufts Medical Center, as well as the Sara Murray Jordan Professor of Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine and a senior sociologist at RAND. Her research has reshaped how scholars and policymakers understand the structural forces that influence health, with a particular focus on women’s health and health equity.</p><p>Bird’s work, which examines how social policies, institutional priorities, and access to care shape health outcomes, is funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, and Women’s Health Access Matters. Her influential book, <em>Gender and Health: The Effects of Constrained Choice and Social Policies</em>, offers a groundbreaking framework linking social and biological factors to show how families, workplaces, communities, and public policies affect opportunities to live healthy lives.</p><p>A dedicated 91ֱ�� alumna, Bird has remained deeply engaged with the college, generously sharing her time and expertise through public lectures and conversations with students. Her work connects closely with 91ֱ��’s global health and sociology programs and reflects the college’s belief that one person can change the world.</p><p>She holds both her master’s and doctoral degrees in sociology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and has played a key role in shaping national research agendas. She served on a National Academies of Sciences committee reviewing NIH funding for women’s health research and as a senior advisor in the NIH Office of Research on Women’s Health, helping guide efforts to address longstanding gaps in scientific knowledge and care.</p><p>A Fellow of both the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Academy of Health Behavior, Bird received the American Sociological Association’s Distinguished Career Award in 2021. Throughout her career, she has worked not only to advance research but to translate evidence into institutional and policy change to improve health for women and men alike.</p><hr><p><strong>Christine Goerke, Honorary Doctor of Music</strong></p><div class="align-left"> </div> <p>An internationally acclaimed dramatic soprano, <strong>Christine Goerke</strong> has built an extraordinary career spanning more than three decades on the world’s leading opera and concert stages. Known for her powerful, expressive voice and commanding stage presence, she has appeared with many of the most respected opera houses and orchestras, collaborating with conductors such as Seiji Ozawa, Robert Shaw, Christian Thielemann, Sir Andrew Davis, Sir Mark Elder, Andris Nelsons, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, and Semyon Bychkov.</p><p>A frequent presence at the Metropolitan Opera, Goerke has also performed at the Bayreuth Festspiele, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, the Paris Opera, Teatro alla Scala, Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco Opera, and Houston Grand Opera, among others. Her repertoire reflects a rare artistic evolution, from early work in Baroque and classical repertoire to the great dramatic roles of Wagner, Strauss, and Puccini.</p><p>In addition to her celebrated performing career, Goerke is a passionate educator and mentor. She has worked extensively with emerging artists through masterclasses and residencies at leading institutions, including the 91ֱ�� Conservatory of Music, where faculty still point to her masterclass as one of the most impactful in recent years. She has also taught at the University of Michigan, Northwestern University, the Eastman School of Music, and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and has mentored young artists through programs such as Glimmerglass Opera, Wolf Trap Opera, Washington National Opera, and the Aspen Music Festival. Her work with the Schmidt Foundation further reflects her dedication to supporting the next generation of singers through both artistic guidance and financial support.</p><p>From 2021 to 2024, Goerke served as associate artistic director of Detroit Opera, where she played a key role in reimagining the company’s Resident Artist Program. She continues to expand her artistic leadership through new initiatives, including the launch of Detroit’s Classic Opera Series at Music Hall. In fall 2026, she will join the faculty of the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance.</p><hr><p><strong>Carla D. Hayden, PhD, Honorary Doctor of Humanities</strong></p><div class="align-left"> </div> <p>A pioneering librarian and visionary leader, <strong>Carla Hayden</strong> served as the 14th Librarian of Congress from 2016 to 2025. Nominated by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the U.S. Senate, she was the first woman, the first Black person, and the first professional librarian to hold the position. During her tenure, she transformed the Library of Congress into a more open and accessible institution, expanding public engagement and dramatically increasing access to its vast collections through digitization. Although appointed to a 10-year term, she was fired from her position by President Donald Trump on May 8, 2025, in an email. </p><p>Two months later, Hayden was appointed a senior fellow at the Mellon Foundation, where she continues her commitment to expanding access to knowledge and cultural resources. Respected for her integrity, humility, and grace, she has consistently focused her work on advancing equity, strengthening communities, and ensuring that knowledge remains accessible to all.</p><p>Prior to her role as Librarian of Congress, Hayden had built a distinguished career focusing on the power of libraries to strengthen communities. She served as executive director of the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore for more than two decades, where her leadership established the library as a vital civic institution. During moments of crisis, including the unrest following the death of Freddie Gray in 2015, she made the courageous decision to keep branches open, reinforcing the library’s role as a safe and trusted community space. Earlier in her career, she was an associate professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Information Science and held leadership roles at the Chicago Public Library.</p><p>Hayden earned her bachelor’s degree at Roosevelt University and her master’s and doctoral degrees in library science at the University of Chicago. A national leader in the profession, she served as president of the American Library Association, where she championed “equity of access” and spoke out in defense of intellectual freedom and user privacy. Her advocacy and leadership have made her a role model for generations of librarians, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds, and she has long supported efforts to diversify the field.</p><hr><p><strong>Rosa Gadsden, Award for Distinguished Service to the Community</strong></p><div class="align-left"> </div> <p>A dedicated community leader and lifelong resident of 91ֱ��, <strong>Rosa Gadsden</strong> has made a lasting impact through her service, leadership, and commitment to supporting others. A graduate of 91ֱ�� High School and former member of the 91ֱ�� School Board, she has long been engaged in strengthening the local community.</p><p>For nearly a decade, Gadsden has worked at 91ֱ�� Community Services, moving from her early role as a gardener in the People’s Garden to her current position as volunteer and outreach coordinator. In this role, she oversees the organization’s food pantry, trains and supports volunteers, and helps lead initiatives that serve hundreds of Lorain County residents each year. In the past fiscal year alone, she coordinated more than 200 volunteers who contributed thousands of hours of service.</p><p>Gadsden also plays a central role in organizing community events, including the annual Juneteenth cookout and the Jaqui Willis Back-to-School supply drive, helping ensure that essential resources and moments of connection are accessible to everyone. This work provides meaningful opportunities for 91ֱ�� College students to engage with the broader community while addressing critical needs.</p><p>Known for her warmth, leadership, deep knowledge of community resources, and for bringing people together, Gadsden is also active with the Mount Zion Church choir. Through her tireless efforts and genuine care for others, she has enriched the lives of countless individuals and exemplifies the spirit of service that defines 91ֱ��.</p><hr><p><strong>Leah Modigliani ’86, Alumni Medal</strong></p><p><strong>Leah Modigliani</strong> graduated from 91ֱ�� with high honors in economics. When her daughter later enrolled, she became the fifth generation in their maternal line to graduate from the college, reflecting a deep and enduring family connection to 91ֱ��.</p><p>Modigliani earned an MBA at Harvard Business School and went on to a distinguished career in finance. At Morgan Stanley, she co-developed the M2 measure of risk-adjusted return, which is now an industry standard included in Chartered Financial Analyst materials, journals, and textbooks. She also developed a global stock risk-rating system for the firm. Over the course of her career, she has served as a portfolio strategist, research analyst, portfolio manager, and executive director, advising mutual funds, hedge funds, pension funds, foundations, and endowments on asset allocation, portfolio construction, and investment strategy.</p><p>She has been featured in outlets including <em>The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Economist, Money Magazine</em>, and CNN, and she has served as a co-host on CNBC. She has also held positions at the International Finance Corporation of the World Bank, Neuberger Berman, and Bridgewater Associates.</p><p>A dedicated and longtime supporter of the college, Modigliani served for 24 years on the 91ֱ�� College Investment Committee of the Board of Trustees (as an external member), including six years as co-chair. During her tenure, the college’s endowment more than doubled to over $1 billion while supporting substantial annual withdrawals for the operating budget.</p><p>A former co-op member, Modigliani later served as an advisor to OSCA student leadership. Committed to social justice, she is a pro bono consultant to numerous nonprofits, president of the board of Youth Communication, and an advisor to NYU’s Hidden Legacies Project: "Slavery, Race, and Contemporary Institutions in the United States." She lives with her family in New York City.</p><p>The Alumni Medal is the highest honor awarded by the 91ֱ�� Alumni Association, recognizing individuals who exemplify outstanding, sustained, or unique service to 91ֱ�� College.</p><p> </p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">College and conservatory celebrate six leaders whose work reflects 91ֱ��’s commitment to creativity, equity, and community.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2026-04-14T12:00:00Z">Tue, 04/14/2026 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Office of Communications</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3152">Commencement</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2368">Alumni</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-article-header field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">0</div> </article> <article> <h1>Wielding Power for Good</h1> <p>azaleski — Thu, 26 Feb 2026 17:29:44 +0000</p> <span>Wielding Power for Good</span> <span><span>azaleski</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-02-26T12:29:44-05:00" title="Thursday, February 26, 2026 - 12:29">Thu, 02/26/2026 - 12:29</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Annika Krafcik ’20 had never set foot in Alaska before the summer of 2018. A double-degree student at 91ֱ��, she decided to attend the Sitka Cello Seminar—and there was no turning back. “I applied because my mom really wanted to visit,” she says. “Little did she know she would lose me to Alaska forever.”</p><p>The triple major in <a href="/cello">cello performance</a>, <a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/history">history</a>, and <a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/russian">Russian & Eastern European studies</a> instantly fell in love with Sitka, the close-knit community of 8,000 on the shores of southeast Alaska.</p><p>Whether through playing music or doing public interest work, “ the things that people were asking me to do to contribute to the community were things that I really loved about myself and wanted to nurture,” she says.</p><p>Seven years later, Krafcik now lives in Sitka full time, giving back to her community in a new position: as deputy legal director for the Sitka Tribe of Alaska. Her path from 91ֱ�� to law school—and finally back north to “The Last Frontier”—held plenty of twists and turns, but it paid off in a big way.</p><p>The year after that first Alaska trip, Krafcik used her leadership experience in OSCA, 91ֱ��’s student-run housing and dining cooperative, to apply for a job as a chef at the Sitka Fine Arts Camp. The multidisciplinary summer camp, run by 91ֱ�� alum Roger Schmidt ’92, encourages creativity and community among the campers and staff. After 11 weeks serving meals and playing the cello around camp, “I was like, ‘Okay, I'm moving here,’” she says.</p><p>Graduating in 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, added new roadblocks to her path back. Frustrated by many of the political decisions being made at high levels of government, she “spent a lot of time thinking about who has power in society and how power is wielded for good or for evil,” she says. </p><p>“There are so many flaws in the legal system, and it's so deeply broken, but we need good people to at least try to wield it for good. If we just hand over the broken system to the people who want to manipulate it even further, we are so screwed.”</p><p>To get back to Alaska—a state with no law schools—an energized Krafcik took the LSAT and enrolled in the UCLA School of Law. “[While there] I definitely got the rap of, ‘Oh, that's the Alaska girl,’” she says. But having Sitka as her north star helped her stay focused in a system designed to push students toward corporate law. </p><p>Her course load focused on topics that would best serve her small community, including a climate change seminar, a tribal legal development clinic, and classes on General Law of the Sea and Indigenous Peoples' Rights. </p><p>The latter two were part of her study abroad experience in Norway during her second year of law school—an adventure funded in part through grants from <a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/russian/ocreecas">91ֱ��'s Center for Russian, East European, and Central Asian Studies</a> .</p><p>Ten days after graduating from UCLA in 2024, Krafcik packed her bags and drove more than 3,000 miles from Southern California to Skagway, Alaska. After almost a year clerking for Judge Amanda Browning, the perfect opportunity arrived.</p><p>”When the position opened with the Sitka Tribe, I couldn't believe it,” she says. “It’s Native Law, which I specialized in during law school. It allows me to live in Sitka, and it’s a long-term position.” As an associate tribal attorney, she advocates for the court, manages grants from the Department of Justice, updates policies and ordinances, and reviews contracts.</p><p>“There’s definitely a steep learning curve, and a cultural learning curve too,” she says. But “I’m really loving all of the work that I get to do.”</p><p>Of course, living in Sitka, Krafcik is more than just a lawyer. She sits on the board of the Fine Arts Camp, recently joined a water polo team, and continues to play cello with the Juneau Symphony. She's also excited about her recent appointment to the board of the Southeast Alaska Conservation Council. “The amazing thing about Sitka is you never know what's coming next.”</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">As a public interest lawyer, Annika Krafcik ’20 improves the lives of people in her southeast Alaska community. And her journey to get there started at 91ֱ��.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2026-02-26T12:00:00Z">Thu, 02/26/2026 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Stephanie Manning ’23</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2368">Alumni</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3924">Law and Society</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=35261">Cello</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25426">Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/history" hreflang="und">History</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/russian" hreflang="und">Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/law-and-society" hreflang="und">Law and Society</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Courtesy of Annika Krafcik ’20</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-article-header field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">0</div> </article> <article> <h1>Redefining the Canvas: Meena Hasan ’09 Expands the Boundaries of Painting</h1> <p>azaleski — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 19:38:05 +0000</p> <span>Redefining the Canvas: Meena Hasan ’09 Expands the Boundaries of Painting</span> <span><span>azaleski</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-02-24T14:38:05-05:00" title="Tuesday, February 24, 2026 - 14:38">Tue, 02/24/2026 - 14:38</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Whether working on a soft sculpture or an artwork suspended from the ceiling, Meena Hasan ’09 brings it all back to painting. </p><p>“A lot of my practice is about questioning what a painting is or can be—and whether it even has to be a surface that's on the wall,” she says. “Can it hang in the middle of a space and become a wall in and of itself, or even the whole environment? I’m really interested in complicating the limits and boundaries that define mediums.” </p><p> </p><div> </div> <p> </p><p>Hasan says that her early years at 91ֱ�� allowed her to stretch these strict definitions, both within traditional mediums and in her own thinking about a career in art. As a studio art major, she focused largely on ink drawings. In a class with Professor Susan Umbenhour, she created drawings based on a nude model who was half-Egyptian, which became a significant connection for her. “Drawing from her poses just inspired me so much and made me feel seen in terms of my own family, heritage, and upbringing,” Hasan says. She incorporated those figure drawings into collages made with fabric, transparencies, vellum, and Bangladeshi textiles sourced from her family. </p><p>In the class The Nature of the Abstract, taught by then-Young-Hunter Professor of Art John Pearson, Hasan worked with open-ended prompts that allowed her to consider how her art might expand into larger bodies of work. Another faculty member, Don Harvey, encouraged her to try animation and stop motion; she also dipped into silk screening and sculpture. </p><p>Beyond her art, Hasan followed her interest in psychology, taking multiple courses in the discipline. She later became a copy and photo editor for the <em>91ֱ�� Review</em> and the art editor of the student-run literary magazine <em>The Wilder Voice</em>. “I collaborated with a lot of students,” she says. “The community I made with my classmates was hugely formative and has continued to feed and serve me well.” </p><p>After graduating, Hasan moved back to her native New York City. She split her time between internships, part-time jobs, and making art, often commuting long distances and spending late nights at a shared studio space in Gowanus. </p><p>An opportunity to spend three months as an affiliated fellow at the American Academy in Rome helped clarify her future goals. “Being there with mid-career and late-career artists—who had made whole lives out of their work—was huge for me,” she says. “I was able to see the future I wanted.” </p><p>Hasan used the time to create a body of work for her graduate school application. That work helped her move beyond thinking about identity politics “in an overly didactic and binary system between East and West,” and instead reflect on the gray areas within her identity as a New Yorker. She subsequently earned an MFA in painting and printmaking at Yale, where she was one of a handful of students who had attended a liberal arts college rather than an art school. </p><p>“We all had this strange benefit of not having been trained in a particular way,” she says. “We were all making work that was really authentic to who we were. That's what you're in grad school to figure out—your voice and your distinct way of communicating. I came in already having that.” </p><p>Today, Hasan is an associate professor and graduate program director in the fine arts painting department at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). In her teaching and studio practice, she is interested in “historic objects and textiles that are housed in Western institutions,” studying them as “affected, living objects with stories and narratives beyond those that have been assigned to them.” </p><p>In spring 2025, Hasan presented a series of works at the Old Stone House of Brooklyn, a reconstructed historic house located at the site of the 1776 Battle of Brooklyn. In the exhibit, Hasan made connections between the revolutionary history of America and that of India, referencing Tipu Sultan, the Indian ruler who fought against British forces. </p><p>One work portrays Tipu’s helmet draped on a free-standing painting easel, with two carabiners hanging at the bottom. The piece incorporates Higgins India ink, acrylic and Flashe paints, and Okawara paper—in line with Hasan’s explorations of what a painting can look like. </p><p>While admittedly often indecisive, Hasan says that her decision to focus on art came from a place of “intention, assuredness, and gratitude.” Her early years as an art student were especially important. </p><p>“I have to allow myself to doubt what I'm doing for as long as possible—to make sure that I'm confident,” she says. “And to make sure I’m not doing it just because I’m good at it, or because it's convenient. I feel lucky that I was able to explore so many different disciplines —and be around people who were really committed to them. Being at 91ֱ�� made that possible.”</p><hr><p><em>91ֱ��’s </em><a href="/arts-and-sciences/ba-bfa"><em>BA+BFA in Integrated Arts program</em></a><em> combines the rigor of an arts school with the well-rounded, interdisciplinary education of a liberal arts college. Learn more about this five-year program that’s tailored to each student’s academic and artistic interests.</em></p><p> </p><div> </div> <p> </p><p> </p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">The RISD professor explores identity, history, and materiality through work that challenges traditional definitions </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2026-02-24T12:00:00Z">Tue, 02/24/2026 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Eva Recinos</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2368">Alumni</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=4269">Studio Art</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-article-header field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">0</div> </article> <article> <h1>91ֱ�� Celebrates the Dedication of Langston Hall</h1> <p>awillia2 — Wed, 18 Feb 2026 20:44:08 +0000</p> <span>91ֱ�� Celebrates the Dedication of Langston Hall</span> <span><span>awillia2</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-02-18T15:44:08-05:00" title="Wednesday, February 18, 2026 - 15:44">Wed, 02/18/2026 - 15:44</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>On Friday, February 13, 91ֱ�� formally dedicated the student residence <a href="/langston-north-hall" target="_blank" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="0ea8e1d7-56c9-4c0e-8d24-8d5e79736be1" data-entity-substitution="canonical" title="Langston (North Hall)">Langston Hall</a> to its namesake, John Mercer Langston, one of 91ֱ��’s earliest Black graduates, who went on to become the first Black lawyer in Ohio admitted to the bar. </p><p>Langston had a long list of other achievements, such as helping to establish the Howard University School of Law, serving as its founding dean, and becoming Virginia’s first Black congressman. </p><p><a href="/carmen-twillie-ambar" target="_blank" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="38ab2e86-9b30-44f2-9df4-a3b404b62fa6" data-entity-substitution="canonical" title="Carmen Twillie Ambar">President Carmen Twillie Ambar</a> noted the importance of installing commemorative plaques on campus honoring influential alumni. “These markers of impact and influence are not just important for historical sake; they’re also important for what we can do in the future,” she said.</p><p>The ceremony featured a keynote address from A.G. Miller, Professor Emeritus of Religion and Africana Studies and pastor at 91ֱ�� House of the Lord Fellowship. He gave a detailed retelling of Langston’s life and accomplishments, noting that much of 91ֱ��’s Black history and African American community can be traced back to Langston’s time as a student.</p><figure role="group"> <div> </div> <figcaption>Photo credit: Tanya Rosen-Jones ’97</figcaption> </figure> <p>In a congratulatory video submitted by Howard University School of Law, Dean Roger A. Fairfax, Jr., sent warm wishes to 91ֱ��. “The extraordinary John Mercer Langston is one of the most consequential individuals in American history,” he said.</p><p>The afternoon tea continued with a musical celebration featuring conservatory students and guitarist Damian Goggans ’25. They performed pieces curated by <a href="/courtney-savali-andrews" target="_blank" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="8146bfb3-7505-45c8-a70d-1334cce8235a" data-entity-substitution="canonical" title="Courtney-Savali Andrews">Professor Courtney-Savali Andrews ’04</a> that highlighted African American composers whose works were heard around the world in the 19th century.</p><p>In addition to the plaque, President Ambar also unveiled the portrait of Langston, which will hang proudly in Langston Hall, helping students and visitors alike to better understand the remarkable legacy and history surrounding them. </p><p><a class="view-more" href="https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCKGVd" target="_blank">View the entire photo gallery</a></p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Staff, students, and 91ֱ�� community members gathered to honor the legacy of John Mercer Langston, class of 1849, during afternoon tea in the Starlight Lounge.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2026-02-23T12:00:00Z">Mon, 02/23/2026 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Danielle Frezza</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2368">Alumni</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2495">Black History Month</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Tanya Rosen-Jones ’97</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-flex-content field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden vertical-spacing--basic field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <div id="obj-48216" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-copy paragraph--view-mode--default o-flex--basic-copy basic-copy"> <hr><p><em>To learn more about John Mercer Langston’s legacy at 91ֱ��, visit </em><a href="/news/oberlin-honors-pioneering-alum-feb-13-dedication" target="_blank" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="091de54e-a99d-4dbf-8bc9-b9c74b39668b" data-entity-substitution="canonical" title="91ֱ�� Honors a Pioneering Alum with Feb. 13 Dedication"><em>/news/oberlin-honors-pioneering-alum-feb-13-dedication</em></a><em>.</em></p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-article-header field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">0</div> </article> <article> <h1>An Immersive Approach</h1> <p>azaleski — Thu, 19 Feb 2026 20:45:12 +0000</p> <span>An Immersive Approach</span> <span><span>azaleski</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-02-19T15:45:12-05:00" title="Thursday, February 19, 2026 - 15:45">Thu, 02/19/2026 - 15:45</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Learning that scholarly work goes hand-in-hand with having a creative practice was transformational for Leah Flax Barber ’18. </p><p>The <a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/comparative-literature">comparative literature</a> and <a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/german">German</a> double major started cultivating this approach as a first-year student at 91ֱ��.</p><p>Encouraged by a professor to discover what it means to establish a lyric practice in the 21st century, she started writing longhand in composition notebooks. </p><p>Years later, she followed this same method when shaping her first volume of poetry, 2025’s <em>The Mirror of Simple Souls</em>, while earning an MFA in poetry at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.</p><p>Throughout the collection, the tension between freedom and constraint is a thematic thread. Barber positions a pair of interests—theatre and mysticism—in conversation with one another. For example, Barber resurrects Columbina, an actress figure of the commedia dell’arte, as a vehicle for understanding her own destiny as a soon-to-be historical subject. </p><p>“The fragmentary return of historical forms in others is woven throughout my work,” Barber says.</p><p>The title, which is taken from an early 14th-century text also called <em>The Mirror of Simple Souls</em> by the French author Marguerite Porete, reveals her affinity for lenses, or breaking down ways of seeing. <br><br>It the titular poem, Barber suggests: </p><blockquote><p><em>That a book is a mirror</em><br><em>It cures the soul of its complication</em><br><em>By manipulating its reflection</em><br><em>Or revealing it</em></p></blockquote><p>A Chicago native, Barber chose 91ֱ�� for its emphasis on the arts and remembers being fully immersed in her college experience: reading German plays, attending TIMARA concerts, and studying away in Berlin. <br><br>“I had boundless curiosity and excitement for learning while at 91ֱ��,” says Barber, who credits multiple mentors with helping her cultivate creativity and contemplate the responsibility of the poet in the world.</p><p>Working closely with John “Jed” Erickson Deppman, the late Irvin E. Houck Professor of Comparative Literature and English, further deepened Barber’s understanding of life and the world around her. Professor of Comparative Literature <a href="/stiliana-milkova">Stiliana Milkova</a>, meanwhile, taught her to respond to the intertextuality of literature.</p><p>Barber’s passion for working with first-year students, and paying forward the very guidance she received as an undergrad, endures in her post-91ֱ�� work. She received the inaugural Peggy Woods Award for Innovative Teaching from the UMass-Amherst Writing Program in 2023 and was later selected for the university’s 2023-24 Instructional Innovation Fellowship.</p><p>“I have always enjoyed the freedom to focus on the work,” she says. “I never felt like teaching took away from my art.” </p><p>Last year, a lifelong love of learning landed her back in the classroom at the University of Chicago Law School, where she is a Rubenstein Scholar and focuses on child advocacy. </p><p>“I work for the Juvenile and Criminal Justice Clinic, which provides pro bono representation to young people who are accused of delinquency or crime, as well as to individuals who were convicted as youth and are now serving extreme sentences,” Barber says. “I also have scholarly interests in Roman law and early Christianity which I am exploring in classes in the law school and also the university’s divinity school.”</p><p>Meanwhile, <em>The Mirror of Souls</em> has received praise from the <em>Harvard Review</em> and <em>Bomb</em> magazine. With loose structural parameters, the poet’s daily practice continues—although she no longer numbers her notebooks. <br><br>In retrospect, the principle takeaway from Barber’s time at 91ֱ�� endures: “Being an artist can be complementary to everything in one’s life.”</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Leah Flax Barber ’18 established a creative practice at 91ֱ��—resulting in a debut poetry collection, "The Mirror of Simple Souls."</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2026-02-19T12:00:00Z">Thu, 02/19/2026 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item"> Hannah Van Sickle</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2368">Alumni</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25316">Comparative Literature</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-faculty field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/stiliana-milkova" hreflang="und">Stiliana Milkova</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/comparative-literature" hreflang="und">Comparative Literature</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/german" hreflang="und">German Language and Literatures</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Courtesy of Leah Flax Barber ’18</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-article-header field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">0</div> </article> <article> <h1>Chudi Martin Jr. ’24 Earns Prestigious Gates Cambridge Scholarship</h1> <p>azaleski — Thu, 19 Feb 2026 15:42:49 +0000</p> <span>Chudi Martin Jr. ’24 Earns Prestigious Gates Cambridge Scholarship</span> <span><span>azaleski</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-02-19T10:42:49-05:00" title="Thursday, February 19, 2026 - 10:42">Thu, 02/19/2026 - 10:42</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Chudi Martin Jr. ’24 was teaching in his second-grade classroom at a Detroit public school when he saw the email notification.</p><p>The subject line read: “Gates Cambridge Offer.” He opened it.</p><p>“I read, ‘We are pleased…’ and I’m like, no, there’s no way this is happening right now,” he said.</p><p>Martin learned he was one of 26 people awarded the highly competitive <a href="https://www.gatescambridge.org/about/news/2026-us-scholars-announced/">Gates Cambridge Scholarship</a>—an honor reserved for the most academically brilliant social leaders in the U.S. The scholarship funds full postgraduate study at the University of Cambridge and recognizes exceptional academic achievement, leadership, and commitment to improving the lives of others.</p><p>Martin texted his work group chat and asked if someone could take over his class for a few minutes. Then he stepped out and called his mom from the bathroom.</p><p>“She was driving. I showed her the email. She’s crying. I’m trying not to cry. She’s like, ‘I have to pull over.’ She just stopped to absorb it. I couldn’t believe I actually got it.”</p><p>Martin is only the third 91ֱ�� graduate to earn the honor, following Daniel Walden ’12 and <a href="/news/stephen-lezak-15-awarded-gates-cambridge-scholarship">Stephen Lezak ’15</a>. At 91ֱ��, he double-majored in <a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/africana-studies">Africana studies</a> and <a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/environmental-studies">environmental studies</a>, with a minor in <a href="/musical-pathways/african-american-music-minor">African American music</a>, and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. </p><p>A Chicago native and Posse Scholar, he conducted mentored undergraduate research through the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Research Fellowship. His project, “<a href="/undergraduate-research/student-projects/466166">The Standing History of Afro-Diasporic Traditions in Trinidad & Tobago</a>,” combined textual, musicological, and ethnographic analysis of Afro-Trinidadian cultural traditions.</p><p>Outside the classroom, Martin immersed himself in Afro-diasporic performance traditions, playing steelpan with 91ֱ�� Steel and serving as a teaching assistant for the Djembe Orchestra, while also leading Steel Pan and Capoeira Angola ExCo courses.</p><p>He hadn’t played an instrument before college, but found himself drawn to the vibrant and diverse music scene on campus. “91ֱ�� gave me the ability to dive deeper into the practice of these Afro-diasporic art forms that I didn’t necessarily have access to beforehand,” he says, adding that he continues to play music.</p><p>Those combined experiences, he said, sharpened both his academic focus and his sense of leadership—foundations he will build on at Cambridge, where he will pursue a Master of Philosophy in social anthropology, continuing his research on the evolution of Afro-diasporic traditions and the power of music, movement, and dance in Trinidad and Tobago’s history.</p><p>“As a pannist of Trinidadian descent, I aim to bridge gaps between practitioners, scholars, and intellectuals outside of the academy and explore Caribbean narratives through a more nuanced perspective,” he says of his <a href="/undergraduate-research/student-projects/466166">research interests</a>.</p><p>For Martin, the Gates Cambridge Scholarship represents more than an academic milestone. He credits his family, faculty mentors, and the networks he built through Posse and Mellon Mays with helping him prepare—including months of interview practice and many pages of handwritten notes. “I really called on my support network for this opportunity,” he says. “Even if I didn’t get it, I wanted to walk out knowing I did my best.”</p><p>The award also carries significance beyond his own journey. “This is a moment for us to really take and be proud of,” he says, reflecting on the power of representation and what the scholarship means for Black students pursuing international academic opportunities. “For my Black boys, my Black girls—anything is possible. You have to put in the time and the work.”</p><p>Professor of Africana Studies <a href="/charles-peterson">Charles Peterson</a>, who was one of Martin’s mentors at 91ֱ��, likewise expresses his admiration for Martin’s “commitment to community.” </p><p>“Chudi’s accomplishments are always tied to the benefit of others, and I am sure his experience at Cambridge will be no different,” he says. “It has been an honor and pleasure to work with him and I have no doubt about the great things he will achieve going forward.”</p><p>Long term, Martin hopes to earn a doctorate and return to the classroom as a professor, and said his ultimate goal would be to teach in 91ֱ��’s Africana studies department—creating more space in academia for Afrocentric scholarship and Caribbean narratives that have historically been underrepresented. </p><p>“This is not a Chudi-wins-the-Gates-Cambridge-Scholarship moment,” he said. “This is the support and the community that brought me here.</p><p>"Being a teacher, you learn something from your students all the time. Kids have such a ‘You can do it’ attitude. You might feel like you're struggling, but there's always one kid who's like, ‘You're the best teacher ever!’”</p><p>One of his students—“the best reader in my classroom,” Martin says—is on the autism spectrum. “Never lose your love for reading. You’re going to go far in life,” he tells him. It’s the kind of encouragement Martin recognizes from his own journey and hopes to pass forward.</p><hr><p><em>Elizabeth Weinstein ’02 is a freelance writer and editor based in Columbus, Ohio.</em></p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">The 91ֱ�� alum will continue his research on Afro-diasporic traditions in music, movement, and dance at St. John's College in Cambridge.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2026-02-19T12:00:00Z">Thu, 02/19/2026 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Elizabeth Weinstein '02</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2368">Alumni</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=4080">Fellowships</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2373">Awards and Honors</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3846">Engaged Liberal Arts</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/africana-studies" hreflang="und">Africana Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/environmental-studies" hreflang="und">Environmental Studies and Science</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Martin is the third 91ֱ�� graduate to earn the honor, following Daniel Walden ’12 and Stephen Lezak ’15. </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Courtesy of Chudi Martin Jr. '24</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-article-header field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">0</div> </article> <article> <h1>Going Places</h1> <p>azaleski — Thu, 19 Feb 2026 21:03:52 +0000</p> <span>Going Places</span> <span><span>azaleski</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-02-19T16:03:52-05:00" title="Thursday, February 19, 2026 - 16:03">Thu, 02/19/2026 - 16:03</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Earlier this year, Luca Johnson ’24 landed his dream role: working on the Safe Routes Philly initiative. </p><p>Managed by Philadelphia’s Office of Transportation, Infrastructure, and Sustainability, the city-wide program helps protect children from traffic incidents on their way to school.</p><p>Johnson’s role at Safe Routes, which is supported by the AmeriCorps VISTA program, is helping him master skills for administering a public initiative for a major city, such as grant writing and community outreach.</p><p>“My favorite part of what I’ve been doing is joining a walking or biking ‘school bus,’ where students, parents, and volunteers meet and walk or bike to school together,” Johnson says. “I get to bike with the kids and talk to them about safe biking practices.”</p><p>Growing up in the Boston area, he always wanted to work in public transportation—and saw first-hand how the subway system (colloquially known as the T) and the city’s bus lines tended to benefit wealthier neighborhoods. </p><p>At 91ֱ��, he pursued this interest in public transit with depth, rigor, and passion thanks to the <a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/sociology">sociology</a> department. Encouraged by Professor of Sociology <a href="/greggor-mattson">Greggor Mattson</a>, Johnson applied and won the <a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/sociology/awards">Jerome Davis Research Award</a>, which sent him to Los Angeles to conduct fieldwork on the city’s metro system.</p><p>With the help of his advisor, William G. Smith Associate Professor of Sociology and Comparative American Studies <a href="/alicia-smith-tran">Alicia Smith-Tran ’10</a>, Johnson presented his findings on “transit vanity projects as a representation of spatial injustice” at a conference of the North Central Sociological Association.</p><p>Throughout his time at 91ֱ��, Johnson says he felt supported in his desire to follow his curiosity. “Community-centered transportation is a very niche field, and that was intimidating when I first entered the job market,” he says. “But 91ֱ��’s ability to encourage these niches makes it so that when you do find that fit, your level of interest is really rewarded.</p><p>“Having the freedom to explore my intellectual interests at 91ֱ�� and being in a supportive learning environment gave me the confidence to enter a space like the Office of Transportation with a growth mindset,” he adds. “I know that ‘growth mindset’ is such a phrase—but it’s true, and it allowed me to soak in all the information I can here.”</p><p>Johnson especially appreciated his soft landing in Philly. In early 2025, while living in Los Angeles, his previous organization shut down due to funding cuts, and he lost a similar role.</p><p>“I saw the impact of that organization during my time in L.A., and seeing how quickly something like that can go away reaffirmed its importance,” Johnson says. “That experience only hardened my resolve to continue this work.”</p><p>During his year-long appointment at Safe Routes Philly, he is helping the program expand throughout the city by making connections with other schools and “using mapping technologies to reflect the work that we’re doing and how we want to expand,” he says. “I get to do so many different things, including creating the institutional memory of this program to ensure its longevity.”</p><hr><p><em>Kristen Evans is a culture writer and critic who has written for</em> BuzzFeed, The Boston Globe, The Los Angeles Times, LA Weekly, NYLON, <em>and</em> the New Republic.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Thanks to support from 91ֱ��, Luca Johnson ’24 explored his interest in public transportation—and now helps the city of Philadelphia design safer routes to school.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2026-02-19T12:00:00Z">Thu, 02/19/2026 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Kristen Evans</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2368">Alumni</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=4340">Sociology</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25431">Sociology</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/sociology" hreflang="und">Sociology</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Courtesy of Luca Johnson '24</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-article-header field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">0</div> </article> <article> <h1>“Fun Home” Finds Itself at 91ֱ��</h1> <p>azaleski — Wed, 04 Feb 2026 15:49:41 +0000</p> <span>“Fun Home” Finds Itself at 91ֱ��</span> <span><span>azaleski</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-02-04T10:49:41-05:00" title="Wednesday, February 4, 2026 - 10:49">Wed, 02/04/2026 - 10:49</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>When Visiting Assistant Professor of Theater <a href="/katy-early">Katy Early ’16</a> had the opportunity to serve as faculty director for a theater production, she chose the musical adaptation of <em>Fun Home</em>, the 2006 graphic memoir written by Alison Bechdel ’81. </p><p>There was so much enthusiasm for the production, which ended up as a student-driven <a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/theater">theater department</a> Winter Term project, that Early and her crew decided to double-cast the show.</p><p>“The excitement was there from the jump,” Early says. “It felt like a good connection between my interest and student interest. … [And] it’s been important to me to work on this [musical] with students.”</p><p>The enthusiasm makes sense. In 2007, the graphic novel won the GLAAD Media Award, the Stonewall Book Award, the Publishing-Triangle Judy Grahn Nonfiction Award, and the Lambda Literary Award. The 2015 Broadway musical, meanwhile, was nominated for 12 Tony Awards and took home five, including Best Musical. </p><p>In both mediums, <em>Fun Home</em>, which tells the story of Bechdel’s coming of age and coming out with a strong focus on her relationship with her closeted father, has been praised for its nuanced exploration of queerness. As such, the show's complex architecture was the work of many hands. </p><p>To inform the set and costume design, Early and the student cast and crew immersed themselves in 91ֱ��’s archives to find artifacts of queer life during Bechdel’s time as a student. </p><p>“That task of archiving queer life is so important to the DNA of this show, and [is] what Alison Bechdel is doing with her life,” Early says.</p><p>Dallas Street ’26, who portrays Alison in the Maple Avenue cast, cites as inspiration a presentation by Lee Must ’25, who came to campus to present his research on the 91ֱ�� queer archives to the cast and crew. .</p><p>Street says that the Fun Home production also has its own collaborative “masterdoc” in which cast and crew members contribute notes and research to collectively draw from. For example, he researched Bechdel’s old blog posts for the production. </p><p>Costume design associate Calcifer Avins ’27, working under Associate Professor of Theater <a href="/chris-flaharty">Chris Flaharty</a>, drew inspiration from 91ֱ�� archival photographs for their costume design for the character of Joan, Alison’s college girlfriend. </p><p>Avins says they and Flaharty also heavily referenced the <em>Fun Home</em> graphic novel in their design, particularly in the way that Bechdel draws her family. “We’re seeing what kind of pants they wore,” says Avins, who is interested in pursuing a career in costume design. “What are the shapes of the collars? How does Alison differentiate herself from her brothers with her clothes?”</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item"> A theater department Winter Term project culminates in a thoughtful musical adaptation of Alison Bechdel '81’s graphic memoir</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2026-02-04T12:00:00Z">Wed, 02/04/2026 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Sloane DiBari '27</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2402">Winter Term</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2368">Alumni</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25441">Theater</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-faculty field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/katy-early" hreflang="und">Katy Early</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/theater" hreflang="und">Theater</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-cte-images field--type-list-string field--label-hidden field__item">Yes (Individual Images)</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Yevhen Gulenko</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-flex-content field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden vertical-spacing--basic field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <div id="obj-47799" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-cont-img-section paragraph--view-mode--photoswipe-images photoswipe-gallery"> <div class="pull" style="margin-bottom: -1.5rem;"> <div class="readability-width"> <div id="obj-47794" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-ic paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div id="obj-47805" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-headline paragraph--view-mode--default"> <h2>Scenes from "Fun Home"</h2> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="o-flex--basic-copy basic-copy"> <div class="image-grid image-grid--single-caption pull"> <div id="obj-47798" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-image-row paragraph--view-mode--photoswipe-images"> <div class="image-row"> <div class="image-row__images" data-cols="3"> <div id="obj-47795" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-figure paragraph--view-mode--photoswipe-images"> <figure> <a href="/sites/default/files/2026-02/funhome-alison.jpg" class="photoswipe" data-pswp-width="1600" data-pswp-height="900"> </a> </figure> </div> <div id="obj-47796" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-figure paragraph--view-mode--photoswipe-images"> <figure> <a href="/sites/default/files/2026-02/funhome-sketch.jpg" class="photoswipe" data-pswp-width="1600" data-pswp-height="900"> </a> </figure> </div> <div id="obj-47797" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-figure paragraph--view-mode--photoswipe-images"> <figure> <a href="/sites/default/files/2026-02/FunHome-Cal.jpg" class="photoswipe" data-pswp-width="1600" data-pswp-height="900"> </a> </figure> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="figcaption"> <div class="figure__caption"> <p>(left to right; click each photo to expand) Dallas Street '26 portrays Alison in Fun Home; archival work students used to inform <em>Fun Home</em>'s costumes and set; costume design associate Calcifer Avins ’27 drew inspiration from 91ֱ�� archival photographs for their designs</p> </div> <div class="figure__credit"> Photo credit: Yevhen Gulenko </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div id="obj-47806" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-copy paragraph--view-mode--default o-flex--basic-copy basic-copy"> <p><em>Fun Home</em> is, in part, a story of self-discovery, a lot of which takes place at 91ֱ��. As a result, Early and Street say the production is unique in that it pays special attention to the campus environment. </p><p>“We have talked a lot about how to break the fourth wall a little bit with an 91ֱ�� audience specifically,” Street says, noting this is especially true in scenes where Bechdel is an undergraduate discovering her lesbian identity. </p><p>Avins says the musical is personally meaningful to her, as well as her peers on the cast and crew, which has created an “incredibly dynamic” work environment. </p><p>Street, meanwhile, emphasizes that what makes the show truly special is the passion coming from the queer students involved. He says his role as Alison is important to him.</p><p>“To be trusted with a story like this at all feels really special,” Street says. “I don't know when else I would be able to play a butch character. I figured out that I was butch at 91ֱ��, and so being able to do this here, now, in my final semester, just feels like a goodbye.”</p><hr><p><em><strong>Fun Home</strong></em><strong> is presented at the </strong><a href="/events/theater-mainstage-fun-home-4"><strong>Irene and Alan Wurtzel Theater from February 4-8, 2026</strong></a><strong>, by arrangement with Concord Theatricals and is open to the public. Tickets are $15 for general admission and $10 for students, seniors, and 91ֱ�� College faculty/staff/alumni. Shows are sold out, but a waitlist will open one hour prior to show start time, with cash-only tickets available at the door.</strong></p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-article-header field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">1</div> </article> <article> <h1>Leo Hidy ’23 Earns 2026 Marshall Scholarship</h1> <p>azaleski — Mon, 08 Dec 2025 16:22:30 +0000</p> <span>Leo Hidy ’23 Earns 2026 Marshall Scholarship</span> <span><span>azaleski</span></span> <span><time datetime="2025-12-08T11:22:30-05:00" title="Monday, December 8, 2025 - 11:22">Mon, 12/08/2025 - 11:22</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Leo Hidy ’23, a <a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/comparative-american-studies">comparative American studies</a> major who also studied <a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/business">business</a> and <a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/economics">economics</a> while at 91ֱ��, has received a 2026 Marshall Scholarship. </p><p>The prestigious award funds two years of graduate study in the UK, providing Hidy with the opportunity to research how immigrants shape neighborhood economies and how government policy can better sustain these vital spaces. “I'm deeply honored and humbled to receive the Marshall Scholarship,” he says. “It's an opportunity I couldn't have imagined when I first set foot on campus.”</p><p>Hidy will first earn a Master of Science in City Design and Social Science at the London School of Economics, followed by a Master of Public Administration at the University College London's Bartlett Faculty of the Built Environment. </p><p>“This two-year sequence lets me first understand how immigrant communities create their own economic and urban spaces, before applying those insights to reimagining supportive policy frameworks,” he says. “London's historic legacy of immigrant entrepreneurship and evolving approaches to high street revitalization offer an ideal setting for this work. I'm eager to bring these perspectives back to public service in the U.S. and to policy that empowers immigrants as the essential architects of vibrant cities.” </p><p>The Marshall Scholarship builds on Hidy’s post-graduation work as a <a href="/news/leo-hidy-23-receives-selective-public-policy-fellowship">New York City Urban Fellow</a> and an <a href="https://www.shansi.org/">91ֱ�� Shansi Fellow</a> in Japan. During the award application process, the San Francisco native also received crucial guidance from the <a href="/fellowships">Fellowships and Awards</a> office, faculty support from Professor of Comparative American Studies <a href="/gina-perez">Gina Pérez</a> and Professor of Sociology <a href="/greggor-mattson">Greggor Mattson</a>, and encouragement from Obies everywhere.</p><p>“I couldn't have done this without 91ֱ��'s community,” he says. “The Marshall application and interview process was intense, and I'm so grateful I had support at every step.”</p><p>“What moved me most, though, was my 91ֱ�� friends,” Hidy adds. “When I was preparing for the Marshall interviews, Obies from all over the world—people who had graduated, moved to different countries, started their own careers, even some I'd never met—made time to call me, help me practice, and offer much-needed encouragement. It really does take a village, and I'm so beyond grateful for mine.”</p><p><strong>What does it mean to you to receive the Marshall Scholarship—and how will this help you move forward with your proposed career plans?</strong><br>It gives me the chance to study with scholars who are guided by the same questions as I am and who are reimagining urban policy from the ground up. </p><p>I’m currently working as a policy advisor for the City of New York. The Marshall Scholarship will allow me to return to municipal government with an eye toward transforming how cities support immigrant entrepreneurs and neighborhood economies. </p><p>Tangibly, the Marshall Scholarship means I can pursue the question that has driven my work at 91ֱ�� and beyond. Whether it be through my courses or extracurricular activities, I kept coming back to the same question: <em>How do institutions—dormitories, schools, towns, cities, and states—decide which identities belong and which do not? </em></p><p>In typical Obie fashion, the next question burning in the back of my mind is always, <em>What can we do about it?</em></p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">The 91ֱ�� alum will embark on two years of funded graduate study in London, researching how immigrants shape neighborhood economies and how government policy can better sustain these vital spaces.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2025-12-09T12:00:00Z">Tue, 12/09/2025 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Office of Communications</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2368">Alumni</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=4080">Fellowships</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2373">Awards and Honors</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3846">Engaged Liberal Arts</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25311">Comparative American Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=187731">Business</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25341">Economics</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/comparative-american-studies" hreflang="und">Comparative American Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/business" hreflang="und">Business</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/economics" hreflang="und">Economics</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">“The Marshall application and interview process was intense, and I'm so grateful I had support at every step. I couldn't have done this without 91ֱ��'s community,” says Leo Hidy ’23.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Courtesy of Leo Hidy ’23</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-flex-content field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden vertical-spacing--basic field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <div id="obj-46376" class="paragraph paragraph--type--pb-el-bq paragraph--view-mode--default"> <blockquote class="blockquote--slicer" data-text-size-large data-add-quotes> <p>I couldn't have done this without 91ֱ��'s community. The Marshall application and interview process was intense, and I'm so grateful I had support at every step.</p> <p class="blockquote__attribution"> Leo Hidy '23 </p> </blockquote> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div id="obj-46377" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-copy paragraph--view-mode--default o-flex--basic-copy basic-copy"> <p><strong>In what ways did 91ֱ�� prepare you for this honor?</strong><br>91ֱ��'s motto of “Learning & Labor” taught me to ask better questions and then act on the answers. Academically, my American studies coursework pushed me to examine whose voices are centered in institutions and whose are marginalized. </p><p>In one of my favorite classes, Latinx Oral History, we met with Puerto Rican Vietnam War veterans in Lorain. We learned to listen deeply and interrogate our own assumptions about war, militarization, and patriotism. These skills shaped how I approach public service today.<br><br>The “labor” side was just as formative. As co-chair of the Student Finance Committee, allocating $2.4 million in student funding forced me to make consequential decisions about which groups would be resourced. </p><p>Additionally, working as a consent educator, Barefoot Dialogue facilitator, and an RA all taught me how to build community and translate academic insights into institutional change. These roles provided me with the leadership skills, humility, and curiosity essential for the work I want to accomplish as a Marshall Scholar. </p><p><strong>Anything else you want to add?</strong><br>I couldn't have done this without the support of 91ֱ��'s community. The Marshall application and interview process was intense, and I'm so grateful I had support at every step. </p><p>The Fellowships Office guided me through the complexities of the application, helping me articulate ideas through many (and I mean many) drafts. My professors, especially Gina Pérez and Greggor Mattson, not only wrote incredible letters of recommendation but pushed me to clarify the driving questions behind my work.</p><p>Additionally, the 91ֱ�� Shansi Fellowship gave me the ambassadorial skills that became central to my Marshall proposal, and the Shansi community continues to shape how I think about cross-cultural exchange and learning.</p><hr><p><a href="/fellowships"><em>Connect with Fellowships & Awards</em></a><em> to learn more about the fellowships and awards opportunities and support available to 91ֱ�� students and alumni.</em></p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-article-header field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">0</div> </article> <article> <h1>No Limits</h1> <p>azaleski — Tue, 07 Oct 2025 15:25:29 +0000</p> <span>No Limits</span> <span><span>azaleski</span></span> <span><time datetime="2025-10-07T11:25:29-04:00" title="Tuesday, October 7, 2025 - 11:25">Tue, 10/07/2025 - 11:25</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>His faculty mentors in economics and business “motivated and guided” him as he explored his entrepreneurial side. Emeritus Professor of <a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/economics">Economics</a> Barbara Craig “was instrumental in helping me think about what I could use economics to do, and the impact that I could make through it,” he says. </p><p>Classes with Associate Professor and Chair of Business Eric Lin, meanwhile, helped Ampofo gain a solid foundation in business. “[These] courses helped me learn about business fundamentals and apply them to my future goals,” he says, noting that Lin's interactive approach helped him see how business skills applied to multiple fields, including the education and nonprofit sectors. </p><p>Ampofo, who grew up in Ghana, then combined his interests in entrepreneurship, business, and social change in an application for the <a href="/news/third-year-gideon-ampofo-receives-davis-projects-peace-grant">Davis Projects for Peace Grant</a> during his junior year. He won the $10,000 prize, which funded summer youth development workshops in Accra, Ghana.</p><p> Currently, Ampofo works as an associate at Ares Management Corporation, where he serves in the private equity group and supports recruitment efforts for Black and diverse talent. In addition to his work in investments, he runs two nonprofits: The League for Global Development, an outgrowth of his Peace Grant project that focuses on youth leadership development. His second, Africans Who Invest, is dedicated to building youth financial skills.</p><p>“Financial literacy is very important, but a lot of people, unfortunately, do not really have access to that,” Ampofo says. “I decided to found Africans Who Invest to help bridge that gap.” His aim is to help “young people learn how to save money, how to invest money, and how to connect and network.” </p><p>Ampofo saw how empowering knowledge could be during a Model U.N. trip to Spain he took in high school. “At the time, I believed wealth was the only path to creating real impact,” he recalls. But Ampofo was inspired by other students who made the most of the resources they already had. </p><p>“When I went for that conference, and I met other young people from all across the world, and I saw all the things that they were doing in their local communities to make an impact, I thought, ‘I have a lot of these resources. We can actually do this. Nothing limits me.’”</p><p>This belief also fuels his work with the League for Global Development. “I partner with financial institutions, leadership organizations, and policy think tanks back home in Ghana, then we hold online sessions or in-person boot camps,” Ampofo explains. “The goal is to help young people realize their potential and motivate them to make this world a better place.”</p><p>The impact of this work is significant: To date, Africans Who Invest and the League for Global Development have trained over 1,000 students across Ghana in personal finance, community development, leadership, and more.</p><p>Even as he leverages new expertise in finance and investments to support his nonprofit work, Ampofo often reminds the students who attend his programs what he learned in college: Embrace the resources available to you. “I always tell kids, ‘Be proactive. Your environment could be supportive, but if you’re not proactive, you cannot maximize your potential.’”</p><hr><p><em>When you </em><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/business"><em>major in business at 91ֱ��</em></a><em>, you have access to powerful networking opportunities with alumni who are as creative and aspirational as you are. Learn more about this course of study, whether you’re diving into the corporate sector, launching a freelance consulting career, or even opening your own business. </em></p><hr><p><em>Kristen Evans is a culture writer and critic who has written for </em>BuzzFeed, The Boston Globe, The Los Angeles Times, LA Weekly, NYLON, <em>and</em> The New Republic.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Gideon Ampofo ’23 masters the world of finance to shape nonprofit success in Ghana</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2025-11-14T12:00:00Z">Fri, 11/14/2025 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Kristen Evans</div> <div class="text-content field field--name-field-intro-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Gideon Ampofo ’23 knew early in his life that he wanted to balance the world of <a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/business">business</a> with the world of social change. “I wanted to attend a college where I could be involved in social justice and learn how to make an impact through policy, but I also wanted to get the business acumen I needed,” he says. “I learned growing up that it was really difficult for a lot of companies in Africa to raise capital to accelerate growth.”</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=4268">Business</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2368">Alumni</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2360">After 91ֱ��</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Gideon Ampofo ’23 knew early in his life that he wanted to balance the world of business with the world of social change.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Tanya Rosen-Jones '97</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-article-header field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">0</div> </article> </main></body></html>