May 2013

Commencement Day 2013

May 31, 2013

Welcome friends and family—and congratulations graduates! Today Wellesley celebrates our 135th graduating class, the green Class of 2013. Commencement exercises begin at 10:30 a.m.


Louise Nevelson's "Black" installation

Final Weeks to See Nevelson, Albers, Others at the Davis

May 28, 2013

Several remarkable exhibitions in the Davis Museum, including Louise Nevelson's "Black," are on view through Commencement and Reunion; senior art majors' exhibition is in Jewett Art Gallery through May 31.


Alice Choe '13 Wins Prestigious Watson Fellowship

May 29, 2013

Graduating senior Alice Choe will use her Thomas J. Watson Fellowship to travel to four countries and study the complexities of domestic violence. She joins 56 Wellesley women to have won Watsons since 1980.


Peking University

New York Times: Asian Universities Offer Programs for Female Business Leaders

May 31, 2013

A New York Times special report on education examined a relatively new practice in Asian universities: offering short courses specifically for women leaders in business and politics. The article mentioned Wellesley's new initiative, Women World Partners, kicking off next week in Beijing, China.


stoles hanging together waiting to be granted to athletes

Wellesley's Scholar-Athletes Recognized

May 30, 2013

As part of this week's pre-Commencement celebrations, Scholar-Athlete stoles were bestowed upon Wellesley Blue graduating seniors at the annual Scholar-Athlete Breakfast; athletics awards and honors highlight individuals' accomplishments.


cookies labeled "Leadership Development Program"

Wellesley’s Leadership Development Program Reports First Results

May 24, 2013

Wellesley President Kim Bottomly congratulated the first "batch" of staff to complete the College’s Leadership Development Program, launched in 2012 to prepare individuals for future leadership, and build the College’s capacity for collaboration and creative problem solving.


Ben Hammond Appointed Vice President for Finance & Administration

May 24, 2013

H. Kim Bottomly, President of Wellesley College, today announced the appointment of Ben C. Hammond as the new Vice President for Finance and Administration at Wellesley, succeeding Andrew B. Evans who will retire on June 30.


Wellesley Architecture Students Win Boston Design Competition

May 23, 2013

SiteSeeing, an entry by Wellesley architecture students Marguerite Sulmont ’13 and Anna Lake-Smith ’13, was one of three winners of a contest sponsored by the City of Boston Transportation Department and the National Parks Service.


Van Arsdale with fossils

Wellesley Announces First edX Classes

May 21, 2013

The first WellesleyX courses span STEM, history, sociology, and Shakespeare, representing Wellesley’s interdisciplinary power. Anthropology 207x: Introduction to Human Evolution is the College's first edX offering, with three more courses announced for 2014.


An Evolution in Liberal Arts Learning: Wellesley College Announces Introduction to Human Evolution as First edX Class

May 21, 2013

Wellesley College Announces Introduction to Human Evolution, to be taught by Assistant Professor of Anthropology Adam Van Arsdale, as First edX Class. Wellesley’s first four MOOCs span STEM, history, sociology, and Shakespeare, representing Wellesley’s interdisciplinary strengths.


Jeffries on the set of Basic Black

Michael Jeffries Featured on WGBH's Basic Black

May 21, 2013

Michael Jeffries, Knafel Assistant Professor of Social Sciences and Assistant Professor of American Studies, joined host Callie Crossley '73 for two recent conversations on WGBH's Basic Black.


Dana Im portrait

Dana Im '10 Earns Prestigious Soros Fellowship

May 17, 2013

This young alum's creativity, originality, initiative, and sustained accomplishment was rewarded and will be supported by the Soros Foundation's grant for her medical and public policy education.


Fulbrighter Claire Fogarty

Six Wellesley Women Win Fulbright Scholarships

May 16, 2013

Wellesley's Carolyn Bonner Campbell ‘13, Claire Ames Fogarty ‘12 (pictured), Rebecca Danielle McClain ‘13, Rebecca Ruhl ‘13, Christina Moriah Smith ‘13,  and Madeline Rose Weeks ‘11 received Fulbrights.


Claire Fontijn Publishes New Multimedia Book on Medieval Mystic

May 15, 2013

Claire Fontijn, associate professor of music, has a new book about Hildegard von Bingen, a 12th Century mystic, visionary, philosopher, and composer whose “Visions of the Angelic Hierarchy” is shown here.


Wellesley Senior's Research Leads to Meeting with King of Swaziland

May 14, 2013

For her honor's thesis, Daniels Fellow Andrea Kine '13 studied Swaziland’s progress toward meeting the Millenium Development Goals set by the United Nations, and her work led to a meeting with Swaziland's King Mswati III.


spring flowers

Finals Week at Wellesley College

May 13, 2013

Finals week advice: Take a second to smell the roses (or grape hyacinths)—or at least to mentally register the beauty around you. You can find it in nature, in people, and in the many unique spots on campus perfect for paper-writing and exam-preparing. Good luck, students!


Plan-B package

Wellesley Professor in The Atlantic: "Forget Plan B"

May 8, 2013

An article in The Atlantic by Wellesley's Phillip B. Levine and co-author Melissa Kearney explains why economic opportunity trumps access to contraception in deterring teen pregnancy; "giving girls a reason not to get pregnant in the first place could go a long way towards solving it."


collage of 10 buildings

Wellesley Art Faculty on PBS Architecture Special

May 10, 2013
Alice Friedman, Grace Slack McNeil Professor of American Art and Professor of Art, and James O'Gorman, Grace Slack McNeil Professor of the History of American Art Emeritus, lent their expertise to a new PBS special, "10 Buildings That Changed America," premiering May 12.

two Chinese students trying on graduation caps

Wellesley College Announces Global Initiative to Create Next Generation of Women Leaders

June 3, 2013

Wellesley College, the premier liberal arts institution known for cultivating some of the world’s most influential women leaders has announced a major global initiative with a critical mission: to educate the next generation of women leaders around the world.


Laura Rigge with Jeopardy host Alex Trebek

Wellesley Junior Competes on Jeopardy!

May 9, 2013

Russian major Laura Rigge ’14 (shown here with host Alex Trebek) competes in the Jeopardy! episode airing May 10 on the long-running national quiz show’s “College Championship.”


Malia Maier dribble downcourt

Wellesley Blue Senior Scores Spot in Record Books

May 8, 2013

Basketball player Malia Maier '13 holds the all-time Wellesley record for both steals and assists and ranks ninth all-time in scoring. The team leader has earned a spot in the NCAA record books, as well.


Wellesley Professor Co-Curates Show Pairing Works by Munch and Warhol

May 7, 2013

Theodora L. and Stanley H. Feldberg Professor of Art Patricia Berman's new exhibit pairs lithographs by Edvard Munch with large-scale screen prints by Andy Warhol. Munch | Warhol and the Multiple Image is at Scandinavia House in New York through July 27.


Professor Frank Bidart Interviewed By Poets & Writers Magazine

May 6, 2013

A recent issue of Poets & Writers Magazine features an interview with Frank Bidart, the Andrew W. Mellon Professor in the Humanities and Professor of English.


Emma Slade-Baxter on Obie at Nationals

Wellesley Equestrian Team's Strong Season Capped by Rider Competing at Nationals

May 3, 2013

Several Wellesley Equestrian Team riders achieved individual successes at competitions this season, and Emma Slade-Baxter '15 earned Wellesley's first bid to Nationals since 2004.


Wellesley's winning programmers, funny hats

Wellesley College Programming Team Wins Regional Competition

May 2, 2013

The Wellesley College team of Emily Erdman ‘13, Michelle Ferreirae ‘13, and Erin Davis ‘14, placed first in the Consortium for Computing Sciences in Colleges Northeastern Region programming competition—the first all-women team to win the competition.


closeup of hands on harp

Wellesley Harp Instructor Performs European Premiere of John Williams Concerto

May 1, 2013

Wellesley harp instructor Ina Zdorovetchi performed the European premiere of On Willows and Birches, a harp concerto by legendary film composer John Williams.


Valerie Jarrett to Speak at Wellesley's 135th Commencement

April 11, 2013

Valerie B. Jarrett, senior advisor to President Barack Obama and chair of the White House Council on Women and Girls, will address the members of the Class of 2013 and an international audience of their family and friends at Commencement Exercises Friday, May 31, at 10:30 a.m.