Woodrow Wilson Fellow Marcia Grant (pictured right) was on campus for a week in October to engage in all things Marlboro, from attending Town Meeting to visiting classes both on Potash Hill and at the graduate campus. Marcia is currently provost of the American University in Paris, and has a distinguished career in global higher education, including serving in institutions in Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia. While at Marlboro she made presentations to the campus community on international careers, favorite books, and the global impact of liberal arts education.
In November, MA in Teaching with Technology student Jasmin Bey Cowin was elected president of the Rotary Club of New York #6, where she has been active for 10 years. Guided by her passion for “education as the tool for transformative empowerment and a pathway to a fulfilling life,” Jasmin will coordinate the club’s community, city, and international service projects. An accomplished educator herself, she holds both a master’s and doctorate in education from Teachers College at Columbia University.
In October, Stephanie Sopka joined the campus as technical services librarian. “I like getting to see all of the books that come in,” says Stephanie. She came to Marlboro from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she completed her MS in library and information science and worked in the university law library. “I have spent a lot of time studying feminist theory and queer theory, so I’m excited to expand our collection in these areas, and to support students and faculty in their work.”
“There are those who have access to technology, but they don’t have the knowledge and skills to use this technology to support learning in school,” said Emmanual Ajanma (pictured right) during his Capstone presentation about bringing Google Apps to a school in Nigeria. Emmanual was one of 10 students in the MAT, MSM, and MBA programs who presented their Capstones in November. Other presenters included Dhruv Jagasia on developing a socially-conscious eyewear brand and Missy Munoz on promoting sustainable building standards for low-income housing. See an excerpt.
Marlboro College made the short list for “10 colleges where joining student clubs is easy” released in February by U.S. News and World Report. Drawn from U.S. News’ survey of more than 1,800 colleges and universities nationally, Marlboro is the only New England college in the top 10 and tied second with Hamilton College in New York State. Marlboro was rated as having 6.1 students per club, nine times the average among the 1,195 ranked schools that reported these data in an annual survey.
Sophomore Spencer Knickerbocker, student trails steward, was instrumental to the success of Trails Day 2016 in October, which drew 20 volunteers despite the cold, rainy weather. “I was pleasantly surprised by the great enthusiasm of volunteers and their willingness to work,” says Spencer, who spent four years training as a nordic skier and is delighted to discover Marlboro’s trails. “I have traveled around the world to the hotbeds of nordic sport, yet I never found a place with so many trail options as Marlboro.”
New graduate faculty member Kevin McQueen (pictured right) brings extensive experience in corporate finance, with a deep commitment to facilitating social change through mission-driven organizations. Marlboro College Graduate and Professional Studies was pleased to welcome Kevin and four other new faculty members recently, part of the ongoing development and enrichment of the management program. Kevin, Beth Tener, and Melinda Weekes-Laidlow joined Marlboro in the fall, each of them bringing new skills and expertise in corporate finance, collaborative leadership, and organizational development. This winter, Jude Smith Rachelle and Carol Stimmel joined the management faculty to co-teach an MBA seminar in Performance Measurement and Analytics. You can learn more about these new faculty members and their impressive backgrounds on the college website.
Last fall a team of undergraduate and graduate faculty, staff, and students made several visits to Ashoka Changemaker Campuses, including College of the Atlantic, College of Social Innovation, and Brown University. Along with a discussion at Town Meeting in September, these visits were important steps toward Marlboro College being recognized as a Changemaker Campus by Ashoka, a global organization that promotes positive change by supporting social innovation. “The team has been working hard over the last few months, and we’re eager to share our progress with you,” says Kelsa Summer ’13, a student in the MS in Management program. Learn more.
Community Spirit 
Freshman Cyane Thomas joined 14 other students, staff, and faculty in a United Way Day of Caring project, giving a fresh coat of paint to the local little league field, in September.
Most Important Meal
Junior Emily Motter and chemistry professor Todd Smith help serve up breakfast at the Marlboro Community Town Fair in September, raising money for the college farm.
Getting Green
In October, members of the Environmental Studies Colloquium participated in a clean-up on the Connecticut River, finding many articles too gross to mention.
Learning to Spell
Senior Crystal Graybeal, junior Kristen Thompson, and sophomore Dan Medeiros strike a magical pose at the Hogwarts Dinner in October, which welcomed local families.
