Colgate University News

Grenell named as Colgate's VP and Dean of Diversity

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 16:55:36 -0500

Colgate President Rebecca Chopp and Dean of the Faculty Lyle Roelofs have announced the appointment of Dr. Keenan Grenell as the university's Vice President and Dean of Diversity. The following is drawn from the message shared with the Colgate community.

Grenell comes to Colgate from Marquette University, where he served as Associate Provost for Diversity since 2005. An accomplished leader in higher education, Grenell led diversity efforts at Auburn University prior to moving to Marquette. His career as an administrator and faculty member is distinguished by his commitment to community, collaboration and scholarship. View his full bio here.

Opportunities spring from film seminar held on campus

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 14:57:17 -0500

art = surprising + inevitable.

Written in blue crayon, this short equation -- scribbled by an attendee of the 54th Robert Flaherty Film Seminar -- joined other drawings and notes on the walls of an informal lounge set up in Clifford Gallery on the Colgate campus.

The seminar attracted artists and scholars from around the world, and this year three film and media studies minors, Allison Ewing '08, Jina Chung '08, and Adam Hughes '10, had the opportunity to take part in the prestigious event (named for the famed American documentary filmmaker).

Institute experience inspires alumnus to tackle brain drain

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 13:48:56 -0500

If ever there were a poster child for upstate New York, Kevin McAvey '05 would be it.

Like so many of his Colgate friends, McAvey left the area after graduation, but, he says, his "heart stayed in the upstate New York region."

"There's still not a day I don't cross that border into upstate that I don't break into a smile," said McAvey, a downstate native.

Now, three years later, he's followed his heart, moving back from Washington, D.C., to attend graduate school at Cornell University.

Alumnus wins Tony Award for best set design

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 12:09:16 -0500

A Colgate alumnus received a Tony Award for a unique three-level stage set he designed for the hugely successful play, August: Osage County.

Todd A. Rosenthal '89 won for best set design, one of several awards the play earned during Sunday night's awards show.

Rosenthal earned a degree from Yale School of Drama in New Haven, Conn., after graduating from Colgate.

Film, music, book events include free sessions for public

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 14:51:25 -0500

A cultural cornucopia is available for members of the campus and local communities as authors, filmmakers, and musicians from around the world will visit Colgate in the coming days. The university is hosting two longtime events -- the Colgate Writers' Conference and the Chenango Summer MusicFest -- and, for the first time, the Robert Flaherty Film Seminar.

Fellowship fanned alumna's interest in global issues

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 09:45:23 -0500

Alumna Chi Chi Obichere-Roxo's interest in international development - sparked by a Colgate extended study course and a Watson fellowship - can be seen through her work involving refugees in Kenya, religious leaders in Nigeria, and a host of others around the world. Obichere-Roxo '00 is a program officer with Management Sciences for Health, a nonprofit global health organization based at The Extending Service Delivery Project, a consortium of six international organizations funded by the United States Agency for International Development. Besides Kenya and Nigeria, Obichere-Roxo also has worked in England, India, Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Mali. She focuses mainly on reproductive health and family planning issues.

Colgate celebrates Friday the 13th at NYSE opening

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 13:22:16 -0500

Standing on a platform draped with a Colgate banner, President Rebecca Chopp along with a group of alumni and university friends rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange this morning, officially kicking off Colgate Day. (To watch the event, click here.) From coast to coast and around the world, Colgate faithful are sporting their favorite maroon gear in celebration of the university's love affair with the number 13.

Chopp honored for being a 'pivotal figure in higher ed'

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 16:33:03 -0500

Colgate University President Rebecca S. Chopp has been awarded the 2008 Professional Achievement Citation from her alma mater, the University of Chicago. The alumni citation honors Chopp for being a "pivotal figure in the field of higher education and a renowned scholar of religion and culture."

Celebrate Colgate Day on Friday the 13th

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 14:57:37 -0500

Triskaidekafanatics unite -- Friday the 13th is Colgate Day! The excitement starts at 9:29 a.m. (EST) June 13 in New York City when 13 Colgate alumni will ring the morning bell at the New York Stock Exchange (watch it live here). Colgate fever will certainly sweep the globe, as alumni wear Colgate garb to work, to the park, or to grab a slice. Out in cyberspace, you can post photos of your own celebration on the university's Facebook page. (Facebook users need to become a 'fan' of the page to share photos. Not on Facebook? E-mail pictures to news@colgate.edu and we'll upload them for you)

Longtime professor Vic Mansfield dies at age 67

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 16:49:23 -0500

Vic Mansfield, a longtime professor of physics and astronomy who helped lead an insightful workshop during the recent campus visit by the Dalai Lama, died Tuesday after a two-year battle with lymphoma. He was 67. Mansfield joined the Colgate faculty in 1973, armed with a doctorate in theoretical astrophysics from Cornell University and burning interests in cosmology, computational methods, and the conjunction of science and spirituality. In his 35 years at Colgate, he lectured in physics, astronomy, numerical analysis, and in all components of the core curriculum, inspiring students with his eloquence, enthusiasm, expertise and high expectations.

Conversation and camaraderie fill Reunion Weekend

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 11:26:53 -0500

It was early, 9 a.m. on Friday, but not too early for Colgate alumni to jump into a discussion about beliefs and explore the question: Does God exist? It seems that some things, like an evocative classroom discussion with a faculty member, never change at Colgate. Associate professor of philosophy David Dudrick led the conversation during the Reunion College event, one of dozens held during the weekend as some 2,000 alumni returned to campus.

Commencement remarks by CBS journalist Lesley Stahl

Wed, 28 May 2008 11:02:10 -0500

(Note: These are remarks delivered by Lesley Stahl at Colgate University's 187th commencement, May 18, 2008) Thank you. Well first of all I'm so sorry that you're all wet and cold. I'm watching you put on your ponchos; I hope that makes it a little better. So now I am a member of the Class of 2008, which I am very proud of, and I want to congratulate all of us for today, a triumphful day, a happy day. I am sure you have one little pain because you will be leaving your friends, but otherwise there is this great joy of accomplishment because you guys have crossed the finish line and you know you have earned your degrees and you've all worked hard and it's great.

COVE program breathes new life into used items

Tue, 27 May 2008 13:57:10 -0500

"Nothing is wasted."

That was the slogan of this year's annual campus salvage operation organized by Colgate's Center for Outreach, Volunteerism, and Education (COVE).

Volunteers collected items that Colgate students either donated or left behind after moving out of residence halls. They are then given to nonprofit organizations in the greater Hamilton area and in Utica.

Hamilton Theater shines with small-town charm

Fri, 23 May 2008 14:29:09 -0500

At a time when many small-town movie houses have gone dark, the Hamilton Theater -- once on the brink of closing -- is thriving now more than ever. The movie theater remains a fixture of Hamilton in an era of mega-multiplexes and Netflix, according to The Post-Standard (Syracuse).

Students and alumni team up to address LGBTQ issues

Wed, 21 May 2008 12:56:21 -0500

Casey Sprock '86 knows the feeling of loneliness and confusion that many young gay and lesbian students feel as they struggle with their sexuality -- often times keeping it a secret. So when Sprock was invited to share his coming out story and experience as an openly-gay professional with Colgate students, he jumped at the opportunity.