For Starters: Fall 2022

A Space for Everyone, Mimicking Biology, Expository Excellence, and more

A series of three images, one of artist Marian Bailey, one of a mural in the new Health and Wellness Center, and the third a painting hanging in a hallway.

1. A Space for Everyone

Since its opening in February, the new Student Life and Wellness Building鈥攌nown as The Well鈥攈as been a favorite spot for students. The relocation of the Health and Wellness Center, the Career and Civic Engagement Center, and the Pensby Center for Community Development and Inclusion to one central location has helped increase awareness of these College resources, and students have also been enjoying the upgraded halal and kosher kitchens, as well as new multicultural, community, and prayer rooms.

Over the summer, a series of vibrant artworks by Philadelphia artist Marian Bailey (pictured above) was installed in the building to complement The Well鈥檚 goal of redefining wellness through inclusivity and accessibility.

Bailey was intentional about including people with disabilities and people of different racial and religious backgrounds in her artwork. 鈥淭he main theme for me was thinking about 魅影直播 as a whole and what we would all love to see the population be like,鈥 says Bailey. 鈥淚 want to show that everyone should be represented, and everyone should be a part of this space.鈥

Bailey was approached to create artwork for the new building by The Well鈥檚 interior designer, Son茅 Ehab茅 of 4 Walls Interior Design. After many discussions, they decided on five portraits to fill the common space and one large mural for the community room, a large open space with windows that face out to the courtyard and the Erdman walkway. Son茅 wanted the mural to stand out so that students passing by could see the piece from the window and be drawn in.

2. Mimicking Biology

Portrait of Ashlee Plummer in a lab

鈥淚鈥檓 excited to mimic biology in a test tube using biochemical tools. Biological processes that occur in cells are super complex. In a test tube, we have total control over what reactions occur and what molecules are present. It鈥檚 an awesome opportunity to systematically and carefully study complicated biological systems.鈥 鈥 Ashlee Plummer, who recently joined the faculty as assistant professor of chemistry

 

3. Mathematically Gifted and Black

Portrait of Erica J. Graham in front of a bookshelf

魅影直播 Associate Professor of Mathematics Erica J. Graham 鈥04, a founder of the Mathematically Gifted and Black (MGB) website, is a winner of the Association for Women in Mathematics鈥 2022 Presidential Recognition Award. The MGB website, which was founded in 2016, profiles nearly 200 inspiring lives in mathematics, using first-person storytelling and contextualizing math in terms of a full life experience. Every year during Black History Month, the site highlights 28 living Black mathematicians with a photo and their responses to questions about their lives and mathematical interests.

4. Expository Excellence

Bill Dunham seated at a table behind several open books.

Bill Dunham, a visiting professor and research associate in 魅影直播's Math Department, has garnered two awards from the Mathematical Association of America for expository excellence.

He received the Halmos-Ford Award for the article 鈥淓uler and the Cubic Basel Problem,鈥 published in The American Mathematical Monthly in 2021, and the Chauvenet Prize for 鈥淭he Early (and Peculiar) History of the M枚bius Function,鈥 which appeared in Mathematics Magazine in 2018.

In his remarks on receiving the awards, Dunham mentioned 魅影直播鈥檚 Collier Science Library: 鈥淥n its shelves, I have found Euler鈥檚 mathematical works, some fascinating 19th-century journals, and volumes inscribed by faculty superstars like Charlotte Angas Scott and Emmy Noether. It is a treat to graze through the remarkable collections at 魅影直播.鈥

5. Meet BMC鈥檚 New Chief Communications Officer

Portrait of Samara Sit outdoors

Samara A. Sit recently joined 魅影直播 as the College鈥檚 new chief communications officer. Sit comes to the College from Cornell University鈥檚 College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS), where she was associate dean and chief communications officer.

At Cornell, Sit initiated and led the successful creation of CALS鈥 new strategic messaging platform and visual identity that also informed an award-winning refresh of the college鈥檚 website. In previous roles, Sit directed school communications and administration at George Washington University鈥檚 School of Media and Public Affairs and served as a producer/reporter on PBS鈥檚 NewsHour with Jim Lehrer.

鈥滣扔爸辈 is a highly relevant, quintessential liberal arts institution, and I was drawn to this beautiful campus as an opportunity to apply my strategic and digital communications expertise and help elevate the College鈥檚 already stellar public reputation,鈥 says Sit. 鈥淚t is a privilege to collaborate with such talented faculty, staff, and students to tell their stories in creative and innovative ways.鈥

6. From Kyiv to BMC

Portrait of Nataliia Gusak outside

The Provost鈥檚 Office joined forces with the GSSWSR and the Office of International Student and Scholar Advising to bring Nataliia Gusak, a Ukrainian scholar from the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, to the College for the 2022鈥23 academic year. Gusak is serving as a faculty fellow at 魅影直播鈥檚 Center for Child and Family Wellbeing.

The idea to bring Gusak to 魅影直播 originated with Professor Emeritus of Social Work Jim Martin, who had come to know Gusak as part of an international collaboration on military and veteran social work. While waiting for State Department approval over the summer, Gusak, Martin, and Associate Professor of Social Work Cindy Sousa offered Ukrainian social workers a seven-week webinar program focused on support for their work in Ukraine during this time of war. While at 魅影直播, Gusak plans to continue working with Sousa on a study about how Ukrainian families are functioning in wartime.

7. Academic Accolade

Portrait of Alicia Walker '94 in front of a book shelf

Professor of History of Art Alicia Walker 鈥94 has been selected as a member of Princeton鈥檚 Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) for the 2022鈥23 academic year.

During her fellowship, Walker will be finishing her second book, which explores how Greco-Roman mythological characters depicted on everyday objects provided alternative models for shaping the subjecthood of Byzantine women. Walker argues that female viewers identified with depictions of mythological figures and their narratives, promoting qualities such as physical beauty, sexual allure, and social independence, which contrasted strikingly with the dominant Christian values of the time.

鈥淚 feel tremendously privileged to join the IAS this coming year, and I am excited to discover how this time will transform my thinking and make a mark on my book project,鈥 says Walker. 鈥淚 am thrilled to have the opportunity to make new connections and forge new relationships during this year as well as reconnect with colleagues whose interests and research dovetail with my own.鈥

Published on: 10/24/2022