In the News: January 2026

Alexandra DeMarco

Stories by Alexandra DeMarco

In the News: January 2026

Friday, January 23, 2026 12:35 pm

A selection of recent mentions of Bates people in the news, including professors sharing research, alumni achievements across industries, and students turning challenging experiences into leadership opportunities.

On a purposeful path: Meredith Sallee ’07 dives deep into her Bates dance foundation, under the sea

Friday, January 23, 2026 8:28 am

Meredith Sallee ’07 is directing her decades of dance experience toward a new medium of underwater dancing, which combines freediving with dancing.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2026 schedule

Friday, December 19, 2025 12:43 pm

View the schedule for this year's observance of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, centered on Sunday and Monday, Jan. 18–19.

Two first-year seminar classes join together for a dynamic, interdisciplinary final class session During the last week of courses for the fall semester, two instructors, two classes, and one rabbit gathered together for an interdisciplinary, interactive first-year seminar class session. It was easy to tell who was from which course. Students from “Beyond the Rainbow: Exploring the Language (and the Science, Art, and Culture) of Color” had all walked in sporting colorful hats. Joining them in a classroom in Dana Hall were students from “Sex in the Brain: The Neuroscience of Sex, Gender, and Hormones.” While it is typical for students to grow close in these small — 16 students maximum — seminars, this merging of the courses for a class session was a new idea, meant to create new connections between both the subjects and students as the semester came to a close. Lindsey Hamilton ’05, director of the Center for Inclusive Teaching and Learning, and Wells Castonguay, the center’s assistant director, devised the plan. Castonguay was teaching “Beyond the Rainbow” and Hamilton “Sex in the Brain.” Throughout the semester, each professor had heard students’ ongoing curiosity about the other’s course and saw an opportunity for the students to learn from each other.

Two instructors, 30 first-year students, and a bunny walk into a classroom: Interdisciplinary learning abounds

Thursday, December 18, 2025 8:14 am

During the last week of classes for the fall semester, two first-year seminars gathered together for an interactive joint class session.

Scenes around campus at dawn on Nov. 5, 2025. Pettengill Hall

Picture Story: November 2025 at Bates

Thursday, December 11, 2025 3:49 pm

November at Bates saw a field hockey championship, orchestra and dance performances, seminar-style learning, and more.

The Annual Harvest Dinner held in Commons, followed by horse rides around campus, a dessert part and the Annual Trashion Show in the Gray Athletic Building. Where friends, fashion, fun, and sustainability all collide. Welcome to the Bates Trashion Show 2025, held in the Gray Athletic Building on Wednesday, Nov. 19. All participants were winners! Singled out for recognition were, in first place, seniors Annie Robinson and Grace Thomas (the model), who designed the dress together; Professor of French and Francophone studies Kirk Read in second place; and in third place, a team of students in Read’s first-year seminar “Family Stories.”

Sew sustainable: Student, faculty designers stun at annual Trashion Show

Thursday, December 4, 2025 8:44 am

At the 20th annual Trashion Show, students and faculty modeled 16 elaborate runway designs crafted from trash to draw awareness to waste around campus.

Picture Story: October 2025 at Bates

Thursday, November 13, 2025 3:25 pm

With images of Back to Bates, stunning foliage, fall athletics, Halloween, and more, we bring you October 2025 at Bates.

Purposeful Work biopharmaceutical roadshow introduces students to dynamic career possibilities

Thursday, November 13, 2025 11:41 am

Over Fall Break, the Center Purposeful Work brought 14 Bates students around Boston to network with alumni in the biopharmaceutical industry and tour five companies.

Clarisa Pérez-Armendáriz, professor of politics, receives Kroepsch Award

Thursday, October 30, 2025 4:01 pm

Before she joined the U.S. Foreign Service, Clarisa Pérez-Armendáriz, professor of politics, was certain that she would never make a career out of studying Latin America. But, when she was assigned to Mexico for her first post as a Foreign Service officer, everything changed.

Misa Beltran-Guzman mbeltranguzman@bates.edu Director of First-Generation Programs Student Center for Belonging and Community Misa poses for portraits in his SCBC office and entry, and then interacts with colleagues and students. The session between 4-6 p.m. on Mondays is called “Snack and Chat.” Cooking in kitchen s Bianca Vega, Kessler Scholars program coordinator Sadie New, admission counselor (white blouse) Wearing a Bates hat between Sadie and Misa is Alina Kunakbayeva ’27 of Kazakhstan. Seated with Misa, from left are Alessandra Williams ’29, Kitana James ’29, and Lucy Meeker ’29.

As director of first-generation programs, Misa Beltran-Guzman encourages Bates students to find their ‘why’

Thursday, October 30, 2025 1:54 pm

When he was still in high school, Misa Beltran-Guzman, director of first-generation programs at Bates, had a preview of many of the culture shocks experienced by first-gen college students.