Stories about "Best for Bates"
Built by Bates: Oh, the places they’ll go!

Friday, May 29, 2026 4:25 pm

As we celebrate our graduating seniors, wishing each of them the very best in what is ahead, we are highlighting some Bates students who are already turning the page to their exciting next chapters. Read ahead to learn about 14 Batesies with a range of experiences awaiting them.

Mohammed M. Obaid Shwani ’24 selected as Schwarzman Scholar

Friday, January 23, 2026 2:53 pm

Mohammed M. Obaid Shwani ’24 has been a world traveler and an award winner since he was a teenager. In 2016, he first came to the United States after being named an Iraqi Young Leader through a State Department program, then traveled to Bosnia to attend United World College on a scholarship before landing in Maine for college.

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.

97-year-old Ralph Sylvester, Bates Class of 1950, arrives at the Bobcat Den on Aug. 17, 2021, where he renewed a morning routine, having breakfast with Alan Kelley of Facility Services in the Bobcat Den, which reopened today at 8 a.m. after being closed since March 20, 2020, due to the pandemic. “The Den is where Ralph and I became friends,” said Kelley, who is the mechanical and electrical services manager for Facility Services. “You can see a lot of people come through the Den who you might not see on a regular basis on campus," Kelley added. "It’s great to say hi, how you doing, and fill your belly with a good meal to start your day.”
Bates receives $1.3 million bequest from a World War II vet and alumnus who fought for the underdog

Thursday, May 22, 2025 2:08 pm

The bequest from Ralph Sylvester '50, who died in 2023 at age 99 will fund two new endowed funds at Bates that create a legacy of access, opportunity, and community.

Bates’ newest major, digital and computational studies, blends computer science with critique, community engagement

Tuesday, April 8, 2025 2:09 pm

Barry Lawson is a Bates computer science professor who chairs the Program…