Citizen Science 2023

The Citizen Science program is gearing up for January 2023 with 31 incredible faculty coming in from around the world to teach in the program. The past few years have shown us that an educated person is not necessarily a scientifically literate person, and yet how crucial it is for citizens of every country to be scientifically literate. The Citizen Science program will be working with our students to deepen their science literacy through the lens of PFAS contamination, in which the students will tackle urgent, present-day questions related to water contamination and work to place these conversations within the students' daily lives and imagined futures. If you have a student that is attending Citizen Science this January, remind them about collecting a fresh water sample before they return. (Collection information is in their email!). Arrival and Check-in for Citizen Science and Spring Transfer Students is Tuesday, January 10 from 10:00am - 6:00pm in the RKC Lobby.

President Leon Botstein in the Chronicle of Higher Education: “Can We Finally Topple the Tyranny of Rankings?”

After the withdrawal of Yale and Harvard from the U.S. News & World Report law school rankings, Berkeley, Columbia, Georgetown, Stanford, and UCLA shortly followed suit. In an opinion piece for the Chronicle of Higher Education, Leon Botstein, president of Bard College, asks: why stop there? “The embrace of rankings by colleges has damaged the quality of teaching and the link between higher education and democracy,” Botstein writes.

Adriano Pedrosa Appointed 2023 Recipient of the Audrey Irmas Award for Curatorial Excellence

Pedrosa to receive honor at CCS Bard’s Spring 2023 Gala in New York City

The Center for Curatorial Studies, Bard College (CCS Bard) announced today that Adriano Pedrosa, Artistic Director of Museu de Arte de São Paulo Assis Chateaubriand (MASP), will receive the 2023 Audrey Irmas Award for Curatorial Excellence. The award, which is accompanied by a $25,000 prize, recognizes the achievements of a distinguished curator whose innovative thinking, bold vision, and dedicated service has made a significant contribution to the landscape of exhibition-making today.

“Oi u luzi chervona kalyna” Has Become an Anthem of Resistance in Ukraine, Says Professor Maria Sonevystky on The World

After the liberation of Kherson in November 2022, residents could be heard in the streets singing the Ukrainian national anthem. Alongside it, however, another song was being sung. “‘Oi u luzi chervona kalyna,’ or ‘Oh, the Red Viburnum in the Meadow,’ has become a symbol of resistance against Russian aggression,” writes Daniel Ofman for The World. Maria Sonevystky, associate professor of anthropology and music, told Ofman the song “is closely identified with Ukrainian poetry and music.”

Peter L’Official Interviews Architect and Writer Sekou Cooke on Hip-Hop as a Blueprint for Architecture

For Architectural Record, Bard Associate Professor of Literature and Director of the American and Indigenous Studies Program Peter L’Official interviews architect and writer Sejou Cooke, who is the curator of Close to the Edge: The Birth of Hip-Hop Architecture, an exhibition on view at the Museum of Design Atlanta through January 29, 2023. 

Inside Higher Ed Writes about Bard’s Emergency Ukrainian Student Refuge Program

Inside Higher Ed writes that Bard College is the latest US institution to open its doors to displaced Ukrainian students, bringing 60 students to its various campuses, with most starting next fall. “Bard believes that universities should be responsible civic actors, and, as such, should step up, particularly when education is under threat,” said Jonathan Becker, Bard’s vice president for academic affairs and director of the Center for Civic Engagement.

Art, Film, and Music: The Artful Animation of Bard Alum Jeff Scher ’76

Print magazine profiles animator Jeff Scher ’76 and looks at his most recent work: a video for Tom Petty’s “Call Me the Breeze,” from the late musician’s recently released Live at the Fillmore compilation. “All Scher needs to make his movie magic is some live-action film, a chromatic supply of watercolor and pastels and a rotoscope to get his cinematic juices boiling,” writes Steven Heller. “His films can be joyful, unforgettable and heartbreaking.”

For Parents Magazine, Nikkya Hargrove ’05 Writes about How the Respect for Marriage Act Will Impact Her Queer Family

“I’m relieved this bill passed, but I don’t feel any safer or protected than we were last week,” writes Nikkya Hargrove ’05 for Parents magazine in response to the passage of the Respect for Marriage Act (RFMA) in the Senate. The act would require states to recognize same-sex and interracial marriage licenses no matter the issuing state, but Hargrove ultimately questions the RFMA’s reach and ramifications. “The bill forces us to think about what ‘protection’ means for the LGBTQIA+ community,” she writes.

Stephen Shore Interviewed on the Podcast A Small Voice: Conversations With Photographers

Stephen Shore, Susan Weber Professor in the Arts and director of the Photography Program at Bard, discusses his recently published book, a memoir, Modern Instances: The Craft of Photography, with A Small Voice: Conversations With Photographers podcast host and fellow photographer Ben Smith. 

News from the Arboretum 

The Arboretum is excited to welcome 2023 with a fresh look -- our new logo. Many thanks go out to graphic designer Francie Soosman '90 and to Arboretum's Assistant Jana Mader for their help to capture the essence of where we are going next in one simple image. It represents a clean and crisp beginning and emphasizes the Arboretum’s new focus as “A Place to Grow” -- our subheading that not only echos Bard’s “A Place to Think” motto, but also speaks to our recognition of Bard’s unique place in the Hudson Valley. It also is meant to invite you to join us in learning, connecting, healing, and inspiring others to appreciate all that the living realm has to offer. 

News from Athletics

• Squash Player Artemy Mukhin ’26 Honored by Liberty League
• Bard College sophomore Greg Farrow '25 has been named to the Liberty League Men's Basketball Weekly Honor Roll.

News from Career Development

Registration is open for students to apply for our winter BardWorks program to be held on Wednesday, January 25-27, 2023. This program is open to Sophomore-Seniors from any major, taking place in Annandale with a day trip concluding the program in NYC. BardWorks is an immersive three-day program which gives students the opportunity and space to think about how their skills, interests, talents and values can align with career pathways. 

The upcoming program explores Career Pathways & Mindful Life Design.

Fee to attend:  $99.98 early bird (until 12/19) after 12/19 the registration fee will be $149.98
All costs cover programs, housing, lunch, snacks and travel for a full day to NYC to meet with alumni/ae.

Note: Students should reach out to CDO at [email protected] if they would like to attend but need support in covering the costs to attend.

Students can register online at bardworks.bard.edu/application. 

News from the Center for Civic Engagement

Every January, Bard College's Center for Civic Engagement helps celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by presenting a weeklong series of events and activities that offer an array of volunteer opportunities with community partners throughout the Hudson Valley. These activities culminate in a MLK Day of Engagement with a mini conference and workshop offerings. These events and offerings are organized with the help of our 2023 MLK Day Fellows, a team of super engaged Bard students. Meet our fellows below:

Huba Zaman '23 is a Senior majoring in Literature and Human Rights. Huba is a member of Bard EMS, the Lead Peer Counselor of South Campus, the co-head of Bard's self-defense club Fierce Fighters Alliance and a writing tutor with Bard Learning Commons. Huba is also a member of the Senior Class Council. 

Symonne Reid '23 is a Senior studying Electronic Music that loves to provide opportunities for civic engagement in and with the community of color. Symonne is a Co-Leader for the TLS project and Club Black Body Experience, Executive Director for the Bard Student Resource Group, Peer Counselor, Co-Chair of the Senior Class Council, and a member of the Spring Fling Committee. 

Miala Wilkerson '25 is a sophomore majoring in Psychology. Miala is the co-head for the Black Student Organization, co-leader for the TLS project ASP at the African Roots Center, performer for the Chronik Vibez Step Team, Peer Counselor and a member of many other clubs. 

More CCE News:
"Say Yes": TLS Programs Help Students Serve Local and Global Communities

News from OSUN

The Open Society University Network (OSUN) is a global partnership of educational institutions that integrates learning and the advancement of knowledge--in the social sciences, the humanities, the sciences and the arts, on undergraduate and graduate levels--across geographic and demographic boundaries, promotes civic engagement on behalf of open societies, and expands access to higher education for underserved communities. OSUN was co-founded by Bard and Central European University, now two of 45 partner institutions located on 5 continents.

News from OSUN:

• Social Impact Lab: BRAC University’s Engine for Student-Led Civic Engagement
• Global Commons Fall ‘22 Issue Features a Wide Range of Submissions from A Diverse Set of Partners
• Will Rage Prevail Over Reason in the Age of Social Media?