News

Announcing the Hastings Initiative for AI and Humanity

Bowdoin is proud to announce a $50 million gift—the largest in our 231-year history—from Netflix cofounder Reed Hastings ’83 to launch the Hastings Initiative for AI and Humanity.

Bowdoin in the News

Media-Savvy Student Podcasters Land “Pine State Politics” in the Limelight

Natalie Emmerson ’27 and Larsen Van Horn ’27, the brains behind Pine State Politics, the nonpartisan, educational podcast about the election process in Maine, have been very politic themselves about getting the word out about their platform.
Unearthing Mysteries

How Cutting Up a Dead Elephant Helped Solve an Archaeological Puzzle

Professor of Anthropology Susan Kaplan recalls how she initiated an important archaeological experiment nearly half a century ago. It all started with the death of a celebrity elephant named Ginsberg in a Boston zoo in 1977.
“Dear Sojourner”

First Task After Graduating: Publishing a Memoir about College

In Dear Sojourner: A Memoir of Lessons on Overcoming, Achieving, and Thriving In and Outside College, Ruth Olujobi ’25 reflects on her experience of leaving Nigeria for Bowdoin to offer guidance for other college students.
Community and Environmental Contributions

Summer Fellows Make a Difference in Maine

More than forty students received funding through the McKeen Center for the Common Good, and the Environmental Studies (ES) Program over the summer to work for local government and nonprofits that are protecting the environment and helping improve people's lives throughout the state of Maine.
The Melodic Brain

Where Music Meets Neuroscience

Student research project combines elements of neuroscience, computer science, and music. Jintae Park ’27 spent the summer working on the design of a medical device that could enable users to interact with a piano using their brainwaves—creating music that, in turn, could have a healing effect on the user.
From Coding to On-Screen Talent

L.L. Bean Summer Intern Zai Yang ’27 Stars in Company Ad

With an internship as a software developer at L.L. Bean this summer, Zai Yang's primary task was to create a new web customer service application for employees. But he also got the chance to star in a social media video for the company.
“Joy and Speed”

2025 Champs: Bowdoin Women Row to National Title

At the national collegiate rowing championships this spring, three Bowdoin boats finished in the top three of their events, helping to push the women's team to overall victory.
Education and Opportunity

Onward and Upward: A College-Access Progam Celebrates Sixty Years

The Upward Bound program at Bowdoin recently celebrated its anniversary on campus, looking back at the six decades it has helped limited-income and first-generation high schoolers from Maine achieve a college education.
The Halls Are Alive

Festival Brings Prestige and World Class Talent to Campus

Go for a stroll across campus anytime between the end of July and early August and you’ll likely hear some rather pleasing background sounds emanating from various college buildings, as chamber musicians from across the globe hone their skills.
A Sonic Blend

Music Scholars Showcase Electronic and Improvisational Skills at Korea Symposium

Three members of the music faculty attended an electronic music and arts symposium in South Korea earlier this summer to offer workshops, performances, and launch a pioneering recording project—all aimed at highlighting a fresh approach to intercultural improvisation.
An Annual Tradition

President’s Summer Cookout a Fun Gathering for Students Working on Campus

On an evening in early July, President Safa Zaki welcomed students who are working and living on campus to what is an annual tradition at the College.
Reaching for the Sky

Hill-Lam Observatory Nears Completion as New Steel Dome Moves into Place

The renovation of Bowdoin’s 133-year-old observatory took a major step forward in July. Two years after being relocated to Pickard Field, the structure now has a new steel dome in place and a high-powered telescope imported from Europe.
World of Film

Big Night for “Lucky Night,” a Film by Eduardo Mendoza ’24

Mendoza is in Brunswick and Waterville this week to attend the screenings of his film Lucky Night at the Maine International Film Festival Saturday and Sunday.
Untangling Homer

Classics Scholar Barbara Weiden Boyd in Conversation with Renowned Translator Emily Wilson

Winkley Professor of Latin and Greek Barbara Weiden Boyd is invited to take part in a conversation with fellow classics scholar Emily Wilson, known for her translation of Homer's Iliad and Odyssey. They meet on July 16 as part of the Pascal Hall Authors Series in Rockport, Maine.