News

Twelve Grads, Ten Countries, One Year of Teaching or Researching Abroad

Meet Bowdoin's newest Fulbright fellows and trace where their work will take them—from a forest in Slovenia to a particle-physics lab in Hungary to classrooms in Vietnam, Kazakhstan, and South Korea.

The Unstoppable Coach LeVasseur

Running Through Fire: Legendary Track Coach Inspires Movie

Andrew McGowan ’19 first encountered coach Jerry LeVasseur a decade ago when he was on the track team at Bowdoin. “As I got to know Jerry, I always figured his life would make an incredible documentary film.” Ten years later, McGowan, now a filmmaker and producer in Los Angeles, is turning that dream into a reality.
Science Support

Senior Maren Cooper ’27 Receives National Science Honor

Biochemistry major Maren Cooper ’27 has been awarded the Beckman Scholarship, a fifteen-month grant to support her independent, faculty-mentored research project.
Academic Excellence

Faculty Research Boosted by Awards in Several Areas

Bowdoin faculty in a range of areas received some good news over the past semester. So far in 2026, at least eight scholars have been awarded research grants covering a variety of disciplines, from religious studies to psychology and across the sciences.
Something for Everyone!

First-Year Orientation Trips: Hiking, Canoeing, Mountain Biking, Meditation, and Much More

A wealth of experiences awaited members of the Class of 2030, as the newest batch of Polar Bears took off on their orientation trips for a few days last week. As well as all the outdoor stuff, there were also several opportunities to do volunteer work in local Maine communities.
Leading by Example

Franklin Leonard Named Inaugural Herman S. Dreer Leadership Fellow

The founder of the Black List will spend the academic year engaging with Bowdoin students and community; his first visit includes a conversation with acclaimed writer and producer David Simon.
Knowing People

Bowdoin’s Connected Community, in Action

Bowdoin ranks high for the strength of its connections among alumni and students. But what does that look like in person?
“May It Be a Year of Discovery”

2026 Convocation: Bowdoin Opens Its 225th Academic Year

Professor of Art Jackie Brown addressed the audience of new students at this year’s Convocation by drawing parallels between the creative process and a liberal arts education.
Toxic Traces

Tracking Eider Ducks, Searching for Clues

Working from the Schiller Coastal Studies Center, Olivia Ho ’28 uses VHF tracking technology to monitor the activity of eider ducks in Harpswell Sound. The summer project is part of an ongoing study into the impact of toxic chemicals on the natural environment, following a major spill in the area two years ago.
A Taste of Student Summer Research

Unpacking “Fringe” Political Beliefs, Analyzing Seabird Behavior, and How Structural Inequality in the South Survived the US Civil War

Bowdoin undergraduates have been pursuing a wide range of funded academic projects over the summer. In all, 180 students received research fellowships over the summer. Concluding our series of summer fellowship profiles, we hear from a philosopher, an ecologist, and a student of US history.
Major Milestone

Bowdoin Welcomes the Class of 2030

First-years began their Bowdoin journey August 24, with staff, students, and faculty on hand to welcome them and help with the move-in.
Claws up! So chic.

Lobster Bake Fashion

One of our favorite traditions, the all-school lobster bake, happens before classes start for the fall semester. It's a great time to meet new friends, reunite with old friends, and for some, make a fashion statement.

Let's get crackin'.
A Cinematic Spectacle

Overall, a Big Thumbs-up: Classics Faculty React to Nolan’s Odyssey Movie

Does Christopher Nolan’s latest Hollywood blockbuster The Odyssey do justice to Homer’s 3,0000-year-old epic poem? Three Bowdoin classics scholars weigh in.
CHANT: A World Premiere

Combining Movement, Wordless Voices, and Technology

A new performance piece by composer and multimedia artist Badie Khaleghian combines dance, human vocal sounds, and technology. The cutting-edge work, which also involves two of Khaleghian’s Bowdoin faculty colleagues, enjoys its world premiere in Houston, Texas, in mid-August.
Thanking the Thalheimers

Oral History Project Honors Family Who Donated Schiller Center Property

Once it was a family farmhouse and a much-loved summer retreat. Now it’s a thriving coastal studies center serving the Bowdoin community, thanks to one family. The College launches an oral history project to recognize the generosity of the Thalheimers.