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.

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.
Heavy Traffic

Internet Road Trip Game Directs Thousands of Listeners to Bowdoin’s WBOR

An online game where users collectively take a virtual road trip and, in so doing, are exposed to a wealth of local radio stations, led to a massive spike in listenership earlier this year at WBOR, Bowdoin’s student radio station.
An Island Apart

On Remote Kent Island, Bowdoin Scientists Uncover Clues to Pollinator Intelligence

The unique ecology of the island has made it possible for a team of Bowdoin researchers to develop new insights into how different bees and wasps learn, and how this ability impacts their foraging behavior.
Rethinking the Bard

Shakespeare’s Unique Approach to Science, Nature, and Religion

Professor Aaron Kitch takes a fresh look at William Shakespeare in his latest book, tracing the influence of classical, medieval, and early modern science on the playwright. Shakespeare maintained a wide-ranging interest in different forms of “natural philosophy,” which combined what we now call science, philosophy, and religion.
Buzzing with Anticipation

Bowdoin Plans New Pollinator Gardens for Campus

In a time of unprecedented insect decline, Bowdoin is offering a lifeline to pollinators—and creating a pleasing experience for humans—by designing new campus gardens planted with native flowers and shrubs.
A Foot in the Door

“Empathetic Understanding”: What Bowdoin's Funded Interns Take Away

This summer is another record breaker for Bowdoin's popular funded internship program, which awards generous stipends to students so they can pursue otherwise unpaid opportunities in the field of their choice.
Reducing Stigma

Professor Matthew Klingle’s Diabetes Work Cited in Vanderbilt Study

Environmental historian Matthew Klingle has been immersed in the study of public health and chronic disease, particularly diabetes, for many years. His scholarship was cited recently in a major study by Vanderbilt University’s cutting-edge public health research initiative.
New Senior Leadership

Martin Mbugua Named Senior Vice President for Communications and Public Affairs

Following a nationwide search, Bowdoin College has named Martin Mbugua its new senior vice president for communications and public affairs.
Arboreal Adventures

Leaf It to Bowdoin: Explore Campus Trees with New Guide

Bowdoin's new tree survey, represented in an accessible online guide, introduces visitors to the campus's arboreal community.
Recognizing Exemplary Service

Alumni Council Honors: Eight Alumni Celebrated for Outstanding Service to the College

The Alumni Council, representing Bowdoin’s more than 23,000 living alumni, encourages lifelong engagement with the College and has honored eight alumni for the ways they have helped connect graduates and make Bowdoin a better place.
From Bowdoin to Tokyo

Sergianni Jennings ’26 Lives Her Dream by Participating in a US–Japan Diplomatic Journey

With a suitcase full of Bowdoin merch and a longtime passion for Japan, Jennings recently took part in a US federal program that is working to strengthen ties between the two nations.
No Doubt

Is it good to be certain? Writers, doctors, a philosopher, a neuroscientist, and a forensic psychologist tell us what they know—and what they don’t—about certainty.
Life Is NOT a Cabaret

Beware the “Cabaret Syndrome.” Exploring the Weimar Republic’s Cultural Legacy

With the launch of her latest book, Associate Professor of German Jill Smith explains her frustration at a tendency to oversimplify a key period of twentieth-century European history—and it’s all down to a 1970s musical movie.
It’s Complicated

Historian Patrick Rael Discusses Abolitionism in Maine on Public Radio

Maine is often regarded as having played a major role in the abolitionist movement, in no small part due to Harriet Beecher Stowe’s connection to the state. The truth, however, is more nuanced, as Professor of History Patrick Rael helps to explain on a recent radio broadcast.