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.

Recognizing Dedicated Service

Trustees Elect New Member, Reelect Seven, and Recognize Dedicated Service to the College

The Bowdoin College Board of Trustees elected a new member to its ranks, reelected seven members to the board, and officially recognized the valued contributions made to the College by retiring members of the faculty, staff, and board of trustees during meetings held May 8–9, 2025.
On History and Legacy

A Bowdoin Tradition: Commencing Dinner and the Thorndike Oak Toast

Longstanding Bowdoin traditions, the Commencing Dinner and Thorndike Oak Toast are opportunities for graduating seniors to reflect on the legacy they leave behind and the ways in which alumni have supported and shaped the College for more than two hundred years.
Come Play!

Grand Opening Celebration for Redesigned Longfellow Playground

Bowdoin College and the Town of Brunswick are hosting a grand opening to celebrate the completion of the Longfellow Playground project. The event will be held Wednesday, June 4, beginning at 1:30 p.m., to coincide with the early release day for Brunswick Public Schools. Parents are invited to bring their children to try out the new playground equipment and enjoy ice cream and lemonade.
Town and Gown

Journey Through Time: A Public Art Project

A series of photographic murals now graces the outer wall of a prominent building in downtown Brunswick. The six images provide a snapshot of events at different stages in the history of Bowdoin College and its connection to the town.
Cultural Immersion

Adepoju Arogundade ’25 Heads to Germany on Governmental Fellowship to Study Transportation Issues

Adepoju Arogundade ’25 has secured a fellowship to live, work, and study for a year in Germany after graduation. He will explore the issue of sustainable transport in the country as part of a program run jointly by the US Congress and Germany’s Bundestag.
Aiming to Help

The Common Good from All Angles

From local to global, a range of student efforts were on display recently in Smith Union. The Common Good Symposium is an annual event celebrating student volunteer work across a range of disciplines and programs—all dedicated to helping other people.
Not Just for Laughs

Bad Things Happen: Stand-Up Lucas O’Neil ’12 Explains Why Not All His Material Is Funny

The English and theater major is making a name for himself in the world of stand-up comedy. He recently performed his latest show—Emotional Man—in front of Bowdoin students. Because the show deals with what has happened in his life, he explains, not all of it is funny.
Global Maine Internship

Kasei Oma Lin ’26 Receives “Future Global Leader Award” from Maine Trade Organization

The Maine International Trade Center has recognized the Bowdoin junior for his outstanding work as an intern with the organization.
Watch Live Online

Bowdoin to Award 520 Degrees at 220th Commencement May 24

Bowdoin will hold its 220th Commencement ceremony at 10:00 a.m., Saturday, May 24, 2025, and confer bachelor of arts degrees on 520 graduates.
Saving Lives

Bowdoin Grad Awarded One of Medicine’s Top Prizes for Anti-Smoking Efforts

Dr. Michael Fiore ’76 receives the National Academy of Medicine’s Lienhard Award for the decades of work he has done to help people quit smoking. His efforts are thought to have saved thousands of lives!
Entangled Histories

Lena Souffrant ’25 Brings New Ideas to Life in “Dead Bird Stories”

The show by the environmental studies and Africana studies major “challenges the entangled histories of science, colonialism, and ecological ‘discovery’ at Bowdoin College.”
IT Service

Riley Nelson ’27 Wins Multiyear State Department Technology Fellowship

The computer science major learned this spring that he is one of fifteen recipients of a highly competitive Foreign Affairs IT Fellowship, which provides two years of tuition support, two paid internships, and professional development. It culminates in a five-year post as a “diplomatic technology officer.”
Environmental Expressions

Communicating—In So Many Ways—About the Changing Climate

Students are sharing their thoughts about environmental threats and climate change—and possible solutions—in a creative outpouring of haikus, op-eds, art, memes, social media, and limericks. Lots of limericks.
Celebrating Women

Betting on Leaders: Bowdoin Women Play Poker, Win Leadership Skills

About 100 Bowdoin students, staff, and alumni recently spent an evening in Main Lounge playing poker. The point was not to pile up chips (though that was fun for the winners), but rather to become stronger leaders in all walks of life.