01/22/2021
Snow place like home ❄️
📸: Haoran Tong '23
Amherst College
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Mission: Terras irradient “LET THEM GIVE LIGHT TO THE WORLD.” 1821 Amherst College looks, above all, for students of intellectual promise who have demonstrated qualities of mind and character that will enable them to take full advantage of our curriculum. We seek qualified applicants from different racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds – students whose several perspectives might contribute significantly to a process of mutual education within and beyond the curriculum. We aim to select from among the many qualified applicants those possessing the intellectual talent, discipline and imagination that will allow them most fully to benefit from our curriculum and contribute to the life of the college and society. Grades, standardized test scores, essays, recommendations, independent work, the quality of the secondary school program and achievements outside the classroom are among the factors used to evaluate this promise, but no one of these measures is considered determinative.
Operating as usual
01/21/2021
LitFest goes virtual!
This year, from Feb. 25 to 28, the 6th annual LitFest, Amherst's literary festival, will be hosted virtually and feature award-winning authors including Charles Yu, Anne Applebaum, Megha Majumdar, Tommye Blount and Natalie Diaz. LitFest celebrates fiction, nonfiction, poetry and spoken-word performance, as well as the College's extraordinary literary life. https://bit.ly/3sKNMOe
01/20/2021
The new presidential administration will include several Amherst alumni in key roles, from the COVID-19 advisory board to the Department of State.
Congratulations to our alumni on their new appointments!
01/20/2021
National Day of Recollection
Today, we joined Town of Amherst, MA in remembering and honoring the individuals who lost their lives to COVID-19.
At 5:30 pm, Johnson Chapel and the Octagon were illuminated in purple, and the chapel bells rang for five minutes in a moment of collective remembrance and unity.
01/18/2021
In honor and celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Today, we honor and celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a courageous and outspoken advocate for civil rights, social and racial justice, and education.
This year, our students joined the new Center for Restorative Practices in a discussion circle to reflect on their challenges, hopes, and visions as we collectively work towards the world Dr. King dared us to dream of. #MLKDay
01/15/2021
Biden Picks Former F.D.A. Chief to Lead Federal Vaccine Efforts
Congratulations to Dr. David A. Kessler '73, who has been appointed to lead Operation Warp Speed, the federal program accelerating development of COVID-19 vaccines and treatments. https://nyti.ms/3qnIh6b
Dr. David Kessler, who helped speed the development and approval of AIDS drugs in the 1990s, will become the top science official at Operation Warp Speed.
01/14/2021
We are beyond proud of our alumni working at the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic, who have now begun receiving vaccinations.
From left to right: Estevan Velez '20, Samantha Toerge '99, Donna Leet '15, and David Hexter '84
01/13/2021
In light of COVID-19, how do we ensure all students and families can navigate the admissions process?
We co-founded the Six Colleges Initiative with Bowdoin College, Carleton College, Pomona College, Swarthmore College and Williams College, a collective that created a streamlined, single point of admissions information: https://bit.ly/3qeakoB
01/12/2021
A recent snapshot of the sun setting on campus 🌑
📸 : Haoran Tong '23
![“We are attempting to dismantle [the] stereotype that oral cultures cannot also have written traditions. We are also wor...](https://scontent.fymy1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-0/p480x480/136111459_10158273637772982_6942562066716287932_o.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=3&_nc_sid=da1649&_nc_ohc=j5ZQ5HgqohEAX8NC2OY&_nc_ht=scontent.fymy1-2.fna&tp=6&oh=cc1e074f1a875008e7c357752f2b2797&oe=605DD95D)
01/11/2021
“We are attempting to dismantle [the] stereotype that oral cultures cannot also have written traditions. We are also working against a history of Indigenous experience with research, wherein scholars regularly stole stories, published them, altered them, and even used them as evidence against Indigenous populations. We do not want to repeat those behaviors.” - Mike Kelly, Head of Archives and Special Collections at Amherst College Library
In an interview with American Libraries Magazine, Kelly recently discussed how the College promotes ethical and culturally responsive care to Indigenous collections. https://bit.ly/2JYpK0T
01/07/2021
"It was emotionally wrenching to see a storming of the Capitol by people intent on overturning the results of a presidential election and preventing a peaceful transfer of power."
Read President Biddy Martin's letter to the campus community: https://bit.ly/3s68BDu
01/06/2021
Working at the intersection of computer science and statistics, Assistant Professor Matteo Riondato figures out how to extract the best (i.e., most accurate) information from enormous data sets. This burgeoning specialty has implications for cancer research, virology and more.
This past fall, the National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded him a grant for research and course development. https://bit.ly/2L5UzB6
01/05/2021
The Legacy Playwrights Initiative Announces Inaugural Winners
Congratulations to Professor Emerita Connie Congdon, who was recently awarded an inaugural Legacy Playwrights Initiative Award! 👏
Professor Congdon taught playwriting at Amherst from 1993 until her retirement in 2018. https://bit.ly/3aRv4yb
The first recipients are Ed Bullins, Constance Congdon, and Philip Kan Gotanda.
12/31/2020
Before we wave goodbye to this year, here's a look back at 2020 in Amherst.
Happy new year! 🎆
12/29/2020
For many presidential and election experts, this year has been quite a ride.
But for Professor Lawrence Douglas, who accurately predicted the election outcome in his May 2020 book "Will He Go?," it's been more like a rocket launch. https://bit.ly/3ho3tFW
12/24/2020
Wishing you a happy and joyful holiday! ❄️
📸: Haoran Tong '23
12/23/2020
Looking ahead to a new year with renewed hope and excitement. ✨
2020 was unpredictably difficult but like any year, it had its positive moments. What moments will you take into the new year with you?
12/22/2020
If a Hit Had Operatic Drama—From Meat Loaf to Celine Dion—Chances Are, Jim Steinman Made It
What do greatest hits like Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse of the Heart," Air Supply Music's "Making Love Out of Nothing At All," and Céline Dion's "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" have in common? 🎵
They were written and produced by Jim Steinman '69. http://ow.ly/OBKb50CMmEh
Steinman’s frontman and muse was Meat Loaf—he then reinvented Bonnie Tyler, Air Supply, Barry Manilow and Celine Dion as fire-and-brimstone anthem singers.
12/21/2020
METS NAME DAVE JAUSS BENCH COACH
Did you know Dave Jauss '80, who has joined the New York Mets as bench coach, graduated from Amherst College?
Jauss earned a psychology degree and played in both the baseball and basketball teams. One of his teammates? Former MLB general manager Dan Duquette '80. http://ow.ly/uTwX50CQBxt
FLUSHING, N.Y., December 16, 2020 — The New York Mets announced today that the team has hired Dave Jauss to serve as the club’s bench…
12/18/2020
A glimpse of campus from sunset to snow: December 14, 2020 and December 17, 2020. ❄️
12/17/2020
President Biddy Martin has announced that the College will move the start date of the spring semester to Monday, February 15 and ensure it concludes, including finals, by Friday, May 28.
The semester was previously scheduled to begin Wednesday, February 3. http://ow.ly/jsIM50CNwwP
12/16/2020
Due to the snowstorm, the Amherst College campus will be closed Thursday, December 17.
More information: http://ow.ly/Ik8H50CNxBb
12/16/2020
Jeremy Thomas '21 on his family's reaction to the news that he'd won a #RhodesScholarship.
Thomas studied remotely from his home in Texas during the fall semester. http://ow.ly/w8EL50CNflT
12/15/2020
A view of the same spot on campus from August 2020 ☀️ and December 2020 ❄️
📸: Mark Uchneat
12/14/2020
How do you teach a course on local Amherst poets from across the Atlantic to a class of on-campus and remote students, some of whom haven't yet set foot in Amherst?
For Assistant Professor of English Amelia Worsley, that was the challenge the COVID-19 pandemic created. But her reimagined course became an experience both lonelier and more intimate for her students. http://ow.ly/NCvc50CKaGE
12/12/2020
Yesterday evening, the Class of 2021E graduated in a virtual reception and ceremony. We are so proud of our newly graduated Mammoths!
Congratulations! 🎓
12/11/2020
Congratulations and welcome to our new Mammoths in the Class of 2025! 🦣
Notifications for our Early Decision applicants were released at 1821, or 6:21pmEST, honoring the year Amherst College was founded. Welcome, new Mammoths! #AmherstProud #Amherst2025
12/10/2020
Bloomberg Philanthropies
The best way to reduce the spread of COVID-19 during the holidays?
"Reduce your contacts," recommends Dr. David Kessler '73, co-chair of the Biden-Harris COVID-19 Advisory Board.
Holiday travel has coincided with the rise in COVID-19 cases. Dr. David Kessler feels that “the most important thing is to reduce contact with other people by social distancing and wearing masks.” Jonathan Capehart sits down with Dr. Kessler to discuss at the Bloomberg #AmericanHealth Summit.
12/09/2020
She set out to study her contentious relationship with wealth. In doing so, Chloe McKenzie '14 created a term that's gaining traction: financial trauma. http://ow.ly/6izM50CGPRO
12/08/2020
"It’s not enough to increase access for Black and brown students. We have to focus on their experience after the moment of enrollment.” - Chief Equity & Inclusion Officer Norm Jones
The Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship, a national grant pursued by Jones and secured by the College in 2018, is one way to do that. http://ow.ly/Nex750CFQXM
12/07/2020
Congratulations to Elaine Jeon '17, who was selected to join the Class of 2022 of Schwarzman Scholars! 👏
Elaine majored in economics at Amherst and envisions a future of healthier cities, where health is at the forefront of every urban policy decision and multisectoral collaboration to drive sustainable change. #AmherstProud
12/05/2020
For Samantha Rothberg '21, the Wildlife Sanctuary is the classroom. As part of her senior thesis, she is banding black-capped chickadees with unique radio-frequency tags. Her thesis will determine how social group dynamics respond to variation in temperature, giving insight to how they might respond to climate change.
12/04/2020
Yale professors evaluate college COVID dashboards
“Early on we knew from the beginning of the semester it would be important to be very transparent both with our own internal Amherst College community but also with the local community and our neighbors." - Matt Hart, director of emergency management
We Rate COVID Dashboards, the project led by Yale University professors, recently gave the Amherst College COVID-19 dashboard a high score for its transparency and communication. http://ow.ly/mX2A50CCMKx
The project We Rate COVID Dashboards has been evaluating college and university attempts at transparency. Eight months into the pandemic, how are institutions doing?
12/03/2020
Why do even the most reasonable people you know bend COVID-19 safety rules?
"Inaction breeds inaction," says psychology professor Catherine Sanderson. "The more people don't speak up, the more it confirms to you that everyone is okay with it." http://ow.ly/XijM50CqCxJ
11/28/2020
For Dan Cluchey '08, it has been quite the ride to serve as a speechwriter in Joe Biden's campaign since 2019.
Read more about his experience working with the campaign: http://ow.ly/46lL50CqFwr
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General information
Amherst College educates young people of exceptional potential from all backgrounds so that they may seek, value, and advance knowledge, engage the world around them, and lead principled lives of consequence. Amherst searches for exceptional students from across the country and around the world, including from places and populations that are historically underrepresented in higher education. Our financial aid policies are among the most generous in the nation. A successful Amherst student is someone who will embrace our open curriculum, engage our talented faculty and actively contribute to a student body that is diverse in both background and perspective. Amherst College is committed to learning through close colloquy and to expanding the realm of knowledge through scholarly research and artistic creation at the highest level. Its graduates link learning with leadership—in service to the College, to their communities, and to the world beyond.
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Videos
National Day of Recollection
In honor and celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Solidarity Book Project
AC Votes: A Conversation Between President Biddy Martin and Virginia Ryan '22
AC Votes: A Conversation between President Biddy Martin and Maya Foster '23
AC Votes: A Conversation between President Biddy Martin and Ben Gilsdorf '21
Science in Lights
A Magical Congratulations from Philosophy Professor Alex George
Over the past few weeks we've posted more than a few montages of congratulatory messages from Amherst faculty and staff. Some, though, didn't make it into those collections for one reason or another. Take philosophy professor Alex George's submission, which is, um, "sleightly" longer than most.
Rory the Cat, owned by the English Department's Bette Kanner, checks in with students
A common refrain among Amherst professors these days is that they miss their regular face-to-face interactions with students. But also missing them terribly are the staff! One group of academic department coordinators shared with us a long video they created to show support for the young people whose faces they used to see frequently. Here are three excerpts. #WeAreMammoths #AmherstTogether
The Russian Department's Triin Vallaste checks in with students
A common refrain among Amherst professors these days is that they miss their regular face-to-face interactions with students. But also missing them terribly are the staff! One group of academic department coordinators shared with us a long video they created to show support for the young people whose faces they used to see frequently. Here are three excerpts. #WeAreMammoths #AmherstTogether
Rory the Cat, owned by the English Department's Bette Kanner, checks in with students
A common refrain among faculty these days is that they miss their regular face-to-face interactions with students. But also missing them terribly are the staff! One group of academic department coordinators shared with us a long video that they created to show support for the young people whose faces they would see frequently. Here are three excerpts. #WeAreMammoths #AmherstTogether
ADCs say hello to students
A common refrain among Amherst professors these days is that they miss their regular face-to-face interactions with students. But also missing them terribly are the staff! One group of academic department coordinators shared with us a long video they created to show support for the young people whose faces they used to see frequently. Here are three excerpts. #WeAreMammoths #AmherstTogether
Why choose Amherst? Dean of Admission and Financial Aid Matt McGann makes a compelling case
We'll give Dean of Admission and Financial Aid Matt McGann the last word in a video for our "why choose Amherst?" series. We think his answer is pretty compelling... #WeAreMammoths #AmherstTogether #tusksup
Why choose Amherst? Professor of Biology and Environmental Studies Ethan Clotfelter
Today's the day that enrollment decisions are due! If you are still on the fence about whether or not to join this extraordinary community, biology and environmental studies professor Ethan Clotfelter can tell you why you should. #WeAreMammoths #AmherstTogether
Why choose Amherst? Omisha Purohit '23 offers her thoughts
Why choose Amherst? "It's not a community, it's a family," says Omisha Purohit '23. #WeAreMammoths #AmherstTogether
Why choose Amherst? The Beneski Museum of Natural History's Hayley Singleton digs in to the topic
If you're wondering just how big a mammoth was, Hayley Singleton, head of collections and operations at the College's Beneski Museum of Natural History, can tell you. In this clip, she shows off the skeleton that was the inspiration for Amherst's mascot, and explains how its current home makes Amherst a great place to study. #tusksup
Why choose Amherst? History Professor Ellen Boucher answers
Why choose Amherst? For history professor Ellen Boucher, the answer is simple.
Why choose Amherst? Dean of Financial Aid Gail Holt weighs in
Next up in our "why choose Amherst?" series: Dean of Financial Aid Gail Holt, with an assist from a furry member of her family.
Why choose Amherst? Farmer Maida answers
With the deadline to enroll at Amherst--May 1!--nearly upon us, we asked some students, faculty and staff to film themselves explaining why admitted students should choose Amherst. Maida Ives, manager of farm education and operations at the College's own Book & Plow Farm, offers some food for thought.
Goodbye, Mammoths!
As the members of our community continue to trickle away from campus, a few of us in the Office of Communications--furry and otherwise--paused to say adieu. (We're not normally this awkward--its social distancing, we swear!) Amherst colleagues: Feel free to share your own goodbyes in the comments! #tusksup
Olivia Geiger '21 reads from The World As It Is
Olivia Gieger '21 stepped up for our last LitFest teaser, reading from Ben Rhodes' "The World As It Is," a memoir of the author's time serving in the Obama White House. Rhodes will speak from 1 to 2:30 on Sunday in Johnson Chapel.
Jordan Brice '22 reads from Battle Dress
The second day of LitFest 2020 is upon us! Listen to Jordan Brice '22 read a poem from Karen Skolfield's poetry book "Battle Dress." Skolfield will speak tomorrow from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in Frost Library's Center for Humanistic Inquiry (2nd floor).
Sofia Belimova '22 reads from “Sing, Unburied, Sing”
Our next reader in our LitFest 2020 promo series? Common intern and English major Sofia Belimova ’22! Watch Sofia read the opening paragraph of “Sing, Unburied, Sing” by Jesmyn Ward. Ward will participate in a public LitFest discussion on Saturday afternoon in Johnson Chapel from 4 to 5:30 p.m.; the event is free and open to all.
Laura Carty '20 Reads "The Other Americans"
Next up in our LitFest 2020 promo series: Sociology major Laura Carty ’20! Watch Laura read the opening paragraph of “The Other Americans” by Laila Lalami. Lalami will participate in a public LitFest 2020 discussion on Friday night in Johnson Chapel from 7:30 to 9 p.m.
Izzy Meyers '20 reads from "Trust Exercise"
Izzy Meyers ’20 gamely read the opening paragraph of "Trust Exercise," by Susan Choi to help promote an event with the author this coming weekend. Choi will participate in a LitFest 2020 discussion on Friday night in Johnson Chapel from 7:30 to 9 p.m.; the event is free and open to the public.
Starting Something New at the Mead Art Museum
Drawn from purchases and a gift of 172 contemporary artworks, the @meadartmuseum's current exhibition “Starting Something New: Recent Contemporary Acquisitions and Gifts” serves as a part two of Mead’s first contemporary art exhibition from last fall. Here's a sample of what's on display.
Huey Hewitt '19's Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) contest speech
Huey Hewitt '19 talks about the disproportionate number of trans black people incarcerated in the United States, and the lack of support faced by that population both in and out of the criminal justice system in this contest-winning speech.
The beauty of beading
Carley Malloy ’22, a citizen of the Potawatomi Nation, Oklahoma, who grew up in Vermont, explains how to make a hooped beaded earring during the December 2019 INCA student group event.
2019 INCA beading event
As classes came to a close in December, the Indigenous and Native Citizens Association (INCA) hosted a beading night, where students came together to learn and practice the craft of beading over a dinner of traditional foods catered by Chef Sherry Pocknett, a member of the Aquinnah Wampanoag. Alexis Scalese '22 organized the event, inspired by the importance the act of beading has played in her life and her understanding of her Native identity.
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Amherst College Office of Human Resources
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UMass Sports Journalism Concentration
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Amherst College Office of Human Resources
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143 Commonwealth Ave
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