Bowdoin College

09/03/2026

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.

“Both thrive on curiosity and invite us to be transformed by what we encounter,” Brown said. “Both ask us to loosen our grip on certainty and remain open to possibility. And both challenge us to reconsider how we perceive the world and how we understand our place within it.” Read more about the ceremony and other speakers here!

2026 Convocation: Bowdoin Opens Its 225th Academic Year By Rebecca Goldfine 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. “Both thrive on curiosity and invite us to ...

09/01/2026

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. Read more about it here!

Tracking Eider Ducks, Searching for Clues By Tom Porter On a cloudy morning in late July, the research vessel A.O.K. motors out of the Schiller Coastal Studies Center into Harpswell Sound. On board is Olivia Ho ’28, who has been making regular forays into these waters over the summer on an importa...

08/28/2026

Our new class is off on their Orientation Trip adventures, but they took a class photo before they left! All of our students return this weekend, and the semester officially starts next week.

08/26/2026

On Monday, the Class of 2030 moved into campus, and they were greeted by eager volunteers, students, and staff. It happened to be a stunning weather day too! Read more about it here, see photos, and watch videos with advice from parents and interviews with our new class.

Bowdoin Welcomes the Class of 2030 By Rebecca Goldfine First-years began their Bowdoin journey August 24, with staff, students, and faculty on hand to welcome them and help with the move-in. As the cars rolled in, volunteers swarmed, ready to grab bags, mirrors, plants, mini-fridges, and more to ha...

08/24/2026

Welcome, Class of 2030! Today begins your Bowdoin experience, and we’re so excited to have you here. Here’s to new friends, new memories, and a thrilling first week. Thank you to our new Polar Bear families, our hard-working staff, and the many volunteers who made this sunny day perfect.

08/22/2026

Bowdoin students have been based at Schiller Coastal Studies Center over the summer break pursuing a variety of research projects. From sea snails to lobsters to sea stars (a.k.a. “starfish”), a number of undergraduates (plus one recent graduate) have been making full use of the center’s facilities, including dry labs and the seawater-filled web laboratories.

Three projects were featured at a recent presentation held at the 118-acre research center, which is located about twelve miles from the main Brunswick campus and includes two-and-a-half miles of coastline. Watch video interviews with students here!

Bowdoin students have been based at Schiller Coastal Studies Center over the summer break pursuing a variety of research projects.

08/19/2026

Forty-two Bowdoin students who spent the summer interning with environmental organizations, nonprofits, and government agencies across Maine gathered recently on campus to reflect on their experiences. Alongside posters highlighting their work, they were asked to share a memorable moment or lesson.

While many have spent time analyzing data, conducting research, and writing reports, those weren't the topics they chose to talk about. Instead, a lot of the students recalled conversations—with fishermen, families experiencing homelessness, young writers, immigrants, election officials, musician...

08/17/2026

Arrival day is just one week from today! Our new students and their families will descend on campus and move into their new home. Here are some photos from last year. What advice would you have for an incoming first-year student? Any suggestions for what the pack?

08/14/2026

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.

“For a child, it was like ‘Wow, this is really amazing,’” recalled Elizabeth “Betsy” Brett, née Thalheimer, who, along with her three siblings—Will, John, and Andrew—was interviewed for a new oral history project.

The interviews were conducted by Ruqayyah Abouraya ’28, who produced the project over the summer as an intern with the Schiller Coastal Studies Center (SCSC).

With huge fields and a dense forest, leading down to “this big surrounding ocean,” the family farmhouse on Orr’s Island left quite an impression on the Thalheimer children over the many summers they spent there.

08/13/2026

About twenty percent of the 223 students who received funded internships from Bowdoin this summer gravitated toward the field of health and medicine, interested in research or work that is improving people's lives.

We heard from five of these students; they are working at a neuroscience lab, a professional group linking climate and public health, a hospital, a vaccine research center, and a public health institute. Along the way, they're acquiring technical and communication skills, learning from mentors, widening their networks, and gaining insight into their career aspirations.

About twenty percent of the 223 students who received funded internships from Bowdoin this summer gravitated toward the the field of health and medicine, interested in research or work that is improving people's lives.