May 2022
Slideshow: Reunion Weekend 2022 in Pictures

For the first time since 2019, Bowdoin alumni gathered for Reunion. Among those on campus were alumni from three consecutive class years, all celebrating a major anniversary milestone. Read about Reunion Weekend and view a slideshow of images.
Bowdoin College Celebrates 217th Commencement

Graduating seniors were joined by friends and family as Bowdoin College conferred 450 bachelor of arts degrees on members of the Class of 2022 on the steps of the Walker Art Building.
The Thorndike Oak Toast Tradition

A longstanding tradition, the Thorndike Oak Toast is an opportunity for the senior class to gather, celebrate their time at Bowdoin, and consider what it means to be a graduate of the College. Read about this year's toast and view a slideshow of images.
Senior Send-Off

A senior send-off was organized to bring the Class of 2022 together for an evening of celebration and alumni volunteer engagement. View a slideshow of images.
Slideshow: Enjoying the Bowdoin Family After Graduation

Recent graduates met with friends and classmates and made new connections at Polar Bear happy hour gatherings held in Boston, New York, Portland, San Francisco, and Washington, DC.
Presidential Search Committee Named

A search committee has been formed to identify the sixteenth president of Bowdoin College. Members were drawn from the board of trustees, faculty, administrative and support staff, student body, and alumni community and announced May 20, 2022, by trustees Sydney Asbury ’03 and Bertrand Garcia-Moreno ’81, P’17, the search committee’s cochairs, and by Robert F. White ’77, P’15, chair of the board of trustees.
Trustees Elect New Members, Reelect Three, Approve New Faculty Hire, and Recognize Dedicated Service

The Board of Trustees elected three new members, reelected three, approved a new faculty hire with tenure, and recognized the valued contributions by retiring members of the faculty, staff, and board of trustees during meetings held on campus May 12–13, 2022.
Slideshow: Schiller Coastal Studies Center Dedication

The Schiller Coastal Studies Center was officially dedicated on May 12, 2022, following an expansion and renovation project that concluded in late 2020 and that was made possible by a generous gift from Phillip Schiller P’17, a member of the Bowdoin College Board of Trustees, and his wife, Kim Gassett-Schiller P’17.
Bowdoin Launches Ambitious Plan for a Fossil Fuel-Free Campus by 2042; Includes $100 Million Investment in Campus Infrastructure

“Sustainable Bowdoin 2042” builds on Bowdoin’s environmental leadership to achieve 100 percent renewable electricity, creates a clear transition to a fossil fuel-free campus, and enhances existing academic programming.
Nineteen Fulbright Grants Awarded to Bowdoin Students to Teach or Do Research Abroad

Eighteen new graduates and a member of the Class of 2014 have received Fulbright grants to teach English or study abroad next year in Spain, Morocco, Israel, Taiwan, Lithuania, Colombia, Mexico, Germany, Thailand, and Finland.
Diverse Class of 2026 Includes Bowdoin’s First Community College Transfer Students

Bowdoin’s Class of 2026 has taken shape and currently includes 521 students representing 423 high schools across the US and around the world.
Bowdoin Athletics 
 
A historic spring sports season came to a close in May with Polar Bears racking up conference, regional, and national honors to cap the 2021–2022 year.

The men’s lacrosse team closed out a historic campaign with its first-ever trip to the NCAA quarterfinals. Despite the loss to eventual national champion RIT, Bowdoin ended the year with a school-record eighteen wins and six players honored in USILA Division III All-American honors. 

The sailing team sent squads to both the Open and Women’s National Championships in New Orleans earlier this month. Highlighting the week in NOLA was the performance of the women’s team, which earned its best-ever finish at ICSA Nationals. 

Three women’s track and field athletes traveled to Ohio for the NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships, with Kianne Benjamin and Charlotte Hodge coming away with All-American recognition. Other All-Americans this spring included Tristan Bradley in men’s tennis and Fiona Bundy for women’s lacrosse. 

The Bowdoin club rowing team headed to Tennessee for the American Collegiate Rowing Association championships with a pair of crews, with the Women’s 1V4+ picking up a silver and the Men’s 1V8 earning sixth place in the petite final.

More than 140 Polar Bears were recognized by the New England Small College Athletic Conference in All-Academic awards and All-Sportsmanship Team recognition this spring.
Laura Henry and Laura Howells '20 on “Controlling Russia’s Information Space”

A Bowdoin professor and a former student explore the Russian government’s recent clampdown on digital freedom within its borders and ask how this compares to digital authoritarianism in China.
Music Professor Shende Sets Ukrainian Poet Khersonsky’s Words to Music

Moved by the horrific events in Ukraine, music scholar and renowned composer Vineet Shende writes a choral piece based on the words of Ukrainian poet Boris Khersonsky.
What do Volcanoes and Inclusivity Have in Common? Professor Rachel Beane.

Bowdoin geologist Rachel Beane studies the mineral, volcanic, and tectonic forces that have shaped the earth. In recent years, she has also stepped up to fix a persistent problem in her field: its lack of racial and ethnic diversity.
CXD Featured Speaker: Kevin "KAYR" Robinson '05 on Achieving Financial Independence and "Transformational Wealth "

Kevin “KAYR” Robinson ’05, founder of KAYJAY consulting, licensed real estate agent, member of the Homeowners Association of Philadelphia, and life coach, was invited by Bowdoin's Office of Career Exploration and Development (CXD) to share his insights with students. In his talk, “How to Achieve Financial Independence," Robinson said, “I want y’all to be courageous and reach your dreams—worry about the money later."
John Studzinski ’78 Series to Stimulate Debate on Important Topics

Investment banker, philanthropist, and trustee emeritus John Studzinski '78 has produced a series of blog posts to stimulate debate and ideas on a range of subjects, from charity governance to diversity.
Slideshow: Springtime at Bowdoin

The end of the semester and the beginning of warmer weather brought a confluence of intense studying and needed distractions. Photographer Bob Handelman captured many of the moments that make up spring at Bowdoin.
June is Pride Month

Show your Bowdoin Pride throughout the month of June by joining fellow Polar Bears at an upcoming parade, festival, or happy hour.

Maine Summer Party

Thursday, Aug. 4

Please join us on campus for cocktails with President Clayton Rose and Julianne Rose to celebrate summer and the Bowdoin community in Maine. All are welcome. 
Asian and Latinx Alumni Listening Sessions

The Office of Multicultural Alumni Engagement, in partnership with alumni volunteers and DEI consultants, will host virtual listening sessions with Asian and Latinx affinity groups on various dates in June. The listening sessions will offer Asian and Latinx alumni an opportunity to discuss their Bowdoin experiences related to race.  
1794 Society News is published monthly by the Office of Communications and Public Affairs.

Please send your comments and suggestions to dcook@bowdoin.edu.