Media Coverage

CNN spoke with President David Greene about the College's potential delayed opening in a May 14 article. "I would rather open in January and go into next summer and have two full semesters worth of in-person instruction, if it were safer to do it at that time than it was earlier in the fall.”

Trustee Bob Diamond '73, P'12 spoke with CNBC news about the possibility of Colby delaying the start of school in order to ensure students have a full academic year on campus. “One of the things that we’ve decided as a leadership of the college, and as of a board of trustees, that even if we had to delay the first semester as late as December or January, we could still run a full year of in-person education,” Diamond, former Barclays CEO and Colby College trustee, told CNBC. "Diamond, appearing on '“Squawk Box, said the school was 'very, very focused' on finding a way to safely conduct in-person classes for its roughly 2,000 students."

In an editorial posted on the Mass Live website, Pay it Northward, Colby's new initiative to find postgraduate opportunities for its graduating seniors, is praised for its innovative, compassionate approach. "As many graduates struggle with the weight of college tuition, and student debt ... aggressive assistance in job placement can make a huge difference, not only for the individuals involved, but for the long-term health of the economy. Other schools might look to this example and consider generating similar initiatives for its students," the author wrote.

Colby's Pay it Forward campaign, launched May 7, is receiving wide media coverage. Among the outlets making note of this powerful, innovate initiative include: WMTW TV-8 Maine Public

In its article titled "What Colleges And Graduating Seniors Need To Do To Find Jobs During These Tough COVID-19 Times," Forbes holds up Colby's new Pay It Northward campaign as an initiative others should emulate. "At this time, every university and college should follow Colby’s lead. There should be an immediate all-hands-on-deck approach to helping graduates find jobs," Forbes said.

Professor of Government Dan Shea was tapped to comment on a Politico story titled "The Women of Maine vs. Susan Collins," which wonders if Collins, who has gone from "most beloved" to "most reviled" in recent years, has changed or if her voters have changed. “Every decision she makes seems to align her more closely with the Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell movement,” Shea told Politico. “Here in Maine, that’s become the anvil around her neck.” 

The new book When Midnight Comes Around by photographer Gary Green, associate professor of art, was reviewed in the UK publication The Review. "This new book presents a unique vantage point on a place and time whose impact on music and culture cannot be overestimated," the review said of Green's book, which contains photos taken by Green of the music and art scene in New York City in the late '70s and early '80s. Creative Boom, another UK publication, also reviewed Green's book. On May 26, 2020, the Eye of Photography ran the same review.

Andrew Lizotte '04 was certified as a judge advocate in December after graduating from a nine-week judge advocate staff officer course in Montgomery, Ala., where he also received the Lowry Award, given by the U.S. Air Force to the officer demonstrating the highest standards of leadership, academic excellence, esprit de corps, and service amongst all students. Lizotte is a first lieutenant with the New Hampshire Air National Guard. In his civilian life, he works as a federal prosecutor in Maine.

Reena Chandra Rajpal '93 has been named executive director of Combat Blindness International, and Madison magazine told her story, which began in 1983 when her father founded the foundation following a trip to India. Rajpal follows her father in this new role. “I’m so proud my dad has entrusted this — his legacy — to me,” she told Madison Magazine. “I want to carry on his good work. It’s needed. If I learned anything from him, it’s that we are a global community. These are our friends. If we can do something, we should.” This year Combat Blindness celebrated its 35th anniversary and reached a major milestone, having performed some 370,000 cataract surgeries in 15 countries on four continents, the magazine reported.  

Marine toxicologist Riki Ott '76, director of the nonprofit ALERT, discussed the lasting effects of the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico on an NBC News feature. "ALERT and its allies filed a lawsuit on Jan. 30, 2020, to force the Environmental Protection Agency to finalize its rules on the use of chemical dispersants in oil spill response. ALERT has since launched a campaign to further update the entire plan to protect workers and families from toxic exposures during oil-chemical disasters," according to the organization.