External Posts
President David A. Greene was included in an article that asked New England college leaders about the state of the liberal arts. In the story, he highlighted how a liberal arts education prepares students for an environment where job trends are changing faster than ever.
A study led by Amanda Gallinat, an ecologist and a lecturer of environmental studies, investigating how spring bird arrival times are shifting with climate change was the subject of an article by WBUR. Titled "Spring bird migration in Concord now a week earlier than in Thoreau's time, study finds," the article highlighted Gallinat's research conducted by combining volunteer observations with observations made by Henry David Thoreau. While birds migrating a relatively short distance, such as from the southeastern U.S., are "better at gauging cues about changing temperatures" and thus adjusting arrival time to coincide with the bloom of spring food, "birds wintering in Central and South America 'are really at a loss' when it comes to predicting temperatures in far-away Concord," the article noted.
Michael Burke, professor of English and creative writing, emeritus, contributed a chapter titled "Deepening and Complicating: The Creative Nonfiction Workshop" to the recently released Evolving Strategies for Writing Feedback on Creative Manuscripts: A Multi-Genre Pedagogy Guide (Routledge, 2026). In his chapter, Burke used a student's essay from his last class before retiring to demonstrate what he was writing about, "with the student's enthusiastic permission, of course," he said. The student, who asked for anonymity because of the essay's content, was thrilled to be included, as Burke selected hers from several other student submissions. The chapter is an example of faculty-student collaboration that extends beyond the classroom.
James M. Gillespie Professor of Art Véronique Plesch edited the winter issue of Maine Arts Journal and wrote the introduction, in which she discusses the theme of "Words and Images" and the contributions to the issue. In her "Art Historical Musings" column on "Images and Words," she discusses her long involvement with the scholarly field of word and image studies and sketches the history of the exploration of the relationships between the two modes of expression. As she considers word/image interactions, she discusses what is at stake in practices such as describing works of art, using titles, inserting words in artworks, and turning words (and letters) into art. She also tackles the question of legibility (and of illegibility), of the often conflictual relationship between the visual and the verbal, and also of how the word/image dichotomy can be transcended. In "Moving Paint, Writing Memories: A Conversation with Stephen Hannock," Plesch shares excerpts from conversations with Hannock in which they discuss his use of words in his Panoramic Vistas series. Finally, she also contributed "Words in Graffiti: A (Mostly) Visual Essay." in which she shares a collection of photographs taken over the past forty years throughout the world along with some considerations on graffiti’s distinctive features.
WBUR covered a study led by Colby ecologist and Lecturer of Environmental Studies Amanda Gallinat, who is investigating how spring bird arrival times are shifting. The piece highlighted Gallinat's research, which she conducted by combining volunteer observations with observations made by Henry David Thoreau.
Joshua Urich, assistant professor of religious studies, was an expert panelist on the radio show Maine Calling about why Maine ranks as one of the least religious states. David Freidenreich, Pulver Family Professor of Jewish Studies, also participated as a “VIP caller.”
Colby's recent news about Dare Northward surpassing $1 billion was noticed by a number of media outlets, including Forbes, which highlighted the announcement in a higher education column.
Claire E. Robertson, assistant professor of psychology, was interviewed for a Vogue article about the dynamics of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s relationship.
Mainebiz published a feature story about the new Levine's Discovery Headquarters and how it's "a powerful example of how Colby College's $500 million investment in science, technology, and enterprise is being activated in partnership with the community." The publication also covered the College's recent real estate transaction in Port Clyde for the new Center for Resilience and Economic Impact, noting that it will "serve as a hub of community life" and support state communities with resilience efforts.
Colby's historic science gift was mentioned in a Forbes roundup highlighting the top trends in higher education for 2025.