Chris Talbert '09 wasted no time. As the College Pro Painters franchise manager in Burlington, Vermont, the recent grad needed to get some publicity for his business, and his young crew needed experience. So he offered to paint the Burlington Ronald McDonald House for free. Sherwin-Williams donated the paint, the crew got some experience, and the Ronald McDonald House benefited as well. More in the
Burlington Free Press.
An essay by Alexandra Desaulniers '11 is featured in the new book She's Out There! Essays by 35 Young Women Who Aspire to Lead the Nation—The Next Generation of Presidential Candidates. Desaulniers's essay draws on her family's experiences running an oyster farm and reflects her support of government policies that help small business. The essay was one of 35 (the minimum age of a U.S. president) chosen from among 200 submissions. Read more in the Morning Sentinel.
Students in Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies Phil Nyhus's course Introduction to GIS and Remote Sensing developed the Atlas of Maine 2009, a series of visually striking maps illustrating some of Maine's unique human and natural resources. The 15 specialized maps include alpine ski areas, farm size and lymphoma cancer, medically underserved populations, and rabies cases. All the maps are available online. The course is “a comprehensive theoretical and practical introduction to the fundamental principles of geographic information systems and remote sensing digital image processing.”
A Geology magazine article by Professor Robert Gastaldo and student (now alumni) coauthors C. Kittinger Clark '08 and Sophia S. Newbury '08 that undermines a popular theory about the Permian Mass Extinction is making news in science magazines. Recent articles in Scientific American, the French publication Vie, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science online magazine picked up on the research, conducted in South Africa, which questions views espoused in Discovery Channel and National Geographic specials about the greatest die-off in Earth's history. More. E-mail ootb@colby.edu for copies of the magazine articles.
Biology Professor Judy L. Stone recently received a $306,632 grant from the National Science Foundation to study “Gene flow, selection, and maintenance of mating-system diversity on an ecological gradient.” Her research, based in Costa Rica, studies how a plant's genetic advantages gained through natural selection may actually work against individual plants as the plant species spreads from its original environment. The grant includes funding for at least 24 research experiences over four years, with most of those slots to be filled by Colby students, some in Central America and some in labs on Mayflower Hill. More in Colby magazine.
Colby is one of 12 Maine research institutions that will benefit from an $18-million grant from the National Center for Research Resources, which is part of the National Institutes of Health. The grant will be awarded over the next five years to INBRE (IDeA Network for Biomedical Research Excellence), a statewide partnership promoting biomedical research and education in Maine. The grant will create research opportunities for students and will pay for supplies and equipment. Five Colby faculty members and five students participated in a presentation at the state house that followed Governor John Baldacci's announcement of the grant May 21. More.
The Colby Fund faces a projected $500,000 shortfall this year, yet in these challenging times the College depends on the Colby Fund more than ever. Many thanks to the parents who already have given. If you have not given yet, we hope you will take the initiative to do so by June 30 online or by calling 1-800-311-3678. Help ensure that Colby remains a vital force, providing your daughter or son with an extraordinary education. Please view our short inspiration video; we hope it will remind you of the gem we have in Colby and inspire you to join other parents in making an impact in this crucial year.
Mayflower Hill was abuzz with activity June 4-7 as a record 1,155 alumni returned to celebrate Reunion Weekend. The Class of 2008 gathered for the first-ever one-year reunion, and the Class of 1959 kicked off its 50th with dinner Thursday. Others got started Friday morning with the third annual presidential golf tournament, which continues to grow. Friday afternoon featured faculty lectures on a variety of topics, and a Friday evening gathering offered chances to catch up with old friends and classmates in the pub and to entertain the kids at a carnival in Pulver Pavilion. The sun shone on Saturday's parade of the classes, and after an afternoon full of activities people gathered in Cotter Union for a live band and dancing. Reunion photos are online.
At the Celebrate Colby event Saturday, class gift totals were announced, and the Class of 1954 took the Michael L. Franklin '63 Reunion Participation Award for the highest Colby Fund participation. Frank Norvish '34, attending his 75th reunion, received the Ernest C. Marriner Distinguished Service Award and got a standing ovation. Always ready with a smile and a joke, Norvish leaned over to President William D. Adams after the class gifts were announced and said, "Why don't we split this gift and scram." Read more about Frank Norvish. Other awards:
- Todd Halloran '84, Edson V. Mitchell Distinguished Service
- Bruce Drouin '74, Colby Brick
- Don Short '64, Colby Brick
- Judy Jenkins Totman '54, Colby Brick
- Jay Whitman '59, Colby Brick
Recognized in absentia:
- Robert Drewes '64, Distinguished Alumnus
- Ed Goldberg '59, Colby Brick
- Louis Leotta Jr. '59, Outstanding Educator
At a Friday reception Joseph Reisert (government) was presented with the Charles W. Bassett Faculty Award. See
award photos under “Celebrate Colby.”
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