President Starr's Weekly Update (10/5/22)

Dear Pomona College Community,

Pomona’s global ties grow ever-more intricate over time, with research collaborations that crisscross continents and cultures. Today, more of our students come from outside of the United States and more of our alumni live beyond U.S. shores.

Since last year, the organizers of our Global Pomona Project, led by Senior Associate Dean Anne Dwyer, have been working to clarify and connect our international efforts to “better equip our students to engage with people and organizations worldwide.”

The project will shape the student experience at Pomona for years to come and will help hone the design of the College’s next building project, the Center for Global Engagement, which in time will replace Oldenborg Center for Modern Languages.

The project is drawing strong participation from faculty, staff and students as organizers prepare to share survey results and other data later this month. The commitment to global engagement reaches across the disciplinary divisions of the college faculty—arts and humanities, mathematics and sciences, social sciences and transdisciplinary programs.

A strong interest in environmental sustainability on a global scale also is quite apparent in the faculty feedback that has been gathered. Another key theme that is emerging is the desire to strengthen our global-local connections, particularly in light of our location in a region that draws so many people from around the world.

An upcoming campus event, “Standing up for Human Trafficking Victims and Asylum Seekers,” set for this Thursday, October 6, illustrates the ties between the world and our region in addressing pressing challenges. Pomona College honorary degree recipient Martina Vandenberg ’90, founder and president of the Human Trafficking Legal Center, will join immigration attorney and Claremont Mayor Jed Leano for the event sponsored by Pomona’s International Relations Program and moderated by Professor Stephen Marks.

The next evening, October 7, the Pomona College Orchestra, led by conductor Eric Lindholm, begins its season with a program featuring music from composers with ties to Central and South America. The concert repeats October 9.

The Theatre Department’s mainstage production season kicks off this weekend, October 6 to October 9, with “If Nobody Does Remarkable Things,” by Emma Gibson. Directed by Associate Professor of Theatre Carolyn Ratteray, this new play is about “love, forgiveness and the undeniable impact of the climate crisis.”

These are just a few examples of the countless events, activities and programs on our campus with global reach, including the Oldenborg luncheon colloquium, which now has returned after a hiatus brought on by the pandemic.

Sagehens in Action

On a different note, this Friday, October 7 is College Radio Day, a chance to turn the dial to Pomona’s venerable KSPC (88.7 FM). The campus radio station serves as the recording studio for Pomona’s official podcast, Sagecast, which will launch a new season next month. In the meantime, explore the Sagecast archive of recent interviews with Pomona faculty members such as Ryan Engley, Manisha Goel, Edray Goins, Joanne Nucho and Makhroufi Ousmane Traoré, as well as prominent alumni such as NBA coach Mike Budenholzer ’92, Nobel Prize laureate Jennifer Doudna ’85 and former New York Times editor Bill Keller ’70.

Also on the podcast front, Assistant Professor of Politics Sara Sadhwani is now co-hosting, with journalist Alex Cohen, the Spectrum News 1 “Inside the Issues” podcast on politics.

Sagehens are sharing their talent and expertise near and far, with Politics Professor Amanda Hollis-Brusky part of a Harvard Law School panel on the Supreme Court, Music Professor Genevieve Feiwen Lee performing a concert in the Bay Area and Erika James ’91, dean of the Wharton School, discussing leadership on MSNBC. Pomona’s own website, meanwhile, is highlighting the work of our alumni journalists, with the latest installment featuring The Atlantic’s Saahil Desai ’16.

This is only a snippet of Sagehen activity. I’m thankful to be part of a community that is so connected to the wider world, and in the years ahead we will work to make those ties ever stronger.

With best wishes,
Gabi