Smith College Enews - Notes from Paradise

NEWS FROM SMITH COLLEGE :: FEBRUARY 1, 2017


			Students Learn Basics of Remote-Controlled Flight

			In the Interterm class "Fun with Drones” students got hands-on flying experience with two different drones, first on a simulator, then in outdoor practice sessions. The students ended the weeklong class with the confidence to safely operate drones, said engineering major and class instructor Alex Widstrand ’17.


Alumna’s Significant Islamic Art Collection Enhances Teaching	President McCartney Responds to Immigration Order	Research Engineer Victoria Schein ’16 Drives Innovation at Ford



A significant gift of Islamic art objects from the collection of Elinor Lander Horwitz ’50 has transformed the Smith College Museum of Art’s holdings and enhanced teaching across the curriculum. Selections from the Horwitz collection, on view in the museum's second-floor galleries, are already being used by classes and for student research projects.	In a Jan. 29 letter to the Smith community, President Kathleen McCartney outlined the steps the college is taking to support students, faculty and staff affected by President Trump’s recent executive order blocking citizens of seven countries from entering the United States. "We are committed to supporting every member of our community, irrespective of nationality, religion or immigration status," she said.	Victoria Schein ’16, a research engineer at Ford Motor Company, is just 23, but she already holds nine patents. Her research is focused on mobility and connectivity, and she’s involved in several projects aimed at reducing driver distraction. Learn more about Schein, who works at Ford's 25,000-square-foot Research and Innovation Center in Silicon Valley.

The ‘Smith Alumnae Quarterly’ Archive Is Online

A new digital archive offers a searchable path to Smith Alumnae Quarterly content dating from the very first issue, published in 1909. The comprehensive archive takes the place of the limited, PDF-based online flipbook, in which readers could see the magazine online but couldn’t search across issues.

SCMA Exhibit Features Artifacts from Buried Italian Villas

A new exhibition at the Smith College Museum of Art features more than 200 artifacts from a site near the ancient city of Pompeii. Leisure & Luxury in the Age of Nero: The Villas of Oplontis Near Pompeii centers on the ancient town of Oplontis that was buried and preserved when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 C.E. The exhibit opens on Feb. 3.

Smith People in the News

New honors, awards, books, plays and films are among the recent accomplishments of Smith students, faculty, staff and alumnae. Read about them in the latest People News.