Smith College Enews - Notes from Paradise

NEWS FROM SMITH COLLEGE :: APRIL 19, 2017


			Ensuring Access and Success for First-Gen Students

			Studies show that first-generation college students are less likely than their peers to graduate in four years. That's not the case at Smith. In an op-ed in The Chronicle of Higher Education, President Kathleen McCartney discusses how Smith has narrowed the graduation gap for first-generation students.


Music Prof. Kate Soper Nominated for Pulitzer	Jamie Cyr ’16 Earns Prestigious Scholarship	Alumna Named Marin County Poet Laureate



Composer and Assistant Professor of Music Kate Soper was among the finalists for the 2017 Pulitzer Prize in Music. Her nominated work, "Ipsa Dixit," has been called a "breakthrough work that plumbs the composer's fertile musical imagination." Watch a performance by Wet Ink.	Jamie Cyr ’16 is Smith’s first Gates Cambridge Scholar. Cyr is one of just 55 Gates Cambridge Scholars named this spring, joining 35 who were announced this past fall. Cyr plans to use her award to pursue a Ph.D. at the University of Cambridge, where she has been studying toward an M.Phil.	Rebecca Foust ’79 has been named poet laureate of Marin County, CA. Foust has published five award-winning books of poetry, including Paradise Drive, a collection of sonnets featuring a modern-day pilgrim living in Marin. She also writes a weekly poetry column for a national magazine called Women’s Voices for Change.

Celebrating Collaborations Showcases Student-Faculty Projects

The 16th annual Celebrating Collaborations: Students and Faculty Working Together showcases student and faculty projects, featuring creative work ranging from digital storytelling to data science. This year's event will be held Saturday, April 22, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. in various locations across campus.

How to View This Year’s Commencement

Seating at Smith's 2017 Commencement ceremony is limited to graduates and their guests. Simulcasts for alumnae on campus celebrating Reunion will be provided at brunch locations and in John M. Greene Hall. Additionally, students, parents, alumnae and friends around the world are invited to view the event via live webcast.

Get the Inside Scoop on College Admissions

Is there a young woman in your family who is in high school and beginning the college search? You both are invited to attend Smith Connection: An Inside Look at College Admissions. Smith's team of admission professionals will share strategies to help you successfully navigate the college admission process. Come to campus Friday, June 23, for this special day offered exclusively to Smith alumnae and their families. The cost is $50 per family and includes lunch.