Bates College Viewbook | June 2025

Open Here

PHOTO // Joshua Sol Turner ’20

COME AS YOU ARE.

WELCOME /// 3

Life is full of pre-established lanes and rules. But there’s a lot of

freedom at Bates. We believe the best way to approach college is to find what makes you tick, and then build the coming years around it.

We’ll help you

try things on for size — in the lab or

on the basketball court or in the ceramics studio or wherever your interests lead — until you find what fits for you.

You’ll never feel like you’re just on a treadmill working toward a diploma. You’ll be too busy

making connections

across academic fields, job-shadowing alumni, learning in the community, and doing

graduate-level research

that you really, really care about.

Through it all, you’ll have our support to ask big questions — and you’ll find the

courage to push through

when there aren’t clear answers.

n se

se

pa taller, k ee

“Bates teaches us to focus, stand

a of b

a lance, nd

r e l a te t o ot hers with

e sp re

ct .”

—

B tal an Ch

n alto erry D

’69

Open-minded A BATES EDUCATION IS...

Bates students tend to be up for just about anything.

It’s a good thing we have about three dozen majors and two dozen minors to choose from.

Some are liberal arts classics (history, mathematics, philosophy).

Some are STEM-focused (neuroscience, engineering, biochemistry).

Many draw from more than one discipline (American studies, environmental studies, biochemistry, gender and sexuality studies).

Some won’t exist until you invent them.*

MAJORS AND MINORS M = major

m = minor

Students test out their computational neuroscience theses before hooking each other up to the EEG cap in the lab.

Africana (M, m) American Studies (M) Anthropology (M, m) Art and Visual Culture (M) Asian Studies (M, m) Biochemistry (M) Biology (M) Chemistry (M, m) Chinese (M, m) Classical and Medieval Studies (M, m) Dance (M, m) Digital and Computational Studies (M, m)*** Earth and Climate Sciences (M, m) Economics (M) Educational Studies (m) Engineering** English (M) Environmental Studies (M) European Studies (M) French and Francophone Studies (M, m) Gender and Sexuality Studies (M, m) German (M, m) Greek (m) Hispanic Studies (M, m) History (M, m) Interdisciplinary Studies (M)* Japanese (M, m) Latin (m) Latin American and Latinx Studies (M) Mathematics (M, m) Music (M, m)

Neuroscience (M) Philosophy (M, m) Physics (M, m) Politics (M) Psychology (M) Religious Studies (M, m) Rhetoric, Film, and Screen Studies (M, m) Russian (m) Sociology (M) Teacher Education (m) Theater (M, m) * You can also design your own major with help from a faculty mentor. ** Students who choose to participate in the Engineering Combined Plan complete a portion of their education at Bates and a portion at one of our partner institutions: Case Western University, Columbia University, Dartmouth College, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, or Washington University in St. Louis. *** Digital and Computational Studies was approved as a new major by the Bates faculty on March 3, 2025, available to the Class of 2027 and all subsequent classes.

OPEN-MINDED /// 7

Sara Moradi GLENVIEW, ILL.

You’re encouraged to experiment here. If you’re like Bates graduate Sara Moradi, you might start out super interested in politics and certain you want to go to law school.

But then …

You take an anthropology class your first year. Your professor invites you to do fieldwork in Montana and you LOVE IT. So you add anthropology as a minor.

Bates overwhelmed me in the best possible way,” she says. “It’s incredible how many resources there are on this campus.”

Back on campus, you take an Tutor at a

economics class because a friend

local high

swears you’ll like it. You discover —

school

to your surprise — that you enjoy

Organize a noon

geeking out over the effects of

meditation series for students, staff,

You also find time to

and faculty

quantitative easing on bond yields.

So you go for a double major in politics and economics.

Study abroad in Stockholm, Sweden Do a summer internship as a public affairs

Join in social

representative

justice causes

for Comcast

through the Center

school. But instead of being a policy wonk,

for Belonging and

you decide to focus on immigration reform

Community Mentor other first-generation college students

By senior year, you still want to go to law

— because that’s where your heart is.

SHORT TERM, BIG IMPACT

Our calendar is based on two traditional semesters and one Short Term in the spring.

It’s a time devoted to wide-open exploration (and at least a little basking in the sun after a cold winter).

We set aside about four weeks in May for you to take just one class or focus on a project of your own design.

Short Term courses usually involve fieldwork or off-campus travel — and professors have a blast coming up with the topics.

You might research the feasibility of green development in Kingston, Jamaica. Write, direct, and produce a short film in French. Or hunt for the spy in your midst during a class on intelligence and national security taught by an alumna who used to be a White House security advisor.

Students who don’t stay on campus or take classes gain an extra month of summer break. They often use the time for intensive internships, giving them added work experience before graduation.

A SAMPLING OF SHORT TERM COURSES Practicum in Private Equity:

Health and Chinese

The Past, Present, and

Bordering Hispaniola:

Corporate Financial Decision

Traditional Medicine

Possible Dystopian Future

Blackness, Mixture,

Making, from IPOs to LBOs

taught at a hospital in

of Computing

and Nation in the

taught by an alumnus who

Yunnan province with Bates

taught by an expert in

Dominican Republic

founded and runs a private

professors and traditional

computational neuroscience

examining the Dominican

equity firm

Chinese medicine doctors

and evolutionary theory

Republic’s place in the African diaspora

OPEN-MINDED /// 9

PROFILE

Fall Semester Abroad EXPLORING SCIENCE AND IDENTITY IN CHILE Bates’ Fall Semester Abroad (FSA) is just one

Lawson says. “The connections are already

way students study internationally. With

there — you just have to uncover them and

its location changing each year, FSA allows

explore them.”

you to study deeply and make unexpected connections while living in another country.

Each FSA is taught by a pair of Bates professors, often working with faculty at a host university.

in three courses. Guzmán taught “The Zombie Scare: Viruses, Difference, and the Question of Security and Order”; Lawson covered “Genetically Modified Organisms:

One recent offering, “Public Health and

Science and Latin American Perceptions”;

Culture in Chile,” is a prime example.

and a Chilean colleague taught “Introduction

Public health might seem like an odd topic

to Public Health in Chile.”

for a biochemist and a Latin American

Students lived with host families in Santiago.

literature professor. But for FSA professors

They also traveled to remote communities to

Glen Lawson and Claudia Aburto Guzmán,

see how modern medicine and indigenous

it was a natural fit.

beliefs intersect, had internships at health

“You can bring together the intersections of history, culture, and artistic expression with

Being in place — in situ — has so many benefits,” Guzmán says. “It allows students to put into practice what is happening in the moment. The learning takes place at the intimate level, as well as at the academic level.”

The professors addressed these connections

natural science in a straightforward way,”

clinics in the city, and spent time in Santiago’s crowded subway system to imagine how the health implications of a virus might spread in a contained environment.

‘In situ’ One of the benefits of FSA is that students can sign up as a first year or a sophomore.

Sophomore year is ideal, Guzmán says, because students are more willing to experiment before they’ve narrowed in on a major: “The state of wonder is very much intact."

FSA is also easy to access. While students gain language skills overseas, the program does not have a language prerequisite because the courses are taught in English. Travel costs are covered in Bates’ tuition, so students don’t have to worry about airfare, housing, or a meal plan — they can immerse themselves in new experiences.

Forging a Path When Bates opened in 1855, it was New

Our founders knew that making this type of

England’s first co-ed college. Since then,

education open to as many people as possible

we have admitted students no matter their

would lead to future leaders, thinkers, and

nationality, race, religion, sex, or socio-economic

problem-solvers who could take on the defining

status. While this openness was at the core

issues of their generations. Graduates leave

of our founding identity and principles, it

Bates willing and equipped to critique the world

has been tested throughout time and requires

(and the institution itself). We believe this is

us to constantly reflect upon and recommit

the right way to educate.

to our mission.

That doesn’t mean building an inclusive

Our holistic admission and need-based

culture is a simple task. Like other colleges and

financial aid practices and policies are mission-

universities, Bates continues to grapple with the

driven. They're grounded in a recognition

long-lasting effects of inequity in America and

of and respect for your background, what

within our own institution.

opportunities you've had, and what you've done with all that's been available to you.

We have a decades-long history of being

While we’re making progress, we know that this is a far-reaching and complex process not of days, but decades. We invite you to join us.

test-optional (40 years, in fact). That means admission decisions are based on the whole picture of who you are — not just your SAT or ACT score.

The Class of 2027 arrives on campus. Students move into their new residences, attend meetings, eat lunch, pick up orientation trip equipment, hear the President’s Greeting on the Historic Quad, and say goodbye to their families.

OPEN-MINDED /// 11

There are no classes on the third Monday in January.

Instead, students attend workshops and events dedicated to tackling the toughest issues, including race, racism, and oppression.

OPEN-MINDED /// 13

REV. DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. DAY OF OBSERVANCE

MLK Day is a reason we come to Bates,” says Kyle Larry '21. “One of the main purposes of this school is to create activists and to create advocates.”

It’s about immersing yourself in cultures outside of your own, seeing the struggles that other people face, and how this country has used power structures in order to marginalize certain groups.”

The day also includes a debate dedicated

It’s less about who wins than it is about

to Benjamin E. Mays, a 1920 alumnus

sharing different perspectives, says

and mentor to Rev. Dr. Martin Luther

Morehouse debater Hatim Mansori.

King Jr.

“I love being in this environment, and

Mays was a standout member of the

experiencing some of the debate fire

Bates debate team and later became

that I would like to bring out in myself,

president of Morehouse College. On MLK

through the lens of Benjamin Elijah Mays

Day, members of the Morehouse debate

and Martin Luther King Jr.”

team come to campus for a friendly competition.

WHAT THE LIBERAL ARTS AND SCIENCES CAN DO FOR YOU An education in the liberal arts and sciences

The liberal arts and sciences helped Rishi

at Bates prioritizes a broad, interdisciplinary

Madnani of Langhorne, Pa., turn dreams into a

curriculum that will help you develop skills of

life plan. Madnani majored in biochemistry at

critical thinking, communication, and adaptability

Bates. Now a medical student at Harvard, he is

— exactly what you need to succeed in an

pursuing a career as a researcher, physician, and

ever-changing world.

advocate for change.

Your coursework will transport you outside the walls of a classroom, sparking conversations and inspiring action.

For example, a religious studies major combined

ajored in nghorne, Pa., m La of ni na d a ent Rishi M a medical stud ow N . es at B at biochemistry career as a is pursuing a he , rd va ar H for change. at and advocate n, a ci si hy p , researcher

personal interests with academic research, examining cultural patterns in Jewish women comedians. A theater major collaborated with a mentor to explore their identity as a Black actor. And recently, two seniors used

“My curriculum at Bates and real-world internships helped me refine exactly what I want to do, concretely and tangibly, in my life,” he says.

their environmental studies majors to help

His ability to think through problems and find

Bates secure major funding for new electric

solutions — and learn about himself along

vehicles and EV chargers — blending academic

the way — was also affected by coursework in

knowledge with action.

another discipline in the liberal arts and sciences, anthropology, helping Rishi connect ideas about race, culture, and religion that have shaped his life as the son of immigrants. “Interdisciplinary thinking and engagement defines the beauty of the Bates education,” he says.

A Bates education gives you tools, mentorship, and community to make a difference — in your own life and in your community.

During her Purposeful Work internship at the Asian American Arts Alliance in New York City, Eileen Dockery ’26, an environmental studies major from Rye, N.Y., led the creation of a video highlighting the allyship between Asian American Pacific Islander and Black communities.

OPEN-MINDED /// 15

My curriculum at Bates and real-world internships helped me refine exactly what I want to do, concretely and tangibly, in my life.”

Open-hearted A BATES EDUCATION IS...

.” f us o h one c a e l in e ing s s i ry ice e t s v u j d in and e “The power to en — Dolores Huerta, American labor activist and civil rights icon, speaking at Bates in 2019

OPEN-HEARTED /// 19

We know that college isn’t just about developing your intellectual side. It’s also a time to find the people you can lean on so you can thoughtfully and authentically test your limits.

Bates is a place where students hold doors open

You’ll find it between the lines of the Napkin Board

for each other. Our competitive streak is limited

in Commons, our central dining hall, where dining

to games against our rivals in the New England

staff respond to each comment or suggestion with

Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC). And

a personal note (or a meme).

our professors are more likely to ask, “How are you doing?” than “How are you doing in my class?”

Bates is special because our community gives you not just time, space, and resources to define your

You’ll see our community spirit at work in the

interests, but also the support to care for yourself

library, which closes early on Fridays to make sure

along the way.

students get a study break and keeps a hot water kettle near the research desk for warm tea or cocoa in the winter.

Find us on social @batescollege

That way, you’re prepared to take the risks that will shape who you become.

PHOTO // Joshua Sol Turner ’20

LOCATION, LOCATI N, LOCATION

once a tes Mill Complex, The renovated Ba staurant, uses a seafood re ho w no , ill m ile xt te museum. fices, and a city a microbrewery, of

OPEN-HEARTED /// 21

THE TWIN CITIES OF LEWISTON AND AUBURN, WITH THE ANDROSCOGGIN RIVER RUNNING BETWEEN THEM, ARE MILL TOWNS REBORN With a combined population of about 60,000, the two

Many of our business owners are known for

cities offer the best of both worlds: a safe, close-knit

outstanding craftsmanship. The family behind Rancourt

community and a vibrant downtown.

Shoes has made handsewn footwear in Lewiston for three generations. Bourgeois Guitars

Locals call the area L-A. It’s

makes just 400 acoustic guitars

full of hard-working,

a year, ensuring that each

independent-minded people who are building meaningful,

of their instruments has

BATES

a unique tone and

ME

Lewiston, ME

And what was once

FREEPORT, ME

interesting lives for

VT

themselves.

Inside

faultless construction.

NY

factories that once powered the Industrial Revolution,

NH MA CT

mom-and-pop

(46 min/36.2 mi)

has cafes, bike shops, and galleries, all within a mile of campus. Thirty-four

by former Bates professor Thomas

BOSTON, MA

Moser, is still

(2 hrs 17 min/139 mi)

family-owned but earns coverage in

NEW YORK CITY, NY

(5 hrs 41 min/349 mi)

Architectural Digest.

For arts lovers, L-A

and brewpubs. downtown shopping district,

business, founded

PORTLAND, ME

you’ll find startups Lisbon Street, Lewiston’s

an artisan furniture

(31 min/19.8 mi)

also offers a professional theater company, a film festival, museums, and an underground music scene.

languages are spoken at the local high school,

In other words, you could find many ways to get

and you can get a plate of curried goat, a steaming

involved and make a difference here — and L-A

bowl of phò, or steak au poivre within blocks of

could make a difference for you.

one another.

Bates College is located in the heart of Maine, close to mountains, the sea, and cities along the Eastern seaboard. Traveling by Uber, bus, train, or plane is only a click away.

PROFILE

Tales That Unite Us STORYTELLING BRINGS TOGETHER L-A COMMUNITY On a recent fall evening, a square of carpet in a downtown Lewiston bookstore became a confessional. Known as The Corner, Lewiston’s monthly storytelling event takes a similar format to national showcases like The Moth.

Bates professor Michael Sargent (left) launched the series a decade ago to help bring new energy to L-A’s nightlife and culture. Now, two former participants, Bates alumna Kate Webber ’11 and partner Steve Burger, host The Corner.

At a recent gathering, storytellers shared stories about the times they moved (something that new Bates students could talk about!) recalling first walks in their new town or first nights in a new bedroom.

Some stories provoke belly laughs. Others draw tears.

“People have a real desire to connect with other people,” Webber says. “Even if you come and quietly sit in a back chair and observe, you can still leave feeling like you’re more connected to this place.”

Every night is different, Burger adds. “Lewiston is not the stereotype of Maine. There is diversity in all senses of the word. The Corner thrives here because there are so many different stories to tell — and people genuinely listen to what you have to say.”

There’s also an element of community ownership, he says.

The event is volunteer run and sponsored by dozens of local businesses. “It’s something that people buy into and feel like it belongs to them.”

Even if you come and quietly sit in a back chair and observe, you can still leave feeling like you're more connected to this place.”

OPEN-HEARTED /// 23

Politics Environmental Studies

WELCOMING NEW MAINERS: Local Economic Development and its Effects on the Politics of Immigration

HEAT AND LIGHT IN THE CITY OF THE FUTURE: A Feasibility Study of Renewable Energy in Lewiston, Maine

Our Community BEYOND THE CLASSROOM Recent capstone research projects in Lewiston-Auburn

Economics Rhetoric, Film, and Screen Studies

A MACHINE LEARNING APPROACH FOR PREDICTING INPATIENT DISCHARGE AT CENTRAL

THE CHORUS OF CINEMA:

MAINE MEDICAL CENTER

Experiments in Community Filmmaking Practices and Collective Storytelling in Lewiston-Auburn, Maine

Sociology DRUG USE ON THE COAST: Examining the Opioid Epidemic in Maine Lobster Fishing Communities

REAL-WORLD EXPERIENCE You can’t know what you love to do — and what you don’t — until you’ve tried it. So if you have an interest you want to explore, we’ll help you find an experience to match.

Hands-on work at Bates helps you connect classroom theories with the practical realities of the working world.

If you’re an art and visual culture major, you might have an internship at a local gallery.

If you’re considering a legal career, you could work for a state representative or intern for an environmental policy group.

And if you’re into math and economics, lots of our students have crunched numbers for leading insurance and financial services firms.

onomics tel ’26, an ec Pa a sy a A , rned ort , Mass., inte l Work supp m a fu h se o ed e p r N Pu m o With minor fr et trends athematics ifying mark m nt e d n id a , r y it jo C a m skills rk resentation h in New Yo p rc le a b se a e lu R a e v lf at Wo nd learning cial data a n a n fi h g u ns. thro l presentatio e n a p y r st u from ind

OPEN-HEARTED /// 25

TRY SOMETHING NEW

YOU’LL HAVE MANY CHANCES TO DIVE INTO THE UNEXPECTED AT BATES

surf with the Outing Club or perform a spoken-word piece at the weekly Village Club Series showcase. Test your technical skills with the Learn to

High-Altitude Ballooning Club. Or your sense of rhythm with the

Bollywood Dance Team.

With nearly

100 student-run clubs

you’re sure to find something of interest. What you won’t find are fraternities or sororities. We’ve never had them. Never will.

Club angai Asia Join the S rating t of celeb for a nigh ican sian Amer A d n a n Asia sic, hrough mu t s e r u lt u c the dance at song, and ight. gai Asia N annual San

PROFILE

A Helping Hand STUDENT-RUN EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES OFFERS A CAMPUS SAFETY NET When the Bates campus needs a quick response to injuries, illnesses, or anxieties, Bates EMS gets the call.

Staffed by trained student volunteers, Bates EMS delivers immediate care to students, staff, and faculty. Crew members earn state certification as medical technicians during Short Term, so they have the expertise to respond to a range of health issues.

The EMS team is on call 24/7, offering a safety net for the campus and giving its members first-hand experience in health care delivery. The crew also supports first responders in Lewiston, who may be miles away when something happens.

“The fact that Bates EMS can go from one end of campus to the other in about two minutes is really, really important,” says Jillian Sheltra ’19 of Portland, Maine.

At Bates, Sheltra worked with a local ambulance service that helps train Bates EMS volunteers, and after graduation she served as a paramedic for LifeFlight, Maine’s only air ambulance service — experiences that helped her gain admission to medical school at Tufts University.

“You’re the calm in the middle of this crazy storm,” she says. “You often show up on somebody’s worst day. And no matter if you’re on the simplest of calls or the most complicated medical call, people are happy that you’re there. That’s one of the most rewarding parts.”

You often show up on somebody’s worst day. And no matter if you’re on the simplest of calls or the most complicated medical call, people are happy that you’re there.”

OPEN-HEARTED /// 27

GENUINE RELATIONSHIPS WITH PROFESSORS Our professors are bright, driven, and among the

You might do research or fieldwork with them.

top minds in their scholarly fields. They’ve chosen

They may introduce you to alumni in your field of

to teach at a school with a 10:1 student-faculty

interest, or help you find opportunities to attend

ratio because their priority is helping you learn.

professional conferences.

Your professors will mentor you in class, advise

They will certainly encourage you to think harder

you on your course selections, and help you

than you ever imagined.

ruthlessly edit your capstone projects.

Accessible Faculty OFFICE HOURS

OPEN-HEARTED /// 29

OF TENURED FACULTY

NUMBER OF STUDENTS WHO

HOLD THE HIGHEST

DO FULL-TIME RESEARCH WITH

DEGREE IN THEIR FIELD

FACULTY EACH SUMMER

FACULTY-STUDENT RATIO

AVERAGE CLASS SIZE

PROFILE

* s m a i l l i Larissa W

This zebrafish larva is four days old. An ideal research model due to its transparency and genetic similarity to humans, the species helps scientists study the effects of toxicants on both aquatic life and human health.

OPEN-HEARTED /// 31

Groundbreaking Discovery *and her all-stars

HOW BATES STUDENTS HELPED EXPOSE A HIDDEN CHEMICAL THREAT WHAT WAS DISCOVERED: A Bates professor and her student research

team have uncovered harmful effects from everyday exposure to triphenyl phosphate (TPhP), a chemical used in fire retardants and some nail polishes. Published in the journal Toxics, their collaborative study was named an Editor’s Choice for its real-world significance.

WHO DISCOVERED IT: The energy and initiative of Bates students helped to drive the research project, which was guided by Associate Professor of Biology Larissa Williams and took place in the college’s state-of-the-art Bonney Science Center.

As a student, Ben Schmandt ’22 wanted to know more about how the chemical affects organisms at everyday, nanomolar concentrations. His early work with Williams laid the foundation for the research, which was picked up by succeeding students: Gabrielle Smart ’23, now a veterinary student at Washington State University, and Mfon Diduff ’24, who is pursuing public health research at Columbia University Irving Medical Center.

Schmandt, who is a research associate at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, says the project helped him find “a passion for the specific ways the environment and genetics interact.”

The team’s study of zebrafish embryos and larvae showed that environmentally relevant levels of TPhP — found in parts per billion — caused developmental harm. The exposed zebrafish experienced stunted growth, heart swelling, and oxidative stress, raising concerns about potential human impacts.

WHY IT MATTERS: Zebrafish are a proven model for studying toxicants because they share about 80% of their DNA with humans. The research demonstrates that even low-level exposure to TPhP can have significant developmental effects, underscoring the need for more study on its potential human impact.

WHAT’S NEXT: Williams’ lab will explore how the timing of TPhP exposure affects embryonic development. The goal is to pinpoint when and how such chemicals cause harm during an organism’s development, paving the From top, Gabrielle Smart ’23, Ben Schmandt ’22, and Mfon Diduff ’24 helped uncover the harmful effects of an everyday chemical, laying the foundation for careers in veterinary medicine, research, and public health.

way for better understanding and prevention.

“We know TPhP is a widespread contaminant,” says Williams. “Now we know it’s likely a developmental toxicant, even at everyday levels.

That’s worrisome.”

PROFILE

Bobcat Ventures STUDENT-RUN STARTUP CLUB CONNECTS STUDENTS WITH ALUMNI Bates trustee Chris Barbin ’93 wants to make sure

At each stage, they attend workshops and get

this is quite clear: Bobcat Ventures is more than

feedback from alumni entrepreneurs whose

Bates’ version of Shark Tank.

expertise includes executive coaching, launching

The pitch competition and its $10,000 prize have launched several student-run small businesses,

technology startups, and investing in disruptive businesses.

including a temporary storage company inspired

“They’re able to talk about business concepts that

by Airbnb and a personal care brand that supports

come up in the workshops, and, ultimately, create

at-risk women in Lewiston-Auburn.

a stronger bond between students and alumni who have been successful,”

But as an informal

says senior Julien Lewin of

advisor and judge of the

Seattle, Wash., one of the

competition, Barbin has

club’s organizers.

also seen Bobcat Ventures grow into a powerful

Bobcat Ventures judges

engine of connection for

often stay in touch with the

students and alumni.

winners after graduation, too. “I’ve watched the

“We’re encouraging

excitement on both sides

them to keep their

when you make those

business moving forward,

connections,” Barbin says.

and helping them with guidance, counsel, and support — even after the competition itself,” he says.

Over the course of a year,

“It’s not just about exposing ABOVE: Biruk Chafamo ’22 won the $10,000 top prize in the Bobcat Ventures pitch competition for a friend-tofriend lending app that facilitates small loans to people not well-served by traditional banks, a concept found in many countries, including Chafamo’s Ethiopia, where it’s known as ekub.

Bobcat Ventures students

yourself as talent to somebody who’s going to hire you. It’s trying to really encourage entrepreneurship and give you some

come up with a new business idea, research and write a business plan, and go through several rounds of simulated

lessons learned for that — so it makes a workable connection with the alumni network as well.”

pitches to investors.

A Bobcat Ventures pitch competition winner is now a sustainable local resource for women. Herban Works is a product of the commitment and time that Ali Rabideau gave to Lewiston’s Center for Women’s Wisdom, and the startup helps the center pay its bills by making and selling herbal self-care products.

OPEN-HEARTED /// 33

We’re encouraging them to keep their business moving forward, and helping them with guidance, counsel, and support — even after the competition itself.”

PURPOSEFUL, HANDS-ON LEARNING EDUCATION HERE IS NEVER LIMITED TO THE CLASSROOM Our mission is to help you become an active citizen of the world — or at least your corner of it. That means developing strong communication skills, solving problems by working together, and respecting people from different backgrounds and points of view.

There’s no better way to hone these skills than by practicing, then practicing some more.

So you’ll participate in internships, job shadows, fieldwork, and work in the community. You might earn a research fellowship. Or have a work-study job at a local nonprofit. You’ll take Short Term classes from successful alumni. You’ll sometimes push your comfort zone and always find yourself changed as a result.

OPEN-HEARTED /// 35

Community Partnerships Collaboration with the community and learning by doing are key aspects of academics at Bates. These two elements, which we call community-engaged learning, come together at our nationally recognized Harward Center for Community Partnerships.

Through the Harward Center, you’ll have access to hundreds of hands-on experiences that will deepen your connection to Lewiston-Auburn and give you a chance to make a difference. These experiences often inspire students to dig deeper through independent research or a senior thesis.

What does community-engaged learning look like?

Environmental studies students do research on how renewable energy can cut costs for a local 127-acre vegetable farm. Students studying education spend at least 30 hours a semester working in nearby schools or after-school programs. Students interested in healthcare are invited to job-shadow surgeons, physician assistants, and radiologists at Central Maine Medical Center. And classical and medieval studies students work with staff at the Maine MILL museum in downtown Lewiston on a plan to digitize the museum’s archives.

COMMUNITY-ENGAGED LEARNING IN A TYPICAL YEAR

of Bates students take communityengaged courses

community-engaged classes are available

disciplines offer community-engaged courses

community-engaged internships, research projects, or independent studies take place

hours of academically driven community-engaged work are completed

Sustainability

BY THE NUMBERS

At Bates, caring for each other also means caring for our environment.

The college switches to green electricity Annual savings from energy-efficiency measures Bates becomes carbon-neutral

Bates goal date to achieve carbon positivity Student clubs focus on conservation and sustainability Campus boilers retrofitted to use renewable energy Green Innovation Grants awarded each year for campus sustainability projects

Annual Trashion Show, where students model garments made from recycled and thrownaway materials

OPEN-HEARTED /// 37

NATURAL WONDERS Visitors are often surprised to find that along with

Parts are famous and majestic, like Acadia National Park.

academic buildings and residence halls, the Bates

Others represent the culmination of a lifelong goal,

campus is home to both a “mountain” and a “lake.”

like Mount Katahdin, the northern terminus of the

Lake Andrews is so little, we call it the Puddle. And at

Appalachian Trail.

381 feet, Mount David earns a description as a “tall rock

Our pristine coast, vast mountain ranges, marshland,

outcropping” in a local trail guide. They’re ours — and

and rivers are ripe for exploration in all four seasons.

we love them.

They’re also within an hour’s drive of Lewiston.

Mount David makes a great sledding hill on a snowy

Take Bates-Morse Mountain Conservation Area. This

day. And every January the Outing Club cuts a hole

public nature preserve on the southern coast offers 600

in the lake for Puddle Jump, a longtime polar plunge

acres of protected salt marshes, dunes, and beaches.

tradition.

Bates manages the area for research and educational

The geographic variety of Bates’ campus is also a good

purposes — giving students another chance to explore

introduction to what makes living in northern New

Maine’s natural wonders, whether they’re studying

England special. Parts of Maine are wild and untouched.

physics, religion, or environmental science.

COURSES USING BATES-MORSE MOUNTAIN AS A CLASSROOM Avian Biology Lost Beaches of Maine The Nature of Spirituality

ion vat r e s f Con ry o ain o t t n a u Mo bor d rse g la nes, an o n i M v i l u s e d e Bat -acr arshes, tes for on.

The 600 a ti a lt m

by B educa a, Are cted sa naged d a , an te pro es, is m esearch ,r ch bea tion a v r e cons

Coastal Hazards Conservation Biology Earth Surface Environments and Environmental Change Limnology and Paleolimnology of Maine Lakes Sedimentary Processes and Environments Brand Culture Building (Short Term practitioner-taught course)

OLYMPIANS

CLUB TEAMS NATIONAL CHAMPIONS VARSITY TEAMS

ATHLETICS Bates is a charter member of the NESCAC. We compete against fellow conference members Amherst, Bowdoin, Colby, Connecticut College, Hamilton, Middlebury, Trinity, Tufts, Wesleyan, and Williams.

ALL-AMERICA AWARDS

Bobcat pride runs deep. About 40% of our students participate in varsity sports each year.

OPEN-HEARTED /// 39

& ARTS

WORKS IN THE BATES

INTERNATIONALLY

MUSEUM OF ART’S

CELEBRATED

PERMANENT COLLECTION

DANCE FESTIVAL

STUDENT CLUBS IN

MUSIC ENSEMBLES

THE CREATIVE ARTS

FOR STUDENTS

CAMPUS EVENTS,

The performing and visual arts

INCLUDING DANCE AND

are well represented at Bates.

THEATER, INFUSED WITH

Every year you’ll find hundreds of

ARTS AND HUMANITIES

opportunities to express yourself — and to be inspired by leadingedge artists. That’s true whether you major in dance or physics.

Open-ended A BATES EDUCATION IS...

d an

"

lo p e ev d to on ? i t a ow h duc , e te. s a s t e en cr ate m B u o r t you arg f w o t o c e t ru dh e valu s n h n t a o is ue q to c i t t i a w r o to c Wh ill learn h w o h w n.” , a nd s r e a i e r l You o the ow to h t n r s a e l e t w i ll — Andrew Mountcastle, You biology professor

FIND YOUR PURPOSE WITH BATES’ CENTER FOR PURPOSEFUL WORK

drives you to learn, grow, and thrive, you’ll have a more satisfying relationship with work throughout your life. That’s the idea behind Purposeful When you understand what

Work at Bates.

Most colleges offer career counseling and help with job applications.

Our Center for Purposeful Work goes way beyond jobs or careers.

focus on the whole person — your beliefs, your strengths, your interests — and infuse concepts of meaningful work into all aspects of your time at Bates.

We

With each new

Purposeful Work experience,

you’ll consider whether a given role feels right for you, and why.

By the time you graduate, you’ll have a

clear idea of

the values you want reflected in your life after college.

And you’ll have a professional network and the practical experience to help

you make it happen.

Benjamin Morse ’24, a biology major from Sunderland, Mass., used his Purposeful Work internship to support the Gulf of Maine Research Institute’s cutting-edge efforts to develop collaborative solutions to global ocean challenges.

OPEN-ENDED /// 43

tuna fin

GALLUP-BATES RESEARCH A nationwide study of college students, parents, and recruiters of recent grads found: Less than half of college graduates nationwide find purposeful work Graduates who align their work with their interests, values, and strengths are three times more likely to experience high purpose in work Graduates with high purpose in work are 10 times more likely to have high overall wellbeing

PROFILE

Purpose and Meaning PURPOSEFUL WORK LEADER HELPS STUDENTS MAKE FULFILLING CHOICES

Hoi Ning Ngai of the Bates Center for Purposeful Work has a notion. A couple of them, in fact. She and the team at the center “focus on the notion of purpose and the notion of meaning.”

Highly regarded in U.S. higher education for its distinctive approach to career preparation, the Bates Center for Purposeful Work is led by talented professionals like Ngai who guide students as they explore and reflect on common themes in their academic work, campus and community activities, and relationships with peers and mentors.

And there’s lots to explore.

From paid summer internships to academic courses taught by visiting practitioners in fields like digital marketing ABOVE: Kendall Williams ’23 of Phenix City, Ala., used a Purposeful Work internship to explore international consulting with the firm Accenture in Houston.

and national security journalism, the Bates Center for Purposeful Work helps students identify paths toward work and careers that feel

purposeful and meaningful to them — discovering the joy and power that arise from aligning who they are with what they do.

Ngai highlights the questions that students should ask themselves: “What are the things that I am interested in? Why am I interested in them?

What are my strengths, what are my values?” The answers, Ngai says, help contribute to “feeling fulfilled, whether at Bates, in work, or with anything you're looking to do in life.”

Hoi

OPEN-ENDED /// 45

Ning Ngai

In order to consider and find purpose and meaning in life, we need to engage in deep exploration and critical reflection about what we truly care about.”

Practical Tools and Teaching INTERNSHIPS AND JOB SHADOWING:

PRACTITIONER-TAUGHT COURSES:

Bates Purposeful Work Internship Program offers

We invite alumni and other leaders in their fields to

120 paid summer internships a year, drawing on a

teach during Short Term. These fast-paced classes let

network of 70 core employers. Job shadowing also

students gain practical skills, expand their networks,

allows students to share a day in the life of alumni at

and understand workplace dynamics.

workplaces such as Netflix, Nike, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

PURPOSEFUL WORK UNPLUGGED: This Q&A with alumni features stories of success and

PURPOSEFUL WORK INFUSION PROJECT:

failure, lessons learned, and purposeful work in their

Across the curriculum, in over 53 Purposeful Work

own lives. Recent participants include an Instagram

Infusion classes last year, Bates professors addressed

content strategist, a New York Times editor, a venture

the question, “How does the material we are studying

capitalist, and several CEOs.

relate to our understanding of purpose and work?”

HOW TO ADULT WORKSHOPS: Many of the hard lessons of adulthood come soon after graduation, so Bates’ residence life staff and the Center for Purposeful Work aim to give students a head start.

Workshop topics include how to budget in your 20s, negotiate a salary, find an apartment, or make new friends after college.

RECENT PRACTITIONERTAUGHT COURSES Tuck Business Essentials taught by a Bates alumnus and Tuck Business School faculty Media Literacy: Is That True? taught by an alumna and CNN vice president Spies, Secret Agents, and the Presidency taught by an alumna and former U.S. intelligence analyst Orthopedic Healthcare Practicum: Practical and Social Complexities of U.S. Healthcare Delivery taught by a Bates alumnus and physician

OPEN-ENDED /// 47

THE BATES APPROACH After four years of exploration, discovery, and practical experience, Bates students have a strong sense of who they are. They’re confident about where they want to go, what they want to be, and how they will contribute to their communities.

For some, that means going straight into a new job in finance, education, or government. For others, it’s entrepreneurship, graduate study, professional degrees, or fellowships abroad.

Whatever they choose to pursue, our graduates’ self-confidence has been forged through a very Bates approach to life — one in which you learn to adapt by:

DEVELOPING A THEORY AND CREATING A PROTOTYPE

TESTING IT OUT

REFLECTING ON THE RESULT

MAKING IT BETTER

TRYING AGAIN

This way of thinking means that there are no mistakes or dead ends.

Each experience propels you into what’s next — allowing you to create a new way forward, without boundaries or limits. *Then starting over again with the next challenge.

COMMITTED TO AFFORDABILITY Sometimes figuring out if you can afford college is as stressful as choosing where to go.

As you consider Bates, you can be confident that the spirit of openness that inspired our founders lives on in our commitment to affordability.

Because of our mission to be accessible to as many students as possible, Bates doesn’t offer financial aid based on your grades or athletic ability. Our entire financial aid budget supports students with financial need.

We will meet 100% of that calculated need all four years.

This may be through a combination of grants, payment plans, on-campus jobs, and loans.

Each family’s budget is different. Our financial aid team will work with you one-on-one to find a solution that puts a Bates education within reach.

Financial Aid Fast Facts

More than

When you study

$45 million in

abroad, your aid

institutional grant

travels with you

aid in 2024–25

Bates is committed to making our educational experience accessible and affordable to all admitted students.

Find answers to your questions at:

Nearly half of our students receive financial aid

The average need-based grant for the Class of 2028 was $61,528

OPEN-ENDED /// 49

Post-Graduate Outcomes

of respondents were settled in a job, graduate school, or internship within six months of their graduation

of graduates who applied were accepted to medical school

of graduates who applied were accepted to dental and veterinary school

who applied were accepted

WHAT WILL YOU DO AFTER BATES? At Bates, enabling students to lead lives of meaningful work is at the heart of our liberal arts mission.

to law school

Recent Bates graduates are employed by some of the top performing and most innovative organizations in the world, including:

Find details about Bates graduate outcomes

Fidelity Investments

from the annual survey conducted by

Boston Children’s Hospital

Purposeful Work.

Massachusetts General Hospital Harvard University

Bates has been named a

Liberty Mutual Insurance

Fulbright Top Producer every

Google

year for the past 14 years.

Amazon Harvard Medical School Analysis Group Wellington Management

2

1

3

4

Always a Bobcat You’ll find Bates alumni across the world and around the corner. They’re building a new learning community in Vietnam, running an organic blueberry farm in Maine, serving in Congress, launching tech startups in New York, and representing their home countries in the Olympic Games.

5

They want to support you, too. Thousands of alumni mentor recent graduates, conduct admission conversations, open their workplaces for job-shadowing, and organize Bates events in their hometowns. Connecting with them is easy through Bates Bridge, the Center for Purposeful Work’s student-to-alumni connection network.

8

7

6

PICTURED: 1. Nick Lindholm ’86, organic blueberry farmer; 2. Bryant Gumbel ’70, broadcast journalist; 3. Elizabeth Strout ’77, bestselling author; 4. Marcus and Malcolm Delpeche ’17, professional basketball players; 5. Joyce White Vance ’82, former US Attorney and current MSNBC analyst; 6. Eva Meltzer Murray ’85, year-round resident and jill-of-all-trades on Matinicus Isle; 7. Lindsey Hamilton ’05, director of the Center for Inclusive Teaching and Learning; 8. Megan Guynes ’11, nonprofit program director.

OPEN-ENDED /// 51

PROFILE

Shaking Up Higher Education BATES ALUMNA BRINGS LIBERAL ARTS TO VIETNAM Ngan Dinh ’02 didn’t initially set out to

focus on. They experiment, test theories,

create Bates’ mirror image in Vietnam. But

talk back to professors — respectfully and

after a career as an economics consultant

enthusiastically.

and professor, she’s doing just that.

Dinh always wanted to be of service in her

Dinh is the founding dean of undergraduate

home country, says retired Bates Dean of

studies at Fulbright University Vietnam, the

Admission Bill Hiss ’66, a longtime friend and

country’s first liberal arts college.

mentor. When the Fulbright organization

“We are still in the first year,” she says.

“Technically, we are a baby.”

Even in its infancy, the college in Ho Chi Minh City feels a lot like Bates. And it looks nothing like Vietnam’s traditional approach

tapped Dinh to start a new university, she turned to the model that she knew well.

“She said sort of playfully, ‘Bill, I have to build Bates in Vietnam.’ And that’s exactly what she’s doing.”

to higher education, where you choose a

“Ngan is encouraging the students at

major at 18 and study only that subject for

Fulbright to have that same sort of curious,

four years.

open, involved, and questioning approach

Fulbright University students learn to build

to their education.”

machines using just bamboo and string.

They hop from courses in Vietnamese studies to engineering to the arts, and then decide in year two or three what to

Ngan Dinh ’02

Mt. David

(a quick mountain view)

Ladd Library

(lots of study nooks)

Commons

(top-notch dining)

Maine fall foliage (nothin’ like it!)

The Bobcat

(just turned 100!)

OPEN-ENDED /// 53

EXPLORE AND VISIT There are lots of great ways to get to know Bates.

View our online guided tour, attend an information session, and, of course, check out bates.edu. New resources are being designed and added all the time, so please check back at bates.edu/visit regularly to see what’s new and view up-to-date campus visitor policies.

Garcelon Field

(for all the athletic moves)

Visit regularly

YOU CAN BE OPEN HERE.

round rmit Island Campg He at ip tr n’ illi the ) Maine Coast Ch hes!) just south of The (aptly named ac be nd (a t as co of Maine’s u’ll take explores the sites ientation trip, yo or ar ye trs fi is ea. On th , as well as to Brunswick/Bath ar Conservation Area n ai nt ou M se or M Batesexcursions to the ach State Park. nearby Popham Be

CONNECT WITH US JOIN THE CONVERSATION

APPLY TO BATES

Ready to talk about Bates with

For information on

an expert? After exploring

applying to Bates,

campus (virtually or in-person)

including requirements

or attending an information

(we are test-optional!),

session, strike up an email conversation with a current student, reach out to your regional

options, and deadlines, visit bates.edu/apply.

admission representative, or request an

MORE INFORMATION

interview with a Bates alumnus near you.

1-207-786-6000

Details are at bates.edu/admission

bates.edu/admission

For a candid view of Bates, follow “@batescollege” on Instagram, YouTube,

admission@bates.edu 23 Campus Avenue Lewiston, ME 04240

Facebook, X, LinkedIn, and TikTok. STUDENT FINANCIAL SERVICES 1-207-786-6096 bates.edu/sfs sfs@bates.edu

WHO WE ARE

To see the latest class profile, read the Bates Mission, and

44 Mountain Avenue Lewiston, ME 04240

explore more facts, visit bates. edu/admission/student-profile

NOTIFICATION OF NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY Bates College is committed to the principle of equal opportunity and providing an educational and work environment free from discrimination. The college prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, age, disability, genetic information, or veteran status and other legally protected statuses in the recruitment and admission of its students, in the administration of its education policies and programs, or in the recruitment of its faculty and staff. Bates College adheres to all applicable state and federal equal opportunity laws and regulations.

Inquiries concerning the college’s policies, compliance with applicable laws, statutes, and regulations (such as Title VII, Title IX, ADA/Section 504, and Maine Human Rights Act), and complaints may be directed to Gwen Lexow, Director of Title IX and Civil Rights Compliance, glexow@bates.edu or 207-786-6445. © Bates College 25-031

Bates College

Office of Admission

23 Campus Avenue

Lewiston, ME 04240

bates.edu