3D Magazine :: September 2023

Dartmouth College is defined by its people, and 3D is a magazine that tells their stories. It’s not meant to be comprehensive, but an evolving snapshot as vibrant and prismatic as the school itself. 3D is Dartmouth in all its dimensions.

FEATURES

12 Putting the ’Green’ in the Big Green

44 Shadowing Practitioners and Patients

COLUMNS

2 First Hand

A message from Dartmouth’s Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid

3 It’s a Fact

The Class of 2027 by the numbers

6 Humans of Hanover

Meet some of the members of the Class of 2027

10 Financial Aid

Learn how a Dartmouth education can be affordable for you

20 My "Why Dartmouth?"

Advice for high school seniors from a ’24 from Pasadena

22 Basecamp to the World

26 A Leader Ready to Climb Mountains

President Sian Leah Beilock begins her tenure

28 Welcome, Gather, Create The Hopkins Center for the Arts reimagined

32 Big Green Athletics Highlights

36 Humans of Hanover: Faculty Edition

38 Onward & Upward

An alumna helps Asian American women flex political muscle

42 D-Plan

A senior illustrates the flexibility of Dartmouth’s quarter system

48 Courses of Study

An English major dives into the Dartmouth curriculum

52 Funding Outside the Lines

Dartmouth’s financial support extends well beyond financial aid

56 Tapestry

A thread from Dartmouth’s history

Dartmouth College is located on traditional, unceded Abenaki homelands.

On the cover: A student in Professor Sarah Smith’s Agroecology class examines a soil sample at the Dartmouth Organic Farm

Cover photograph by Don Hamerman

Photograph at left by Beam Lertbunnaphongs ’25

On June 29, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down race-conscious affirmative action programs at Harvard and the University of North Carolina. For American higher education, it was a landmark ruling.

But let me underscore something that remains true: Dartmouth is unwavering in its “fundamental commitment to building a diverse and welcoming community of faculty, students, and staff, as articulated in our core values.” Those words were shared by Sian Beilock, the new president of Dartmouth, in a community message in June. We remain committed to holistic review. The principles of diversity, access, inclusion, and social mobility are part of our institutional mission. Those fundamental principles endure.

So, what does this ruling mean for prospective applicants for the Class of 2028 and beyond?

A student’s race has long been included as one factor in Dartmouth’s undergraduate admissions process. Historically, and legally, it was one factor among many. Going forward, we will comply with the Court’s guidelines on how colleges can consider race in admissions, and Dartmouth’s decades-long practice of holistic admissions review will continue. As Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in his ruling, “nothing prohibits universities from considering an applicant’s discussion of how race affected the applicant’s life, so long as that discussion is concretely tied to a quality of character or unique ability that the particular applicant can contribute to the university.”

That means we will continue to consider someone’s academic achievements as well as passions and curiosity. We will value a student’s accomplishments inside as well as outside the classroom, and we will note evidence of challenges someone may have overcome. Creativity, leadership, an impulse towards collaboration, independence, determination, and kindness, among many other attributes that shape a person’s narrative and identity, all “count.” That was true before the Court ruling, and it remains true today.

To applicants: The Common App is a multidimensional opportunity to tell your story in whatever way you choose to do so. Use it to convey to my admissions colleagues at Dartmouth and more than 1,000 other colleges that share this application platform all the elements and perspectives that make you who you are. Celebrate yourself. As Oscar Wilde once said, “Everyone else is already taken.” As you introduce yourself, tell us about your achievements, your background, and your aspirations. The Supreme Court established limits for how we can consider race in our admissions decisions. Remember: each of you is indelibly more complex than one factor.

Lee A. Coffin Vice Provost for Enrollment and Dean of Admissions & Financial Aid

PHOTOGRAPH BY DON HAMERMAN

“Remember: each of you is indelibly more complex than one factor.”

It’s a fact.

4,458

UNDERGRADUATE

7:1 20

average class size

student-tofaculty ratio

60% of students engage in research

80%

of students participate in internships

14% 16% 45%

first-generation to college international citizens

~25%

high schools represented

17 % 32

of U.S. citizens and permanent residents are Pell grant recipients

students belonging to low-income households worldwide

tribal nations and Indigenous communities represented U.S. citizens and permanent residents are students of color

EMIL LIDEN ’25

he / him / his HOMETOWN: MINNETONKA, MN

MAJOR: ART HISTORY; MINOR: COMPUTER SCIENCE

“The Hood is a gem on campus,” says Emil Liden ’25 in reference to Dartmouth’s Hood Museum of Art, whose 65,000 works represent the diverse artistic traditions of six continents. Emil was a social media assistant and gallery attendant at the museum before serving as a curatorial intern this summer. “It’s a really important cultural spot in the Upper Valley of New Hampshire and Vermont. What makes the Hood different is that it’s also a teaching museum with a unique student focus.”

In fact, Dartmouth faculty often bring their classes to engage with original works of art at the Hood’s Bernstein Center for Object Study. By the end of his second year, Emil had visited the Hood as part of four different Dartmouth classes. Associate Professor of Architectural History Nicola Camerlenghi, who teaches Italian Renaissance Architecture, brought Emil and his classmates to study early sketches of Roman buildings from the Hood’s collection. “We also worked with an exhibition designer at the Hood to understand how we might create an exhibition with those pieces,” Emil explains. “If I were visiting the Hood on my own, I might see a painting, take it in, read the plaque on the wall, and then move on. But having a curator teach us about the art gave it a deeper meaning.”

The museum has also prompted Emil to consider new ways to study art. “I think people sometimes see STEM and the humanities as two separate things,” he says. “But for me, studying art is like a math problem.” That mindset led Emil to take classes in both art history and computer science and find natural intersections between the two. He’s explored outside the classroom, too, helping design the layout of the Christian thought journal Dartmouth Apologia, taking photographs for the student newspaper, and leading tours for prospective students.

Emil now works as a research assistant with Professor Camerlenghi helping to develop Augmendo, a mobile application that uses augmented reality technology to teach users about pieces of campus art when scanned with a cell phone camera. Emil helped lead the expansion of the app’s content to include the Dartmouth Cemetery and collaborated with an international software development team. “This app changes the way we interact with art,” Emil says. “I’m envisioning the day when all of campus is using Augmendo.”

Emil often returns to a memorable piece of advice offered to him by visiting professor Shevaun Aysa Mizrahi, a TurkishAmerican filmmaker. “She told me, ’Never apologize for your creativity.’ That has always stuck with me. I think Dartmouth is a place that really cultivates minds that have the ability, and the courage, to think outside the box.”

Chase Harvey ’25

Pictured: At the Black Family Visual Arts Center

A Coder Curates Technology for Campus Art

Aditi Gupta ’27 Ridgefield, CT

“I crave an environment of educational exploration where the possibilities are limitless. Dartmouth has classes like Nineteenth-Century British Women Writers and lecturers like Professor Esther Rosario. I’ll explore my literary passions, discuss reproductive rights, and learn what it truly means to be a feminist. I’ll share my voice through The Dartmouth, harnessing my creativity to pen essential stories.”

Gianluca Audia ’27 Hanover, NH

“At Dartmouth, I’ll use the D-Plan to join the Classics Foreign Study Program in Greece. With an archaeological site for our classroom, I can compare ancient cultures through artifacts the capstone for classics majors. Among like-minded friends, I’ll find a community that truly values collaboration, tradition, and forging lifelong bonds. I’ll find Dartmouth.”

Emma Kimchi ’27 Columbia, MO

“What sets Dartmouth apart for me are the professors and their research. I want to participate in Professor Caldwell’s Physics of Cosmic Acceleration project and learn with the professors who authored the papers that occupy so much of my mind, like Professor Gleiser’s From Cosmos to Intelligent Life: The Four Ages of Astrobiology.”

HUMANS OF HANOVER

Tyler Bruno ’27 Norton, MA

“Machine learning is magic. For all my life, I have wanted to work on artificial intelligence. I’m intrigued by courses like COSC 76: Artificial Intelligence. I’m excited at the thought of working with Dr. Devin Balkcom on enabling population-scale teaching. These opportunities encompass Dartmouth as an innovative place I could call home. As a kid whose goal is to do good, I know Dartmouth is my true destination.”

Naam-Oon Wongratanaphisan ’27 Chiang Mai, Thailand

“In Dartmouth’s community, I’m home: whooshing down the Skiway in neon stockings; excitedly contributing to a pot brewing with ideas, and vegan food, in the Sustainable Living Center; and jamming with the Dodecaphonics. I’ll immerse myself in curiosities via the Women in Science Program and BIOL 97 and cherish my Big Green family of multi-talented personalities committed to learning and service.”

Noelle Fedor ’27 South Grafton, MA

“I’ll eagerly take PSYC 53.1, predicated on social affective motivations that build on my current research on emotional awareness. Lively People of Color Outdoors hikes will allow me to connect with other students of color while fueling my love for outdoor recreation. My passion for mentoring will extend into the Upper Valley through SIBS activities. Uplifted by curiosity, I will thrive at Dartmouth.”

Rodrigo Vega ’27 Lima, Peru

“Dartmouth encompasses three important aspects: flexibility, practicality, and warmth. Its flexibility manifests not only in the ease of specializing in different fields, but also in its accommodating D-Plan, mindful of a diverse student body with diverse priorities. Rich traditions build an intimate community, and cozy, rural Hanover evokes memories from my different visits to beautiful towns in the Peruvian highlands.”

Anya Ramrakhiani ’27 Roanoke, IN

“Through courses like Biologic Lessons of the Eye, I’d explore my interest in eye diseases through experiential learning by observing treatment for underserved communities at the Aravind Eye Hospital in India. Dartmouth’s focus on the outdoors allows me to extend my learning beyond the classroom. With the Figure Skating Club, I’d connect with others while gliding across Occom Pond.”

Athreya Daniel ’27 San Jose, CA

“I hope to investigate the roles public organizations play in shaping the developing world, navigate the intersection of econometrics and machine learning with Professor Paul Novosad (whose paper on geospatial proxies partly inspired my own exploration of rainfall-effects in Rwanda), and ultimately transform my learnings into a meaningful internship with the Center for Social Impact.”

Elizabeth Ann Stromberger ’27 Austin, TX

“In high school, I learned not only about different cultural and ethnic groups but how gender intersects with cultural ideologies. In light of the recent ruling in Roe v. Wade and as someone who wants to fight for women’s equality, I am excited to combine my interest in cultural diversity with gender studies in classes such as Gender Topics in Native American Life and Feminist Perspective on Reproductive Ethics.”

N ā hoa Ah Yo ’27 Honolulu, HI

“I envision myself starting the week still a little sore from a long hike the day before on the awe-inspiring Mount Moosilauke. I head over to MUS 46: Video Games and the Meaning of Life, where I analyze complex philosophical ideas through a medium that I love. I retire to the comfort of the Native American House to study, play games, and relax with some familiar faces. This is my community. Dartmouth is home.”

Edith Stevenson ’27 Pasadena, CA

“I see myself walking from a small discussion in an eclectic course like Ancient Medicine to a singing practice with the Decibelles or a cello performance with the Dartmouth Symphony Orchestra. I’d love to join Professor Nicola Camerlenghi’s MappingRome project, combining art history and digital 3D-modeling. I hope to run around the bonfire during Homecoming, joining the vibrant, multifaceted Dartmouth community.”

DARTMOUTH IS DEFINED BY ITS PEOPLE, SO WE’RE EXCITED TO CELEBRATE THE NEWEST MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY. IN EXCERPTS FROM THEIR “WHY DARTMOUTH?”

ESSAYS, STUDENTS FROM THE CLASS OF 2027 SHARE WHAT DREW

THEM TO THE COLLEGE.

An Engineer Joins Forces with First-Year Students to Explore the Roots of Intelligence

Professor of Engineering Peter Chin is the principal investigator of the Learning, Intelligence + Signal Processing Lab, or LISP, which seeks to understand the neuroscientific basis of intelligence. Last year, two first-year students conducted paid research in Professor Chin’s lab. Iroda Abdulazizova ’26 was connected with Professor Chin via the Women in Science Program, or WISP, which matches female-identifying students with opportunities in STEM. Kimberly Girola-Guzman ’26 learned about the lab via the First-Year Experience in Engineering Program, which provides first-year undergraduate students with early hands-on experience and mentoring within engineering.

How does the LISP Lab approach the study of intelligence?

Professor Chin: My lab draws on mathematics, computer science, neuroscience, and economics to answer fundamental questions like “Can intelligence be learned?” We try to understand how our brains learn and then use that understanding to build intelligent algorithms. Kim and Iroda have been reading up on state-of-the-art procedures in the field, writing programs in various coding languages, and helping me run machine learning experiments.

Kim and Iroda, this project represents your first paid research experience.

Iroda: Right. I never knew that many of the problems I’m studying even existed before I started working at the LISP Lab. I’ve learned so much about hyperbolic space and differential geometry. And did you know that some data have geometric properties? It’s fascinating to me. I never realized that there’s so much math in daily life.

Kim: Yes, and this research has taught me how to synthesize complex information. Professor Chin has shown me the importance of clear communication and the value of being able to distill our research into accessible and concise presentations.

What is your favorite part of working with Professor Chin?

Iroda: I think it’s the level of support and encouragement I get. I originally worried that I didn’t have enough experience to pursue this research fully, but Professor Chin has been very supportive of my learning.

Kim: My favorite aspect of working with Professor Chin is the opportunity to present my findings during our weekly one-on-one meetings. These sessions have been incredibly valuable in providing me with deep insights into the material. Professor Chin’s explanations help me to grasp complex concepts with clarity.

What would you want prospective students to know about research at Dartmouth?

Iroda: Research here is extremely accessible. What’s amazing is that securing a paid research opportunity as a first-year is very common at Dartmouth.

Professor Chin: In other schools that I’ve been to and taught at, I worked almost exclusively with PhD students. But here at Dartmouth, it’s really normal for faculty members to help undergraduates grow as scientists and engineers. It’s my job to help my students become independent thinkers, researchers, and scientists in their own right. I’m more like a cheerleader in that sense. I help them along. So don’t be afraid to knock on a faculty member’s door, literally or metaphorically. The culture of Dartmouth really encourages that.

Professor of Engineering

Iroda Abdulazizova ’26 (center) she/her/hers

Hometown: Tashkent, Uzbekistan

Major: Mathematics

Kimberly Girola-Guzman ’26 (left) she/her/hers

Hometown: Los Angeles, CA

Majors: Computer Science and Neuroscience

Pictured: In Professor Chin’s office at the Engineering and Computer Science Center

Peter Chin he/him/his

Dartmouth is need-blind and meets 100% of demonstrated financial need for all admitted students, regardless of citizenship.

NEED-BLIND FOR ALL

Dartmouth reviews applications without regard for your family’s ability or inability to pay for your education, regardless of citizenship status.

$0 PARENT CONTRIBUTION

Families with total income of $65,000 or less and who possess typical assets will have a $0 expected parent contribution.

AID TRAVELS WITH YOU

Students receiving need-based financial aid pay the same net price for a term on a Dartmouth off-campus study program as they would for a term in Hanover.

100% DEMONSTRATED NEED MET

Dartmouth will meet 100% of your demonstrated need for all four years.

NO REQUIRED LOANS

Dartmouth will not include required loans as part of the financial aid award created to meet a student’s demonstrated financial need.

HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE

Dartmouth will provide financial aid recipients with scholarship assistance towards the cost of Dartmouth’s health care plan.

$68,490

The average need-based scholarship for the Class of 2027, a record high

78%

We’re committed to making a Dartmouth education affordable for you.

HOW MUCH AID COULD I RECEIVE?

All need-based aid recipients

= NO REQUIRED STUDENT LOANS

WHAT COULD I QUALIFY FOR?

$0–65K* in total income $65K–125K* in total income $125K+ in total income

100% demonstrated need met

No loans

Will receive a scholarship that covers at least the cost of tuition

NO PARENT CONTRIBUTION = For families with $65K or less in household income and who possess typical assets

To get a personalized estimate of your financial aid award at Dartmouth, visit dartgo.org/3Dcalculator.

$0 expected parent contribution

*possessing typical assets

As of July 2023

PUTTING THE

‘GREEN’ IN THE BIG GREEN

By Nancy Schoeffler

Dartmouth students, faculty, and staff take action to create a more sustainable future.

Dartmouth is wild at heart. Surrounded by forests, mountains, rolling hills, rivers, and streams, students say Dartmouth’s profound sense of place heightens their awareness of the precarious condition of the planet. The landscape’s natural beauty also intensifies their concerns about climate change and their desire to protect and preserve the environment. When it rains on a day when they’d expect snow, or when smoke from wildfires a thousand miles away mingles with morning fog, that gets their attention.

Photography by Don Hamerman, Beam Lertbunnaphongs ’25, and Robert Gill PHOTOGRAPH BY DON HAMERMAN

“T

here’s a big correlation between people who are outdoorsy and appreciate nature, and people who are more environmentally conscious or aware those go hand in hand,” says Ali Bauer ’25, a double major in geography and environmental studies from Radnor, Pennsylvania. Bauer, whose courses this summer included Agroecology, works as a research assistant with the Energy Justice Clinic (more on that below). “Being at a place like Dartmouth, where we are so embracing of nature, that’s a draw for a lot of people, like it was for me.”

When it comes to opportunities to develop a more environmentally sustainable future, Dartmouth’s reach is local and it’s global. Students delve into projects that range from granular to grand. The undergraduate curriculum, for example, is chock full of courses that touch on of-the-moment topics related to climate and sustainability, ranging across disciplines from anthropology, geography, and earth sciences to engineering. The campus itself offers opportunities for environmental research with students working side-by-side with faculty and administrators to assess how Dartmouth could develop more efficient heating and cooling systems. They also conduct experiments on plants, soil, and insects at its 200-acre Organic Farm, with an eye toward creating more sustainable food systems. A student-run repair shop refurbishes junked bikes for sale and rental. Members of the student-run Dartmouth Energy Alliance have fun tackling energy challenges at hackathons and trivia nights. Meanwhile, students travel from Chile to the Arctic, and from West Virginia to the Gulf Coast, to research the impacts of climate change and resource extraction on the people who live there and to learn how they can help make a difference.

Farm Days

On a hot summer afternoon in July, environmental studies majors Dario Arazi ’24 and Maia Crichlow ’25 prepped strawberry plants to cultivate in a grid of test plots at the Organic Farm, alongside the banks of the Connecticut River. Both work as research assistants with environmental studies professor Theresa Ong. “We’re trying to determine how different layering of nitrogen-fixing plants can affect plant productivity,” Crichlow explains.

Strawberries are nitrogen fixers their roots attract beneficial bacteria that enrich the soil. “It’s really cool to see what’s thriving, to see the intersection between earth and plant,” Arazi says, as he points out differences in plant growth in various test plots marked with flags. “At least for now, the plots with nitrogen-fixing plants are outpacing the others.” Arazi, who is from New York City and considering either a career in academia or starting a renewable energy company, says a goal of experiments at the farm is to get food systems to a point of hyper-efficiency “to do the most with the least.” The farm grows more than 4,000 pounds of produce a year, from basil and broccoli to carrots, kale and a variety of winter squashes and donates a third of that to the community.

During the growing season student interns and volunteers help with planting, weeding, and harvesting about 40 different vegetables, as well as flowers, and, as winter gives way to early spring, some work on the Sugar Crew, tapping about 120 trees for maple syrup. “It’s an educational farm, for experiential learning, and a great canvas for creative thinking and creative problem-solving,” says assistant sustainability director Laura Braasch, who oversees farm operations. “It’s a place where students can turn their ideas into reality.”

Upper left

Office of Sustainability interns hang out beside the Organic Farm’s wood-fired pizza oven with program assistant Jack Walker ’22.

Upper right

A student in Professor Sarah Smith’s Agroecology class examines a sample under a microscope at the Organic Farm.

Lower right

Students exit the Organic Farm’s barn, a shady respite from the sun that functions as both a classroom and community space.

Advocating for Energy Equity

Last year Solange Acosta-Rodriguez ’24, a member of the Energy Justice Clinic, traveled to southern Chile to meet members of the Indigenous MapucheWilliche community. “They believe that their ancestors’ souls flow through the rivers of their land,” she says. The Mapuche have been engaged in a protracted dispute over their spiritual and territorial land rights with Statkraft, a Norwegian state-owned company that acquired rights to build dams on those rivers for hydropower projects.

The clinic, founded by anthropology professor Maron Greenleaf and post-doctoral researcher Sarah Kelly in November 2021, gives undergraduates hands-on experience in supporting equitable energy transitions. It was created with the support of the Arthur L. Irving Institute for Energy and Society, which was founded in 2016 to leverage the College’s strengths in interdisciplinary teaching and learning, engineering, business, and sustainability to provide solutions to critical energy problems across the globe.

“In this generation,” says Greenleaf, “there’s a sense of urgency about the climate crisis. There’s a real sense of ’We need to do something.’ Participating in the clinic is a way to take what we learn in a class like Environmental Justice about inequality in the world and try to do something about it.”

Miami resident Acosta-Rodriguez, who is majoring in geography and environmental studies and worked on the Appalachian Trail this summer, accompanied Kelly to Chile. She then joined a small delegation from the Mapuche-Williche community who traveled to Norway to press their case. She was gratified that members of the Mapuche “mentioned how important it was to feel like they were heard like they aren’t just voices crying out in the desert.”

Closer to home, the Energy Justice Clinic continues to work on Community Choice Aggregation, helping people in towns including Hanover decide whether to join the Community Power Coalition of New Hampshire, which enables municipalities to collectively purchase electricity that is more renewable and less expensive. Clinic members also partner with Vermont nonprofit Cover Home Repair to help Upper Valley residents weatherize their homes.

“We’ve had the fortune to attract students who want to get engaged in real-life issues around energy justice, who are interested in really relating to communities, and also are quite passionate and driven in their work,” Kelly says.

Deluges and Drought

As a first-year student, Christopher Picard ’23 took a class called How the Earth Works. “Toward the end of the class we started talking a bit more about climate,” Picard recalls. He learned that a student in geography professor Jonathan Winter’s Applied Hydroclimatology Group had done some regional climate models. That sparked Picard’s interest, and he lined up a grant to dig into the data, working remotely over the pandemic’s first summer. He then continued to work as a research assistant with Winter on the project.

Their study, published this spring, predicted that extreme precipitation in the Northeast will increase 52 percent by 2099. That has implications for flooding, bridge stability, and agriculture, Picard says. The study also projected that extreme precipitation in the Northeast’s winters will increase by 109 percent.

The study, with Picard as lead author, appeared in the peer-reviewed journal Climatic Change and was featured in The Boston Globe and The Christian Science Monitor. “I just wanted a summer job, and it ended up kind of changing my whole trajectory,” he says. “Undergraduate research has been the most impactful part of my time at Dartmouth. If you want to get into it, it’s easy. Just come up with a good idea. The professors get excited and there’s tons of funding.” Picard, who did a senior thesis on glacier science in Greenland based on remote sensing by satellites that monitor changes in earth processes, is now a graduate student at the University of Colorado at Boulder.

In his class on Climate Change and the Future of Agriculture, Professor Winter’s students also investigate how warming temperatures will change crop yields. Using corn plants grown in the greenhouse at the Class of 1978 Life Sciences Center, his research assistants test their tolerance to differing levels of drought. Winter says his research often overlaps with his teaching. “Students have such great questions. At the end of the term I’m always saying, ’If you’re interested in research, in climate and sustainability, you should let me know.’”

Left Ali Bauer ’25 discusses her research with Assistant Professor of Anthropology Maron Greenleaf, co-founder of the Energy Justice Clinic.

Above Students in Professor Sarah Smith’s Agroecology class gather before heading out to collect data from the field for the day’s lab exercise.

Below Laura Braasch, assistant director of the Office of Sustainability, rinses a bunch of scallions freshly harvested from the Organic Farm’s gardens.

Empowering the Campus

Reducing the College’s greenhouse emissions is a key challenge for the Office of Sustainability, whose mission is to empower community members to take on the human and environmental problems of a rapidly changing planet. “We also try to use the College’s physical plant as an opportunity to engage students,” says director Rosi Kerr ’97. “Students here are passionate and bright and driven. We’re giving them the experience of getting under the hood and figuring this stuff out.”

After the College scrapped plans for a wood-burning biomass plant three years ago, it embarked on plans to retrofit and electrify its heating and cooling systems. It also began to explore the feasibility of geothermal heat exchange to supply energy for the campus. (In these systems, pumps harness heat from deep underground in cold weather and transfer it to provide warmth for buildings, and in summer, the heat pumps pull heat from the air and store it underground, to provide cooling.) As part of the feasibility study, hundreds of exploratory test wells have been drilled around the campus.

For environmental earth sciences major Grace Mendolia ’24, that turned the campus itself into a lab. Working with earth sciences professor Meredith Kelly, Mendolia, who is from northern New Jersey, has been analyzing and mapping the sediments and depths of bedrock from the test wells research she plans to continue to develop for her senior thesis. “They’re doing all this drilling,” Kelly says, “and it provides a gold mine of information.” Mendolia’s project also could help hold down costs, by providing data to the companies drilling the wells, says assistant sustainability director Marcus Welker. “Grace’s work took data and used models to help us better understand the larger landscape patterns.”

Among other projects, the office sponsors sustainable moving sales, promotes smart recycling and food packaging, and recently opened the Free Market, an on-campus thrift store, to keep bags of discarded clothing out of the waste stream. And with the Irving Institute it sponsors Energy Immersion Trips to Appalachia and the Gulf Coast to give students interested in future energy solutions a clearer understanding of current oil, gas, and coal infrastructures. “The idea,” says Kerr, “is for students to meet people on the ground and challenge their own assumptions.”

On Arctic Ice

Ningning Sun ’24, a double major in environmental studies and economics who grew up in Xiamen, China, did field work this past year in Utqiagvik, Alaska, and in Hammerfest, Norway, for her two-year research project on the impacts of resource extraction on Indigenous communities in the Arctic. She found that the Iñupiat people in Utqiagvik, who hunt and fish for their livelihoods, actively monitor development and have enacted regulations to balance it with environmental protection and their way of life. “It’s important not to impose my preconceptions but to listen and learn what they hope to achieve in the future to better understand the environmental issues and how they address them.”

Liam Kirkpatrick ’22, a double major who earned a BS degree in engineering and an AB in earth sciences, grew up in New Zealand and went to high school in Ojai, California. Drawn to Dartmouth because of the outdoors and the engineering school, he continues to study climate change specifically how to leverage what glaciers reveal about climate and environmental change that occurred over millions of years to predict what’s ahead. Now a PhD candidate at the University of Washington, he says that because of Dartmouth’s size, undergrads can take a leading role in research. With earth sciences professor Erich Osterberg his senior thesis advisor, who runs Dartmouth’s Ice, Climate, and Environment (ICE) Lab Kirkpatrick organized a student-run expedition to a glacier in Alaska’s Denali National Park to drill ice cores. Chemical markers in ice cores offer a clearer picture of historic and recent climate trends.

“The Arctic is really at the epicenter it’s where climate change is happening, anywhere from three to four times faster than anywhere else in the world,” says Melody Brown Burkins, director of the Institute of Arctic Studies. “Students want to be engaged. They are chomping at the bit. We are open to students across disciplines. You’re not going to solve the climate challenge if you’re just looking at technical issues people are also involved. But let’s give you some more knowledge, because informed activism is the most powerful activism.”

Nancy Schoeffler is executive editor of Dartmouth Alumni Magazine.

Above

The Office of Sustainability recently opened the Free Market, an on-campus thrift store designed to help recycle gently used clothing.

Upper right and lower left Students and faculty from the Institute for Arctic Studies and the Department of Environmental Studies including Reyn Hutten ’21 conduct field research in Greenland.

Lower right

The new Irving Institute for Energy and Society, which features solar panels on its roof, is one of the most energy-efficient buildings on Dartmouth’s campus.

“Dartmouth has supported me each step of the way along my journey of self-discovery.”

Sydney is seated inside one of her favorite Hanover restaurants, Molly’s.

“Why Dartmouth?”

SYDNEY WUU ’24

she/her/hers

Hometown: Pasadena, CA

Majors: Environmental Studies and Economics

In each issue of 3D, we ask a current senior to reflect on a question they answered in their undergraduate application: “As you seek admission to Dartmouth’s incoming class, what aspects of the College’s academic program, community, and/or campus environment attract your interest? In short, why Dartmouth?” Here, Sydney Wuu ’24 revisits that prompt in her final year at the College. Now a Senior Fellow in the Office of Admissions, Sydney serves as an ambassador for Dartmouth to prospective students in their college search.

What do you want to be when you grow up? As a kid, that “big question” was tough for me. My answer always fluctuated some days I wanted to be a doctor, others an author, and occasionally a businesswoman. I knew I wanted to make a positive change in the world, but I never felt married to one particular path. As I approached the end of high school and the start of college, the “big question” became: What are you majoring in?

When researching colleges to apply to, I knew I wanted a school that would encourage me to dabble in the arts, sciences, and humanities. I was drawn to Dartmouth’s liberal arts curriculum because it would allow me to try different disciplines and pursue what felt right.

On move-in day in 2020, I looked up at Russell Sage Hall, my new college residence hall, as a wide-eyed, curious, undecided first-year. Coming from the suburbs of Los Angeles, Hanover’s tall pines and four distinct seasons represented a new world that I was eager to explore.

Though I came in with many unanswered questions, Dartmouth has since supported me each step of the way along my journey of self-discovery. I didn’t take a single environmental studies class in high school, but learning about human-ocean interactions in Professor Webster’s Marine Policy class my sophomore fall inspired me to make environmental studies my major. Professor Staiger’s International Trade course, my first non-prerequisite class in economics,

showed me I love pondering the applications of quantitative models to study big questions about why nations trade and export what they export. When it came time to settle on my majors during sophomore winter, I decided to follow my newfound interests and declare a second major in economics.

If my 18-year-old move-in-ready self could see 21-year-old Sydney now, she would be so proud she carved her own nonlinear path. Dartmouth has made it possible for me to intern at an aquarium in coastal Connecticut; balance in warrior pose atop a paddleboard on a trip with Dartmouth’s Ledyard Canoe Club; join the women’s club water polo team; co-author an academic research paper through Dartmouth’s Energy Justice Clinic; study economics in London on an exchange program; embark on an environmental studies Foreign Study Program to South Africa and Namibia and many, many other spontaneous adventures.

At Dartmouth, I realized it is more than okay not to know what my next step in life is at every moment. My advice to the high school Class of 2024: Spend your senior year reflecting inwards on what your top values are, what moments make you the happiest, and which subjects in school you could stay up for hours pondering. Ask yourself the “big question:” Which colleges align with that self-reflection? And importantly don’t forget to soak up the last chapter of your high school experience to the fullest. You’ve got this!

A Mash-Up Between Dartmouth Entrepreneurs and Musicians in Mexico City

BY AIMEE MINBIOLE

From performing in one of Latin America’s premier concert halls to seeing, firsthand, efforts to safeguard Indigenous heritage, more than 60 Dartmouth students immersed themselves in the culture of Mexico City during two trips over spring break. In March 2023, 10 students joined two Dartmouth programs the Magnuson Center for Entrepreneurship and the Rassias Center for World Languages and Cultures for a weeklong exploration of social entrepreneurship. Nearby, the Dartmouth College Wind Ensemble was on a musical journey showcasing new work by Mexican composers.

Each trip was part of a broader initiative. The wind ensemble tour grew out of the Mexican Repertoire Initiative at Dartmouth, which aims to bring Mexican compositions to the international stage and provide opportunities for Mexican composers. Magnuson’s Social Entrepreneurship Experience reflects the center’s growing focus on societal issues.

“Sometimes people think entrepreneurship is just Silicon Valley or other for-profit businesses,” says Jamie Coughlin, the center’s founding director. But Magnuson’s Social Entrepreneurship program, launched in 2021, brings students, faculty, and staff together around issues like environmental conservation and sustainable economic development.

During their week in Mexico City and the surrounding areas, students got an up-close look at social entrepreneur-led ventures. At Ehecalli, an innovative ecotourism center, they built a composting toilet, experienced a traditional sweat lodge, and conversed at length with founder Nando Ausín ’06 about sustainability, including just how much there is to learn from Indigenous populations. They toured Xochimilco Ecological

Park and Plant Market, a 400-acre reserve that utilizes ancient farming methods to grow food in a sustainable way.

The students were also accompanied by Helene Catherine Rassias-Miles, director of Dartmouth’s Rassias Center, and Jim Citron, a lecturer in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese. The partnership with the Rassias Center is just one way Magnuson is leveraging expertise across campus, says Coughlin. A credit-bearing Arts Entrepreneurship course in the Department of Music he developed with wind ensemble director Brian Messier debuted this term.

Collaboration was also integral to the wind ensemble trip. It showcased new works by Mexican composers, most of which were commissioned by Dartmouth’s Hopkins Center for the Arts or created through the Mexican Repertoire Initiative, which Messier founded. “This is our first opportunity to really share this music, not only in the U.S., but with our Mexican partners in this music making,” says Messier.

The wind ensemble teamed up with two local bands for performances in two venerable concert halls, where audiences included most of the composers whose works were being performed.

Oboist Sophia Sulimirski ’23, an environmental studies and biology major from Westchester County, New York, says the trip “blew my expectations out of the park. I made so many new friendships and watched so many new friendships emerge. It was really touching to see that this is ultimately why we are here, to make those connections and to play awesome music.”

Adapted from an article that originally appeared on the Dartmouth News site in April 2023.

basecamp world to the

IN AND OUT OF THE CLASSROOM, YOUR DARTMOUTH EXPERIENCE CAN CROSS INTELLECTUAL AND INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARIES.

KATE YEO ’25

she/her/hers

HOMETOWN: SINGAPORE

MAJORS: ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES & GOVERNMENT

Growing up in Singapore, Kate Yeo ’25 saw how migrant workers and low-income families were disproportionately affected by the country’s sweltering heat. “Climate change definitely cuts across class, and in the United States, it cuts across race as well,” Kate says. “I started to see those intersections when the zero waste movement started growing in Singapore.” In high school, Kate implemented Bring Your Own Bottle Singapore, a campaign that reduced single-use plastic waste in over 230 Singaporian stores and her activist mindset was born.

When it came time to apply to college, Kate saw Dartmouth’s idyllic location as the perfect backdrop for her interest in studying climate policy. “Dartmouth drew me in because of its location in the woods, which was a contrast to my very compact and crowded city,” Kate says. “Here, there are so many opportunities to get outdoors.”

Now, Kate credits her professors at Dartmouth with helping to transform her worldview. “They’ve really helped me to understand different perspectives surrounding climate policy, like the importance of centering Indigenous knowledge in environmental work,” she reflects.

Kate’s Dartmouth experience has been nothing short of global. Last winter, she traveled to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, on a Foreign Study Program sponsored by the Asian Societies, Cultures, and Languages program. The program allowed her to practice her skills in sustainability journalism. “My classmates and I completed a project investigating how dam construction impacts agriculture on the Mekong Delta. We interviewed farmers and community members, and brought their stories to life in a video.”

Last November, Kate represented Singapore at the United Nations Climate Change Conference, also known as COP27, in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, where she moderated a panel on youth climate activism and spoke on a panel on climate education. Seven months later, she used a grant from Dartmouth’s Arthur L. Irving Institute for Energy and Society to attend the Bonn Climate Change Conference in Bonn, Germany. Negotiators from around the globe came together for the conference to discuss key decisions in advance of the upcoming UN climate summit, COP28. “I participated in negotiations on carbon markets, mitigation, and loss and damage,” Kate says, “and watched geopolitics play out in real time.”

In a written reflection on the conference, Kate underscored the importance of finding community within the climate movement. “From catching up with friends to learning from experienced academics and advocates, the conference offered me a strong sense of community. I don’t know if my being here will change anything, but I do know that at the end of the day, most of us are just trying to save our own little corner of the Earth in our own ways and that is all I can ask for.”

Caroline York ’25

A Global Climate Activist Negotiates for a Cleaner Future

Pictured: At Mink Brook Nature Preserve, just south of Dartmouth’s campus

A Leader Ready to Climb Mountains

Sian

begins her tenure as Dartmouth’s 19th president by hiking New Hampshire’s iconic Mount Moosilauke and prioritizing students’ health and wellness.

As Dartmouth begins the 2023-24 academic year, it does so with a new president: Sian Leah Beilock.

Beilock, the first woman elected president by the Board of Trustees in the institution’s 254-year history, took office on June 12. She is a cognitive scientist whose research has included the study of how young people respond to stress in situations they consider high stakes, including on the athletic field and in the classroom.

In an interview published in the spring 2023 issue of 3D, Beilock discussed how her research would inform some of the priorities of her presidency. “You can’t have academic excellence without a precursor of health and wellness,” she said. “Which means health and wellness needs to be everywhere in the Dartmouth experience.”

In an indication of the spirit of adventure she brings to the role, President Beilock, 47, spent her fourth day on the job hiking with a group of alumni to the summit of New Hampshire’s rugged Mount Moosilauke, elevation 4,802 feet. The Moosilauke Ravine Lodge, which is owned by Dartmouth and operated by the Outdoor Programs Office, sits at the base of the peak, a one-hour drive from campus.

In a letter to the Dartmouth community that same week, President Beilock described engaging in hundreds of conversations with students, faculty, staff, and alumni in the months prior to her arrival on campus from Barnard College, where she served as president for six years. Those discussions, she said, had provided her with a clear picture of the qualities that make Dartmouth special, including “our size, scale, and scope.”

She described Dartmouth as “an institution small enough to provide all our students with direct access to world-class faculty, staff, and resources, yet large enough to have the infrastructure and experience that mark the world’s greatest universities.” She also noted “a rare ethos that animates all of your work a powerful belief that every one of you has the ability to change the world.”

“I have so much more to learn, and there is no question that despite all of Dartmouth’s strengths, there is a lot of work to do,” she added. “Dartmouth can be an engine for hope and change especially at a time when fear and dissension color much of our public discourse. I find tremendous opportunity in the way we join intellectual rigor with practical impact, in service to the Dartmouth community and the world.”

Leah Beilock

Welcome, Ga

The Hopkins Center for the Arts Reimagined

ther, Create

A vital hub for creativity and artistic experiences at Dartmouth since 1962, the Hopkins Center for the Arts anchors Dartmouth’s dynamic Arts District.

An ongoing $89 million renovation will transform the Hop’s existing artistic spaces and integrate state-of-the-art technology for sharing its work with the world. The expansion and renovation will include a sculpted exterior plaza for gathering and experiencing outdoor performances; a new multi-use recital hall; state-of-the-art theater labs and music practice rooms; a new dance studio; and a renovated Top of the Hop, a place to gather for studying, collaborating and hosting informal performances and arts-infused social events. Another aspect of welcoming audiences and artists alike are improvements to accessibility throughout the existing Hop spaces.

In line with Dartmouth’s Sustainable Energy Project, the Hop renovation focuses on strategies to reduce energy use intensity and carbon emissions, reuse existing building materials, and use energy-efficient lighting systems.

Until the building reopens in 2025, the Hop will continue to offer a range of in-person performances and programs across different parts of the Dartmouth campus, in collaboration with other venues in the region, and within the building itself when possible.

TRIUMPH

KIA TEH ’26

he / him / his HOMETOWN: TIKO, CAMEROON MAJORS: BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING AND NEUROSCIENCE

If you run into Triumph Kia Teh ’26 on campus, expect to be greeted by his signature warm smile, high fives, and bubbly personality. In just one year on campus, he has become known for his deep commitment to his Dartmouth peers. “My main passion is contributing to the community,” he says. “Throughout my life, I’ve always received help from people. I cannot come here and just study I have to get involved.”

Triumph was one of seven students in the Class of 2026 to be selected for the King Scholars Program, which supports first-generation low-income students from developing nations who are determined to alleviate poverty in their home countries. He grew up in Cameroon, where he and his family experienced the country’s inaccessible health care structure firsthand. “After seeing doctors attend to my mother’s health problems, I knew I wanted to become a doctor myself,” Triumph says. “I also hope to establish a hospital back home one day.”

Triumph knew that Dartmouth’s liberal arts curriculum, which encourages students to explore coursework across a wide variety of disciplines, would allow him to become a more well-rounded physician. Though his primary interests lie in biomedical engineering and neuroscience, Triumph also began taking Spanish at Dartmouth in an effort to better serve Latinx communities in his future career. “I have a passion for listening to people to help solve their health problems,” he explains. “The liberal arts curriculum allows me to take classes in different departments, so I can connect with all sorts of people. I’ve met a lot of professors who really want me to succeed.”

Triumph has found no shortage of support for his medical aspirations at Dartmouth. Through the Dickey Center for International Understanding, Triumph secured an internship with Vantage Health Technologies, a company working to increase access and efficiency in health care. Next year, he’ll begin research at the Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, a nearby teaching hospital affiliated with Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine. He was also named a Pathways to Medicine Scholar as part of an initiative that supports students from underrepresented backgrounds in their pre-health aspirations.

Outside of the classroom, Triumph served as a peer inclusivity facilitator for the Office of Pluralism and Leadership. In that role, he often led a workshop with peers called “What’s in Your Backpack?”, an activity that prompts students to share how their life experiences have affected their character. “We all come into Dartmouth from very different communities,” Triumph observes. “Sharing what we each have in our ’backpacks’ allows us to really understand and know one another. There’s a lot of resilience in my story, and my journey here was a long one. That’s what motivates me. I’m ready now.”

Tackling Health Care Disparities in Cameroon

PHOTOGRAPH BY DON HAMERMAN

Pictured: In front of the newly renovated Dartmouth Hall

Goal-Oriented

Whether you are interested in playing a sport at the varsity or club level or cheering on those teams there are plenty of opportunities to do so at Dartmouth. The College offers 35 varsity sports as well as 35 club and 24 intramural teams, and three of every four Dartmouth undergraduates participate in some form of athletics. They benefit from Dartmouth Peak Performance, a comprehensive program designed to position studentathletes to achieve the highest levels of physical, intellectual, and personal growth.

A Few Big Green Athletics Highlights

Women’s Rugby Secures Third Straight Ivy Championship

The Big Green team capped a perfect regular season in October 2022 with an 85-0 win over Brown, its third straight Ivy League Championship win.

Dartmouth Rowing Leads United States to Pair of Medals at World Championship

Led by Dartmouth coaches John Graves and Trevor Michelson, the United States won a pair of medals at the World Rowing Under 23 Championships held in Bulgaria in July. Multiple Big Green student-athletes also competed in the championships.

Dartmouth Figure Skating Club Competes at Nationals

The team placed fifth at the 2023 National Intercollegiate Final hosted by UCLA. First place finishers include Sasha Fear ’26 in international solo pattern dance and David Kaufman ’23 in silver pattern dance.

PHOTOGRAPH BY XIAORAN (SEAMORE) ZHU ’19

ZANE THAYER ’08

In 2004, Professor Zaneta “Zane” Thayer ’08 then a high school student from Cottage Grove, Oregon was in the thick of her college search. “Dartmouth was the only school on the East Coast I applied to,” remembers Professor Thayer, who was a first-generation college student. “When I flew out for Dartmouth’s admitted student program, I met kids from all over the country and the world. I loved that it was so far outside my comfort zone and that I’d be surrounded by so many different perspectives.”

In her first year as a Dartmouth student, Professor Thayer was quickly drawn to a double major in biology and anthropology. At the time, there was only one biological anthropologist at the College. Now, 15 years later, Professor Thayer is one of four biological anthropologists in her department, studying how and why early life environments shape human biology and health outcomes. She teaches classes in evolutionary medicine, biological variation, pregnancy, and childbirth.

As an undergraduate, Professor Thayer traveled to New Zealand on the Department of Anthropology’s Foreign Study Program, where she and her fellow students learned about legacies of colonization and visited culturally historic sites across the country. The experience, she says, was transformational for her future research on psychosocial stress and the effects of racism, poverty, and historical trauma on health. A few years later, she returned to New Zealand to begin her PhD dissertation on the intergenerational effects of stress on childbirth and maternity care.

That topic remains a primary research interest for Professor Thayer today. “Childbirth is a perfect example of ways in which your culture impacts your biology and your biology impacts your culture,” she says. “I’m interested in how fear about childbirth could actually impact physiological stress response during birth, the amount of pain one experiences at birth, and therefore the actual process of birth.” Using data from a cohort of individuals who were pregnant during the COVID-19 pandemic, Professor Thayer has been analyzing how maternal depression impacts the production of the stress hormone cortisol in both mothers and their babies.

Professor Thayer’s teaching philosophy is inextricably linked to her experience as a Dartmouth undergraduate. “I really benefited from working closely with my undergraduate advisor,” she reflects. “I ended up publishing my first two papers based on my senior honors thesis work that was funded by grants I accessed as an undergraduate. That was foundational to my career as a researcher, and I try to pay that forward with my students.”

In fact, “paying it forward” is a theme of Professor Thayer’s teaching career. In winter 2025, she will lead the anthropology department’s Foreign Study Program in Auckland, New Zealand the very same program she embarked upon as a student. “It’s a very full circle moment,” she says with a smile.

Selin Hos ’25

she / her / hers ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF ANTHROPOLOGY

Pictured: At My Brigadeiro, a Brazilian bakery on Main Street in downtown Hanover

An Alumna Investigates the Impact of Fear on Childbirth

HUMANS OF HANOVER FACULTY

Raymond Orr Associate Professor of Native American and Indigenous Studies

“Within the field of Indigenous studies, my work focuses on politics extending from how Indigenous peoples make decisions about their own tribes to the ways that they are embedded within national politics. I am currently working on a book that compares Indigenous politics in the United States and Australia.”

SouYoung Jin Assistant Professor of Computer Science

“My main research area is in computer vision, machine learning, and cognitive science. As a computer vision researcher, one of my ultimate aspirations is to build an AI system that can understand and respond to the richness of human experience and emotion, much like Jarvis in the Iron Man movie.”

Mahima Sneha Assistant Professor of Chemistry

“My research focuses on understanding photoinduced chemical processes in solutions and at interfaces. On the molecular level, chemical reactions occur on a wide range of timescales spanning from femtoseconds to seconds. My lab will utilize state-of-the-art time-resolved ultrafast laser spectroscopies to investigate photocatalytic reaction pathways in real time.”

Adedoyin Teriba Assistant Professor of Art History

“I study histories of the built environment of peoples of African descent. I focus on the ways in which folklore, performance, music, and dance intersect and are used as design tools for the generation of new architectural designs. To put it succinctly, I am a scholar of architectural experience.”

Mattias Fitzpatrick Assistant Professor of Engineering

“I work on quantum computation and quantum sensing with superconducting circuits. Through careful microwave engineering and optimal control, we develop new ways to manipulate the quantum states of photons in these circuits to enable the next generation of quantum computers.”

Sujin Eom Assistant Professor of Asian Societies, Cultures, and Languages

“I am an architectural historian whose research is anchored in a historical inquiry into race, migration, and the built environment. My research and teaching interests include colonial architecture and urbanism, migration and diaspora, race and racism, Asian/American studies, and infrastructures.”

Allie Martin Assistant Professor of

Music

“My work as an ethnomusicologist is attuned to questions of race, sound, and power. My forthcoming first book, Intersectional Listening: Gentrification and Black Sonic Life in Washington, D.C., explores the relationships between race, sound, and gentrification in Washington.”

Professor Brings Interactive Musical to Regional Theater

Dartmouth’s Hopkins Center for the Arts commissioned and produced NOISE (a musical) at Northern Stage a theater in nearby White River Junction, VT in July. The pioneering show tells the story of a bunch of musicians who agree that society isn’t working and decide to do something about it. During the interactive production, cast members invite the audience to join in. The production is the brainchild of Assistant Professor of Music César Alvarez, a composer, lyricist, playwright, and performance maker who creates big experimental gatherings disguised as musicals.

Rufus Boyack Assistant Professor of Physics

“My research is focused on understanding the quantum properties of superconductors when they undergo a phase transition. In superconductors, individual particles combine together and display collective phenomena that are observed only in the many-particle state. I study these physics using symmetries and conservation laws.”

Fostering a More Racially Inclusive Rural America

As rural America undergoes a demographic transition, a new study by Associate Professor of Sociology Emily Walton pinpoints a subtle way predominantly white communities often alienate people of color. "The nonwhite people I interviewed feel overlooked and ignored in public settings and at work," Walton says. "These subtle acts of nonattention are essential, yet little understood, components of racial exclusion that cement social boundaries between racial groups." As a result of her findings, Walton launched Humans of the Upper Valley with Dartmouth students in 2021. Inspired by the popular Humans of New York, the project offers snapshots of the life stories of local residents from all walks of life.

onwardupward &

ALUMNI WHO CARRY DARTMOUTH INTO THE WORLD

Breaking Legislative Glass Ceilings

Diana Hwang ’04 helps Asian American women flex political muscle

By Caroline Mahony ’25

During an internship at the Massachusetts State House in 2006, Diana Hwang ’04 looked around and was shocked by how few Asian American people worked there none of them legislators. What she saw isn’t limited to Massachusetts. Today, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) account for fewer than 1 percent of state legislators nationally.

In 2009, Hwang founded the Asian American Women’s Political Initiative, or AAWPI, to fund internships for Asian American women at the Massachusetts legislature that were typically unpaid. Hwang recognized that AAWPI funds could make internships at the Massachusetts legislature more accessible, especially for low-income and immigrant women. “There are a lot of systemic barriers that prevent pipelines into government,” she says. “It’s about being able to create safe spaces for AAPI women who I think very rarely feel like they can show up as their full selves in this very radical way, and really champion a new way of building political power.”

The daughter of Taiwanese immigrants, Hwang had little interest in politics while growing up in Texas and didn’t vote until she was 21. Hwang remembers that when she first told her parents about her first job at the Massachusetts State House, her dad doubted she could ever “be one of them.” This March, Politico included Hwang on its list of 40 power players who in 2022 shaped the intersection of race, culture, politics, and policy, alongside figures like Ketanji Brown Jackson and Kamala Harris.

Hwang remembers switching her major at least three times before graduating with a degree in sociology from Dartmouth. She spent time at what was then known as the Center for Women and Gender and enjoyed intersectional classes

focused on race and gender coursework she says helped her understand the role of her identity in her transition from a public school in the diverse city of Houston to the Hanover community. She went on to earn her MBA from Columbia in 2018.

In 2021, when six women of Asian descent were among the victims gunned down in racial attacks in Atlanta, AAWPI received an outpouring of support, including more than 1,000 donations of $1 or $2. AAWPI grew to create “civic impact” fellowships for AAPI women in Georgia and Pennsylvania. The fellowship awards $10,000 grants and provides mentorship and support to its recipients, enabling a range of women’s projects from providing fresh and culturally relevant food to community kitchens in Philadelphia to increasing Iranian American voter turnout in the state of Georgia. By 2025, Hwang plans to offer fellowships in Texas and California, states with the fastest-growing AAPI populations. “A lot of what I’ve done is create spaces I wish I had had,” she says.

AAWPI COO Darlene Vu notes the organization and Hwang are nimble. “She’s very imaginative, she thinks in innovative ways, she’s a leader who thinks about group dynamics,” says Vu. “She understands the importance of bringing people along on their journey.”

Caroline Mahony ’25 is an intern with Dartmouth Alumni Magazine. This story is adapted from a piece she wrote for DAM’s July/August 2023 issue.

In “Onward and Upward,” 3D presents essays by and about Dartmouth alumni, a close-knit network (currently 80,000 people and counting) with no shortage of stories of lessons learned and lifelong bonds forged beginning with their time in Hanover. Just ask them!

Pictured: In the Tower Room of Baker-Berry Library

KIARA ORTIZ ’24

she/her/hers

HOMETOWN: BRONX, NY

MAJOR: NEUROSCIENCE; MINOR: PUBLIC POLICY

A Campus Leader Aims to Expand Health Care Access

Kiara Ortiz ’24 vividly remembers picking up a neuroscience textbook in a thrift shop when she was a child. “I loved that the brain was a never-ending puzzle,” she remembers. “I’ve been on that trajectory ever since.”

Today, Kiara is a neuroscience major and public policy minor pursuing the pre-health track. For her, studying social science alongside STEM holds significant meaning. “The health care system needs a lot of improvement in terms of funding, access, and reliability,” Kiara says. “I’m interested in advancing equity in the medical field and creating policies that allow for better patient care.”

This past summer, Kiara worked full-time as an ophthalmic assistant at the nearby Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, a teaching hospital affiliated with Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine. “I was able to fully work with patients, help prepare for minor procedures like injections, scribe for the doctors, and ask questions while shadowing,” Kiara says.

She was initially introduced to the opportunities for undergraduates at DHMC via the Nelson A. Rockefeller Center’s Policy Research Shop, a faculty-mentored research enterprise that allows students to engage directly in the public policymaking processes in Vermont and New Hampshire. Through the Policy Research Shop, Kiara investigated maternity care deserts in rural New Hampshire and presented a policy report to physicians at DHMC. Now, she’s partnering with a Dartmouth alumna at Harvard Medical School to study how the expansion of cash benefit assistance programs like SNAP can improve access to nutritional food for immigrants.

Kiara has taken her interest in policy to the highest levels of student leadership. She served in Dartmouth Student Government as a Senator and Chief of Staff before her peers elected her Student Body Vice President. “My philosophy as a leader has always been to make campus a safe space. For me, it’s also about removing barriers to a fulfilling Dartmouth experience,” she says, noting, among others, the student government’s recent efforts to implement free teletherapy and laundry services for students.

The start of Kiara’s tenure as Student Body Vice President aligns with that of Dartmouth’s new President Sian Leah Beilock, a cognitive scientist who studies why people choke under pressure. “It’s fantastic to have a woman president who is interested in the field of psychology,” Kiara says. “I hope that her research translates into academic policies that benefit students. It’s important that we hit the ground running in the fall.”

Caroline York ’25

Simon Lamontagne ’24

he/him/his

Hometown: Lakewood, CO

Major: Linguistics

Minors: Anthropology and English

D-Plan

Dartmouth has a distinctive year-round quarter system the D-Plan that enables students to customize their individual academic calendars across four years. Dartmouth offers four, 10-week academic terms per year that loosely align with the four seasons. Within some guidelines, students choose how and where they’ll spend each of those terms, whether taking classes in Hanover, studying away on an off-campus program, or embarking on a “leave term” to pursue an internship, research, creative pursuit, or time off. Here, Simon Lamontagne ’24 shares snapshots drawn from his D-Plan, organized by season.

FALL

My first-year fall started in September 2020 amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. My dad and I drove 35 hours from my childhood home in Colorado to Hanover. The day before I arrived on campus, we climbed Mt. Washington together, already taking advantage of all the beautiful opportunities the New Hampshire outdoors have to offer. I moved into a residence hall on the Dartmouth campus, and despite having to be distanced from my peers, I found lots of creative ways to begin bonding with them, from walks in the woods to late-night study Zooms with classmates.

My first Dartmouth term with in-person classes was my sophomore fall, and in many ways it felt like having a second first year–there was so much to learn about “normal” Dartmouth! This was when I started giving campus tours for the Office of Admissions, and I had a lot of fun in LING 35: Field Methods with Professor Jim Stanford. In that seven-person class, we did intensive research and fieldwork on the Georgian language and bonded a lot in the process.

WINTER

One of my favorite Dartmouth memories is ice skating with friends on Occom Pond my sophomore winter, along with a photography project I completed that same term for ENGL 63.04: Arts Against Empire highlighting trans and non-binary Dartmouth students. At the same time, I joined the Dartmouth College Marching Band as a cymbalist on a whim even though I hadn’t played a musical instrument since the sixth grade, and it’s become one of my favorite activities on campus.

By contrast, I spent my junior winter on the Linguistics Foreign Study Program in Aotearoa New Zealand and the Cook Islands, where we took classes at the University of Auckland on Māori language and culture and did research on Cook Islands Māori as a part of Dr. Ake Nicholas’ and Professor Rolando Coto Solano’s language revitalization work. From unique classroom opportunities to bonding with my peers on Maungawhau (Mt. Eden) at sunset to snorkeling with turtles on the Rarotonga reef, this was a truly transformative program, and I will cherish it forever.

SPRING

My Dartmouth springs have always given me great opportunities to get outside and enjoy the warming weather, from hiking with friends on the Appalachian Trail to eating lunch on the Green. My sophomore spring, as I explored artifacts and completed labs in ANTH 50.50: Archaeology of Food, I joined a gender-inclusive Greek house on campus. Even though I originally came to college thinking I’d never be the type of person to join a Greek house, it’s provided me with endless opportunities for growth, friendship, and getting out of my comfort zone in leadership positions.

I decided to take ANTH 50.17: Rites of Passage during my junior spring with Professor Sienna Craig and Dr. Manish Mishra. The course featured a vast number of experiential learning opportunities: we attended weekly yoga nidra sessions and were paired with an older Community Partner to further discuss class topics. I really appreciated the opportunity to reflect on my personal experiences at a time that happened to be truly pivotal for me.

SUMMER

My sophomore summer was a time for academic exploration in areas I usually might not venture to. I took FILM 44.01: Handmade Cinema and FILM 47.20: Curating and Microcinema, which both took place in an animation studio. I learned about cameraless film techniques, and the class took a weekend trip to New York City to see different museums and film exhibits. Both classes had culminating film projects that screened at open-to-campus events.

My junior summer was what some Dartmouth students call a “Hanover off-term.” I wasn’t enrolled in classes, but I lived in Hanover, working full-time as a Senior Fellow in the Office of Admissions (where I’m writing this sentence right now)! Among other projects, I presented pre-tour information sessions to visitors and helped prepare for fly-in programs, and outside of work, I was able to connect with friends who were taking summer classes. It's just one of the many opportunities that thanks to the D-Plan has become so influential to my Dartmouth experience.

AN OPPORTUNITY FOR DARTMOUTH UNDERGRADUATES INTERESTED IN MEDICINE

BY MELISSA BIRDSEY

When Katie Spanos ’20 enrolled at Dartmouth as a biological sciences major, she was confident that her ultimate goal was a career in health care. But she wasn’t sure which role was best for her.

Spanos learned of the Nathan Smith Society a Dartmouth student organization that organizes programming related to the health professions and joined its Clinical Shadowing Program, which pairs students with health care professionals at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center and private practices in the Hanover area.

During a placement with the critical care team at DHMC, Spanos found the perfect fit.

“I observed the entire health care team, including the lead physician, the physician’s assistant, a resident, and a nurse practitioner,” Spanos says. “Watching the team dynamics play out gave me the clarity I wanted. I knew then that I wanted the responsibilities of a physician: being a team leader, providing compassionate care, and engaging patients in important conversations about their health.”

Now a third-year medical student at Penn State College of Medicine, Spanos leads research on eating disorder relapse prevention. She plans to continue her research during her career as a physician while spending the majority of her time in clinical settings.

Spanos is one of more than 5,000 Dartmouth undergraduates who have gained firsthand insights about health care fields through the Clinical Shadowing Program since its inception in 1997. Founded by Professor Lee Witters, who holds a joint appointment with the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and the Geisel School of Medicine, the program celebrates its 25th anniversary this academic year.

“I wanted to give undergraduate students the opportunity to see what it’s like to be a physician, to hear the pros and cons of a life in medicine, and to determine if they are comfortable being around patients,” Witters says.

A retired endocrinologist, Witters is the only physician in the Department of Biological Sciences, and also serves as the Eugene W. Leonard 1921 Professor of Medicine at Geisel’s medical education and biochemistry and cell biology departments.

“Students are able to take advantage of a top academic medical center just minutes from campus, which provides access to over 100 doctors in almost every area of medicine. It’s one of the best undergraduate shadowing programs in the country,” Witters says.

Witters manages the program alongside a small team of Nathan Smith Society student leaders, who use a lottery system to ensure that shadowing experiences are evenly distributed. Each year, approximately 250 students participate in the program over the course of Dartmouth’s four academic terms.

Pictured: John Sanders ’64, professor emeritus of surgery, and Carolyn Yee ’25 review images of the heart in a catheterization lab.

SHADOWING PRACTITIONERS AND PATIENTS

“STUDENTS ARE ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF A TOP ACADEMIC MEDICAL CENTER JUST MINUTES FROM CAMPUS. IT’S ONE OF THE BEST UNDERGRADUATE SHADOWING PROGRAMS IN THE COUNTRY.”

PROFESSOR LEE WITTERS

“We have every variety of physician you could think of general internist and primary care practitioners, surgeons, OB/GYN and midwives, pediatricians, anesthesiologists, neurologists, radiologists, radiation therapists, and even people involved in laboratory medicine as well as nurses, nurse practitioners, and genetic counselors,” Witters says. “Even the DHMC chaplain is involved; he offers an incredible experience which allows students to see patients in a very different way than a physician would.”

INSIDER PERSPECTIVES ON HEALTH PROFESSIONS

For UCLA anesthesiology resident Christina Ma ’14, the program was her first chance to see what practicing medicine is really like.

“No one in my family was in the medical field, so simply being exposed to different practice environments and learning what it means to ’round’ was highly informative,” Ma says.

Elijah Stommel, a DHMC neurologist and Geisel professor of neurology who has been part of the shadowing program since its inception, calls the experience a “mind opener.”

“Most undergraduates have no idea what clinical medicine is all about,” Stommel says. “I don’t expect them to learn much about medicine itself, but rather to get a feeling for what is involved in being a physician and what the experience of being sick is like for the patient.”

The program also offers opportunities to correct misconceptions that students may have about the field of medicine.

“One of the most striking things for many students is that there’s very little discussion about the surgical process in the operating room,” says John Sanders, a retired cardiac surgeon and Geisel professor emeritus of surgery, who has led shadowing experiences in the cardiac operating room since 1997.

“Movies and television shows often depict high drama in the operating room, but it’s just not that way. The actual conduct of the procedure is very calm, very quiet, and very orderly. For me, it was always a very peaceful place. I think it’s good for students to see that the operating room is not a scary environment.”

For Pulkit Nagpal ’23, observing in the operating room was a reminder that medicine and especially surgery is a team effort.

“From the outside, you kind of feel like a surgery is just about the surgeon doing his or her thing,” he says. “The reality is that the surgeon works with a team during every procedure. I had the opportunity to talk not only with the surgeon, but also with the other people involved, including the tech, the nurses, and the anesthesiologist.”

Many of the health care professionals involved in the program go out of their way to provide context, explain procedures, and make students feel included. For example, Sanders always starts shadowing experiences in the cardiac operating room in the same way: Breakfast, a brief history of heart surgery, and an overview of surgical technology.

“I always feed them before we enter the operating room they’re much more likely to stay upright if I do,” Sanders says. “Then I usually go through the cardiac catheterization laboratory, where a lot of the diagnostic and therapeutic procedures are done, and show them some of the images that relate to the case that we will observe. I also describe the history of open heart surgery a good deal of which I helped develop.”

Amalya Wilson ’23, who spent three days over the past summer shadowing pediatric orthopedic surgeon William McKinnon, says he consistently spent extra time contextualizing cases and explaining procedures.

“Before each appointment, Dr. McKinnon would pull up the patient’s X-rays and review their condition, prognosis, and relevant history with me so that I would understand the conversation,” Wilson says. “After the appointment, he encouraged me to ask questions and would answer my questions thoughtfully. When we were in the operating room, he made sure I had a clear view of the patient and understood the nature of each procedure, pausing frequently to explain his maneuvers.”

Nagpal also received a warm welcome while shadowing maxillofacial surgeon Eric Peter Holmgren.

“One of the coolest things I remember about shadowing Dr. Holmgren is being included in the timeout, which surgeons do at the beginning and end of every surgery to say who’s on the team and what they’re doing,” Nagpal says. “Dr. Holmgren invited me to participate in the timeout, so I got to say, ’I’m Pulkit, I’m the shadowing student, and I’ll be observing today.’”

In fall 2022, Wilson shadowed Thomas Trimarco, an emergency medicine physician at DHMC. Despite the fast pace of the emergency department, Trimarco challenged Wilson to think like a physician by asking her to assess each patient’s condition.

“After we left each patient’s room, Dr. Trimarco would turn to me and ask, ’Sick or not sick?’” she says. “I would then share my hypothesis, and he would respond with his thoughts. These short conversations provided me with much insight into how physicians think what piques their concern, what alleviates worries, what they pay close attention to.”

PREPARING FUTURE HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS

Beyond revealing the realities of life as a physician, the shadowing program also enables students to hone valuable interpersonal skills.

“In the emergency department, I learned a lot about being present,” Spanos says. “It amazed me how the doctor would manage so many patients while also charting and communicating with nurses, radiology, and the lab. Even in the midst of all that chaos, he was very present with each patient and listened to their concerns without interruption or judgment.”

Nagpal also appreciated the reminder that practicing medicine requires both intellectual and emotional intelligence. “As an undergraduate pre-med student, you’re put into classes and you memorize a lot of stuff,” he says. “While it’s important to be book smart, being a good physician is really about the way you connect to patients.”

“The doctors I shadowed offered great examples of bedside manners,” he says. “Often, the patient came into the appointment nervous; the doctors could sense that and would make the small talk needed to calm them down. There’s a tone of voice and an empathy that you learn when you’re shadowing that you don’t really get to see in any other setting.”

Spanos also learned the value of emotional resilience and prioritizing her own mental health. “In critical care, I watched as the team managed the sickest of the sick and had extremely difficult conversations with loved ones,” she says. “I talked to the physician’s assistant about the emotional toll that providers experience, and we had an extremely real and valuable conversation about burnout and the importance of self-care in this field.”

For many students, participation in the shadowing program instills a passion for medicine that sustains them through the long journey of becoming a physician.

“It’s a long haul from the undergraduate level through medical school to residency,” Sanders says. “Shadowing gives students the sense that it really is worthwhile.”

“Activities like the shadowing program, along with volunteerism in a number of situations, are really what medical schools are seeking,” Witters says. “The shadowing experience provides lots of stories that students can tell in the essays and interviews that are part of the medical school application process. I would say, from my own experience on faculty at Geisel, that Dartmouth students who apply to medical school are very well received.”

The shadowing program helps students solidify their career goals just as Spanos did.

“’Going into medicine’ does not have to mean going to medical school,” Spanos says. “It’s important to figure out which role within the medical field is right for you. If you’re sure you want to be a physician, use this time as an undergraduate to feel out different specialties and start to develop your preferences.”

For Witters, watching students learn and discover their path makes the labor of administering the shadowing program worthwhile.

“I’ve now been around long enough to see the impact this has had,” Witters says. “The Clinical Shadowing Program has helped thousands of students get to where they want to be, whether they choose to go into medical professions or not. Seeing their maturation is incredibly rewarding.”

A REAL SHOT IN THE ARM

Technology developed by a team of scientists at Dartmouth including faculty, postdoctoral researchers, and graduate students contributed to the development of COVID-19 vaccines.

The discovery at Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine was instrumental in quickly bringing to market the COVID-19 vaccines credited with preventing more than 18 million hospitalizations and more than three million deaths in the U.S. alone. The underlying research, conducted by Professor Jason McLellan and his team at Geisel, with collaborators at the Scripps Research Institute and the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, started in 2014. It culminated in 2016 with the development of a method to stabilize coronavirus spike proteins for use as vaccine antigens.

In December 2022, the National Institutes of Health which shares ownership of the intellectual property from the research with the other collaborating academic institutions finalized terms of an agreement with Moderna, the pharmaceutical and biotechnology company. The agreement follows similar licenses to this technology between the National Institutes of Health and several other vaccine companies, including BioNTech SE.

Dartmouth plans to reinvest the revenue generated from this technology into strengthening the institution’s research and education enterprise and advancing work that has the potential to save millions of lives and improve global health.

Courses of Study

Curious about the areas of study that Dartmouth has to offer? Dartmouth students can wait until sophomore year to declare a major, leaving plenty of time for exploration. Regardless of what you choose, the classes you take at Dartmouth will span disciplines far outside your chosen concentration. Here, Kennedy Hamblen ’23 highlights the departments she’s taken courses within—and shares the inside scoop on her favorites. How will you explore?

African and African American Studies

Ancient History

Anthropology

Art History

Asian Societies, Cultures and Languages

Astronomy

Biological Chemistry M

Biological Sciences

Biomedical Engineering Sciences M

Biophysical Chemistry M

Chemistry

Classical Archaeology

Classical Languages and Literatures

Classical Studies

Climate Change Science m

Cognitive Science M

Comparative Literature M

Computational Linguistics M

Computer Science

Digital Arts m

Earth Sciences

Economics

Education m

Engineering Physics

Engineering Sciences

ASTR 2

Exploring the Universe

she / her / hers

Hometown: Memphis, TN

Major: English

I have always loved outer space, and Professor Hickox’s enthusiasm and excellent teaching sharpened my appreciation for the universe. Even in a class with a hundred students (my largest class ever at Dartmouth), Professor Hickox learned everyone’s name, and he still recognizes me on campus. For an introductory class, we were extraordinarily hands-on—checking out Saturn and the moon with powerful telescopes on the Green, writing papers about spectroscopic methods, and exploring the engineering methods real astronomers used to design the James Webb Space Telescope.

PHOTOGRAPH BY DON HAMERMAN

GOVT 30.09

Law, Courts, and Judges

In classic Dartmouth fashion, we approached the law from all angles— social science, statistics, philosophy, history, and of course, legal analysis. Professor Nachlis brought in a Yale Law professor, several judges, and Dartmouth alumni in legal careers to chat with us about law school and current legal issues. I learned something new every day, both from Professor Nachlis and from my classmates, who respectfully brought contrasting perspectives to our discussions.

English

Environmental Studies

Film and Media Studies

French

French Studies

Geography

German Studies

Global Health m

Government

History

Human-Centered Design m

International Studies m

Italian

Italian Studies

Jewish Studies

Latin American, Latino, and Caribbean Studies

Linguistics

Markets, Management, and the Economy m

Materials Science m

Mathematical Data Science M

Mathematics

Medieval and Renaissance Studies *

Middle Eastern Studies

Music

Native American and Indigenous Studies

Neuroscience

Philosophy

Physics

Portuguese (Lusophone Studies)

Psychology

Public Policy m

Quantitative Social Science

Religion

Romance Languages M

Romance Studies M

Russian

Russian Area Studies

Social Inequalities m

Sociology

Spanish (Hispanic Studies)

Statistics m

Studio Art

Theater

Translation Studies m

Urban Studies m

Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

m

COLT 49.05

Decadence, Degeneration, and the Fin de Siècle

This seminar class was an exploration of late-nineteenth-century and early-twentieth-century pulp fiction, classics, advertisements, and psychology to understand how Europeans of that time period talked about the potential “degradation” of their culture. Not unlike today, French and English thinkers alike were concerned that bohemians, libertines, and drunks would be the downfall of their countries. Interestingly enough, those counterculture decadents struck back with fascinating literature: poems about corpses, novels about opium and absinthe, and fantastic descriptions of the dying nobility spending the dregs of their money on jewels and books.

MUS 25

Sonic Arts I

Taught by Ash Fure, a musical performance artist, and Sunny Nam, a producer, this class was a hands-on exploration of electronic music creation, composition, and theory. We learned the history of sampling, how sound waves and microphones work, the software tools musicians use, and the conversations happening between different artists working within soundscape, hip-hop, rap, pop, and experimental music. I love music, so getting to learn about the technologies that power contemporary music production was fascinating. I even got to create two of my own songs!

ECON 010

Introduction to Statistical Methods

I’ll be honest—I was scared to take this class. It involved economics, statistics, and programming, all of which are things I had little experience with. But Professor Cascio was a clear, concise lecturer and extremely helpful outside of class. She pushed us to produce our own data by surveying Dartmouth students. We then analyzed our own dataset with statistical software. I cannot overstate the lasting importance this class has in my day-to-day life. It makes understanding news, polls, and social science so much easier.

A Mushroom Hunter and Soil Ecologist Study the Synergies of Plants and Fungi

Together, Liam Nokes ’25 and Associate Professor of Environmental Studies Bala Chaudhary are studying mycorrhizae—the symbiotic associations between plants and fungi—and their impact on ecosystems at a global scale. Since their partnership began, Liam has worked on an urban farm near Boston, MA; traveled to the Netherlands to study the distribution of mycorrhizal fungi in urban environments; and presented at the largest gathering of ecologists in the world. Here, the pair discuss the roots of their interest in the field of ecology and the implications of their research.

Tell us about your work studying the relationship between fungi and plants.

Professor Chaudhary: With a grant from the National Science Foundation, my lab is tracking the aerial dispersal of mycorrhizal fungi at 20 different sites across the country. We need a lot of hands in the lab to process the samples from these sites, extract their DNA, and sequence the fungi. That endeavor is really driven by undergraduates in the lab, and that’s where people like Liam come in.

Liam: Over the last two years, I’ve learned to process DNA samples and examine mycorrhizae, soil, and roots. I’ve developed a greater fluency with data and have a much better sense of what it means to design a study and design it well. I’ve also learned a lot of interpersonal skills, especially around how to communicate scientific findings. Recently, I’ve been working with Dr. Chaudhary to create a database of mycorrhizal fungal spore traits.

How did you become interested in studying ecology?

Liam: My grandfather came from a rural farming community in Catalonia and one of the ways that he connected with his family back home was through mushroom hunting. That became something we shared together. When I learned about mycorrhizae, I was hooked. The idea that fungi are so central to the success of functioning terrestrial ecosystems got me fired up.

Professor Chaudhary: What really ignited my passion for being a scientist was learning that science is a social endeavor. It’s about thinking and collaborating with others. I love thinking outside of the box to address problems with other people. That’s what keeps me coming back.

Liam, what have you gained from working in Professor Chaudhary’s lab?

Liam: Some of the best learning I’ve done at Dartmouth has been through the Chaudhary lab. The lab was the first safe space I found at Dartmouth. We talk a lot about accessibility and equity in STEM in our lab discussions, and we also support each other on research questions. Dr. Chaudhary leads by example, and that’s made me a much better researcher and scientist.

Professor Chaudhary: The lab is collaborative, not competitive. The students interact with an understanding that rising tides lift all boats if one student succeeds, we all do well. In my lab, undergraduates, PhD students, technical professionals, and postdocs all learn from one another. It’s my job to make sure that that co-learning can continue.

Liam: Being a part of Professor Chaudhary’s lab has made me even more excited about the intersection of science and social systems. We often discuss questions like “What are the consequences and the goals of our research, and how will they make an impact?” That’s an element of science that I hadn’t had any exposure to before. This research has been extremely important to my development as a student and a thinker.

Bala Chaudhary she/her/hers Associate Professor of Environmental Studies

Liam Nokes ’25 he/him/his

Hometown: Arlington, MA

Majors: Environmental Studies and Mathematics modified with Biology

Pictured: At the Sherman Fairchild Physical Sciences Center

Dartmouth’s financial aid covers 100% of the demonstrated need of all its students, but the opportunities for funding don't stop there. Dartmouth students have access to resources that make all kinds of experiences possible and ensure that every student can take advantage of the range of opportunities Dartmouth has to offer. We asked current students to share experiences made possible with Dartmouth’s financial support.

Paid Research in STEM

“Dartmouth’s Women in Science Program connects undergraduate women with faculty mentors in paid, part-time research internships in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines. Through WISP, I’m conducting paid research on knee, hip, and shoulder implants with Associate Professor of Engineering Doug Van Citters in the Dartmouth Biomedical Engineering Center for Orthopaedics. I’ve learned so much about biocompatibility in orthopaedic practice and even presented my findings at a symposium this spring!”

’26 from Virginia

A Global Health Internship Abroad

“I spent this past spring in Hanoi, Vietnam for a Global Health Internship sponsored by Dartmouth’s Dickey Center for International Understanding. There, I worked for the Institute of Population, Health, and Development studying health disparities in Vietnam. Thanks to Dartmouth’s partnership with this non-profit organization, my fellow students and I had access to Dartmouth resources, Dickey Center staff, and full funding for the cost of the trip.”

’25 from Georgia

Hands-on Museum Curation in New York

“This spring, I traveled on an all-expenses-paid trip to New York City as part of Museum Collecting 101, a non-curricular course offered by the Hood Museum of Art that helps students gain a deeper understanding of the business and artistic aspects of a successful gallery. The gallerists, artists, and art collectors we met in the city shared newfound insight into the art curation process and opened the door for my future career aspirations.”

’26 from California

Fun at the Book Arts Workshop

“The Book Arts Workshop in Baker-Berry Library is equipped to help students learn about the traditional processes of bookbinding, printing, and typesetting at no cost. I visited the Book Arts Workshop with the Eichler Fellows, a group of students interested in medical humanities and pre-health careers. We were able to print a couple lines from our own poems using the press. I’ve also made an accordion book and even printed my own graduation announcements!”

’23 from Michigan

ILLUSTRATION BY JAN KALLWEJT

BUR Ç IN MUTLU-PAKDIL

she/her/hers ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY

On Burçin Mutlu-Pakdil’s first day as a university student in Turkey, a faculty member expressed to her his doubt that she belonged. She was one of the only women in her class. “During my journey, I’ve noticed how important it is to have someone you can look to and think, ‘She did it, so I can do it, too,’” Professor Mutlu-Pakdil reflects.

Today, the astrophysicist works to solve the mysteries of the most peculiar phenomena of our universe. She rose to academic fame when she made a groundbreaking discovery a rare type of galaxy distinguished by its uncharacteristic double-ringed elliptical structure. Now known as Burçin’s Galaxy, the finding represents an entire category of galaxies that was previously unknown to modern scientists. “There are no mechanisms that we can use to explain its existence,” Professor Mutlu-Pakdil says. “By studying this galaxy, we can stretch our understanding of the universe.”

For her, teaching undergraduates is as integral to her scholarship as her research. “We spend so much time fulfilling our curiosity and answering these big questions about the universe,” she says. “But if you discover something, and nobody knows about it, what’s the point? My students ask all sorts of questions that I haven’t thought about before, and sharing knowledge with them motivates me. It’s very intellectually satisfying.”

Informed by her own experiences as a Muslim woman in academia, Professor Mutlu-Pakdil’s teaching philosophy extends well beyond the classroom. “Approaching faculty members can be really difficult, particularly for first-generation or underrepresented students,” she says. That’s why visitors to her office are greeted by vibrant, colorful decorations and astronaut-themed teddy bears. “I remember being very shy in my first years as a student. I want my students to feel comfortable approaching me and asking me questions.”

Professor Mutlu-Pakdil also knows the importance of creating accessible avenues for undergraduate research. As a faculty mentor for Dartmouth’s Women in Science Project, which places female-identifying students into paid research assistantships with Dartmouth professors, she teams up with first-year students on hands-on research in her field. “Solving the mysteries of the universe is a very big quest, and there isn’t just one genius who can solve it. It requires teamwork from multiple people of all backgrounds.”

She’s well on her way to helping the next generation of scholars coax the secrets of our universe from the stars. In 2018, she presented a five-minute TED talk on the discovery of Burçin’s Galaxy. To date, it has amassed more than 2.6 million views. “I got all these messages from around the world,” she remembers. “Young girls were telling me that they, too, want to discover galaxies and name them. They saw something in me and thought, ‘If she did it, I can too.’ I might not solve the mysteries of the universe, but maybe one of those girls will one day. That’s my dream.”

Selin Hos ’25

An Astrophysicist Works to Unlock a Galaxy’s Greatest Mysteries

Pictured: At the Irving Institute for Energy and Society

TAPESTRY :

Bema Lights Show Illuminates Winter Carnival

Each winter since 1911, Dartmouth students have donned their warmest gear for Winter Carnival, a yearly celebration of Hanover’s snowy scenery. On a chilly February weekend, students build giant snow sculptures; carve life-size ice sculptures; compete in human dog sled races; and even take a dip into the frozen Occom Pond on the campus’s north end. In 2021, Winter Carnival saw a new event added to its lineup of weekend fun: an interactive light and sound show at Bema (short for Big Empty Meeting Area), an open-air amphitheater enveloped by trees at the center of campus.

When the Carnival’s daytime activities have concluded, the Bema Lights Show transports visitors to a glowing winter wonder-

A THREAD FROM DARTMOUTH’S HISTORY

land among the towering pines. Ribbons of colored lights adorn trees and create trails in the snow while ambient music echoes around the clearing. Students and local residents alike pose for photos in oversized, lighted picture frames; watch on as a row of screens displays captivating visuals of an animated forest; and cozy up with cups of hot cocoa by the fire pit. As the evening light fades, the dazzling show brings together the Hanover and Dartmouth communities in a new tradition that’s sure to become a Winter Carnival staple for years to come.

Caroline York ’25

Admissions Editorial

Board

Erin Burnett, Editor Isabel Bober ’04

Sara D. Morin

Jacques Steinberg ’88, Editorial Advisor

Produced by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions of Dartmouth College

Design: Hecht/Horton Partners

Student Contributors

Chase Harvey ’25 Selin Hos ’25

Joanna Jou ’26

Caroline Mahony ’25

Sydney Wuu ’24

Caroline York ’25

Note: The officers of the College believe that the information contained herein is accurate as of the date of publication, and they know of no significant changes to be made at the College in the near future. However, Dartmouth reserves the right to make, from time to time, such changes in its operations, programs, and activities as the Trustees, faculty, and officers consider appropriate and in the best interests of the Dartmouth community.

Equal Opportunity: Dartmouth is committed to the principle of equal opportunity for all its students, faculty, staff, and applicants for admission and employment. For that reason, Dartmouth prohibits any form of discrimination against any person on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, sexual orientation, marital or parental status, national origin, citizenship, disability, genetic information, military or veteran status, or any other legally protected status in the administration of and access to the College’s programs and activities, and in conditions of admission and employment. Dartmouth adheres to all applicable state and federal equal opportunity laws and regulations.

Dartmouth College

Office of Undergraduate Admissions

6016 McNutt Hall

Hanover, NH 03755

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On the Admissions Beat, veteran Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid Lee Coffin provides high school juniors, seniors and parents, as well as their counselors and other mentors, with “news you can use” at each step on the pathway to college. With a welcoming, reassuring perspective and an approach intended to build confidence in prospective applicants, Dean Coffin offers credible information, insights, and guidance from the earliest days of the college search, to applications, decision-making, and arrival on campus. He does so by drawing on nearly 30 years of experience as an admissions leader at some of the nation’s most prestigious institutions. Listen at dartgo.org/3Dpodcast.