Mount Holyoke News – April 22, 2022

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Mount Holyoke News AN INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1917 MOUNTHOLYOKENEWS.COM

FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2022

Dr. Lisa Sullivan named new provost and dean of faculty BY JESSE HAUSKNECHT-BROWN ’25 FEATURES EDITOR & LAYOUT EDITOR

On April 13, 2022, Lisa Sullivan, the current vice president for academic affairs, professor of economic history, R. Michael Shanahan dean of the faculty and Willard W. Keith Jr. fellow in the humanities at Harvey Mudd College, was appointed provost and dean of faculty at Mount Holyoke College. Sullivan will succeed Dorothy Mosby, who has served as interim dean of faculty since the summer of 2020, when Jon Western stepped down from the position. Sullivan will start at Mount Holyoke on Aug. 1, 2022. “[Sullivan] brings to Mount Holyoke College a wealth of experience from her service as dean of the faculty at Harvey Mudd,” President Sonya Stephens said in a press release to the College community. “There, she led a faculty body of productive and engaged scholars who pushed the boundaries of their disciplines, pioneered innovation within classrooms and laboratories, and mentored a committed and motivated student body. … I know the College will be in very good hands when she joins the community.” Sullivan received her bachelor’s degree in economics from Vassar College and earned her master’s degree in economics and doctorate in economic history from the University of Toronto. Her research focuses on the history of work ethics, the concept of work, the economics of higher education and the political economy of utopian communities, according to Harvey Mudd’s website. Her research has been published in many journals, including The American Review of Canadian Studies, Labour/Le Travail: Journal of Canadian Labour Studies, Cîteaux in de Nederlanden and Ontario History. In 1989, Sullivan started her career at the State University of New York at Fredonia as an assistant

Photo courtesy of the Mount Holyoke College Office of Communications and Marketing Lisa Sullivan has been named provost and dean of faculty at the College following Dorothy Mosby.

professor of economics. She began at Harvey Mudd College in 1990 as an assistant professor of economics and advanced to associate professor in 1995. “I am thrilled to join Mount Holyoke College,” Sullivan said in a press release to the community. “The College thrives because of its exceptional students, faculty and staff. The faculty are innovative thinkers dedicated to their students as well as active scholars, research scientists and visionary artists passionate about collaborating with students in their fields. Mount Holyoke is a community where members actively reach across disciplines to solve problems creatively and make positive change for all — an approach that has been at the heart of my career as both a faculty member and an academic leader.” KC Haydon, an associate professor of psychology and education and co-chair of the search committee, expressed excitement about the transi-

tion going into next year. “We have an opportunity to direct our energies toward our most important and meaningful priorities and strengthen the core of who we are as an institution. I am excited to do that work with Dean Sullivan, Interim President Tatum and everyone else in our community,” Haydon said. Haydon looks forward to seeing how Sullivan implements her experience in studying healthy work culture at the College. Haydon explained that Sullivan aims to create “healthy excellence” in the Mount Holyoke community. “Dr. Sullivan is a talented and experienced dean who understands the needs of faculty, students and staff at liberal arts colleges with unique identities, like Mount Holyoke,” Haydon said. “There is a lot of enthusiasm for Dr. Sullivan’s innovative ideas about who we are and where we’re headed. I’m eager to roll up my sleeves and get started.”

Stephens extended her thanks The search committee consisted to Mosby for her work as the interof seven faculty members, two staff members, two administrators and im dean of faculty. “As we welcome Administrative Assistant Briana [Sullivan] to the Mount Holyoke Chace ’17, who provided additional community, I wish to thank Dr. Doradministrative support. The commit- othy Mosby for her steady leadertee partnered with Storbeck Search, ship as interim dean since August a firm that assists nonprofit organi- 2020,” Stephens wrote in a letter to zations and educational institutions the community. “The entire Mount Holyoke community is indebted to in searching for job candidates. “As a group, we knew that the [Mosby] for her willingness to step community’s confidence and trust in in at an extraordinary moment for the new dean would begin with their the College, and we all have benefitconfidence and trust in the integri- ed from her deep commitment to our ty of the search process. Our goal mission and her care and concern was to have a transparent, inclusive for our faculty, staff, students and search process that incorporated the graduates alike.” Beyond the statement released perspectives of all constituencies,” by Stephens, the College’s commuHaydon explained. The search committee held open nications staff was unavailable for meetings to hear from Mount Holy- comment on the transition. “I think Lisa Sullivan’s backoke community members about what they would like to see in a dean ground as a historian of economics of faculty. They had conversations who spent her career at a STEM-fowith faculty, staff, students, past and cused liberal arts college serves as current deans and staff in the dean an inspirational role model to our community as of faculty’s office. she can comAfter hearing “There is a lot of enthupellingly speak what community siasm for Dr. Sullivan’s about many difmembers were innovative ideas about who ferent forms of looking for in a pedagogy and leader, they crewe are and where we’re ways of engagated a position headed. I’m eager to roll up ing with scholarspecification my sleeves and get started.” ship,” Katherine that Haydon deAidala, director scribed as simiof the Fimbel lar to a long-form – KC Haydon Maker & Innojob ad. vation Lab, KenAt the benedy-Shelkunoff ginning of the spring semester, the search com- professor of physics and member of mittee short-listed a group of candi- the search committee, said. Haydon described the dean of dates and conducted in-depth interviews with them over Zoom. Then, faculty job as “a tough job full of four candidates were chosen to visit difficult decisions that impact every the campus and give public presen- level of the College.” She is committations. They also met with faculty, ted to working to make this a smooth staff, students, members of the cab- transition. Haydon said, “In my view, inet and Stephens. The search com- it’s important that we build conmittee evaluated each candidate, structive communication and collabtaking community feedback into orations with the dean and provide consideration, and reported their lasting support during her transition evaluation to Stephens, who made to MHC and beyond.” the final decision.

College announces plans for class of 2020 and 2022 commencements BY SAMMI CRAIG ’23 STAFF WRITER

On Sunday, May 22, at 10:30 a.m., Mount Holyoke College will host its 185th Commencement. After two years of being unable to host an in-person ceremony due to COVID-19 restrictions, the classes of 2020 and 2022 will each experience their own commencement and reunion weekends. The commencement ceremony for the class of 2020 will be hosted a week after the class of 2022, on Sunday, May 29 at 11 a.m. The commencement ceremony will be held indoors in the Kendall Field House on the indoor track. Each student participating in the Class of 2022 and Class of 2020 commencement ceremonies has been given four tickets to distribute to guests attending in person. All attendees will be required to wear masks and are encouraged to wear a KN-95 or a three-layer mask while indoors and follow social distancing guidelines.

When the events take place, according to the College website, “All campus health and safety protocols, including masking requirements, will be in effect.” In addition to enforcing the current policies already in place on campus, “guests attending Commencement, Reunion and/ or related events are required to be up-to-date on their COVID-19 vaccination series or must have received either a negative [COVID-19] PCR test within three days of arrival on campus or a negative [COVID-19] rapid antigen test within one day of arrival on campus.” The College asks guests to prepare this information ahead of time. For students, the masking requirements, testing and other COVID-19 requirements are continuing to operate as they did during the spring semester. The College has not yet specified whether the COVID-19 Testing Center will continue to operate at normal capacity throughout the reunion and commencement.

Photo by Ali Meizels ’23 Both the classes of 2020 and 2022 will be celebrating Commencement over two seperate weekends this upcoming May, along with reunion weekend.

Senate discusses spirit week, summer housing and upcoming senate elections BY GILLIAN PETRARCA ’23 STAFF WRITER

The April 19 senate meeting started with a welcome from Chair of Senate Shula Mathew ’22. The agenda included E-Board updates, open-floor announcements and concerns, in-senate elections and Town Hall preparations. The E-Board updates for the week included an announcement from Mathew that voting for the all-campus elections is now open and will close on April 24. Chair of Special Interests Sophia Jung ’22 encouraged senators to remind their constituents to vote so that the election could meet quorum. Lastly, Public Relations officer Viveca Holman ’22 reminded everyone of the upcoming spirit week starting on April 25 and ending on April 29. The floor then opened for announcements. Xi Stoddart ’24, the senator for the Neurodivergent Student Associ-

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ation, announced that the organization is hosting Autism Acceptance Month Trivia on April 30 from 2 to 3 p.m. Stoddart also announced that the English Handbell Ensemble is hosting their concert titled “Back Into the Ring of Things” on April 30 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. The classes of 2025 and 2023 will be hosting a s’mores event on April 28 from 7 to 9 p.m. The senator from Asian American Students in Action Sydni Tung ’22 invited everyone to the AASIA end-of-year mixer on April 30 from 2:30 to 5 p.m. The senator from MacGregor Hall Serynn Nowlin ’25 invited everyone to Jorge’s egg hunt, to be thrown by MacGregor, Torrey and Ham halls. The event is BYOB — bring your own basket — and will take place on April 24. Senators then had the opportunity to voice concerns from their constituents. Deepika Kumawat ’24 expressed worry that students will be notified in May whether they are

FEATURES: College proposes new department

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approved for summer housing. Kumawat asked if students could be notified sooner. Assistant Vice President for Student Life and Strategic Operations Alicia Erwin responded that it was her understanding that Residential Life typically approves people for summer housing. However, due to the pandemic, with many more students requesting on-campus housing for the summer, she will clarify with ResLife if this is still the case. Erwin recommended going forward with planning as if you will be approved for housing. In-senate elections were then held with current Chair of Halls EJ Jankovic ’23 running for chair of senate, Serynn Nowlin ’25 running for chair of halls and Xi Stoddart ’25 and Oumoulakyre Mounkaila ’25 running for chair of special interests. Results have not yet been announced. Senate concluded with senators joining their commissions to submit questions for the town hall on April 25 with Residential Life.

Photo by Artemis Chen ’25 Alicia Erwin told senate that she believes all students who applied for summer housing will be granted living space for the summer of 2022. Students have yet to recieve official information.

A&E: Students react to ‘Our Flag Means Death’

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SPORTS: Fencing competes at Nationals


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