Students, alumni, faculty, and staff as well as the College’s many centers, activities, and achievements were regularly noted and celebrated in 2018 by national media outlets. They included The New York Times, National Public Radio, The Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, the Associated Press, Inside Higher Ed, and The Chronicle of Higher Education, among many others.
Faculty
Politics, the economy, popular culture, religion, the environment, and education were a few of the topics addressed by faculty experts. Professor of Economics Ann Owen was a guest on American Public Media’s Marketplace half a dozen times commenting on the economy and Federal Reserve decisions. National Public Radio also sought out her comments on the Federal Reserve on All Things Considered, and Bloomberg News featured her research on the effects of gender diversity on bank boards.
Professor of History Maurice Isserman was quoted widely and frequently on the history and growth of the Democratic Socialists of America party by outlets including on National Public Radio and in the Economist. He penned an essay on the topic for The New York Times as well. As many 50th political and social anniversaries of the late '60s were observed, Isserman’s comments on that period of unrest were included in articles across the country distributed via the Associated Press and TIME.
Associate Professor of Religious Studies S. Brent Plate regularly commented on popular culture and religion. How images change our race bias and Why we love robotic dogs, puppets and dolls, two essays first published by The Conversation and the Associated Press, appeared in media outlets throughout the country. He addressed the role of the Erie Canal in the growth of religious movements, the invention of Christmas in 19th century New York, and the transformation of empty Utica churches on the Academic Minute (WAMC and Inside Higher Ed), the Religion News Network, and The Atlantic, respectively.
Commenting on history as well as current political issues, Professor of Government Philip Klinkner was interviewed for articles in TIME magazine, The Atlantic, The Christian Science Monitor, The Washington Post, and by Germany’s international broadcaster Deutsche Welle. In an essay in the Post, Klinkner explained why the 2018 midterms were as important as the 2016 election.
The Chronicle of Higher Education repeatedly sought comments from by Professor of Sociology Dan Chambliss related to his research for his book, How College Works. The Associated Press also cited Chambliss’ research in an article that appeared nationwide. Associate Professor of Government Peter Cannavo discussed the minimal role environmental issues played in the last election cycle with Bloomberg News, and Assistant Professor of Psychology Keelah Williams penned an essay on her research on how capital influences attitudes toward capital punishment for Scientific American.
Speaking about his research on refugee populations in Upstate New York, Professor of Economics Paul Hagstrom affirmed their positive effect on the area’s economy in a CNBC article, and Assistant Professor of Sociology Jaime Kucinskas, speaking with Wired magazine, discussed her research focused on the attitudes of scientists working for the federal government who oppose current policies.
Public International Radio’s The World interviewed Professor of Russian Frank Sciacca about his collection of Soviet-era holiday decorations and The Nation interviewed American Prison Writing Archive founder Professor of Literature and Creative Writing Doran Larson about the archive and its history. The late Professor of Music Sam Pellman’s contributions to the Flight 93 National Memorial were recognized by Fast Company magazine.
Staff
Administrators were also featured in the national news. Chief Investment Officer Anne Dinneen was profiled by Chief Investment Officer magazine as winner of the 2018 Industry Innovation Award for Endowment Management. Vice President for Administration and Finance Karen Leach, Professor of History Lisa Trivedi, and Associate Professor of Art Robert Knight spoke with University Business magazine on cost-cutting measures possible through collaboration with New York Six partners. Leach was interviewed by The Wall Street Journal about how the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act would affect the College’s plans, and Director of Orientation Tessa Chefalo spoke to University Business about the College’s pre-orientation programs.
Campus
The celebration of Clinton as Hockeyville, USA, generated media attention for the College. NBC Sports included Hamilton and its hockey history in its coverage and National Public Radio’s Only a Game produced a segment focused on Francis Baker ’36, a member of the 1936 Olympic hockey team and its sole German speaker, who told Hitler the Americans would never lose to Germany. Chosen as a Producer’s Pick, that segment was rebroadcast at the year’s end.
The Admission Office was noted in a National Public Radio All Things Considered broadcast as a “great example” in a discussion of need-blind admission leading to an increase in diversity on campus and received similar attention in The Baltimore Sun. The math department was lauded in the Chronicle of Higher Education for its collaborative environment, generated in part by its workspace configuration. Inside Higher Ed spoke with members of the Library and Information Technology staff on several occasions for articles on digital learning topics. The Associated Press announced Common Ground speakers, Condoleezza Rice and Susan Rice, generating news articles across the country.
Wellin Museum
The Wellin Museum of Art received a fairly constant stream of media attention for both its spring and fall exhibitions. Its most recent show, Jeffrey Gibson: This is the Day, received attention from The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times and arts publications ArtDaily, Artforum, Artisans + Architects, Brooklyn Rail, and Hyperallergic, among others. A spring exhibition, Margarita Cabrera: Space in Between, was also reviewed by ArtDaily and ARTnews.
The museum’s fifth anniversary was feted in a review of its accomplishments in Hyperallergic, and an essay by Educator for School and Community Programs Amber Geary was included in the American Alliance of Museums publication. The museum closed out the year on a high note as Hyperallergic declared Jeffrey Gibson’s exhibition one of the Best of 2018: Our Top 20 Exhibitions Across the United States.
Alumni
Hamilton appeared in the national news frequently throughout the year in articles about alumnus and Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon ’84, P’16 including those related to news about his current position and the challenges he and the firm face. Among those outlets were Bloomberg News, Investment News, Forbes, Fortune, Business Insider, Yahoo Finance, Vanity Fair, Fox Business, MSN Money, CNNMoney, CNBC, Fast Company, Reuters, The Wall Street Journal, and U.S. News & World Report.
Alumnus Matt Zeller ’04 detailed his efforts to help translators and their families, Afghan and Iraqi citizens, obtain special immigrant visas to resettle in the United States in The Atlantic in How Much More Merit Do You Need Than Saving American Lives? In retelling his story, he began with his Hamilton education. Biographical information, including her Hamilton education, appeared in news stories around the world about the CIA’s naming of alumna Beth Kimber ’84 as head of the Central Intelligence Agency’s Directorate of Operations.
Students
Charles Dunst, a 2018 graduate who served as the Spectator’s editor, wrote an essay published by The American Prospect titled ‘Liberal’ Campuses, Conservative Media, and the First Amendment in which he argued that several conservative media outlets had mischaracterized the manner in which Hamilton students responded to a campus speaker. Nicole Taylor, a senior who led the campus effort to increase student voter turnout, was interviewed by Inside Higher Ed about the assistance the administration had provided in her efforts.
And, to close the year on a light note, Inside Higher Ed selected the College’s holiday video as one of its seven top picks for creativity in holiday greetings.
