Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­

NEW LONDON, Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­. — 

Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ celebrated the largest graduating class in the institution’s 115-year history Sunday, May 17, as 512 students crossed the stage during the College’s 108th Commencement ceremony on Tempel Green.

The ceremony featured keynote speaker Chief Mutáwi Mutáhash (Many Hearts) Marilynn “Lynn” Malerba, chief of the Mohegan Tribe and the first Native American to serve as treasurer of the United States.

Malerba encouraged graduates to embrace uncertainty and remain open to unexpected opportunities throughout their lives and careers.

“My career has had twists and turns—unexpected, but, oh what an adventure,” she told graduates. “Give yourself the grace to always be in the act of becoming.”

Drawing from Mohegan tradition, Malerba urged graduates to “be diamonds on the path of life.”

“Be brave along the path. Be bold as you lift your voice in advocating always for the good,” she said.

Prior to delivering the keynote address, Malerba received an honorary doctor of humane letters degree in recognition of her public service and leadership.

President Andrea E. Chapdelaine told graduates they are prepared to adapt to a changing world, comparing them to Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­’s camel mascot, which evolved from Arctic ancestors into desert survivors.

“Your degree has prepared you for a life full of changes that you cannot predict, challenges that you cannot anticipate, and opportunities that will require knowledge, curiosity and flexibility,” Chapdelaine said.

Senior speaker Zoe Patricia Watts ’26, a government major, finance and Africana studies double minor and Posse Scholar from Chicago, reflected on the growth of the Class of 2026 during their four years at Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­.

“Like the plants in the Arboretum, we did not grow by becoming identical,” Watts said. “We grew through diversity and through each other.”

Members of the Class of 2026 will continue their studies and careers around the world. Graduates earned fellowships and placements at organizations and institutions including Yale, Brown, Columbia, Oxford, Disney, Morgan Stanley, Teach for America and the National Park Service.

Additional Commencement weekend events included Phi Beta Kappa inductions, a multifaith Baccalaureate service, center and scholar ceremonies, and gatherings recognizing first-generation graduates, Posse scholars, international students and student-athletes.

NEW LONDON, Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­. — The New London Homeless Hospitality Center will host the annual Walk to End Homelessness on Sunday, April 26, calling attention to growing housing insecurity across the region.

The event begins at 12 p.m. at Parade Plaza in downtown New London and is presented by the Community Foundation of Eastern Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ecticut.

Now marking 20 years of service, the walk brings together residents, local organizations and Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ students to raise funds and awareness for individuals and families experiencing homelessness in southeastern Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ecticut.

The event was originally started by Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ students and continues to draw strong participation from the campus community alongside New London residents.

“This event continues to bring people together at a time when the need is growing,”  said Annah Perch, development manager for the New London Homeless Hospitality Center. “It’s a visible way for the community to show support and take part in the response.”

Participants can to walk, donate or form fundraising teams. The event will include food, music and community activities, with prizes awarded to top fundraising teams.

Proceeds support the center’s year-round services for people in southeastern Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ecticut.

About the New London Homeless Hospitality Center

The New London Homeless Hospitality Center (NLHHC) began as a response to a crisis.  In 2005, two individuals died outdoors due to a lack of access to shelter. A group of local clergy and interested citizens quickly gathered to fill the void.  From the very beginning, the people using the shelter were guests, not clients.  We consistently work with passion and a commitment to offer hospitality based on an ethic of service and welcome that values the individual and offers our support in a spirit of friendship.  While we face challenges to live into this vision, it remains at the heart of what we do every day.  Our core mission statement is simple.  We offer hospitality to our adult neighbors experiencing homelessness and help provide them with a bridge to permanent housing.  

NEW LONDON, Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­. — 

As coastal communities across Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ecticut and the Northeast contend with rising seas and increased flooding risk, Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ will convene scientists, policy leaders and planners for a two-day symposium focused on how those changes are measured and addressed.

The Goodwin-Niering Center for the Environment will host the 2026 Lear-Conant Environmental Symposium, Sea Level Rise: Measurement, Understanding, Adaptation, April 10–11 on campus.

The symposium will bring together researchers and practitioners from multiple disciplines to examine how sea level rise is tracked, what current data shows and how coastal and urban communities are responding. Discussions will connect scientific research with infrastructure planning and policy decisions facing shoreline regions.

Participants are expected to include scientists, engineers, policy makers, tribal leaders, planners and community stakeholders.

In conjunction with the symposium, the College will host a Coastal Climate Exposition featuring local organizations, nonprofit groups and student initiatives working on climate and coastal issues.

The symposium is free and open to the public. Advance registration is required for in-person attendance, and space is limited. 

A full schedule and additional information are available on the symposium website.

All lectures will be streamed live on the Center’s and channels, with recordings available after the event.

NEW LONDON, Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­. — 

Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ will host the 18th Ammerman Center Triennial Symposium on Arts and Technology March 26–28, marking 40 years of the interdisciplinary gathering that brings artists, scholars and practitioners together to examine the relationship between creative work and emerging technologies.

More than 100 artists, scholars and practitioners will gather on campus for three days of performances, exhibitions, panels and workshops. Symposium events are free ands open to the public.

This year’s theme, “All Too Human,” examines how advances in science and technology are reshaping ideas about what it means to be human. Presentations will explore topics including artificial intelligence, human-machine collaboration and how technological systems influence identity, knowledge and creativity.

The symposium will feature a keynote by documentary producer and filmmaker , whose work explores emerging storytelling methods and the social impact of new media.

The program will also include newly commissioned works by artists , alongside presentations from artists and researchers whose work examines the boundaries between human and non-human systems.

Hosted by the Ammerman Center for Arts and Technology, the symposium has convened interdisciplinary conversations at Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ since 1986. The event brings together artists, scientists and scholars to examine how technological change influences creative practice and society.

A full schedule and additional information are available on the .

NEW LONDON, Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­. — Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ will host Housing Plus: How Better Housing Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ects to Everything, a yearlong public conversation series examining how housing affects health, education, work, civic life and community well-being.

Co-organized with the Center for Housing Opportunity Eastern Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ecticut, an initiative of The Housing Collective, the series brings together scholars, policymakers, advocates and community members to explore housing challenges in New London and southeastern Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ecticut within broader national and global contexts.

All events are free, open to the public and livestreamed. Most programs take place from 5:15 to 7:30 p.m. in Oliva Hall at the Cummings Art Center or the Hood Dining Room at Blaustein.

The series begins Tuesday, Feb. 3, with Housing + Law: A Conversation With Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ecticut State Lawmakers. Local and state leaders will discuss the issues and debates surrounding Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ecticut House Bill 8002, legislation passed in November 2025 aimed at encouraging housing construction across the state. The discussion includes New London Mayor Michael Passero, state legislators, policy leaders and housing experts.

Additional events examine housing through the lenses of political economy, tenant organizing, Black urban neighborhoods, architecture and community history. Speakers include nationally recognized scholars, regional tenant union leaders and urban design practitioners.

The series concludes Sunday, May 3, with Housing + Community: We Live Here Block Party, a community celebration and formal announcement of We Live Here/New London, an exhibition on housing past and present scheduled for fall 2026.

A full schedule and livestream details are available .