Clark University

Christopher Davey, the Charles E. Scheidt Visiting Assistant Professor of Genocide Studies and Prevention with the Strassler Center from 2021 to 2023 and now an affiliated researcher, and Claudine Kuradusenge-McLeod, chair of the Ethics, Peace, and Human Rights Program and professorial lecturer at American University, have been named Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation Distinguished Scholars, which will help support their ongoing research project.

A Russian genocide scholar, on leave in the United States, has spearheaded a Clark University exhibition of photos documenting the war in Ukraine in defiance of Putin's authoritarian policies prohibiting anti-war speech.

For a group of Clark students, producing original short films this semester proved to be a lesson in community, collaboration, and creativity.

Clark University has announced the student speakers for the May 21 Commencement 2023 ceremony.

When the Clark rowers dipped their oars into the waters of Fiesta Bay at the San Diego Crew Classic early last month, they were inspired by the presence of a rower who was not there. Two Clark boats were competing in the Grace Rett Memorial Collegiate Varsity Final, held in honor of Grace Rett, the Holy Cross rower who was killed in a car accident while on a training trip in Florida in 2020.

When they invade the imagination, monsters can become a source of great fear. But the opposite is true for Brynn Keevil '23. In Clark's Craft Studio, Keevil molds clay into ceramic gargoyle heads with their fang-filled mouths agape - pieces of art that are both eerie and beautiful.

Maia Snyder '23, M.A. '24, became fascinated by an ever-growing stock of vintage garments while working in the Visual and Performing Arts Department's costume shop. Items that once graced Clark stages eventually became too delicate for further wear, reaching the end of their life in a bin marked "Do not use." "I was hoping they could be seen and appreciated at least one more time," says Snyder, who has given 15 garments new life in a historical fashion exhibit.

Kamaro Abubakar, associate dean for student success-community living, organized a Ghana trip to give members of the Clark community an experience of "cultural immersion," something that he'd experienced when he immigrated to the United States in 2004.

Unconventional creative projects have always sparked the imagination of Sophie Gill '23, and art is how she wants to make the world a better place. Gill created and distributed a magazine that highlights the talents of the community and her fellow Clarkies.

Max Schweitzer, '22, MSC '23, pitched his fine arts business, Schweitzer Studios, during Clark Tank, the Entrepreneurship and Innovation program's "Shark Tank"-inspired competition.

Instead of heading to warmer climates during last month's spring break, eight Clark students spent their time off from classes immersed in the Worcester community as part of an alternative spring break program.

Cailin Marcel Manson, who is marking 20 years as a professional conductor, celebrated this milestone by conducting one of the world's choral masterpieces inside one of the world's foremost concert halls - and he brought the Clark University Choir with him.

Dan Gillooly '25 started capturing buildings in dilapidated states while learning how to use a large-format camera for Intermediate Photography class. Now, he's working on a personal project to tell the story of "old" Worcester.

Six alumni and a current student - representing more than 50 years in the history of Clark University - gathered on Feb. 24 to reflect on their wide array of experiences and challenges as Black individuals in the academic and professional realms. The conversation was moderated by Temera De Groot '25 and William Stafford '26 and Glory Phipps '23 was a panelist.

Deitch, a media, culture, and the arts major, is preparing to unveil The Lounge, a community art exhibit housed in the Traina Center for the Arts. The gallery features works by roughly 40 artists, including 35 Clark students and five Worcester residents.

In "The Forest Is Full of Color," a program featuring their original compositions, Robbie Wilson '23 uses music to capture and appreciate the natural environment of Massachusetts and New England while also showcasing the many different identities that make up the region.

For the second consecutive year, Clark University is the recipient of a generous gift from The Japan Foundation to sustain and enhance the teaching of Japanese.

Clark University's Campus Ambassadors are a visible and welcome presence on campus. And they are constantly on the move.

The horrific scenes emerging from the Feb. 6 earthquake that ravaged parts of Turkey and Syria left millions worldwide feeling powerless to help. Other than donating to a relief fund, what possible assistance could be provided from thousands of miles away? On Monday night, 30 Clark University students gathered in the Jefferson GIS lab to answer that question. The students staged a mapathon, using GIS (geographic information systems) technology to convert satellite imagery into maps showing the location of roads, buildings, bridges, and other features in the earthquake-impacted areas to aid relief organizations in their search-and-recovery efforts.

"When you're there, the fantasy of it runs wild," says art history Professor John Garton, who is working on an international project to preserve the site crafted in the late Renaissance period, between 1550 and 1585.

As a teenager, Darwin Holcombe '24 wanted to break into an industry that seemed inaccessible to outsiders. It required soldering skills, deep research, and hundreds of hours of flight practice. Undeterred, Holcombe set on a journey to design and build his own first-person view drone, to use for cinematic projects and personal leisure.

Inside the walls of Voltage Fashion & Styles Boutique in Worcester's Main South neighborhood, Da'Vyana Williams '24 and Leyla Knight '24 got to work. The social media-savvy students filled a much-needed gap for owner Laura Perez-Garcia, enhancing her store's website by publicizing inventory and revamping her Facebook and Instagram pages with fresh content.

The Israeli art lending library is a gift to Clark from the counsel general of Israel to New England. Through Hillel, Clark students, faculty, and staff can borrow works from Israeli artists and keep them in their residence hall or office for the academic year. Just a $5 deposit is required to borrow the art.

Following a semester of competitive play that saw four teams make it to the National Esports Collegiate Conference (NECC) finals round, Clark University Esports ended the fall season as NECC Navigators Division champions of two different games, Valorant and Rainbow Six. The Overwatch and League of Legends teams were runners-up in their competitions.

The power of storytelling also motivated Koppel to pursue the game design program, where his studies combine his creative and technical talents.

At the 13th Cornell International Affairs Conference (CIAC) earlier this month, Clark's Model United Nations team outcompeted all other universities that sent eight delegates or fewer and earned the Best Small Delegation Award.

The newly renovated theater reopens with a four-performance run of Stephen Sondheim's "Assassins," which gathers together the people who have assassinated, or attempted to assassinate, U.S. presidents throughout history.

Interactive Theater has brought together the BSDT and Visual and Performing Arts programs for a special purpose: to create and perform the show "Waiting for Obols," based on an original script written by BSDT Professor Terrasa Ulm.

ClarkFEST celebrates undergraduate research and creative projects and recognizes faculty and staff mentorships. It's envisioned as an opportunity for all departments to exchange ideas.

Emma Kane, a doctoral candidate in the biochemistry and molecular biology program, won the poster contest at the Protein Society 36th Annual Symposium recently held in San Francisco.