DARTMOUTH IN ALL ITS DIMENSIONS NO. 2 | APR 2018
ADMISSIONS.DARTMOUTH.EDU
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.
Admissions Editorial Board
Student Writers
Hayden Lizotte Editor
Isabel Bober ‘04 Senior Associate Director of Admissions
Jimmy Nguyen ‘21 Mesa, AZ
Topher Bordeau Contributing Editor
Sara D. Morin Production Editor
Sarah LeHan ‘20 Darien, CT
Brian Drisdelle ‘21 Burlington, CT
On the cover: Aaron Lit ’19 in the Black Family Visual Arts Center. Cover photograph by Don Hamerman
PHOTOGRAPH BY ELI BURAKIAN ’00
APRIL 2018 // ISSUE 02
02
10
26
44
First Hand
LIVE @ Dartmouth
Oh, the places you’ll go!
Points of Departure
03
12
32
46
It’s a Fact
A Campus as Wide as the Earth Itself
On Course
Wonders of the World
34
48
Onward & Upward
Threads
06 Hanover Hot Spots
07 Humans of Hanover
18 Walking the Walk
22 Living the Green Life
43 Courses of Study
Lee A. Coffin Vice Provost for Enrollment and Dean of Admissions & Financial Aid
2 | admissions.dartmouth.edu
PHOTOGRAPH BY DON HAMERMAN
“Dartmouth’s global vibe is deep and true.”
Dartmouth is a small university and a big college. It’s intimate and familiar, outdoorsy and sophisticated. It’s one of the oldest colleges in the United States—with all the vibrant traditions and hallmarks an ancient academic history entails—but it’s also decidedly entrepreneurial. An intangible electricity animates this campus in the mountains of New Hampshire. You can almost hear a creative hum in the night sky. Dartmouth is as high-powered as it is inalterably down-toearth. It’s unexpected. It’s as wild as it is worldly. For students who will graduate from college in the mid-2020s, worldly is an essential dimension of a high-quality undergraduate experience. The careers you engage, the decisions you make, and the families you create will define the norms of the mid-21st century. A global perspective—if not fluency—seems like a non-negotiable prerequisite to a life of purpose in this era that awaits us. New ideas, patterns, norms, and technologies will push us to assess, adapt, negotiate, redefine, imagine. Learn those skills here. Look forward and outward from Hanover. Dartmouth’s global vibe is deep and true. The campus boundaries are porous and elastic, as our featured story “A Campus as Wide as the Earth Itself” illustrates. Our global signature is informed by a renowned, immersive foreign language curriculum, interdisciplinary programs at the Dickey Center for International Understanding, and majors in fields such as Latin American and Caribbean studies. And every year, faculty lead dozens of programs that introduce students to topics like gender identity in India or British theater in London. Dartmouth’s interactive, individualized curriculum acts as a basecamp for exploration; disciplines as enduring as psychology or music or chemistry or classics are organic launching pads for new questions and discoveries with scholar-teachers as instructors, mentors, and partners. Every major can celebrate a global dimension, if that’s your preference. One by one—from all 50 American states and more than 75 countries around the world—students arrive in Hanover each September with a commitment to academic excellence, an impulse towards collaboration and creativity, and a calling to embody an international perspective. Quarterbacks are data wonks who study abroad, pre-meds research the feminist writings of Chilean great-great grandmothers, and conservationists from Hong Kong are also fashion designers. Internationalism seeps into unexpected places. Dartmouth students flip the script as they move beyond the expected borders between social roles and academic disciplines, between peoples and world regions. Magic happens where the lines blur. Dartmouth will teach you to ask hard questions and consider new solutions to enduring questions. As Dartmouth President John Sloan Dickey told graduating seniors shortly after World War II, “The world’s troubles are your troubles…and there is nothing wrong with the world that better human beings cannot fix.” Dickey’s charge has been an unofficial college motto for more than 75 years. It seems as apt as ever as the ’20-somethings claim the Big Green stage.
It’s a fact. BASIC FACTS
4,310 % 97 % 100
5 355
LOOKING OUTWARD FROM HANOVER
Number of Undergraduate Students 6-Year Graduation Rate Demonstrated Financial Need Met
55
%
of students study abroad
12 10
24
languages you can learn at Dartmouth days before you begin speaking and understanding a foreign language using the Rassias Method, invented at Dartmouth
countries Dartmouthsponsored programs reach
PROGRAMS ABROAD
Fall Term Classes with More Than 100 Students
vs.
7:1
Fall Term Classes with Fewer Than 20 Students
Dartmouth offers many programs with or without a language component, making it possible to define your abroad experience by academic interest, language immersion, or both
Student-toFaculty Ratio
83
11 16
Social Science Programs
7
50+
STEM Programs
total programs abroad offered
Arts & Humanities Programs (excluding languages)
CAREER AND INTERNSHIP FACTS FOR THE CLASS OF 2017 (as of graduation day)
%
HAD FIRM PLANS
$70K+ 63% employed/fellowships/internships 13% further education 7% other
93% had an internship
17% were in the job market
Intended Degree
28% Masters 20% PhD 20% Bachelor in Engineering 13% Medical Doctors 13% Juris Doctors 5% Other 1% DDS/DMS
52% have a starting salary of over $70K
55% participated in academic research
admissions.dartmouth.edu | 3
VALENTINA SEDLACEK ’18 MAJOR: SENIOR FELLOW, ANTHROPOLOGY MODIFIED WITH GLOBAL HEALTH, MINOR IN HISPANIC STUDIES HOMETOWN: HANOVER, NH
Valentina Sedlacek ’18 never met her great-great grandmother Iris, a revolutionary writer and feminist in turn-of-the-century Chile, but the two have much in common. “I find her hilarious,” the anthropology major says. “Her quippiness, her ironic tone, the way she teased people…she had a very sharp tongue.” Every story about Iris piques her curiosity. “I just keep getting drawn in to reading more about her,” she says. It’s a good thing, too: Valentina has a lot of reading to do. Her great-great grandmother’s life has become her Senior Fellowship research project. Designed for projects that demand intellectual and imaginative exploration beyond normal curricula, the Senior Fellowship exempts students from major requirements in their senior year so they can devote their energy to the production of a graduate-level project. Valentina was hesitant to pursue the program when her dean suggested it. “I couldn’t imagine a situation where I wouldn’t want to take classes,” she says. But even though the program exempts her from classes senior year, she’s managed to complete her major (anthropology modified with global health), a minor (in Spanish), and her pre-med requirements. Valentina won’t be the first to contribute to this research. Women in her family have been recording Iris’s story for generations. Her great-aunt translated Iris’s early memoirs from French to Spanish, and now Valentina and her mother, a professor in the Spanish department at Dartmouth, plan to compile original writings, memoirs, and translations (“lots of very dusty documents,” Valentina laughs) with contextualization into a digital compendium for scholars of feminist history. When asked what she’s learned from her research so far, Valentina laughs. “The importance of writing daily,” she says. “I definitely struggle with getting words to paper. I think about things much longer than I should. Ideas can only reach a certain level if you keep them in your head.” But Valentina excels at perspective. “My work now is part of a continuation,” she says, “the research of really, really trying to understand the place of Iris in history.” And Valentina is forging her own place in history. After a summer of research there, the Universidad Católica de Chile encouraged her to join their PhD program. But Valentina, ever focused, has decided to pursue her long-time goal of being a doctor, adding a new chapter to her own vivid story.
4 | admissions.dartmouth.edu
The Power
PHOTOGRAPH BY DON HAMERMAN
of Personal History
HANOVER
The Skinny Pancake, 3 Lebanon Street Just a short walk from the Dartmouth Green, the Skinny Pancake is famous for its creative variety of crêpes, from sweet to savory and beyond—suitable for any meal of the day. The Skinny P offers countless combinations of toppings and flavors—and burgers, too. At night, this cozy crêperie transforms into a local hotspot for live music and events. From Tuesday Trivia to live bands on most weekends, the Skinny P is always bringing the community together. With a spacious dance floor and tasty appetizers, it’s even a go-to for Dartmouth groups holding events, from formal to casual. In fact, no term is complete without at least one invitation to a memorable experience at the Skinny Pancake.
PHOTOGRAPH BY ROBERT C. STRONG II ’04
HOT SPOTS
HUMANS OF HANOVER ^ DARTMOUTH IS DEFINED BY ITS PEOPLE, SO WE DECIDED TO INTRODUCE YOU TO DARTMOUTH THROUGH THEM. FOR THIS ISSUE, WE’VE CHOSEN STUDENTS WHO ARE AMONG THE FIRST IN THEIR FAMILY TO ATTEND COLLEGE. THESE STUDENTS HAVE TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF THE FIRST-YEAR STUDENT ENRICHMENT PROGRAM (FYSEP), ONE OF THE MANY WAYS DARTMOUTH SUPPORTS FIRST-GENERATION COLLEGE STUDENTS.
Gabriel Onate ’21, East Los Angeles, CA
Ameena Razzaque ’21, San Antonio, TX
Elijah Laird ’21, Woodstock, ME
PHOTOGRAPHS BY SARA D. MORIN, ELI BURAKIAN ‘00
“I’ve loved learning Italian at Dartmouth. Delving into a “I like to surround myself with people who have similar “My favorite class has been an anthropology course new language I’ve never studied before is a new and values and morals, who appreciate challenges, who about human evolution. The professor was amazing, my challenging experience, but I haven’t looked back! have struggled and still succeeded, who are compassion- peers were all engaged, and the material was fascinatStepping outside my comfort zone has been so much ate and motivational. I have found all these qualities in ing. Whether or not I delve deeper into anthropology, it fun, and the professors I’ve had are understanding, kind, the people here. They help me stay motivated to push helped me realize there are so many great, unexpected and funny. Their enthusiasm for the language has really through any challenges I may face and to persevere.” classes out there to explore.” rubbed off on me.”
Alejandro Cuan-Martinez ’20, San Diego, CA “So far, the professor I’ve connected with the most is Hany Farid. I learned so much from him while taking Computer Science 1. Even though the class is over, I still go to him for guidance and advice. It’s really nice to have a professor that you can trust to help you plan out your life…and to just have as a friend.”
Gricelda Ramos ’18, Miami, FL
Isis Cantu ’19, Houston, TX
“This year, I have the wonderful opportunity of being “Dartmouth provides a wonderful community of people the mentor to two delightful ’21s. I know they look up who support and understand me. There is always someto me, and that challenges me to be a better student, one I can go to, and they provide warmth, guidance, leader, and friend. We encourage each other, and there and resources. That community gives me the safety net I has been no greater gift as a senior than to be partnered need to be able to step outside my comfort zone.” with first-years who see our school with fresh eyes and unique perspectives.”
admissions.dartmouth.edu | 7
KEVIN KANG ’18 MAJOR: BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING SCIENCES HOMETOWN: ERIE, PA
“You can just walk up to a professor, and within a week, you’re doing experiments in their lab,” says Kevin Kang. An ’18 from Pennsylvania, he’s a biomedical engineering major, future neurosurgeon, and natural mentor. As we sit down for our conversation, I’m baffled by his resume: two research projects, an entrepreneurial venture, and an early acceptance to the Geisel School of Medicine. As a research assistant to his physics professor, he studied the Northern Lights and their electric emissions. Although the topic seems somewhat unconventional for a biomedical engineer, he insists that “if you’re a STEM major, everything is at least tangentially related, so you don’t have to be too picky about what you’re working on.” His diverse studies have paid off. “I started out with the physical and engineering sciences, and now I’m getting to apply some of that to medicine directly,” he tells me. But Kevin isn’t just pursuing his academic passions in class; he’s currently engaged in cancer treatment research at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC). And now that he’s through the door, he wants to stay put. Kevin was recently accepted into Dartmouth’s medical school through the early assurance program, and he contends that DHMC is “the perfect environment for learning because everybody is so available here, everybody is so willing to help.” Though he’ll spend the next several years in Hanover, Kevin’s ambitions reach beyond the Upper Valley. He’s exploring entrepreneurship with a product called the Happier Lamp, a device to help treat seasonal affective disorder that was the brainchild of his product design group in Thayer’s Intro to Engineering (ENGS 21) course. But his team turned Happier Lamp into something far more than a school project. “We filed a provisional patent and have won an award through the Dartmouth Entrepreneurial Network. We also applied for the Lemelson-MIT award and advanced a couple of rounds in the competition.” Before I know it, I’m no longer the one asking the questions. Kevin inquires about my academic interests and points me in the direction of multiple professors who could help guide me. “I think that’s one of the greatest things about Dartmouth,” he adds, “just how willing the professors are to help.” Actually, he doesn’t have to say it. His time at Dartmouth tells the tale. —Brian Drisdelle ’21
8 | admissions.dartmouth.edu
Medicine is a
PHOTOGRAPH BY DON HAMERMAN
Creative Discipline
EUGENE MIRMAN BY GETTY IMAGES/ TIMOTHY NORRIS; FOX’S‘BOB’S BURGERS STILLS BY FOX VIA GETTY IMAGES
LIVE @ DARTMOUTH
The Wisdom behind Bob’s Burgers
We all understand what it’s like to binge-watch a television show after spending hours on coursework. For me, that means I Love Lucy, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and Bob’s Burgers. So when I received a blitz (Dartmouth’s jargon for email) notifying students that Eugene Mirman, voice of Gene from Bob’s Burgers, was scheduled to perform at Dartmouth, I jumped at the chance to see him live. The night of his performance, I remember approaching the entrance to the Collis Common Ground, where Mirman had set aside pens and papers for students to write him questions. After Mirman started his act with, “So… you all are good at school,” he pulled out the pile of paper with our questions scribbled on them. Two questions were asked far more often than any other: “Should I break up with my long-distance boyfriend?” and “How do I do my taxes?” “Yes,” he answered, as if it were the easiest question in the world and, “I don’t know. I just don’t do mine.” The number of attendees was just small enough for Mirman to answer all our questions and have ample time to share his humorous stories. Within the hour, he was ardent about mocking Dartmouth culture, telling us “Good luck on your tests and your very good education” and “You guys only sleep on the weekends, and you’re expected to start companies!” Mirman’s sense of humor made life feel like a carefree skit. He brought comedy into everything from receiving a threatening email about plagiarism to his love for his two-year-old son. Mirman’s light mockery was warmhearted and an excellent break from my “very good education.” —Jimmy Nguyen ’21
admissions.dartmouth.edu | 11
A
lthough the majestic Upper Valley of New Hampshire is the literal home of Dartmouth College, the campus perimeter stretches from the ice fields of Antarctica to the Great Wall of China. Dartmouth students, in effect, consider Hanover their basecamp to the world. From an undergraduate’s earliest days on campus, the global nature of the community is palpable. Whether it’s emailing back and forth to a classmate who is on an archaeological dig in New Zealand or following the Instagram feed of a friend undertaking a climate-change experiment in Uganda, first-year students quickly realize the depth and breadth of their options for international study. Skipping stones across the highest lake in the world Since arriving at Dartmouth, Colleen O’Connor ’19 of Buffalo, New York has ridden camels in the Gobi desert and hiked the Great Wall of China, traveled through the Amazon rain forest and skipped stones across the highest lake in
12 | admissions.dartmouth.edu
the world. She’s also worked closely on strategy with young women entrepreneurs in Mexico City, helped a nonprofit in Peru expand its reach, and spent 12 weeks conversing with locals across China. All before her junior year. With a double major in Chinese and economics and a minor in humancentered design, Colleen’s goal is to launch a global startup. Her extensive international experience coupled with stellar language skills will give her a considerable head start. Proficient in Chinese and fluent in Spanish, she credits Dartmouth’s legendary Rassias Method with accelerating her proficiency. Developed by late Dartmouth professor John Rassias for Peace Corps training, the Rassias Method promotes fast fluency. Students meet for an hour three or four times a week in small classes to practice rapid-fire speaking with an experienced student. “It’s a unique way to learn a language,” Colleen says. “The emphasis on rapid speaking helps students gain confidence, and the fact that a student is leading the session creates a more open and relaxed space to make mistakes.”
ILLUSTRATIONS BY JOSH COCHRAN
— INTERNATIONAL STUDY AT DARTMOUTH —
But the best way to strengthen proficiency in a language is to speak it with locals, and Colleen has had ample opportunity to do just that. “Living with a family for several weeks in Peru really boosted my comfort with Spanish and gave me key colloquialisms I won’t find in books.” The extensive time she’s been able to spend on each visit to Peru, China, and Mexico has meant that she could live the language, an experience made possible, she notes, by Dartmouth’s distinctive curricular model of 10-week terms, the D-plan. “The way the academic year is set up, I can take full advantage of international experiences without jeopardizing my Dartmouth-based studies.” Funds aren’t a barrier to adventure Of course, few students have the financial wherewithal to pick up and fly to Peru when an opportunity presents itself. Finances are not a barrier to participation, however, thanks to a broad range of resources. Colleen tapped funding available through the Dartmouth Stamps Scholars program, the Dartmouth Entrepreneurial Network, the Wiley Initiative Grant, and the Paganucci Fellows Program. “In my first two years,” she notes, “I went abroad four times with full support from Dartmouth, and I’m about to embark on a fifth experience.” One of Dartmouth’s most robust international resources is The Dickey Center for International Understanding, which offers a wide range of funding opportunities for global research and internships as well as international connections to academic, nonprofit, and industry partners. It was through the Dickey Center that Sharidan Russell ’18 obtained funding for an internship at the Orient-Occident Foundation in Morocco. With a major in Asian and Middle Eastern languages and literature, the Montana native knows that international experiences are essential to her field—and to her future. “Dartmouth felt like home right away, yet it also felt very open to the world. When you added in the extensive international possibilities, I knew I’d found my school.” Dartmouth’s support systems also have fueled her loyalty. “It feels like everyone here is working to help me access experiential learning opportunities,” Sharidan says. “My professors, the staff at the Dickey Center—it seems like everyone at Dartmouth is as excited as I am about my projects, always working to help me make important connections and get the funding I need to go to Morocco or Palestine. As a result, I have deepened my understanding of Arabic cultures and increased my fluency in the language.”
Sharidan believes that part of the impetus to go global is the example set by faculty. “I have found that my professors have the same passion for their subjects that I have for mine. Wherever in the world they need to go to deepen their understanding of a topic, they go there. I feel extraordinarily privileged to be able to follow my passion wherever it leads me knowing that Dartmouth is dedicated to helping me make it happen.” Learning to be a global problem-solver Théry Badin ’18, an engineering science and Portuguese major, has increased his proficiency in five languages during his time at Dartmouth. He also has learned pivotal lessons about the process of bringing critical services to people in need, something he’d like to spend his life doing. Over the last three years, he has helped build a community center in the Dominican Republic, worked with a company providing healthcare services to the underserved of Haiti, joined a Dartmouth Entrepreneurial Network project in Morocco, and interned at an international finance firm in Hong Kong. “My goal has been to build global management experience and prepare for a leadership role in an organization that will bring critical services like energy or healthcare to those in need,” Théry reflects. “In all these work experiences, I realized just how Dartmouth has taught me to think and come up to speed quickly in new situations, to be confident in unfamiliar environments and, at the end of the day, truly make a difference.” Théry says he often steps outside himself and marvels at the experiences he’s accumulated during his college career. “Imagine me, a kid from Haiti, traveling to so many countries, studying so many cultures, learning so much from the world. It’s not something I ever would have imagined to be possible, and I am deeply grateful. I know that these opportunities have changed me and will change the course of my life forever.”
Knowledge Knows No Borders
PHOTOGRAPHS BY COLLEEN O’CONNOR ’19
Colleen O’Connor ’19 has honed her language skills in China and Peru and collaborated on an entrepreneurial venture in Mexico. She documents her experiences—foreign and domestic—as part of the Dartmouth admissions blog: dartgo.org/blog
admissions.dartmouth.edu | 15
LAURA EDMONDSON ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF THEATER AND DEPARTMENT CHAIR
An hour before my interview with Professor Edmondson, I was invited to sneak a peek at her photo shoot. Softly, tentatively, loathe to disrupt the magic, I tiptoed into the auditorium—and nearly jumped at my name. “Sarah!” Professor Edmondson called, bending over the balcony and stopping the cameras. “How are you? How is your term? How was last year?” That enthusiasm—a year after my class with her had ended—is indicative of the theater department’s spirit. Professor Edmondson loves that Dartmouth grants her freedom to lavish attention on undergraduates, an opportunity to foster the interpersonal connections complementary to her whole-student approach. “We do not train, we educate” is her department’s maxim, and its wisdom shows. Rather than focus on performance alone, Dartmouth theater emphasizes the discipline’s artistic and cultural foundations. In Edmondson’s words, “we’re very invested in developing critical thinkers as well as creative, imaginative artists.” Theater 15, Classical and Medieval Theater, exemplifies Professor Edmondson’s devotion. I took the class last fall—and though I was the only first-year with minimal performance experience in a class of theater majors, I loved it from the start. The 20-student “lecture” class always felt like a discussion instead, and Professor Edmondson’s deconstruction of the drama revolutionized my perspective. Her translation choices manipulated setting to connect historical and modern contexts. Come Thanksgiving, all I could talk about was how deeply modern hallmarks—whether identity discrimination or scatological humor— are rooted in the ancient past. But Professor Edmondson’s primary research explores more contemporary themes—the role of theater in rehabilitation efforts for survivors of trauma in East African civil strife, for example. A key takeaway from her research is the dual power of the arts. “I’ve learned never to underestimate the power of the arts to creatively rebuild one’s world,” she says, “but also, I never underestimate the forces of appropriation and co-option.” The key, Edmondson believes, is using theater to create dialogue. “Performance can facilitate a recognition across different populations in East and Central Africa based on the mutuality of suffering,” she says. Creating transcontinental dialogue is a daunting prospect, but Professor Edmondson seeks to use her travels to build understanding. She has taught the same play to students in Uganda and at Dartmouth, and can apply lessons learned from each experience. “I think the future of theater is deeply international,” she says, “I hope I can allow my work to infuse the decisions I make to guide us toward that future.” —Sarah LeHan ’20
16 | admissions.dartmouth.edu
Opening
PHOTOGRAPH BY DON HAMERMAN
Dialogue
PHOTOGRAPH BY DON HAMERMAN
GABBY KIRLEW
Walking the Walk GABBY KIRLEW ’18 HAILS FROM BOWIE, MD. AN ANTHROPOLOGY MAJOR WITH A MINOR IN QUANTITATIVE SOCIAL SCIENCE, SHE DISCUSSES HER JOURNEY THROUGH THE LIBERAL ARTS.
When I was in high school, I had absolutely no idea what I wanted to study in college or what career I wanted to pursue, so I didn’t know how to make an informed decision about which college would best nurture my academic interests. Then I found Dartmouth’s flexible curriculum, which made it possible for me to pursue multiple interdisciplinary interests and offered me more than enough time to explore. I took classes in seven different departments during my first year. My academic exploration led me to the anthropology department, where I took a course called Contemporary Africa. I remember reading Monique in the Mango Rains, an ethnographic account of a Peace Corps volunteer working with a midwife in Mali, and I was completely drawn in by the humanfocused on-the-ground approach to the research. I found myself questioning the American perspective on childbirth while imagining for the first time that there were alternative approaches to things I had taken for granted. Before Dartmouth, I couldn’t even define the term anthropology, and yet there I was, majoring in it. My study abroad in Auckland confirmed my choice. During my first weekend in the country, we found ourselves on a black sand beach learning about traditional weaving practices from a Maori woman. Later, we spent a weekend in a marae, or Maori community center. While teaching us the kapa haka dance, our host wrote a personalized song for our group. Once again, delving into a
new perspective helped me question the practices of my home country, particularly surrounding indigenous rights. Back on campus, Dartmouth’s flexible curriculum allowed me to explore computer science. I took the introductory course, loved it, and proceeded to take several intermediate level courses with the intention of completing a minor. But then, in my junior spring, I found a course in the quantitative social science (QSS) department called Race, Incarceration, and Politics: By the Numbers where we studied problems using social science theorems and quantitative methods. I almost crashed my computer analyzing a 14-million-point data set to study the differences between voting patterns in Florida in 2012 and in 2016. I learned that even though data may seem objective, the way it’s presented can skew the way it’s interpreted. QSS gave me the tools to interpret that data on my own and to combine quantitative and qualitative analysis to better understand the problems that interest me most. As happy as I am with the majors and minors I ultimately chose, I don’t regret taking classes in computer science—or any other discipline that I did not ultimately pursue, from geography to theater. They equipped me with skills that allow me to be a better critical thinker. As I prepare to graduate and enter the workforce, I am thankful that my academic exploration at Dartmouth leaves me feeling prepared to face the diverse challenges I expect to meet.
Indicates location on the Dartmouth Green where Gabby is standing.
admissions.dartmouth.edu | 19
PHOTOGRAPH BY DON HAMERMAN
Field
TBD
JACK HENEGHAN ’18 MAJOR: ECONOMICS, MINOR IN QUANTITATIVE SOCIAL SCIENCE HOMETOWN: ATHERTON, CA
PHOTOGRAPH BY DON HAMERMAN
Work
He calls it “a once in a lifetime deal.” To play Ivy League football? To be captain and starting quarterback? These are incredible opportunities, but Jack Heneghan is referring to something else: “Frankly, Dartmouth was one of the only places I would be able to study abroad and not get kicked off the team.” The ability to study abroad was always a key item on Jack’s college list. With a promising future as a varsity athlete, he knew that finding a place where he could do both would be tough. Enter Dartmouth’s flexible D-Plan. After consulting Robert L. Blackman Head Football Coach Buddy Teevens, Jack knew that he had found home. “What made Dartmouth stand out,” he says, “was that I would have the opportunity to study abroad, and more generally, that the school encourages athletes to be part of the wider student community.” Jack spent the winter term of his junior year in England at Oxford University’s Keble College studying economics, and he insists that while the language may have been the same, that was about it. “Rather than going to a lecture a few times a week and taking exams, I had a one-on-one tutorial with my professor,” he explains. “That forced me to consider things differently and to learn the material in a slightly different way.” Back in Hanover, Jack seeks ways to combine his passions in school and sports. As a quantitative social science minor, he initiated his own research project investigating potential implicit racial bias in the way that professional football games are officiated. After gathering data from the NFL and running an original analysis, he tentatively found that referees were more likely to call penalties on players with racial backgrounds different from their own. Insisting that he would have been a major if he had found the program earlier, Jack has plenty of memorable experiences in the QSS department, including a sports analytics course co-taught by President Hanlon himself. Yet, he never lets his academic pursuits affect his performance on the field. “When I’m down there, that’s the only thing I’m thinking about. I’m not worrying about academics.” And his ability to focus has paid off. Jack led the team to an 8-2 record last fall, including a spectacular win over Brown at Fenway Park.
admissions.dartmouth.edu | 21
HOUSE: SCHOOL HOUSE
PHOTOGRAPH BY DON HAMERMAN
Featured: Shivesh Shah ’19 and Emily Yang ’18 (Undergraduate Advisors), Craig Sutton (House Professor), Valeria Orellana (Resident Fellow), Ben Lee ’19 and Samantha Hussey ’20 (Co-Presidents of House Executive Board)
Living the Green
In 2016, Dartmouth announced the creation of a residential model designed to foster community, continuity, and intellectual life in the residential experience. Now, two years later, the “House System” is accomplishing more than anyone anticipated. At a fundamental level, the system organizes residential spaces on campus into six houses. As an incoming student, you’re randomly placed into one of the six. As you meet your floormates, participate in activities, and hang out in the dedicated house spaces, you bond with the members of your house. For the rest of your time at Dartmouth, you’ll have the option of calling that house home. This system ensures that if you go on to spend your sophomore winter studying astronomy in Cape Town and your spring interning with Senator Kirsten Gillibrand ’88 in DC, you’ll be able to return to your Dartmouth home, reuniting with the floormates you think of as family.
Another benefit of this residential model lies in how it has shaped support systems at Dartmouth. According to Craig Sutton, House Professor and Associate Professor of Mathematics, “The House System provides us with an opportunity to enhance what already makes Dartmouth stand out: closer access to professors.” In addition to the House Professors who are in charge of each of the six houses, pre-major advisors are now members of the houses. “A student who has an interest in philosophy might run into a professor of philosophy at our Wednesday tea or while playing intramural volleyball,” Sutton says. “Through informal interactions, students will be able to find multiple mentors and advisors.” Professor Sutton also sees opportunities for students to gain greater access to the broader Dartmouth community. Each house has a studentled executive board that organizes inventive activi-
ties for its residents. School House, which Professor Sutton runs, has provided “Adulting 101” sessions as well as Star Wars-themed movie nights—and they’re just getting started. “You could imagine a house supporting performing arts groups, literary magazines, and more,” Sutton says. On every level, the House System is about Dartmouth’s commitment to people. “A house is a microcosm of the College,” Sutton says. “It consists of undergraduates, graduate students, faculty, and staff from around the globe with myriad interests and perspectives. Each house creates opportunities for students to come into close and sustained contact with all that makes Dartmouth a special intellectual community.”
admissions.dartmouth.edu | 23
POLI SIERRA-LONG ’19 MAJOR: CHEMISTRY MAJOR MODIFIED WITH ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES HOMETOWN: TUCSON, AZ
Poli Sierra-Long ’19 applies age-old ecological knowledge to contemporary challenges. “I love to play in the dirt, to grow and harvest plants,” she says, “so when I learned about the internship program at Dartmouth’s Organic Farm, I was all over it.” In addition to tending crops and testing soil samples, Poli learned how to balance bacteria in the tilapia tanks and process honey from the farm’s beehives. These early projects make Poli, a member of the Hopi Tribe, an invaluable crew member at the San Xavier Co-op Farm during her first-year summer. Located near Tucson in the Tohono O’odham Nation ancestral village of Wa:k, the co-op is renowned among indigenous peoples for Certified Naturally Grown foods that are well-adapted to the desert southwest. “I went to San Xavier to learn more about traditional methods,” Poli explains, “but staff members were just as eager to hear from me about the scientific approaches we use at the Dartmouth farm.” A few days before Poli was to return to campus, one of her San Xavier mentors entrusted her with precious cargo. “He handed me a vial of ten seeds and said, ‘I know you’ll do good with these.’ When he explained their lineage—secondgeneration seeds from an 850-year-old seed pot discovered on the Menominee reservation in Wisconsin—I knew I had to make them grow.” Months of careful attention produced some of the largest squash fruit ever harvested at the Organic Farm, fruit that helped inspire the Squash Blossom Extravaganza. Lessons of TEK and emergency medicine converge The squash project resonated with Poli’s research into traditional ecological knowledge (TEK), her interest in the broader realm of indigenous knowledge, her participation in Native Americans at Dartmouth (NAD), and her passion for integrating ancient and contemporary approaches to healthy living. The project also built on the TEK Poli gained working with her grandfather in the fields of the Hopi village of Oraibi. Her course of study—chemistry major modified with environmental studies—combines her reverence for the earth with the highest degree of scientific rigor. Poli’s vision for merging these two worlds was tested—and profoundly affirmed—when she traveled to the Ocheti Sakowin camp at Standing Rock, North Dakota in December 2016. “I volunteered as a medic in the western medicine yurt, but we had a lot of overlap with herbal and mental wellness practitioners,” Poli says. “Serving side by side with indigenous healers convinced me that these two approaches can enhance one another. My life path in emergency medicine is now confirmed.”
24 | admissions.dartmouth.edu
Squash Blos
PHOTOGRAPH BY DON HAMERMAN
som Extravaganza
oh,
go! Theodor Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, was a Dartmouth alum and helps inspire our adventuresome spirit.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEFFREY KERBY, PHD
the places you’ll
“Safe to say, this was not your typical classroom environment,” says Alisa White ’17. Alisa is talking about the Environmental Studies’ Foreign Studies Program (ENVS FSP), a ten-week exploration of conservation and development issues in South Africa, Lesotho, and Namibia that divides time between homestays in villages and hiking through the bush. An environmental studies and economics major who researches small-scale resource management, Alisa saw firsthand the impact of government land and conservation policy on the livelihoods of people and wildlife. “We worked with land and wildlife managers and spent weeks learning about community-based conservation,” she says. “Every day was different. Notebooks, individual research topics, and a passion for learning were the few constants in this dynamic environment.” Along with hands-on experience in sustainable resource management, Alisa found the friendships she created rewarding. Thanks to the trip’s intensity and duration, she and her classmates got to know
each other on a deep, personal level. “Nothing makes you bond more than living in tents together for eight weeks,” she says. “I cherish the friendships I made in this beautiful, intense time in my life.” Now graduated, she and the women she befriended on the FSP live in different cities but continue to reach out to one another. The great impact the FSP has had on her life— academically, professionally, personally—stems in part from her attitude. “I learned to see every moment as an opportunity—for fun, learning, reflection—and every person as a teacher, regardless of their educational background,” she says. Going forward, she hopes to research land tenure then pursue environmental law. “The ENVS FSP was only the beginning of my commitment to pursuing understanding and action on environmental and social justice.”
Students on the FSP use drones to take noninvasive measurements of desert plants and censuses of livestock. Perk of the work: catching the sunset over the gravel plain of Namib-Naukluft National Park.
admissions.dartmouth.edu | 27
LISA BALDEZ PROFESSOR OF GOVERNMENT, AND OF LATIN AMERICAN, LATINO AND CARIBBEAN STUDIES CHEHEYL PROFESSOR AND DIRECTOR, DARTMOUTH CENTER FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING
PHOTOGRAPH BY DON HAMERMAN
Teaching vs. Research? They’re Inextricably Linked
When Lisa Baldez pointed out the “I like my feminism intersectional” sticker on my laptop, I knew I was in for an interesting conversation. Professor of Government and Latin American, Latino and Caribbean Studies, Baldez works at the intersection of gender, politics, and identity. Her research ranges from collective action in Latin America to a 1979 United Nations treaty on women’s rights. Her most recent book tackles the latter topic, analyzing why the United States is one of only six countries in the world that has not ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). Baldez maintains that ratification of the CEDAW treaty could establish a written blueprint for issues of women’s rights in the United States. “We have a blueprint for establishing racial discrimination through various UN treaties,” she says, and while she supports the treaty, she also is aware of its imperfections. Noting again the sticker on my laptop, Baldez acknowledges that the treaty does not deal with intersectionality, a theory that emphasizes the importance of understanding the interwoven nature of characteristics like race, class, gender, and sexuality. Baldez is gratified to be able to share her expertise on this topic with her students. “The great thing about Dartmouth is that we can teach courses on the research that we’re doing, so it’s very fresh.” Baldez’s passion for teaching extends beyond her own classroom. As the leader of the Dartmouth Center for Advancement of Learning (DCAL), she supports faculty in their efforts to improve their teaching and oversees programs aimed at enhancing active learning. Her experience has shown her that pedagogy is hard work. “I’m humbled by what I see my colleagues doing,” she says. And while difficult, teaching is rewarding in sometimes unexpected ways. Students taking Baldez’s courses have played integral roles in the evolution of her research. In class discussions, student questions have allowed her to make adjustments and probe new avenues in her research. “The students and I navigated this topic together, which was an amazing experience because they helped me to think about my research and brought so much to the table.” In fact, her book includes an acknowledgement to her students for their intellectual contributions. “For me, ideally, research and teaching are inextricably linked,” she says, “and that’s a privilege I’m able to have at Dartmouth.” —Gabrielle Kirlew ‘18
admissions.dartmouth.edu | 29
DOUG VAN CITTERS & MEGAN MCCABE ’20 A CONVERSATION WITH ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF ENGINEERING DOUG VAN CITTERS ’99 AND WISP VETERAN MEGAN MCCABE ’20
Q. Professor Van Citters, Megan … describe the origin of your project. Doug My lab includes researchers in chemical engineering, biomechanicals, biomaterials, electrical engineering, and other fields. We pull this diverse knowledge together to inform medical device development, from artificial joints to implantable electronics. Megan I first came into Professor Van Citters’s lab under the Women in Science Project (WISP), which provides funding for first-year students to tackle a project in one of Dartmouth’s research labs. My project was to figure out why certain polymer weight-bearing surfaces in artificial knees have been fracturing in ways designers didn’t anticipate. Q. What did you discover, and why is it creating buzz in the field? Megan The material we’re dealing with is tough—it’s what they use for bulletproof vests. The standard preparation for the impact test is to notch or slice the material. Using the protocol of a previous researcher, I produced different results. Professor Van Citters suggested that I create a new experiment that might explain the disparate findings. My new approach was to test two sets of samples notched at different speeds. These two sample sets exhibited significantly different impact toughness, which could explain why current testing methods don’t accurately predict the failure rates of this material in artificial knees. Doug We’re collaborating on a research report with Megan as the first author and hope to present our findings at a national conference. We’ve also attracted a lot of attention from major manufacturers of orthopedics. Megan’s work could improve the way impact toughness is assessed for this material and, ultimately, guide the development of better, longer-lasting orthopedic implants. Megan I’m thrilled to have discovered something that could benefit so many people. It’s really what WISP is all about—encouraging first-year students to bring a fresh perspective to old analytic techniques and assumptions. Working closely with Professor Van Citters and other members of the lab gave me both experience and confidence. And because I had to present my results regularly to our group and write it up for publication, I grew key communication skills that I can carry forward into any career.
30 | admissions.dartmouth.edu
It Depends
PHOTOGRAPH BY DON HAMERMAN
on How You Slice It
ON
COURSE
What are Dartmouth students studying? In every issue, we feature a class plucked somewhat randomly from a deep reservoir of fascinating courses.
COLT 64.03 War Stories
Intrepid souls and freedom fighters. Legends of loss and tales of valor. War stories have been told in many ways, and authors have presented accounts of combat in various formats throughout history. Professor Roberta Stewart explores these accounts through War Stories, a comparative literature (COLT) course that surveys the narratives of those who have witnessed the realities of war and returned home. Stewart has a unique perspective on the issue. She’s spent a decade reading Homer with local veterans and helping others to set up similar book clubs across the country. “Reading together, I am made aware of different points of view,” she says. “This past fall, for example, a veteran reading Homer’s Iliad with me commented on Homer’s failure to capture the sound of battle.” Seeking to bring similar insights into the classroom, she proposed that the TAs for War Stories be veterans themselves and that students’ final projects include interviews with veterans about their experiences. “My goal is to get students thinking about veterans’ experiences across time—not to think that the particular historical moment is universal—and to appreciate the value of literature to communicate and interrogate human experience,” says Stewart. And she’s seen a dramatic impact. Her students say that meeting and working with veterans has shattered their preconceptions and shown them entirely new ways to use literature. — Brian Drisdelle ’21
War Stories with Roberta Stewart
PHOTOGRAPH BY DON HAMERMAN
Professor of Classical Studies
admissions.dartmouth.edu | 33
ALUMNI WHO CARRY DARTMOUTH INTO THE WORLD
upward
onward &
34 | admissions.dartmouth.edu
GRADUATING FROM DARTMOUTH DOESN’T GUARANTEE YOU A SPOT ON FORBES MAGAZINE’S “30 UNDER 30” LIST, BUT IF RECENT RESULTS ARE ANY INDICATION, IT CERTAINLY DOESN’T HURT.
Three Dartmouth alumni made Forbes’ 2018 list featuring rising stars in 20 different industries—an econ major whose path to a late-stage venture capital firm included a professional snowboarding career, a Dartmouth Outing Club (DOC) enthusiast who’s shaping renewable energy technology, and a former rugby player who’s developing new cancer therapies. Charlie Friedland ’10—snowboarding into a career as a venture capitalist A four-year career on snow and positions in investment banking and strategy were a prelude to Friedland’s current role at Geodesic Capital, where he works with companies like AirBnB and Uber to expand their businesses into Asian markets. The job is both collaborative and fast-paced, and he says that Dartmouth prepared him for just that kind of work. “Courses and projects move quickly, and continual innovation is key to success in Dartmouth’s environment. Additionally, I got to meet and interact with such a diverse group of people. It’s a really valuable skill to be able to learn from others, work with others, and build together, while not being afraid to voice your opinion.”
Molly Grear ’11 Thayer ’12—designing a kinder underwater turbine A PhD candidate at the University of Washington, Grear works on underwater turbines that avoid harming marine life. “I studied engineering at Dartmouth, but was really fortunate also to be able to study a lot of biology. The combination of Thayer’s design skills and the opportunity to study marine biology abroad with the Biology Foreign Studies Program (FSP) gave me the foundation to do this interdisciplinary work. I like to think of myself as an atypical engineer, and I love problems at the interface of biology and engineering.” Grear’s joint studies have given her the expertise to both model marine mammal biomechanics and evaluate turbines that will minimize harm to local species. Sourav Sinha ‘12—building on rugby to develop biomedical innovations Sinha cofounded Oncolinx to develop targeted cancer therapeutics that can treat the disease without the harmful side effects of chemotherapy. No stranger to research labs—he’s been working in them since age 15—Sinha credits the experience he developed at Dartmouth with helping him review data for potential new drugs and understanding how the future of healthcare is developing. But, like Grear, some of his best preparation for founding a startup happened elsewhere on campus: on the rugby pitch. “A lot of startup innovation has to do with learning, adapting, communicating, and executing at a fast pace,” says Sinha. “Playing with Dartmouth Rugby and experiences in and out of the classroom really reinforced that.”
ILLUSTRATION BY GREG MABLY
RANDALL BALMER JOHN PHILLIPS PROFESSOR IN RELIGION AND DEPARTMENT CHAIR
Quieting screaming kids. Carrying film equipment. Conducting pre-interviews. Professor Randall Balmer will tell you it’s all in the name of research. Balmer recently created a PBS documentary on Christian Orthodoxy in Alaska, and he brought three students from Dartmouth’s Presidential Scholars program to work with him. “They came away with a fuller understanding of Orthodoxy by doing the research but also from interacting with Orthodox Christians and their families in Alaska,” he says. When Professor Balmer was a child, he traveled with his family to a different place across North America every summer. In a cramped car filled with his parents and four younger brothers, Balmer’s early exposure to regional variations combined with his religious upbringing inspired him to study religion. The trips from Seattle to British Columbia, New Jersey, Colorado, and Wisconsin sparked a realization: “You can’t understand the world and certainly not North America without understanding the role that religion plays in shaping it. The ethnic mosaic in the United States is quite remarkable, especially since the Immigration Act of 1965. When I go back to places I traveled to as a child, I find Buddhist stupas, Hindu temples, Sikh gurdwaras, and Muslim mosques in places you never would have imagined fifty or sixty years ago.” Professor Balmer teaches courses on Evangelicalism and Mormonism, among many others. He approaches each religion with respect, honesty, and objectivity, and his students follow suit. When they come into his class with a fixed perspective, he encourages them to envision a world that they can’t yet rationalize. “Life is tough,” says Balmer, “and when you’re eighteen or nineteen years old, the world is your oyster. Nothing can go wrong. But maybe, just maybe, something that we talk about can prove useful at some point years down the road.” To Balmer, the study of religion is a portal to other academic disciplines. He knows that his class is one of many, and the liberal arts education that Dartmouth provides pushes students to see connections in foundational ways. “I hope that the liberal arts will continue to be the center of the school,” says Balmer. “That’s what a college or university is all about, the exchange of ideas. I’m always learning from students, and I hope that, once in a while, they learn something from me as well.”
36 | admissions.dartmouth.edu
Reimagining the Role of Religion in the World
PHOTOGRAPH BY DON HAMERMAN
AARON LIT ’19 MAJOR: MATHEMATICS MODIFIED WITH ECONOMICS HOMETOWN: HONG KONG
I never saw fashion as a vehicle for promoting marine biodiversity, but that was before I met Aaron Lit. From the age of ten, Aaron has explored the underwater world through scuba diving and photography. Even before he began his college career, he was already raising awareness about marine biodiversity through Watercolour, the book he published on marine life. During his time at Dartmouth, he has only accelerated his conservation efforts. Aaron competed against more than 300 teams in the Social Venture Competition at the 2017 United Nations Youth Assembly. After winning, he launched the fashion project MiaMira to promote marine conservation and conscious consumerism. Soon after, he was recognized as one of seven United Nations Ocean Explorers at the 2017 UN World Ocean Conference and as outstanding conservationist by James Cameron’s Avatar Alliance Foundation. “Having my work recognized and supported by global institutions like the UN has been one of the coolest parts of this experience, and keeps me motivated to continue pursuing my ambitions,” says Aaron. Today, Aaron spends his free time sketching designs, extracting unique patterns and colors from marine life, and incorporating them into fabric. He then uses that fabric to create garments that serve as visual catalysts for raising awareness about marine biodiversity. With help from connections he has made around the world, Aaron is continually showcasing new designs on the project website miamirafashion.com and on his Instagram account @MiaMira.fashion. With MiaMira, Aaron hopes to tackle consumer indifference and encourage ethical consumer choices. “Tying it back to campus,” he says, “students use those black plastic utensils in Collis Café for a few minutes, toss them, and they last for hundreds of years, if not a thousand. Many of them end up dumped in the ocean. There’s this disconnect—like we’re up here, they’re down there. If we were more informed about the impact our everyday choices have on marine ecosystems, we might not have these problems.” Given his passions for conservation, fashion, and marine biology, I never would have taken Aaron for a mathematics or economics major. He originally planned to study economics in London, but chose Dartmouth for the opportunity to explore a more diverse selection of courses and interests. “The liberal arts have given me a lot of breadth to explore not just academically but also professionally,” he says. Aaron has spent his years at Dartmouth proving the value of that breadth. — Jimmy Nguyen ’21
38 | admissions.dartmouth.edu
An
PHOTOGRAPH BY DON HAMERMAN
Ocean of Inspiration
MONA DOMOSH JOAN P. AND EDWARD J. FOLEY JR. 1933 PROFESSOR OF GEOGRAPHY
40 | admissions.dartmouth.edu
Geography. PHOTOGRAPH BY DON HAMERMAN
Mona Domosh will tell you that geography—the discipline—is pretty compelling. In fact, it can be a tool for changing lives. Professor of Geography at Dartmouth, Domosh’s current research looks at the impact of international development efforts on Africa and India. “Geography,” she explains, “asks how and why places and spaces are structured the way they are.” Professor Domosh’s research has been revealing. The international development efforts run by the United States in Africa and India during the middle of the 20th century, she has found, were replicas of the home economics programs run by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) in the rural South during the early 20th century. Even more illuminating is her discovery that development programs implemented overseas were modeled only on those domestic programs that were designed for African-American women and farmers; programs designed for other races weren’t used. Domosh’s findings beg the question of what the term “development” really means. In fact, she says, the term is often contested. “No one really knows what ‘development’ is. If you’re being very critical about it, you’d say that it’s a way of sorting out the world’s peoples into categories that legitimize white rule.” Professor Domosh is taking a year off from teaching to turn this research into her next book. But her year away from the classroom doesn’t mean a year away from students. Funding from a National Science Foundation grant and her own department resources have enabled her to hire a few undergraduate research fellows to work alongside her. From Domosh’s perspective, every one of her student researchers makes a meaningful impact on the project. “We’ll meet as a research team and talk about what we’re finding, or we’ll think about how to interpret images, about what the USDA photographers might have been trying to say with certain poses and certain pictures,” she says. “The students tend to be really good at this, partly because they’re bringing perspectives from their art history or African-American studies classes or from other realms that aren’t explicitly tied to this research.” And as they complete their work, these undergraduates are building deeper expertise. One student turned her research into an honors thesis, which Domosh will be citing in her book. In that sense, even during a year away from the classroom, Mona Domosh is still teaching.
PHOTOGRAPH BY DON HAMERMAN
It’s About Lives.
PHOTOGRAPH BY DON HAMERMAN
Courses of Study The Liberal Arts shape the Dartmouth experience, creating an academic culture imbued with critical thinking and creativity. One that promotes experimentation, reflection, learning and leadership. A curriculum where poetry and neuroscience are natural partners and collaboration across disciplines happens organically. A course of study without boundaries. Forget the intellectual lines people draw. You won’t find them here. African and African American Studies Ancient History Anthropology Applied Mathematics for Biological and Social Sciences m Applied Mathematics for Physical and Engineering Sciences m Art History Asian and Middle Eastern Languages and Literatures (Arabic, Chinese, Hebrew, or Japanese) Asian and Middle Eastern Studies Astronomy Biological Chemistry M Biology Biomedical Engineering Sciences M Biophysical Chemistry M Chemistry Classical Archaeology Classical Languages and Literatures Classical Studies Cognitive Science M Comparative Literature M Complex Systems m Computational Methods m
The international studies minor recognizes the value of understanding the cross-cutting global forces that shape the vital issues of our day. Whether you’re a future diplomat hoping to better understand the roots of global conflict or a future artist hoping to explore themes of immigration, the minor will prepare you to live a productive, responsible life in an interconnected world.
Computer Science Digital Arts m Earth Sciences Economics Education m Engineering Physics M Engineering Sciences English Environmental Earth Sciences Environmental Science m Environmental Studies Film and Media Studies French French Studies M Geography German Studies Global Health m Government History Human-Centered Design m International Studies m Italian Italian Studies M Jewish Studies m Latin American, Latino, and Caribbean Studies Linguistics Markets, Management, and the Economy m Materials Science m Mathematical Biology m Mathematical Finance m Mathematical Logic m Mathematical Physics m Mathematical Data Science M Mathematics Medieval and Renassiance Studies m Music Native American Studies Neuroscience Operations Research m Philosophy
Portuguese (Lusophone Studies) Physics 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 Sustainability m Theater Urban Studies m Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies m = minor only M = major only
Can’t decide what to study? It’s not uncommon for Dartmouth students to double major or modify their major. A modified major consists of 10 courses, six in one field and four in a second—or even third—field. For example, you could modify your Engineering major with Chemistry, Studio Art, or Public Policy, among others.
Financial aid can be confusing. We’re working to make it less so. The MyinTuition Quick College Cost Estimator asks only six questions to provide an early estimate of what a year at Dartmouth could cost for your family. Go to dartgo.org/quickcost to get help anticipating your college costs.
admissions.dartmouth.edu | 43
POINTS
OF
MUSINGS ON THE COLLEGE ADMISSIONS PROCESS
DEPARTURE
It’s not unusual to hear someone at Dartmouth say, “I bleed green.” It’s an intriguing metaphor, one that acknowledges the remarkable power of community that defines the place, and the clear affection for Dartmouth that animates the undergraduate and alumni communities on this historic campus. It’s as if “The Big Green” enters a student’s DNA and fuses an assortment of high achieving, independent, ambitious, curious individuals into a cohesive, collaborative, passionate community. For the students arriving each year from across the world, that sudden sense of belonging feels like magic, but as a member of the admissions team, I know it takes a lot of hard work. That hard work is all about getting to know people. Each time we open an application, we meet somebody new. Through their essays, recommendations, and extracurriculars a picture starts to form—passions and qualities start to emerge. And while most people think of the admissions process as deeply individual, we have to take it a step further.
We’re not just getting to know people, we’re also asking ourselves which of those people would be friends with each other. How does the bird enthusiast from Cape Cod get along with the activist from Minnesota? How does the Iowan who speaks four languages connect with the painter and engineer from India? It all comes back to who we meet when we read your application. We bring students to Hanover each September knowing that they’ll be ready to make an impact. They ask questions, consider new solutions to enduring questions, and their innovative, individualistic spirit joined with their penchant for deep community-building is essential to the Dartmouth experience. Your peers matter. And I can guarantee that the admissions team in McNutt Hall has worked our hardest to provide you with the kindest, most interesting, and most challenging peers we can find. —Hayden Lizotte, Senior Assistant Director of Admissions
Opposite page: The faces of our future. Nearly every member of the Class of 2021 had a portrait captured before their class photo. 44 | admissions.dartmouth.edu
admissions.dartmouth.edu | 45
PHOTOGRAPHS BY ROBERT GILL AND ISABELLE PARIZEAU ‘19
Wonders of the World DARTMOUTH OFFERS INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITIES TO TRAVERSE THE PLANET. BUT PART OF THAT COMMITMENT TO GLOBALISM INCLUDES BUILDING A DIVERSE, INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY ON CAMPUS AS WELL. WHETHER YOU WANT TO PRACTICE SPEAKING PORTUGUESE WITH A NATIVE SPEAKER FROM BRAZIL OR LEARN ABOUT THE VIETNAM WAR ALONGSIDE SOMEONE FROM HANOI, YOUR PERSPECTIVE WILL BE CHANGED BY THE GLOBAL EXPERIENCES OF YOUR PEERS.
Rafael Carlos Alves de Lima ’20 Major: Undecided, Government or Economics with Italian minor “When I decided that I would come to the US to study, my objective was to learn as much as possible so I could bring it back to my community. Therefore, I was interested in building a tight-knit community of Brazilians on campus. Through efforts with BRASA (an international nonprofit), I organized conferences and online info sessions, traveled in Brazil to talk about Dartmouth, and worked as a mentor for students interested in studying in the US. Now, including Brazilian-Americans, we have 17 Brazilians on campus, and this winter term we are having the first elections for the Dartmouth Brazilian Society, a new organization that I helped to create.” Autumn Dinh ’21 Major: Undecided “One of the most memorable moments in my first term at Dartmouth was the night I went to The Vietnam War premiere. The movie was simply extraordinary. I burst into tears when I heard Vietnamese people answering questions about the war, when I saw our farmers working while carrying guns behind their backs, and when I saw all the pain both Americans and Vietnamese had suffered. The premiere taught me about the precious value of peace and how no side could win or gain anything from war. But I also was exposed to new perspectives about the war, which I could never have learned in Vietnam. After the premiere, I introduced myself to Professor Heaney, a US Army veteran who fought for five months in Vietnam. I told him that I was grateful for his stories and how the movie reminded me of my home, and he gave me a big hug. I couldn’t help crying again. The whole experience reminded me of how fortunate I was to be at Dartmouth, where I could continually learn important things even outside the classroom, and where my values and culture are always respected.”
46 | admissions.dartmouth.edu
Samuel Fox ’20 Major: Anthropology and Neuroscience, Pre-Med “Whenever I’m asked about my favorite moments at Dartmouth, I’m transported back to the beginning of fall term. My friend Jamie and I were in a physics class together, and we had a quiz the first week back that we were stressed about. After we took the test, we went straight from Wilder (the physics building) to the Connecticut River and plunged in to reward ourselves for our hard work. I thought to myself, “Where else in the world could I be in class, surrounded by geniuses one minute and be in a river surrounded by breathtaking nature the next?” Dartmouth is a place full of big opportunities, but my favorite experiences are more attached to the inspiring and friendly people I’ve met here than the things I’ve done.”
Samuel Fox ‘20 Edinburgh, Scotland
Autumn Dinh ‘21 Hanoi, Vietnam
PHOTOGRAPH BY DON HAMERMAN
Rafael Carlos Alves de Lima ‘20 Osasco, São Paulo, Brazil
admissions.dartmouth.edu | 47
: 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.
48 | admissions.dartmouth.edu
Produced by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions of Dartmouth College Editor: Hayden Lizotte Production Editor: Sara D. Morin Contributing Editor: Topher Bordeau Writing/Editing: Thurston-Lighty, Ltd. Design: Hecht/Horton Partners
PHOTOGRAPH BY ELI BURAKIAN ‘00
When the Earth Moves Every May, more than 1500 people congregate on the Dartmouth Green for the Powwow, a two-day celebration of Native American dance, arts, crafts, and music. Organized by the Native Americans at Dartmouth student group, the event—the second largest of its kind in the Northeast—will commemorate its 46th anniversary this spring. Competitions bring together student and non-student participants from around the campus and across the country. “I love that our Powwow draws such a diverse crowd,” says Anna Reed ’16, veteran co-chair and former Native American Outreach intern. “Each tribe has a different way of dress and dance. It’s a learning opportunity for all of us.” Dartmouth is able to attract participants from such a diverse crowd because of its historic commitment to supporting Native education. “There’s such a deep history with Dartmouth being on Abenaki land, and I think the Powwow is an amazing way to highlight and celebrate that,” Anna reflects. At the core of the event are singers, dancers, and drummers. “When I was standing next to the drum feeling the earth shake beneath my feet, I became overwhelmed with happiness. It just felt right.” And the event is open to all members of the community, whether Dartmouth students, Hanover residents, or other respectful visitors. “Hundreds of years of history and tradition happen right in front of us,” Anna says of the Powwow. “And I hope that it translates.”
THE DARTMOUTH STORY
A PAGE FROM
THREADS :
Dartmouth College Office of Undergraduate Admissions 6016 McNutt Hall Hanover, NH 03755
3D is printed on 100% post-consumer text paper and 30% post-consumer cover paper.
NONPROFIT ORG. U.S. Postage PAID Dartmouth College Permit No. 138
We’re open all four seasons for a visit. Sign up at dartgo.org/visit. Blog: Dartgo.org/blog Instagram: @dartmouthadmissions Facebook: @dartmouthadmissions Twitter: @dartmouth Snapchat: @applydartmouth
PHOTOGRAPH BY MADDIE MEYER/GETTY IMAGES
Dartmouth student-athletes and alumni have participated in every Winter Olympics since the modern games began in Chamonix, France, in 1924. At the 2018 PyeongChang Games, Laura Stacey ’16, wearing number 7 on the Canadian women’s Olympic hockey team, and Laura Schuler, Head Coach of Dartmouth’s women’s ice hockey team and Head Coach of the Canadian women’s Olympic hockey team, joined the 147 Dartmouthaffiliated athletes that have competed in the Winter Olympics. They won the College’s 10th silver medal to add to its 13 gold and six bronze medals. If Dartmouth were a country, its haul would place the College 21st in the all-time medal count, just behind Great Britain.