Saint Michael’s College is preparing students to save the world – quite literally. The College is rolling out a comprehensive Emergency Services program, led by a new major. Students will learn the knowledge and skills required to serve as EMS providers, firefighters, wilderness first responders and emergency management personnel. After a successful launch of an Emergency Medical Services (EMS) minor in fall 2025, the College received another […]
Read MoreSaint Michael’s College is pleased to announce that five alumni – all leaders in their respective fields – have joined the College’s Board of Trustees over the past year. New additions to the Board include biotech executive and entrepreneur Pamela Carroll ’85 of Boston, Massachusetts; consultant and retired transportation software executive Marie Colbert ’89 of Scituate, Massachusetts; M&T Bank senior vice president and communications leader Patrick Fitzgibbons ’89 of Montclair, […]
Read MoreAustin Brush ’26 had never traveled abroad until he spent eight weeks in Vietnam thanks to a grant he received through Saint Michael’s College’s International Internship Program, supported by the Freeman Foundation. The grant sends students from St. Mike’s to countries in Asia – most recently Vietnam or South Korea – for two months each […]
Read MoreEvery day, subtle prompts shape our behavior. A notification urges us to check a message we did not plan to read. An app suggests a video “you may like,” and suddenly an hour is gone. Online shopping carts nudge us toward products with the words “customers also bought.” None of these are neutral suggestions; they […]
Read MoreWhen Grace Castonguay ’24 clipped into her first pair of Nordic ski bindings at 18 years old, she was already years behind her competitors. Castonguay, a high school senior at the time, joined the sport simply because her parents told her it would “look good on college applications.” This spontaneous decision would set her down […]
Read MoreWork is more than a way to earn a paycheck. It shapes our sense of purpose, allows us to provide for our families, and connects us to the wider community. Through work, we contribute our talents, grow in skill, and participate in something larger than ourselves. Catholic Social Teaching insists that work is not merely […]
Read MoreWe live in a world where algorithms quietly make decisions that affect our lives. They determine which résumés are read by employers, which neighborhoods receive loans, which patients get flagged for extra medical care. These systems are built on data, and often the data is not neutral. It carries the history of our choices, our […]
Read MoreSaint Michael’s College is broadening its reach and providing more dynamic opportunities for students and the greater region, due to grant awards and partnerships announced this fall. In all, the more than $800,000 in gifts will propel specific projects, and partnerships in the fields of biotechnology, biomedical research, and chemistry, as well as expand internships […]
Read More“We celebrate the networked world for the many ways in which it enriches our capabilities and prospects, but it has birthed whole new territories of anxiety, danger, and violence as the sense of a predictable future slips away.” (Shoshana Zuboff, The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, 2019, 4) Every day, many of us willingly track ourselves. […]
Read More“The better the mustache, the more points you’ll score.” That’s a prediction from Kevin Hummer, St. Mike’s Marketing staff member and creator of a first-of-its-kind 3-v-3 charity basketball tournament hosted by Saint Michael’s College on November 19. Hummer’s statement was in response to whether there is a correlation between awesome ‘staches and skills on the court. What […]
Read MoreHere at St. Michael’s College we encourage faculty and staff to get creative with their courses and utilize the Leahy Institute for Environment’s (LI4E) living laboratories. Picture, a philosophy class taking a mindful moment in the rock garden or a statistics course outdoors collecting data on the distribution of pollinators in the Natural Area. There […]
Read MoreSaint Michael’s College and WCAX are awarding scholarships to prospective students who demonstrate compassion for others through service – a value shared by both organizations. Three students will receive a $20,000 scholarship to attend Saint Michael’s College, as part of the partnership, and then St. Mike’s will honor a $20,000 discount for the next three years for winners. That’s an $80,000 […]
Read MoreThe word woke has in recent years been politicized, mocked, or misunderstood. But in its origin within African American experience, to be woke meant to stay alert to dangers in a world that was not neutral, where systemic injustice lurked behind seemingly ordinary events. To be woke was to be awake, not asleep to the […]
Read MoreThe path from college to a career is not always a straight shot. One might go to college hoping to go into the medical field, but instead, wind up working at Hasbro, like Tayla Reo ‘14. Reo and fellow alumni, Nick Romano ’11, along with a guest from Vermont Teddy Bear, Cassandra Clayton, came to […]
Read MoreAfter just 4.33 seconds of manipulation – hands almost a blur and the object quickly clicking – the perfectly solved Rubik’s Cube hits the table, stopping the clock. That lightning-fast time earned Elijah Phelps, ’29, then 15, a world record in the event known as Square-1, a shape-shifting version of the classic Rubik’s Cube. Now […]
Read MoreNORWOOD, MA, and COLCHESTER, VT – CitraChem, Corp., inventor of the world’s leading medicinal chemistry platform for producing semi-synthetic phytocannabinoids without agricultural material, announced it is sponsoring a Saint Michael’s College chemistry professor, Dr. Mark Scialdone, to perform specific research on behalf of CitraChem. This new industry and academic partnership is a beneficial avenue for […]
Read MoreWhen we talk about inclusion today, whether in education, the workplace, or the wider culture, we often appeal to what is “universal.” We invoke universal human rights, universal values, or universal standards of fairness. These frameworks matter deeply, and they have supported justice movements across history. Yet the word universal carries a logic that is […]
Read MoreThis year’s All Souls’ Day Mass at Saint Michael’s College will be held in memory of Saint Michael’s College’s 16th President, John “Jack” Neuhauser, who recently passed away at the age of 82. Neuhauser served as the College’s leader from 2007 until his retirement in 2018. He led the College through the 2008 recession and later […]
Read MoreI recently attended a presentation on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) by Emiliano Void, founder and CEO of nuwave Corporation, here at Saint Michael’s College. His presentation was one of the clearest I have seen on how DEI works and why it matters. He described DEI not as a set of slogans, but as a process […]
Read MoreAs the Saint Michael’s College McCarthy Arts Center celebrates its 50th anniversary, Peter Harrigan, professor of Fine Arts and Theater, prepares to celebrate his own milestone: his last production at St. Mike’s before retirement. This fall, Harrigan will be returning to his 2017 production of Mill Girls, an original play that he spent years putting […]
Read MoreFrom its very beginning, Christianity has affirmed a startling truth: the eternal Word of God became flesh, not in some generic human form, but in the marked, particular body of Jesus of Nazareth. This is the meaning of the Incarnation. As M. Shawn Copeland reminds us in her chapter essay “Marking the Body of Christ,” […]
Read MoreIn the 1970s, Fine Arts faculty at Saint Michael’s College saw an urgent need for a new performing arts center following a fire – and resulting demolition – of the surplus wooden structure that had been used as the Saint Michael’s Playhouse. The Playhouse, founded in 1947 by Professor Henry Fairbanks, was initially located in […]
Read MoreLast week, I wrote about the rising push from federal officials and legislators to enforce “viewpoint diversity” on college campuses. Some proposals even tie federal funding to ideological audits or mandate quotas for political perspectives. The problem isn’t the idea that higher education should engage a wide range of perspectives. Of course, it should. The […]
Read MoreMath is everywhere. Especially in the garden. It is easy for math teachers to stick with worksheets and a program without much thought. But then the dreaded question comes… “will I ever use this again in my life?” or “why does this matter?” or “what is the point!?” That is where educators with a keen […]
Read More“Viewpoint diversity” has moved from campus debate to public policy. As Inside Higher Ed reported on September 2, 2025, federal officials and conservative legislators are pressing universities to demonstrate “viewpoint diversity,” sometimes with threats to condition funds on ideological audits and the creation of civics or Western civilization centers (Ryan Quinn, “The Battle for ‘Viewpoint […]
Read More“Students learn to think critically. The liberal arts are about exploring different points of view and working to answer complex questions, while also acquiring the practical skills necessary for the physical or technical aspects of a job. “ said Kate Soons, Director of the Health Science Program and Instructor of Biology of the recent launch […]
Read MoreAcross the U.S., schools and public institutions are being pressed to abandon diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. The justification is often framed in positive terms: to avoid “divisiveness,” to ensure that all are included as “Americans,” and to create a level playing field free from favoritism. On the surface, this may sound like a […]
Read MoreDuring a time when Artificial Intelligence seems to be everywhere, understanding how and when to use it has become more important than ever. Saint Michael’s College took that mission to heart with a recent event on campus exploring this evolving digital tool. First-year students spent the summer reading AI Snake Oil: What Artificial Intelligence Can […]
Read MoreAt this moment in American life, conversations about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are charged with controversy. Across the country, legislators, business leaders, and university administrators are reassessing or even retreating from DEI programs. Some state governments have passed laws restricting DEI offices or trainings in public higher education. Surveys show that while many Americans […]
Read MoreWhen she was a junior in high school, Art & Design major Chloe Brown, ’27, picked up a needle and thread and taught herself how to hand-stitch clothing. A year later, Brown convinced her parents to gift her a sewing machine for her birthday. Since then, her passion for clothing design has only grown, including […]
Read MoreCommentators have noticed a curious trend among college students in the United States. While progressive frameworks dominate much of higher education—shaping classroom discussion, faculty research agendas, and campus activism—there is a quiet undercurrent of students who hold more conservative views. David Brooks has suggested that many of these students, rather than voicing their convictions, choose […]
Read MoreCritics often charge that higher education in the United States has become elitist and overwhelmingly progressive, fostering an environment where students who hold more conservative views feel the need to mask their beliefs in order to succeed. Surveys suggest that a notable percentage of students self-censor in classrooms, citing fear of social or academic repercussions (Samuel J. […]
Read MoreResearch took an unconventional form this summer: horsehair swishing across canvas, tactile pressure molding mass into form, whirring of a sewing needle bobbing up and down, shapes slowly revealing themselves upon film in a dark room. For the first time this year, five Saint Michael’s College Art & Design students took on grant-funded summer research […]
Read MoreWhen Pope Francis released his encyclical Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home in 2015, he did more than add another papal voice to the conversation about environmental responsibility. He reframed the entire issue—not as a side concern or technical challenge, but as a central moral and spiritual issue of our time. Laudato Si’ […]
Read MoreIn the first part of this series concerning the environment, we explored how the Catholic call to care for creation is rooted in Scripture, particularly the Genesis account of stewardship and the biblical tradition of justice and harmony with the earth. But how has this teaching evolved in modern Catholic thought? Before Pope Francis’ Laudato […]
Read MoreAlthough most undergraduate students head home for the summer, the Saint Michael’s campus is still alive with activity. Here at the Institute for the Environment, we have a full team around, including the graduate assistants and the summer stewards. In a fun collaboration between these two groups of student workers, our farm manager Christine Gall, […]
Read MoreThe Saint Michael’s College Natural Area is in full bloom right now! Recently, we were fortunate enough to share this beautiful space with a summer camp that occurs right here on campus. The Summer Institute for New American Youth, led by the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) is a two week camp based […]
Read MoreTwo members of the Class of 2025 will spend the next year in the Czech Republic and in Vietnam after being selected for fellowships through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. Jarrett Sweet of Fletcher, Vermont, will teach English as a second language in Vsetin, Czech Republic, and Patrick McGloine of Schuylerville, New York, will conduct […]
Read MoreBusiness Administration and Accounting double major Dave Ciancio ’24 has made the most of his time at Saint Michael’s College, both in and out of the classroom. From championship wins on the ice to leadership roles on campus, Ciancio says Saint Michael’s helped him grow into a more confident, well-rounded individual. The Scituate, Rhode Island […]
Read MoreOne of the most urgent and spiritually resonant themes of Catholic Social Teaching is the seventh: Care for God’s Creation. This principle, affirmed by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, reminds us that “we show our respect for the Creator by our stewardship of creation.” What may once have been viewed as a peripheral issue—often […]
Read MoreAt a Catholic college in Vermont, where forested mountains surround us and the seasons mark the passing of time with crisp clarity, it’s easy to think of the earth as a gift—and it is. But when we turn to the teachings of the Church, particularly those expressed by Pope Francis in Laudato Si’ (On Care […]
Read MoreJust as Paris was readying to welcome the world for the Summer Olympics in 2024 – a symbolic gesture of inclusion – an undercurrent of French nationalism and xenophobia was bubbling to the surface. Ava Lavigne ’26, who was interning abroad there at the time, witnessed the cultural and social tensions come to a head […]
Read MoreOur graduate assistants returned to the Natural Area with the Middle Grades Institute for another outdoor education workshop. This time, we integrated art, sustainability, and teaching, in order to design a unique activity making “Insect Hotels”. Activities like this one showcase how teaching in the Outdoor/Living Classrooms can create many opportunities to educate for sustainability. This […]
Read MoreProfessor Robert Letovsky retired in Fall 2024 after four decades of impactful teaching at Saint Michael’s College. A seasoned professional with a diverse background in international business, he dedicated his career to providing students with a global perspective and real-world experiences. Below, he reflects on his journey, the value of a well-rounded education, and what […]
Read MoreThe sixth principle of Catholic social teaching is solidarity, the call to stand with others in their efforts to achieve justice. More than empathy and more than charity, solidarity is a moral and spiritual commitment to walk with those who suffer, to act on their behalf, and to share in the burdens and struggles of […]
Read MoreSaint Michael’s College and the Study Abroad Office offer numerous opportunities for students to leave the classroom and explore various countries through internships, traditional semesters abroad, academic study trips, and more. These experiences provide students with global understanding and hands-on learning while deepening what they’ve learned in the classroom within real-world settings. This summer, the […]
Read MoreMany are familiar with saffron due to its high market value – the spice is more expensive than any other compound on Earth, at about $10,000 per pound, according to Saint Michael’s College Chemistry Professor Shane Lamos. For student researcher Bethany Hayes ’26, saffron presented an opportunity for a summer research project. Her goal: to […]
Read MoreStudent researcher Olivia Miller-Johnson ’26 transformed her interest in the complex ways the internet intersects with politics and society into an eight-week, grant-funded research project this summer. Through her research, Miller-Johnson, a Digital Media and Communications major, asked timely questions about both content moderation on social media and media bias in mainstream news. Guided by […]
Read MoreNo one at St. Mike’s knows the flow cytometer quite like Olivia Goldfarb ’27. She was the first to use the specialized laboratory equipment when the College acquired one a year ago through a grant, and she has logged the most hours on it so far. Biology Professor Lyndsay Avery explained that at most other […]
Read MoreAt Saint Michael’s College, rooted in the tradition of the Society of Saint Edmund, we take seriously the call to build a more just and compassionate society. This call is more than idealism. It is a commitment grounded in the Gospel and in Catholic Social Teaching, which holds up the dignity of work and the […]
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