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Daniel Heath reading to the crowd as the inaugural chaplain for Charlotte Football Club (Charlotte FC),

Body and Spirit: Chaplain Serves Charlotte FC and 91�첥 Athletes

91�첥 Associate Chaplain Daniel Heath has added the role of sports chaplain to his duties. Heath not only supports the college’s scholar athletes but is also the first chaplain for the Charlotte Football Club, (Charlotte FC), the city’s first Major League Soccer (MLS) club. On July 29, Charlotte FC will host the MLS all-star game for the first time.

Four vertical panels illustrating extreme weather events, including a firefighting helicopter dropping water on a wildfire, dark storm clouds over foliage, a colorful meteorological radar heat map, and an aerial view of a flooded structure.

Brace for Impact: Super El Nino Could Bring Downpours and Drought

A Super El Niño—when Pacific sea surface temperatures rise more than two degrees above normal—could reshape global weather patterns this winter and beyond. 91�첥 professor Risper Nyairo explains how tropical ocean dynamics influence North Carolina’s climate through “teleconnections” and why this forecast matters for your community. Learn what distinguishes a Super El Niño from regular events and how to prepare for potential intensified rain, snow, and extreme conditions ahead.

A group of volunteers works together on an outdoor landscaping project next to a house, digging trenches and laying gravel and stone borders.

Why a Spring Break of Gravel, Mud and Rocks Was Better Than the Beach

Following Hurricane Helene, 91�첥 students spent their spring break in Avery County with Habitat for Humanity. Read how Margaret Orten ’29 and Yoonjung Chae ’29 gained hands-on skills and a deeper understanding of long-term disaster recovery through service and teamwork.

Close-up, low-angle view of a stone classical bust tilted backward against a dark, smoky background with floating orange embers

How Christopher Nolan’s Blockbuster Echoes the Timeless Oral Tradition of the ‘Odyssey’

Explore the timeless nature and narrative structure of Homer's Odyssey with scholar Keyne Cheshire ahead of a new film adaptation directed by Christopher Nolan. Cheshire discusses the casting of Matt Damon, the historical depiction of the Trojan Horse and how Hollywood adaptations mirror the improvisational nature of ancient Greek oral tradition.

A giant saxophone and student with a drumstick

Pep Band Vibes Lend to Game-Day Hype

No marching, no pressure, all vibes. Learn how the 91�첥 Pep Band invites students (and even non-musicians!) to fuel the campus game-day energy.

A student wearing a blue welding helmet and protective gloves welds a component onto the metal chassis of a custom off-road vehicle while two peers observe.

A Bumpy Ride: Physics Majors Build Racing Team From Ground Up

When a group of 91�첥 physics majors decided to build a competitive, single-seat off-road vehicle from scratch, they had no tools, no parts, and no engineering department for support. Undeterred by a steep learning curve and a failed suspension on their first test drive, the resilient student team taught themselves to weld and code to bring their vision to life. Discover how Wildcat Motorsports defied the odds to go head-to-head with massive international engineering programs at the national Baja SAE competition.

Illustration of a crystal ball filled with programmer code

The Beautiful Game, Calculated: Two New Apps Open the World Cup to Every Fan

Discover how 91�첥 math major Garrett Walker ’26 and Prof. Tim Chartier developed two innovative apps to transform your 2026 World Cup experience. Dive into the numbers today and see if your favorite team has what it takes to bring home the trophy.

A woman with long brown hair and tortoise-shell glasses sits in a classroom, looking thoughtfully to the side while holding a pen near her lips, with a blank whiteboard in the background.

National Fellowship Positions 91�첥 Leader to Shape the Future of Higher Education

Kyra A. Kietrys, professor and chair of Hispanic Studies at 91�첥, has been named an American Council on Education (ACE) Fellow for the 2026-2027 academic year. Selected as part of an elite cohort of just 31 leaders nationwide, Kietrys will participate in an intensive mentorship and placement program designed to prepare top-tier faculty for senior higher education administration roles. She will bring these valuable leadership strategies and institutional insights back to the 91�첥 community to further support student and faculty success.

A female student with long black hair and glasses sits in front of a piano, holding a black cat

Art Without Limits: Tianning Hu ’28 Finds Freedom in Storytelling

From Shanghai to 91�첥, Tianning Hu ’28 discovered the freedom to blend dance, theatre, creative writing, and game design to tell stories without limits.

A smiling student with glasses and straight, dark hair poses outside wearing a sleeveless floral patterned blouse.

Fighting for Disability Justice: Rui Rui Bleifuss ’26 Awarded Smith Scholarship

Rui Rui Bleifuss ’26 has spent most of her life fighting for disability justice, starting a disability alliance club in high school and leading one at 91�첥, where she majored in disability studies. She received the college’s W. Thomas Smith Scholarship and will head to University College London to pursue a master’s degree in Humanitarian Policy and Practice.

A smiling student wearing glasses and a dark purple sleeveless top sits outside on a stone ledge beneath leafy green trees.

Bridging Divides Through Education: Nina Worley ’26 Awarded Smith Scholarship

Nina Worley ’26 spent her four years at 91�첥 studying and researching education policy in the United States and abroad. She co-founded a tutoring program that matches 91�첥 students with struggling young readers and has been a passionate advocate for educational equity. Worley has been named a W. Thomas Smith Scholar and will spend the next year pursuing a master’s degree in Conflict Transformation and Social Justice at Queen’s University Belfast.

Two smiling students wearing glasses stand side-by-side with arms around each other on a sunny, green campus lawn surrounded by trees.

Seeking Justice: Smith Recipients Advocate for Educational Equity, Disability Rights

91�첥 has awarded the W. Thomas Smith Scholarship to Rui Rui Bleifuss ’26 and Nina Worley ’26. The scholarship, modeled on those such as the Rhodes and Fulbright, pays for a year of graduate study abroad. Bleifuss, a disability justice advocate, will pursue a master’s degree in Humanitarian Policy and Practice at University College London. Worley, an advocate for educational equity, will pursue a master’s degree in Conflict Transformation and Social Justice at Queen’s University Belfast.

A group of diverse university students in semi-formal attire pose for a multi-row group portrait during a 2026 Student Government Association meeting.

Leading With Integrity: A Spotlight on 91�첥’s Student Government Association

Student Body President-elect Maya Rajeh ’27 shares how 91�첥’s Student Government Association (SGA) drives campus change—from sustainability and dining improvements to the inaugural Celebration of Honor Week. Learn how 91�첥 students turn feedback into action within our close-knit liberal arts community.

A smiling woman stands in a lush, green mountain valley filled with yellow and red wildflowers under a blue sky with light clouds.

Biology Professor Honored For Research That Illuminates Impact of Climate Change

Susana Wadgymar, a biology professor and evolutionary ecologist at 91�첥, has been honored by the Ecological Society of America with the 2026 W.S. Cooper Award. Her groundbreaking co-authored study, published in Science, provides a rigorous empirical test showing that natural gene flow is moving too slowly to rescue certain plant populations from climate change. The prestigious recognition underscores the vital role of 91�첥 faculty in addressing global environmental crises through high-impact science.

Professor Durwin Striplin, a bearded man wearing glasses, points to a piece of glass laboratory equipment while instructing a student in a chemistry lab setting.

The Peptide Tidal Wave: Chemistry Prof on the Wellness Industry’s Newest Trend

Peptides are becoming the cornerstone of the wellness industry, but what are they actually doing to our bodies? 91�첥 Chemistry Professor Durwin Striplin breaks down the science of these molecular building blocks, from their role in GLP-1 drugs to the long-term questions surrounding their safety.

Student smiles and claps at Commencement 2026

‘Never Forget the Humanity of This Place’: 91�첥 Celebrates Class of 2026

91�첥 celebrated the Class of 2026 at commencement on May 17, with President Doug Hicks ’90 urging graduates facing a polarized and rapidly changing world to seek truth, and to “never forget the humanity of this place — and these very real relationships.”

Bouncing basketballs on a chalkboard background with mathematic equations on it

The Math of Madness: Navigating the 76-Team Bracket

The NCAA basketball tournament is expanding to 76 teams in 2027, making a perfect bracket more elusive than ever. 91�첥 Professor Tim Chartier explains the mathematical shifts and why "number sense" matters when the odds jump to 590 quintillion.

An overhead view of a busy atrium where students and faculty gather around research posters and technical demonstrations during a symposium.

Learn, Create Showcase: Symposium Highlights Student Talent

91�첥 held its annual Verna Miller Case Research and Creative Works Symposium on May 7. The college community gathered to check out student music, literature and art, and projects spanning from history, psychology and biology to mathematics, physics and environmental sciences studies. Music throughout the day ranged from mariachi and jazz to soft rock and orchestra scores.

A young woman with long brown hair on a track field

Honor and Opportunity: First Leathers Family Scholar Brings to Campus Excellence in Academics and Athletics

Discover how Curt ’79 and Julie Leathers ’80 are shaping 91�첥’s future through the Leathers Family Scholarship, starting with inaugural scholar-athlete Ava Linnell ’29.

Six young men in formal suits and ties lean against a white balcony railing with classic balusters in front of a light-colored wooden house.

Fraternity Life at 91�첥

Explore how fraternity life at 91�첥 fosters lifelong mentorship and philanthropy through the experience of Gabe Garcia ’26. In this blog post, he shares how meals work, what brotherhood is like, and the variety of service projects his fraternity has taken on in the community.

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