Through the program, Wooster students earn a graduate business degree in just one year after completing their bachelor’s degree. Also available to prospective students considering enrollment, the program includes early admission to Simon, and students receive a guaranteed tuition scholarship, creating an efficient route to a highly prestigious graduate business degree.

“Offering this opportunity provides advantages to Wooster students interested in master’s degrees through Simon Business School,” said Jen Bowen, Dean for Curriculum & Academic Engagement. “Academic advisors work closely with students to design their coursework and experiential learning to provide a path that will set them up for successful careers in national and international business. This relationship with Rochester allows our students to build on the foundation they receive at Wooster in critical thinking, research skills, and global and intercultural perspectives, all important for working in business-related careers today.”

Program participants can pursue a master’s degree in areas such as accounting, artificial intelligence in business, business analytics, finance, and marketing analytics, and it’s available to Wooster students with a pre-business mindset from any major who complete the required courses in business economics, computer science, mathematics, economics, ��statistical and data sciences, or other courses specific to the master’s program. Students in the entrepreneurship pathway will also find this a natural fit with their interests.

Simon Business School is consistently ranked among the top business schools in the United States and recognized for delivering a strong return on investment for its graduates. The 4+1 Business Master’s Pathway program offers several benefits designed to simplify and accelerate the graduate admissions process, including:

• Guaranteed scholarship covering at least 30% of tuition
• Waived application fee
• No GRE or GMAT requirement
• Early access to graduate-level career workshops and one-on-one coaching sessions

“This partnership with Wooster reflects our shared commitment to expanding access to high-quality graduate education,” said University of Rochester Provost Nicole Sampson. “By working with Wooster and other outstanding partner institutions, we are enabling talented students to transition more easily from undergraduate to graduate study and prepare for successful careers with a Simon degree. Together, we are building a powerful bridge that expands opportunity and delivers lasting value for students and their families.”

Learn more about pre-professional advising in business at wooster.edu/area/pre-business/ and for more information about the 4+1 Business Master’s Pathway program, visit: .

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Attentive to the fast-paced changes of the late 20th��century, Russell��prioritized music education for a diverse background of students and found��meaning in introducing students to new repertoire��as they��encountered��composers for the first time.��In an interview in the��winter 1988 edition of the��Wooster magazine, Russell��said, “Students��and others from the College and the community all sing together��—��because they want to. They can go on singing for the rest of their lives because the music is theirs,”��a testament to his passion��for��music��pedagogy.��

In addition to his work at the College, Russell served for more than 25 years as organist and choir director at First Presbyterian Church in Wooster, where he was involved in the installation of the church’s Karl Wilhelm organ.��

Russell retired from the College in 2008, concluding more than three decades of teaching, conducting, and service. Even after his retirement, he��remained��closely connected��to former students and colleagues, continuing to support and celebrate their��achievements��in��the Wooster community.��

Russell’s��full obituary is available����

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As senior vice president, head of discovery science and founding principal investigator at Altos Labs, Nunnari’s work focuses on cellular rejuvenation programming with the goal of reversing disease. As a mitochondrial biologist, she studies the cellular structures that provide energy and metabolic building blocks to living cells, which affect a wide range of diseases and aging. Nunnari was the first to describe mitochondria as a dynamic network in a homeostatic balance, and her lab described the mitochondrial division and fusion machines. Her lab also elucidated additional mechanisms underlying mitochondrial behavior within cells, including how mitochondrial membranes are organized, how mitochondria communicate with the endoplasmic reticulum, and how the mitochondrial genome is transmitted.

Nunnari’s academic body of work includes more than 100 publications spanning more than two decades, published in scientific journals around the world. Her papers have been cited by other research publications more than nine thousand times. Prior to joining Altos, Nunnari served as distinguished professor of molecular and cellular biology at the University of California-Davis from 1998 to 2022. Additionally, Nunnari is a fellow and past president of the American Society for Cell Biology and an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences, the European Molecular Biology Organization and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Nunnari earned her B.A. in chemistry at Wooster and her doctorate in pharmacology from the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in 1989.

Josephine Fleischel ’26

In addition to Nunnari, the ceremony will feature speakers from the graduating class, Josephine Fleischel ’26, a global media and digital studies major, and Elliot Miller ’26, an environmental geoscience major, who were selected based on academic performance and peer nominations.

Fleischel, a global media and digital studies major, serves as co-president of the Wooster Dance Company and is an active choreographer and dancer. She is also a DJ for the campus radio station, Woo-91, and volunteers weekly with the nonprofit OHuddle. As a recipient of the Theatre and Dance Scholarship, she studied abroad in London, where she pursued media studies coursework and trained at the London Contemporary Dance School. Her Independent Study, “If Man is Five, Then the Devil is Six,” examines the influence of new media technologies on the evolution of Satanic Panic narratives, analyzing rhetorical shifts across the 1980s and 2010s.

Elliot Miller ’26

Miller, an environmental geoscience major with a minor in physics, chose Wooster for the liberal arts education, competitive athletics, and strong sense of community. His I.S., conducted with Meagen Pollock, Marian Senter Nixon Professor of Natural Sciences, analyzes samples from Iceland’s Western Volcanic Zone with implications for identifying volcanic activity on Mars. He studied abroad in Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands and interned with Wooster’s earth sciences department. In addition to serving as a three-year student assistant athletic trainer, Elliot participates in Geology Club and Bluegrass Jam and competes on the men’s soccer team. His achievements include recognition as an Academic and Athletic All-American and receipt of an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship. After graduation, he plans to pursue graduate studies in geophysics.

President McCall will preside over the ceremony, which will also include an invocation led by Stuart Franklin ’26, education and religious studies majors, and benediction provided by Rev. Jon Fancher ’78, interim chaplain at the College. The ceremony also will feature a vocal performance by Lilly Ashe ’26, a communication sciences and disorders major and music minor.

Tickets are required to enter the event and may be requested through a on the commencement webpage. Families who cannot attend the event in person will be able to access a livestream of the ceremony. For more information on commencement and related events visit wooster.edu/commencement.

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The short documentary film, mostly in Spanish with English subtitles, captures the rigor and passion that drive flamenco artists toward virtuosity and transcendence. It is the product of the 2025 Wooster-Madrid TREK, which combined a study of the history of Madrid with a filmmaking workshop.

“For me, documentary is an act of empathy. It’s an act of listening,” said Greg Shaya, Henry J. and Laura H. Copeland professor of European history, and global media & digital studies, who led the TREK and co-directed the film with Aída Díaz de León, visiting assistant professor of Spanish. Seven Wooster students with a variety of majors took part in the program: Tobi Aina ’28, Nurain Amier ’26, Shannon Dunning ’27, TyLynn Gault ’27, Emma McKone ’26, Henry Walter-Wilde ’27, and Eva Wojciechowski ’26.

While in Madrid, the student film crew closely followed four dancers—Mía, Sara, Gabriel and Rafael—as they told the stories of their journeys to flamenco and the spirit, or fire within, that animates their art. Consequently, the crew learned a lot about flamenco in addition to learning how to make films.

“It was technically impressive, but it was also emotionally beautiful. I thought that they summed up every human emotion in the show,” said Dunning, a music major.

The experience was completely hands-on with students learning all aspects of filmmaking. “I got to do a lot of media wrangling and learned how to manage all the footage, which made me understand a lot more about the equipment that goes into actually capturing a shot,” said Amier, who is majoring in biology and Chinese studies.

Shaya added, “I love when the students’ eyes open wide, and you can see they’re thinking. There’s something cool going on here, and I’m a part of it.”

One of the biggest takeaways for the students was how much work goes into making a film, even a short one. “There’s an understanding that you’re going to pour a lot of work into it, even if the project you actually end up making isn’t huge,” said Walter-Wilde, a biochemistry & molecular biology major completing a pathway in digital & visual storytelling.

Shaya and Díaz de León, along with collaborators in Madrid, helped the students put the pieces together. “There are so many challenges to making a movie,” Shaya said. “Who are your characters? Where’s the story? I feel like we’re running to make this thing happen, but it’s magic when things come together.”

Faculty praised the students for their dedication to the project. “At Wooster, we have such amazing students who are smart, hard-working, curious, and engaged,” said Shaya. “What I appreciate about youth,” added Díaz de León, “is that they don’t have limits.”

In addition to making “Flamenco, The Fire Within,” which is only available through public screenings, the students created a short YouTube video about their experience, titled

The 2025 Wooster-Madrid TREK was made possible with support from the Discovery Learning Endowment and the Yamazaki Experiential Travel Fund. Six Wooster students will attend a 2026 Wooster-Madrid TREK and plan to make a film about the neighborhood of Malasaña. More information about supporting these funds is available by contacting advancement@wooster.edu.

Featured Image: Students Henry Walter-Wilde ’27, Tobi Aina ’28, Emma McKone ’26, TyLynn Gault ’27, Nurain Amier ’26, Shannon Dunning ’27, Eva Wojciechowski ’26 participated in a TREK, off-campus filming workshop in Madrid, led by Professor Greg Shaya, and 69ֱ��ing Assistant Professor Aída Díaz de León.

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“What an honor it is for our community to learn, work, and play in the middle of an arboretum. Paul’s inspiring support and enthusiasm for this project show his devotion to Wooster,” President Anne McCall said. “Beautifully maintained by our campus grounds department, the Abbey Arboretum at Wooster provides a nourishing learning environment that fosters community, scholarship, research, and innovation. Paul’s gift honors that stewardship and adds to our ability to preserve that enriching environment for Wooster’s future.”

Paul Abbey ’73

For the Abbeys, committing their support to the Abbey Arboretum at Wooster is part of an ongoing tradition. Paul Abbey founded��, a nonprofit organization dedicated to restoring the Northeast Ohio tree canopy and environmental preservation, and the value arboreta bring to the community in perpetuity is also meaningful to his wife, Constance Norweb Abbey whose great grandfather, Albert F. Holden, founded .

“We’re building on a historic tree community already in place at Wooster,” said Abbey, an emeritus trustee of the College and past president of the Alumni Association. “It’s a living laboratory, and our support adds to the research, learning environment, and educational opportunities for our community about how trees benefit us all. Through partnerships with local arboretums, strong governance, and local volunteers, the Abbey Arboretum at Wooster will support our beautiful campus in more intentional and new ways.”

Arboretums specialize in trees and woody plants, and as a member of for more than 16 years, the College already meets many of the criteria of a including a labeled and cataloged collection of at least 25 different tree species. , developed 25 years ago in collaboration with , tracks not only the number of trees on campus but also their ecological and economic benefits. In just the past five years, calculations estimated the value of trees on campus at more than $63,000; benefits include carbon dioxide removed from the air (more than 820K pounds), storm water mitigation avoiding runoff and collecting rainfall (more than 12M gallons), and air pollution removal including carbon monoxide, and other gases (more than 100K ounces). Over a span of 20 years, the value rises to $260,000 for the nearly 180 different species of trees on campus.

“The strength and support added through the Abbey Arboretum honors the hard work of our grounds department to maintain the urban forest on campus,” said Phil Olsen, manager of campus grounds and a certified arborist. “Sustainability and preserving and protecting our environment mean so much to our students and community. The partnerships through accreditation reaffirm our commitment to providing students a beautiful campus underneath our tree canopy.”

Abbey will serve as founding director and chair of an advisory committee that will include faculty, staff, students, and members of the local community. The committee will offer perspective on how the Abbey Arboretum at Wooster will expand student and community engagement, strengthen and grow the tree collection, and broaden academic research and educational development opportunities, over the next three to five years. Already, in addition to environmental research on campus, students and faculty often collaborate with the in Wooster and , just east of Cleveland. “These partnerships strengthen Wooster’s value as a member of ArbNet’s network,” said Abbey, noting that as a student, he was involved with a project at Secrest.

Coming to Wooster from Pennsylvania, Abbey said going to school in what felt like a woodland helped him “feel at home” on a campus, and it was a meaningful place for his family. His great-grandfather, Dwight C. Hanna, who graduated from Wooster in 1883, was the first of five generations in Abbey’s family to “walk under the same oak trees,” also including his daughter, Kendall Abbey ’09, who earned her degree in anthropology. Abbey, a political science alumnus, sees the education he received at Wooster as a “jumping off point” regardless of vocation.

“Wooster gave me the confidence to face the future as a strong thinker and problem solver,” said Abbey, who later founded Fairport Asset Management LLC, a wealth management company in 1988 (now Hightower Signature Wealth). “Insights into the macro-economic environment, global politics, and the inner workings of government, strengthened our investment strategy for our clients.”

Investing in trees reflects Abbey’s enduring connection to the College, one that still draws him to the woods alongside the campus golf course, where he once roamed as a four-year member of the Fighting Scots men’s golf team. Working closely with Olsen and being involved in nurturing Wooster’s tree canopy is nothing new for Abbey. His support extended to the planting of 21 black gum trees, celebrated in the fall, involving many volunteers from the community. To him, the event signified an example of the educational value promoting the long-term health of the campus landscape can bring to the community, and the Abbey Arboretum at Wooster underscores that impact into the future. “What we’re doing today will benefit students for generations,” he said.

The College’s commitment to its urban forest is also supported by the Tree Conservation Endowment and the Grace Tompos Endowed Tree Fund, and the Abbeys’ gift of the Abbey Arboretum at Wooster helps position the College for its upcoming comprehensive campaign.

The Abbey Arboretum at Wooster encompasses the College’s 240-acre campus and golf course including about 2,800 trees in an urban forest where the College community lives and learns.

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Wooster’s Meagen Pollock, geologist and Lewis M. and Marian Senter Nixon Professor in the Natural Sciences, and Assistant Professor of Physics Laura DeGroot, at the College, answer these questions and more below.

How often do meteors enter the Earth’s atmosphere in this way?

Pollock: Several tons of meteoritic material enter Earth’s atmosphere each day. (!). Most of it burns up in the atmosphere and never reaches the ground.

How do scientists track or detect events like this?

Pollock: Scientists use multiple methods, including weather radar, satellite sensors, and eyewitness reports. According to , this event was seen from three regional weather radars and picked up by the Geostationary Lightning Mapper instrument on a weather satellite, which detects light emitted by electrical discharges. So far, there are 222 eyewitness reports about this event on the .

What determines whether something burns up completely verses reaching the ground?

DeGroot: According to NASA, anything smaller than a football field will break apart in the Earth’s atmosphere, but the initial size, composition, and speed are factors that determine whether it makes it to the surface. They are traveling at tens of thousands of miles per hour, and when they hit, the air in front of them compresses very quickly causing the temperature to rise. This causes the meteor to heat up and burn until there is nothing left. This also causes intense pressure of the atmospheric gas, which can exceed the structural strength of the object holding itself together causing it to explode midair. As this happens, we then see a bright flare and less than 5% of the original object reaches the ground.

Are meteorites dangerous or should we be concerned that it could happen again?

DeGroot: Documented cases of meteorites causing injuries or deaths are rare! While Earth’s atmosphere is bombarded by space debris daily, larger meteors only strike every few years or decades. We know of very large impacts due to craters from millions and tens of thousands of years ago. Other documented cases of large impacts include in 1908, 1954, and many may remember the 2013 fireball that streaked across the sky in Chelyabinsk, Russia. This one blew apart 14 miles above the ground, creating a shockwave that damaged buildings that caused injuries. Overall, they are rare, and we don’t need to be concerned. Most material burns up in the Earth’s atmosphere.

What is the difference between a meteor, asteroid, and meteorite?

Pollock: An asteroid is a small, rocky or metallic body that orbits the Sun. When a piece of an asteroid, or some other object, enters Earth’s atmosphere, it heats up and glows, and we see a bright streak of light called a meteor. A meteorite is what we call the object if it makes it to Earth’s surface.

What was it made of?

Pollock: Most meteorites are stony meteorites, made primarily of minerals like we find on Earth with small amounts of metallic iron. NASA has confirmed from a sample that it was a type of stony meteorite called an achondrite, which has experienced geologic processes like the ones on Earth. It’s less dense than the stony meteorites that have the small amounts of metallic iron.

Is it possible to find a meteorite? How would we recognize one?

Pollock: Yes, it’s possible, but it’s harder than you might expect, even if you have an idea of where they might be based on a color-coded strewn field map like the one at the link above. Look for rocks that feel heavier than expected for their size and appear to be different from surrounding rocks. It might also have a dark, glassy fusion crust on the outer edges.

Is there scientific value in collecting fragments/meteorites?

Pollock: Absolutely! Meteorites are direct samples of other bodies in our solar system, many of which formed over 4.5 billion years ago. By studying them, we learn about solar system formation, planetary processes, and even the chemical ingredients that may have contributed to the origin of life on Earth. If they’re recovered carefully from known falls, they’re even more scientifically valuable because their history and exposure are well constrained.

What should people do if they think they’ve found a meteorite?

Pollock: Try not to touch it with your hands! Snap a photo where it lies, note its location, and use clean foil or gloves to collect it. Keep it clean, dry, and wrapped or in a bag, and take it to an institution that can examine it for you. You can bring it to 69ֱ�� Earth Sciences Department. Please be warned, though! Most suspected meteorites turn out to be regular rocks.

Featured image: Assistant Professor of Physics Laura DeGroot (left) and Meagen Pollock, geologist and Lewis M. and Marian Senter Nixon Professor in the Natural Sciences (right)

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Wooster sent two teams to the all-day event: the Scot Bots, including Miles Fike ’27, Osen Mac-Iriase ’26, Hannah Venzon ’28, and Anany Sachan ’27, and the Wooster Wildcards, which included Suraj Acharya ’26, Mehdia Sadat ’27, Saidamir Osimov ’27, and Elizabeth Haar ’26. The Wildcards secured first place after solving five of the contest’s six problems. “They were the only team to solve that many problems, and they did it in less total time than any other team,” said Heather Guarnera, assistant professor of computer science, who coached both groups.

The contest, now in its 36th year, challenges teams to solve a set of six complex programming problems during a four-hour window without the use of the internet or electronic devices other than the computers they use to code. Students can track other teams’ progress for the first three hours, but the final hour is a blackout period, heightening the suspense and strategy as teams race to complete solutions. In the event of a tie, the winner is determined by speed and by penalties for multiple incorrect submissions.

This year’s competition included teams from Denison University, Ohio Wesleyan University, Granville High School, and Wooster. Guarnera noted that solving all six problems is rare, making the Wildcards’ performance especially impressive.

Acharya, a mathematics and computer science major who had participated in the competition twice before, said the contest offered a valuable opportunity to apply complex concepts like dynamic programming from his coursework in a high-stakes, fast-paced environment. “Taking Algorithm Analysis with Dr. Guarnera not only prepared me for recognizing problems in dynamic programming but also solving them,” he said, adding that the team’s greatest advantage was familiarity with the tools the competition requires.

The Scot Bots and Wooster Wildcards included (from left to right, back) Sachan, Osimov, Mac-Iriase, Fike, and Venzon and (from left to right, front), Haar, Sadat, and Acharya with Professor Guarnera (front, far left).

Still, the team’s camaraderie was ultimately the most memorable aspect of the event for Acharya. “I believe that enjoying the competition is the best outcome you can get,” he reflected, “and I definitely enjoyed it.”

Beyond the technical challenge, Guarnera emphasized that the event showcases the competencies Wooster cultivates in its graduates: problem-solving, critical and creative thinking, effective collaboration, deep disciplinary knowledge, and the ability to engage in both active listening and reasoning under pressure.

“It’s also a competitive evaluation of our students alongside peer institutions,” Guarnera noted. “And this year, they represented us well. Our students knocked it out of the park!”

Featured image: Wooster students, Acharya (left) and Haar (right) take their turn in the computer lab; only two teammates are allowed at a time in the lab, which increases the challenge and requires concentrated collaboration.

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Writing Center Director Alicia Brazeau feels pulled in two directions when it comes to AI. “I have deep concerns about what it means for writers, but at the same time, this is clearly a tool students are using and need to be literate in,” she said. That’s why in her First-Year Seminar course, Brazeau communicates clear policies for each assignment, so students know where AI use is appropriate and where it’s undermining learning.

The first-year students explore different ways to enhance study habits using AI. Primarily, Brazeau models how to effectively prompt AI, and the class evaluates AI outputs like feedback on essays and outlines. For added insight, she surveys each class about their experience and preferences around AI. Based on their level of enthusiasm toward the technology, Brazeau might include more of it throughout the semester. However, she’s been surprised to learn that even first-year students worry about AI taking away their voice.

Brazeau also builds in required drafts to assignments to push down the panic of a completed paper. To increase emphasis on the writing process, students also need peer review from the Writing Center. Brazeau’s consultants have been trained on using AI for feedback on writing and can use it when assignments allow it.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, Peter Abramo, director of Entrepreneurship, is using the technology in different ways in every class he teaches. “I’m not focusing on what it replaces, but what it adds to our work,” said Abramo.

Students collaborated with Abramo using ChatGPT to create EntrepreBot, an AI tutor that provides International Entrepreneurship students who didn’t previously take Abramo’s Introduction to Entrepreneurship course with access to material they may need. The bot used data, files, and links from Abramo, giving him control over content and eliminating the need for multiple requests for information.

ChatGPT also serves as a presentation coach by guiding students on presentation structure and content principles based on what they learned in class. Using the voice option, students verbally deliver their presentation for the AI tool to react to rather than a text file. ChatGPT takes on multiple personas to help better prepare the students for the specific audience they need. They might prompt it to act as an investor listening to their new venture pitch to get financial questions or opt for professor-related feedback to receive more business model and strategy questions. It prepares students by asking questions they might not think of on their own and offers feedback they can use to improve clarity, engagement, and persuasion.

Abramo made clear that AI saves him and the students time, but he emphasized that people still need a core knowledge base before they can use the tool and really maximize it. “The students are comfortable using AI, but they don’t really have the independent understanding of how to effectively leverage it to enhance the class learning objectives,” said Abramo. “They play around in it, but probably not in the most
strategic way. However, they’re very open to learning and finding out ways to incorporate it.”

Featured image: Wooster writing consultants now train on using AI for feedback on writing and further using it as a tool when assignments allow it.

This story originally appeared in the��.

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Led by Jennifer Hayward, Virginia Myers Professor of English and global media & digital studies, the group expects to have guidelines and recommendations ready by the end of spring semester 2026. They are also completing a plan for how to achieve student readiness, with implementation to follow. First, they’ll survey faculty, students, and staff to learn more about how the campus community is thinking about the role of generative AI here and survey alumni to ask how leaders in a variety of fields believe Wooster needs to be preparing graduates for the workforce.

Alex Nord, assistant professor of computer science, brings tech knowledge to his work on the AI task force. “We’re integrating AI into a sense of responsible citizenship for students,” said Nord. “Our policies will offer clarification that we want our students to be curious and proactive in their own education.”

During an AI discussion at a special faculty meeting last fall, the task force learned that their colleagues are becoming more nuanced in their approach to the technology. Hayward said the conversation has moved from an earlier concern with policing AI use to a focus on pedagogical shifts that more effectively promote learning and assess knowledge. In one of her own classes, Hayward shifted to in-class writing assignments rather than asking students to submit “perfect” papers.

“Students who don’t feel equipped for an assignment will turn to AI,” said Hayward. “At this stage we want them to use writing as a tool for working through thought processes. Because of our small classes, I can work with them individually to discuss their challenges, and I’m finding it’s been much more productive.” Regardless of discipline, students’ need for a strong knowledge base in their field is necessary to�� make the most of AI. Critical thinking skills are equally important to assess the reliability of AI outputs. The task force knows every discipline has unique preferences and objections around the technology, which will apply to student I.S. work. That’s why the group doesn’t plan on formulating any I.S.-specific guidelines campuswide. “Many departments are already creating their own AI guidelines for I.S., so the task force sees itself building on that existing expertise to facilitate more transparency and clearer communication,” said Hayward.

A possible model for that communication is the AI Literacy Guidebook, a digital resource created by students in Hayward’s Writing for AI class last spring. Their proof of concept demonstrated what the students would like tosee available to the entire campus. For instance, faculty might find direction for incorporating AI in their curriculum and fostering responsible use, while students might get best practices for using AI ethically or developing AI literacy.

A guidebook could also house case studies on ethical challenges with solutions across various disciplines. “A critical part of preparing students for the possibility of an AI-saturated world will involve providing them with concrete information about the environmental costs
incurred by data centers,” said Nord. “Students also need the skills required to interrogate the political, social, and profit interests of the groups charged with developing the ‘guardrails’ for information produced by AI systems.”

Featured image: AI taskforce hopes to prepare graduates in AI skills, while continuing to develop their writing and research skills.

This story originally appeared in the��.

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From eye-opening journeys that reveal strengths, to finding a calling through teaching, or discovering a path to the big top, alumni Bill Colvin ’79, Scott Bloom ’94, and Hannah Samuell ’09 reflect on the unexpected turns in their careers and the habits of inquiry that began at Wooster. Also, learn more about the College’s approach to artificial intelligence in a liberal arts environment built on critical thinking and human connection. The campus community is considering how AI influences classroom learning and raises ethical questions, as Wooster prepares graduates for an evolving world.

A historical feature revisits a defining moment in Wooster’s history when teaching evolutionary theory required courage, evidence-based debate, and a commitment to scholarly inquiry. Echoing that commitment in fall 2025, the College hosted a series of community discussions with expert speakers to inspire discussion reflecting on academic freedom in global, institutional, and educational contexts. Alongside coverage of the series, a Q&A with President Anne McCall discusses the role of academic freedom and dialogue in advancing knowledge not only in higher education but in society and communities.

Oak Grove includes “Why I Play” with baseball infielder and business economics major Ryan Kramer ’26, highlighting what motivates him on and off the field. In “Why Wooster,” assistant director of residence life Maddie Cuckow reflects on what drew her to the College and her work supporting students. “Mentoring Matchup” juxtaposes mentee Fridosse Adam Idrissou ’26, a French and Francophone studies and history major, with Ibra Sene, associate professor of history and global and international studies, who has supported her journey throughout her time at Wooster. Tartan Ties includes class notes from the classes of 1956 through 2022, coverage of the new Scots Under 10 Program celebration during Homecoming Weekend, and “Why I Give” with Zoe Dudack ’22.

The and past issues of the magazine are available in the��.

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