KateLynn Whitney '16 is about to embark on a transformative adventure.
The Psychology and Elementary Education double major from Ellsworth, Maine was recently awarded the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, enabling her to study in Dakar, Senegal next semester. The aspiring teacher, who serves as a mentor for the Simmons Chapter of Strong Women Strong Girls, is excited to immerse herself in the Senegalese culture. That will mean speaking two foreign languages -- French and the Senegalese language of Wolof -- and eschewing her smartphone for a simpler life.
Find out why KateLynn chose to leave her comfort zone, and learn how you can broaden your horizons during your time at Simmons.
Continue reading Student Preps for Semester in Senegal.
Dean Cathy Minehan and students from Simmons School of Management were featured in the NPR piece "How Boston Is Trying to Eliminate The Gender Wage Gap". In the interview, Dean Minehan discusses her work leading the citywide council that has so far persuaded 44 businesses to sign a pledge to close the wage gap. Dean Minehan says the most crucial step for is for companies to statistically assess their own wage data. "Sometimes, people reject the idea that we have an issue until they actually see their data," she said. "And then they say to themselves, 'Huh?' "
(Reposted from the School of Management blog)
As we prepared for Thanksgiving break, we asked the Simmons community what they're most thankful for this year. Some of the answers were surprising, but they all had one thing in common: gratitude for the things that make life fulfilling. Whether you find purpose in service, travel, studying or simply being with the people (and pets!) you love, we hope you enjoy this holiday break.
Happy Thanksgiving -- and Thanksgivukkah -- from Simmons!
It might be a few more weeks until the official start of winter, but there's definitely a chill in the Boston air. So what does that mean for our campus? We talked to students, faculty, and staff about their favorite parts of winter at Simmons.
For all the skeptics out there, here are a few more reasons why winter just might be the best season to be at Simmons:
- Drinking sugar cookie coffee and peppermint mochas at Common Grounds
- Curling up with a book in the fireplaced common room at South Hall
- Eating, drinking, and being merry at the annual Winter Wonderland celebration
- Enjoying all Boston's unique winter activities, like skating on the Frog Pond, seeing the lights on Boston Common and at Faneuil Hall, and shopping at the SoWa Holiday Market
- Seeing friends and family during break, then reuniting with your campus family for an exciting new semester
Everyone loves Shark Week, but at Simmons we get to experience it twice! We Simmons Sharks hold our very own week-long celebration each fall. There are games, prizes, tasty food -- and you don't need to get into a metal cage to interact with our beloved mascot, Stormy the Shark.
Join our Woman on Campus, Sarah Galvez, for a look back at this year's festivities.
We are pleased to welcome Gretchen Dittrich to our Behavior Analysis faculty this year. She comes to us with degrees from the University of Nevada, Northeastern, and her Ph.D. from Simmons - and brings her research interests in behavioral medicine, functional analysis of complex behaviors, social skill training, the application of behavior analytic methodologies to higher education, and verbal behavior. Dr. Dittrich currently teaches several courses in the master's and doctoral programs. We wanted to know a bit about her life outside the classroom, so we asked:
- What drew you to Simmons?
- The doctoral program in behavior analysis offered the opportunity to work with some of the leading researchers in the field, and offered a comprehensive and rigorous course load.
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- What do you like most about living and teaching in Boston?
- I love the rich history in Boston and New England. There are so many interesting historical landmarks and places to visit -- and it's amazing to see places that have been described in history books first-hand.
- Boston is a large city, but it also is a great community, and people pull together to help each other in times of need, but also to cheer for the home teams. There is a great deal of camaraderie that can be seen whenever a game is on, and this is something you don't see at the same level in many other cities and states. It makes you feel welcome.
Continue reading Know Your Professor: Gretchen Dittrich.
Read President Helen Drinan's latest Huffington Post Blog: Women's Advancement -- Male Allies Please
Excerpt:
When Twitter begins trading publicly this month, it will do so with a board composed entirely of white men. Thirty or 40 years ago, this may not have been strange; I daresay that few would have questioned this decision at all. But today, with women's substantial use of social media, I am truly shocked that a major corporation would allow such a gross oversight.
Women have expressed outrage about this lack of representation by one of the leading technology companies of our time, and they should. But my question is, where are the men in this debate?
It seems to me that all sound businesspeople -- men or women -- should question why such an influential company would not seek strategic input from one of the largest audiences that it serves. Read more.
This week, Boston will elect our first new mayor in 20 years -- the first change in that office since many of our undergraduates were born. Though we don't know who Boston's next leader will be, one thing is certain: it won't be a woman.
The top female candidate for mayor this cycle, Charlotte Golar Richie, finished third in September's primary leaving two men to vie for the office. Though Massachusetts has a strong history of diversity and inclusion in many ways, we have never chosen a female mayor in Boston, nor has the state ever elected a woman as governor.
So how do we inspire, support and encourage more women to run for office in our state and beyond? We start by helping our girls envision futures in politics.
Simmons is proud to create opportunities for young women to develop their political voices. Recently, we partnered with the Grimke Event Committee to present, "How Women Become Political," a non-partisan gathering of female politicians, activists and influencers. See what the event meant to attendees:
What an incredible week to be at Simmons!
We celebrated the birth of our founder, John Simmons, a bewitching Boston Halloween, and the culmination of the first Simmtober campaign.
And we all know another series of events joined not only the Simmons community, but all of Boston, in joyful celebration this week. With historic Fenway Park just steps away, baseball playoff excitement has been palpable on campus for weeks. Now our students will have a front-row seat for the traditional duck boat parade on Saturday to welcome home their world champion Red Sox.
Our Woman on Campus, Sarah Galvez, explored what it means to be a sports fan in Boston. See what students had to say:
Watch: Simmons Speaks Founder's Day Video
Every October 30th, we celebrate the birth of the College's founder, John Simmons. He was an innovative businessman who made his fortune in the mid-1800s by inventing ready-to-wear suits in standard sizes. Decades before women were allowed to vote, Simmons had another revolutionary idea: that women should receive a college education in preparation for a life of independence and purpose. His will established Simmons College, setting the stage for generations of learning and empowerment. As we honor Simmons's legacy, see what our community has to say about the transformative power of the education he made possible.
