During Wintersession, Wellesley College hosted students for three Upskill programs from Jan. 16 through Jan. 19. The programs offered specialized training in investment banking, entrepreneurship, and coding. Around 60 students participated in these three programs. Students were able to gain hands-on experience within their specific industry and meet with professionals.

Embark! A First-Year Career Retreat

To kick off the start of the spring semester, Wellesley College Career Education hosted their annual weekend-long immersive program known as “Embark! A First-Year Career Retreat.” Over 190 first-years arrived on campus the weekend before classes in order to begin their career exploration, gain mentorship from older sibs, and learn about the variety of opportunities and activities available to Wellesley students. During this year’s Embark session, programming included learning how to draft a resume/cover letter, interview skills, identifying your career values and strengths, and learning how to engage with the Wellesley Alumnae network. The program culminated in an Experiential Learning Fair open to all first-years. Additionally, all Embark participants will have early access to Wellesley’s Summer 2024 Short Internship Projects (SHIPS).

Dining Hall Changes

Wellesley Fresh is offering several new additions to the menu this spring semester. Bae Pao Lu will be incorporating Taste of Jamaica back at the Nook. Bates added new flavoring syrups at the Coffee Station along with adding the Noodle Bar back into rotation. Stone Davis dining hall, which was the only dining hall that did not serve pizza until this semester, is now adding focaccia pizza to their menu. A High Protein Bar will be added to the weekly rotation in the Mediterranean bar at Tower. The Emporium will be offering Starbucks refreshers and cold brew coffee.

Wintersession Renovations

Tower Hall was closed during Wintersession undergoing several renovations. Students living in Tower Hall during the semester were temporarily placed in Stone Davis Hall during the period of construction. Students living in other dorms during the semester who also required housing during Wintersession, including those in Tower Court complex, did not have to relocate. 

Constructing a Hododscope for the MilliQan Experiment: Searching for Dark Matter

Natalie McGee ’26 participated in a ten-week-long physics Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) at the University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB). 

“The research I was doing was in high-energy experimental particle physics. We were looking for dark matter as part of the milliQan experiment. Specifically, looking for these theoretical dark matter particles with a really really small electric charge … I designed, built, and tested components of a new detector in the Large Hadron Collider, which will search for millicharged dark matter particles using scintillation. Specifically, I worked on the hodoscope, an auxiliary device that tracks muons to align the detectors. I gained many practical research skills, including experience with new programming languages, 3D design and printing, circuit board design, and more,” McGee said.

Throughout McGee’s time at UCSB she was able to develop lasting friendships with her fellow peers and gain insight into similar research labs.

“In general, it was a really great experience – I learned so much in a lot of different areas. Obviously in particle physics and experimental physics, but also just learning how to do research as a 9-5 job along with the experience of applying to grad school. The people there were all very supportive. I had a great advisor. The other students in the REU, eight of us, had two apartments that were next to each other and so we did a lot of activities together. We were all really close by the end of it.”

The Regeneron Experience: A Look into the Pharmaceutical Industry

Ylliah Jin ’25 had the opportunity to explore scientific research within an industry environment at Regeneron on the Tarrytown main campus in New York. 

“I was assigned to the Protein Biochemistry department. The primary focus of my work centered around the development and optimization of protocols for host cell protein purifications, utilizing the AKTA, a machine employing affinity-based column chromatography,” Jin explained. “Additionally, I dedicated time to assessing the capabilities of a new commercially available machine, which claimed to significantly reduce the duration of sample dialysis to a few hours compared to the conventional method, which typically takes a day.”

During her time at Regeneron, Jin was exposed to a diverse range of professionals and was able to develop new research skills, deepening her understanding of biochemistry.

“Prior to this experience, my research background primarily involved working with mice and DNA techniques, so delving into the realm of protein work was a novel and enriching endeavor. These newfound skills not only contributed to my proficiency in the biochemistry major at Wellesley but also broadened my understanding of the subject. Beyond the technical aspects, one of the most valuable aspects of my time at Regeneron was the opportunity to interact with a diverse range of professionals whose career paths diverged significantly from mine. This exposure is somewhat limited in an academic setting, where one often feels confined to their specific department,” Jin said. “This exposure not only broadened my perspectives but also underscored the importance of cultivating networking skills in any professional setting.”

The Heart of Medicine: Lessons Learned in a Pediatric Hospital

Gracie Evans ’24 spent her summer interning at Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis, Indiana. Throughout her eight-week-long internship, she rotated through subspecialities of the Heart Center, including Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit (CVICU), electrophysiology, clinics, cath lab, inpatient service, echocardiograms/fetal echos/MRI. 

“We spent the typical workday throughout the week mainly with one physician who we were paired up with, but there was also a lot of flexibility to shadow other people if the physicians were busy doing more office-type work like charting. The coolest experience was in my elective week in Maternal Fetal Medicine (MFM), which was high-risk OB care that Riley offered in their maternity tower … I got to spend a day on the labor and delivery floor. Within 30 minutes on the floor at seven in the morning, I was able to see and assist with a vaginal delivery, which was so amazing. I was also able to scrub in and assist on two C-sections. I wasn’t doing anything too crazy and was mostly just holding equipment for physicians, but being able to have even a small role in a milestone that’s so important in someone’s life was incredibly humbling and just a really amazing experience.”

Evans was drawn to Riley Hospital due to her own experience as a patient there. This opportunity helped Evans confirm her passion for medicine and allowed her the invaluable opportunity to connect with patients and families.

“The internship overall was undoubtedly the most valuable experience I’ve had in my experience as a pre-med student so far. It was so amazing to have such an immersive experience in a clinical setting, and really get to see the relationships and interactions between patients and physicians. I knew I wanted to go home for the summer, and was really hoping to find clinical programs in pediatrics … this program is such a unique opportunity to get an immersive experience in healthcare. It’s hard enough to find shadowing experience as is, but being able to have funding to support you while doing an immersive clinical experience like this is really so unique and valuable.”

In an ideal world, I throw on my long coat, beanie, fuzzy mittens, scarf and embark on my journey to class, with Doc Martens on my feet, and my pumpkin spice latte in hand. 

In all honesty, as a born-and-raised Californian, I am still stubbornly wearing my flip-flops and shorts to class, despite the ever dropping temperatures. I miss the sun. I miss the clear skies. I miss the ocean breeze. But most of all, I miss my home in California. 

The transition from the West Coast to the East Coast brought about more changes than just the experience of my first fall. The subtle differences in language, humor and food serve as daily reminders of everything I once took for granted back home. Who would have thought that heading from one coast to another could induce such a culture shock?

I long for the friendliness and laid-back nature of Californians, those chance encounters that lead to small talk on the street. I yearn for the openness of my hometown community and the security of my familiar surroundings. I miss eating at my local restaurants and the ability to wear pajama pants to class everyday without feeling judged. (And, don’t tell my parents, but I miss my dog most of all.)

Not too long ago, I would have given anything to board a plane and fly far away from home with the goal of exploring the world. Throughout my childhood, I was eager to ‘grow up’ and leave the nest behind. However, I realized I forgot to consider one important piece of the puzzle — that being the challenges that come with it, and what I would be leaving behind. Growing up is hard, moving away is hard, and starting a new life in a new environment is even harder. As I spend more time at Wellesley, I realize that these little glimpses into the past remind me to live in the moment and embrace the precious passage of time. 

I’ve come to realize that it takes time to adapt to a new place and new faces. Whether you’re from across the globe or just a town away, the transition to college can be challenging. It might seem overwhelming at first, and you might even feel like you’re navigating this world all by yourself, but rest assured — many others, including myself, are facing similar challenges.

The first step can be something as simple as adjusting to the weather, such as taking the time to embrace my first fall. 

Hopefully with time and patience, I can learn to make Wellesley my home away from home. So please consider this my gentle reminder to check in on your friends. It’s always okay to feel a little homesick.

The merging of the Astronomy and Physics departments is aimed at strengthening the resources offered by both departments and fostering a larger community for both students and faculty to collaborate. Wellesley’s Astronomy and Physics departments were initially housed in the same department from Wellesley College’s founding in 1875 until 1901. The decision to separate these departments in the first place was unusual, and now, 122 years later, the College is returning to a model similar to other liberal arts colleges such as Amherst and Swarthmore College.

Associate Professor of Astronomy and Vice Chair of the newly merged Physics and Astronomy Department, Wesley Andrés Watters, feels optimistic about the merger. 

“There is a very natural synergy in the way students are mentored academically, on research projects, and regarding the next steps after college,” he said. “We wanted to formalize the ties based on our mutual interests and coordinate far more closely than we have done in the past.”

This year, three new faculty members joined the new merged department: Lamiya Mowla, Samantha Lewis and Zach Addison. New course offerings that bridge the intersection of astronomy and physics will largely be influenced by the interests and expertise of these younger faculty members.

Additionally, James Battat, associate professor of physics, explains that the student experience will remain largely unchanged. “In many ways, the student experience will look the same as it did before. We still have astronomy courses (ASTR) and physics courses (PHYS), and we continue to support the same majors and minors as before (Astronomy, Physics and Astrophysics). On the other hand, we hope that the formal unification of our departments will enhance the student experience in terms of mentorship and pathways through those three majors/minors. We also look forward to regular events that bring together our astro-leaning and physics-leaning faculty and students.”

Shortly after the announcement of the Physics and Astronomy merger, the French and Francophone Studies department announced that it would be merging with the Italian Studies department. Many students did not see this as a surprise, as several languages are already grouped; for instance, Spanish and Portuguese are housed in the same department, along with Chinese, Japanese and Korean.

According to Scott Gunther, associate professor of French and chair of the new joint department, current students shouldn’t be able to notice any difference compared to last year. The department curriculums will stay independent from each other, but Gunther is hopeful that in the future, the merger of the departments will allow for an expansion of curriculum that goes beyond national borders. For example, the department has been approved for a new hire as of next year. Their focus will be on Medieval Renaissance studies and Dante. This class will involve the overlap of both French and Italian curricula. Furthermore, the new joint department hopes to use this merge to improve faculty and staff communication, allowing for my joint work and combined resources to develop new language pedagogy strategies.

The joint department recently put together an open roundtable discussion in French House on Oct. 18 featuring Serena Bassi, assistant professor in Italian Studies at Yale University, and Louisa Mackenzie, associate professor in the comparative history of ideas program at the University of Washington. The department hopes to be able to continue to put together events similar to this one with focuses on both Italian and French studies.