Ashwin Ravikumar is an assistant professor of environmental studies. He holds a B.S. in molecular environmental biology and ecology from the University of California, Berkeley, as well as an M.S. in environmental studies and a Ph.D. in environmental policy and social sciences, both from the University of Colorado at Boulder.
Sydney Tate is an English major. Her creative writing thesis combines poetry and prose to explore the development of her identity. Her thesis advisor is Writer-in-Residence Daniel J. Hall.
Q: What is your thesis about?
A: I am writing a creative writing thesis in English, mostly poetry with a little bit of prose. I am basically writing about my life and how I’ve come into my identity and writing about the different nuances between family dynamics and coming into what it means to be a black woman in America.
Whether she is caring for a group of eager first years or leading the entire student body, Karen Blake always acts with bravery, poise and an infectious smile. A friendly and familiar face on campus, Blake has left her mark on Amherst academically, socially and politically by building community wherever she goes.
Michigan to Massachusetts
Mona Oraby is a visiting professor of law, jurisprudence and social thought. She received her doctorate in political science from Northwestern University.
Q: How would you describe your area of research?
A: I would describe it by saying that I work broadly on comparative law and religion, law and society. I also work on colonial and postcolonial legal regimes. One example of that is how modern states regulate social difference broadly. I happen to be most interested, in this stage of my research, on the regulation of religious difference.
President Biddy Martin and Association of Amherst Student (AAS) President Karen Blake ’17 addressed an audience of faculty and students at the college’s first State of the College Address on Wednesday, March 28 in Johnson Chapel.
The event was planned and created by AAS Senator Sade Green ’20 as apart of her senate project, a requirement that each AAS Senator create an initiative to benefit the student body.
Conservative political commentator Rich Lowry addressed an audience of students and faculty in a talk about the changing political climate in America on March 8. The event, free and open to the public, was held in Stirn Auditorium and sponsored by the Croxton Lecture Fund.
Lowry is the current editor of the National Review, a leading conservative magazine. He is the author of several books, a contributor to The New York Times and POLITICO and a frequent guest on shows such as “Meet the Press” and “This Week.”
The Amherst Political Union (APU) hosted Andrew Kuchins ’81 for a lecture entitled “Fantasy and Reality: The Trump Administration and U.S./Russian Relations” on Tuesday, March 7. Kuchins, who majored in Russian, is a senior associate for the Russia and Eurasia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and a senior fellow at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service.
