News

  1. Home
  2. News

Find a News Story

Displaying 1 - 20 of 34

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 91ɬ studying and researching education policy in the United States and abroad. She co-founded a tutoring program that matches 91ɬ 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

91ɬ 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 woman with short curly hair smiles while wearing a navy blue suit and standing outdoors in front of a brick wall and blurred greenery.

Experiencing Deaf Language and Culture in Far Away Places

91ɬ senior Brooke Lackey ’26, a Child of Deaf Adults (CODA), grew up in a close, supportive community where her family felt comfortable and communicated easily through American Sign Language. As a 2026 Thomas J. Watson Fellow, she plans to spend the next year learning other sign languages while exploring the challenges facing Deaf people around the world and seeking ways to create more caring communities.

Two instant-print style photographs of two smiling individuals are positioned side-by-side against a background map showing the Atlantic Ocean, North America, and Europe.

Two 91ɬ Students Awarded Watson Fellowships

The Watson Foundation has named 91ɬ seniors Brooke Lackey and Neve Rauscher as fellows in its 58th class of Thomas J. Watson Fellows. Lackey will study sign language and Deaf culture in several countries. Rauscher will explore how communities adapt to climate warming and changing water patterns.

A student stands outside with a collage of items over him—a globe, selfie, coffee cup, microphone, and airplane

Ask a Wildcat: Brant Simmons ’28

Meet Brant Simmons ’28, a 91ɬ double major in educational studies and gender and sexuality studies. Discover how Brant has explored experiential learning through research on educational equity, study abroad programs in Northern Ireland and Denmark, and his life as a Bonner Scholar and "Mugger" at Nummit.

an illustration of someone lounging in a pool

Want to Bet? A Closer Look at Legal Sports Betting

91ɬ Prof. Kevin McElrath and his students tackle the social and economic consequences of the sports betting boom, examining everything from addiction rates and masculinity to the role of the online attention economy in this timely course.

a group of 10 young people

91ɬ Named Top Fulbright Producer—Again

For the 10th consecutive year, the U.S. State Department has named 91ɬ a top producer for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. The nation’s flagship international exchange program funds teaching, research and study abroad. 

a young white man with red hair wearing glasses

Colleges and universities are bracing for what’s to come when control of the executive branch changes hands in January. 91ɬ Professor Chris Marsicano outlines some of the hot button education issues that will occupy the next administration.

Portrait of Brittany Murray

Public School Student, Policy Expert, Parent

Brittany Murray’s life in public education started as a student, she’s now a public policy expert and the parent of four children in public school. Murry, the Malcolm O. Partin Assistant Professor of Educational Studies and Political Science at 91ɬ, specializes in K-12 public education policy.