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They arrived with curiosity, drive, and a sense of possibility — and now Hamilton’s Class of 2025 is stepping boldly into what’s next, with graduation canes in hand and valuable lessons learned. What shaped them during their four years on College Hill? Which moments, mentors, and courses stand out?

Jolene, a well-known song by Dolly Parton, is the subject of Professor of Music Lydia R. Hamessley’s second book focused on the singer, songwriter, actress, philanthropist, and businesswoman’s music and song-writing. Published in May by Oxford University Press, Jolene was preceded by Unlikely Angel: The Songs of Dolly Parton (2020) that provided a comprehensive look at the process, influences, and themes that shaped Parton’s songwriting.

An article by Assistant Professor of Music Alex Bádue, was recently published online in a special issue of the peer-reviewed journal Studies in Musical Theatre.

Students and faculty ended the fall semester strong as they published academic papers, presented research, and won prestigious awards.

Alex Kim ’25, a music and math double-major, spent his summer exploring machine learning and music through the help of an Emerson grant. With the guidance of Assistant Professor of Music Charlotte Botha, Kim developed a vocal register classification tool through machine learning models.

Forty-five new faculty members have entered Hamilton’s ranks, including nine tenure-track professors in anthropology, art, computer science, dance and movement studies, economics, government, mathematics and statistics, music, and Russian. They join 31 visiting professors and lecturers, and four teaching fellows for the 2024-25 academic year.

Monk Rowe, the Joe Williams Director of the Jazz Archive and lecturer in music performance (saxophone), recently announced the completion of Season 4 of the Jazz Backstory podcast.

Professor of Music Heather Buchman was named the inaugural recipient of the John L. Baldwin, Jr. Professorship in Music, and 10 other faculty members were appointed to endowed chairs effective July 1.

We asked a few members of the Class of 2024 to tell us about their senior projects and share their biggest takeaways.

Hamilton alumni, students, and colleagues send well-wishes and thanks to five members of the faculty who entered the world of retirement at the conclusion of the 2023-24 academic year. We asked them to reflect on their time on College Hill and what’s next.