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With construction progressing steadily toward a January 2027 opening, Hamilton College has announced the name of its newest building: The Nye Center for Innovation and Technology. The name of the 41,000-square-foot facility celebrates its ties to a branch of the Burke and Harding families which has provided unwavering support to the College for six generations spanning more than a century.

This year’s Tolles lecture began with a song, as award-winning cartoonist, professor, and writer Lynda Barry serenaded those gathered with a musical form of her bio. She explained that public speaking can be nerve-racking, and since singing is the scariest thing she could do in front of a crowd, it would only be uphill from there.

Caroline Boies ’26, a math and art double major, and Elise Kwon ’26, a biochemistry major and music minor, have both been awarded the William M. Bristol Jr. ’17 Fellowship for International Travel, providing them the opportunity to engage in independent studies abroad. The fellowship sponsors projects “based on strong personal interest and commitment” and that “exhibit a spirit of inquisitiveness and a seriousness of purpose.”

National and regional news organizations regularly interview Hamilton faculty, staff, alumni, and students for their expertise and perspectives on current events, and to feature programs and activities on campus. March’s news topics included coverage of the lunar eclipse, the war with Iran, and alumni creative endeavors, among others.

Emma Wilson ’27 and Sara Conti ’27 are recipients of the prestigious 2026 Barry Goldwater scholarship, a national award that supports students intending to pursue research careers in the sciences, mathematics, and engineering. For both Wilson and Conti, this award not only validates their work, but reflects their research and mentorship at Hamilton.

Travis Talmadge ’09 has a hot idea — bringing sauna and bathhouse culture, which has long existed in Scandinavia and Japan, to America. He co-founded Bathhouse, “a home for people to look, feel, and perform their very best.”

Chef and chocolatier Stephen Durfee, director of curriculum at Dandelion Chocolate in San Francisco, and a 1985 graduate of Hamilton College, will deliver Hamilton’s 2026 Commencement address and receive an honorary degree on Sunday, May 24, at 10:30 a.m., in the Margaret Bundy Scott Field House. A class of 507 students is expected to receive bachelor’s degrees during the Commencement ceremony.

Connie Halporn K’78 fights both on the mat as a 6th degree judo black belt and in the nonprofit sphere as chair of the National Women’s Martial Arts Federation. Halporn’s judo journey began in high school and continued to blossom at Kirkland College, where she first started leading judo classes.

By taking advantage of Hamilton’s interdisciplinary studies program, Norma Callejas ’26 has carved out a space that blurs linguistic, cultural, and academic lines among three disciplines — Hispanic studies, Japanese, and music. With support from her professors, study abroad programs, and extracurriculars, Callejas has discovered and nurtured a love for ethnomusicology, the study of the cultural aspects behind music. She’ll soon be heading to Boston University for a master’s degree in the subject.

Hamilton College is creating more direct pathways from bachelor’s to master’s degrees by launching new graduate study partnerships with several of the world’s top research universities.