NEW LONDON, Conn. — Filmmaking Unpacked, a faculty-produced podcast created by Connecticut College Professor of Film Studies Ross Morin, has received the Silver Prize for Best Education Podcast at the 2025 Signal Awards.

The series tied with The Chronicle of Higher Education’s podcast in the category, placing Morin’s independent, single-producer project alongside offerings from large media organizations with dedicated production teams.

Launched in 2024, Filmmaking Unpacked explores the craft and pedagogy of filmmaking through a faculty lens, providing listeners with insight into both creative practice and instruction. The podcast’s first season was supported in part by Connecticut College through Open Educational Resources (OER) and faculty development grants.

“This recognition is meaningful because it affirms the project’s educational mission,” Morin said. “I’m grateful for the institutional support that helped make the first season possible. It has allowed the podcast to reach both students and peers beyond campus.”

Morin is currently on sabbatical, developing Season Two, which is scheduled to be released in January.

The Signal Awards recognize standout work across the audio industry, including independent creators, studios, and established media organizations. More information about the 2025 award winners can be found at signalawards.com.

NEW LONDON, Conn. — As the nation prepares to mark Indigenous Peoples Day on Monday, Connecticut College is highlighting a partnership with the Mohegan Tribal Historic Preservation Office (THPO) that is transforming how students learn archaeology.

Launched in 2024, the Laboratory Archaeology Methods Practicum and Internship Program brings together the College’s Anthropology Department, the Hale Center for Career Development and the Mohegan THPO. The program embodies reciprocity, respect and decolonization—values that are shaping a new model for archaeological training.

This semester, six Connecticut College students are participating in the practicum on Tuesdays and Fridays. They earn academic credit while gaining hands-on experience with cataloging, conservation and analysis in a heritage environment that is locally meaningful. Students are supervised by both faculty and Mohegan professionals.

“This program embodies reciprocity, respect and decolonization,” said Anthony Graesch, professor of anthropology at Connecticut College. “Our students are not only building career-ready skills but also learning that archaeology is a community-centered practice with ethical obligations.”

The impact of the collaboration extends beyond campus. The student group is preparing to present on this model at two upcoming academic conferences, sharing how community-engaged partnerships can strengthen both student education and tribal heritage stewardship.

Now nearing its two-year anniversary, the program is proving to be a sustainable model of shared benefit—an approach that enhances education, supports tribal stewardship and signals how community partnerships can reshape archaeology for the future.

NEW LONDON, Conn. — Connecticut College senior Michael Moran will spend this week not in the classroom or on the lacrosse field, but in a Washington, D.C. hospital—donating stem cells to help save the life of a young woman battling Hodgkin lymphoma.

Earlier this year, Moran and several of his men's lacrosse teammates participated in a Gift of Life donor drive on campus. A simple cheek swab matched Moran to a 25-year-old female patient in need of a stem cell transplant. Without hesitation, he said yes.

“Finding out I was a match made me a little nervous, to be honest,” said Moran, a government major from New York. “I wasn't sure how intensive the process was going to be, but after speaking with the people at Gift of Life, they made it clear there was nothing to worry about. At the end of the day, I was given the opportunity to help somebody, so I felt it was my responsibility to do so.”

Moran will undergo the donation procedure Sept. 23–26 at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. The process, known as apheresis, involves drawing blood from one arm, filtering out peripheral blood stem cells, and returning the blood through the other arm. The procedure typically takes four to six hours. Side effects are minimal, often limited to fatigue.

In the lead-up to the donation, Moran completed months of physicals, bloodwork, and screenings to confirm he was a viable match. He began taking injections of filgrastim—a medication that boosts white blood cell production—five days prior to the donation to enhance stem cell density.

“Mike is the role model student-athlete for Connecticut College athletics,” said men’s lacrosse head coach Jim Nagle. “He sets the standard for our team. His outstanding effort both in the classroom and on the field, combined with his compassionate desire to help others, is impressive to witness.”

Moran is one of many participants in the “Saxton’s Swab #2 Save Challenge,” an initiative by Gift of Life aimed at adding college lacrosse players to the national bone marrow registry. The effort has resulted in nearly 1,000 new registrants and seven lifesaving transplants to date.

About Hodgkin Lymphoma and Stem Cell Donation

Hodgkin lymphoma is a cancer of the lymphatic system, a part of the body’s immune system. It typically begins in the lymph nodes and can spread if untreated. Roughly 9,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed each year. While treatments have improved, patients with relapsed or advanced disease may need stem cell transplants to rebuild their immune systems.

A stem cell transplant can be either autologous (using the patient’s own cells) or allogeneic (using cells from a donor). Only about 30% of patients have a fully matched donor within their family. The rest rely on unrelated donors, found through registries like Gift of Life and Be The Match.

A Commitment to Something Bigger

For Moran, the decision was personal.

“This is just one small thing I can do to give someone a second chance,” he said. “And that’s worth everything.”

NEW LONDON, Conn. — A review article by Connecticut College Associate Professor of Biology Maria Rosa has been selected for inclusion in BioOne Vista, a monthly collection highlighting research with significant impact on environmental policy and science communication.

The article, titled “Selective Capture and Ingestion of Particles by Suspension-Feeding Bivalve Molluscs: A Review,” was published in the Journal of Shellfish Research and explores how bivalves such as clams, oysters and mussels sort and ingest particles in their environment—a critical behavior that affects both ecosystem function and aquaculture practices.

Rosa co-authored the piece with J. Evan Ward and Sandra E. Shumway, both leading scholars in marine biology. The article synthesizes decades of research on the physiological and behavioral mechanisms bivalves use to feed efficiently in dynamic aquatic environments.

“Bivalves are essential to healthy coastal systems. Understanding how they select food particles helps us manage water quality, shellfish restoration, and sustainable aquaculture,” said Rosa.

Featured in BioOne Vista Environmental Policy Collection

The review was chosen for BioOne Vista’s Environmental Policy Collection, which features articles from independent scientific societies and institutions whose work supports conservation, biodiversity and sustainable environmental management.

“We’re honored to see this research included in a collection focused on advancing environmental policy and decision-making,” said Rosa. “It shows how fundamental science connects directly to the challenges we face in managing ecosystems and marine resources.”

About the BioOne Digital Library

The BioOne Digital Library provides global access to more than 580 journals and eBooks from over 150 nonprofit societies, academic publishers and research institutions. Rosa’s article was selected from BioOne Complete, the library’s flagship aggregation. The library serves students, researchers and environmental practitioners worldwide.

NEW LONDON, Conn. — Since its founding, Connecticut College has made the arts an integral part of campus life. That tradition continues with the 2025–2026 arts at Conn season, which features more than 40 concerts, exhibitions, plays, dance performances, and film screenings open to students, faculty, staff, and the greater New London community.

The season’s diverse programming highlights the ways art serves as a uniquely human form of expression, exploration and connection. This year’s events collectively serve as a call to action: to stay connected with loved ones, reach across divides, care for the natural world, and find strength in vulnerability.

Anchoring the season is the OnStage Guest Artist Series, featuring:

• Nicholas Rodriguez in Sincerely, Sondheim (Sept. 27).
  
  
• Dan Colley’s Lost Lear (Oct. 25), presented with support from Culture Ireland.
  
  
• The Westerlies brass quartet (Nov. 14).
  
  
• BalletX (Jan. 24).
  
  
• Sindhoor Natya – Navarasa Dance Theater (Feb. 7)

The Ammerman Center for Arts and Technology will present its 18th Triennial Symposium, All Too Human (Mar. 26–28). The symposium features an international exhibition showcasing over 30 artists, nightly performances, and a keynote address by Emmy- and Peabody-winning documentarian Katerina Cizek.

Visual arts exhibitions in the Cummings Arts Center include UnBodied (Nov. 4–21, 2025) and Borderlands: Soft Margins, Hard Truths (Jan. 20–Mar. 6, 2026), which examines race, space, and colonial legacies. Theater productions range from 1984 (Oct. 10–12) to Promenade (Feb. 27–Mar. 1), while dance and music performances highlight original choreography, student compositions, and faculty ensembles.

“This season brings together student work and seasoned professionals in ways that highlight art’s power to remind us of our shared humanity,” said Joe Matovic, box office manager. “We hope community members join us in experiencing these moments together.”