Wooster News

Nationally acclaimed author Robin Wall Kimmerer to deliver Wooster's Mortensen Lecture

Caitlin Stanowick — Tue, 27 Oct 2026 17:11:10 GMT

91�Թ�� will welcome acclaimed author, botanist, and Indigenous scholar Robin Wall Kimmerer for the annual Mortensen Lecture on Wednesday, Nov. 4, at 7 p.m. in Freedlander Theatre at 329 E. University Street. Kimmerer, a MacArthur Fellow and member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, is known for her New York Times bestselling book Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants, which brings together Indigenous knowledge and scientific perspectives to explore humanity's relationship with the natural world.

Wooster mourns John Sell, professor emeritus of business economics

Mukta Pillai — Mon, 26 Oct 2026 14:13:52 GMT

John Sell, professor emeritusof business economics, passed away on Oct. 8, 2026, in Fairlawn, Ohio, at the age of 75. Sell's time at the 91�Թ�� spanned over three decades, during which he taught business economics, contributed to the 91�Թ��’s financial administration, and helped connect students with leaders in the business world through the Hans H. Jenny Investment Club.

Fall 2026 Wooster magazine traces student experiences from practice to purpose

Caitlin Stanowick — Mon, 26 Oct 2026 10:00:01 GMT

Experiences beyond the classroom help students at 91�Թ�� discover new interests, build confidence, and consider meaningful vocations after graduation. The fall 2026 issue of Wooster magazine examines how research assistantships, professional experiences, and faculty-led international programs connect students' academic interests with opportunities to put their knowledge into practice.

Douglass Hall renovations named Outstanding Project in Learning by Design magazine

Caitlin Stanowick — Fri, 23 Oct 2026 20:30:14 GMT

91�Թ��’s recent renovation of Douglass Hall was named a 2026 Outstanding Project in Learning by Design, a leading publication focused on educational architecture and design. First built in 1929, Douglass’s 2025 renovation included restored spaces like the historic, natural woodwork in the first-floor lounge, full accessibility with a new elevator, and suite-style living spaces increasing its capacity.

Successful Giving Woo Day makes powerful impact on Wooster student experience

Brendan Bittner — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 16:51:26 GMT

91�Թ�� community celebrated its annual Giving Woo Day on Oct. 21, raising $501,521 from 463 individual gifts. Gifts made on Giving Woo Day support The Wooster Fund, which provides each student with opportunities through their college years for impactful and distinctive experiences, preparing them for an ever-changing world.

Political science major represents Wooster at 2026 Athens Democracy Forum

Caitlin Stanowick — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 15:59:25 GMT

This past September, Willona Asare Ayesu ’28, a political science major at 91�Թ��, traveled to Greece to attend the 2026 Athens Democracy Forum, a conference hosted by the nonprofit Democracy and Culture Foundation in association with The New York Times. The annual forum brings together journalists, politicians, activists, business leaders, scholars, authors, and undergraduates from across the globe to discuss the most critical issues facing democracy and to elevate civic engagement and governance. This year’s event, which took place Sept. 29–Oct. 1, focused on the question “Why democracy, and how must it evolve to be fit for purpose in the 21st century?”

“It was an amazing experience overall,” Ayesu said. “There were so many different perspectives from all over the world, and I learned so much that I never knew.” Ayesu first learned of the opportunity last spring, when former Associate Dean for Experiential Learning and Dean for Faculty Development Sarah Sobek notified Ayesu that she’d been nominated to attend the forum. The application process required her to write two essays: one on whether democracy is declining or being sustained worldwide, and another on her personal experience of democracy. For the second, she wrote about protests in her home country of Ghana over illegal gold mining that was destroying forests, polluting drinking water, and threatening the cocoa farms central to the country’s economy.

Ayesu attended with support from the Great Lakes 91�Թ��s Association (GLCA), of which Wooster is a member. GLCA manages the Global Liberal Arts Alliance (GLAA), an education partner of the forum alongside Deree – The American 91�Թ�� of Greece. Ayesu was one of 22 GLCA/GLAA students selected to attend. Other student participants at the forum represented countries such as Switzerland, Tanzania, Nepal, Pakistan, Brazil, Ecuador, and Japan. The organizers invited undergraduates, Ayesu explained, because the forum’s speakers and attendees tended to be seasoned professionals and veteran leaders from the United States and Europe. “I think they wanted to know what the younger generation is thinking about democracy,” she shared, “and to get more perspectives from Asia, Africa, and Latin America.”

Wooster’s Olivia Navarro-Farr receives distinguished visiting professorship at Metropolitan State University of Denver

Anna Whiting — Tue, 06 Oct 2026 18:29:27 GMT

Metropolitan State University of Denver selected Olivia Navarro-Farr, professor of archaeology, sociology, and anthropology at 91�Թ��, for the Richard T. and Virginia M. Castro Distinguished 91�Թ��ing Professorship. During Wooster’s fall break, Navarro-Farr will travel to Denver to engage with students, faculty, and staff and share her research on the ancestral Maya and royal Maya women.

Wooster education department earns national recognition for its role in preparing future educators

Caitlin Stanowick — Thu, 01 Oct 2026 16:06:12 GMT

91�Թ��Education Departmentwas awarded the Frank Murray Leadership Recognition for Continuous Improvement by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). The award is presented to educator preparation providers that achieved accreditation with no stipulations or areas for improvement by demonstrating strong evidence and data trends.

Wooster partners with the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business to offer four one-year graduate degree programs

Caitlin Stanowick — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 12:30:02 GMT

A new partnership between 91�Թ�� and the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business will provide expanded opportunities in graduate business education for Wooster students and recent alumni.

Wooster earns distinction for signature Independent Study program and academic strength from US News

Caitlin Stanowick — Tue, 22 Sep 2026 12:45:01 GMT

91�Թ�� earned recognition in theU.S. News & World Report 2027 Best 91�Թ��s guidebook, honoring the 91�Թ�� and its signature Independent Study program that gives every graduate a badge of distinction to showcase the value of the liberal arts education Wooster provides. Released Sept. 22, 2026, the magazine recognized Wooster among the top 100 National Liberal Arts 91�Թ��s in the country and the top five in Ohio, institutions that raise the bar for academic excellence.