Press Release Archive

Press releases from 2016-17 can be found below. View releases from 2015.

June 2017

Release: June 7, 2017

Kenyon selected for HHMI Inclusive Excellence initiative to boost inclusive STEM education

Kenyon College has been selected as one of 24 schools nationwide to participate in the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Inclusive Excellence initiative, aimed at helping colleges and universities recruit and advance students in the natural sciences.

May 2017

Release: May 10, 2017

Kenyon set to celebrate 189th Commencement

Kenyon College celebrates more than 400 members of the Class of 2017 at its 189th Commencement ceremony Saturday, May 20, at 10:30 a.m.

April 2017

Release: April 28, 2017

Dance concert to feature performances by senior students

Kenyon dancers will present a variety of works, including an ensemble piece performed by graduating students, at this year’s Spring Dance Concert, held May 4-6 at 8 p.m. in the Bolton Theater.

Release: April 25, 2017

Kenyon joins American Talent Initiative effort to expand access to lower-income students

Kenyon has joined the American Talent Initiative (ATI), a collaboration among 68 colleges and universities working to increase the number of talented low- and moderate-income students at undergraduate institutions across America.

Release: April 25, 2017

Wright Center opens to visitors during "First Friday" community event

The latest addition to downtown Mount Vernon’s education corridor will open to visitors during the community’s First Friday event May 5 from 6 to 8 p.m.

Release: April 14, 2017

Kenyon's Brown Family Environmental Center hosts Earth Day Festival

Animals and hands-on nature activities feature prominently in this year’s Earth Day Festival, held Saturday, April 22, from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Brown Family Environmental Center, 9781 Laymon Road.

Release: April 8, 2017

Notable writers to examine ideas about nature in events at Kenyon

How does nature tie into ideas about science, politics, economics and history? Notable writers Lauret Savoy and Andrea Wulf address this topic in a pair of upcoming events at Kenyon College.

Release: April 4, 2017

Kenyon music ensembles present year-end concerts

The sounds of Hector Berlioz, Johannes Brahms, Duke Ellington and more will fill the air as the Kenyon Department of Music closes the academic year with a month full of concerts.

Release: April 1, 2017

Shakespeare's “The Comedy of Errors” is presented at Kenyon

Twins cause trouble as they fumble through a case of mistaken identity in “The Comedy of Errors,” presented by the Kenyon College Dance and Dramatic Club at 8 p.m. Thursday, April 6, Friday, April 7, and Saturday April 8. All performances are in the Bolton Theater, 205 College-Park St.

March 2017

Release: March 21, 2017

Variety of musical styles featured in trio of concerts at Kenyon

Kenyon ushers in spring with a trio of concerts featuring a pianist, a baroque ensemble and Kenyon’s own Chamber Singers.

Release: March 16, 2017

MacArthur ‘genius’ Lauren Redniss to speak about visual storytelling

Award-winning artist and writer Lauren Redniss, known for her innovative work in visual nonfiction, will speak March 22 at 8 p.m. in the Gund Gallery’s Community Foundation Theater. Her talk will focus on the relationship between art and science in her work, which explores science topics through graphic narrative.

Release: March 15, 2017

Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Donald Margulies to speak at Kenyon

Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Donald Margulies will discuss his work in a pair of upcoming events at Kenyon College. Both events will be held in the Gund Gallery’s Community Foundation Theater.

Release: March 13, 2017

Kokosing Nature Preserve earns highest rating from Green Burial Council

Kokosing Nature Preserve, Kenyon College’s natural burial cemetery, has been officially verified as a conservation burial ground by the Green Burial Council — the highest rating the council offers for natural burial cemeteries.

Release: March 2, 2017

Brown Family Environmental Center seeks volunteers

Want to get involved in the community, do something to help others, or have some fun? Consider volunteering with the Brown Family Environmental Center (BFEC), which seeks volunteers to help with programs, land management and more.

Release: March 1, 2017

Brown Family Environmental Center announces new Earth Day festivities

Kenyon College and the Brown Family Environmental Center are celebrating the roots of Earth Day with a new monthlong schedule of events. A variety of events and activities hosted by various Kenyon departments will highlight different aspects of Earth Day objectives.

February 2017

Release: Feb. 22, 2017

Elected officials to speak on the importance of local politics

Elected officials on the state, county and local levels will come together for a panel discussion Tuesday, Feb. 28, at 7:30 p.m. in the Gund Gallery’s Community Foundation Theater, 101 ½ College Drive.

Release: Feb. 17, 2017

Renowned architect Graham Gund to discuss the spaces that have shaped Kenyon’s campus

Renowned architect Graham Gund, a 1963 graduate of Kenyon College, has created a number of landmark spaces for the Kenyon community, renovating and creating buildings including Horvitz Hall, the Kenyon Athletic Center and the Gund Gallery. He will discuss his ongoing work in this year’s Kenyon Unique lecture, to be held Saturday, Feb. 25, at 8 p.m. in the Gund Gallery’s Community Foundation Theater, 101 ½ College Drive.

Release: Feb. 16, 2017

Italian guitar group SoloDuo to perform at Kenyon

Kenyon College welcomes SoloDuo, a musical group featuring Italian guitarists Matteo Mela and Lorenzo Micheli, for a free concert Tuesday, Feb. 21, at 8 p.m. in Rosse Hall, 105 College Drive.

Release: Feb. 13, 2017

Alicia Svigals’ Klezmer Fiddle Express to visit Kenyon

Alicia Svigals, the world’s leading klezmer fiddler, will present a program of energetic Jewish music at Kenyon College on Saturday, Feb. 18, at 8 p.m. in Rosse Hall, 105 College Drive.

Release: Feb. 11, 2017

“Glass House” author to speak at Kenyon College

Kenyon College welcomes author Brian Alexander on Wednesday, Feb. 15, at 7:30 p.m. as he talks about his new book, “Glass House: The 1% Economy and the Shattering of the All-American Town.”

Release: Feb. 8, 2017

Writer Wil Haygood to give keynote address for Black History Month

Renowned writer Wil Haygood, best known for his best-selling book “The Butler: A Witness to History,” will speak Monday, Feb. 13, at 7 p.m. in Kenyon College’s Brandi Recital Hall, 105 College Drive.

Release: Feb. 2, 2017

Wetlands play vital role in carbon storage, study finds

Human activity and development are correlated with reduced carbon storage in wetland soils, a new study published in Nature Communications shows.

Release: Feb. 2, 2017

Students tackle dramatic challenge with production of “Uncle Vanya”

The Kenyon College Dance and Dramatic Club puts its own spin on “Uncle Vanya,” the traditional melodrama play by Anton Chekhov, in the Bolton Theater, 205 College-Park St., at 8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 2, Friday, Feb. 3, and Saturday, Feb. 4.

Release: Feb. 1, 2017

Chris Smith, author of “The Daily Show (The Book),” coming to Kenyon

Best-selling author Chris Smith will visit the Kenyon Bookstore, 106 Gaskin Ave., on Saturday, Feb. 4, at 5 p.m. to discuss and sign copies of his book, “The Daily Show (The Book): An Oral History as Told by Jon Stewart, the Correspondents, Staff and Guests.”

January 2017

Release: Jan. 26, 2017

Jazz groups celebrate big anniversary with pair of performances

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the first jazz recording, and jazz groups at Kenyon College are celebrating with a noteworthy slate of performances.

Release: Jan. 19, 2017

Kenyon to celebrate Girls and Women in Sports Day with free clinics

Kenyon College's athletics department will host its annual sports clinics on Sunday, Feb. 5, in observance of National Girls and Women in Sports Day. The clinics, free of charge, are open to girls currently in kindergarten through eighth grade who seek to hone their skills or learn a new sport.

Release: Jan. 18, 2017

Angela Waite Recital highlights outstanding student musicians

Twelve student musicians have been invited to perform at Kenyon College’s Angela Waite Recital, held Saturday, Jan. 21, at 7 p.m. in Brandi Recital Hall in Storer Hall, 105 College Drive.

December 2016

Release: Dec. 7, 2016

Two Kenyon students awarded prestigious Gilman Scholarship

Jadah Jones ’18, an international studies major from Chicago, and Maymuna Abdi ’18, an international studies major from Hilliard, Ohio, are two of more than 850 undergraduate students nationwide selected to receive the esteemed Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs to study or intern abroad during the spring 2017 semester.

Release: Dec. 6, 2016

Dance concert to feature a variety of student-choreographed work

Kenyon dancers will present eight pieces ranging from the whimsical to the ominous in their Fall Dance Concert, held Dec. 8-10 at 8 p.m. in Hill Theater, 203 College-Park St.

Release: Dec. 1, 2016

Upcoming concerts at Kenyon feature a variety of musical styles

Several upcoming concerts at Kenyon College will delight music lovers of all genres.

November 2016

Release: Nov. 29, 2016

Expert on community-engaged learning to speak at Kenyon College

Darby Kathleen Ray, the Harward Professor of Civic Engagement at Bates College, visits Kenyon College on Tuesday, Dec. 6, and Wednesday, Dec. 7, for a series of events about community-engaged learning (CEL).

Release: Nov. 28, 2016

Kenyon, MVHS students present “Living Literature” reading

Kenyon College and Mount Vernon High School students will present a poetry reading Thursday, Dec. 1, at 4 p.m. at the Mount Vernon Public Library, 201 N. Mulberry St.

Release: Nov. 27, 2016

“Bell-A-Thon” fundraiser returns to Kenyon College on Giving Tuesday

GAMBIER, Ohio — Kenyon College is ringing in Giving Tuesday on Nov. 29 with the “Bell-A-Thon,” a special one-day online giving event held in the iconic bell tower of Kenyon’s Church of the Holy Spirit.

Release: Nov. 17, 2016

Community gets a preview of the Wright Center during Christmas Walk

Members of the Knox County community will have an opportunity to preview the new Kenyon College Wright Center, 400 S. Main Street, during this year’s Mount Vernon Christmas Walk, held Sunday, Nov. 27.

Release: Nov. 14, 2016

Kenyon College biology professor wins science education award

Professor of Biology Chris Gillen has been selected to receive the M. Patricia Morse Award for Excellence and Innovation in Science Education, given annually by the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB).

Release: Nov. 10, 2016

Kenyon earns Henry Luce Foundation grant to support female students in the sciences

A $176,000 grant from the Henry Luce Foundation of New York City will fund 22 Kenyon students, named Clare Boothe Luce Research Scholars, to pursue year-long research projects with faculty mentors.

Release: Nov. 8, 2016

Kenyon awards Austin E. Knowlton Scholarships to three students

Kenyon College awarded the Austin E. Knowlton Memorial Scholarship to Chase Frederick, a first-year from Dayton, Ohio; Andrew Kukla, a first-year from North Royalton, Ohio; and Danaye Nixon, a sophomore from Mount Vernon, Ohio.

Release: Nov. 7, 2016

Star basketball coach Shaka Smart to give Kenyon graduation speech

University of Texas Head Basketball Coach Shaka Smart will deliver the Commencement address at his alma mater, Kenyon College, on May 20, 2017.

Release: Nov. 7, 2016

Five Colleges of Ohio Names Sarah Kahrl as Executive Director

The Five Colleges of Ohio, Inc. has announced that Sarah Kahrl, director of the Kenyon Institute and senior advisor to the president at Kenyon College, will become its next executive director beginning July 1, 2017.

Release: Nov. 3, 2016

Local collector to showcase trove of historical labor-saving devices

Knox County community members will get a lesson in labor-saving devices from the late-19th century during a discussion at Kenyon College with local resident John Lambert on Thursday, Nov. 10, at 11:10 a.m. in Peirce Hall’s Peirce Lounge, 201 College-Park Street.

October 2016

Release: Oct. 31, 2016

Author Hilary Mantel headlines Kenyon Review Literary Festival

Hilary Mantel, author of the best-selling historical fiction novel “Wolf Hall,” will headline this year’s Kenyon Review Literary Festival, held Nov. 4-5.

Release: Oct. 27, 2016

Renowned organist Zorada Temmingh to perform at Kenyon College

Kenyon College welcomes South African organist Zorada Temmingh for a free concert Tuesday, Nov. 8, at 8 p.m. in the Church of the Holy Spirit, 102 College Park St.

Release: Oct. 26, 2016

Kenyon Jazz Ensemble to feature a variety of genres at fall concert

The Kenyon College Jazz Ensemble swings into action for its fall concert Friday, Oct. 28, at 8 p.m. in Rosse Hall, 105 College Road.

Release: Oct. 26, 2016

Panel explores history, health of the State Scenic Kokosing River

What significance does the Kokosing River hold for the Knox County community? Ecologists and community members will explore the history and health of the state scenic river in a panel discussion Thursday, Oct. 27, at 7 p.m. in Peirce Hall’s Peirce Pub, 201 College-Park Street.

Release: Oct. 18, 2016

Kenyon College students travel to South Carolina to memorialize black civic leader

Two dozen Kenyon College students, together with Marilyn Yarbrough Dissertation Fellows Francis Gourrier, visiting instructor of history, and Justin Hosbey, visiting instructor of anthropology, travel to Abbeville, South Carolina, this week to memorialize Anthony Crawford, a leader in the Abbeville community who was lynched more than 100 years ago.

Release: Oct. 17, 2016

Kenyon College names building the Wright Center

Kenyon College will name the former Buckeye Candy building in Mount Vernon for the children of the philanthropist who has revitalized a host of Mount Vernon landmarks.

Release: Oct. 10, 2016

New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd to speak at Kenyon

New York Times op-ed columnist Maureen Dowd will visit Kenyon College to discuss the 2016 presidential election at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 18, in Rosse Hall Auditorium, 105 College Drive.

Release: Oct. 3, 2016

Kenyon College receives historic bequest to fund scholarships

A recent gift from the estate of Robert P. Hubbard, a graduate of the Class of 1953, is one of the largest bequests Kenyon has received in its history.

September 2016

Release: Sept. 29, 2016

Kenyon College named a top contributor of Teach For America corps members

Kenyon has been named a top contributor of corps members to Teach For America, a nationwide nonprofit that recruits individuals to teach in schools of low-income communities for two or more years.

Release: Sept. 28, 2016

Kenyon College graduate named a finalist for NCAA Woman of the Year

Haley Townsend, a recent Kenyon College graduate and four-year member of the Ladies swimming and diving team, was named Tuesday, Sept. 27, one of nine finalists still in contention for the 2016 NCAA Woman of the Year award.

Release: Sept. 13, 2016

Kenyon College to participate in Ohio Open Doors history celebration

Kenyon will participate in the statewide Ohio Open Doors celebration Saturday, Sept. 17, with special tours of its historic campus.

Release: Sept. 13, 2016

Kenyon College is founding member of open-access publishing initiative

Kenyon College is a founding member of Lever Press, an alternative publishing initiative designed to give academics more opportunities to publish their work and students more ability to access educational resources.

Release: September 12, 2016

Equal justice lawyer Bryan Stevenson to speak at Kenyon

Bryan Stevenson, a leading advocate for equal treatment in the courts, will speak at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 20, at Kenyon College on "American Injustice: Mercy, Humanity and Making a Difference."

Release: September 9, 2016

Best-selling authors Stephanie Danler to visit Kenyon

Best-selling author Stephanie Danler, a 2006 graduate of Kenyon College, returns to her alma mater for a reading of her hit novel "Sweetbitter" at 4:10 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 15, in the Cheever Room of Finn House, 102 W. Wiggin St.

August 2016

Release: August 29, 2016

Kenyon welcomes interfaith leader Eboo Patel for Sept. 7 talk

Eboo Patel, the founder and president of the Interfaith Youth Core, will give a talk at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 7, at Kenyon College on interfaith understanding and collaboration among young people.

June 2016

Release: June 24, 2016

Team including Kenyon professor models universe using Einstein’s full theory of relativity

Research teams have shown that precise modeling of the universe and its contents will change the detailed understanding of the evolution of the universe and the growth of structure in it.

Release: June 21, 2016

Kenyon College announces new Peace Corps Prep program

Kenyon College and the Peace Corps have partnered to offer a program that combines coursework with community service to prepare students for international careers.

May 2016

Release: May 19, 2016

Kenyon Review editor wins O. Henry Award for short story

Professor of English David Lynn, editor of the Kenyon Review, has won the O. Henry Award, one of the nation’s most prestigious awards for short fiction.

Release: May 3, 2016

Kenyon Review honors Mantel, Wulf

Hilary Mantel will receive the 2016 Kenyon Review Award for Literary Achievement, and Andrea Wulf will receive the first James Wright Award for Nature Writing given jointly by the Review and the Nature Conservancy.

April 2016

Release: Apr. 29, 2016

Gabriel Alegria performs in Mount Vernon May 4, returns to Kenyon in October

Trumpeter Gabriel Alegria '93 is presenting a concert by the Lima Interescolar Big Band at the Ariel-Foundation Park Schnormeier Event Center on May 4 at 7 p.m.

Release: Apr. 21, 2016

The Kenyon Jazz Ensemble mixes a jazz brew in concert

Start with a couple of standards, stir in some swing and funk, add a taste of Latin spice, and you have the ingredients for the annual Spring Concert by the Kenyon Jazz Ensemble at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 24 in Rosse Hall.

Release: Apr. 16, 2016

Old-time country fiddling program features Kenny Sidle

A fiddler who has won the National Heritage Fellowship Award will perform with one of his top students in a workshop that will spotlight the traditional music that has echoed across Knox County since its founding.

Release: Apr. 5, 2016

10th annual Knox County Earth Day promotes living an active life outdoors

The 10th annual Knox County Earth Day Festival will celebrate how healthy it is for people to be outdoors. The April 17 festival at the Kenyon Athletic Center (KAC) is themed “Healthy Inside & Out” to encourage visitors go outside as a way to keep themselves and the planet healthy.

Release: Apr. 1, 2016

FBI Director James B. Comey Jr. visits Kenyon to discuss privacy and surveillance

Just days after the FBI announced it found a way into the iPhone of a terrorist slain after the December 2015 mass shooting in San Bernardino, California, the FBI director will visit Kenyon College to address privacy and security issues.

March 2016

Release: Mar. 31, 2016

A Patchwork Concert at Kenyon

The eclectic and the cutting edge will converge on Friday, April 1, when saxophone-and-drums duo Patchwork takes the stage of Rosse Hall, 105 College Dr., at Kenyon College for a free concert at 8 p.m.

Release: Mar. 29, 2016

April 1 is early bird registration for Earth Day half-marathon

Run a half-marathon across the green campus of Kenyon College and along the beautiful Kokosing River on April 17 in the 10th annual Earth Day Challenge.

Release: Mar. 25, 2016

Kenyon College takes lead on teaching oral history techniques

Three Kenyon experts are part of the core leadership in a new Oral History in the Liberal Arts (OHLA) project.

Release: Mar. 24, 2016

Community Foundation contributes $75,000 for film equipment

The Community Foundation of Mount Vernon & Knox County has granted $75,000 to make the renovated Buckeye Candy building a hub for film production.

Release: Mar. 23, 2016

Gambier now has easy drop-off for recycling electronics

Knox County residents will have a new way to recycle televisions, laptops, cables, cellphones and video game systems starting April 17 at the 10th annual Earth Day Festival at Kenyon College.

Release: Mar. 18, 2016

Public discussion will examine Knox County's sustainable agriculture

On March 24 the Rural Life Center at Kenyon College asked how much it has fulfilled its mission to promote a sustainable local food system over the past 15 years.

Release: Mar. 18, 2016

Kenyon College adds smartphone app to boost campus security

A free smartphone app now allows the Kenyon community to alert Campus Safety about personal emergencies and to anonymously message the safety office about suspicious or dangerous activity.

Release: Mar. 9, 2016

Kenyon land trust changes its name to Philander Chase Conservancy

The Kenyon College non-profit land trust has changed its name to the Philander Chase Conservancy.

February 2016

Release: Feb. 18, 2016

Kenyon helps digitize local address directories

The library at Kenyon College is helping the Public Library of Mount Vernon and Knox County to do “historical archaeology.”

Release: Feb. 17, 2016

Psychologist will challenge audience to give more consideration to stereotyped messages

Sarah Murnen, the Samuel B. Cummings Jr. Professor of Psychology, has examined photos, toys and clothes for years seeking evidence of gender stereotyping: hands in powerful fists for male superheroes, low-cut tops marketed to young girls or a demure head tilt on princess dolls.

Release: Feb. 9, 2016

Jazz concert to showcase big band music

The Kenyon Jazz Ensemble presents its winter concert on Friday, Feb. 19, featuring varied big band selections by Dizzy Gillespie, Count Basie, Mary Lou Williams, Thad Jones and more.

Release: Feb. 4, 2016

Series of conversations to examine slices of Knox County culture

A popular series of public forums that Kenyon’s Rural Life Center has held for a decade is returning to examine three aspects of Knox County culture: its fiddle music tradition, the effects of the local food movement and the lives of Latinos who live in the area.

Release: Feb. 2, 2016

Prominent equal justice lawyer gives talk

Bryan Stevenson, a leading advocate for equal treatment in the courts, will give a talk Monday, Feb. 15, at Kenyon College on “American Injustice: Mercy, Humanity and Making a Difference.”

Release: Feb, 1 2016

Dirty Dozen Brass Band stops in Ohio with its energetic New Orleans Sound

The Dirty Dozen Brass Band will bring the sound of New Orleans to Ohio with a performance Feb. 12 at Kenyon College that’s sure to be upbeat, soulful, danceable and downright fun.

January 2016

Release: Jan. 28, 2016

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