Mellon Presidential Innovation Project Fund

Three-College Collaboration Announces Mellon Presidential Innovation Project Fund Grants

The Three-College Collaboration is pleased to announce the first round of awards in the Mellon Presidential Innovation Project Fund. We were gratified to see the number, quality, and variety and applications. Proposals came from across the campus constituencies – students, faculty, and staff – and with projects leaders from all three colleges.

Proposals were evaluated by faculty, staff, and student committees as appropriate, final decisions being made by the provosts, the director and associate director of the Collaboration, and approved by the presidents. All 12 of the successful projects involve participation from all three colleges. Several of the projects build on the Collaboration's new sustainability program. A total of $58,850 was awarded.

The project titles, team members and their affiliations are:

Three-College Transportation Alternatives

  • Leader: Thomas Dugger, Student, Olin College
  • Team members: Colby Sato and Avery Louie, students, Olin; Roger Crafts, Dean of Student Life, Olin College; Samantha Flattery, Shirley Lu, Iris Lin, Christina Rieth and Sophia Mo, students, Wellesley

Applicable Mathematics across the Three-College Collaboration

  • Leader: Oscar Fernandez, Assistant Professor of Mathematics, Wellesley College
  • Team members: Alex Diesel, Assistant Professor of Mathematics, Wellesley College; Megan Kerr, Associate Professor of Mathematics, Wellesley College; Aaron Hoffman, Assistant Professor of Mathematics, Olin College; Sarah Spence Adams, Associate professor of Mathematics, Olin College; Steven Erikson, Chair of Mathematics and Science Division, Babson College

Entrepreneurship Field Trips

  • Leader: Steve Gold, Senior Partner for Entrepreneurship, Olin College
  • Team members: Kate Grandjean, Assistant Professor of History, Wellesley College; Candida Brush, Division Chair for Entrepreneurship, Babson College; Janet Strimaitis, Managing Director of the Blank Center for Entrepreneurship at Babson College

Careers in Sustainability: Job Fair and Career Education

  • Leader: Vicky Keller, Associate Director, Career Curriculum, Babson College
  • Team members: Eric Sullivan, Associate Director center for Work and Service, Wellesley College; Sally Phelps, Director of Post Graduate Planning, Olin College

Provisional Aesthetics: International Visiting Artist Lecture Series

  • Leader: David Kelley, Assistant Professor of Art, Wellesley College
  • Team members: Michele Oshima, Director of Sorenson Arts Center, Babson College; Helen Donis-Keller, Professor of Biology and Art, Olin College; Danielle Krcmar, Artist in Residence, Babson College

Asian-American Identity in Higher Education

  • Leader: Yoon Sun Lee, Associate Professor of English, Director of American Studies, Wellesley College
  • Team members: Elena Creef, Associate Professor of Women's and Gender Studies, Wellesley College; Koichi Hagimoto, Assistant Professor of Spanish, Wellesley College; Soo Hong, Assistant Professor of Education, Wellesley College; James Kodera, Professor of Religion, Wellesley College; Nikhil Rao, Associate professor of History, Wellesley College; Karen Shih, Assistant Dean of Intercultural Education, Wellesley College; Rachel Shuen, President, Wellesley Asian Alliance; Pan Asian Council members; Michele Oshima, Director, Sorenson Center, Babson College; Xinghua Li, Assistant professor, Babson College; Mark Chang, Associate Professor, Olin College; Olin and Babson student representatives

Shared Library Platform to Support Sustainability Certificate Program

  • Leader: Dee Magnoni, Library Director, Olin College
  • Team members: Jack Cahill, Manager of Research and Instructional Services, Babson College; Heather Woods, Director, Research and Instructional Support, Wellesley College

Student-Inspired and Created Murals

  • Leader: Stephanie Osser, Ceramics Studio Manager and Instructor, Babson College
  • Team members: Babson and Wellesley student representatives

Global Student Leader Consortium

  • Leader: Amir Reza, Director of International and Multicultural Education, Babson College
  • Team members: Karen Zuffante Pabon, Director of Slater International Center, Wellesley College; Alison Black, Assistant Dean of Student Life, Olin College

Three-College Participation in the USA Science & Engineering Festival

  • Leader: Cathy Summa, Director of the Science Center, Wellesley College
  • Team members: Vikki Rodgers, Assistant Professor of Environmental Science, Babson College; Chuck Winrich, Director of Natural Science, Babson College; Yevgeniya V. Zastavker, Associate Professor of Physics, Olin College of Engineering

On-line Platform for Social Good

  • Leaders: Miguel Vazquez and Alina Rodriguez, Students, Babson College
  • Team members: Melissa Hawkins, Director of Service and Stipend Programs, Wellesley College; Lisa Thomas, Director of Community Engagement and Multi-faith Programs, Wellesley College; Rebecca Schutzengel, student, Olin

Pedagogical Research and Training

  • Leaders: Yevgeniya V. Zastavker, Associate Professor of Physics, Olin College and Veronica Darer, Senior Lecturer, Wellesley College
  • Team member: Nathaniel Karst, Assistant Professor in the Math and Science Division, Babson College