News

On Saturday, President Biden awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, to 18 people, including some of the Democratic Party’s best-known leaders, such as Hillary Clinton ’69.

Rapper Lupe Fiasco is stepping into academia! This spring he is teaching a course at MIT titled “Rap Theory & Practice.” The class is also open to students at Wellesley, Harvard, and Mass Art.

Psychology and health sciences professor Paul Wink writes for Cognoscenti about the triumphant and tragic life of Maria Callas. He is the author of “Prima Donna: The Psychology of Maria Callas.”

Study co-lead Lamiya Mowla ’13 emphasized the discovery’s importance: “These remarkable images give us an unprecedented picture of what our own galaxy might have looked like when it was being born."

Artist Lorraine O’Grady ’55 spent a week in residence at Wellesley this year, working closely with students. “As much as she has taught us, Lorraine told me that her priority was to continue learning — to hear from thinkers of all ages,” said Amanda Gilvin, curator of O’Grady’s “both/and” show at the Davis Museum.

Wellesley-led team of astronomers discovered the Firefly Sparkle galaxy, named for its dazzling appearance. “This looks like fireflies gleaming in a dark night sky,” said astronomer Lamiya Mowla ’13.

Lorraine O’Grady ’55 was confident from a young age that she would one day be considered a genius, no matter what the field. And she knew, too, that her importance would likely be recognized only belatedly, given the way Black women’s contributions were so often overlooked.

Artist Lorraine O’Grady ’55, who defied category, is dead at 90. She worked in collage, photography, performance, video and installation, and she dealt forthrightly with the complexities of race and gender.

Mark S. Singel reflects on the Firefly Sparkle galaxy, discovered by a team led by astronomy professor Lamiya Mowla ’13: “We are all on this earth traveling through a magical galaxy together.”