F&M Stories
At Franklin & Marshall College, we connect our students with extraordinary opportunities so they can accomplish great things in their four years on campus. Here are just a few of their stories.
02/24/2026
Brett Harwood ’71 Makes $1 Million Gift to Support Jewish Life, Student Experience
A transformational gift of $1 million from Brett Harwood ’71 will support F&M’s vibrant Jewish life programming, foster campus dialogue, fund a faculty position and boost the College’s student retention efforts.
02/24/2026
F&M Alumnae Power Students’ Future Success in Finance
A recent gift from two F&M leaders provides annual funding for hands-on career experiences.
02/23/2026
NFL’s Troy Vincent Named F&M 2026 Commencement Speaker
Troy Vincent, NFL executive and former cornerback, will share his story with F&M’s Class of 2026 as speaker at the College’s Commencement on May 9. Vincent will receive an honorary degree. His pro career spanned 15 years, including eight exceptional...
02/20/2026
Work on the Wild Side with Lillian Basom '08, F&M Vivarium Director
Lillian Basom ’08 loved Franklin & Marshall’s vivarium so much that she never left. In fact, she has been the director of operations since 2011. The research facility houses a variety of rodents, reptiles, birds, fish, invertebrates and capuchin...
02/18/2026
An AI Certificate to Prepare World-Ready Leaders
Franklin & Marshall College announced a distinctive interdisciplinary certificate to empower students to successfully lead and thrive in a rapidly evolving world. The Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Liberal Arts Certificate is a reflection of...
02/16/2026
Powering Innovation: Inside F&M’s Campus Supercomputer
Imagine 1,600 computer processors combining power toward one task. This is the engine driving innovation at F&M. Called a High-Performance Computing (HPC) cluster, this elite shared resource accelerates discovery, empowers large-scale research, and...
02/16/2026
A Q&A with Historian Manisha Sinha, F&M Mueller Fellow
Historian Manisha Sinha, this year’s F&M Mueller Fellow, will lead a Feb. 26 discussion centered on focus on her latest book, “The Rise and Fall of the Second American Republic: Reconstruction, 1860-1920.”
02/12/2026
Striking the Right Chord
Award-winning songwriter Bruce Sussman ’71 founded Franklin & Marshall’s first a cappella group on a whim in 1968. Alumni and current members reflect on the group’s origins and influence.
02/09/2026
Sally Badoud Joins F&M as Vice President for Communications and Marketing
Sally Badoud began as F&M’s new vice president for communications and marketing on Feb. 9. She brings 25 years of experience in branding, communications, design, marketing and leadership within higher education.
02/06/2026
From F&M to Film Career: Independent Producer Jesse Hope ’13
Fresh off a premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, film producer Jesse Hope ’13 shares his career path from F&M – from the set of Quentin Tarantino’s “The Hateful Eight” to his own independent features.
02/05/2026
F&M Selected to Join National Initiative to Strengthen Civic Inquiry
Franklin & Marshall College has been invited to participate in the Institute for Citizens & Scholars’ Campuswide Immersion (CWI) program, reflecting the College’s commitment to free inquiry and longstanding dedication to preparing students for...
02/03/2026
Coral, Caves and Ice Cores: The Path to Hydrology for Monica Arienzo ’08
Hydrology research has taken Monica Arienzo ’08 to coral reefs in the U.S. Virgin Islands, underwater caves in the Bahamas and ice cores in Antarctica and Greenland.