Press Releases

Category: Press Releases

American Chemical Society President Examines Global Challenges to Chemistry at Lawrence University Seminar

An address by the president of the American Chemical Society will highlight a seminar celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Northeast Wisconsin section of the ACS Tuesday, Oct. 11 at Lawrence University.

William Carroll presents “The Chemistry Enterprise 2015: Do We Have a Future, or What?” at 6 p.m. in Lawrence’s Science Hall, Room 102. The event is free and open to the public.

A vice president at Occidental Chemical Corporation, Carroll will examine the issues facing the industrial, educational and governmental aspects of the U.S. chemical enterprise in the global marketplace. Carroll will discuss energy and raw material supply, the global mobility of students for both undergraduate and graduate education, intellectual property protection and the use of taxation and other incentives to maintain and attract chemical businesses.

Carroll, who holds two patents, began his chemical industry career in 1978. He joined what is now Occidental Chemical Corporation the following year. As Occidental’s vice president of Chlorovinyl Issues for OxyChem, he directs public policy issues related to chlorine and polyvinyl chloride (PVC).

He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, a member of the U.S. National Committee for the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry and has served on expert groups commissioned by the United Nations Environmental Program, the state of Florida and the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. In 2000, Carroll was honored by the Vinyl Institute with the Roy T. Gottesman Leadership Award for lifetime achievement.

Carroll earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and physics from DePauw University and a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from Indiana University, where he holds an adjunct professor of chemistry position and teaches a course on polymer chemistry.
Lawrence University Associate Professor of Chemistry Karen Nordell is the current chair of the Northeast Wisconsin section of the ACS, which includes several hundred academic and chemical industry members from the region.

Christianity and Intellectual Life Examined in Lawrence University Main Hall Forum

Mark Noll, professor of Christian thought at Wheaton College, presents “Jesus Christ and the Life of the Mind: Very Old Landmarks for Navigating Very Modern Dilemmas” Tuesday, Oct. 11 at 11:10 am. in the Lawrence University Memorial Chapel. The event is free and open to the public.

Noll will examine some of the reasons why several types of Christian communities have become alienated from intellectual life over the last century, why traditional Christian faith points toward a more positive use of the mind and why traditional Christian wisdom speaks effectively to some intellectual difficulties of the present day.

Noll is the director of the Institute for the Study of American Evangelicals at Wheaton and has served as a visiting professor at the Harvard Divinity School, the University of Chicago Divinity School and the Westminster Theological Seminary. A member of the Wheaton faculty since 1979, he earned a Ph.D. in the history of Christianity from Vanderbilt University.

Historical Development of Japanese Environmental Policy Focus of Main Hall Forum

Lawrence University economist Yoko Nagase will review five historic Japanese pollution cases and discuss the role each played in the development of Japan’s modern environmental policy Tuesday, Oct. 11 in a Lawrence University Main Hall Forum.

Nagase’s address, “History of Environmental Issues in Japan” at 4:30 p.m. in Main Hall, room 201, is free and open to the public.An assistant professor of economics specializing in environmental and resource economics, Nagase will trace the development of Japan’s environmental policy from 1868 — the beginning of the country’s modern industrial era — through the present.

She will focus on several high-profile pollution cases that were critical factors in shaping the current policy, including the 1950s outbreak of what became famously known as Minamata Disease due to mercury poisoning. More than 900 deaths were attributed to Minamata Disease and more than 2,000 additional individuals were diagnosed with the illness, which resulted from the consumption of fish and shellfish contaminated with mercury. The chemical had been routinely dumped into Minamata Bay for years by the Chisso Corporation, a former fertilizer company that evolved into a petrochemical and plastic-maker company.

Nagase, a member of the Lawrence economic department since 2001, earned her bachelor’s degree at Aoyama Gakuin University in Tokyo and her Ph.D. at the University of Oregon.

Distinguished NIH Researcher Discusses Gene-Environment Interactions in Lawrence Science Hall Colloquium

Renowned primate researcher Stephen Suomi discusses his work on biobehavioral development and some of the factors that contribute to the stability of such social traits as fearfulness and aggressiveness in a Lawrence University Science Hall Colloquium.

Suomi, chief of the Laboratory of Comparative Ethology at the National Institute of Child Health & Human Development at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md., presents “How Gene-Environment Interactions Can Shape Individual Difference in Emotional Regulation in Rhesus Monkeys” Thursday, Oct. 6 at 4:30 p.m. in Science Hall, Room 102. The talk is free and open to the public.

Suomi’s extensive research has uncovered the complex and often surprising ways genes and the environment interact and suggests nurturing mothers may alter gene expression in baby rhesus monkeys. In his presentation, he will address the degree to which his findings on monkeys studied in captivity also apply to monkeys living in the wild as well as to humans living in different cultures.

One of the preeminent scholars in his field, Suomi has delivered more than 300 invited talks, symposium presentations and convention papers at nearly 100 colleges and universities, including UC-Berkeley, Cambridge, Harvard, Princeton, Stanford and Yale. He also has written or co-written more than 300 published articles in scientific journals and chapters in edited volumes.

Suomi joined the NIH’s National Institute of Child Health and Human Development division in 1983 after beginning his professional career as a faculty member in the psychology department at the University of Wisconsin. In addition to his work at the NIH, he also holds appointments as a research professor at the University of Virginia, the University of Maryland and the Johns Hopkins University.

Noted Ethicist Discusses Moral Issues in the Global Environment in Lawrence University Convocation

Author and environmental ethicist Christopher Stone examines some of the underlying moral issues involved with global ecological problems such as climate change, loss of biodiversity and depletion of natural resources in a Lawrence University convocation.

Stone, the J. Thomas McCarthy Trustee Professor of Law at the University of Southern California Law School, presents “Mending the Earth: Ethical Issues in Healing the Global Environment” Tuesday, Oct. 4 at 11:10 a.m. in the Lawrence Memorial Chapel. He also will conduct a question-and-answer session in Riverview Lounge at 2 p.m. Both events are free and open to the public.

A widely published author on topics ranging from ocean policy and U.S. alternate energy policy to corporate crime and trade law, Stone helped fuel the country’s emerging environmental movement with his 1974 book “Should Trees Have Standing?,” arguing for the “legal standing” of nature’s voiceless elements, such as endangered species and threatened forests. The book was reprinted in 1996 as “Should Trees Have Standing?: And Other Essays on Law, Morals and the Environment.”

Stone has addressed other ecological issues in the books “The Gnat is Older Than Man: Global Environment and Human Agenda” and “Earth and Other Ethics: The Case for Moral Pluralism” and has written frequently for such publications as Ecology Law Quarterly, the American Journal of International Law, The New York Times and Harper’s Magazine.

In addition to his writing, Stone, 67, has served as a principal investigator for the U.S. Department of Energy in a variety of projects related to geothermal resource development. He also has served as a member of the Commission on Environmental Law for the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (World Conservation Union), the Foundation for International Environmental Law and Development in London and is on the Board of Advisors of the Animals and Culture Foundation.

A member of the USC law school faculty since 1965, Stone was appointed in 1999 to the McCarthy Trustees’ Chair, one of the most generously funded faculty positions in American legal education. He earned a bachelor’s degree magna cum laude in philosophy from Harvard College in 1959 and a law degree from Yale University School of Law in 1962.

Author Salman Rushdie Highlights Lawrence University Convocation Series, President Jill Beck Kicks off Series with Annual Matriculation Address

Lawrence University President Jill Beck officially opens the college’s 156th academic year Thursday, Sept. 22 and kicks off the 2005-06 convocation series with her annual matriculation address.

Beck will examine the importance of student involvement in the greater community and its role in developing character and instilling personal principles in the address “A Question of Values: Community Engagement, Altruism and Liberal Education” at 11:10 a.m. in the Lawrence Memorial Chapel. The event is free and open to the public.

Joining Beck on the 2005-06 convocation schedule is environmental ethicist and author Christopher Stone, theoretical physicist Lisa Randall, award-winning novelist Salman Rushdie and U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge D. Michael Lynn.

Lawrence’s 15th and first woman president, Beck assumed the presidency in July, 2004 and was formally installed in office in May, 2005. Among the themes she has chosen for her presidency are to increase collaborative and complementary activities between the fine and performing arts and the traditional liberal arts and sciences and to encourage more active community engagement by Lawrence and its students.

Under her leadership, the college has created an innovative postdoctoral teaching fellowship program — the Lawrence University Fellows in the Liberal Arts and Sciences. During its first year (2005-06), the Lawrence Fellows program has brought eight recent Ph.D.s to campus in fields as diverse as music composition, physics, gender studies, geology and philosophy.

Prior to coming to Lawrence, Beck spent eight years (1995-2003) as dean of the Claire Trevor School of the Arts at the University of California, Irvine. At UC-Irvine, Beck established the da Vinci Research Center for Learning Through the Arts, an interdisciplinary center for research focused on learning across disciplines. She also founded ArtsBridge America, an outreach program that offers hands-on experiences in the arts to school-age children, placing university students in K-12 classrooms as instructors and mentors. In 2005, Lawrence became the headquarters of ArtsBridge America and the first private institution to join the program, which now has 22 participating institutions in 13 states and Northern Ireland.

A native of Worcester, Massachusetts, she earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and art history from Clark University, a master’s degree in history and music from McGill University and the Ph.D. in theatre history and criticism from the City University of New York. She served on the faculties of City College of the City University of New York and The Juilliard School and has written extensively in the fields of dance history, theory, repertory, and technique, as well as choreographing and directing ballet and modern dance repertory.

Stone, the J. Thomas McCarthy Trustee Professor of Law at the University of Southern California, presents “Mending the Earth: Ethical Issues in Healing the Global Environment” Tuesday, Oct. 4. He has written extensively on the environment, ocean policy, U.S. alternate energy policy and climate change, among other topics. He serves as a member of the Commission on Environmental Law of the IUCN (World Conservation Union) and is a Trustee of the Center for International Environmental Law.

Randall, a professor of physics at Harvard University, will discuss the mysteries of the universe’s hidden dimensions Thursday, Jan. 26. A rising star in the world of theoretical physics, her groundbreaking research has investigated possibilities for particle physics and cosmology when there are more than three dimensions, such as the possibility of a hidden fifth dimension of infinite extent. The recipient of a National Science Foundation Young Investigator Award, Randall taught at MIT and Princeton University before joining the faculty at Harvard.

Rushdie, one of the most successful and celebrated novelists of his generation, presents “A Morning with Salman Rushdie,” Thursday, April 20. While his novels have earned critical acclaim and enjoyed widespread commercial success, he is perhaps best known for his work “The Satanic Verses,” which generated a firestorm of controversy. It was banned in his native India before it was published and was deemed sacrilegious by Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeni, who issued a “fatwa” against Rushdie in 1989.

His book “Step Across This Line: Collected Non-Fiction, 1992-2002” is a collection of articles that explore his own reaction to the fatwa, as well as reactions of the media and various governments. His latest novel, “Shalimar the Clown,” which explores the evolution of a terrorist, was released earlier this month.

Lynn will deliver the address “American Justice: Proud Promise or Oxymoron: How Does the Legal System Measure Up?” at Lawrence’s annual Honors Convocation Thursday, May 25. A 1965 Lawrence graduate, Lynn was appointed U.S. Bankruptcy Judge in September, 2001 after a 29-year career of practicing corporate reorganization and bankruptcy law in Dallas, Texas. He also serves as a professor of law on the faculty of Southern Methodist University’s Dedman School of Law and has been recognized for his work on behalf of the homeless and by the State Bar of Texas for his participation on the faculty of numerous continuing legal education programs.

In the Mood: LU Saxophonist Trades School for Real-Life Music Education

Lawrence University junior Ben Doherty will not be rejoining his classmates this fall when the 2005-06 academic year begins classes on Wednesday.

The saxophone performance major from Roswell, Ga., is hardly putting his music studies on hold, though. Thanks to an unexpected offer he couldn’t refuse, he’s instead trading practice and class room instruction for a dose of real-world education as a touring member of the world-renowned Glenn Miller Orchestra.

In late August, with the start of school less than a month off, Doherty received a serendipitous email late one night from his former high school jazz teacher, Craig Stevens, a one-time trumpet player with the GMO.  The band was in search of a tenor sax player and tapped Stevens for suggestions.  He remembered his former student and forwarded a note to Doherty. Four days later, after working things out with his summer job boss, receiving the blessing of his Lawrence advisor, Professor of Music Steven Jordheim and completing the necessary paperwork to take a leave of absence from school, Doherty signed on with the band.

In a baptism by fire, he made his GMO debut a scant six days later in a Labor Day weekend performance in Akron, Ohio, but not before learning his first lesson about life on the road.

“I got stuck in the individual search line going through security at the airport and the lady in front of me took forever,” Doherty recalled.  “By time I made it to the gate, I had missed my flight by no more than five minutes.  I wound up on the next flight and got into Akron at 12:30 p.m., which left plenty of time to get to the gig, but the whole time up until I got there I felt like I was going to be sick.

“I was nervous enough as it was, but to throw in a missed flight on top of everything was just horrible.  The concert went very well, though.  I thought I was going to be extremely nervous, but once I got on stage, everything was fine.  I even took a few solos.”

Originally founded by legendary trombonist Glenn Miller in the late 1930s, the orchestra established itself as one of the greatest bands of all time with its unique jazz sound.  From 1939 to 1942, the band, which became synonymous with the “swing era,” produced an astonishing 70 Top 10 records, including the timeless classics “In the Mood,” “Tuxedo Junction” and “Moonlight Serenade.”  The present Glenn Miller Orchestra was formed in 1956 and has toured regularly for the past 50 years, performing as many as 300 shows a year around the world.

Doherty plans to stay with the band through the middle of December before returning to Lawrence for Term II classes in January, a schedule that will see him play 72 concerts in 21 states, including a stop at the Grand Opera House in Oshkosh on Oct. 15.  Highlighting his time with the band will be a month-long visit to Japan in November and December, where 23 shows are scheduled throughout the country.

“This is such an incredible opportunity because it is a taste of what the life of a road musician is really like,” said Doherty, who admits he’s looking forward to celebrating his 21st birthday in Tokyo in early December.  “I’m playing with an incredible band and I get to spend a month in Japan!  There is no way I could have let this pass me by.”

The band plies the nation’s highways by bathroomless coach bus and plays venues ranging from school auditoriums to performing arts centers, outdoor amphitheatres and civic park tents.  Wherever the schedule takes them, though, Doherty says he has found a “very receptive and appreciative” audience.

“I’ve heard many audience members comment that they are surprised that all of us ‘youngins’ could play this music and hold true to the Glenn Miller tradition.”

That music tradition, along with the sheer frequency of performances, have provided the biggest adjustments for Doherty.

“At Lawrence, I played a wide variety of musical styles whereas the music I’m playing with the GMO is all in the 1930s and ’40’s big-band tradition.  We’re averaging around six to seven shows a week and I sight read about 75% of each show.  With the Lawrence University Jazz Ensemble, we would spend the better part of a term preparing for a show and then perform maybe two or three concerts.  Basically, in less than two weeks with the GMO, I’ve already played at least as many shows as I have my entire time at Lawrence, if not more.”

Helping ease Doherty’s transition from student member of LUJE to second chair in the tenor sax section of one of the world’s best-known bands have been two fellow Lawrentians — Allen Cordingley and Scott VanDomelen, 2002 and 1994 LU graduates, respectively.  Cordingley, who plays alto sax, joined the band nearly a year and a half ago, while VanDomelen, lead tenor sax in the band, has played with the GMO on and off since 1998.  Together, they account for three of the band’s five saxophonists.

“I actually first met Allen and Scott after they played a concert in Sheboygan that Mr. Jordheim and several members of the sax studio attended,” said Doherty.  “We all went to a McDonald’s after the show and hung out together.  I jokingly said, ‘If either of you guys ever want to take a break, I’ll sub for you.’  I wasn’t being serious at all because I never thought the opportunity would arise.  Although I didn’t really know them that well when I joined on, it made transitioning into the band a lot smoother, especially since I am pretty shy.”

When the offer of joining the GMO was first broached, Doherty’s initial reaction focused on how his decision might impact his Lawrence education and whether taking time off from college was really the right move. But those concerns were quickly assuaged in a conversation with an enthusiastic and encouraging Jordheim.

“I was genuinely excited for him and told him so,” said Jordheim. “This is such a great opportunity for Ben, to be able to play with fine professional musicians, travel extensively and experience the life of a touring musician.  Undergraduate students are rarely presented with such opportunities. Ben’s time with the Glenn Miller Orchestra will be of great benefit to him as he makes plans for his future study and career.

“And, of course,” he added, “to play in a section with two alumni of Lawrence’s saxophone studio means that he has two ‘big brothers’ to serve as his mentors.”

While Doherty continues to ponder his career ambitions, he realizes he’s been given a rare and timely chance to take a peek into the proverbial crystal ball for a glimpse of what life may have in store for him.

“I have been viewing this as an opportunity to really figure things out, with actual experience to base it on.  Last year I had a really hard time dealing with a serious case of burnout mixed with the standard ‘Is this what I really want to be doing?’ question that every college student deals with, so this really couldn’t have come at a better time.

“So far I’m having a really great time,” he added.  “All the guys in the band have been really cool and I’ve really connected with a few of them.  The overall experience has been extremely encouraging and reaffirming for me in pursuing a performance career.”

New Exhibition Opens Sept. 23 at Lawrence University’s Wriston Art Center Galleries

Milwaukee artist Chris Niver, who works with traditional needlework techniques to create contemporary embroideries with wit and irony, deliver the opening lecture Friday, Sept. 23 at 6 p.m. for the latest exhibition at Lawrence University’s Wriston Art Center galleries. A reception will follow. Both are free and open to the public.

The exhibition also will feature works by Latin American artists, including Roberto Matta and Mauricio Lasansky, from Lawrence’s Permanent Collection and prints and sculptures by Racine multi-media artist Molly Carter. The exhibition runs through Oct. 31.

Wriston Art Center hours are Tuesday-Friday from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Saturday-Sunday from noon – 4:00 p.m. The gallery is closed on Mondays. For more information, call 920-832-6621 or visit http://www.lawrence.edu/news/wriston/.

Lawrence University Welcomes Near-Record 433 New Students for Start of 156th Academic Year

Among the factors Chris McGeorge was mentally weighing while mulling his decision on where to attend college this fall was the weather. That was one of the reasons the freshman from Petosky, Mich., eventually opted for Tulane University in New Orleans instead of his second choice, Lawrence University.

“I was kind of tired of winter. I had had 18 of them and wanted to get away from the Midwest,” said McGeorge. “Plus the whole culture of New Orleans intrigued me.”

When Mother Nature unleashed the devastating fury of Hurricane Katrina on the Gulf Coast, it turned out the weather wound up making McGeorge’s decision for him, rather than the other way around. His plans to escape winter were temporarily put on hold and the hurricane sent him scurrying for safety the very day he arrived at Tulane.

Instead of pursuing an English major at Tulane this fall, McGeorge will join a near-record 433 new students who are scheduled to arrive Wednesday (9/14) on the Lawrence campus. First-year students will move into the residence halls that day and begin six days of orientation activities in anticipation of the college’s 156th academic year. The first day of classes is set for Wednesday, Sept. 21.

Wednesday will be the second freshman “move-in” day in less than three weeks for McGeorge, who arrived at Tulane just as Katrina began zeroing in on the Gulf Coast. Shortly after getting to his room, he listened to Tulane President Scott Cowen deliver an evacuation speech instead of his normal new student welcome address.

“I hadn’t even unpacked my stuff at that point,” said McGeorge, who mere hours after arriving on campus found himself on a bus making a 200-mile trip to Jackson State University in Miss. “We were told to just take enough things with us for a few days because we’d be coming back. My things are all still in boxes sitting in my room at Tulane.

“I’m really excited about actually completing an orientation program this time,” McGeorge added.

After two days of camping out with more than 400 of his new classmates on the floor of a Jackson State gymnasium — most of which was spent largely in the dark since the power had gone out in town — McGeorge found himself on another charter bus the evening of Aug. 30, this time headed to Georgia Tech University in Atlanta. A seven hour bus ride got him to the Georgia Tech student union at 4:30 a.m., but by mid-morning, he was on a plane flying home to Michigan.

Once back home in Petosky, McGeorge reconsidered his options.

“Lawrence was one of the first places I called to see if they would accommodate me,” said McGeorge, who also checked out Boston University, where he was told they had classroom space for him but he’d have to find housing in Boston on his own. “Lawrence was a little closer to home. I had been there for a campus visit and was really impressed with the faculty there. They have some amazing programs, so it was really my first choice at that point.”

Although already teetering on an all-time enrollment record, Lawrence officials took into account McGeorge’s unusual circumstances and were able to squeeze him in. An accomplished chef who spent the summer making fancy pastries at a gourmet restaurant, McGeorge said he used his culinary skills to “bribe” the admissions office by offering to live with a faculty member and do all the cooking if space was an issue.

“I was so grateful Lawrence was able to make room for me on such short notice,” said McGeorge. “They were so accommodating and I’m just so grateful. I’m glad I was able to get out of town safely, but I wonder now how long it will take for New Orleans to be the city I remember.”

“We’re doing our best to treat these displaced students like Chris with the dignity and respect they deserve,” said Ken Anselment, director of admissions, noting the college has received a handful of inquiries from students affected by the hurricane. “In spite of being very full, we’re trying to be as accommodating as possible to their needs.”

In a year in which Lawrence received a record number of first-year applications (2,068), McGeorge may be the last admitted member of what is the largest class of new students in more than 30 years. This year’s total of 433 new students — 404 freshmen and 29 transfer students — nearly matches 1973’s all-time mark of 451 when 423 freshmen and 28 transfer students matriculated.

“This year’s large class of incoming students has enabled Lawrence to reach its expanded enrollment goal of 1,400 students a few years ahead of schedule,” said Anselment. “That will have some implications for next year. It will necessitate enrolling a smaller class of new students in order to keep the university at that total enrollment number. That may prove particularly challenging considering the increases in application activity we have seen over the past few years.”

The number of new students is up, but not at the expense of the class’s traditionally strong academic profile. Nearly a quarter, 24%, of the class ranked in the top five percent of their high school graduating class. Twenty one of the incoming freshmen were class valedictorians and 37 of them received National Merit recognition. As a group, this year’s incoming freshmen achieved an average ACT score of 28.

“This year’s class is collectively one of the highest achieving group of students Lawrence has seen in quite a while,” Anselment said. “Both our average ACT and SAT scores are up, which, interestingly, is a nice way to cap things off in our last year of requiring standardized tests for admission and scholarships.”

Lawrence officials announced in February the college would no longer require standardized test scores for admission consideration, relying instead on its time-tested standard of “multiple intelligences” when reviewing a student’s application for admission.

The class of new students is almost as geographically diverse as it is academically talented. Thirty-four states and 14 countries, among them China, Ghana and Tanzania, are represented in the class. The 404 freshmen hail from 309 different high schools, with the distinction of supplying the most members of the incoming class, 9, going to Appleton’s very own North High School.

While McGeorge may have taken the most circuitous route to get to Lawrence, students will literally arrive Wednesday from far and (very) near. At nearly 9,100 miles from home, Alavi Karim and Imtiaz Karim, both from Dhaka, Bangledesh, will travel the farthest, while James Duncan-Welke will enjoy the shortest “journey.” He lives right across the street from the Lawrence campus.

Ninety-three percent of the first-year students were awarded need-based or merit-based financial assistance, with aid awards averaging $22,600.

“Although we will need to be more selective in admission, we are one of a declining number of colleges that still admits students without regard to their financial circumstances and then meets their full institutional financial need,” said Steve Syverson, dean of admissions and financial aid. “We remain committed to making a Lawrence education affordable to the best and the brightest students, regardless of their family’s income.”

Lawrence University Cited for Academic Excellence, Exceptional Value in U.S. News’ Annual Best College’s Guide

Lawrence University’s academic excellence, including one of the country’s most distinctive first-year programs, as well as its exceptional education value were recognized in U.S. News & World Report’s 19th annual “America’s Best Colleges” report released Friday (8/19).

For the seventh consecutive year, Lawrence is ranked among the top quarter of the nation’s best liberal arts colleges, placing 53rd among 215 leading national colleges and universities in U.S. News’ “Best Liberal Arts Colleges” category. Lawrence was Wisconsin’s top-ranked institution in the national category.

U.S. News also cited Lawrence as an exceptional education value in its “Great Schools, Great Prices” category, which compares an institution’s academic quality to the net cost of attendance. Factoring in need-based financial aid, Lawrence was ranked the country’s 40th best value among the 215 national liberal arts colleges. Lawrence was the only institution in the state ranked in the national best values category.

Lawrence’s distinctive Freshman Studies, the college’s 60-year-old signature curricular program, was recognized for the fourth consecutive year in U.S. News’ “First-Year Experiences” category, one of eight special categories the magazine uses to highlight what it calls “outstanding examples of academic programs that are believed to lead to student success.”

The eight specialized “programs to look for” are not distinguished by institutional size or type, but include those cited most frequently in a survey of college presidents, chief academic officers and deans of admission. Institutions are not numerically ranked in the special categories, but listed alphabetically. Lawrence joined Duke, Princeton and Stanford universities, among others, who were recognized for first-year programs.

For the third year in a row, Williams College of Massachusetts earned the magazine’s top ranking among national liberal arts colleges, while Amherst College, also of Massachusetts, was ranked second for a third straight time.

In compiling its annual “America’s Best Colleges” guide, U.S. News & World Report evaluates nearly 1,400 of the nation’s public and private four-year schools, using data from 15 separate indicators of academic excellence such as selectivity, graduation rates, student retention, faculty resources and alumni satisfaction. Each factor is assigned a “weight” that reflects the magazine editor’s judgment as to how much that measure matters. Each school’s composite weighted score is then compared to peer institutions to determine final rankings.

Institutions are divided into several distinct categories. In addition to the best liberal arts college category that measures national institutions like Lawrence, other rankings are based on universities that grant master and doctorate degrees and colleges that are considered “regional” institutions such as St. Norbert College or UW-Oshkosh.