Alumni News

Hugh Ryan “Writing is the Last Thing I Do”: 5 Questions for Hugh Ryan
By Craig Morgan Teicher

Hugh Ryan graduated from the Bennington Writing Seminars in 2009 and went on to publish two acclaimed books of nonfiction, When Brooklyn Was Queer (2019) and The Women’s House of Detention: A Queer History of a Forgotten Prison, which won the Stonewall Book Award/Israel Fishman Award for Nonfiction and the Warren Johansson Award. He has taught nonfiction at the Writing Seminars since 2022, and just sold his next book, Becoming History, a memoir in essays. He talked with me about turning research into writing and falling back in love with the essay.

Visionary Leadership Award honoree Souleymane Badolo MFA ’13, left, with Susan Sgorbati, Director of the Center for the Advancement of Public Action Souleymane Badolo MFA ’13 Honored with Visionary Leadership Award

Dancer, choreographer, and activist Souleymane Badolo MFA ’13 has been named the 2023 recipient of Bennington College’s Dr. Elizabeth Coleman Visionary Leadership Award. This annual award recognizes an engaged Bennington alumni who has successfully demonstrated leadership and confident willingness to step forward and take risks in order to solve problems and achieve results in the areas of education, government, the arts and sciences, or industry.

Alison (Young Eun) Cho ’14 Alison (Young Eun) Cho ’14 Named Associate Director of International Students and Scholar Advising

Alison (Young Eun) Cho ’14 was named Associate Director of International Students and Scholar Advising at Bennington College at the start of the fall term. This is a new full-time position 100 percent dedicated to international students’ needs. The role involves handling logistical, social, and emotional support for those studying far from home.

Image of Alan Arkin Bennington College Celebrates the Life of Alan Arkin '55

Bennington College celebrates the extraordinary life of actor and friend of Bennington College Alan Arkin ’55. Arkin’s family announced his passing on Friday. 

Image of Bennington Commons A Bennington Museum Mentor at Work: Meagan Mattingly ’00 and the Dia Art Foundation

From her role at the Dia Art Foundation, Meagan Mattingly ’00 combines her interests in the arts, education, and public engagement.