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TECHNOLOGICAL HISTORIAN: A page of Manuscript B, one of the digitized Homeric manuscripts that are now availble for free.

Universal language of discovery

From where Jianfeng Lin was born and raised, he could gaze across the six-mile wide Taiwan Strait and make out the skyline of Taipei, the capital of the sovereign Chinese territory and island Taiwan. 

A mind of one's own

Schools such as Brown University or Bennington College champion the right of the student to design an individualized course of study within a strong advising network of faculty and student advisors. The Independent Interdisciplinary Major program at Brandeis aims to create an academic space for a similar type of individual creativity; however, this is a space which also must exist within the structure of a more academically traditional university. 

Michelle Wexler ‘16 (left) created the major of Social Justice Social Change, and she plans to pursue further study in social work after graduation.

Julia Moffitt is the program coordinator for the Independent Interdisciplinary Majors.

Prof. Daniela Nicastro (BIOL), pincipal investigator, has encouraged Lin to step into more of a leadership role.

Jianfeng Lin creates 3-D images of diverse cell bodies using this three million dollar microscope.

Wordplay

During his senior year, Jesse Appell ’12 was awarded a Fulbright fellowship, that sent him to China to study Chinese comedy. He describes his research as discovering “what Chinese people think is funny,” and does this through writing satire in Chinese, performing on Chinese television, and performing Xiangsheng—a traditional form of Chinese comedy. While in China, Appell produced a viral video, “Laowai Style,” a parody of the K-Pop sensation “Gangam Style,” which received millions of views and prompted interview requests from multiple news outlets, including The Economist and TEDxBeijing. Appell returned to campus in November to perform his newest show “The Great LOL Tour of China” at International Culture Week. He spoke with justFeatures to discuss his False Advertising past, the burgeoning international future of the University, and what he has learned about cultural assimilation through the mediums of comedy and language.

Purple peers

Aaron Fischer ’15 writes, acts and directs for the Undergraduate Theatre Collective and loves watching Woody Allen films. He has participated in a handful of Brandeis clubs, ranging from Swing Club to Debate Society. He often wears a purple shirt. 

The Roosevelt Fellows, with a diverse range of interests and talents, are chosen to act as student mentors.

The Roosevelt Fellows program was named so for Eleanor Roosevelt, who taught at and was a trustee to the University during her lifetime.

Innovate, develop, repeat

The Hassenfeld family name is one that Brandeis students are quite familiar with. It can be found written in silver lacquer on the front of a handful of buildings around campus. The name Hassenfeld refers to two brothers from Providence, Rhode Island, Henry and Hillel, who, in 1923, founded a company that sold textile remnants: rolls of fabric that are left over from the textile production process. They named the company Hassenfeld Brothers. 

IBS to house Innovation Center

The International Business School will be the home of the Hassenfeld Innovation Center.

Alan Hassenfeld, the chairman of Hasbro and the benefactor behind the new innovation center, in conversation with Hubert Burda of Hubert Burda Media.

To the Netherlands, from Rabb

In spring 2015, Brandeis English Prof. Dawn Skorczewski (ENG) will teach an innovative class that combines her interest in Holocaust writing and passion for collaborative learning in a course titled “The International Legacy of Anne Frank.” The course is designed to allow Brandeis students to interact directly with students and faculty in the Netherlands. Skorczewski believes that an international perspective is crucial for coming to a complete understanding of the diary. She is determined to take digital learning to a whole new level using weekly video conferences with Dutch students and professors, Skype tours of relevant Holocaust historical sites and a chance to travel to Amsterdam. 

Prof. Dawn Skorcsewski (ENG) plans for her class on Anne Frank, which will be offered this spring.

The Anne Frank House—located in Westerkerk, Amsterdam—will be the location for one of the “virtual tours” the class will partake in this spring.

Fashion Entrepreneur

Although enthusiastic about his budding career in the fashion world, Shota Adamia ’15 refuses to let it define him. “I don’t think a career is the most important part of one’s life,” he said. Adamia doesn’t like limits or labels of in any form. “I want to break out of the limits always and overflow,” he said.  He is hesitant to even talk about his dream job or plan past 2016, not wanting to limit his identity or his future to one field in one area of his life.