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Kahn Liberal Arts Institute The Kahn Institute at Smith College supports collaborative research without boundaries.

Laura Torraco AC ’26 presented on “The Haunted Olive Trees of Sicily,” during Collaborations 2026. As a fellow in the Ka...
05/19/2026

Laura Torraco AC ’26 presented on “The Haunted Olive Trees of Sicily,” during Collaborations 2026. As a fellow in the Kahn project, “Hauntings,” Laura began to conceptualize something she calls “tree time”–”history is stored in the body of a tree; trees are not solely witnesses of time, but also carry the past into the future.”

We wish you all the best in what’s next, Laura!

laura_torraco

Mayte Sarmiento ’26 was with the Kahn for two years as the Design Intern, developing social media, photography, and visu...
05/19/2026

Mayte Sarmiento ’26 was with the Kahn for two years as the Design Intern, developing social media, photography, and visual content for the program. We wish her all the best in the next chapter!

As a “Possible Futures: AI and Human Experience” fellow, Regina Hu ’26 examined the ethical questions surrounding AI-gen...
05/18/2026

As a “Possible Futures: AI and Human Experience” fellow, Regina Hu ’26 examined the ethical questions surrounding AI-generated art, exploring what audiences look for in art and whether AI-produced works can be considered original or owned. She also questioned the role of human input in these creations and, most fundamentally, whether AI can create art. We look forward to seeing how her ideas continue to evolve.

As a “Vegetal Forms: Knowing Place and Time Through Plants” fellow, Julia Beyer ’26 researched how 17th- and 18th-centur...
05/18/2026

As a “Vegetal Forms: Knowing Place and Time Through Plants” fellow, Julia Beyer ’26 researched how 17th- and 18th-century herbariums and accounts of bioprospecting voyages shaped classical botany into a field that upheld colonial empire throughout the 19th century. Her work examined the “translations”—spatial, linguistic, and cultural—of botanical knowledge carried out by colonial bioprospectors, and how these interpretations became the basis of Western scientific fact. We're excited to see where her work takes her next.

Daniella Quihuis-Granillo '26 has been a wonderful member of the Kahn staff for three years. We are so grateful for her ...
05/16/2026

Daniella Quihuis-Granillo '26 has been a wonderful member of the Kahn staff for three years. We are so grateful for her dedication, calm presence and thoughtful guidance for our project communities. We're looking forward to seeing what's next for her!

Jesmyn Ward—hailed as the standout writer of her generation—will visit Smith College on Wednesday, March 25, at 5 p.m. i...
02/16/2026

Jesmyn Ward—hailed as the standout writer of her generation—will visit Smith College on Wednesday, March 25, at 5 p.m. in Theatre 14, Mendenhall Center for the Performing Arts, to speak about haunting in her writing practice and in the narratives of her novels.

Tickets are free and required; go to https://smitharts.ludus.com/.

Ward’s visit is sponsored by the Kahn Institute, the Program for the Study of Women, Gender & Sexuality, the Provost’s office, and the Departments of Africana Studies, American Studies, and English Language and Literature.
Smith College - Study of Women and Gender

The Kahn Liberal Arts Institute is pleased to announce that Nathan Derr, Biological Sciences and Biochemistry, is one of...
02/04/2026

The Kahn Liberal Arts Institute is pleased to announce that Nathan Derr, Biological Sciences and Biochemistry, is one of the 2026–27 Faculty Fellows in “Foodways: Rooted, Made, Shared, Imagined”!

During the project, Derr will ask, How do we separate the biology and biochemistry of genetically modified organisms from the political, economic, and social factors that oversee and influence their use and need across the globe? He will also be researching how teaching the human right to science can influence students’ understanding of the conduct of science, ultimately leading to a more just scientific enterprise that addresses how the benefits of science can truly be delivered to all humans.

Smith College Sustainable Smith

The Kahn Liberal Arts Institute is pleased to announce that Maria Succi-Hempstead, Italian Studies, is one of the 2026–2...
02/03/2026

The Kahn Liberal Arts Institute is pleased to announce that Maria Succi-Hempstead, Italian Studies, is one of the 2026–27 Faculty Fellows in “Foodways: Rooted, Made, Shared, Imagined”!

Succi-Hempstead has long been shaped by food in terms of her identity, memory, and daily life, and she is drawn to understanding where ingredients come from, why certain foods gain prominence, and how culinary habits evolve. She is especially fascinated by how recipes travel and are reshaped through cultural exchange.

In the Kahn project, Succi-Hempstead aims to investigate these dynamics through questions of sustainability and biodiversity, and she looks forward to engaging in interdisciplinary conversations about food as a lens into our shared human experience.

"Human Rights & The Carceral State: Peru’s Experience of Political Violence"Thursday, February 5, 5 p.m., Klingenstein B...
02/02/2026

"Human Rights & The Carceral State: Peru’s Experience of Political Violence"
Thursday, February 5, 5 p.m., Klingenstein Browsing Room

In this lecture, Spring 2026 Neilson Professor Charles Walker links the 1982 Shining Path jail raid and brutal police retaliation — “the night that changed Peru” — with the global expansion of the carceral state.

The Kahn Liberal Arts Institute is pleased to announce that Margaret Sarkissian, Music, is one of the 2026–27 Faculty Fe...
02/02/2026

The Kahn Liberal Arts Institute is pleased to announce that Margaret Sarkissian, Music, is one of the 2026–27 Faculty Fellows in “Foodways: Rooted, Made, Shared, Imagined”!

Sarkissian’s research for the project will illuminate how, in the search for new ways to reinforce human bonds within a small Malaysian coastal community severely endangered by the double threat of climate-related and man-made environmental destruction, music and food have taken on even greater significance. The connection between musicians and food has always been strong. Now, musicians are initiating new projects that tap into traditional practices to create solidarity and raise awareness both within and beyond the community.

Smith College Sustainable Smith

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21 Henshaw Avenue
Northampton, MA
01060

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Thursday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Friday 8:30am - 4:30pm

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+14135853721

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