Academics
Global scholars. World-class thinkers.
Mentors for life.
Our professors are world-class scholars and teachers who engage with the issues facing our world. From research assistantships and independent study projects to summer experiences and excursions abroad, Colby faculty view collaboration with students as essential to the work they do.
World-class partnerships. Unparalleled location.
An invitation to inquire.
Colby has a culture of inquiry. It begins in our classrooms as professors challenge you to identify problems and seek solutions. It continues as your curiosity leads you in pursuit of innovation or deepened understanding.
Impacting their fields with research and thought, Colby professors
elevate and enliven classroom dialogue.
Professor of Art Véronique Plesch has dedicated herself to bringing Colby students fully into the world of art—not just to admire, but to engage with directly.
Assistant Professor of Classics Kassandra Miller puts age-old technical texts under the microscope to better understand sciences in the ancient world.
Learn more about how Miller sheds new light on the discipline
Assistant Professor of Psychology Jin Goh unearths people’s perceptions of sexual harassment victims — and the consequences of those mental images.
Assistant Professor of Spanish Sandra Bernal Heredia teaches the dance cumbia as part of her Baila in the Community course, using Latin dance as a cultural bridge between Colby and Waterville.
Ski wax has long been known to contain harmful forever-chemicals. A study by Gail Carlson, Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies, found they leave a long-lasting impact on soil and groundwater. Research like hers has led to a ban on the wax at next year’s World Cup.
Professor of Philosophy Daniel Cohen ‘75 worked with one of his students, Qifan “Frank” Hu ’23, to initiate a Colby-led team made up of prominent scholars to study virtue argumentation theory. These students have been translating already-published papers from English to Chinese to carry this work over to China.
Human rights rhetoric is exceptionally powerful but also dangerous. Associate Professor of Government Lindsay Mayka brings to light impacts of using human rights language to defend violent policing.
Assistant Professor of History Sarah Duff has written the first textbook to be published in the field of childhood and youth in African history.
“Ethics is a central part of a liberal arts education…having that liberal arts background paired with the AI institute is going to be really beneficial in exploring the ethical uses of AI going forward.” — Dale Kocevski, Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy
Pulver Family Associate Professor of Jewish Studies David Freidenreich, Professor of Art Véronique Plesch, and Anna Spencer ’16 merged their skills to decode the Beam of the Passion, an 800-year-old painting that retells the story of Jesus Christ’s crucifixion – with a twist.
Professor of Economics David Findlay noticed some baseball writers did not vote for baseball legend Hank Aaron’s induction to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Colby economists went on to find that racial bias significantly impacted Hall of Fame selections.
The Davis Institute for Artificial Intelligence
The Davis Institute for Artificial Intelligence at Colby is the first cross-disciplinary institute for artificial intelligence (AI) at a liberal arts college. Building upon existing partnerships and developing new relationships with leading organizations and institutions, the Davis Institute for Artificial Intelligence will position Colby as a national center for training faculty and students in the use of AI and the creation of new systems and capabilities.
