Innovation in Action

Pathways in Practice is a cross-divisional initiative connecting academic learning with career, civic, and alumnae/i pathways. Through collaborative, discipline-focused speaker events, both on campus during OwlsFest and off campus in key cities, the program brings together faculty, students, alumnae/i, and prospective students. Each event highlights a major or discipline, illustrating how classroom experiences translate into real-world success and building lifelong relationships. The initiative strengthens recruitment, supports career readiness, and showcases academic excellence, while fostering community across current students, alumnae/i, and future Owls. The goal is to Pathways in Practice an annual, scalable engagement model. The pilot is a collaboration between Alumnae/I Relations and Development, Career and Civic Engagement and Undergraduate Admissions. 

This pilot expands micro-credentialing at Bryn Mawr College’s School of Social Work and Social Research through the Credly platform, enabling students and alumni to earn digital badges that showcase skills and co-curricular achievements. The goal of the project is to build new pathways for skill recognition and enhance employability for graduates of the School of Social Work and Social Research. Digital badges can be shared on platforms like LinkedIn, increasing visibility to employers and reinforcing Bryn Mawr’s commitment to lifelong learning. 

The Institute of Failure, led by Dr. José Vergara, Associate Professor and Chair of Russian of the Myra T. Cooley Lectureship in Russian Studies, challenges Bryn Mawr’s “perfectionist trap” by normalizing failure as an essential part of learning and innovation. Through events like the “Failure Monologues,” guest lectures, workshops, and a community-wide “Failure Fest,” the program creates space for faculty, staff, students, and alums to share and reflect on setbacks. By reframing failure as a valuable, generative experience, the Institute aims to foster resilience, risk-taking, and intellectual flexibility across campus. This initiative seeks to strengthen Bryn Mawr’s culture of academic risk-taking, holistic support, and community connection preparing students to thrive through challenges at Bryn Mawr and beyond. 

The Living and Learning Communities pilot project, led by Richie Gebauer, Dean of Student Success in collaboration with Joel A. Schlosser, Professor of Political Science and Fairbank Professorship in the Humanities, Amanda B. Cox, Assistant Professor of Sociology, Alice Lesnick, Term Professor in the Department of Education, and campus partners including class deans and Institutional Research, seeks to transform the first-year experience at Bryn Mawr College by integrating academic and residential life through two pilot communities launching in the 2026–27 academic year. Each community will enroll approximately 15–20 students who will live together and participate in a coordinated, interdisciplinary curriculum spanning multiple courses, complemented by co-curricular programming and sustained engagement with faculty and staff mentors. The initiative builds on Bryn Mawr’s tradition of relationship-rich education while addressing growing concerns about student isolation by fostering meaningful face-to-face interaction, community building, and integrative learning that connects knowledge across disciplines and real-world contexts.  

Led by Thomas Mozdzer, Professor of Biology and Rosabeth Moss Kanter Change Master Fund recipient, and Dirk Kinsey, Visiting Assistant Professor of Growth and Structure of Cities, this pilot positions Bryn Mawr’s campus as a living laboratory for sustainability. The project will produce an integrated set of campus sustainability and environmental quality datasets, develop campus management plans, and make select data publicly accessible through a comprehensive, interactive GIS-based campus map. This story map will serve as the foundation for a new outward-facing platform that connects campus operations with academic initiatives. The work will be carried out through academic courses and the establishment of a new Living Laboratory Fellows program. Additional project partners include Neha Sood, Director of Sustainability and Environmental Action; Sarah Theobald, Academic Program Coordinator; and Wayne Troop, Assistant Director of Facilities for Grounds. 

Spearheaded by Alison Cook-Sather, Mary Katherine Woodworth Chair and Professor in the Bryn Mawr/Haverford Education Program and Director of the Peace, Conflict and Social Justice Program, OLIE brings together Bryn Mawr faculty, staff, students, and alumnae/i across departments and offices to develop a unified approach to relational leadership. The pilot will map existing leadership opportunities, create shared language and recognition for relational leadership, and recommend sustainable support structures for students. By connecting and clarifying leadership programs, from dorm leaders to civic engagement and athletics, OLIE fosters intentional, integrated student experiences and prepares graduates to articulate their leadership skills to employers. The pilot will produce a menu of leadership development programs, new forms of recognition, recommendations for training, and a web presence to showcase Bryn Mawr’s commitment to relational leadership. The project supports holistic student development, strengthens community inclusion, and positions Bryn Mawr as a leader in relational leadership for women. 

The STEM Access Initiative (SAI), led by Jennifer Skirkanich in collaboration with faculty and staff in  STEM departments, the Q-Center, the Career and Civic Engagement Center, the Dean’s Office, and the Provost’s Office, seeks to create an integrated, equitable STEM ecosystem that expands access to resources, mentorship, and academic support for a broader population of students. Building on prior programs such as STEMLA and the STEM Posse Program, the initiative addresses persistent barriers that limit student success and participation in STEM, particularly among first-generation, low-income, and transfer students, by coordinating existing programs, strengthening institutional infrastructure, and launching targeted new programming. Through key areas of work, including mapping the current STEM landscape, enhancing communication across programs, institutionalizing a centralized hub of resources, and piloting new teaching, learning, and mentorship activities, the project aims to improve students’ sense of preparation, belonging, and persistence in STEM disciplines.  

This pilot supports student awardees Tisha Potluri ’27 and Rebecca Shan ’27 as they research best practices for student-run campus emergency medical services. In collaboration with Bill Applegate, Associate Director of Campus Safety, the students will examine peer institutions with established student-run quick response programs to inform the development of an appropriate model for Bryn Mawr College.