The Emerson College Newsletter
|
Wednesday, October 29, 2025
|
|
|
Welcome to the inaugural edition of The Common Thread, a biweekly roundup of campus news exclusively for faculty and staff. You’ll find it in your inbox every other Wednesday.
Part of Extraordinary Emerson 2030, this new initiative reflects our commitment to clearer communication and deeper collaboration. Send story ideas and highlights to common.thread@emerson.edu.
|
|
| | Tomorrow Night: Phantasmagorium! |
Tomorrow night, the Emerson community comes together for the College’s first-ever Phantasmagorium, the signature event of hALLoween Week. From 8:00–11:00 p.m. in the Lion’s Den (for thrillers) and the Loft (for chillers), faculty, staff, and students are invited to enjoy an evening of music, dancing, food, psychic readings, ghost stories, and more. Volunteer opportunities are still available.
|
|
|
| Emerson Takes Over MOS—Again! |
Emerson College returns to the Museum of Science (MOS) this fall for its second Takeover, part of the Museum’s 2025 Spotlight: The Year of Being Human. Following the success of April’s inaugural event, which featured student-led films, research demonstrations, and creative installations, November’s Takeover will showcase even more Emerson ingenuity and collaboration.
Faculty, staff, and students are invited to join the celebration on Saturday, November 22, for hands-on activities designed for Emersonians and their families. This special “Bring Your Kid(s) to Work Day” invites participants of all ages to explore, experiment, and connect.
The partnership reflects Emerson’s strategic commitment to extending learning beyond the classroom and deepening engagement across Boston and beyond. Register here for your free entrance code and event details. Learn more at mos.org.
|
|
|
| Bobbi Brown ’79: Lights Up the Bright
|
On Monday night in the Bright Family Screening Room, Bobbi Brown ’79, the celebrated makeup artist, entrepreneur, and bestselling author of Still Bobbi, led the most recent session in Emerson’s Master Classes series. With warmth, humor, and candor, she shared lessons from her groundbreaking career, offering students a glimpse into the creativity and persistence that built a global brand and redefined the beauty industry. Read more about her visit on Emerson Today.
Since its launch, the series has featured Dawn Steinberg ’89, Sony’s Head of Worldwide Talent; Seth Grahame-Smith ’98, bestselling author and screenwriter of It and The Lego Batman Movie; Bunny Kinney ’07, creative director at the intersection of fashion and youth media; Michael Mendenhall ’84, senior executive exploring the impact of AI on creativity and branding; and Hadeel Reda ’90, veteran producer of Heartbreakers, 16 Blocks, and the recent thriller Borderline. Each guest has offered students firsthand access to the creative expertise shaping today’s industries.
Next up is Alex Tse ’98, screenwriter of Watchmen and co-creator of Wu-Tang: An American Saga, who will lead the next Master Class at Emerson Los Angeles.
|
|
|
| Storytelling from the Big Leagues
|
From the broadcast booth to the classroom, Tim Neverett ’88 is showing Emerson students how to tell the story behind the game. As the Los Angeles Dodgers’ play-by-play announcer and an affiliated faculty member in Communication Studies, Neverett brings his experience calling historic moments in baseball to his courses on sports communication and media. He teaches students how to prepare, when to add color, and how to make listeners feel like they’re right in the action. Read more about how he brings lessons from the Dodgers booth to Emerson classrooms.
This season, Neverett had one of the best views in baseball as the Dodgers captured the National League title and advanced to the World Series. He’s been part of the team’s broadcast crew for seven seasons and continues to share his insider’s view of the game with Emerson students. Catch the story on his front-row seat to the Dodgers’ latest postseason push.
|
|
|
| Illuminating the Past at Kasteel Well |
Executive Director and Professor of Art History Rob Dückers, along with Emerson faculty and students, presented at an international symposium on The Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry, one of the world’s most celebrated medieval manuscripts. The conference, held at the castle, featured a student-curated exhibition on the manuscript.
Earlier this year, students created Feel Van Lymborch, a multi-sensory exhibition that allowed visitors, including those without sight, to experience illuminated art through touch, sound, scent, and taste.
|
|
|
| Keeping Up with Emerson Los Angeles |
Stay informed about the latest news, stories, and events from Emerson Los Angeles through This Week @ Emerson LA, a weekly newsletter curated by Daryl Paranada, Associate Director of Communications & Special Projects. Subscribe to receive the lastest update from our Hollywood campus directly in your inbox.
|
|
|
| Emerson Transportation Survey |
Emerson faculty, staff, and non-residential commuting students are asked to take the Emerson College 2025 Transportation Survey by October 31, 2025. The survey takes about five minutes and is required by the MA Department of Environmental Protection to assess commuting habits and public transportation use. A strong response rate is essential for state compliance, so high participation, especially from students, is crucial. Currently we're only at 15%!
Students who complete the survey will be entered to win EC Cash prizes ($50–$300), and faculty and staff will be eligible for Visa gift cards ($50–$100). Your feedback helps shape future transit improvements and supports Emerson’s sustainability efforts.
|
|
|
|
On the Same Page Boston, now in its sixth year, begins a new chapter under the guidance of Niko Emack, who leads both the Nonprofit Fundraising Campaigns course and On the Same Page Boston, guiding the next phase of the Nonprofit Communication Program. Within the program, Emerson students design and lead advocacy campaigns that bring new and diverse books to Boston Public Schools, transforming communication into meaningful, community-centered action.
This year, the program is deepening its local ties by ordering new titles through JustBook-Ish, a Dorchester bookstore owned and operated by Porsha Olayiwola, MFA ’22, Boston Poet Laureate and Emerson faculty member, to benefit the Beethoven Ohrenberger School in West Roxbury.
Emack and his students are partnering with Principal Terrance Johnson and his staff to curate a wishlist of titles for the school’s libraries. In the spring, the course will collaborate with Tatte Bakery & Café, which has generously agreed to place bins in all of its Greater Boston locations to collect gently used books for the Beethoven School.
|
|
|
|
School of Film, Television, and Media Arts Director of Production Safety and Sustainability Homa Sarabi is featured among WBUR’s area artists of color who incorporate the environment into their artistry.
|
|
|
|
Communication Studies Professor Richard West weighs in on a millennial lifestyle and wellness editor’s quest to stop using LOL for a week; audience matters when using slang.
|
|
|
|
At the 2025 Boston Book Festival, Emerson storytellers filled Copley Square with conversations on craft. Alumni authors Janaka Stucky ’00, Nicole Graev Lipson, MFA ’22, and Porsha Olayiwola, MFA ’22, joined faculty Jessica Treadway, Megan Marshall, and Pablo Medina for panels and readings. Emerson’s Graduate Program sponsored the event and hosted a table throughout the weekend.
|
|
|
|
Comedy took an unexpected spotlight at the 2025 Teach-In on Sustainability where Emerson faculty and guests explored humor as a catalyst for climate action. Matt McMahan and Beth Osnes-Stoedefalke showed how laughter can dissolve fear, deepen connection, and inspire collective change.
|
|
|
|
Vaccination Clinic | Emerson Wellness Center — Vaccines for flu, COVID, meningitis, shingles, and more will be available to students, faculty, and staff on Wednesday, October 29, 1:00-4:00 p.m., in UBank building, 3rd floor. Sign up on the Star Market website and bring your insurance card.
|
|
|
|
|
Alex Tse ’98 | Master Class (ELA) — Screenwriter and producer Alex Tse ’98 will visit campus for a Master Class on Wednesday, October 29, at 11:00 a.m. PT in Studio 255. Tse, co-creator of Wu-Tang: An American Saga and writer of Watchmen, will discuss his creative process and career in film and television.
|
|
|
|
Hidden Histories | Walking Tour — Join Hidden Histories curator Shana Dumont Garr on a special walking tour at 5:00 p.m. ET at the Boston Commons Visitor’s Center to view Kameelah Janan Rasheed, Sue Murad, Elisa Hamilton and Clareese Hill’s new public art projects in and around the Boston Common and Beacon Hill neighborhood.
|
|
|
|
The 4th Witch | Arts Emerson — runs Thursday, October 30 through Sunday, November 9, at the Paramount Center. This tale from Manual Cinema uses shadow puppets, live music, and actors to create a new world. Visit ArtsEmerson for tickets. Emerson community members are eligible for discounts.
|
|
|
|
Art Series | Healing & Advocacy Collective — join an eight-week exploration of creativity and expression as tools for healing beginning Tuesday, November 4. No experience or registration required; all materials provided. Attend one session or the full series.
|
|
|
|
Antisemitism Workshop | Project Shema — presents the following sessions: in person in Boston (students) on Thursday, November 6, 5:00–7:00 p.m. ET; and virtual (staff & faculty) on Friday, November 7, 11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. ET.
|
|
|
Emerson College
120 Boylston Street
Boston, MA 02116
|
| | |
|
Manage your preferences | Opt Out using TrueRemove™
Got this as a forward? Sign up to receive our future emails.
View this email online.
|
120 Boylston Street | Boston, MA 02116-4624 US
|
|
|
This email was sent to .
To continue receiving our emails, add us to your address book.
|
|
|
|
