Taylor 203, Vassar College

In this lecture, Yale University’s Reuben Post Halleck Professor of History, Paul Bushkovitch, challenges the assumption among historians of early modern Russia that, prior to Peter the Great, Russian culture was almost entirely religious. The 2010 publication of a sixteenth-century Russian translation of Guido delle Colonne’s Historia destructionis Troiae (1287), included as part of the monumental sixteenth-century Illustrated Chronicle Compilation, makes clear that this generalization needs revision and demonstrates that the court culture of the Grand Dukes/Tsars included much more than devotional texts and images. This publication brings forward the question of what mid-sixteenth-century Russian culture was really like, further illuminating the fascinating story of the relationship between Russian and Western European cultures.
This event is sponsored by the Departments of <a href="https://www.vassar.edu/russian" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Russian Studies</a>, <a href="https://www.vassar.edu/greek-and-roman-studies" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Greek and Roman Studies</a>, <a href="https://www.vassar.edu/italian" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Italian</a>, <a href="https://www.vassar.edu/history" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">History</a>, and the <a href="https://www.vassar.edu/medieval-and-renaissance-studies" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Medieval and Renaissance Studies Program</a> with support from the <a href="https://offices.vassar.edu/dean-of-the-faculty/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Office of the Dean of the Faculty</a>. This event is free and open to the public.

Local Event: “The Trojan War at the Court of Ivan the Terrible”

Dutchess County

Mid Hudson Valley

New York

“The Trojan War at the Court of Ivan the Terrible”

In this lecture, Yale University’s Reuben Post Halleck Professor of History, Paul Bushkovitch, challenges the assumption among...

Rockefeller Hall 300, 124 Raymond Ave, Poughkeepsie, NY, 12604

Professor Jose Perea of Northeastern University explores how topological invariants can be applied to machine learning tasks, including computer vision, time series analysis, and dimensionality reduction.
This talk will examine how topological invariants can be used to analyze scientific data sets in machine learning tasks from computer vision, time series analysis, semi-supervised learning, and dimensionality reduction.
A second lecture, “<a href="https://www.vassar.edu/node/36256" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">DREiMac—Dimensionality Reduction with Eilenberg-MacLane Spaces</a>,” takes place on April 24, 2026, at 3:00 p.m., also in Rockefeller Hall, Room 300.
The Asprey Distinguished Lecture Series in Mathematics is sponsored by the <a href="https://www.vassar.edu/math/events" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Department of Mathematics and Statistics</a>.&nbsp;

Local Event: Asprey Distinguished Lecture Series: What Is Topological Data Analysis?

Asprey Distinguished Lecture Series: What Is...

Professor Jose Perea of Northeastern University explores how topological invariants can be applied to machine learning tasks,...

Asprey Distinguished Lecture Series: What Is Topological Data Analysis?

Prof. Jose Perea of Northeastern University presents a framework leveraging topological data structure to construct low-dimensional coordinates consistent with underlying data topology.
This talk presents a framework to leverage the topological structure of data, measured via persistent cohomology, and construct low-dimensional coordinates in classifying spaces consistent with the underlying data topology.
A first lecture, "<a href="https://www.vassar.edu/node/36246" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">What Is Topological Data Analysis?</a>," takes place on April 23, 2026, at 5:00 p.m., also in Rockefeller Hall, Room 300.
The Asprey Distinguished Lecture Series in Mathematics is sponsored by the <a href="https://www.vassar.edu/math/events" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Department of Mathematics and Statistics</a>.&nbsp;
This event is free and open to the public.

Local Event: Asprey Distinguished Lecture Series: DREiMac—Dimensionality Reduction with Eilenberg-MacLane Spaces

Asprey Distinguished Lecture Series:...

Prof. Jose Perea of Northeastern University presents a framework leveraging topological data structure to construct...

Asprey Distinguished Lecture Series: DREiMac—Dimensionality Reduction with Eilenberg-MacLane Spaces

Martel Theater, 124 Raymond Ave, Poughkeepsie, NY, 12604

The Vassar <a href="https://www.vassar.edu/drama" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Drama Department</a> hosts a staged reading and reception honoring the recipient of the <a href="https://www.vassar.edu/drama/courses-requirements/playwriting-competition" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Marilyn Swartz Seven ’69 Annual Playwriting Competition</a>.
The award is presented to a junior or senior in any discipline who submits the best full-length play. Established in 1999, this year marks the 26th anniversary of the competition. Past recipients have come from a range of majors, including English, Math, Science, and Drama. The winning playwright receives a $1,000 award, a certificate, a staged reading, and a catered reception hosted by the Drama Department.
Recipient, play title, and additional details will be announced by the Drama Department on March 1, 2026.
The event is open to the public, and reservations are required (<a href="mailto:boxoffice@vassar.edu">boxoffice@vassar.edu</a>).

Local Event: Marilyn Swartz Seven ’69 Playwriting Competition, Reading, and Reception

Marilyn Swartz Seven ’69 Playwriting...

The Vassar Drama Department hosts a staged reading and reception honoring the recipient of the Marilyn Swartz Seven ’69 Annual...

Marilyn Swartz Seven ’69 Playwriting Competition, Reading, and Reception

Kelly Yang is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of over 15 books for children, young adults and adults, including the Front Desk series (Front Desk, Three Keys, Room to Dream, Key Player, Top Story, Chef’s Secret, and the Front Desk Graphic Novel), New From Here, Finally Seen, Finally Heard, Parachutes, Private Label, The Take, Yes We Will: Asian Americans Who Shaped This Country and Little Bird Laila. She will speak on how she overcame poverty and language barriers as a young immigrant child to become an internationally best-selling and award-winning author.
With over 2 million copies sold to date, the Front Desk series has changed the landscape of children’s literature. Based on Kelly’s childhood experience living and working in a motel as a first-generation immigrant child from China, the Front Desk series authentically describes the immigrant experience through its heart-warming, spunky protagonist, 10-year-old Mia Tang. Named “one of the best books of the 21st century,” by Kirkus Reviews, Front Desk has won many of the most prestigious awards in literature, including the 2019 Asian Pacific American Award for Literature, the 2024 Strega Prize for Literature in Italy, the Parents' Choice Gold Medal, the 2019 Global Read Aloud, and many other honors. Kelly will talk about her writing journey and how she incorporates timely themes of immigration, identity, socioeconomic struggles, and technology into the books she writes.
This is an endowed Louise Seaman Bechtel (1915) Lecture.
This event is sponsored by the <a href="https://www.vassar.edu/internationalstudies" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">International Studies</a> Program, the <a href="https://www.vassar.edu/asian-studies" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Asian Studies</a> Program, &nbsp;the Departments of <a href="https://www.vassar.edu/education" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Education</a> and <a href="https://www.vassar.edu/english" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">English</a>, and the Office of the <a href="https://offices.vassar.edu/dean-of-the-faculty/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Dean of the Faculty</a>.
The event is free and open to the public.

Local Event: Kelly Yang Shares Her Journey to Becoming a New York Times Bestselling Author

Kelly Yang Shares Her Journey to Becoming a New...

Kelly Yang is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of over 15 books for children, young adults and adults, including the...

Kelly Yang Shares Her Journey to Becoming a New York Times Bestselling Author

Jun. 4, 2026, 5:00 p.m.Location: Palmer Gallery
Emily Nomer finds aesthetic company in the Pattern &amp; Decoration artists of the 1970’s, amongst others. Most of the works are painted in acrylic, and geometry, repetition, and pattern are the basis of most compositions. Balance and proportion remain her guiding principles.
Malcolm Gladwell’s thesis from Outliers hypothesizes that it takes around 10,000 hours to achieve competence. In the case of Hudson Valley artist Emily Nomer, “it has taken me a long time to become competent at my artistic voice.” Emily describes her upcoming exhibition at Vassar’s Palmer Gallery as “an inward-looking pursuit…An Introspective”.
Sponsored by the <a href="https://offices.vassar.edu/campus-activities/palmer-gallery/?_gl=1*1exum7d*_ga*NjcyODg3MDQ0LjE3NTgxMzQ1Njk.*_ga_GK60KNYSK7*czE3NzY2OTQ0MzAkbzE1NiRnMCR0MTc3NjY5NDQzMCRqNjAkbDAkaDA.*_ga_2VMLM6WYG6*czE3NzY2OTQ0MzAkbzE1NCRnMCR0MTc3NjY5NDQzMCRqNjAkbDAkaDA." rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Palmer Gallery</a> and <a href="https://www.vassar.edu/alums" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Alums</a>.
This event is free and open to the public.

Local Event: Emily Nomer ’76: 10,000 Hours: An Introspective

Emily Nomer ’76: 10,000 Hours: An Introspective

Jun. 4, 2026, 5:00 p.m.Location: Palmer Gallery
Emily Nomer finds aesthetic company in the Pattern & Decoration artists of the...

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“The Trojan War at the Court of Ivan the Terrible”

APR

23

5:00 PM

Mid Hudson Valley, NY

Asprey Distinguished Lecture Series: What Is Topological Data Analysis?

APR

23

5:00 PM

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Asprey Distinguished Lecture Series: DREiMac—Dimensionality Reduction with Eilenberg-MacLane Spaces

APR

24

3:00 PM

Mid Hudson Valley, NY

Marilyn Swartz Seven ’69 Playwriting Competition, Reading, and Reception

APR

25

2:00 PM

Mid Hudson Valley, NY

Kelly Yang Shares Her Journey to Becoming a New York Times Bestselling Author

MAY

4

5:00 PM

Mid Hudson Valley, NY

Emily Nomer ’76: 10,000 Hours: An Introspective

JUN

4

5:00 PM

Mid Hudson Valley, NY