News and Events

Upcoming Events

A Japanese painting of a dynamic scene unfolds across a vibrant landscape, depicting figures engaged in a spirited struggle on a grassy incline. Various individuals, some adorned in traditional attire and others in Western clothing, are seen pulling on ropes connected to a large, ornate cart. In the background, soft green hills rise against a pale pink sky, where stylized clouds drift. A prominent tree with textured bark stands to one side, while additional figures observe the action from a distance.

2026 New York Conference on Asian Studies (NYCAS)

Oct. 23–Oct. 24, 2026

With the theme “Asia and Environment across Time and Space,” NYCAS will bring scholars together to explore a wide range of topics related to Asia, including environmental issues, technological innovation, sociopolitical movements, geopolitics, cultural and social change, economics and politics, education, and migration and diaspora.

Panels and sessions are open to the Vassar Community as well as to local academic communities.

Talk by Anita Varma ’08

Oct. 26, 2026, 5:30–7:00 p.m.

A talk by Anita Varma ’08 based on her 2026 Columbia University Press book Solidarity in Journalism, about journalism and social justice. The talk will explore how conventional journalistic norms discourage reporters from taking sides; journalists are supposed to remain neutral, impartial, and objective.

This event is free and open to the public.

Woodblock print: Tomoe Gozen in bright red samurai armor holding a tall naginata polearm against a backdrop of Japanese calligraphy.

A Swordswoman Worth a Thousand: Tomoe the Warrior in Literature, Legend, and Cultural Heritage

Oct. 27, 2026, 5:30–7:00 p.m.

Professor Roberta Strippoli (Associate Professor, University of Napoli L’Orientale) will take us on a journey across Japanese history, exploring the interplay of literature, gender, and cultural heritage by tracing a famous episode from The Tale of the Heike, Japan’s most celebrated medieval epic, and its many afterlives.

This event is free and open to the public.

From Cassette Tapes to Classrooms: The Journey of Making Gay History

Oct. 28, 2026, 4:30–5:30 p.m.

Join us for a fireside chat or online via Zoom with Eric Marcus ’80, the 2026 AAVC Spirit of Vassar Award recipient, in conversation with Miriam Cohen, Evalyn Clark Professor Emerita of History.

This event is free and open to the public.

Nicholas Occhiuto smiling, with shoulder-length wavy hair, tortoiseshell glasses, and light facial hair, wearing an open denim shirt over a white t-shirt against a solid teal background.

From Bureaucrats to Billionaires: Race, Lobbying, and the Making of American Oligarchy

Oct. 28, 2026, 5:00–7:00 p.m.

A lecture by Nicholas Occhiuto on the story of Black ‘revolving door’ lobbyists (or staffers-turned-lobbyists) decision to leave Capitol Hill.

A smiling person with long gray hair and glasses against a dark gray background.

Philosopher’s Holiday Lecture: Technologies of Race and South Asian American Identity

Oct. 28, 2026, 5:30–7:00 p.m.

Falguni Sheth examines how racialization shapes South Asian American identity through narratives of “good” and “bad” immigrants.

Campus community only, please.

Illustrated red cable car suspended above snowy mountains beneath a starry sky and green northern lights, with the title “A Rare Grand Alignment.”

A Rare Grand Alignment: Screening and Discussion with Cinqué Lee

Oct. 28, 2026, 5:30 p.m.

Director Cinqué Lee joins Professor Mia Mask for a discussion following a screening of his film A Rare Grand Alignment.

This event is free and open to the public.

An Engaging Conversation with New York Times best-selling author Nicola Yoon.

Oct. 28, 2026, 5:30–6:45 p.m.

National Book Award finalist, Michael L. Printz Award recipient, Coretta Scott King–John Steptoe New Talent Award winner, and New York Times best-selling author Nicola Yoon talks with the audience at Vassar College.

This event is free and open to the public.

Doodling at the Greenhouse

Oct. 29, 2026, 3:00–4:00 p.m.

Join us at the Olmsted Greenhouse for a calm doodling session with Vassar’s Counseling Center! No artistic skills necessary—we are just doodling for fun and to calm the mind. All ages welcome.

This event is free and open to the public.

Ongoing Events

Strata of Relations: Tales Across Asia and Beyond
关系的地层：亚洲及其之外的故事

Oct. 16–Nov. 22, 2026

Curated by Yixuan Wang ’25, this exhibition explores Asia through relationships shaped by history, communities, infrastructure, and nature.

This exhibition is free and open to the public.

New Art Installation from The DIRT Project Titled “DIRTdoors”

Oct. 15–Dec. 24, 2026

The “DIRTdoors” invite visitors of all ages to play with earth, language and identity, and to think about the invisible life underfoot and inside the body.

This event is free and open to the public.