Summer 2026 / Features

By Sandra Huffman ’86

Each spring, the Wilson College community comes together through a shared celebration of creativity, collaboration, and conversation called ArtsFest. During the April 2026 festival, students, faculty, and staff were joined by visiting artists Sue Gilad, Jada Patterson, Amos Paul Kennedy Jr., and Project ChArma, whose work spans disciplines from theater and visual art to printmaking and dance. Centered on the theme “Art Is… Experimentation,” the week highlighted how artistic practice fosters connection and invites new ways of thinking. ArtsFest is supported in part by The Palmer Family Foundation, a fund of The Foundation for Enhancing Communities.

Visiting artist and printmaker Amos Paul Kennedy Jr. spent time on campus during ArtsFest, working with students at the print press and leading a Q&A session. Among those working alongside him was graphic design student Gavin Creamer ’28, who spent the day assisting Kennedy. The experience took shape through hands-on work, conversation, and an exchange beyond the press itself.

“It was a new experience for me,” Creamer said simply. What began as a workshop assignment evolved into something closer to an informal apprenticeship, blending technical skill-building, observation and reflection.

Kennedy is a visionary artist and educator who transforms letterpress printing into a vehicle for social justice and collective learning. Based in Detroit and trained at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, he is widely recognized for his prolific practice and commitment to making art accessible. His prints address race, labor, history, and community, often distributed affordably to reach beyond traditional gallery spaces.

Above: Artist Amos Paul Kennedy Jr. demonstrates letterpress printing techniques during an ArtsFest workshop as students look on. At right, student Gavin Creamer ’28 observes before photographing the session and later assisting with the printmaking process.

Adam DelMarcelle, M.F.A., assistant professor of graphic design, connected Kennedy’s work to the College’s mission.

“Amos Kennedy is an agent of justice, so by giving our students the chance to spend time with him, they gained a better understanding of a key component of the Wilson College mission,” DelMarcelle said. “Being an agent of justice means a lifelong commitment to the betterment of our
communities by being prepared to speak up, get involved, and take action.”

Working with handset wood and metal type, Kennedy embraces the physical labor and tactile beauty of traditional printing. He overprints vibrant colors in dense, rhythmic layers, allowing chance and repetition to shape meaning. No two prints are the same.

Above: Artist Amos Paul Kennedy Jr. participates in a faculty-led Q&A discussion during ArtsFest. From left: Julie Raulli, professor of sociology, Matt McBride, associate professor of interdisciplinary practice, Adam DelMarcelle, assistant professor of graphic design, and Kennedy.

During his visit, the Wilson community engaged with Kennedy’s process through his art and through conversation during several events open to the public, including a gallery walk, a print workshop, and the artist Q&A session. There was also a showing of the documentary “Proceed and Be Bold” about Kennedy’s work and life. His art has been on display in the Bogigian Gallery since September in an exhibition called “Consider Everything an Experiment.”

For DelMarcelle, hosting Kennedy was also a meaningful professional moment: “As a mentor, it is one of my great joys to expose my students to artists I admire and who influence my work and practice. I have had the privilege of exhibiting alongside Amos, as well as having both of our work included in the book, “Strikethrough: Typographic Messages of Protest,” published by Letterform Archive.”

Creamer’s entry into the experience of working with Kennedy was almost casual. He and another student were selected to assist with the artist’s printmaking workshop. By midday, however, he found himself effectively apprenticing with Kennedy. After an initial demonstration, responsibility shifted.

“He set up the whole thing, and then he just showed me how to do it,” Creamer recalled.

Adjusting ink, guiding those attending the workshop, and keeping the process moving, shifted Creamer’s role from spectator to participant.

“When I was there, Amos was sitting off to the side… so I took over,” he added. “He was talking with Professor DelMarcelle a lot of the time. I just took it in and did a lot of listening to him,” he said.

Kennedy, he noted, was “kind of a character” who was funny, unpredictable, and deeply engaged in conversation. Topics ranged widely and took unexpected turns. “We ended up talking about painting horseshoes,” he said. “I thought, okay, this is interesting.”

That unexpected mix of humor and seriousness stood out. It revealed to Creamer how an artist can be comfortable moving between experimentation and conviction.

Inside the gallery, however, Creamer noticed a recurring tension within Kennedy’s prints. Rather than presenting a single viewpoint, the work placed opposing ideas side by side.

“There was a good portion of it that was contradicting the other portion of the work,” he said. “It felt like he was bringing two sides to the table.”

As Kennedy described during the Q&A session, art is the transformation that takes place between the creator and the object, and between the viewer and the object.

This approach resonated deeply with Creamer’s own artistic instincts. In earlier projects, he had experimented with using familiar language and imagery but recontextualizing them to provoke new interpretations.

“As an artist, the best thing you can do is make people question things. I’ve tried to create that kind of space,” he said, “where people might not even realize they’re being challenged at first.”

After the day’s events, Creamer was invited to join Kennedy, DelMarcelle, and Philip Lindsey, professor of fine arts, for dinner. There, the conversation expanded beyond process into ethics, history, and the art world itself.

“We talked about museums, about where art comes from,” Creamer said. “Even about how some collections are tied to complicated histories.”

These discussions, though informal, connected the act of making art to larger cultural, economic, and political systems. But one moment stood out to Creamer.

“At one point, Amos said, ‘You do not master the craft. The craft allows you to master yourself.’”

For Creamer, that statement echoed what he experienced during the morning workshop, when Kennedy encouraged variation and even imperfection as members of the Wilson community created prints reading “Art 4 the Masses Wilson College 2026.” Although every participant worked with that same text, the results were strikingly varied as they used the materials available in the studio.

“Not a single one was the same,” Creamer said. “The text was the same, but all the backgrounds were different. He encouraged that.”

As Kennedy emphasized to the Q&A audience, the artistic process begins not with perfect tools, but with what is available: “If you want to make something, you make it with what you have, not with what you want.”

The value of the work to Kennedy ultimately lies in connection, those small moments when an object resonates, sparks recognition, or simply brings joy. This emphasis on variation and individuality resonated deeply, and observing an artist who clearly enjoyed what he did left an impression on Creamer.

“Art is individual. No matter how you cut it, nothing is going to be the exact same as something else. I feel like that point was proven by Amos,” he said. “I also appreciated his outlook on jobs versus work. His point was to enjoy what you do. That’s been kind of my mission for most of my life. You want to always find what makes you happy and keep doing it.”

During ArtsFest 2026, the Wilson College community welcomed producer Sue Gilad for a look “Behind the Broadway Curtain” (photo above), visual artist Jada Patterson, who discussed her exhibit “A Seed’s A Star” in the Cooley Gallery (photo below), and dancer Ama Law of Project ChArma, a dance theater company, who presented a workshop on Spirit-Led Dance in the New America (bottom photo). 

by Sandra Huffman ’86

With a new campus and expanded healthcare programs, the college launches its first step into advanced, patient-centered care through occupational therapy.

At first glance, the term “occupational therapy” can be misleading. For many, it conjures ideas of job placement or vocational training. But as Michael Gerg, DOT, MS, OTR/L, CHT, FAOTA, associate professor and program director of Wilson College’s Doctor of Occupational Therapy program, explains, the field is far broader and much more personal.

“The purpose of occupational therapy is to help people lead as fulfilling a life as possible,” Gerg says. “We work with individuals of all ages, from newborns to those who are terminally ill, to help them regain or develop function after illness or injury, or when they are born with a physical condition. We also work with cognitive and psychosocial conditions.”

This philosophy sits at the core of Wilson College’s new hybrid, accelerated Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) program. Designed to be completed in just two years, the program combines online coursework, interactive faculty instruction, and in-person lab immersion experiences in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. Its aim: to prepare students not just as clinicians, but as leaders shaping the future of patient-centered care. Evidence In Motion (EIM), a leading provider of online and hybrid healthcare education, provides the unique hybrid program structure, along with marketing, admissions, and accreditation support. Wilson’s new OTD faculty designed the program’s innovative curriculum.

A key challenge for the program is simple awareness. “We’re still probably one of the least known medical professions. People don’t really know what we do,” Gerg explains.

Part of that confusion comes from the word “occupation.” “The way that occupational therapists use the term occupation is whatever you do that occupies your time,” he says. “There are several things that you do in
the course of a day. You probably have a routine. You get up. You get dressed. You might take a shower or a bath. Make a meal. Clean your house. Pay your bills. Go to a job. Drive.”

Occupational therapists help patients regain or adapt to these everyday functions, which makes the profession uniquely positioned across a wide range of settings, from hospitals and schools to rehabilitation centers, mental health facilities, and home health care. Professionals in the field may specialize in pediatrics, gerontology, neurology, mental health, or hand therapy, among many others.

At its heart, occupational therapy is about helping individuals reclaim independence and purpose.

“The ultimate goal in all of it is that you’re able to do the things that you want to do and be able to lead a satisfactory life, being able to be as independent as possible,” Gerg says.

This work can involve adapting environments, modifying daily tasks, or using assistive tools. Gerg points to examples ranging from home modifications to driver safety initiatives like those provided by CARFIT, a program developed by AAA and the American Occupational Therapy Association.

“A program like CARFIT is designed to help older drivers stay safe in their vehicles. It’s not to teach them driver safety. It’s fitting them to their vehicle,” said Gerg. “Adaptation is a big thing, a big part of what we do. We do home, school, and work modifications. We also work in outpatient settings or even inpatient, like in children’s hospitals.”

Wilson College’s OTD program reflects that same adaptability with a hybrid format that allows students to live and work in their home communities while completing coursework and attending periodic in-person lab sessions.

“You can live and work and maintain all of your social contacts in your life where you live now,” Gerg explains. “And you just have to spend 14 weeks or so with us over the course of two years.”

The curriculum blends synchronous and asynchronous coursework, fieldwork experiences, and a culminating doctoral capstone project. Students also gain access to specialized facilities, including the Penn Hall Equestrian Center, where unique therapeutic approaches can be explored.

While much of the program takes place online and in Philadelphia-area labs, Gerg emphasizes that the connection to Wilson’s campus remains central to the experience. “You’re welcomed with open arms,” he says. “I would like to take that Wilson flair and infuse it into this program.”

For Gerg, joining Wilson College represents more than a professional opportunity. It is also a chance to leave a legacy, the culmination of decades of experience. “I really want to build a strong, sustainable program, and I’m deeply invested in its future,” he said, adding that he would like to see it become a well-known and well-respected program in the field. “I want Wilson’s OTD program to be respected in the world of OT education.”

His vision is ambitious but grounded: a program known for quality, collaboration, and impact. One of the most compelling aspects of occupational therapy, Gerg says, is its accessibility to people from all backgrounds. That vision is supported by a strong faculty with diverse specialties.

“Everyone, regardless of background, can pretty much find their home within the occupational therapy field,” he says. “And the reason being is because you bring with you into the field all of your life experience.”

Above: On Tuesday, April 14, current OTD students visited the Chambersburg campus where they met with staff from the Academic Success Center and John Stewart Memorial Library, visited the Equestrian Center, and collaborated with students in the exercise and sport science program’s Care and Prevention Lab taught by Payton Dziemburski ‘19, M.S., ACSM CEP, assistant professor of exercise and sport science. 

Gerg himself came from a background in industrial organizational psychology and transitioned into both hand therapy and working-age adult orthopedic therapy. Other Wilson OTD faculty have transitioned from information technology, communications, and education. For example, Sam Ganesh originally worked in information technology and is now a pediatric therapist, while Melissa Green is a dementia expert with a communications background. “That’s one of the reasons that we have to have such a large faculty is that it covers a lot of territory,” said Gerg. But the OTD students train to be generalists. They have to know a little bit about everything. Then, when a student has an idea of what they want to specialize in, that is the focus of their doctoral capstone project.

“And I find that every student that comes through an occupational therapy program has some aptitudes towards something that they use to inform their practice,” he says. “And that’s the really wonderful thing.”

For those considering a career shift or searching for a path that blends science, empathy, and creativity, Gerg offers simple advice: “If you’re looking to try something new… I would encourage people to investigate the occupational therapy profession… because it has a lot to offer. And really you can create the experience that you want within that field.”

OTD Program Mission:
The Wilson College Doctor of Occupational Therapy Program is dedicated to empowering students to become ethical, culturally responsive leaders and advocates of occupational therapy.

OTD Program Vision:
Lead the field of occupational therapy with exceptional clinical expertise, empathy, and a passion for creating meaningful change. By fostering a culture of lifelong learning, innovation, and service, we shape healthcare leaders who not only improve individual lives but also contribute to transforming systems of care, advancing inclusion, and creating possibilities for all.

Coming Next in Wilson’s Healthcare Education:
The new occupational therapy program marks the first step in a larger plan to grow the College’s healthcare education. A Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) and a Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology (MS-SLP) were announced earlier this year. These programs will also feature in-person classes at the new King of Prussia campus. Applications for the inaugural cohorts will open in July 2026 and classes for both programs are expected to begin in August 2027.

For more information, visit the Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology and the Doctor of Physical Therapy on the Wilson College website.

By Maxine Wagenhoffer, Ph.D., Director of the Hankey Center for the History of Women’s Education and Assistant Professor of History

It was June 1, 1942. Wilson College was celebrating its seventy-second commencement. Months earlier, the attack on Pearl Harbor launched the United States into war. Wilson College was not insulated from the conflict. On December 9, 1941, President Paul Swain Havens addressed the College.(1) Havens declared, “You are asking what our part will be here at Wilson College. I do not know. It is too soon to know the full answer to that question, but we shall see more clearly in the coming months.”(2) In the aftermath of Pearl Harbor, Wilsonites got busy. Red Cross training became crucial on campus, along with the need for air raid shelters.(3) A lecture series focused on the role of liberties emerged.(4) No time was to be wasted for the women attending Wilson College.

The war inevitably shaped the trajectories of the seniors graduating on that day. The commencement speaker was timely: Anne O’Hare McCormick, the renowned foreign news reporter for the New York Times.(5) McCormick won a Pulitzer Prize for her reporting in 1937. During her career, she interviewed individuals such as Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, and Joseph Stalin. Additionally, she was a member of the famed newspaper’s editorial board.(6) Ultimately, McCormick was one of the most influential journalists in the world.

In her speech, McCormick did not mince words. McCormick stated, “You graduates of the historic year of 1942 have a right to ask searching questions, of your time, of your elders, of yourselves.”(7) It was a time for soul-searching. More aptly, perhaps, it was a time for action. “Never was our destiny so plain, so hard and so splendid before us. And never was your opportunity and responsibility as women so urgent,” maintained McCormick.(8) Women all over the United States contributed to the war effort, and Wilson women were no exception. In May 1942, the Public Opinion highlighted that a “gift…of $600 by Wilson College students, proceeds of the May Day exercises,” went toward a fundraising campaign by Franklin County’s Red Cross chapter; the donation enabled the chapter to surpass its $20,000 goal and increased Wilson College’s overall contribution to over $1,700.(9)

McCormick stressed that the stakes were high. “If Hitler wins, it is your life and your community he will dominate,” claimed McCormick. “In the ultimate sense,” McCormick continued, “you are fighting for yourselves.”(10) Wilson women could not be complacent with the current state of the world. McCormick also received an honorary doctorate from Wilson College. In her honorary degree citation for McCormick, Professor Dora Mae Clark emphasized, “Chief among her services as lecturer and journalist is that of interpreting the world in revolution in such a way as to inspire us with hope for the world of tomorrow.”(11)
McCormick bestowed her insights upon the Wilson community at a vital juncture in history.

Wilson women left their mark during the global conflict. One prominent example is Margaret Criswell Disert ’20. Disert, Wilson College’s  esteemed dean at the time, received a leave from the College to serve in the WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service).(12) In an article that described how “Wilson College students are contributing to the war directly and indirectly through Summer jobs and study,” the New York Times also stressed that “Disert will enter upon a new phase of her own contribution to the war.”(13) While Disert had devoted her energies to her alma mater through the years, it was now time for her to focus on serving her nation. In early August 1942, an editorial in the Public Opinion expressed, “Her departure from the community will be a matter for regret in many quarters, especially at Wilson College where her character and abilities are universally admired and recognized.”(14) Disert heeded McCormick’s call to action, setting an example for Wilsonites of all generations to follow.

Disert served admirably as a critical administrative officer in the WAVES, showcasing her attributes as a Wilson woman. In August 1946, the Public Opinion stated that “Disert was one of the first women called into naval service in 1942 and played a prominent part in organizing the women’s branch of the Navy.”(15) Disert helped to shape the impact that women had on the war effort. When she officially returned to her position at Wilson College in 1946, Disert looked to transform the lives of women yet again.

1. “Wilson College and the War,” Wilson Alumnae Quarterly (February 1942): 3. Publications (WA-16). C. Elizabeth Boyd ’33 Archives, Wilson College.
2. Paul Swain Havens, “We Shall Not Fail,” Wilson Alumnae Quarterly (February 1942): 4.
3. “Wilson Is Taking Definite Part In National War Effort,” Wilson Alumnae Quarterly (February 1942): 7.
4. “Series of Lectures on Origins of Liberties Feature of Defense Program,” Wilson Alumnae Quarterly (February 1942): 8-11.
5. “78 Receive Degrees At Wilson College Ceremonies Today,” Public Opinion, June 1, 1942, 1, 2.
6. For more on the career of McCormick, along with the work and legacies of other female journalists, see Brooke Kroeger, Undaunted: How Women Changed American Journalism (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2023).
7. Anne O’Hare McCormick, “Commencement Address,” Wilson Alumnae Quarterly (August 1942): 11. Publications (WA-16). C. Elizabeth Boyd ’33 Archives, Wilson College.
8. McCormick, “Commencement Address,” 13.
9. “Wilson College Puts Red Cross Drive Over Top,” Public Opinion, May 6, 1942, 1, 6.
10. McCormick, “Commencement Address,” 13.
11. “Citation by Dr. Dora Mae Clark in Presenting Anne O’Hare McCormick for the Degree of Doctor of Letters,” Wilson Alumnae Quarterly (August 1942): 15.
12. “Miss Disert Assumes New Position in WAVES,” Wilson Billboard, September 25, 1942, 1.
13. “Broad War Work Aids Wilson Girls,” New York Times, August 16, 1942, D6.
14. “Miss Disert Joins Up,” Public Opinion, August 7, 1942, 8.
15. “Value Of Military Discipline Is Cited By Miss Disert,” Public Opinion, August 16, 1946, 5.