The Dartmouth Independent
Isabella Rossi

Isabella Rossi

International Business Reporter

Isabella Rossi is a graduate student at Tuck School of Business, originally from Milan, Italy, with a background in European finance. She brings global comparisons and an academic, cosmopolitan perspective to her coverage of international business and economic trends affecting the Dartmouth community.

isabella@dartmouthindependent.com

Covers: International, Business, Global, Tuck

Articles by Isabella Rossi (9)

Beyond the Department: How Dartmouth’s Society of Fellows Is Redefining Academic Boundaries
Campus

Beyond the Department: How Dartmouth’s Society of Fellows Is Redefining Academic Boundaries

In an era when the boundaries between academic disciplines are increasingly porous, Dartmouth College’s Society of Fellows has emerged as a quiet but potent force in shaping the future of interdisciplinary scholarship. Established to provide a structured yet flexible postdoctoral environment, the Society offers a three-year fellowship to a select group of early-career scholars whose work transcends conventional academic silos. While the program may not be widely known outside academic circles, its influence is steadily growing, both within the College and across the broader intellectual landscape. At its core, the Society of Fellows is a postdoctoral initiative designed to attract

Local Law, Federal Reach: Hanover’s Policing Debate Reignites Questions of Civic Autonomy
Campus

Local Law, Federal Reach: Hanover’s Policing Debate Reignites Questions of Civic Autonomy

The recent public hearing held in Hanover on November 3rd marked a significant moment in the town’s ongoing negotiation between state compliance and community autonomy. At issue is the proposed revision to the Fair and Impartial Policing Ordinance, a directive originally designed to safeguard equitable treatment across demographic lines. The revision, introduced by Town Manager Robert Houseman, seeks to align Hanover’s local policy with New Hampshire’s newly enacted sanctuary city ban, codified under RSA 106-P. This legislative shift mandates cooperation between municipal police departments and federal immigration authorities, particularly Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in detaining individuals suspected of undocumented

When Federal Silence Starves the State: New Hampshire’s Emergency Response to the SNAP Shutdown
Culture

When Federal Silence Starves the State: New Hampshire’s Emergency Response to the SNAP Shutdown

The federal government shutdown, now entering its fourth week, has begun to exert tangible pressure on essential services across the United States. Among the most immediate and consequential effects is the suspension of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which has left tens of thousands of New Hampshire residents facing an abrupt and uncertain disruption in food support. While state officials have approved a $2 million emergency allocation to fund mobile food pantries and bolster traditional food banks, the measure is widely acknowledged as a stopgap rather than a solution. The episode underscores the fragility of food assistance infrastructure when

Climbing Toward Connection: Autism, Identity, and the Quiet Power of New England’s Trails
Culture

Climbing Toward Connection: Autism, Identity, and the Quiet Power of New England’s Trails

In the wooded trails of New Hampshire and across the rugged terrain of New England’s highlands, a quiet but significant transformation is taking place. It is not driven by policy or technology, but by the deliberate steps of individuals with autism and their families who have found in hiking a medium for connection, resilience, and personal growth. The initiative, known as Autism Hikes!, is not merely a recreational outlet. It is a social experiment in inclusion, a grassroots response to the limitations of conventional therapeutic models, and a testament to the power of nature in fostering human potential. The origins

Legacy in the Balance: Sununu’s Bid to Reclaim New Hampshire’s Senate Seat
Campus

Legacy in the Balance: Sununu’s Bid to Reclaim New Hampshire’s Senate Seat

In a political landscape increasingly defined by volatility and generational turnover, the reemergence of John E. Sununu in New Hampshire’s Senate race introduces a rare instance of political recursion. Nearly two decades after his departure from the United States Senate, Sununu has declared his candidacy to reclaim the seat he lost in 2008, a move that invites both scrutiny and speculation regarding the durability of political legacies and the electorate’s appetite for experienced leadership in an era of ideological fragmentation. Sununu’s announcement arrives at a moment of transition for New Hampshire, with incumbent Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen opting not to

Guarding the Constitution: Vermont’s Phil Scott Confronts Federal Overreach
Campus

Guarding the Constitution: Vermont’s Phil Scott Confronts Federal Overreach

In a moment that has drawn national attention and stirred constitutional debate, Vermont Governor Phil Scott has publicly criticized President Donald Trump’s recent deployment of National Guard troops to cities such as Chicago and Portland. The governor’s remarks, delivered during a press conference in Waterbury, Vermont, reflect a growing unease among state leaders regarding federal overreach and the politicization of military resources. Scott, a Republican known for his moderate stance and bipartisan approach, described the deployments as both unnecessary and destabilizing, suggesting that they contravene the principles of federalism embedded in the United States Constitution. At the heart of the

Dartmouth Faculty Draw Line on Federal Compact, Defend Academic Autonomy
Campus

Dartmouth Faculty Draw Line on Federal Compact, Defend Academic Autonomy

In a moment of institutional reckoning, Dartmouth College has joined a growing chorus of academic resistance against a federal proposal that many faculty members have described as coercive and constitutionally suspect. The Trump administration’s “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education,” circulated to nine elite universities including Dartmouth, has ignited a wave of concern across campus constituencies. The compact, which offers preferential access to federal research funding in exchange for adherence to a set of ideological and administrative stipulations, has been met with firm opposition from faculty, students, and alumni who view the proposal as an affront to academic autonomy

Dry Season, Deep Strain: Vermont Agriculture Confronts Climate and Policy Limits
Campus

Dry Season, Deep Strain: Vermont Agriculture Confronts Climate and Policy Limits

In Vermont, the agricultural sector is confronting a crisis that has unfolded gradually but with increasingly severe consequences. The persistent drought conditions observed throughout the summer and early autumn have prompted state officials to initiate discussions around a federal disaster designation, a move that could unlock emergency financial assistance for farmers facing mounting losses. This development reflects a broader pattern of climate-induced volatility that is reshaping the operational and financial landscape of farming in the northeastern United States. According to recent statements from the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets, the state is nearing the threshold required to formally

Dartmouth Among Nine Schools Approached by Federal Government With Proposed Agreement
Campus

Dartmouth Among Nine Schools Approached by Federal Government With Proposed Agreement

The recent overture from the White House to Dartmouth College, alongside eight other prominent institutions, signals a strategic recalibration in the federal government’s approach to higher education oversight. The proposed “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education” outlines a series of stipulations that, if accepted, would entrench federal influence over institutional autonomy in exchange for continued or enhanced funding. The conditions include prohibitions on race and sex considerations in hiring and admissions, a five-year tuition freeze, a cap on international undergraduate enrollment at fifteen percent, mandatory standardized testing for applicants, and measures to suppress grade inflation. These terms, while framed