On the cover: Award-winning fashion designer Peter Som ’93 has added culinary creator and cookbook author to his impressive resume. Story on page 20. Photo by Yumi Matsuo
Delicious Designs Renowned fashion designer Peter Som ’93 has expanded his brand, and now he’d like to expand your palate.
The Bucket Ecologist Professor Maria Rosa uses economical and sustainable techniques to restore aquatic habitats.
Electric Ingenuity Minh Tran ’18 has a plan to harness significantly more of the sun’s power.
A Beautiful Twist As Conn opens its Disability Cultural Center, John Sharon ’86 reflects on his own reckoning with disability identity.
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On this page: Women’s Rowing at the New England Rowing Championships on May 3 at Lake Quinsigamond in Worcester, Massachusetts. Photo by Clarus Multimedia Group
It’s a beautiful spring day as I write to you. Tempel Green is filled with students—such a carefree and heartwarming scene!
This spring has been a season of celebration. It was an honor to join with our community for the recent Inauguration events, an occasion filled with gratitude and joy. Just a few weeks later, we came together to mark Commencement for the Class of 2025. And shortly after that, we celebrated the “zeros” and the “fives” at Reunion Weekend, including the 50th Reunion for the Class of 1975. These milestones demonstrate the enduring strength of our institution and the connections between our past, present and future.
We are living through a liminal moment in higher education—demographic shifts, financial pressures, changes in public perceptions and increased governmental oversight are reshaping the institutional and societal landscape in which colleges must now operate. These daunting challenges are especially difficult as the value of a liberal arts education is increasingly questioned.
And yet, every day, I witness something extraordinary here on campus. As president, I have a front-row seat to the very best of Conn—not just during moments of ceremony, but in the quiet power of daily campus life. The energy, creativity and care that define this community fill me with purpose and hope. As I told our graduating Class of 2025, “A grateful heart is a happy heart.” I am grateful every day to lead a college deeply rooted in connection between people, our central purpose as a liberal arts college and our home on the hill.
I recently listened to an episode of Reach. Teach. Talk., a podcast hosted by educator and Trustee Nat Damon ’93. He brought together five Class of ’93 alumni—now heads of independent schools—for a conversation about the impact of their Connecticut College education. Their message was clear: A liberal arts education doesn’t just prepare you for a career, it also shapes you as a leader. In their work, they lead with empathy, integrity and a strong sense of community—values they trace back to their time at Conn and the connections they formed with peers, faculty and staff, as well as the ideas and experiences that guided and inspired them.
That conversation amply demonstrates that a Conn education is more than simply talking about connection—it’s living it. In classrooms and residence halls, in research labs and studios, on playing fields and performance stages, Conn students, faculty and staff are actively connecting through collaborative inquiry, exploration, creativity and engagement. It is evident in our faculty and staff who teach with purpose, and in our alumni who continue to invest their time, talent and generosity to safeguard Conn’s future. Coupled with our distinctive and integrative Connections curriculum, we embody what historian William Cronon describes as liberal arts in action: “being able to see connections that allow one to make sense of the world and act within it in creative ways.”
In order to sustain this place of connections, our path forward will require unwavering commitment and bold action. We must strengthen our financial foundation, invest in faculty and staff, and pursue initiatives that foster a culture of belonging—where every person feels seen, heard and valued. We’re doing all of this to meet the needs of tomorrow while holding fast to the liberal arts values that have defined us for more than a century.
I firmly believe that this is the moment to move from challenge to opportunity. One day, a member of the Conn community may study this moment and give it a name. Perhaps it will be known as the Era of Reconnection—a time when we rediscovered the power of shared purpose to fulfill our mission. As I mentioned in my inaugural address, this work cannot happen in isolation. I invite all of us to connect and to embrace what makes Conn extraordinary: the relationships that empower us and the values that unite us.
Thank you for your continued belief in Conn and in what we will build together. It is a privilege to serve as your president. Please join me in looking forward with appreciation, optimism and unwavering hope.
With gratitude,
Andrea E. Chapdelaine, Ph.D.
From the President CC
CONNECTICUT COLLEGE Magazine
EDITOR: Amy Martin
ART DIRECTOR: Benjamin Parent
STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER: Sean D. Elliot
SENIOR WRITER: Melissa Babcock Johnson
WRITER: Tim Stevens ’03
CLASS NOTES COMPILED BY: Alumni Relations
CC Magazine is published by the Office of Communications. We are committed to covering a diverse group of stories in order to profile the human condition as seen through—and sometimes written by—our alumni, faculty, students and staff; we strive to publish features and photography that illuminate the College’s story.
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CONNECTICUT COLLEGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Seth W. Alvord ’93, Chair, Jessica L. Archibald ’95, Betty Brown Bibbins ’73, Maria Wyckoff Boyce ’85, Vice Chair, Andrea E. Chapdelaine, President, Isaac H. Clothier V ’79 P’10, Loulie Sutro Crawford ’89, Lawrence B. Damon III ’93, Mark D. Fallon ’92 P’28, Marisa G. Fariña ’93, Hannah E. Gonzalez ’23, Young Alumni Trustee, Kim-An Hernandez ’99 P’28, Samirah Jaigirdar ’22, Young Alumni Trustee, Jonathan A. Krane ’90, John D. Linehan P’18 ’23 ’24, Erica L. Lovett ’14, Sarah A. Mudho ’98, Devon Danz Preston ’93 P’28, Leslie Rosen ’02, Peter D. Skaperdas P’17, Vice Chair, Dwayne C. Stallings ’99, Vice Chair, Jonathan S. Stavin ’85, Susan Ekberg Stiritz ’65, Diane E. Stratton ’91, Maarten D. Terry ’83, Anne A. Verplanck ’80, Rajneesh Vig ’93, Shawnia A. Yon ’24, Young Alumni Trustee, John S. Zeiler ’74
ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Thomas Anderson ’07, Angela Bannerman Ankoma ’97 P’27, Taylor Austin ’24, Laila Bera ’23, Michael Boswell ’10, Isaac Chip Clothier V ’79 P’10, President, Philip Dolan ’99, Daniel Garcia ’02, Susan Mabrey Gaud ’68 P’07, Susan Peck Hinkel ’65, M. Grant Hogan ’07, Deion Jordan ’17, Julia Kaback ’18, Betty Fluegelman Kahn ’68 P’92, Mario Laurenzi ’90, Jennifer Lapan Mann ’94, Secretary, Rasheed Mitchell ’13, Erin Holstein Mogel ’09, Samantha Capen Muldoon ’88, Derrick Newton ’18, Jacob Nozaki ’22, Steve Owen ’80 P’12, Allan Rogers ’14, Harris Rosenheim ’09, Vice President, Katrina Sanders ’92, Tamsen Bales Sharpless ’89, An-Ming Sze Truxes ’71, Aidyn Urena ’10, Richard Vancil ’82, Veronica Venture ’86, Vice President, Denise Wheeless ’80, Mariko Wilcox ’99, Yoldas Yildiz ’18
CC Magazine Copyright 2025 by Connecticut College, all rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Views expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect official policy of the College.
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Sean D. Elliot
Olympic Hall of Famer
Anita DeFrantz ’74, the first—and so far, only—Black woman to earn an Olympic medal in rowing, will be inducted into the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame in July along with Serena Williams, Allyson Felix, Gabby Douglas, and other athletes and legends.
DeFrantz’s career began during a chance encounter with Conn rowing coach Bart Gullong during a walk across campus during her sophomore year. By the end of the conversation, DeFrantz had accepted an invitation to join the team.
“I knew nothing about rowing, but I loved the opportunity to be out on the water, and the freedom that came with it,” she recalled. “Racing with the school uniform on was something that was magical to me, and I loved working really hard with the team.”
While studying law at the University of Pennsylvania after graduating from Conn, DeFrantz rowed with UPenn’s Vesper Boat Club and earned the role of captain on the U.S. Women’s Olympic Rowing team for its inaugural season in
1976. The team earned a bronze medal in the 8+ women’s event at the Summer Olympics in Montreal that year. She is currently one of 10 Conn grads to compete in the Olympics, but she remains the first and only to earn an Olympic medal.
In 1978, she won a silver medal at the World Championships in the 4+ women’s event. In 1980 she was set to compete in the Olympics again, but the U.S. boycotted the Moscow games in response to the USSR’s invasion of Afghanistan. She was among the 461 would-be athletes to receive the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian honor in the United States, in recognition of her athletic excellence later that year.
As a key participant in bringing the Olympics to Los Angeles in 1984, she kept the LA84 Foundation going for the past 28 years and has helped to distribute around $225 million to over 2,000 youth sports organizations in the area. She now plays a role on LA 2028, the committee planning for the Olympic Games’ return to the city in three years.
DeFrantz was elected to the International Olympic Committee in 1986, making her both the first American woman and first ever African American to hold that position. In 1997, she became the first woman elected as IOC vice president, a position she held until 2001. She returned to the role for a second term in 2018. In 1999, DeFrantz was honored with the NCAA Silver Anniversary Award.
In 2016, she was inducted into the Rowing Hall of Fame alongside fellow Camel Tim Young ’92, and in 2024 she received the 2024 NCAA President’s Gerald R. Ford Award, in honor of her significant leadership as a continuous advocate for intercollegiate athletics.
DeFrantz is an emeritus trustee and was inducted into the Connecticut College Athletic Hall of Fame in 1989. In 1995, Kathryn Smith ’84 established the Anita L. DeFrantz Award, given annually to the graduating man and woman who best exemplify DeFrantz’s qualities of sportsmanship, leadership and athletic prowess.
In the Round
Theater is living—it’s the craft, the art, the miracle of living.
—PLAYWRIGHT AND SCREENWRITER SUZAN-LORI PARKS AT THE 2025 DANIEL KLAGSBRUN SYMPOSIUM ON CREATIVE ARTS AND MORAL VISION IN APRIL
SENSATIONAL SOLOS
Bella Donatelli ’25 and Andrew Solomon ’27 were selected from among 44 regional choreographers by professional adjudicators to represent New England at the American College Dance Association’s National College Dance Festival at Georgetown University in May. Donatelli performed her solo, it was, in the adjudicated national gala concert, and Solomon, who was chosen as a gala alternate, performed his solo piece, burning to desire, in the informal studio showing series.
Sean D. Elliot
A FOND FAREWELL
To retiring faculty members:
Jefferson A. Singer Faulk Foundation Professor of Psychology
Peter Siver
Charles and Sarah P. Becker ’27 Professor of Botany and Environmental Studies
CAREER LAUNCH
Members of the Class of 2025 have accepted positions at:
■ The Wall Street Journal
■ Disney
■ Wayfair
■ MUFG
■ United Nations Complex Risk Analytics Fund
■ Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
■ Fidelity Investments
■ Quest Diagnostics
■ Triumvirate Environmental Inc.
■ Phaidon International
Students pet a red kangaroo as staff from Animal Adventures, an exotic animal rescue in Bolton, Massachusetts, offered a chance to meet a wide variety of creatures during a Student Activities Council-sponsored “Wild Walkthrough” event in Harris Commons in March.
Sean D. Elliot
Every place has a distinct vernacular—a language, if you will, of materials and traditions that communicate the culture and history of a region. The world
around us speaks. We just need to listen.
— SENIOR CLASS COMMENCEMENT
SPEAKER NATALIA HALL ’25
POTY AND ROTY
Women’s Ice Hockey forward Claire Sammons ’25 NESCAC Player of the Year after she led the Camels with 18 points on six goals and 12 assists through 24 games, while Caitlin Pierce ’28, also a forward, earned NESCAC Rookie of the Year honors after recording 14 points on six goals and eight assists.
$60,870
Three graduating seniors have been awarded Thomas J. Watson Fellowships to embark on a year of international exploration and discovery. L-R:
Aiza Malinias ’25, a biology major and English minor from Queens, New York, will travel to Ecuador, the Philippines, France and Canada to implement a project centered on narrative healing.
Kinley Yangden ’25, a Social Justice and Sustainability Pathway scholar, Davis United World College scholar and architectural studies and art history double major and environmental studies minor from Thimphu, Bhutan, will travel to India, Indonesia, Japan, Canada and France to study architecture and community identity.
Maged Hassan ’25 an Entrepreneurship Pathway scholar and selfdesigned triple major in education administration, quantitative economics and econometrics, and architectural studies from Cairo, Egypt, will travel to Brazil, Morocco, Ghana and New Zealand to empower marginalized voices through educational leadership.
Rento Saijo ’28, Carly Trapeni ’27, Lucy DeRosa ’27, Chloe Nguyen ’25, Allie Burnett ’28 and Adithya Saranathan ’26 competed at ASA DataFest at Wesleyan University and earned the award for “Best Pitch.” As a prize, each student was gifted a membership to the American Statistical Association.
Norita and the Mothers
Producer Sarah Schoellkopf ’97 brings the story of an influential Argentinian activist to audiences across the Americas.
BY TIM
STEVENS
’03
Nora “Norita” Morales de Cortiñas was just a traditional Argentinian housewife until the 1977 kidnapping and disappearance of her 24-year-old son, Gustavo, by Argentina’s military dictatorship catapulted her into what would become a decades-long political fight for justice.
Her incredible story of heartbreak, activism and resilience is now being shared with the world through the feature-length documentary NORITA, co-produced by Sarah Schoellkopf ’97, founder of the production company DoctoraStories.
The film, directed by Jayson McNamara and Andrea Tortonese, chronicles the evolution of Morales de Cortiñas from concerned mother to one of Latin America’s most well-known and influential activists through the use of archival footage, talking head interviews and animated recreations. Thoughtful and generous, the movie brings to life a part of modern history many are unlikely to learn about in school.
Between 1976 and 1982, Argentina’s military dictatorship kidnapped and disappeared thousands of activists who spoke out against the government. Motivated by the hope of finding Gustavo and a desire to honor his passions, Morales de Cortiñas made his cause her own. Alongside the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo—a group of homemakers, mothers and wives who found themselves in similar situations— Morales de Cortiñas began to campaign for the return of the abducted and a recommitment to civil liberties.
As days became weeks, months, years and, eventually, decades, she continued to engage in peaceful protest and political organizing. Her quest to discover the truth about those abducted grew to include larger questions of democracy, justice and women’s rights. While she never did find her son, Morales de Cortiñas and the Mothers outlasted the dictatorship and emerged as triumphant symbols of human rights, rebellion and protest.
Schoellkopf, who screened NORITA for faculty, staff and students on campus in April, first learned about Morales de Cortiñas while she was studying Hispanic and Latin American studies and sociology at Conn. She was so moved by the story and the courage displayed by Morales de Cortiñas and the Mothers that she made them the focus of her Toor Cummings Center for International Studies and the Liberal Arts senior integrative project. In 1998, she received a Fulbright grant to the Universidad de Buenos Aries to continue her research, and then, as a Ph.D. student in Spanish and Portuguese language and literature at the University of California, Berkeley, she made them the focus of her doctorate and conducted field research with the Mothers in the 1990s and 2000s.
“Basically this is my entire CISLA project, my Fulbright project, my dissertation project on screen,” she told the Conn audience.
Schoellkopf, who also co-produced the 2021 documentary Ferguson Rising, which premiered at Tribeca, and serves
as president of the Eileen and Fred Schoellkopf Family Foundation, said she is thrilled that Morales de Cortiñas’s story is finally being shared with as many people as possible, especially in Central and South America.
“It’s been in almost 400 theaters, community centers, colleges, universities, activism areas all over Latin America,” she said. “We’ve been to several festivals. It’s been amazing.”
Schoellkopf pointed out that, while the seeds of the film date back over 25 years and it chronicles events dating back to the 1970s, NORITA is not a project of a bygone era.
“You’re going to feel like you’re watching today’s news,” she promised in a brief address before the campus screening. “We are seeing the same language they used then to demonize people now.”
Despite the tenor of the time, traveling with the film has given Schoellkopf plenty of cause for optimism.
“Students have a voice,” she asserted. “Showing the movie has been an overwhelming experience. People’s reactions to it are why I’m so passionate about it. I’m very proud of this film and how people have received it.”
After the showing at Conn, one student shared that her father, who had grown up in Latin America, was excited and tearful upon learning he’d soon see NORITA at his local community center.
“Thank you so much for this,” the student told Schoellkopf. “This means so much to me and my family.”
Gaming the System
Matt Sambor ’22 is making macroeconomics fun.
BY AMY MARTIN
It’s barely 9 a.m. in a third-floor Fanning Hall classroom overlooking a moody Tempel Green in January, and Matthew Sambor ’22 has just put eight first- and second-year Conn students in charge of the U.S. economy. It’s up to them to manage unemployment and inflation. They’ll need to apply monetary and fiscal policies and assess their impact. Along the way, they’ll be peppered with requests from lobbying groups and special interests.
“You have to decide who to make happy and who to decline,” Sambor explains to the students. He then adds a word of warning: “If you let unemployment get too high or inflation get too high, you’ll get fired as the head of the Federal Reserve.”
Luckily for the students in Hale Center Career Adviser Cheryl Banker’s “Finance Career Preparation” class, their tenure as “head of the fed” only lasts four weeks and their policy decisions won’t impact much beyond the leaderboard for Beat the Fed, an innovative macroeconomics computer game Sambor is rolling out to high schools, colleges and major corporations.
For the generation of readers who grew up playing Oregon Trail, the general idea will feel familiar. Except
instead of learning how to avoid dying of dysentery or the best strategies for forging a river, Beat the Fed players learn about finance and macroeconomics as they make real-world choices at different periods in U.S. history to see how their performance compares to historical economic data.
“Economics can be very boring to learn,” Sambor admits. “But the game
With a highly interactive interface and colorful graphics, the game even looks fun; one almost can’t help but toggle toward expansionary policies or bail out a few banks.
provides an immersive experience that brings economic concepts to life. It teaches players about different parts of the economy and how they intersect and relate at four different time periods—The Credit Crunch (1965-1968), The Great Depression (1929-1933), The Dot Com Bubble (1998-2001) and The Great Recession (2008-2011). The goal is to try to do better than the actual Federal Reserve did in the past.”
Beat the Fed is the brainchild of John Harvey, an inventor and founder of the TideMill Group, a startup focused on economics-related products. Sambor first met Harvey—at least virtually—in 2020, when he was hired by Harvey and Mary Keil ’70, who had reached out to the Hale Center for Career Development to find a student willing to help create statistical tables of old IRS filings for a book they were co-authoring about the economic history of the Great Depression. Sambor, an econ major and finance minor at Conn, continued to work for Harvey and Keil—on the book project, but also testing early versions of Beat the Fed— until graduation, after which he took a position working in solutions and U.S. equities for a large financial management company. Still, Keil kept him informed about both the book project and the game development.
After about a year, Sambor says, he decided he didn’t love working in a big corporation environment. Keil saw an opportunity. “I was convinced Matt would be a valuable addition
Economics can be very boring to learn ... but the game provides an immersive experience that brings economic concepts to life.
— MATT SAMBOR ’22
to the small team that was forming at TideMill, and I thought he would find the entrepreneurial environment stimulating,” she said. “We could offer him the unusual opportunity of working on a variety of interesting economicsrelated projects.”
That included Beat the Fed. Sambor joined the TideMill team full-time as a product manager in August of 2023 and “fell in love with the game and the people,” he says. “John is a great mentor—it’s like going to hands-on business school.”
Now, Sambor has piloted the game in
more than a dozen high schools and at a major global investment bank, where it is being used as a training and recruitment tool. Banker’s students were the first at the college level to give it a go.
Aniah Ankoma ’27, who intends to major in education and minor in finance, said actively participating in the game helped her better understand how policy decisions impact inflation.
“This game is the perfect way to learn about how interest rates and macroeconomics work,” she said. “I’d recommend it not only to people who are interested in economics and finance, but
to anyone interested in how the economy works.”
Economics major and finance minor Noah Sides ’27—who describes himself as a very competitive person—finished at the top of the leaderboard. He said he got the hang of it after playing each level multiple times.
“My favorite part is how historically accurate the game is, allowing you to compare the facts with your work,” he said, adding that he was surprised by how many demands the government is asked to meet. “It’s virtually impossible to please everyone.”
Sean D. Elliot
Ben Berkowitz ’10 teamed up with his brother, Max, and actor Josh Gad to create a comic book with a Jewish hero.
BY TIM STEVENS
’03
All of the great comic book superheroes have a secret identity. Ben Berkowitz ’10 does, too. He spends his days working for Not A Billionaire, a marketing, communications and production company he founded with his brother, Max. For a decade now, Not a Billionaire has helped individuals, Fortune 100 companies and non-profits craft and share their stories across social media, advertisements, streaming platforms and more.
Once quitting time hits, though, Berkowitz morphs from creative communications and marketing company founder into a different kind of storyteller—one who weaves compelling mysteries through the panel grids of a comic book. He teamed up with Max and actor Josh Gad (aka Olaf the snowman) to create The Writer, “a thrilling tale of Jewish folklore and magic” illustrated by artist and colorist Ariel Olivetti and published by Dark Horse Comics.
The Writer follows the fittingly metanamed Stan Siegel, a fictional Jewish comic book writer whose life takes a dark turn into a neo-Nazi occult nightmare. Amid demonic chaos and high-speed chases, Siegel’s hunger for answers sets off a race against time. To combat the rising tide of terror, Siegel must become the hero from his pages.
As every comic book fan knows, every series has an origin story. The Writer’s dates back decades.
“My brother and I have always had a fondness for comic books,” Berkowitz says. “We’d sit in front of the TV at our
Papa and Nana’s house growing up, reading them or drawing superheroes. Over the years, that love only grew.”
Berkowitz loved comics so much that when he arrived at Connecticut College to study art, he planned to go into the field right after graduation. But, as is often the case, the liberal arts broadened his horizons.
“I got into filmmaking and storytelling at Conn,” Berkowitz recalls. “So, I got an internship at a production company. Then, I worked at Sony Classics and Magnolia Pictures in theatrical film marketing, and publicity. Then I made the jump into production, working on some documentaries with CNN and Netflix.”
But Berkowitz—and his brother— never gave up on the dream of creating their own comic. And over the years, they realized that as Jewish superheroes were adapted into television and film, the Jewish aspect of their identities tended to be dimmed or even erased.
“It was this troubling trend. So we thought, ‘You know what? We need to celebrate the Jews who built this industry.’”
As they worked to develop the perfect Jewish superhero, the “Berkowitz Bros” had their own light bulb moment—could their duo be a trio?
“We were trying to think of who could be a relatable, beloved character. And it was just, ‘Josh Gad! You know, Disney legend, music man.’ So, literally, in one night, we put this outline together and cold-emailed his manager, Meredith. She’s wonderful—she reps us now—and
she falls in love with it. She takes it to Josh, he immediately falls in love with it, too. We all start to collaborate, and Meredith takes it to Dark Horse. They’re immediately like, ‘This is a no-brainer.’”
Olivetti was the final piece of the puzzle, bringing the story to life with his bold and strikingly realistic illustrations.
“He is a legend,” Berkowitz says. “He was the only person we felt could do this story. His art is genius, absolutely gorgeous.”
As storytellers, the Berkowitzes— and Gad, whom Ben joking refers to as the third Berkowitz brother—focused on telling the most interesting story possible. But at the same time, they felt a strong sense of responsibility in telling a distinctly Jewish story at this particular moment in time.
“Antisemitism is on the rise,” Berkowitz acknowledges. “We see it, we feel it. So, we want to tell Jewish stories in a nuanced way. We want to keep these historical moments alive and capture our folklore. These are things I had no idea about when I was in Hebrew school, but they’re such a magical part of Judaism. We want to keep them alive and bring them to a new audience.”
With the completed collection now on stands, will The Writer return? Will Berkowitz’s comic-making alter ego rise again? Fans will have to stay tuned to find out, but Berkowitz is happy to provide something of a mid-credits tease.
“I think we will surprise people. But I will say I’m addicted now. I want to keep making comics as long as possible.”
Sherlock Holmes: The Seamstress and the Colonel
By Charles Blanksteen ’74
In the aftermath of the Whitechapel Ripper murders, Mary Jane must build a new life for herself at Le Chabanais, the finest brothel on the continent. A chance meeting with her friend from London reveals him to be none other than the famous detective Sherlock Holmes, supposedly deceased and now embroiled in a cat-andmouse game with Professor Moriarty’s henchman, Colonel Sebastian Moran. Mary Jane soon finds herself also at odds with the criminal colonel, embroiling her in an assassination plot that even Sherlock Holmes may not be able to prevent.
Mothers of Fate
By Lynne Hugo ’69
Deana Wilkes, who has needed leg braces to walk since an accident long ago, seeks out attorney Monica Connell to find the child she was forced to relinquish in a closed adoption 30 years ago, after an affair with her married boss, Tony. Tony’s long gone now, and Deana’s ready to finally make things right and meet her son. But Monica’s wife, Angela, herself an adoptee, is adamant that closed adoptions need to remain closed unless the adoptee seeks contact. She draws a red line: Monica cannot take the case. Monica, however, feels compelled to help Deana by her own complicated— and secret—history. This masterful story about navigating the complexities of adoption raises the question: Does fate direct our lives—or do our own choices?
Shadows of Vietnam
By Alice K. Boatwright ’69
Three linked novellas tell the stories of an America bitterly divided during the Vietnam War and the long reach of those conflicts in the decades afterward. From 1968, when Toby Woodruff saw refusing to fight as the way to serve the America he believed in, to Sarah Shepherd, who finally makes peace with her brother’s death and her own turbulent history when she visits Vietnam in 1993, the stories trace the struggles of those who served, those who resisted, and the families and friends caught between them.
Telling Stories with Maps: Lessons from a Lifetime of Creating Place-Based Narratives
By Allen Carroll ’73
From scraping patterns in sand to drawing intricate lines on vellum and paper to charting every place on the planet, humans have used maps as a powerful storytelling medium. The advent of the digital age has revolutionized the creation, distribution and consumption of maps. Telling Stories with Maps bridges both the analog and digital realms, showcasing how maps themselves tell stories and enrich narratives by providing context and insight. Richly illustrated with examples from traditional maps to the latest digital visualizations, this book is an essential guide for anyone interested in the storytelling power of maps.
LUCK STRUCK: A true story
By Kathleen Boluch ’79
In 1867, a poor Boston street kid wished for luck—and luck struck. Meet Thomas Lawson, the improbable Copper King of the Gilded Age, and his wife, Jeanne. Their desire ignited the moment they met, launching them into a passionate, decades-spanning love story. Lawson unwittingly rescued the town of Scituate, Massachusetts. Yet he failed to win over Boston Brahmins, despite being among the richest men of his time, which begs the question: How long did Lawson’s luck last?
Johnny Careless
By Kevin Wade ’76
Police Chief Jeep Mullane is back home on Long Island’s North Shore after a heartbreaking case both earned him his NYPD detective’s shield and burned him out of the job. Now heading up a small local police department, Jeep is a “have-not” among the glittering “haves,” a sharp-witted, down-to-earth man in a territory defined and ruled by multigenerational wealth and power. When the corpse of Jeep’s childhood friend Johnny Chambliss known as “Johnny Careless” for his reckless, golden-boy antics surfaces in the Bayville waters, past collides with present. Jeep is challenged by Johnny’s wealthy and secretive family and his beautiful, enigmatic ex-wife as he untangles a knotted mystery fraught with theft, corrupt local moguls and decadesold secrets, all while grappling with his own deep-seated grief.
Head of the Herd
With four national titles, Justin Finkel ’25 is the winningest Camel in Conn’s history.
Justin Finkel ’25 left it all in the pool at the 2025 NCAA Division III
Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships—the final meet of his illustrious career. Having already defended his 2024 national title in the 500 freestyle on the first day of competition, Finkel repeated in the 200 butterfly, too, shattering his own NCAA Division III record in his final individual swim.
A biology major from Cheshire, Connecticut, Finkel graduates with the most impressive collection of accolades in the history of Camel athletics—four NCAA individual national titles, 12 All-America selections, two National Swimmer of the Year designations, three consecutive NESCAC Swimmer of the Year honors and eight individual NESCAC titles. He was also named to the 2025 College Sports Communicators Academic All-America® Division III
Men’s Swimming & Diving First Team after earning third team honors last
year, and was honored as the 2025 Jay Fiedler Outstanding College Athlete of the Year by the Jewish Sports Heritage Foundation.
Head Men’s Swimming Coach Marc Benvenuti says coaching Finkel was “a lot of fun.”
“He has an enormous amount of talent, so we got to do some really challenging things as part of his training. When he would race, especially at NESCACs or NCAAs, you could see the training shine through.”
Reflecting on his career, Finkel says winning his first national championship, in the 500 free in 2024, was “the most thrilling and fulfilling moment” of his athletic career. “It was all very new and overwhelming to me, but after the dust settled, it felt great to zoom out and realize how far swimming has brought me,” he says.
Finkel credits his parents and his teammates for keeping him motivated.
“My parents played such a pivotal role in my success. They always showed me how much they believed in me,” he says. “Here at Conn, what drove my motivation was all of my teammates. Together, we endured intense training, early mornings, late nights, long meet weekends and many more hardships that only someone in our position can fully appreciate.”
Finkel adds that it was an honor to serve as a team captain during his senior season. “Our team finished in fourth place at the NESCAC Championships this year, outscoring Bates in the final relay of the meet. The pride I felt as the team celebrated was amazing.”
After graduation, Finkel plans to work as a medical assistant before pursuing a medical degree. He’s also signed up to do a half Ironman with some of his Conn teammates this summer, and he plans to teach swim lessons. “I am not completely done with swimming yet,” he says.
Andrea
FORWARD TOGETHER
E. Chapdelaine is inaugurated as Connecticut College’s 12th President.
BY AMY MARTIN
In a ceremony that featured traditional pomp and circumstance, some lighthearted humor and—to the delight of the audience—a flash mob performance of Seasons of Love by 45 student singers and musicians, Connecticut College officially ushered in a new era with the April 26 inauguration of Andrea E. Chapdelaine as its 12th president.
The day commenced with a procession of faculty; emeriti faculty; trustees; emeriti trustees; past presidents; Student Government Association, Staff Council and Alumni Association Board of Directors representatives; invited speakers; and 49 delegates representing prestigious learned institutions and societies— all resplendent in academic regalia—who were led by a lone bagpiper into a packed Athey Center for Performance and Research at Palmer Auditorium.
College forward at a pivotal time in its 114-year history.
In her keynote address, Embracing the Hill: People, Purpose and Place, Chapdelaine said that for her, higher education is a calling.
“What began with a love of learning has become a vocation. I firmly believe that education is the most valuable asset to humanity and to our society. I have witnessed its transformative impact in myself as a first-gen student, in countless other students and in the world,” she said.
become accustomed to the flat terrain of Maryland, where she was previously president of Hood College. But here in Connecticut, she said, hills abound.
Her visionary leadership will help guide Connecticut College into a new era of academic distinction.
— LYNN PASQUERELLA, PRESIDENT OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES
“So, I had a choice. Avoid the hills with an easy, repetitive loop around Tempel Green, or embrace them—lean into the challenge. I chose the hill,” she said. “Some days, the climb feels steep. And some days, I want to stop. But in those moments, I repeat the following mantra: ‘Forward is a pace.’ And each week, I’ve gone a little farther, a little faster—building strength, stamina and confidence, while also deepening my appreciation for my new home. So I ask each of you to join me—let us climb together with courage and purpose.”
The ensuing Investiture Ceremony celebrated the selection of Chapdelaine, whose tenure officially began in July, as the new leader of a storied institution; highlighted the importance of Connecticut College’s mission; and emphasized the need for the entire community to work together to move the
“Conn’s mission to put the liberal arts into action has never been more crucial for our students and our world. Indeed, we are here, together—at the right place, at the right time—to ensure our mission is sustained. And we do that by strengthening the three central elements that define Conn and the connections between them: people, purpose and place.”
Chapdelaine told the audience that she is a runner—“or more accurately now, a determined jogger”—who had
Chapdelaine explained that she has come to see the “hill upon which Conn stands” as a symbol of the challenges facing higher education and the Conn community.
“[The hill is] a metaphor for the journey we are on together. It is a steep path with many boulders hindering our progress— demographic declines, financial pressures, economic and political uncertainty, and cultural polarization,” she said.
“But just as formidable here at Conn is our shared sense of purpose and our collective commitment to meet this
moment with courage, clarity and action—to continue moving forward— together.”
In her remarks, Lynn Pasquerella, president of the American Association of Colleges and Universities, said she was thrilled to learn Chapdelaine had been selected to lead “an institution that has long stood as a beacon of excellence in shaping leaders who make a difference” in the world.
“For more than three decades, Andrea has shaped the landscape of higher education in profound and lasting ways, in the classroom; through her scholarship; and as a dean, provost and president who has consistently demonstrated a deep and abiding commitment to liberal education, inclusive excellence and to the public
purposes of higher education,” she said.
“Her visionary leadership will help guide Connecticut College into a new era of academic distinction; preeminent research, scholarly and creative work; and forward-thinking community and global engagement.”
Conn’s mission to put the liberal arts into action has never been more crucial for our students and our world. Indeed, we are here, together, to ensure our mission is sustained.
— PRESIDENT ANDREA E. CHAPDELAINE
Student Government Association
President Bella Castellanos Palacios ’25 said students are grateful that Chapdelaine meets them where they are, supports their campus spaces and takes time to listen.
“Our campus is filled with students who are passionate, creative and eager to shape a better world. We know that leadership is about listening, collaborating and being present—and President Chapdelaine, you’ve already shown us that you are here not just to lead, but to build something with us,” Castellanos Palacios said. “We’re excited to continue making Connecticut College a place where every voice matters, every experience is valued, and every student can thrive.”
The Inauguration also featured a reading of the Inaugural Poem, “The Promise of Growth,” by Julia Pelczarski ’28; a performance of Alma Mater by the Sea by Katherine Caviness ’25, Samantha Lamontagne ’25, Jilly Pearson ’25 and
Sean D. Elliot
Clockwise from top: A torrential downpour couldn’t stop the Inaugural procession; Faculty enjoy a light moment on the way into the ceremony; New London Mayor Michael E. Passero ’79 M’89 congratulates President Andrea Chapdelaine; Chapdelaine holds the College charter presented to her by Board of Trustees Chair Seth Alvord ’93 during the ceremony; Chapdelaine’s son Daniel Tetreault looks toward his mother as he delivers his remarks; Julia Pelczarski ’28 recites her Inaugural poem, “The Promise of Growth.”
Photos by Sean D. Elliot
Megan Spindler ’25, accompanied by the Constitution Brass Quintet; and greetings from Connecticut State Senator Martha Marx; New London Mayor Michael E. Passero ’79 M’89; Chair of the Board of Trustees Seth W. Alvord ’93; Chair of the Faculty Steering and Conference Committee and Vandana Shiva Association Professor of Gender, Sexuality and Intersectionality Studies
Ariella R. Rotramel; Chair of Staff Council and Associate Director of Annual Giving Lynne Crider; President of the Alumni Association Board of Directors Isaac “Chip” Clothier ’79 P’10; and Chapdelaine’s son Daniel David Tetreault.
Maathai Professor of Gender, Sexuality and Intersectionality Studies Danielle Egan provided additional remarks, while the Rev. Stephanie Haskins gave a closing reflection. The event concluded with a recessional to Belgian March
We know that leadership is about listening, collaborating and being present— and President Chapdelaine, you’ve already shown us that you are here not just to lead, but to build something with us.
— SGA PRESIDENT BELLA CASTELLANOS PALACIOS ’25
College Marshal and Henry B. Plant Professor of History Marc Forster; Dean of the College and Vice President for Retention and Success Erika J. Smith; and Dean of the College and Fuller-
by Scotson Clark. A festive Inaugural Picnic lunch, featuring games, music and dessert trucks immediately followed on Tempel Green.
The Investiture Ceremony was the culmination of a series of Inauguration events, which included “Chap Swap,”
in which Chapdelaine swapped roles with student Davi Schulman ’25; Earth Week and Arbor Day celebrations; a “Chap Chat” between Castellanos Palacios and Chapdelaine; the Spring Choral and Orchestra Concert: Totally ’80s Talent Show; the POCA Fashion Show, Sonder: Everything Matters; the 18th annual Walk to End Homelessness; and an event that drew lots of ap-paws, the InDOGuration of bernedoodle Kodachrome “Koda” Chapdelaine Tetreault as First Dog of Connecticut College. Two exhibitions are also ongoing; (Re)Defining A Liberal Arts Education: Conn’s Presidents Adapt to the Times and a student work showcase are both on display in Charles E. Shain Library through Aug. 29.
A flash mob performance of Seasons of Love featured 45 student singers and musicians.
Sean D. Elliot
Read more, see more photos and video, and rewatch the Inauguration Ceremony ▶
Clockwise from top left: Students assemble sustainable Lego flower centerpieces for a pre-Inauguration dinner; Davi Schulman ’25, left, and President Andrea Chapdelaine head to one of Schulman’s classes as part of “Chap Swap,” which saw the two switch roles; An ’80s-themed choral and orchestra concert paid tribute to Chapdelaine’s favorite music era; In honor of the Inauguration, the College served as a presenting sponsor of the annual Walk to End Homelessness in New London; Chapdelaine and her husband, David Tetreault, receive commemorative Conn-themed sneakers at a preInauguration dinner; Students sign a giant cutout camel congratulating Chapdelaine.
Photos by Sean D. Elliot
TOP DOG
President Chapdelaine’s bernedoodle, Koda, is inDOGurated as First Dog of Connecticut College.
BY MELISSA BABCOCK JOHNSON
They could barely sit still, and they likely had no idea what was going on. But the four dogs onstage on a beautiful Friday afternoon under a tent on Tempel Green—including the canine of honor, bernedoodle Kodachrome “Koda” Chapdelaine Tetreault— behaved admirably and adorably during Connecticut College’s first-ever inDOGuration ceremony, one day before the inauguration of Koda’s mom, President Andrea Chapdelaine.
Several other dogs formed a line and paraded in front of the stage to their seats with their faculty and staff owners before the ceremony began. Fellow canine audience members barking, yipping and cheering on Koda included Maverick, a sheepadoodle belonging to Director of Media Relations Christina Flowers; Riley, a westie owned by Dean of Students Victor Arcelus; Shiloh, border collieretriever mix and best friend of Director of Campus Safety Mary Savage; and official wellness canines from the New London and Waterford Police Departments.
Dean of Admissions Andy Strickler, whose lab/shepherd mix (at least according to the vet’s best guess), Utley, was one of the doggy dignitaries onstage, approached the microphone to emcee the pawsitively delightful event. Probably never expecting a task like this to land on his agenda, he quipped, “Other duties as assigned …” before formally beginning the un-fur-gettable ceremony with, “Good afternoon, ladies, gentlemen, students, and our target-rich campus full of squirrels and other critters for our fourlegged companions to chase.”
Strickler said that when he first arrived at Conn a decade ago, dogs weren’t even allowed in campus buildings, but the
campus is much more dog-friendly today, “and we will now officially, formally have a First Dog of Connecticut College.”
As if on cue, Koda, adorned in blue velvet regalia, stood on her hind legs and hugged President Chapdelaine, to the delight of the audience. Strickler then deemed Koda “the tail-wagging titan of campus morale, the unofficial director of student wellness and, unfortunately for me, the only member of the senior administration who is allowed to nap during meetings.”
He continued, “Let us reflect on the qualifications of our First Dog. For the mere price of a pat on the head or a treat, she exemplifies the Camel spirit of loving each and every student regardless of major, academic performance, hometown, sports allegiance, campus engagement or personal passion.”
Conn’s new First Dog will serve honorably, Strickler promised. “Koda will not propose or pass legislation, she’s not
going to raise tuition, and I guarantee Koda is not going to send anyone an email at 2 a.m. Instead, Koda will lead with loyalty, wearing her Camel blue, governing with love and enthusiasm, and accept all bribes in the form of peanut butter.”
Koda was the goodest girl while Strickler read an official citation, signed, of course, by Colby Alvord, whose human is Board of Trustees Chair Seth Alvord ’93.
Finally, just before Koda led the recessional march to the tune of the turnof-the-century banger Who Let the Dogs Out? by the Bahamian junkanoo band Baha Men, Strickler declared Koda “the unofficial mascot of the Camels, defender of our Arboretum campus from the ravenous invasion of squirrels, and friend to all who happen across these lands,” and he offered her a wish: “May your leash be long, your tail wag often, your days be filled with students’ love and admiration, and your schedule filled with naps in sunbeams.”
Most childhood dreams never come true. Even the word “dream” implies a separation from reality—a delusion of sorts—and most of us never do become the professional athletes or ballerinas or astronauts or marine biologists we once dreamed of being.
Peter Som ’93 remembers being in fifth grade when he confidently declared to his parents that he was going to be a world-famous fashion designer someday. His dream did come true; by just 30 years old, he had watched his very own fashion line strut down the runway in Bryant Park. He scored a Rising Young Talent nomination with the Councils of Fashion Designers of America Scholarship and an Isaac Mizrahi Gold Thimble Award upon graduating from Parsons School of Design. New York Times fashion critic Cathy Horyn labeled Som as “one of the best young designers working today,” while Vogue’s Andre Leon Talley called him “the head of your generational class.” Over the next few decades, his designs would sell at top retailers worldwide and be worn by the likes of Beyoncé, Scarlett Johansson and Michelle Obama.
When you’ve realized all of your lofty goals before age 50, what do you do for an encore?
“When you’re 10, when you’re 15, you think, ‘30. That’s an adult. That’s when you have it all figured out,’” Som says with a laugh. “But then, years later, things are changing, and I start thinking, ‘Oh my God. Is this a sign? Should I jump?’”
make her Five Spice Roast Chicken, or whip up the egg whites for a spinach soufflé,” Som says.
“It did take me a while to allow myself to have another dream, but sometimes the most obvious thing is right under your nose. And it was like, ‘Oh, cooking!’ I love cooking. I love how food looks. I love interesting flavor combinations. I love having friends asking me, ‘What is this you made?’ And to be like, ‘Well, I don’t know. I just made it.’”
As he details in Family Style—and as is implied by the book’s title—Som’s mother, Helen, and his grandmother Mary greatly influenced his love of the culinary arts. “Their interest in cooking may have been born out of obvious necessity … but that frisson of excitement, that spark of smile when talking about food—that was about love,” he writes in the book’s dedication to them.
When I wasn’t drawing and poring over Vogue issues, I was most often in the kitchen helping my mom.
— PETER SOM ’93
Som did make the leap recently, expanding his design business into a lifestyle brand focused on food, fashion and home decor. His debut cookbook, Family Style, featuring more than 100 “elegant everyday recipes,” hit shelves on March 18.
“Since the day I could pick up a pen—my mom says I was 2—I drew women and their clothes. My parents were not surprised; as architects, their love of modern 20th-century design ran deep. But when I wasn’t drawing and poring over Vogue issues, I was most often in the kitchen helping my mom
Speaking with me from his wonderfully well-appointed New York City apartment, Som elaborates on his culinary philosophy. “I think food is rooted in one’s own history, storytelling, nostalgia. The memories, the communion of coming together as family, especially when I was a kid, it’s essential to why I love cooking,” he says.
“My grandmother passed away 20 years ago. Writing Family Style let me get to know her again, because I interviewed so many family members. I could reconnect with her through the legacy of her cooking.”
More than just a cookbook, Family Style features 272 pages of recipes, memories and reflections illustrated with gorgeous photography by Linda Xiao. Som walks readers through a plethora of dishes that, like his fashion designs, have roots in the past but are married to a flair for the present. As a result, they feel both fresh and classic. Additionally, the author interrupts himself with recommendations on what to stock for spices, the delights of eating with friends and family, and musings on everything from vegetables to fried rice to good-butnot-too-sweet desserts.
While Som’s flair for food, fashion and design trace back to his early days growing up in the San Francisco Bay area, he credits his Connecticut College education with preparing him to chase his dreams to fruition.
Conn taught me how to figure things out quickly and get them done and to have no fear.
“Conn had this wonderful, nurturing environment; a level of support not just for my academics, but also for my personal growth,” he explains. “It helped me cultivate—well, ‘delusions’ is maybe the wrong word because you better have the talent and work ethic to back it up, but—the ‘delusions’ to keep going. It taught me how to figure things out quickly and get them done and to have no fear.”
— PETER SOM ’93
As we talk, I ask Som if success feels different at 54 than it did at 30. He mulls the question for a moment before answering, “In New York, there’s so much going on, so many people doing things, it is easy to compare and contrast. But with age comes perspective, and you start to get into ‘How do you define success? How do I define success?’
“And you know what? I’m happy, I have amazing friends, a chosen family, blood family, all these people who support me. I still do things in fashion, my first dream, and I’ve been able to widen my focus. I wake up every day and I love what I do, and I can make a living with it. So that feels like success. Every time I file a piece, every time I make anything, I can exhale. They’re all successes.”
Find Peter Som’s recipes online at The Extra Taste:
ayandIlove what I d o , and I can mak e a l i v i n g w i t h i.t oS t tah f ee sl ekil .sseccus
Assistant Professor of Biology Maria Rosa and two of her research assistants, Sasha Jansujwicz ’27 and Sophie Moniz ’25, trek out to conduct research at Mamacoke Cove.
Sean D. Elliot
THE BUCKET ECOLOGIST
Biology Professor Maria Rosa uses economical and sustainable techniques to restore aquatic habitats from Conn’s campus to Colombia.
By Melissa Ba B cock Johnson and aM y Martin
It’s a cool morning in early April and the rain is coming in spurts. Just down the road from the heart of Connecticut College’s campus, Assistant Professor of Biology Maria Rosa and two of her research assistants—Sasha Jansujwicz ’27, a biology and environmental studies double major from Bangor, Maine, and Sophie Moniz ’25, a biology major from Alexandria, Virginia—are decked out in tan waders and brown rubber boots. Their first destination is Mamacoke Cove, a designated natural area within Conn’s Arboretum on the banks of the Thames River.
After a short walk across a natural bridge that sports a spine of train tracks, Rosa, a prolific young researcher who joined Conn’s faculty in 2018, opens her neon yellow Seahorse-brand protective equipment case and removes two Bluetooth sensors that measure the water’s conductivity, pressure, salinity, temperature and level. She is focused and eager, declaring, “We’re going to get really good long-term data inside this cove.”
One instrument will log each six-hour tidal cycle in 15-minute increments. If Rosa wanted to, she could leave it running for 14 years, she says. She ties it to a buoy, explaining the process to Jansujwicz and Moniz, who hang on her every word.
in trouble,” she says as she points to areas where the shoreline is collapsing into the water. “Slumping like this is indicative that the marsh is degrading.”
Nearly all of Rosa’s research involves Conn students as active participants through classwork, summer science research programs or as research assistants; some have even traveled with her to research locations in the Caribbean and South America. She employs methods that are accessible and easy for budding scientists to learn; she sometimes refers to her work as “Bucket Ecology” because “we are literally working with buckets.”
Today, Moniz and Jansujwicz will help her repeat one of Warren’s data collection techniques from 1994 by measuring the distance between various pins and the marsh’s edge. Rosa will also compare today’s numbers to her own data from a year ago.
This early spring session provides only a tiny glimpse of the ongoing, in-depth research Rosa has been conducting at the Mamacoke Island habitat for the past seven years. She’s not just tracking the marsh’s decline—she’s trying to reverse it, with help from the Audubon Society and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. Last fall, these organizations awarded Rosa a total of nearly $5 million to study and restore the area.
Reefs are essential to marine ecosystems, but humans have destroyed so much natural habitat.
While Rosa is almost knee-deep in the brackish pond, she moves a rock and spots a clam underneath. She exclaims with delight and then apologizes to the clam for disturbing it. “This is complete speculation, but it could be part of a Native American clam garden based on what I’ve seen and heard about them,” she says. “It matches.”
— PROFESSOR MARIA ROSA
Once the instruments are up and running in South Cove, it’s time to cross the tracks and trek over to the cordgrass-covered Mamacoke Island to assess the situation on the coastline. With today’s weather, the scene feels and looks like an English moor. Rosa pulls out a clipboard topped with a map of the marsh. The map is marked with the locations of about 30 pins originally placed in the 1950s by noted botanist and wetlands expert William Niering, the late Lucretia L. Allyn Professor Emeritus of Botany at Conn. Rosa and her students will reference Niering’s data and that of Jean C. Tempel ’65 Professor Emeritus of Botany Scott Warren, who retired in 2007.
“The pins have been in the same location for decades and are about 15 meters apart,” Rosa says. “We go in and measure elevation to see if there are any changes in the marsh and try to use that to estimate marsh height. This is how we knew before that the marsh was keeping up with sea level rise. But over the last couple of years, it hasn’t.”
On average, the numbers have been falling, indicating that the sediment is shrinking. “Basically, the edges of the marsh are
The Mamacoke project is one of many for Rosa, who specializes in marine biology and ecology and works to develop new techniques to restore natural ecosystems and protect vulnerable shorelines—right on campus and around the world.
PRINT THE REEF
In the summer of 2022—with the future of marine habitats and coral reefs around the world at stake—Rosa’s excitement was palpable as two student researchers stood on Conn’s rowing dock at the Kohn Waterfront and fished a PVC pipe tree out the Thames River. It was adorned with 12 small, 3D printed biodegradable plates, and, to Rosa’s delight, each was teeming with life.
Rosa lay down on the dock to get a closer look, her voice rising as she began to describe what she was seeing to her colleague, Associate Professor of Biology Taegan McMahon, and the half dozen student researchers gathered around.
“So many barnacles! Scallops! Look at that, that’s a sea snail … There’s the tiniest crab you ever saw!”
Rosa, who was named an emerging scholar by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education in 2020, had teamed up with McMahon, a conservation disease ecologist who also works with 3D printers, to look into the possibility of 3D printing biodegradable artificial aquatic habitats.
“Reefs are essential to marine ecosystems, but humans have destroyed so much natural habitat that there is nowhere for small marine invertebrates like coral and shellfish to settle,” Rosa explains.
Essentially, if the organisms have nothing to stick to, they can’t grow. Scientists have been working to create artificial habitats, but so far, the materials have been too expensive, create environmental problems of their own, or just don’t work well.
“Those little guys love plastic—throw a buoy into the ocean and it will soon be filled with barnacles—but we don’t want to introduce more non-biodegradable plastic,” Rosa says. “They don’t seem to like wood. We had had some success with 3D printed ceramic panels, but they cost anywhere from $50 to $200 each to make and are expensive to ship because they’re so heavy, so it becomes too costly to use on a large scale.”
So Rosa and McMahon decided to try some significantly less expensive plant-based biodegradable materials—one soy-based, one corn-based and one made from wood pulp. A $30 spool of material yielded approximately 30 of the 4x4-inch ridged panels. After McMahon’s student researchers confirmed the material would not harm the aquatic organisms they hoped would settle on the plates, there was one thing left to do: put them in the water to see if anything stuck.
“It worked beyond our wildest dreams,” Rosa says. “Within
just one week, we had a whole variety of species settled on the plates. Even the wood pulp, which surprised me, since they don’t generally like wood.”
The team tested the plates in the Thames River for six weeks and conducted a detailed analysis. That research, which indicates the new panels attract marine life as effectively or better than PVC panels, was published in the July 2024 issue of the Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology in an article coauthored by Rosa, McMahon, Grace Robinson ’24, Mitchell Lockwood ’23, Nicolette Scola ’24, Tristan Ene and Gerard D. Gadigian.
“By using biodegradable materials and customizable 3D printing, we can create artificial reefs that better mimic natural conditions and accelerate ecosystem recovery,” Rosa says.
Rosa is now deploying pilot studies at other locations, including the Long Island Sound, the British Virgin Islands and Oceanarios Marine Park in Colombia. If those experiments go as well, the inexpensive 3D printed biodegradable plates could support large-scale reef restoration projects and become the new standard for artificial aquatic habitats across the world.
Professor Maria Rosa, center, works with student researchers on the docks at the Kohn Waterfront to monitor the progress of 3D printed biodegradable plates serving as artificial aquatic habitats in the Thames River.
Bob MacDonnell
In 2023, Rosa secured another $177,000 in grants to add 80 more reef balls to Conn’s Thames River waterfront.
Sean D. Elliot
We have a restored waterfront and a great habitat for research, and it’s right here on our campus.
— PROFESSOR MARIA ROSA
We’re going to get really good long-term data inside this cove.
— PROFESSOR MARIA ROSA
ON THE BALL
Rosa’s earlier reef work took a different shape. Back in 2021, she led a team of students and volunteers in the construction of reef balls, hemispheric concrete artificial reefs that turned Conn’s riverfront into a sustainable aquatic habitat and living laboratory. Called Camels Reef, the pilot project initially protected 35 linear feet of shoreline.
In addition to serving as a habitat for local fish, crabs and other marine life, the reef balls help rebuild the shoreline by minimizing erosion, promoting plant growth and creating a barrier that protects Conn’s rowing and sailing docks.
The technology, pioneered by the founders of the nonprofit Reef Ball Foundation, is relatively simple. A marine-friendly, pH-balanced microsilica concrete is poured into a fiberglass mold outfitted with inflatable buoys and tetherballs to create a hollowed center and voids for water and marine life to pass through. Sand is used to create a natural floor, and sugar water is sprayed on the mold, buoys and balls to give the concrete a rough texture ideal for barnacles.
The process can be completed anywhere and, depending on the size of the mold, the resulting reef balls can vary from one to eight feet in diameter and weigh anywhere from 30 to 8,000 pounds. Once placed in the water, the reef balls mimic natural reefs in nearly every way.
To pilot the project at Conn, Rosa secured a $10,000 donation from country superstar Kenny Chesney’s No Shoes Reefs initiative and its partner, the Reef Ball Foundation, which has placed over a million reef balls in more than 80 countries since its founding in 1997.
Along with Jason Krumholz, the foundation’s scientific coordinator, Rosa and her team of students built approximately 30 reef balls and placed them in the river. Many of the students wrote their names in the concrete.
The reef balls serve as a living classroom and provide a site for snorkeling and diving and other independent investigations. In 2023, Rosa secured another $177,000 in grants to add 80 more reef balls to Conn’s Thames River waterfront and significantly expand the protected area to more than 1,200 square feet, with the balls built “breakwater style” about 200 feet parallel to the shore.
The grants included $86,311.94 from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Long Island Sound Futures Fund; $50,000 from the Louise H. and David S. Ingalls Foundation, facilitated by foundation president Barbara “Bobbie” Brown ’76; $21,000 from the Bennack-Polan Foundation, facilitated by foundation vice president Mary Lake Polan ’65 P’02 ’10; and $20,000 from 11th Hour Racing.
“It’s amazing to see how quickly the environment is transforming,” Rosa says. “We have a restored waterfront and a great habitat for research, and it’s right here on our campus.”
RESTORE AND RETURN
Rosa is hoping for similar results on Mamacoke Island. The generous funding she’s secured will support assessments and data gathering by her team, as well as the project’s design, permitting, construction, and ongoing maintenance, monitoring and conservation.
The Audubon CT In Lieu Fee (ILF) Grant Program awarded an initial installment of $590,249 out of $3.3 million earmarked for the project. Future installments will be disbursed as the project reaches various milestones. The ILF grant includes a $100,000 long-term management endowment to be managed by the Arboretum that will be established and funded at the beginning of the five-year regulatory monitoring and maintenance period. The second grant is for $1.5 million and will come from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation with support from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
“Right now, we’re focused on determining the status of the marsh and then making a plan to preserve what’s left of it,” Rosa says. “A lot of great data has been collected by previous professors over the past 30 or 40 years, but there are still a lot of gaps—and we were unable to get out there the last few years because it was so flooded.”
Rosa is determined to discover exactly what’s behind the erosion. It could be the loss of plants or animals, she says, or even the repeated pounding against the shoreline of waves made larger and stronger by floods and sea level rise due to climate change.
She first grew concerned in 2021 when she observed the flooding and documented a complete loss of marsh mussels due to what biologists call recruitment failure. Other experts she contacted suggested it was simply the end of the Metonic cycle, and therefore just an aberration. But in 2022 and 2023, the marsh flooded again. “At what point does a blip become the new normal?” she muses.
The grants, Rosa hopes, will allow her and her students to carefully rebuild.
“With conservation, we have an imperative to keep the site as close to natural as possible and natively source everything. We would build up the marsh sill, bring in the sediment and create an environment for the marsh to grow back,” she explains. “Once the habitat is restored, there is the possibility of a natural recruitment of mussels. They need that intertidal marsh to grow, and that’s all gone. The habitat must be restored before the biodiversity can return.”
Sean D. Elliot
ELECTRIC INGENUITY
Minh Tran ’18 has a plan to harness significantly more of the sun’s power.
By Melissa Ba B cock Johnson
Soonthorn Wongsaita/Shutterstock
Minh Tran ’18 has a sunny outlook on life, which makes sense when you consider that her life’s work is in the solar industry. But those rays of sunshine are laser-focused: Less than 4% of the electricity supply in the United States in 2024 came from solar energy, and Tran wants to increase that number with a technology she is developing that has the potential to significantly enhance solar panel performance.
Building upon the Ph.D. research she conducted at New York University’s Tandon School of Engineering, Tran and NYU classmate Conrad Caviezel cofounded the solar manufacturing startup Heliotrope Photonics in the summer of 2023, 140 years after the first solar panel was invented and installed on a rooftop right there in New York City.
Today, photovoltaic cells are mostly made from silicon, which absorbs light and converts it directly into electricity. The process is a dance of sorts—the sunlight’s photons excite (that’s a scientific term) the silicon’s electrons, which then flow into an electric current. Panels of these cells can process some ultraviolet light along with the visible light, but most of the UV rays bounce off. Tran has discovered a way to scale up and reproduce a coating for these solar panels that converts wasted UV light into usable near-infrared light.
“When I started my Ph.D. in 2018, the infrared coating had been around for a couple of years, but at that time people were focusing more on liquid solution synthesis, and that can be challenging to scale up,” Tran says. “We use a method called vapor deposition, which stays much more stable as it is scaled up.” The proprietary technology Heliotrope is developing would add just one extra step to the current silicon solar manufacturing process.
Silicon solar cell technology has been in development since 1954 and has matured about as far as it possibly can, according
to the U.S. Department of Energy. Any upgrade to a standard solar panel these days boosts its power by maybe 1%. But, apply Heliotrope’s coating, and that same solar panel’s performance jumps by 8% to 15%—equivalent to an entire decade of progress, Tran says. More efficiency decreases costs, which increases accessibility and could lead to a rapid increase in the adoption of solar energy.
While the 28-year-old native of Hanoi, Vietnam, considers it “a bit early” to say she’s a success, Tran was named to the 2025 Forbes 30 Under 30 list in the Manufacturing & Industry category. And last year, Activate Global awarded her one of the country’s most prestigious and competitive fellowships in green technology. Her recognition as an Activate Fellow earned Heliotrope Photonics more than $300,000 in grants.
Now, the sky is literally the limit. While Heliotrope’s technology is still in the research and development phase, Tran is on track to blow a scientific theory proposed in 1961 out of the water. Most commercial solar panels are made up of singlejunction silicon solar cells. Her goal is to increase the efficiency of these solar cells beyond the Shockley-Queisser limit of 33.7%.
‘ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN’
The sunny scientist and fledgling entrepreneur has long enjoyed exploring and challenging theoretical concepts. Tran arrived in the U.S. in 2014 to study chemistry at Connecticut College. Over the following four years, Professors Stanton Ching, Timo Ovaska and Jacob Stewart would help her refine her interests and determine her career path. For Tran, one class emerged as the clear winner: “Out of all the courses I’ve taken, including in grad school, quantum mechanics is still my favorite.”
In Conn’s chem labs and classrooms in Olin and Hale, students of quantum mechanics explore topics that include wave functions and operators, the Schrödinger equation, solutions of the wave equation in various potentials, angular momentum and spin, perturbation theory and the matrix formulation.
“At first, the material is kind of abstract and difficult to grasp,” Tran says. “But then the moment you get it, it’s very fun to play around with theory and application. The whole point of the class is that anything can happen, there are just different probabilities. That’s the philosophy I live by, too.”
Another course, organic chemistry, wasn’t a match. While Tran loved gaining lab experience and conducting different types of research, she also discovered she—quite literally—couldn’t stand the heat. “There was too much synthesis for me,” she admits. “But there’s really no bad experience, there’s just learning experience.”
She found that she liked chemical engineering and laser photonics, especially measuring light direction and absorption. “You synthesize a chemical, and then you characterize it, and then you analyze the data,” she says.
While studying inorganic chemistry, Tran learned minerals called perovskites can be used to harness solar energy. These crystalline materials are cheaper than silicon to obtain and process, require a much thinner active layer and are better at absorbing light. And now, she is using them as the basis for Heliotrope’s proprietary coating.
I like the solar industry—it’s green energy, it has a good mission and the research will have a meaningful impact on society.
—MINH TRAN ’18
PEROVSKITES TO PH.D.
That Tran’s undergrad inorganic chemistry lessons turned out to inform her Ph.D. research surprised her. She had learned about inorganic materials and their various characterization methods, but figured she’d never use them extensively.
But once at NYU, she shifted her focus from chemistry to chemical engineering. “I was interested in something more applicable,” she explains. “My background in chemistry made me very, very good with materials science.”
She found she had a lot in common with her Ph.D. adviser, Eray Aydil, the Alstadt Lord Mark Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and senior vice dean of New York University’s Tandon School of Engineering. With expertise in photovoltaic cells and coating techniques, Aydil has been contributing to the advancement of solar technology for more than two decades.
“When I first met with him, I said, ‘I like the solar industry— it’s green energy, it has a good mission and the research will have a meaningful impact on society. So, let’s do solar.’”
Her research at NYU centered on down-conversion perovskite thin films to improve silicon solar panels. She synthesized and optimized the materials’ properties using physical vapor deposition and characterized the materials with scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, absorption, photoluminescence and Raman spectroscopy—which is a fancy way of saying she figured out how to use perovskites to shift part of the sun’s light spectrum from light solar panels can’t use to light they can. Tran earned a Ph.D. in chemical and biomolecular engineering in 2023, and Aydil now serves as Heliotrope’s science adviser.
TURNING CRYSTALS INTO GOLD
It’s one thing to develop a way to make solar panels more efficient and cost-effective. It’s entirely another to turn your research into a product and a business. Tran spent most of her Ph.D. program’s final year exploring marketing opportunities, she says. Classmates and professors affirmed that her research
Top left: Minh Tran ’18 displays a few of the single-junction silicon solar cells that make up most modern commercial solar panels, and the glass pieces that top them. The glass will feature Heliotrope’s proprietary perovskite coating that converts wasted UV light into usable nearinfrared light, increasing the solar cells’ efficiency by 8% to 15%.
Right: Tran was named to the 2025 Forbes 30 Under 30 list in Manufacturing & Industry. And last year, Activate Global awarded her one of the country’s most prestigious and competitive fellowships in green technology.
had potential and pointed out that NYU offered a great program for would-be entrepreneurs. To someone who likes to try everything, it sounded like a lot of fun.
“I wanted to learn more about the business side,” Tran said. “I was in the lab for five years, and I wanted to grow other skill sets like business strategy and negotiation.” She entered NYU’s Entrepreneurs Challenge in 2023, and Heliotrope Photonics was born. Caviezel, her business partner and Heliotrope’s CEO, earned an Executive MBA from NYU Stern School of Business in 2024.
Initially, it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. “The first year was really rough. I had no clue what I was talking about most of the time. I had no idea what I was doing. I had no funding at all the first few months,” Tran recalls. “The learning curve was very high in the beginning, and then I met Conrad. I learned how to speak like him—like an MBA, like an engineer. I learned to talk business.”
Still not ready to leave NYU after earning her Ph.D. in 2023, she started a postdoc with Aydil to continue her research and built her startup on the side with Caviezel. They began applying for grants and funding. “We had a rough year, but the year after that was sweet because all the money started coming in. Now we can have fun with the technology.”
Tran expects the research and development phase to last another three to five years, at which point she hopes to have a fully developed coating that could be sold or licensed to solar manufacturers.
“I’ve kept the perspective that the startup is a fun learning experience, and our technology is meaningful. Maybe it results in a successful product or maybe it doesn’t, but either way, we are contributing a lot of new scientific knowledge to the world.”
A Beautiful Twist
As Conn celebrates the opening of its Disability Cultural Center, educator and activist John Sharon ’86 reflects on his own reckoning with disability identity.
BY JOHN SHARON ’86
Iwas not the first physically disabled student at Connecticut College. That distinction apparently goes to a student who was on campus in the late 1960s, right before or around the time the school went co-ed. I was told that she had cerebral palsy and used a walker to get around. I don’t know her name or if she graduated, but before I tell my story, I think it’s important to acknowledge that she is someone whose shoulders we all stand on—even today.
It was August of 1982 when I arrived with a car full of too much stuff on the steps of Windham dorm. My head was full of too much stuff, too; I was excited to be away from home for the first time and anxious to get this college chapter started. At the time, I didn’t think much about disability or accessibility or who I was other than just an eager 18-year-old who wanted to fit in. In fact, I didn’t think about my identity much at all back then, to say nothing of my identity as a disabled college student. That would come in the next few years, as much to my own surprise as anybody else’s. Let me explain.
In 1964, I was born with a rare condition called arthrogryposis multiplex congenita, which causes stiff and fixed joints. And I was also born into a family who did everything they could to make me feel “normal” (although I dislike that word), just like everyone else. From my earliest memories, I knew I was 100% the same as everybody else because that’s the way my family treated me. But I also knew from my earliest memories that I was 100% different from everyone, too. I remember being 4 years old and my mom carrying me across the parking lot after a doctor’s appointment and yelling at someone. She got in the car, slammed the door, and said something about staring.
So I have lived in this duality all my life—the worlds of same and different. And when I got to Conn that fall, I wanted badly, so badly, to be in the world of same that I did not think about the world of different and what that meant.
But something odd happened almost right away. I noticed that people started recognizing me, saying hello to me by name. Yes, of course deep down I knew it was because I walked like a drunk penguin, but I didn’t acknowledge it—not then. So that fall, on
a whim and because all these people seemed to know who I was, I decided to run for freshman class president. Mind you, I didn’t take it very seriously and did it as a bit of a joke. But the joke was on me, because I ended up winning that election, and suddenly I had to start acting, well, presidential. And suddenly I had to start thinking of policies and procedures and what we could do to make students’ lives better. But I still wasn’t thinking of myself as disabled, wasn’t thinking about accessibility.
That would come later, when one day after government class (on the fourth floor of Fanning Hall), I was walking down the stairs when a few friends stopped me and said, “Hey, what do you think about accessibility at Conn?” Accessibility at Conn? Was that even a thing? These friends had been taking an education class that term, and the topic of Conn’s accessibility (or lack thereof) had come up in the day’s discussion. These sweet friends were truly baffled by my reply: I had never really thought about it before. But over the next several months, I started to get curious, and the more I looked, the more I saw. And the more I saw, the more I realized that the campus was almost completely and thoroughly inaccessible for anyone who might use a wheelchair for transport, who might be deaf, who might be blind. And I started to get mad.
But I knew that anger wasn’t going to be the right approach, because that would just shut conversations down when just the opposite was what was needed. So I turned to activism. And I started asking lots of questions. Why wasn’t there an elevator going down to the squash courts in the new gym they were building? Why were there so few accessible parking spaces on campus? Why were there so many steps and no ramps? Now, this was before the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, so nothing—not new construction, not renovation—was required to be made accessible back then. And because of that, I also knew something else: If I wanted to change the campus in even the tiniest of ways, I couldn’t do it by myself.
So about a year later, a group of friends and I held the first Disability Awareness Week in Conn’s history. We put up posters, we showed movies, we held discussions and we had about 10
Disability is not just an integral part of the human condition; disability gives us an opportunity to connect with one another in deep, interdependent ways.
— JOHN SHARON
’86
Sean D. Elliot
students who volunteered to spend the entire week navigating the campus entirely by wheelchair. We got wheelchairs loaned for free from local pharmacies, and the rules for the students were strict but rather simple: During the school day, they could not get out of their wheelchairs to walk up stairs—even to a class on the fourth floor of Fanning. They had to be carried up those stairs by their friends. And yes, we deliberately chose students whose classes were in the far corners of inaccessibility on campus, because we knew the value and the power of seeing students needing to be carried up and down flights of stairs—it would hold up a mirror for the College that couldn’t be ignored. Finally, on the last day of the week, we had planned to have a big ole party. We’d have music and speeches and an amateur wheelchair race down the middle of Cro Boulevard. It was going to be like a “Disability Floralia,” only better, because this event had a broader purpose. And—this is crucial—we had notified local media about the day, and they had promised to send reporters out to cover it.
On the morning of the final day, I got a phone call from someone who worked in the Communications Office in Fanning, someone who was fully on board with what we were up to. She said one of the local radio stations had called her because someone from the College had called them that morning and told them not to come; that the planned event had been canceled. I told her to call them back to say the event had NOT been canceled and was proceeding as planned. So we held the day, the music played, the students spoke, the wheelchairs raced, and we all felt pretty good about what we had done, about the eyes we had opened, about the hearts that we had changed, even if just a little bit. This despite the fact that there was at least one person in the administration who did not want our plans to succeed.
to fully embrace the disabled part of my identity, and some days even now I don’t do it perfectly. That world of same continues to woo me. Because all of us want to fit in.
Even so, over many years of speaking in schools, houses of worship and other organizations, I’ve come to the realization that disability is a fundamental part of what it means to be human. Everywhere I go, everyone I talk to—from Uber drivers to teachers, from TSA agents to cafeteria workers—everyone seems to have a story about disability; everyone has a family member, a friend, a co-worker who is disabled in one way or another. And everyone seems to want to tell their story because of a shared connection and a shared experience of being human. Indeed, it’s the world of same with a beautiful intertwining twist.
Accessibility at Conn? Was that even a thing? ... I had never really thought about it before.
— JOHN SHARON ’86
There is a post-script to my Disability Awareness Week story. Several years after I graduated, I got an out-of-the-blue phone call from the administrator I had suspected of being behind that call to the radio station telling them our big day had been canceled. (He had told me more than once before the event that he was worried about lawsuits.) This time, on the phone, his voice was faint. He said he’d retired a few years ago, and he went on to explain that he’d recently had a heart attack, that he was using a wheelchair to get around. And he was calling to apologize, because now he fully understood what it was we were trying to do.
You see, friends, disability is not just an integral part of the human condition; disability gives us an opportunity to connect with one another in deep, interdependent ways. Disability is real and is beautiful and is a true gift.
As I reflect back on the birth of my activism, I am convinced that the College gave me the freedom to find my voice in no small measure because the school knew, deep down, that we were right—the College was not a place of belonging for all kinds of bodies. And later, after graduation, I started going into schools and other places to share my story and talk about accessibility and help others to see the barriers that society has erected. And despite the Americans with Disabilities Act, the work continues, because the need is greater than ever.
My time at Conn also gave me the opportunity to see my disability as a part of my core identity, thanks to people like Marji Lipshez, our dean of Residential Life, who was the first person to ask me to tell my story at the start of my junior year as a part of a freshman orientation program. And some alumni reached out to me, including Ellen Hofheimer Bettmann ’66 P’91 and Danielle Strickman ’66, among others, who wanted to assist with a committee on accessibility—led by then-Writing Center Director Theresa Ammirati—that helped me see and embrace myself as the disabled human that I was. To be clear, it took years for me
The Connecticut College Disability Cultural Center is a place that will give voice and agency and power and community and intersectionality and belonging to those who for too long have had to live on the outskirts of society. And it comes at a time in our nation’s history when some people’s identities and freedoms and senses of self are being threatened. Despite that (and maybe because of that), the Center offers an invitation to those on the margins to come to the very center of the page and live their lives and stories to the fullest. Because their stories are everyone’s story. Your story is my story is our story.
Salvadoran Archbishop Óscar Romero is credited with saying, “We are prophets of a future not our own.” And nothing could be more apt for the opening of the Disability Cultural Center. Forty years ago, we began a move toward making Connecticut College more accessible for future students, faculty, staff, parents and alumni, and this Center is doing the same work—both for members of the community today and for those of a thousand tomorrows.
This essay was adapted from John Sharon’s speech at the grand opening event for Connecticut College’s Disability Cultural Center in Smith House on April 1, 2025. Learn more ▶
Sean D. Elliot L-R: Nathan Vanech ’26, Declan Hunter ’26, Winona Hunter ’24 and Rocky Ackroyd ’83, owner of GreenSun, a Maine-based solar company, work to install the Dayton Arena Solar Array in April.
CC Magazine welcomes your Class Notes and submissions. Please contact your class correspondent, email notes to classnotes@conncoll.edu or submit Class Notes online at: conncoll.edu/news/cc-magazine
denotes a Reunion class year. The next Reunion is May 29-31, 2026.
Correspondent: Mona Gustafson Affinito, forgivenessoptions@earthlink.net, 723 Water Street, Apt. 1001, Excelsior, MN 55331, 612-760-5007 I hope you enjoyed my report in the last issue. I was happy to have so much news to share. This time, I had just about given up on receiving news from a class member when an email arrived from Jo Pelke Shepard. “Just wanted to let you know I am still alive, driving, but in absolute dismay over the direction this country is heading. If (as was suggested by a few friends) I don’t watch the news or read the paper, I might be less pessimistic and less fearful. In order to stay upright and mobile, I take a Pilates Reformer class twice a week and just hope my apparently good genes and risk-free lifestyle will enable me to continue my enjoyment of life for a while longer … I am sustained by my wonderful, attentive family, even though they live in different time zones; my few living friends; and my cat, Mabel. Great-grandparenthood is my latest status, with two little girls in Illinois, one baby girl in Brooklyn, and a two-year-old boy and his sibling (due in July) in Sacramento. Can’t get much better.” Mona Gustafson Affinito (that’s me) vibes with Jo’s opening sentence. I’ve decided to treat the news like caffeine and take in none of it after lunch hour in order to sleep at night. Besides that, I’m operating on about 1/16th of the energy I once had, but I’m still working at promoting the resident council here at the Waters of Excelsior, enjoying a for-fun poetry and writers’ group here, and helping to lead a writers’ group at the Shorewood Community Center. Still searching for an agent/publisher for A Healthy Woman Was a Crazy Person: A Psychologist’s Personal Journal and, by the way, happy to provide the manuscript to anyone who might want to read it. (It does mention CC.) I’m anticipating a trip up the Mississippi from New Orleans to St. Paul, Minn., via Viking Cruises in September. One hopes there will be enough water in the Mississippi so they can follow through on it this year. Harriet Bassett MacGregor and I enjoy an evening chat every day, comparing weather (it was a weird winter in both Maine and Minnesota), naps, food, activities and life’s et ceteras. Her news from our recent conversation is the potential arrival of her 14th great-grandchild. Finally, the following is an excerpt from correspondence with Rick Kaiser, husband of Ann Hotz Kaiser: “I am saddened to report that Ann, my wife of 37 wonderful years, passed away quietly at home on Dec. 13, just four days short of her 94th birthday. The world will never be the same without her acerbic wit, her ‘leadership and guidance’ attitude, her bold spir-
it of adventure, and her bountiful generosity. … I know you had mentioned that you would like to see everyone in the Class of ’51 make a small donation to the College in solidarity. Please know that I have donated $100 to Connecticut College’s foundation in Ann’s memory. I hope you are successful in getting the rest of the Class of ’51 to donate. Tell them that ‘Hotzie challenges the Class of ’51 to roll up their sleeves and get with the program to make a donation to our college and to the future of our students.’” Thanks, Rick. I don’t know what your career has been, but that’s a pretty neat sales job. That’s it for this month; I hope I’ll receive a slew of correspondence before the next deadline.
53Correspondent: Sue Weinberg Mindlin, sue@mindlin.com Joan Fluegelman Wexler P’79 writes that shortly after celebrating their 71st anniversary, her husband, Jerry, passed away. Jerry did a lot of commuting from Yale to spend time on our campus 71 years ago. After Flugy’s retirement as VP for enrollment at Wheelock College, she and Jerry moved to Sarasota, Fla., where they continued playing golf for many years. Flugy has seven grandchildren and seven great-grandkids! Annellen Fine Guth’s husband, Murray, also recently passed away, after 69 years of marriage. Annellen says that after a lifetime of smoking, Murray continued keeping an unlit cigar in his mouth for many years! Our condolences to both Flugy and Annellen. Carol Gerard McCann spent March and April in Jupiter, Fla., escaping from the awful winter many of us experienced. I, your correspondent, Sue Weinberg Mindlin, gratefully appreciate the news you send me. I bet most of us look for classmates’ news as soon as we open the alumni magazine. Keep the news coming! It just takes a minute or two to send me an email about your life, where you live, what keeps your mind active. Your classmates welcome the news. I have been in touch regularly with Flugy for almost 72 years, since our graduation, and often hear from Barbara Weil Grant and Jane Graham Pemberton P’81 ’87 GP’14
54Correspondents: Joanne Williams Hartley, jodihartley69@icloud.com,69 Chesterton Road, Wellesley, MA 02481, 617620-9385; Sally Ashkins Churchill, sachurchill@ comcast.net Hello, ladies: I wish I had phone numbers or email addresses for more of you. Please send me your contact info so I can check in and say hi! Many of us have moved, and the information I have is obsolete. I was in touch with Evelyn (Irene) Ball Barrack P’81 ’85 GP’18, and she is full of interesting news. Her grandson Wilkie has a new baby, James; Wilkie’s brother, John (a New York actor), is engaged to a lovely young performer; and their sister, Jenny, is having a baby. Another grandson is a pickleball champion at Notre Dame and being recruited by Middle Eastern teams. Irene is as cheerful as ever and clearly still very busy. Catherine Pappas McNamara remains in her assisted-living facility in Texas. Her daughter has been in Australia and was home in March. Cathy has friends in her facility and is doing well, but it was special to visit with her daughter; as you may remember, she lost both her husband and her son two years ago. Cathy keeps in
touch through Christmas cards with Leila Anderson Freund. Marcia (Mush) Bernstein Siegel is still in her home in Rockport, Mass. She moved there from New York years ago to be with a group of friends. She wrote for the Phoenix for some time, until the Boston paper closed. She is now focusing her writing on a memoir, and she stays active with a stretch program twice a week. She no longer sings, but we reminisced about when she conducted our class for the Class Song Competition; she reminded me that we came in last every year. (I bet she’s the only one who remembers that.) Elaine Goldstein Lechtreck has become a great-grandmother. Her daughter and son-in-law live in Charlotte, N.C., and had a boy, James, last summer. She remains in her home in Connecticut, and like all of us, lives with the trials that accompany old age. For example, she no longer drives and so walks a lot. Elaine remained friendly with Regina Tate, who lived in Connecticut until, sadly, she died last year. I spoke on the phone with Evelyn Connolly Meyers, my freshman roommate. Such fun to chat with her! She went to NYC after college and worked for Bloomingdale’s. They transferred her, and during that move she lost all her yearbooks, etc., from CC, making it hard to look up old friends. She then met and married Gil Meyers, who had two children, and then they had seven more! So she has been busy. She volunteers for her church, has 18 grandchildren, and in May expects her seventh great-grandchild. They are all doing well, and they are very much in touch. Ev is still in her home, doesn’t drive but has help as needed, and lives a full and happy life. Cynthia Linton Fleming and Bob are doing well. Bob is 97! They live in Phoenix. They don’t drive, and they also share some of the limitations that come with our advanced age. Cynthia really loved CC very much and sends warm regards to all. I am writing on Super Bowl Sunday, and she was off with her daughter to get munchies for the game, so life is good for one more of our cherished friends. Janet Rowe Dugan and I attended the same camp in New Hampshire at the age of 10, so she truly is a lifelong friend; we met again at CC. Later, after her marriage, she lived on the same street in Wellesley, Mass., where I have lived for 57 years. She now lives in a Florida condo on a golf course and summers in Wolfeboro, N.H., near where I stay with my daughter. When we were in touch Jan was in a rehab center after breaking her hip in a fall in her home. She hoped to go home soon to recuperate fully; meanwhile, she had found bridge partners and other friends to liven up the rehab experience. It is with great regret that I send news of the deaths of Barbara Blanchard and her husband, Dudley. Barb and Dudley died on Cape Cod within five weeks of each other, after a long and beautiful marriage. They had retired to a lovely family home in the woods on a lake on Cape Cod. My dear pal Kathryn Hull Easton hopes to come north next summer to join me in attending a celebration of their lives.
Correspondent: Elaine Diamond Berman, elainedberman@comcast.net, 100 Riverside Blvd., Apt. 20C, New York, NY 10069 Betty Weldon Schneider has lived in the same house on a lake in Minnesota for the past 28 years. She has two children and three grandchildren. Betty’s late husband was a lawyer. San-
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dy Weldon Johnson lives in Maine. She has been dealing with a broken leg for a long time. Jeanne Krause moved to New York after graduation and was a journalist for many years. She covered science and technology for Forbes magazine. From New York, Jeanne moved to Washington, D.C., where she worked for the National Institutes of Health. At the beginning of this year, Jeanne moved back to Granville, Ohio, where she grew up, and now lives in a wonderful senior residence run by Quakers. Jeanne’s twin, Jan, left CC after the first semester of sophomore year. Jan was married and had two sons. One of her sons helped Jeanne move into her new residence. Elaine Manasevit Friedman and Bob moved into Meadow Ridge, a senior residence in Redding, Conn. “Life here is pleasant, and Bob benefits greatly from his activities. There are many choices for me, and I have joined a book club, a lecture series on Great Decisions, an art lecture course about the art collection at the Hartford Atheneum, and a course on China. When we moved, I returned the Compet Plays loving cup, which our class retired, to the head of the theater department at CC. She was a delight to talk with and wanted to know all about the history of that activity, which I gladly shared with her (e.g., The Madwoman of Chaillot and Strike up the Band—memories!). It seems that Wig & Candle has replaced Compet Plays, but the theater tradition goes on. I received a delightful note from the board members of Wig & Candle. Our children are well and very involved in life and work. Our oldest granddaughter, Mara, teaches elementary school in Paris and is having a grand time. She graduated from Brandeis in May 2024 and decided that was
an opportunity not to be missed before starting a career in psychology. Madeline is a junior at Tulane and spent first semester in Copenhagen. William is a sophomore at American University, and Jack is a junior at the Collegiate School in Manhattan. Collectively, they are a barrel of monkeys and give us joy in so many ways.” Condolences to Mimi Prosswimmer Longyear and Russ, who lost their son, Andrew, in late October 2024. He had suffered from chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP), a neurological autoimmune disease, for many years. Their daughter, Marcie, lives in Frisco, Tex., about 45 minutes from Mimi and Russ’s home in Dallas. Marcie’s daughter, Emily, is in her second year of medical school in West Virginia, and the family planned a weeklong trip to Mexico to celebrate Mimi and Russ’s 90th birthdays. It is with sadness that we acknowledge the loss of Helene Zimmerman-Loew’s husband, Mark Schneider, who passed away in early February after a long bout with multiple sclerosis.
No Class Notes responses, so here is some class history from class historian Patricia Wertheim! “Freshman year: Pioneer-like, we mounted the hilltop. Uncertain gazed over the site. Horizon loomed hazy before us. We had climbed to a frightening height. President Parks told us we were all capable of meeting the college standards. ‘Matter of opinion.’ Freshman week meant the Coast Mixer; Class Picnic (on a boat)—but we devoured our sandwiches and missed the boat. Other mixers.
Nutrition and Hygiene requirement: learning that half a peanut would give us eight hours of energy for our studies. Compet singing: ‘in the midst of introspection.’ Sophomore year: Hilltop to valley we sojourned. Determined to conquer, not yield. Plains stretching open allure us. With assurance, we entered the field. From a year of experience and a summer of objectivity, we could now focus on the Mascot Hunt. We pranced two horses into ‘knightly daze’ into Knowlton hall. Our belief in miracles; Compet play production of Miracle at Blaise. Junior year: Distant high mountains ascended. Well equipped we strove toward the crest. The journey was now halfway over. Self-contained we equaled the test. We are now ‘upperclassmen.’ Mixed dorms: Larrabee made available more living spaces. A completion of the Alum Center: a swimming pool was there. Class of ’60 won the silver trophy in the Compet sing. Compet play Green Pastures. ‘It’s a matter of opinion’: Women have come a long way. Senior year: We climbed one slope to another. We learned through the glimmering light no one hill would lead to another lead to attainment. There were numberless summits to fight. Senior year brought blue name tags and black graduation robes. Our fourth and final Compet play, The Cave Dwellers. Comprehensive exams approached.” Thank you, Patricia!
Correspondents: Susan Peck Hinkel, rerob@mac.com, 1064 N. Main Street, Danby, VT 05739; Pat Antell Andrews, pandre0615@gmail.com, 2800 S. University Blvd., Unit 4, Denver, CO 80210 Harriet Pinsker Lasher was pleased and surprised to learn that one of her friends at her Cary, N.C., doggie playground,
Linda Conner Lapp ’66, is also a Connecticut College graduate. Lynn Allison Foster summarized her years since 1965: “Following graduation, I moved to Boston with my new husband and taught English for two years. When our two sons were both in preschool, I started coursework in Soviet studies at the Radcliffe Institute. Those classes inspired me to return to school, and four years later I earned an MBA in finance from Boston University. Those years were the hardest I have ever worked in my life—juggling young children and pursuing a degree. That led to work at a Boston bank and several investment firms. Following a second marriage and integrating two sets of families, I put my professional life on hold and began an active philanthropic life. I was board president for the Girl Scouts of New York, a trustee of the Girl Scouts of the USA, and on the executive and other committees of the World Wildlife Fund, the Population Council, the Philadelphia Orchestra, and the Franklin Institute.” Lynn served as a trustee at Connecticut College in 2002–2003 and, since moving to Florida, has been active in the Palm Beach Civic Association. Other activities include sailing on Fishers Island (off the coast of New London), wing shooting, and big-game hunting in Africa. Carole Lebert Taylor reminisced: “On Dec. 14, 1962, Fred Taylor (Wesleyan ’63), sneaked past the Pinkerton guards onto Conn’s campus looking for a date. He met me and agreed to accompany me to our girls’ water ballet show. Then he convinced me to walk across to the Coast Guard Academy to see a Wesleyan–Coast Guard basketball game. That Christmas vacation, he went home and told his mom that he had just met the girl he was going to marry. We have been married 58 years and have three married children and 10 grandchildren. I still keep in touch yearly with my freshman friends from the third floor of Blackstone: Patti Olson, Lenox McClendon Reed and Betsey Norris.” After spending most of their lives as New Englanders, Judie Abbott Raffety and her husband, Don, have moved permanently to Arizona to take advantage of the health benefits of the Grand Canyon state. Peggy Huddleston has moved back to New England (Orono, Maine, specifically) to complete her Ph.D. in mind-body medicine from Saybrook University. Her specialty is what individuals can do emotionally and spiritually to speed up their physical healing. Sue Dill Nixon sent the sad news that her husband, Bill, died on New Year’s Eve. The outdoors and environment continue to be Sue’s main activities, and her Scarborough, Maine, community has named a walking trail for her. Two of Sue’s granddaughters continue the Connecticut College tradition. June Adler Vail gets together with Pam Gwynn Herrup and Emmie Erda Devine in Maine when they come through. One of June’s sons and her grandson live close by, while the other and his family still live in the Czech Republic, so weekly Skype chats supplement the annual in-person visits. June’s husband, David, continues his swimming career. She is active in the local history center and is now busy researching and writing a Maine family chronicle. “Don’t know what it may turn out to be,” she admits. Mary Lake Polan (MD, Ph.D., MPH) has moved back to the East Coast after 16 years in California as chair of the OB-GYN department at Stanford. Her husband, Frank Ben-
nack, is based in NYC, and her three children live nearby. Mary sees patients in a Yale clinic in Westport, Conn., one day a week and spends weekends in New Canaan. Her two sons and a niece attended Conn, as does her brother’s granddaughter. “All have benefited from the individual attention the school provides each student. I am very happy to have maintained a close connection with Conn throughout the years.” Barbara Barker-Papernik praises Monica Blum, “who has had a sterling career as the head of the Lincoln Center Business Improvement Center. She has the area spiffy, knows all the politicians, and founded and coordinates a lovely festival in December, where stores, museums, and restaurants offer venues for free performances of all kinds: classical and jazz musicians, artists, dancers, circus, etc. Pete Seeger’s family has performed several times at the Lincoln Center tree lighting.”
66Correspondents: Carol Chaykin and Bridget Donahue Healy; ccnotes66@ gmail.com Elizabeth (Betsy) Robertson Whitters proudly attended the graduation of her great-niece, Banti Jaswal ’24, from Conn College in May 2024. In December, Carol Chaykin attended a college-sponsored tour of “Solid Gold” at the Brooklyn Museum, led by Senior Curator Nancy Rosoff ’82, followed by a reception hosted by Betty Fleugelman Kahn ’68 P’92. Carol also attended the College’s holiday party at the City Winery in Manhattan, where she connected with a handful of alums from the ’60s and many later grads. “Ladies who lunch” in Naples, Fla.: Susan Kirshnit Woodall P’94, Marian Silber and Ruth Zaleske Leibert P’92 had a lovely lunch in January with Nancy Schoepher Sanders ’63, Jane Levy Yusen ’63 and Carol Blake Boyd ’72. Marian and Ruth also attended the Naples Presidential Lunch in February, when President Chapdelaine was introduced to Connecticut College alumni, parents and friends in the Naples region. Terry MacNab Rixse, Bridget Donahue Healy, Deborah Nichols Losse, Jan Davison Peake, Lee Johnson Stockwell, Jane Brown LaPrino, Kate Curtis Donahue, Jill McKelvie ’67, Susan Mabrey Gaud ’68 and until recently, Caroline Davis Murray, have participated in weekly Zoom calls together since the inception of the pandemic. Discussions range from books and films to family and politics and back again. We are so glad to have the CC connection. Please continue sending your news and photos. We want to share it with our class!
Correspondents: Deborah Greenstein, debbyg837@verizon.net; Marcia Hunter Matthews, marciamatthews3@gmail. com Wally Lindburg Nicita writes, “We are looking at the brave new world of climate change— howling 100-mile-an-hour winds and tornadoes of fire destroying parts of Los Angeles and devastating hurricanes cutting a swath across the South. The good news is that things change. That I’ve learned. It can’t come fast enough for me. That’s how I feel.” Audrey Stein Higbee is loving life every minute on North Shore, Oahu, and in Long Beach, Calif. Here are her reflections on turning 80.
Maybe 80 is the new 60
Or the new infancy
If your diapers need changing.
Maybe 80 is like 50
When you thought life’s possibilities
As you’d imagined them
Were now impossible:
No children
No spouse
No renown for creations.
Or maybe 80 isn’t the new anything
But the same old everything
That you have always thought, imagined, believed. The same old every way you have always changed
Into what you want to be.
Lynn Weichsel Hand moved with her daughter Emily to Topsham, Maine. Lynn’s granddaughter, Mia, is attending college in Boston. Susie Terrell Saunders writes, “Eighty sounds so old, so best not to even mention it. I will stay with 70-something. In the fall, I won my club’s pickleball women’s doubles 70-and-under. My partner was just 70, and the draw was small. I will be in Japan for almost a month in March 2025.” Ruth Berkholtz Ciriacks says that “80 is a perfect time” to look
Lunch in January in Naples, Fla.: (seated, L-R): Ruth Zaleske Leibert ’66, Nancy Schoepher Sanders ’63, Jane Levy Yusen ’63; (standing, L-R): Marian Silber ’66, Carol Blake Boyd ’72, Susan Kirshnit Woodall ’66
Ruth Zaleske Leibert ’66 and Marian Silber ’66 met President Chapdelaine for lunch in Naples, Fla., in February.
Elizabeth (Betsy) Robertson Whitters ’66 with great-niece Banti Jaswal ’24 at Conn’s graduation ceremony in May 2024
Debby Greenstein ’67 and Debby Johnston Magowan ’67 reunited in Florida.
back at the events, people and yes, even pets that helped define our personalities and goals in life. We ’67ers were the second-to-last class to enjoy a full four years at a college often referred to as “the Eighth Sister” of women’s colleges on the New England coast. In 1969, the coed cloak was thrown over the campus, changing it forever in many significant ways. “My four years at the Eighth Sister helped me maneuver and succeed on many challenging paths over the last 58 years. God willing, Bill and I will celebrate our 56th wedding anniversary in June. We’ll be joined by our daughter and two sons, with their spouses, plus six grandchildren with two spouses. One final note that won’t come as a surprise to the other women
from the first grade and from Conn. “We talked about classes with Ruby Morris, which produced lots of laughter. As I write, I am looking forward to my annual Florida reunion with those first-grade friends.” Tama Mokotoff Bernstein writes, “It is ASTONISHING to think we are 80! I feel about 38 in my head and maybe 55 in my body. I have snow-white hair and lots of wrinkles and probably look 80. I try not to look in too many well-lit mirrors. I am marching happily and luckily into this new decade. I think it will be a time of freedom. Not too many schedules! Certain expected social mores are done! Dress is casual. I am thinking anything goes! It looks like fun. Laissez les bon temps rouler! My husband, Michael, is my favor-
I am marching happily and luckily into this new decade.
— TAMA MOKOTOFF BERNSTEIN ’67
living in Harkness in 1967: Bill and I have rescued 23 canines and wound up raising most of them.” Patti Wyatt Ali feels lucky and delighted to be turning 80. She lives in the same building with her daughter and family, including three grandchildren, whom she sees every day. “The big news is that my daughter was in a documentary about children with dyslexia. She was part of a team of mothers who established the first public school for children with dyslexia, in 2024. Twenty percent of children are dyslexic and cannot learn except through teaching phonics, which NYC public schools stopped teaching in the 1970s. I would love for Connecticut College to show the film. It is touring nationwide, with the first showing in a theater in NYC.” Jane Gullong writes, “Turning 80 makes me want to be in Paris. As one of my favorite New Yorker cartoons says, ‘I am a different person in France.’ So, I have booked May 12–30 at the old favorite, Hotel l’Universite. Would love to share a glass of wine there with any aging classmates. Can be reached at jane.gullong@gmail. com.” Elayne Zweifler Gardstein and husband Hank went to their favorite inn in the Berkshires to celebrate New Year’s and her birthday. Per Elaine, “Yes, I’m a New Year’s baby, among the very first of the baby boomers. So technically I won’t mark the big birthday until next Jan. 1, but I can send all good wishes to classmates celebrating it this year.” Debby Greenstein says 80 is the new reminder to look back on where we have been, consider our great fortune for being here now and look ahead to what we still want to do. A recent reunion with Debby Johnston Magowan in Florida, where they both are snowbirds, reminded her how lucky she is to still have friends
ite golf and everything partner. We share joy in the outdoors; all kinds of sports, literature, music, general fun; and a large family of daughters and granddaughters. Every day is a gift. In the spirit of Thornton Wilder’s Our Town, we try to cherish each day in this new adventure. I am feeling wise. Those days on our beautiful New London campus and the wonderful ‘coming of age’ we all shared are permanently etched in my heart. Here we go! I’ll be 80 in May!” Pam Batson Healy says, “Hey, I am 80 and just had the grandkids for school vacation! I turned 80 with family and Indian food. Health concerns are not quite routine, exercising intermittently and energy less dependable. I work, tutoring kids 6–18 and a few much-older students writing dissertations. I knit through my stash, drink good tea, read (checking off ‘1,000 books to read before you die’), write (just published in my town’s senior literary magazine), play Wordle and dance joyously with my three-year-old granddaughter with Down syndrome. In the last year, I have worked with families from 19 countries—no need to travel. I laugh with grandkids and the kittens my husband surprised me with. I mourn too many friends. Life is not diminished: There is a patina that enhances. Tales of a 104-year-old great-great-grandmother from northern Maine inspire me. Eighty is the age of sometimes-cautious involvement but surprising opportunity.” Marcia Hunter Matthews fell off her bike in her driveway after her usual morning bike ride with Bill on Feb. 6. She was taken by ambulance to the hospital and had a reverse right-shoulder replacement. She is confined to a sling and rented recliner but surrounded by amazing friends who are helping with meals and rides
to appointments. “Our family has been with us to help. Feeling very grateful.”
Correspondent: Susan Cannon, susecannon@icloud.com Prudence Wilson Barton writes that her Conn College connections are a kind of glue in her life! She gets together with Mary Kroul McAlpine and Julie Boone Kessler several times a year, and she plans to get together with freshman-year roommates Ellen McCulloch Lovell and Jane Lyman Bihldorff in western Massachusetts in early June. When she and Bob visit sister-in-law Sharon Wilson ’65 in Vero Beach, Fla., they expect to also see Mary in Deerfield Beach. Prudence’s one-year checkup with the spine surgeon shows that all parts and pieces of the eight-vertebrae fusion are holding together, and she has no restrictions going forward (except those of an about-to-be-77-yearold!). Zoi Aponte Diamond and her husband sold their North Palm Beach, Fla., condo and are now permanent year-round residents of Portsmouth, NH; although they did visit Florida to escape the very snowy and cold winter! In Portsmouth they live downtown, which they love, as they can walk to restaurants, shops, the theater and the water. They are very active attendees and supporters of a local historic theater, The Music Hall, which once had Mark Twain on its stage! Portsmouth was their home since 2003, then they left it for Florida and are now very happy to be back. Ann Barber Smith lives in nearby Exeter, so they can get together. Zoi invites classmates to email her if they plan to be in the area or to pass by on the way to Maine. Mary Garlick St. George is hosting a group show of six artists in her studio at Casa do Celeiro Art Studio in Portugal. If anyone is in Portugal, she would love for you to stop by. She continues running holiday rentals in part of their house, and guests are welcome to join in the art workshops. Mary writes that she is in mourning for the U.S. Linda McCoy Burnett’s husband, Dave, reported that Linda enjoyed watching our latest Zoom call recording. Watch your email for future Zoom calls, and send us suggestions for topics you would like to discuss. The class wishes to convey their deepest sympathy to the family of Harriet Tatman Gaynor. An obituary was published in The Day of New London. I, Susan Cannon, enjoy all the Class of ’69 Zoom calls and receiving news from you.
Correspondent: Myrna Chandler Goldstein, myrnacgoldstein@gmail.com Karen Nielsen Bevan is on the board of directors of a new classical music nonprofit organization in Newport, RI, called Puddingstone Events, that combines both performing and visual arts in salon-like settings or architecturally significant venues. Some of the events have taken place in the music room of Karen’s home in Newport, and she is working on developing more original programs that feature classically trained singers for future events. Karen and her husband, Stuart, celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary on Jan. 26. Fellow Camels Dagny Hultgreen Griswold ’69 and Sally Appenzellar were in the bridal party. They still stay in touch! In September 2024, Karen Blickwede Knowlton and her husband, Kim, took their second European cruise, this time to the British Isles. “Part of the purpose of the trip was
Elayne Zweifler Gardstein ’67 P’92 and husband Hank went to their favorite inn in the Berkshires.
Ruth Berkholtz Ciriacks ’67 and husband Bill will celebrate their 56th wedding anniversary in June.
Marcia Hunter Matthews ’67 is grateful to have her husband, Bill, and her daughter-in-law, son and two grandchildren help her through her shoulder-replacement surgery.
to see some more countries where our ancestors came from, and we really enjoyed our brief excursions into Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland, as well as visits to various parts of England, Ireland and Norway, where the cruise started. A particular highlight was visiting the church in Uxbridge, England, where one of Kim’s ancestors was christened around 1600.” During 2024, they also visited Indiana for an early Thanksgiving with family, and Salt Lake City, where Kim’s sister and family live, and they enjoyed several short camping trips. At home, Karen keeps busy with church work, trip planning, book club and “everyday stuff.” And they enjoy their chosen retirement home in southeast Idaho, close to mountains, family and Karen’s favorite national park. Writing from Washington, D.C., Lucy Thomson continues to serve as co-chair of the American Bar Association Task Force on Law and Artificial Intelligence (AI). As part of that role, she issued an informative report on the impact of AI on the practice of law (ambar.org/aiLaw) and edited an ABA best-selling book on AI for lawyers and business executives. In addition, Lucy attended the DEF CON Hacking Conference in Las Vegas. And, because of her love of sailboat racing, Lucy enjoys working as a judge on the protest committee of the Annapolis Yacht Club. MaryJane Atwater and her husband, Walt Diercks, enjoyed a fascinating journey to Egypt and Jordan. “We marveled at the ancient pyramids, temples and tombs. Petra exceeded expectations. Crowds everywhere were down as tourism has declined dramatically, but the people we met were friendly and welcoming. I continue to volunteer with our local aging-in-community Village and have worked to advocate for the establishment of more Villages in Virginia. I can’t wait to see everyone at our 55th reunion.” As for Myrna Chandler Goldstein and Mark: “Our two new books seem to be doing well on Amazon. I am the first author of Treatments for Anxiety: Fact versus Fiction, and Mark is the second author of How Technology, Social Media, and Current Events Profoundly Affect Adolescents. Both books are also available in many libraries throughout the country.”
Correspondents: Lisa McDonnell, mcdonnell@denison.edu, 134 W. Maple Street, Granville, OH 43023; Lois Olcott Price, loprice@yahoo.com, 933A Alto Street, Santa Fe, NM 87501 Susan Schmidt is still busy writing, editing and enjoying water sports and the beach in Beaufort, NC, and had plans to visit her
godchildren in the Virginia and North Carolina mountains. After traveling around the country in their camper van for six years, Susan Scott Kelley and her husband, Rick, decided to sell the van and do more international traveling. They had a “fabulous” three-week trip to Italy and are looking forward to Scotland in September. Susan is still taking piano lessons (“a humbling experience!”) and is also learning Italian. She loved seeing old and new friends at the regional class get-together in Providence, RI. Cynthia Parker took the plunge in May and radically changed lifestyles, living on the ground with a yard for the first time since 1978, in a continuing-care retirement village. The advice she followed was to move to your final abode while you are still yourself and others can get to know you before you begin to decline. She says “there must be something in the water,” since many residents are on the far side of 95, including a CC alum who graduated the year Cynthia was born and more than a few over 100. Newsweek ranked their community No. 1 in Massachusetts and No. 19 nationwide. Christine Howells Reed is an emeritus professor in the School of Public Administration at the University of Nebraska Omaha (UNO). She remains active as an adjunct professor, teaching courses and publishing her research on the public management of wild horses. She is also a research fellow in the animal ethics think tank PAN Works, as well as a member of the Equine History Collective, both wonderful opportunities to engage with global scholars who share her passion for horses. Her husband, BJ, retired from UNO but also remains active, serving on local and national boards and committees for the Latino and arts communities. Christine has two grown children and one grandson. Lucy Van Voorhees had a productive garden last summer. She planted red kuri squash for the first time, and the squash were ENORMOUS! Since retiring from cardiology, she has not traveled much but enjoys life on the farm. In response to the query about books people would recommend, Phyllis Securo Thibault raved about Southern Man by Greg Iles, the best book she read all summer. She warns that one’s opinion will depend on one’s politics, but Iles’ discussion of key issues is so good that it is worth the time to read 900+ pages. Anne Sigmond Curtis recommends After: A Doctor Explores What Near-Death Experiences Reveal about Life and Beyond by Bruce Greyson, MD. She says it is a bit on the scientific side, but it is fascinating to read all the stories people told. Susan Schmidt suggests three books on environmental topics: Wanderer of My Native Shore by George Reiger; Move Like Water: My Story of the Sea, a memoir by Hannah Stowe; and Rachel Carson: Witness for Nature, about the life of the author of Silent Spring, by Linda Lear. Lisa McDonnell, who has been reading up a storm since retirement, recommends Horse by Pulitzer Prize–winner Geraldine Brooks, a riveting page-turner about race and a famous racehorse; The Women by Kristin Hannah, about the experiences of Army nurses in Vietnam and the treatment of returning veterans; The Underground Railroad and The Nickel Boys, the latter based on a true story about life in a notorious reform school, both by Pulitzer Prize–winner Colson Whitehead; and Short Girls by Bich Minh Nguyen, about second-generation Vietnamese American sisters struggling to establish their identities. For myster-
ies, Lisa recommends all the books by Ruth Ware, especially The It Girl; Everything I Never Told You, Little Fires Everywhere, and Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng; and Searching for Sylvie Lee and The Leftover Woman by Jean Kwok. 72
Correspondents: Barbara White Morse, barbarawmorse@gmail.com; Ann Tousignant, anntousignant@gmail.com Laurie Stewart Otten stepped down from her soloist/ section leader responsibilities at church last September, after 21 years as a soloist. She continues to sing with the church choir, the Tanglewood Festival Chorus, the chorus of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Boston Holiday Pops. “The thrill never gets old.” Husband David has not retired yet but finds time to do several bicycle climbs each season. Laurie had a wonderful trip to Ireland last May, traveling with her two sisters. With the help of a local gentleman, they found their great-great-grandfather’s home. “The people were friendly, the fields were SO green and the Guinness stout was delicious!” Nancy-Jean McNamara still works as a Pilates instructor and teacher trainer in NYC. She was very excited about her plans to travel to the Canary Islands to visit two dear friends at the end of April. Denise Sullivan left Silicon Valley after 47 years and is now in East Lyme, Conn., close to most of her family. She has been to the Arboretum a few times and is contemplating getting a pizza at Mr. G’s for a hit of nostalgia. Kristin Alexander Eschauzier’s twin sons will be 50 this year! Hard to grasp, but she will be 75. Son Chase’s kids are all in college, and son Ryan’s two kids are in 10th and fifth grades. Deborah Garber King is winding down a 50-year career in education this year. She and her husband, Phil, enjoy theater in Boston and Cambridge, as well as the Boston Symphony Orchestra. They enjoy traveling in Europe, tent camping in New England, and visiting family and friends throughout the U.S. They keep in touch with Judith Eldredge, Candace Thorson, Bill Piper ’74, and Deirdre Russell’s widow, Jean. Deborah and Phil still live in Pembroke, Mass., with their two feline “children.” Connie Shaffer Synakowski and husband Dan took a wonderful cruise that started in Athens, went on to three Greek islands, and then sailed down the Croatian coast, stopping in Dubrovnik, Kotor, etc. Their trip ended with several very hot but fantastic days in Venice. They also spent a great week in the Outer Banks with their children and grandchildren, squeezing the trip in between the two hurricanes that came up the East Coast. They split their time between their home in western New York and their place in St. Simons, Ga. Their children and three granddaughters live in
Karen Nielsen Bevan ’70 and her husband, Stuart, celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary on Jan. 26. Fellow Camels Dagny Hultgreen Griswold ’69 (back row, far left) and Sally Appenzellar ’70 (back row, fourth from left) were in the bridal party. They still stay in touch!
Hester Kinnicutt Jacobs ’73 and her family in Tahiti
Rochester, and her most exciting news is that they are expecting a fourth granddaughter in August. “Life is good. (Unless you watch the news.)” Barbara McLean Ward and her husband of 52 years, Gerald W.R. Ward, were delighted to celebrate the marriage of younger son Max to Kendall Berton on Oct. 4, 2024. They are especially delighted that Max and his wife, and older son Geoff with wife Heather and their three children, all live within a 20-minute drive of their house! Barbara and Gerald are still working but have enough time to enjoy life, stay involved with Democratic politics and the issues that are important to them, and be part of their grandchildren’s activities. They feel especially lucky. Barbara Camp Linville writes, “It is hard not to be completely despondent as we witness so many of the hard-won triumphs of the ’60s being tossed to the wind as if they were insignificant. I hope that, old as we are, we can still have the vigor and determination to fight again to regain our rights. Stay strong.” She was sorry to miss the 50th reunion, but her husband was declining and passed away in May 2024. Barbara divides her time between Naples, Fla., and Lake Bluff/Lake Forest, Ill. Her elder daughter is on the faculty of University of California, San Francisco as associate dean of nursing practitioners. She and her husband have two boys, live in Oakland, Calif., and love to sail their boat. Barbara’s younger daughter is tenured with the Naples Philharmonic Orchestra in Florida and is assistant principal clarinet. Margo Reynolds Steiner had quite a calamitous adventure this past November. Three days before leaving for a threeweek trip to Salzburg, Austria, she sprained her toe on her rabbit’s pet gate and went shoulder-first into her refrigerator. She departed nonetheless,
and then halfway through the trip, she tripped over a dog’s leash in the dark and acquired a massive bump and two eyes that quickly turned black-and-blue. Returning home, she discovered she had a broken shoulder and a concussion. The shoulder-replacement surgery took place in March. Despite all this, she looks forward to a return trip to Marrakech, Morocco, in October. Sherryl Goodman officially retired at the end of August 2024 after 47 years on the faculty in the Department of Psychology at Emory University. She is still working with a few students, completing some research projects and collaborations, and is on two boards, which keeps her busy enough and connected to the work she loves. Retirement activities include a fitness routine, dabbling in painting, more time to read fiction, and splitting time between Atlanta and the South Shore of Massachusetts. Time with her three granddaughters is a treasure. Sherryl stays in touch with Wendy Chintz Weiss, and she had the pleasure of meeting CC’s President Chapdelaine at an
alumni event in Boston in November, where she also reconnected with Merrily Gerrish. Merrily found the College’s new president to have “a lovely demeanor, making a real effort to engage with everyone.” Merrily, Barbara Ashton Carey P’01 and Kathryn Bacastow got together in Boston for dinner and a concert over Christmas. Peg Muschell Jackson and husband Paul were honored for their 55-year support of the Honolulu Zoo. Peg also became the board chair of Responsive Caregivers of Hawaii. This nonprofit offers training and services for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Paul accepted an engineering position in the office of the chief engineer of the city/county of Honolulu. He’s pleased to note that he has “flunked retirement” four times now! Suzanne “Suzy” Soldo Bock finds retirement as busy as when she was working. She has chosen two activities that are rewarding but require time and attention, much like a job. As a museum docent, she attends weekly training sessions, studies much like she did in college and pulls out her theatrical self when giving tours. Her
Vickie Hatcher ’72 promoting her newest passion—the boy band BTS—in Philadelphia
Ann Tousignant ’72 and husband David Glute ’73 aboard a cruise ship exploring French Polynesia, Tahiti and Bora Bora in February
Peg Muschell Jackson ’72 in Honolulu with Mayor Rick Blangiardi and Dita Holifeld at the 2024 Zoo Gala
work at a no-kill shelter involves an enrichment program for the shelter pets, as well as participation in the camp programs and birthday parties provided by the shelter for children in the community. She is also busy with her three grandchildren. She spoke with Karen Du Brul and Thomas Cheetham ’74 P’13 and was happy to know how well they are managing the “golden years.” Suzy has found that “the daily aches and pains are sublimated by our continued interests and involvement in activities that make life worth living.” In February, Ann Tousignant and her husband, David Gute ’73, spent a week in French Polynesia, Tahiti and Bora Bora on a cruise for various U.S. universities. David, representing Tufts University, was one of four professors who delivered lectures to alumni and other travelers. “It was a fabulous trip!” Although the 2024 Olympic surfing competition was held in Tahiti, they decided to pass on that activity. Vickie Hatcher retired and relocated to Philadelphia in 2020 after 30 years at New York Presbyterian Hospital’s psychiatric division in White Plains, N.Y. She finds the history, museums, performing arts, libraries and university offerings in Philly dizzying. For her, the most unexpected surprise of life at 75 is her unbridled passion for BTS, the K-pop boy band sensation, and their 80 million–strong global fandom, known as ARMY (for “Adorable Representative M.C. for Youth”). For those in the know, her “bias” is Kim Taehyung, aka V. Through her classes on the idols, Vickie has become known as Mt. Airy’s BTS expert. Barbara White Morse P’03 reports that the highlight of the year was the marriage of her youngest son, Ben, to Susan Weidner in Kennebunkport, Maine, on Oct. 5, 2024. “It was a spectacular fall weekend with tons of fun events, a reception overlooking the harbor and setting sun, and a band that literally had everyone on the dance floor having a ball.” Barb and Ted plan to retire to Maine in 2027 and look forward to being near Ben and Susan and the Morse family summer home. Barb continues to spend most of her time helping four Afghan families. She finds it to be the most gratifying work she’s ever done and has learned that “good values and a kind heart are what matter most and bind us to each other, regardless of race or background.”
Correspondent: Hester Kinnicutt Jacobs, djacobs@midrivers.com Joelle Desloovere Schon P’03 writes: “I am still back and forth between Nairobi, Kenya, and Westport, Conn. I was home for the holidays, Thanksgiving through New Year’s, and spent a lot of time with
our daughter and her family. I miss them so much when we are in Kenya. We are hoping to find a buyer for the channel so we can come back home for good. And retire!” From Bonnie Clark Kalter: “Here’s my news. Short but hopefully sweet! My husband, Craig Kalter, and I welcomed our first grandchild, Ari Joaquin Kalter, on Aug. 23, 2023. We now try to spend more time in New York as grandparents. At the same time, we continue to fit in as much travel as possible. Last summer (2024), we toured southern Italy, Sicily and Malta. These are ideal locations if you are looking for travel that is less crowded than the major tourist destinations.”
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Correspondent: Barbara Herbst Tatum, barbara.tatum52@gmail.com Ann Carol Knox enjoyed lunch with J. Brandon Wilson-Evitt at the historic Rosebud Diner in Somerville, Mass., to catch up on 51 years of news in a few delightful hours! For John Stiner, life in Washington, D.C., is good, despite all the political craziness. He and his wife still work in marketing and design, and they started painting abstract art about eight years ago. They have had some art shows and enjoy playing with paint! John and his wife have traveled quite a bit, including
assisted him in his research. In 2023, Christine Dunkel Schetter retired from the UCLA faculty in psychology after 40 years and now lives in Ann Arbor, Mich., where one of her two sons lives with his wife. Chris grew up in Michigan, so she has happily returned to her origins! She has an honorary affiliation at the University of Michigan and enjoys the adventures of her new life. Sherry Alpert and her husband, Jay Foley, enjoyed a lovely visit last August with Warren Erickson at his home in Rockport, Maine, where they were impressed with his memorabilia. They also visited Warren at his antique store in Camden. In October, Sherry and Jay took an amazing tour of Vietnam. They spent the winter in Vero Beach, Fla. A short trip to New England brought Charlie Morrison and his wife, Ann, to visit friends and family for lots of enjoyable crosscountry skiing. Ellen Feldman Thorp and her husband continue to split their year between St. George, Utah (sunny and warmer winters), and Big Horn, Wyo. While in Utah, Ellen pursues her pickleball tournament dreams and “sometimes even wins!” While in Wyoming most of the year, Ellen has a wild rag business she enjoys. It enables her to spend one day a week at Eaton’s Ranch, the
Whereas I used to be out to save the world, I am now in what I call the ‘recreational’ portion of my life.
— ELLEN FELDMAN THORP ’74
recent trips to Scandinavia and Croatia. Their full life includes volunteer work supporting a local nonprofit that helps older adults “age in place.” They have one grandson, and their younger son was married in May. After a career in health care as a consultant, cofounder and co–patent holder of a clinical-decision support-system company, Charles Blanksteen retired and is now an author. During COVID, Charlie wrote the first novel of a trilogy, The Ripper Dilemma, which was published in 2023. His second book, The Seamstress and the Colonel, was published in April. The trilogy is set in London and Paris during 1888 and 1889. It links the Jack the Ripper murders with the little-known—but at the time internationally scandalous—event known as the Cleveland Street Scandal. The Scandal caught members of the highest levels of London society at an illegal male brothel, trafficking in underage telegram boys. Charlie is an invested member of the Baker Street Irregulars, an international Sherlock Holmes literary society. Many members have
oldest dude ranch in the country, and also offers various opportunities to participate in events in the community. “Whereas I used to be out to save the world, I am now in what I call the ‘recreational’ portion of my life.” Ellen and Edd both have various health issues but don’t dwell on them. She reports that attitude enables them to move forward, enjoy life and find contentment at home. Paula Marcus-Platz P’11 feels fortunate to live a full and rewarding life in Maine. She and her husband still work—Paula part-time as a psychotherapist and her husband full-time as an architect/ developer/business owner. Their son lives locally with his wife and daughter, their daughter and her partner live nearby with their newborn son, and their oldest son lives in St. Louis, Mo., with his wife and their three children. In addition to her work, Paula spends time assisting the immigrant community, helping them with resettlement and adjustment to living in a new country. She is also on the boards of a few local nonprofit organizations, including one for at-risk youth
Joelle Desloovere Schon ’73 P’03 spent Christmastime with her daughter, Chloe Schon Geary ’03 (who met husband Jordan Geary ’04 while they were both attending CC), and her daughters, Athena and Tatum.
Ann Carol Knox ’74 (left) enjoyed lunch with J. Brandon WilsonEvitt ’74 at the historic Rosebud Diner in Somerville, Mass.
Warren Erickson ’74 and Sherry Alpert ’74, displaying some of Warren’s memorabilia
that supports youth development and leadership. Over the past several years, Paula has organized and promoted community-based projects that encourage community engagement. Living in Maine makes it easy to have a close connection to nature. She is outdoors frequently and loves all the seasonal sports. Happily, she reports their health is good, and they travel several times a year, beyond their visits to see the grandkids in St. Louis. Paula enjoys wonderful and meaningful friendships and participates in several women’s groups. She is so grateful for all her good fortune and takes nothing for granted these days. Nancy McNally Wagner is happily retired and has moved to Florida. Her three children have given her six amazing grandchildren, with another one on the way. No one in her family is left in New York; everyone has moved on. “I am the happiest I have ever been!”
Sophia Hantzes Twaddell has finished editing a third book (The Gospel of the Playground) by one of her seminary professors. She enjoys the editing but NOT the formatting, which demands she dig out her Chicago Manual of Style for the footnotes and bibliography—every time. At writing, she was preparing for the Chicago International Miniatures Show in April, where she was scheduled to teach a class on making a miniature Della Robbia–style wreath and planned to sell kits to make miniature Christmas trees. She also had a few of her trees to sell, the latest being a really whimsical sportsthemed tree. She and Mike traveled to Hoboken over Christmas for their grandson’s first birthday. Their two granddaughters live only a few blocks away, so they see them weekly. Sophia and Mike were looking forward to July, when the whole family planned to gather again on Long Beach Island. A cross-country move has taken Pamela McMurray Foote and husband Mike to Napa, Calif., where they love their new life. Happily, they are now closer to their son, Kevin. They have met a variety of people of all ages, some transplants like them and some locals. They were introduced to a fun couple from Texas through mutual friend Barbara Hadley Katz ’75. The weather, the wine, the food and the friendliness are all they anticipated. They also enjoy launching their kayaks into the water behind their house and paddling out to the Napa River! After their sixday cross-country drive last July, Pam and Mike flew to North Carolina twice—once to celebrate a family birthday and then again at Christmas. Pam and Mike would love to connect with other CC and Cornell (Mike’s alma mater) alums in the North Bay. A few weeks after enjoying our 50th reunion, Barbara Herbst Tatum and her husband, John, were delighted to welcome another CC alum to their family when they attended the wedding of niece Stephanie Herbst to Ian Murray Henneberger ’11. Charlie Loneaus ’11, Greg MacLennan ’11, Lily Holland ’11, Brian Dell’Erario ’11 and Rob Morgan ’11 also celebrated the event with them.
Correspondents: Miriam Josephson Whitehouse, mirwhitehouse@gmail.com; Estella Johnson, estjohnson1@aol.com Deborah “Debbi” McGlauflin has started her new “rewirement” project to share some of what she’s learned with younger professionals through her “CoffeeBreakMentor” platform on The Leap (www.theleap.co/creator/CoffeeBreakMentor/).
Catherine “Cay” Young is a volunteer ambassador and projects panelist for the Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP). ACRP is sponsored by the FAA and managed by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine’s Transportation Research Board (TRB) in Washington, D.C. TRB hosted its 2025 annual meeting for 13,000+ attendees, including members of 22 aviation applied research committees. “What an exhilarating educational experience it was to be among the participants from the global aviation community this year!”
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Correspondents: Kenneth Abel, kenn616@aol.com, 334 West 19th Street, Apt. 2-B, New York, NY 10011; Susan Hazlehurst Milbrath, shmilbrath@gmail.com, P.O. Box 3962, Greenwood Village, CO 80155-3962 Back in 2017, Bradford Peck drove over to Maranatha Baptist Church near Plains, Ga., to see President Jimmy Carter conduct Sunday school. They spoke, and Brad learned they had met two people in common. Both knew former Maine governor Ken Curtis and Dr. Henry King Stanford, former president of Georgia Southwestern College, the University of Miami and the University of Georgia. Jimmy Carter told Brad that Dr. Stanford was his first college president when he attended Georgia Southwestern College in Milledgeville, Ga. President Carter then attended the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. Carl Dawson P’19 is heading into year five of retirement and enjoying it. Between golfing three days a week during the spring/summer/fall months, serving on two school trustee boards and acting as a mentor to rising ninth graders at another, staying busy is pretty easy. The best news: On his next birthday, he’s gaining a daughter-in-law! Nina George Hacker is now in her ninth year serving as rector of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Compass, Pa., and has completed her second novel, Climbing the Great Pyramid. It was due out in paperback and as an e-book this spring. She might retire in 2029, when her parish celebrates its 300th anniversary. Husband Rick Hacker still works in commercial printing and as Nina’s organist and choir director. Richard Primason is staying happy and healthy up in Hastings-on-Hudson, N.Y. He still works but on a reduced schedule to allow for more golf and regular visits with Abbe Fabian ’77 to see their beautiful first granddaughter, Zavi, out in Yucca Valley, Calif. He frequently hangs with CC dear friends and seasoned grandparents Wendy and Van Dusenbury ’77, as well as Michael Tulin ’77 when he’s out East. Patri-
cia “Pat” Dingle continues to live in Bowie, Md. She produces the “In His Service Ministry” cable television program. She participates in webinars with the United States Patent Office, SCORE, Maryland’s T.I.P.S. (Training & Insights for Procurement Success) Small Business Webinar Series, and with the University of Maryland Department of Psychiatry, which focuses on the behavioral health of veterans. Pat is in the process of copyrighting some of her songs. She has been involved in songwriting retreats with the Warrior Music Foundation, a veterans’ program, for the past three years. Jeffrey Elkin P’27 lives a happily retired life in woodsy Lyme, Conn. His spouse, Jean Lasser (Bennington ’76, Penn Vet ’85), keeps a horse and a pony at a stable close by. They take enormous pride in their blended family: Matthew Elkin (Sarah Lawrence ’07), Aliza Elkin (Hampshire ’12, Michigan ’17), Tessa Lasser (Fairfield ’21, GW Law ’24) and Pearl Lasser ’27. Go Pearl! Rounding out the family are grandchildren Moss and Zed Kornblith. Jeff is saddened to share that Mary Aono Yoshimura passed away in hospice on Aug. 21, 2024, due to complications of Parkinson’s disease.
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Correspondent: Stuart Sadick, stuart. sadick@gmail.com Thomas Howland has been a pensioner in England for more than eight years and became a British citizen last year. He continues to keep busy with volunteer work, playing tennis, acting with a local theater group and traveling as much as possible while he’s still mobile. So far this year, Tom has traveled to Hawaii, Costa Rica and Spain. Over the years, he’s kept in touch with Kwan Kwan, the Chinese exchange student in 1974-’75. “She recently moved to London, and we’ve met up a few times. Last year, we had a mini-Knowlton reunion when Ursula Stengar, the German exchange student in 1974-’75, visited London.”
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Correspondents: Laurie Heiss, laurieheiss@gmail.com; Susan Greenberg Gold, sbggold@gmail.com Julie Kalt Gale and Peter Gale are pleased to announce the birth of son Zachary and wife Roza’s son Kasimir Edward on July 28, 2023, and the birth of son Adam and partner Lacey’s daughter Wilhelmina on Nov. 5, 2024. Kasimir joins older brother Artemus Wallace, born May 21, 2021. Isabel Borras-Marin met the moment of election day last year in Puerto Rico with her two sons. Margery Lisbon Ordog writes: “Sid and I had the most amazing trip to Argentina and Antarctica! We started at
Bradford Peck ’76 with President Jimmy Carter at Maranatha Baptist Church, Plains, Ga.
Margery Lisbon Ordog ’78 and husband Sid just finished the “most amazing trip” to Argentina and Antarctica!
Isabel Borras-Marin ’78 in Puerto Rico on Election Day with her sons
CELEBRATE CAMEL SWAG DAYS 2025
We’re celebrating World Camel Day on June 22 with another round of Camel Swag Days! Show off your Conn pride by sharing your best photos in Conn gear, stories of meeting fellow Camels “in the wild” or Camel tattoos—anything that says, “I’m a proud Connecticut College alum!” Last year’s Grand Prize winner, Karen Kuskin-Smith ’70, and her classmates rocked matching CC bathrobes—who will take the top spot this year?
How to enter:
■ Post a photo to your Facebook or Instagram account of you wearing Conn swag don’t forget to use #bragyourcamelswag
■ Follow & tag @conncollege and @conncollalumni
■ Tag 3 Camels in the comments
If you have a private account, take a screenshot of your post and DM us! Alternative entry method: Submit your photo and caption by scanning the QR code.
One Grand Prize winner and five runners-up will be selected and announced on World Camel Day—June 22! Plus, the first 50 submissions will receive a Conn sticker pack. Entry deadline: Friday, June 20, 2025, at 11:59 PM ET.
Births
Rachel Mass ’90, Dana McAlister Zohar ’90, Jennifer Harvey Olivetti ’90 and Sally Northrop ’90 visited Andrea Squibb Harper ’90 in L.A. to meet Andrea’s baby, Benjamin! He was born in July 2024 and is the cutest—a baby Camel in the making?!
Samantha Herndon ’10 and Bryce Erlandson welcomed baby Arthur on Feb. 12, 2025.
Emily Southard ’06 and her husband, William Charles Goodin, welcomed Westley (West) Engle Southard Goodin on Dec. 31, 2024.
Sarah Nappo Lawton ’18 and Trebor Lawton ’17 with their baby boy, Robert Frank Lawton, born Nov. 25, 2024
Laurie Heiss ’78 and new granddaughter Gray Eleanor Grealy
Barbara White Morse ’72 and family at the wedding of Ben and Susan in Kennebunkport, Maine, on Oct. 5, 2024
Molly Shea-Hines ’16 married Paul Hines at the Dragonfly Inn at Deans Mill Farm in Stonington, Conn., on Sept. 21, 2024. L-R: Katelyn Beans ’16, Brooke Gillen ’16, Molly Shea-Hines ’16, Leah Shapiro ’16 and Brittany G. Abrego-Baltay ’16
Mary Wright ’79 P’11 says it was a treat to bring the Conn College flag to her daughter’s wedding last year in Mexico, where she was joined by a great group of Camels: Rachel Blitzer ’11, Julie McMahon Knowles ’11, Jordan Kohnstam Walker ’10, Emma Bruggeman Iacono ’11, Lilah Raptopoulos ’11, Sara (Ellie) Benner ’11 and her husband Mike Ciesielka, Dennis Barrett ’10, Laura-Hope Gammell-Ibañez ’10, Jacques Swartz ’09, Ayano Elson ’13, Mary Wright ’79 P’11, Alfred DeGemmis ’10, and John Dodig ’11.
Samantha Brown ’15 married Alexander Lange on Nov. 16, 2024, in Brooklyn, N.Y. Some of the Camels who were still around for this late-night photo: James Assif ’15, Kristian Maestri ’16, Andrew Cohen ’15, Parker Veroff ’16, Abigail Brown ’20, Cole Delbyck ’14, Abigail Reich ’15, Allison Kipke ’13, Gabriel Shlager ’15, Christophe Desorbay ’15 and Isobel Brown ’12
Emily Cohen ’06 married David Godin on Aug. 31, 2024, on the Cape. L-R: Ingrid Deming ’06, Tara Sousa Hart ’06, Jennifer Evans Morrissey ’06, Emily Cohen ’06, David Godin, Rachel Smith Kerns ’06 and Meredith Miller Thompson ’06 at the Sea Crest Beach Hotel in North Falmouth, Mass.
Camels from the Classes of 1974 and 2011 gathered to celebrate the wedding of Stephanie Herbst and Ian Murray Henneberger ’11. L-R: Charlie Lonaeus ’11, Greg MacLennan ’11, Ian Henneberger ’11, Stephanie Herbst Henneberger, Barbara Herbst Tatum ’74, Lily Holland ’11, Brian Dell’Erario ’11 and Rob Morgan ’11
Abby Fagan ’16 and Evan Gaudio ’16 got married in Milton, N.H., in October 2024. Lots of Camels were in attendance to celebrate. Camels pictured at the wedding reception: Astrid Kempainen ’15, Cassidy Lynch ’16, Kelsey Warkentin ’16, Libby Thomas ’16, Leise Trueblood ’16, Amanda Onofrio ’16, Abby Fagan Gaudio ’16, Evan Gaudio ’16, Michelle Burt ’16, Natalia Resor ’16, Katie Burke ’16, Kevin Burt ’14, Mack Dowling ’17, Lauren Munhall ’16, Tucker Mscisz ’18, Max Luing ’16, Alheli Garza ’16, Lauren Steele ’18, Ethan Ufland ’17, Connor Poetzinger ’18, Maximilian King ’17, Maggie Hardcastle ’18, Grace Bilodeau ’15, KJ Sinclair ’15, Alex Calabro ’17, John Cunningham ’17, Tim Covel ’17, Wyatt Tompkins ’16 and Mitch Green ’15
the incredible Iguazu Falls, spent some time in Buenos Aires, hiked Tierra del Fuego National Park and cruised to Antarctica. The final stop was three days of hiking in Patagonia. Truly a oncein-a-lifetime experience!” Jane Sutter Starke is the proud “Mimi” of Penfield Annabelle Lange, born to daughter Annie and her husband, Justin. Jane writes: “She has beautiful blonde curls and big blue eyes!” Jane is still working at a law firm in Washington, D.C., but escapes to Lake Waramaug in northwestern Connecticut to reboot. She was privileged to see the exhibit of CC art professor Barkley Hendricks at the Frick on Madison in NYC. “It was filled with portraits of students and dancers alike. Amazing!” From January to March, Steven Certilman and wife Terri exhibited 63 pieces of art from their collection of Cuban art at the Amarillo Museum of Art in Texas. The theme of the show, titled Layered Lives, was works created by women artists. They have been building their collection since 1998. At this point, they have more than 650 works featuring many of Cuba’s leading global artists, and they have been sharing it through exhibitions since 2014. Last but not least, your faithful correspondent Laurie Heiss finally joined the ranks of all of you grandparents out there with the birth of a healthy granddaughter, Gray Eleanor Grealy, in Denver on Dec. 15, 2024. Son Connor’s answer to the inevitable question moms ask (“How do you like being a dad?”) at the holidays was, “It’s OK; she really doesn’t do much.” Laurie happily reports that Gray has started to be much more interesting! 79
Correspondent: Vicki Chesler, vachesler@gmail.com Kathleen Boluch’s latest book, Luck Struck, was a finalist in Britain’s 2024 Page Turner Awards in Historical Fiction, and her daughter, Ariel Whitmore, graduated from Northwestern Law School ’24 and is an attorney at Holland & Knight in Chicago. After a five-year battle during the Trump administration, Susan Zakin’s stepsons are in the United States. Jamil is studying computer science at Chapman University, and Jamal is a pre-med student at Conn. Both are on the track teams. Her magazine, Journal of the Plague Years, recently added a Substack. Says Susan, “Someone said that writers don’t retire …” Mary Wright P’11 enjoys retirement, with time to serve on several town boards in Orleans, Mass.; walk her golden retriever on the beach; visit her granddaughter, Tate, in Philadelphia; and do short snowbird winter escapes to Hilton Head, S.C., with her husband. “It was great to see classmates at Reunion last summer, and I look forward to our 50th! It was a treat to bring the Conn College flag to my daughter’s wedding last year in Mexico, where she was joined by a great group of Camels.” Robert Markowitz and a couple of friends at Eco Evolution in Norwalk, Conn., performed Clown Shoes Musical, based on his novel published by Heliotrope Books, N.Y. Peter Stokes and wife Patti stayed with Thomas Usdin and wife Sarah in New Orleans to watch the Eagles crush Kansas City in the Super Bowl. “Amazing night at the game and on Bourbon Street.” During the Daytime Emmy Awards, Mark Teschner was inducted into the 2024 Silver Circle. The award is given by the Television Academy and honors individuals for their enduring contribution to the television industry and setting stan-
dards of achievement. Christine Fairchild writes: “After 40-odd years heading up alumni engagement at Harvard Business School and then at the University of Oxford in the UK, I finally decided it was time to ‘graduate’ and start a new chapter. At first, it was a little daunting, as I hadn’t realized how much I defined myself by what I did, but happily the fog cleared fairly quickly and I’ve found a really satisfying combination of some consulting, some board work, a little dose of creativity, and plenty of time for travel and taking advantage of what’s around me. I love living in the UK and feel like this is really home now. It helps to still have a little house on Cuttyhunk Island (Mass.)—another refuge from the craziness and a chance to reconnect with family and friends. Lots to be grateful for these days!” From Debra Daigle: “I work parttime at Minuteman Senior Services in Burlington, Mass., helping the care managers with their clients. We assist older people with home care, health and wellness, elder protective services, health benefits counseling, money management, family caregiver support, rights advocacy, and more. I still work out of my home for Boston’s oldies radio station, WMEX 1510, producing and anchoring retro newscasts for a weekend oldies countdown program. I also sing with the Concord Women’s Chorus. I live happily with my two cats, Bella and Mr. D, in Carlisle, Mass.” The British Museum’s upcoming Hiroshige exhibition will include Sarah Brayer’s woodblock print River Mist Kyoto as an example of a modern interpretation of bokashi (color gradation). The show will run in London from May 1 through Sept. 7. Stephanie Russell Splawn retired in July 2023 from a 30-year career in pharmaceuticals and is ready to take on another project. Beth Kukla Hamilton still works as senior associate director at the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC), where she works with independent schools across the six New England states. “My husband and I live in Newtown, Conn. We are excited for the first of our three daughters to get married. The wedding will be in the fall in Richmond, Va.” James (Jim) Garvey and Janine Frazza Garvey ’81 enjoyed hosting Martha Jove-Carrano ’81 and her husband, Tony Carrano, at their Nantucket summer house, with CC colors flying! Steve Gutman lives in Bethel, Conn., half the year with his fiancée, Michelle. No plans for a wedding yet, but they’re definitely enjoying their engagement, celebrating two years (so far) in Paris. The rest of the year, he still lives the Southern California desert life at PGA West in La Quinta, where he’s had a place for more than five years and enjoys the gardening, the weather, cruising in his vintage golf cart, cooking and all the geriatric yoga and stretch classes a lot more than the actual golf. “There’s been absolutely no improvement in five years; it’s still fun trying to break 100.” He’s resting up for the 50th Reunion. Vance Gilbert continues to tour and record as an acoustic singer-songwriter. Fourteen albums and thousands of shows after his graduation from Conn with his BA in biology—go figure—he’s been opening for Paul Reiser every few weeks and sees the likes of John Brolley, Scott Williamson ’80, Pamela Gray ’80, Marcella Monk-Flake ’78 and hubby Dudley Flake ’77, and other alums (and their children!) across the country at shows. He lives in the Cambridge, Mass., area, jogs frequently, and is an amateur aviation historian for fun.
Victoria (Vicki) Chesler ’79 with husband Matt Kovner and grandson Oliver last fall
Mark McLaughlin ’79 (center), Anne Garrison ’79 (second from right) and Victoria (Vicki) Chesler ’79 (far right) with Mark’s wife, Daphne Northrop, and Anne’s husband, David Hewitt, on Cape Cod last fall
Jamie Marshall Wicander ’79 riding Belgian Warmblood Obelix Van’t Merelsnest (aka Obi) at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show in Harrisburg, Pa.
Stephanie Russell Splawn ’79 has retired after 30 years in the pharmaceutical business.
Kathleen Boluch’s ’79 latest book, Luck Struck, was a finalist in Britain’s 2024 Page Turner Awards in Historical Fiction.
Peter Stokes ’79 and his wife, Patti, went to the Super Bowl in New Orleans with Tom Usdin ’79 and his wife, Sarah.
Vance Gilbert ’79 continues to tour and record across the country as an acoustic singersongwriter.
Lucia Montero de Benavides lives in Lima, Peru, where she is in her eighth year as board chair of EnseñaPeru, a sister organization to Teach for America and part of the Teach for All network. She has been happily married for 42 years with four children, four grandchildren and one coming in June. This year, she plans to hike on the Salkantay route, arriving in Machu Picchu after six days. Hilary Henderson Stephens took a two-week safari in Uganda and Tanzania, where meeting the gorillas was a high point. She retired for the first time (from Best Buddies International) in May 2023 but then returned to a consulting role at Scholastic in July 2024. She is working with Judy Newman, chief impact officer at Scholastic, to set up the nonprofit Impact Reading to reach students with low literacy rates in underserved communities in the U.S., starting with Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Michigan. Peter Flint P’08 retired three years ago and now spends time with the family, which continues to grow. He and wife Denise still live in Berwyn, Pa., and spend most of their summer on the Chesapeake Bay. They have five grandchildren. Jamie Marshall Wicander showed at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show in Harrisburg, Pa., for the first time since she was a junior rider there in 1974. She qualified for the adult amateur hunter “older” division and competed against 30 of the country’s top hunters, finishing consistently in the top 12. Jamie and husband Greg moved to Millbrook, N.Y., post-pandemic, where, in addition to her passion for show jumping, she continues to write while her husband enjoys hunting with his two Scottish red Labs. Dennis Dale P’14 is transitioning out of his career as a landscape architect, slowly closing down Dale Design (daledesign. com). He looks forward to returning his focus to his art, having been a double major in Botany and Fine Arts. Over 40 years, his work has included two performing arts centers—the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark and the Broward Center for the Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.—as well as master-planning work in New York City for Herald and Greeley Squares and the Grand Central Partnership. College and university projects include work at Wesleyan, Bates, Brown and Providence College. His work has included master planning and design for the site around Plymouth Rock and the Pilgrim Memorial State Park, as well as Old Sturbridge Village and other Massachusetts historic sites. His botany experience and knowledge were put to the test working with Celebrity and Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines out of Miami on ships built in Germany and Finland, with the challenge to create unique landscapes on structures. The result was the creation of the Lawn Club on the Celebrity Solstice-class ships, and the creation of Central Park on the Oasis-class ships Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas. Dennis and wife Sally happily share that daughter Christopher Dale ’14 teaches computer science, digital literacy and website design at Stoneham High School in Stoneham, Mass., where she coached the robotics team to win state honors. The American Mock Trial Association held its 2025 regional tournament at CC on the weekend of Feb. 22. The Honorable Noah Sorkin P’16, Paul Greeley P’13 and Bradshaw Rost volunteered to preside as judges over the mock trials as various college teams com-
peted for the right to participate in the national tournament, held in April. Brad was delighted to learn afterward that one of the teams of student lawyers he passed judgment on was from Conn. Jay Faber spent New Year’s Eve with Mark Fiskio P’17 and his wife, Gail, and James Glick ’78 and his wife, Sa; then he spent New Year’s Day with Tom (TK) Kadzis ’78. “I speak with Donald (Tom) Deedy ’78 often (still in New London) and Mike Fishman. I spent a month in Tucson, Ariz., this past January. Jim Glick ’78 and Tom Kadzis ’78 came out to visit, and we enjoyed several rounds of desert golf. Jordan Trachtenberg also visited. We spent a couple of days hiking and reminiscing about Conn. Our dear friend, the late Paul Sanford ’78, was the subject of many stories and lots of laughs. I frequently hear from Randol (Tracy) Masters ’77 and Mike Duggan ’77.” Victoria (Vicki) Chesler and her husband, Matt Kovner, enjoy being grandparents! Their daughter Melissa lives in Philly with husband Nick and their adorable two-year-old son, Oliver. Vicki and Matt’s daughter Kelsey moved to Chicago a year ago and works in the marketing department at the Museum of Science and Industry. Vicki and Matt met up with Anne Garrison and her husband, David Hewitt, for a great visit last fall to see Mark McLaughlin and his wife, Daphne Northrop, at their beautiful home in Barnstable, Mass., on Cape Cod, where Mark and Daphne have moved full-time now that he has retired from teaching and she has retired from the communications field. Vicki and Matt also visited Peter Flint P’08 and his wife, Denise, at their Berwyn, Pa., home, and they enjoyed a fun-filled weekend in NYC with Amanda Marshall Zingg and her husband, Christopher (Chris) Zingg ’77, who live in Barrington, R.I. She sees Jamie Marshall Wicander every few months as well.
Following 25 years in marketing at a well-known national pharmacy retailer, David Blaney retired in 2015 to focus on personal interests, including full involvement with the Cocoanut Grove Coalition, which, after more than a decade of intense planning, will unveil a long-overdue memorial wall in Boston in September to honor the 490 souls lost in the tragic Hub nightclub blaze of Nov. 28, 1942—a must-see for Boston history buffs, firebugs and anyone interested in great disasters (this was the second-deadliest building fire in U.S. history but is often overlooked). David is still collecting (and spinning) his vinyl 45s, just like in WCNI days, and he looks forward to attending Commencement 2025 to hear master storyteller Max Langstaff ’81 discuss rock ’n’ roll. David lives quietly in Marlborough, Mass.; lost his lifetime partner, Ann, in 2020; and marvels that he survived his years at CC and still has no clue how to master computers or smartphones (“no social media here”). David hopes to catch up in another 40 years. And to Brad Demoranville ’84: David is almost done with your Jan & Dean Anthology Album LP!
The U.S. Department of State announced the selection of Dr. Ann (Dayamudra) Dennehy of San Francisco, Calif., for an 11-day English Language Specialist project focusing on AI and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)
Jim Garvey ’79 and Janine Frazza Garvey ’81 enjoyed hosting Martha Jove-Carrano ’81 and her husband, Tony Carrano, at their Nantucket summer house with CC colors flying!
Peter Flint ’79 P’08 with his wife, Denise, and their children and grandchildren at their summer house on the Chesapeake Bay
Sarah Brayer’s ’79 woodblock print River Mist Kyoto will be featured in an exhibit at the British Museum from May 1 to Sept. 7, 2025.
Honorable Noah Sorkin ’79 P’16, Paul Greeley ’79 P’13 and Bradshaw Rost ’79 in the “judges’ robing room” in Fanning Hall prior to the 2025 Regional Tournament of the American Mock Trial Association at Conn in February.
Lucia Montero de Benavides ’79 inside a mine in Huancavelica, Peru, with her husband and granddaughters, 200 meters below the entrance to the mine (approximately 80 floors)
An architectural design by Dennis Dale ’79 P’14: The creation of Central Park on the Royal Caribbean Cruise Line ships Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas.
Robert Markowitz ’79 (far left) and a couple of friends at Eco Evolution in Norwalk, Conn., performing Clown Shoes Musical, based on his novel.
methodology in Nepal at the 29th Nepal English Language Teachers Association (NELTA) International Conference. Ann is part of a select group, as her project is one of more than 250 that the English Language Specialist Program supports each year. Ann, who now goes by her Buddhist name, Dayamudra, has a love of language learning that began at Conn, where she studied French, German and Japanese.
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Correspondent: Jenifer Kahn Bakkala, jkbblue@gmail.com, 51 Wesson Terrace, Northborough, MA 01532, 508-5238930 Last summer, Andrew Alcosser, Adam Mintz and Peter von Au joined forces as team Go Sy Go to raise more than $2,500 for Alzheimer’s research in honor of Adam’s father, Sy, now 95 years young and going strong! The trio summited Mount Jackson in the White Mountains of New Hampshire via the Crawford Path—the oldest continuously maintained hiking trail in the U.S. Though the weather presented a challenge and the socked-in and windswept summit afforded no views, the three wet and tired Camels returned to the trailhead intact and with a strong sense of accomplishment! We extend our condolences to the family and friends of Mara Barker, who passed away last September in Ballwin, Mo. You can find a link to her obituary and comments from classmates on our class Facebook page, Connecticut College Class of 1987, www.facebook. com/groups/51967686529.
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Correspondent: Deb Dorman Hay, camel89news@gmail.com Noelle Ifshin and her partner, Stewart Ross, spent New Year’s 2025 in Paris. They met up several
NOMINATE A PEER FOR THE
ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Know a passionate Connecticut College alum who wants to make a difference?
Nominate them for the Alumni Association Board of Directors! The Board leads alumni volunteer efforts worldwide and collaborates with the College to enhance activities for alumni, both on and off campus. Our 33+ member Board includes alumni from the 1960s to the 2020s, representing diverse classes across the country.
times with Helen Bird McGeady and her husband, Simon, and daughter, Solène.
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Correspondent: Kristin Lofblad Sullivan, kls.sullivan@gmail.com Christina Hunstein Giuliano lives in Northampton, Mass., and sees fellow western Massachusetts Camel Victoria Brett “fairly often (although not often enough!).” Tamatha Blair Jordan lives in Tuscany with her husband. She has five children, ages 5 to 26. Sharon Shafer Spungen writes: “I am beyond thrilled to share that after a 25-year hiatus, I have returned to the practice of law and
To nominate a fellow Camel, scan the QR code at right. Nominations received after Oct. 31, 2025, will be considered for the 2026-2027 term.
Class of 1987 members Andrew Alcosser, Adam Mintz and Peter von Au—team Go Sy Go—raised more than $2,500 for Alzheimer’s research in honor of Adam’s father, Sy, when they summited Mount Jackson in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.
Noelle Ifshin ’89 and her partner, Stewart Ross, spent New Year’s 2025 in Paris. While there, they met up several times with Helen Bird McGeady ’89 and her husband, Simon, and daughter, Solène.
Anne Traer ’90 writes, “I’m sure there are many more images submitted for major life events that should get the publication space, but isn’t it nice to see some lovely dahlias?”
Alumni Association Board of Directors, May 2024
am serving as an assistant public defender for the Kent County Office of the Public Defender. I am finally getting a chance to chase my dream of tzedek tzedek tirdof (‘Justice, justice you shall pursue’). The ability to help those who need it most while making a living and doing good is entirely a gift. Go Camels, and I hope you never need me.” Anne Traer writes: “After a 27-year career in tech, I pivoted and founded Garden and Roads (www.gardenandroads.com), a florist and small-scale flower farm. I love working for myself, embracing an ethos of being gentle to the environment and creating flower experiences that bring joy. Like many, I’m appalled at what is happening in Washington and am vacillating between activism and migration … It’s activism for now.” Rachel Mass, Dana McAlister Zohar, Jennifer Harvey Olivetti and Sally Northrop visited Andrea Squibb Harper in L.A. to meet Andrea’s baby, Benjamin! He was born in July 2024 and is the cutest—a baby Camel in the making?! It was so wonderful to gather together and catch up with friends, especially since Dana, Jen and Sally all live on the East Coast and Andrea and Rachel both live on the West Coast.
The ability to help those who need it most while making a living and doing good is entirely a gift.
— SHARON SHAFER SPUNGEN ’90
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Aimee Targovnik and Dr. Alta DeRoo got together after 28 years of not seeing each other! Aimee now lives in Rancho Mirage, Calif., with her husband, and Alta used to work in Rancho Mirage at the Betty Ford Center. It was so wonderful to catch up after all this time. The best part is that Alta travels to Rancho Mirage a few times a year, so get-togethers will be more frequent.
ALUMNI INSIGHTS
A
message from your Alumni Association Board
President Chip Clothier ’79 P’10
Fellow Alumni,
I am so happy to share some exciting updates from the Alumni Association. At our February meeting, the board elected the following alumni as executive officers for terms effective July 1, 2025:
President – Jennifer Lapan Mann ’94 Vice President – Veronica Venture ’86 Vice President – Michael Boswell ’10 Secretary – Tamsen Bales Sharpless ’89
Incoming President Jen Mann ’94 is currently secretary of the board and has served as chair or member of multiple committees. The alumni board will be in her very capable hands, and I wish her and her team all the best.
As I reflect on my time on the alumni board, I have these three observations: The College will do great things under the leadership of Andrea Chapdelaine. The liberal arts and small liberal arts colleges face a number of challenges, but Chapdelaine is facing them head-on with a steady, experienced hand and a realistic understanding of the College’s capabilities. She is working with all of the campus stakeholders to ensure their voices are heard as she determines the path for the College.
The alumni board consists of hardworking volunteers whose goal is to bring the Conn College alumni closer as a community. Coming out of COVID, this board worked in partnership with the College’s Advancement team to create opportunities for alumni to come together either in person or through virtual meetings. They have expanded programming from four to 15 cities through the “Camels Connect” events and holiday parties. In addition, the alumni board has hosted 10 virtual events in the past three years on a variety of topics that have attracted 400-500 alumni and helped the College increase Reunion attendance by more than 100%. I want to thank them for their time and dedication to this work.
Our connection to Conn runs deep, whether Commencement was five or 55 years ago! During my tenure as president, I have been honored to meet so many alums from all ages. I have attended a number of Conn events—interacting with generations of alumni. We all speak with great affection for the College and remain curious about
improvements and happenings. There may only be one campus, but we ARE Connecticut College, no matter where we find ourselves.
At our core is the liberal arts education that Connecticut College provided us. The critical thinking from that education helps navigate these unusually uncertain times. We need Conn to sustain that mission of delivering a liberal arts education to future generations. As we wind down the academic year, this is a great time to give back to the College by supporting the Annual Fund.
This is a great opportunity to give back to:
• Show your support of President Chapdelaine’s leadership in her first year as our 12th president,
• Show appreciation for the alumni board and the Advancement staff’s hard work to continually bring us together as a community, and
• Show the College your support as so many alumni have done for us when we were students.
If you have already given, I thank you for your support. If you have not, take a moment and give by June 30 at ConnColl.edu/giving. My term as alumni board president soon concludes, but I will remain a proud member of our mighty Alumni Association, as are you all. The College and your alumni board have worked to improve communications with you, whether it is through social media, CC Magazine or letters. With this knowledge, I charge you to let the world know what we have known for years—Connecticut College is where liberal education is being redefined for the 21st century. There is so much to celebrate and our voices remain the best to amplify Conn’s message. Alumni are the most credible ambassadors for any college. Share your Conn spirit everywhere—in the workplace, in your social circles, with your family and friends—and do it LOUDLY! (This is not the time to be demure). Stay informed. Be connected. Show your pride. Raise your voices. Go Camels!
Dr. Alta DeRoo ’91 and Aimee Targovnik ’91 in Rancho Mirage, Calif., in February 2025
The Right to Vote
In 1972, 146 Conn students filed a class-action lawsuit and won the right to vote in New London.
BY ALEXANDER FARLEY ’75
In July of 1971, right before I was to begin my freshman year at Connecticut College, the United States ratified the 26th Amendment, which lowered the national voting age from 21 to 18. In March of 1972, I proudly registered to vote as a student residing at Conn. My parents had moved to New York; Connecticut—where my life was now centered— was my home.
But, just a few days later, I received a letter from the New London Board of Registrars rescinding my right to vote in Connecticut. The reason given: “You are a student, not a resident.” I felt angry, powerless and dejected.
The next day, I happened to have a meeting with New London lawyer Thomas B. Wilson, Esq. Not about voting rights, but about securing an FM radio license for Conn’s radio station, WCNI. I was the president of the radio club, and Wilson had agreed—at the request of Conn’s administration— to help us pro-bono with the FCC licensing process.
Court agreed to hear our case in the Norwich courthouse on September 26, 1972, with the Honorable Joseph E. Klau presiding.
In court for the first time, I nervously took the witness stand. Judge Klau leaned over from his bench and asked, “Where do you live, young man?” Despite Tom’s coaching, I stammered, “Box 501, Connecticut College, New London, your honor.” Sliding his glasses down his nose, the judge asked incredulously, “You mean to tell me, young man, you live in a post office box?” Amid courtroom chuckles, I quickly revised my testimony, “Room 113, Larrabee Dorm, Connecticut College, your honor!” Judge Klau smiled and said, “Thank you, young man; that will be all.”
We are residents of Connecticut, residing at Connecticut College, and we want to vote in Connecticut.
— ALEXANDER FARLEY ’75
I was still feeling quite dejected, and Wilson caught on. He asked what was wrong, and I handed him my rejection letter. Tom grinned (not the reaction I was expecting) and matter-of-factly announced, “We’ll take them to court!”
We did, but we lost quickly and unceremoniously in an administrative hearing. When Tom asked me how I wanted to proceed, I raised my hands in a clueless gesture. Tom, however, matter-of-factly announced, “We’ll appeal it!”
With the help of Jay Levin ’73, we decided to make the appeal a class-action lawsuit, and 145 of my fellow Conn students joined me in amplifying the message: “We are residents of Connecticut, residing at Connecticut College, and we want to vote in Connecticut.” The Connecticut Superior
The court ruled in our favor that day—we won! Judge Klau expedited the ruling’s issuance so all 146 of us could vote in the upcoming November general elections. Our ruling applied to all similarly situated out-of-state college students aged 18 and older across the country, opening the door to expanded voting rights nationwide and serving as precedence for Symm v. United States (1979), in which the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the denial of residency rights for college students was unconstitutional.
It’s been nearly 53 years since that historic ruling for Connecticut College, and since then generations of Conn students have voted in New London. Today’s students are facing different challenges to their constitutional rights. I met with a group of them taking “Civil Rights and Civil Liberties” with Associate Professor of Government Daniel Moak in April. They were impressive and passionate, and a great reminder of the true value of the liberal arts. I have no doubt that they’ll carry Conn’s legacy of activism forward.
The student newspaper from 1972 reports on the results of the court case led by Alexander Farley ’75 and New London lawyer Thomas B. Wilson.
PLANT THE SEEDS. WATCH CONN THRIVE.
Your CC Fund gift is the sunlight that helps Conn dreams grow.
With support from our donors, Connecticut College students gain the access, encouragement and opportunities they need to grow, lead and shape their future.
More than a gift, your contribution is the beginning of something extraordinary.
Before the academic year ends on June 30th, help us imagine—and build— what’s next for Connecticut College.
Making a gift is easy! Please scan the QR code or visit give.conncoll.edu/cc-fund to make your gift today. ►
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Rebecca Rosen Shapiro, Maria Esguerra and Martha Maher Sharp reunited in NYC with their families to celebrate the New Year.
01
Christine Kennedy Bozarth made friends with a camel in Egypt.
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Correspondent: Nora Mirick Guerrera, noramguerrera@gmail.com In November, Matthew Parker and his wife, Leslie, welcomed their third child, Molly, into the family. Older siblings Betsy (8) and Timmy (6) are proudly helping while Mom and Dad continue to lovingly juggle their law practices with chauffeuring duties.
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Correspondent: Julia Jacobson, julia.jacobson@gmail.com Emily Southard and her husband, William Charles Goodin, welcomed a child on Dec. 31, 2024: Westley (West) Engle Southard Goodin. Emily Cohen married David Godin on Aug. 31, 2024, on the Cape. Many ’06 Camels were
Emily Cohen ’06 and David Godin took a honeymoon cruise to Antarctica. They got up close to many penguins and whales. “It was the trip of a lifetime!”
Class of 1995 alumnae Rebecca Rosen Shapiro (standing, back row, second from left), Maria Esguerra (standing, back row, second from right) and Martha Maher Sharp (standing, far right) reunited in NYC with their families to celebrate the New Year.
Christine Kennedy Bozarth ’01 making a new friend in Egypt
in attendance, including Ingrid Deming, Tara Sousa Hart, Jennifer Evans Morrissey, Rachel Smith Kerns and Meredith Miller Thompson They had a delayed honeymoon cruise to Antarctica, which was “beyond incredible! We got up close to so many penguins and whales—a trip of a lifetime!”
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Correspondent: Grace Astrove, gca1223@ gmail.com Samantha Herndon and Bryce Erlandson welcomed baby Arthur on Feb. 12, 2025.
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Camels from the Classes of 1974 and 2011 gathered to celebrate the wedding of Stephanie Herbst and Ian Murray Henneberger. Camels in attendance were Charlie Lonaeus, Greg MacLennan, Lily Holland, Brian Dell’Erario, Rob Morgan and Barbara Herbst Tatum ’74.
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Conor Quilty became head winemaker and partner of Meadowbrook Winery and won the 2024 Governor’s Cup Award for best red wine in New Jersey. Samantha Brown was married to Alexander Lange on Nov. 16, 2024, in Brooklyn, N.Y. Camels in attendance were James Assif, Abigail Brown ’20, Isobel Brown ’12, Andrew Cohen, Cole Delbyck ’14, Christophe Desorbay, Allison Kipke ’13, Kristian Maestri ’16, Abigail Reich, Gabriel Shlager and Parker Veroff ’16.
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A 21st night of September to remember! Molly Shea-Hines married Paul Hines at the Dragonfly Inn at Deans Mill Farm in Stonington, Conn., on Sept. 21, 2024. Leah Shapiro served as maid of honor, with Brittany G. Abrego-Baltay, Katelyn Beans and Brooke Gillen serving as bridesmaids. Fellow Camels also in attendance: Summer Irving and Emma Weisberg Abby Fagan and Evan Gaudio got married in Milton,
N.H., in October 2024. Lots of Camels were in attendance to celebrate. 18
Sarah Nappo Lawton and Trebor Lawton ’17 welcomed their first child, Robert Frank Lawton, on Nov. 25, 2024, at Portsmouth Regional Hospital in New Hampshire.
The Connecticut College Athletic Hall of Fame, created in 1989, honors those who have brought distinction to themselves and the College through their achievement, commitment, sportsmanship and leadership in athletics.
Anyone can nominate a Connecticut College alumni athlete to the Athletic Hall of Fame. Inductees may include alumni, coaches, faculty members, administrators or friends of the Connecticut College community and teams that are exceptionally distinguished through outstanding achievement or significant accomplishment.
Sharon Van Meter ’20 and Lauren McNamara ’20 met Sloane Crosley ’00 at an event at the McNally Jackson bookstore in the Seaport neighborhood of New York City to promote the paperback version of her book Grief Is for People.
Conor Quilty ’15 became head winemaker and partner of Meadowbrook Winery and won the 2024 Governor’s Cup Award for best red wine in New Jersey.
2025 ALUMNI AWARDS
THE UNITY AWARD
The Unity Award, given at Celebrations Reunions, recognizes individuals who have gone above and beyond in their contributions toward promoting diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility in their personal and professional lives.
ALUMNI TRIBUTE AWARD
The Alumni Tribute Award honors an alumna or alumnus who has provided sustained and extraordinary service to the College.
THE GOSS AWARD
This award is given annually to a member(s) of the Alumni Association who through his or her enthusiastic participation in the area of Association programs or activities has made a significant contribution to the Connecticut College community. The award is given at the discretion of the President of the Alumni Association.
THE MACH AROM ’89 AWARD
This award honors alumni for service to Connecticut College and for distinguished achievements in his or her professional field or within society. Any member of a class that graduated within the past 15 years is eligible to be nominated.
HARRIET BUESCHER LAWRENCE ’34 PRIZE
This prize recognizes outstanding contributions to society by any member of the College community. The candidate’s life achievements will have equaled or surpassed those of other leaders in his or her field and should reflect the values instilled in graduates of Connecticut College.
AGNES BERKELEY LEAHY AWARD
This award honors alumni who have contributed outstanding service, demonstrated by continued interest in the Alumni Association, and sustained active participation in class, club or Board of Directors activities.
During Reunion Weekend, the College celebrates exceptional alumni. This year’s award winners share favorite memories and what Conn means to them.
Mach Arom ’89 Award
Jennifer Tejada-Tatis ’10 Manager, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging at Fried Frank
Jennifer is a passionate advocate for diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging—a commitment that has defined her career. At Conn, she was deeply involved in Unity House, La Unidad and the ALANA program and served as a floor governor and housefellow, experiences that ignited her lifelong dedication to community building. Jennifer continues to make an impact at Conn as a Class Gift Officer, Reunion Committee member, CCAC Mentor and Alumni Board member. Jennifer says, “Conn truly prepares students for a globalized world and shapes us to be changemakers. As a student, I fell in love with diversity, equity and inclusion and made it my life’s work.”
Agnes Berkeley Leahy Award
Greg Fleischmann ’90 Director of Client Development, Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP
Greg has provided outstanding service to Conn through six years on the Alumni Association Board of Directors, in addition to participating in the Career Mentoring Program and serving on his Reunion Committee. Greg has mentored numerous Conn students and graduates for over 20 years, offering valuable career guidance and direction. Greg says, “As I look back over a 30-year career built on the foundation that Conn provided, I am compelled to help other Conn students and grads find their unique paths.”
Harriet Buescher Lawrence ’34 Prize
Edward Burger ’85 President and CEO, St. David’s Foundation
Edward serves as president and CEO of one of the largest health foundations in the
nation. A president emeritus and professor emeritus of mathematics at Southwestern University, he is a leading voice on thinking, innovation and creativity. Previously, he was the Francis Christopher Oakley Third Century Professor of Mathematics at Williams College, where he was awarded an honorary doctorate-level academic degree in law in 2013. Edward says, “At Conn, I not only found my voice, discovered who I am and flourished, but I also began to develop the self-confidence to take on difficult challenges and not fear failure.”
The
Goss Award
Mario Laurenzi ’90 Sales and Merchandising Executive
Through his impactful service on the Alumni Association Board of Directors and as Class President and his participation on his Reunion Committee and as a Class Gift Officer, Mario has helped guide his classmates to a stronger connection with the College. His outside-the-box approach, combined with his deep commitment to fostering community, has made a lasting impact. Mario says, “My liberal arts education is the foundation of all I do. I was fortunate enough to experience Conn, and I’d like to pay it forward.”
The Alumni Tribute Award
Patricia Reilly ’75 Retired, Vice President, Intelligence Alliances and Product Unification, Pharma Intelligence President and Founder, North River Wildlife Rehabilitation, Inc.
Patricia has served as Class President for over 25 years and works tirelessly to keep the Class of 1975 connected and engaged. She also brings a wealth of experience from her career in the pharmaceutical industry and her involvement in local politics. Patricia continues to show her unwavering dedication to Conn by serving as Class Gift Officer and on the Reunion Committee. Patricia says, “I was a scholarship student from an inner city high school. My
experience at Connecticut College was life-altering. I was exposed to art, music and science—what an amazing liberal arts education! Conn gave me the confidence to reach out for goals and challenges that I wanted to accomplish.”
Dena Wolf
Yeskoo ’75
Retired, Counsel, McDermott Will & Emery LLP
Dena demonstrated remarkable leadership during her time at Conn, where she was actively involved in student government, sports and various campus organizations. As an alumni leader, Dena has focused her efforts on connecting the Class of 1975 and giving back as a Class Correspondent, Class Gift Officer, Reunion Committee member, Pre-Law Advisory Board and as an Alumni Association Board member. Dena says, “My experience at Conn gave me the confidence to believe in myself and believe that I could succeed at whatever I chose.”
The Unity Award
Karin Kunstler
Goldman ’65
Deputy Chief, New York State Attorney General’s Charities Bureau
Karin has had a distinguished career as an Assistant Attorney General in New York where she has served since 1982, and as Deputy Chief since 2014. Her dedication to social justice has been evident throughout her career, from her work with South Brooklyn Legal Services to her continued volunteerism, including assisting asylum seekers and working at a homeless shelter. At Conn, Karin made a lasting impact by organizing the first Inter-Collegiate Civil Rights Conference in the U.S. and participating in the 1964 Freedom Summer Voter Registration Project in Mississippi. Karin says, “I’m most grateful for the education I received there and the lasting friendships I made. Every year since 1961, my roommates and I, now in our 80s, have exchanged holiday gifts.”
In Memoriam
1940s
Natalie Bigelow Barlow ’45 P’69 ’70 died December 24, 2024
Sara Caskey ’46 died December 3, 2024
Rosalie Tudisca Coulombe ’46 died February 16, 2025
Mary-Nairn Hayssen Hartman ’46 P’80 died October 14, 2024
Dana Davies Magee ’46 P’72 died February 1, 2025
Anne Ferguson Cooper ’47 died February 26, 2025
Gloria Reade Hirsch ’48 died February 23, 2025
Helen Beardsley Nickelsen ’48 died February 4, 2025
Patricia Folts Dooley ’49 died February 5, 2025
Esther Coyne Flanagan ’49 died December 2, 2024
1950s
Jeanne Wolf Yozell ’50 died December 25, 2024
Elizabeth Anne Hotz Kaiser ’51 died December 13, 2024
Frances Wilson ’51 died January 21, 2025
Elinor Haider Miller ’52 died December 20, 2024
Marion Streett Guggenheim ’53 died January 16, 2025
Hildegarde Drexl Hannum ’53 died December 24, 2024
Patricia Taussig Marshall ’53 died December 26, 2024
Cynthia Bassett Polhemus ’53 P’80 died December 7, 2024
Carol Lee Blake Joslin ’54 died December 10, 2024
Nancy Blau Lasser ’54 died February 17, 2025
Mary Ann Wolpert Davis ’55 P’81 ’83 died January 28, 2025
Ann Robertson Cohen ’56 died December 24, 2024
Sylvia Pasternack Marx ’57 died January 14, 2025
Diana Packer ’57 died November 15, 2024
Patricia Turley Nighswander ’59 died December 20, 2024
Carolyn Keefe Oakes ’59 died January 31, 2025
Lucinda Lockwood Savage ’59 died February 2, 2025
1960s
Nancy Osterweis Alderman ’60 died January 1, 2025
Frances Gillmore Pratt ’60 P’89 died January 30, 2025
Mary Fyffe Stevens ’60 died January 9, 2025
Noel Tripp ’61 died December 14, 2024
Elizabeth Carter Bannerman ’62 died September 12, 2024
Ethel Park Decoligny ’62 died October 28, 2024
Sara Manwell Bradford ’63 died February 15, 2025
Rebecca Holmes Post ’63 died December 30, 2024
Harriet Tatman Gaynor ’69 died January 18, 2025
1970s
Nancy Kenney ’70 died November 27, 2024
Donna Rosen ’70 died December 11, 2024
Elizabeth Willis Henry ’75 died February 25, 2025
Avery Russell Morgan ’76 died December 28, 2024
1980s
Angel Alonso ’81 died October 15, 2024
Martha Moulton ’83 died December 7, 2024
Lisa Brown ’89 died January 31, 2025
2000s
Felix Fofie ’00 died January 23, 2025
Frances Lo ’01 died December 23, 2024
2010s
Jordan Gray ’11 died January 26, 2025
Lilliane Spratt ’11 died January 9, 2025
Deaths as reported to CC between 12/11/2024 and 3/12/2025
Everything’s Fashion
Priscilla Ameyaw ’26 works the runway at the annual People of Color Alliance fashion show in April. This year’s theme, Sonder: Everything Matters, was inspired by “the energy of a Conn BIPOC dorm party” and celebrated the creativity, style and stories of Conn’s BIPOC students.
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Ryan Brearley ’28 performs with Co Co Beaux at their spring concert in Harkness Chapel in April.
