Scripps Magazine Fall 2025 Issue

SCRIPPS FA LL 202 5

T H E WOM EN ’ S COLLEG E · CL A R E MON T

Honor your reunion with a gift to The Scripps Fund Reunion giving brings Scripps classes together in a powerful tradition of generosity and community. Your gift today, no matter the amount, demonstrates how collective participation can transform the College and ensures that future students benefit from the same extraordinary education that shaped your life.

Past reunion classes have set inspiring examples, including creating new scholarships and funding academic programs. Your class can continue that tradition and make its own mark.

Join your classmates in celebrating your reunion with a gift that honors the past, strengthens the present, and builds the future.

Make an impact by scanning the QR code or donating online at scrippscollege.edu/fall25.

First-year incoming Scripps students in 1950

First-year incoming Scripps students in 2025

PRESIDENT’S VISION As the fall semester of my third full year as president of Scripps College concludes, I’m reflecting on the enormous honor of serving in this role. I have had the privilege to lead Scripps through transformative successes, including the Scripps Access Initiative, which now stands at $9.7 million in new scholarships; the opening of The Nucleus science center, culminating a yearslong collaboration between Scripps and Pitzer Colleges; and starting construction on the Centennial Plaza Project, which will define Scripps’ arts district and connect it to the historic center of campus. None of these triumphs would have materialized without you, our tightknit network of alums, families, and friends!

Last year, I was delighted to communicate the news of the $5.2 million gift from Carolyn Lake ’54 to support the Centennial Plaza Project. I am thrilled to announce that the Carolyn Lake Claremont Foundation has generously pledged an additional $10 million toward the project! This benevolent gift will support the adaptive reuse of the East 10th Street building and Scripps’ highly anticipated, state-of-the-art Carolyn Lake Dance Center, named in her honor. I look forward to providing details about the plaza’s celebratory groundbreaking ceremony in early 2026.

We are also months away from officially launching Scripps’ Centennial Celebration! The first 100 years represent a milestone in the life of the College, and many members of the Scripps community have been diligently preparing events, exhibitions, performances, and presentations to celebrate our enduring impact. Be sure to join us on campus for our first Centennial Celebration event, held during Reunion Weekend 2026, to help us honor the world's most decorated gymnast in history Simone Biles as our fourth recipient of the Ellen Browning Scripps Medal! For more details, visit scrippscollege.edu/centennial.

The College’s mission to educate women to lead lives of leadership, service, integrity, and creativity remains intact and strong. I find daily inspiration in our shared fortitude and commitment to preserve all that Scripps has accomplished over the last century, and I’m excited about what the future holds.

With deep gratitude for your ongoing support, For more details, visit scrippscollege.edu/centennial Amy Marcus-Newhall President of Scripps College

PRESIDENT’S VISION

Contents FALL 2025

04

BRAGGING RIGHTS

06

FROM THE ARCHIVES

Director and Sally Preston Swan Librarian for the Ella Strong Denison Library Jennifer Martinez Wormser ’95 spotlights how Denison is embracing emerging technology.

07

SCRIPPS MAGAZINE Scripps is published twice a year by the Scripps College Office of Marketing and Communications.

STAFF & CONTRIBUTORS

Scripps welcomes Valerie

Binti Harvey Vice President for External Relations and Institutional Advancement

Newcomb as the College’s Title IX and civil rights coordinator. Read

Carolyn Robles Assistant Vice President for Marketing and Communications Maureen Panos Director for Creative and Editorial Strategy Emily Peters Senior Communications Manager Caitlin Antonios Writer/Editor Christina Kelly Senior Graphic Designer Kendra Pintor Advancement Writer David Torralva and Elisa Ferrari Photography

STAFF SPOTLIGHT: TITLE IX COORDINATOR VALERIE NEWCOMB

about her journey to Scripps and her goals for this critical role.

10

SEEN & HEARD

Highlights from this season of Scripps Presents.

Rymie Feature and cover illustration Tara Attanasio ’26 Contributing Student Writer Lauren Mar ’25 Contributing Alum Writer DISTINC_ Design and Art Direction Precision Services Group Printing Scripps College 1030 Columbia Avenue, P.O. Box 2004 (USPS #486-940) Claremont, CA 91711 © 2025 Scripps College

12

PLANNED POWER

Discover how music, dance, art, and access are thriving thanks to two alums, Elizabeth “Betsy” Reinhold ’57 and Elizabeth Rosemary Plane Sage ’44.

14

PINTOR DE POEMAS: UNSEEN WORKS BY ALFREDO RAMOS MARTÍNEZ

Scripps’ Flower Vendors was his last mural, but not his last word.

In this landmark exhibition, rare works demand a new look at the artistic legacy of Alfredo Ramos Martínez.

16

STAINED GLASS AT SCRIPPS

28

SCRIPPS WELCOMES ITS NEWEST CLASS

ALUM AND FAMILY NEWS

Dive into the stained-glass tradition at Scripps, where each window holds a history centered in community, the pursuit of knowledge, and a love of public art.

20

FEATURE

NAVIGATING THE AI ERA

30

MANUSCRIPPS

31

ANNUAL REPORT HIGHLIGHTS

32

CLASS NOTES

34

REMEMBRANCES

35

ALUMNAE ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT LETTER

36

ALUMNAE & FAMILY ENGAGEMENT CALENDAR

38

PARENT LEADERSHIP CIRCLE CO-CHAIRS

40

THE STUDENT LENS

From holding dinosaur bones to delicate prints, art history major Tara

AI is one of the most pressing challenges we face today.

Attanasio ’26 shares highlights from

Read how students, faculty, and alums are adapting to a new

interning with the Ruth Chandler

landscape while remaining close to Scripps’ liberal arts roots.

Williamson Gallery.

Bragging Rights

Scripps College Academy cohort

SCRIPPS COLLEGE ACADEMY

SCRIPPS RECOGNIZED

Scripps College Academy (SCA),

AS TOP COLLEGE

beautiful campus, quality of life for

a program designed to help first-

Scripps College has once again

students, and overall value, and

generation students with limited

emerged as a top institution on

claimed the number one spot for

resources enroll in college,

multiple rankings lists for 2025–

student experience in The Wall

continues strong with its new

26! US News & World Report

Street Journal’s rankings—for the

cohort of 46 juniors and seniors

ranked Scripps #37 among

second year running!

from 21 high schools. Scholars

national liberal arts colleges and

spent two weeks immersed in

named the College best for

Scripps life, attending faculty

undergraduate teaching and first-

ATHLETICS HALL OF FAME

lectures and participating in five

year student experience. The

The Claremont-Mudd-Scripps

research projects in STEM, the

College is also one of Forbes’ 2026

Athletics Ted Ducey Hall of Fame

arts, and poetry. To support

top colleges offering the “best

has inducted Elena Goss ’96 for her

SCA, scan the QR code here and

educational, financial, and career

accomplishments in diving. Goss’s

select “Scripps College Academy”

outcomes for all students, from all

efforts helped the Athenas clinch

as the designation or visit

backgrounds” and made the 2025

Southern California Intercollegiate

scrippscollege.edu/fall25.

Top Small Colleges list of just 50

Athletic Conference titles in 1995

institutions nationwide. Scripps

and 1996, and she was named the

continues to be named as one of

Scripps Athlete of the Year as a

The Princeton Review’s “Best of

senior. Congratulations to Elena

the West” colleges in categories

and our mighty Athenas!

encompassing classroom

4

experience, college dorms, most

FALL 2025

CLAREMONT-MUDD-SCRIPPS

FACULTY GRANTS

grants to participate in research

milestone 107 awardees received

AND RESEARCH

projects or teach English across

grants totaling $341,750 to

Five Scripps faculty members

six countries. Students have also

complete internships with the

from the Department of Natural

received recent awards from the

Asian Pacific American Labor

Sciences have received an

Barry Goldwater Scholarship, the

Alliance, the Peggy Guggenheim

incredible combined $1.65 million

Thomas J. Watson Fellowship,

Collection, Rady Children’s

in research funding! Assistant

the Napier Initiative, the Mellon-

Hospital San Diego, the Chicago

Professor of Chemistry Sierra

Mays Undergraduate Fellowship,

Sky (WNBA), Haghighi Lab at

Williams received a $457,000

Projects for Peace, the Critical

the Buck Institute for Research

National Institutes of Health

Language Scholarship Program,

on Aging, the HDFC Bank Limited

(NIH) grant; Professor of

and the Gilman Scholarship

in India, and others. To support

Chemistry Anna Wenzel received

Program. Additionally, nine

students’ professional

a $250,000 National Science

students received summer

development, scan the QR code

Foundation (NSF) grant;

awards for independent research

or visit scrippscollege.edu/fall25

Associate Professor of Biology

on a wide range of subjects,

and select “Internships” as

Pete Chandrangsu and Professor

including optimizing food

the designation.

of Chemistry and Environmental

security for US immigrants,

Science Katie Purvis-Roberts

exploring queer female agency

received a $445,636 NSF grant;

in speculative fiction, and the

and Professor of Chemistry

molecular mechanisms behind

Aaron Leconte received a

Parkinson’s disease.

$503,000 NIH grant. Cheers to our incredible faculty!

WELCOME NEW FACULTY Scripps is delighted to welcome

SUMMER INTERNSHIPS

four new tenure-track faculty

Scripps’ Office of Career Planning

members: Assistant Professor of

STUDENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS

& Resources (CP&R) continues to

Art History Patricia Yu, Assistant

Scripps College remains a top

expand summer internship grants

Professor of Media Studies

Fulbright producer! Seven Scripps

to create equitable, real-world

Vincent Roca, Assistant Professor

students and recent alums

career opportunities for our

of Physics Trung (Average) Van

received prestigious Fulbright

students. This summer, a

Phan, and Assistant Professor of Biology Mihoko Kato. We’re also delighted to have Consortium for Diversity Fellow Amy Lee, Visiting Professor of Politics Julia (Djoolia) Morris, and Visiting Professor in American Studies Julio Orellana join Scripps’ esteemed faculty.

WANT TO KNOW MORE? Scripps’ 2024–25 Annual Report is available online! Discover highlights of student research, awards, faculty grants, graduate outcomes, and more. Visit annualreport.scrippscollege.edu or scan the QR code.

CMS Athletics Hall of Fame inductee Elena Goss ’96 and her family

BRAGGING RIGHTS

5

From the Archives FROM TYPEWRITERS TO AI: DENISON LIBRARY

By Jennifer Martinez Wormser ’95,

Director and Sally Preston Swan Librarian for the Ella Strong Denison Library

Fast forward to today, and

We streamline access to learning

transformational technology has

by organizing, synthesizing, and

continued to shift Denison from a

sharing large amounts of textual

locally accessed resource to a

and visual information. AI

ibraries are no strangers to

global one. Reference

tools have even helped us

technological innovation—and

correspondence can be

transcribe some of Ellen

Denison Library, now 94 years

accomplished by email, although

Browning Scripps’ handwritten

old, is no exception.

many campus community

speeches and transfer audio

members still prefer to walk

from oral history interviews

Adapting to change has always

inside with their inquiries.

into a readable narrative.

been the linchpin to improving

Students can download images

patron access to Denison’s

from the library’s Women’s

Yet human expertise and review

collection. Manual typewriters

Suffrage and Equal Rights

remain critical. With each new

went through multiple changes

Collection or the Scripps College

iteration of AI and other tech, we

since their debut, but the arrival

Archives from the ease of their

strive to ensure transparency and

of the IBM Selectric in the early

residence halls—but so can

fairness while being mindful of

1960s accelerated the efficiency

researchers in Bangladesh,

the ethical implications that may

of library staff in producing

Cameroon, or Denmark.

arise. As we continue to integrate

CONTINUES TO ADAPT

L

catalog cards, collection indexes, reports, and reference correspondence. Since then, online catalogs have replaced the physical card-based catalogs, and digitized content from our collection attracts a

emerging technologies, Denison ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Library remains grounded in its

(AI), MACHINE LEARNING,

enduring mission: to connect

PROCESSING MAY BE NEW

the tools or distance involved.

AND NATURAL LANGUAGE

people with knowledge, no matter

TO OTHERS, BUT NOT TO THE LIBRARY MINDSET.

worldwide audience.

Denison staff members, including Emerita Librarian Dorothy Drake (front left)

6

FALL 2025

Denison student workers Frances Currie ’26, Tamar Ladd ’27, and Louisa Chiriboga ’29 archiving a digital copy of The Scripps Voice

Staff Spotlight Meet Title IX and Civil Rights Coordinator Valerie Newcomb

By Caitlin Antonios

“ I want to stand for something greater than myself.”

W

hen Valerie Newcomb agreed to take

environment is the space to address

on the role of Title IX and civil

and intervene to stop harmful behaviors

rights coordinator at Scripps

before they get worse.”

College, she knew the work would

be daunting. Newcomb arrived on

Her goal is clear: Ensure that everyone—

campus in April 2024, near the end of

including employees who are also covered

the academic year, taking advantage of

under Title IX protections—feels seen,

the quiet hallways and calm campus.

heard, and that their concerns are

She soon acclimated to Scripps’ culture

addressed through a fair, transparent,

and the needs of its students as a

and neutral process.

women’s college, all while navigating recent federal changes to Title IX. “I want to stand for something greater than myself,” she says. “A college

STAFF SPOTLIGHT

7

“ We have to constantly ask how we’re listening and gaining trust to continue to be inclusive as every new person joins the community.”

Expanding the Title IX Role

education landscape, track record of collaboration, and commitment to

Former President Richard Nixon signed

students, staff, and faculty.”

Title IX into the Civil Rights Act in 1972, applying the 14th Amendment which

Since her arrival, Newcomb has been

outlines that no state can “deny to any

working closely with Scripps Advocates, a

person within its jurisdiction the equal

confidential 7C resource for survivors of

protection of the laws” based on sex. As

sexual assault, intimate partner violence,

cultural and social understanding of sex

and stalking. She’s also connected with

and gender have expanded over the years,

student groups to understand how her

so has the Title IX umbrella.

office can best serve them.

In January 2025, the US Department of

“Inclusion is a journey; it’s dynamic and

Education announced it would roll back

changing,” Newcomb says. “We have to

Title IX protections to the traditional

constantly ask how we’re listening and

definition of sex assigned at birth,

gaining trust to continue to be inclusive

leaving some students marginalized.

as every new person joins the community.”

To protect students and employees, the College expanded the Title IX

Born in Upland, California, Newcomb

coordinator’s responsibilities to include

attended the University of San Diego for

both Title IX and civil rights issues.

her undergraduate degree, then received her JD from Case Western Reserve

Sha Bradley, vice president for student

University School of Law and began

affairs and dean of students, notes that

working for the US Air Force. In 2020,

the Title IX coordinator search committee

Newcomb began working with higher

and interview process included input from

education institutions in Colorado focused

Scripps students and staff.

on civil rights resolutions. Prior to coming to Scripps, she worked at Caltech in

8

“We conducted an incredibly thorough and

Pasadena as a Title IX coordinator.

thoughtful search to find the right person

Her methodical approach is rooted in

for this role—someone who not only

years of experience as a litigator and

brings deep expertise, but also a genuine

mediator, and a commitment to standing

connection to our community’s values,”

against civil rights infringements—

Bradley says. “Valerie stood out because

sometimes even at the risk of losing

of her expertise, experience in the higher

her job.

FALL 2025

In 2010, while the “Don’t Ask, Don’t

“The law governing Title IX is nuanced,”

Tell” policy was in effect, Newcomb

she says. “But people can feel a certain

refused to approve discharges of service

way in response to behavior. They don’t

members based on their sexual

have to justify those feelings.”

orientation. That same year, she was deployed to Afghanistan where she

As she settles into her role, Newcomb is

experienced a traumatic brain injury

eager to partner with students to stay on

that affected her ability to quickly

top of the emerging issues they face—

connect words to thoughts. It was an

especially ones that could be

eye-opening experience that led to a

uncomfortable to share. She sees herself

focus on mediation.

as a liaison between what students, staff, and faculty need and the resources the

“It’s easy to just fill the void by talking—

College can provide to address them. For

but in mediation, I learned to listen,”

her, that starts with treating all who enter

Newcomb says. “My job is to amplify; to

the safe space of her office with dignity—

truly listen and hear people’s experiences.”

and growing her team in the future.

Looking Ahead

“Scripps is bringing in people from different backgrounds to implement best

Newcomb underscores that, in addition to

practices,” Newcomb said. “I’m excited

legal obligations to guard against and

to collaborate!”

respond to discrimination on campus, success in her role demands respect for a person’s experience and feelings, regardless of intention.

FOCUSSTAFF ON THE SPOTLIGHT FACULTY

9

SEEN& HEARD This season of Scripps Presents, the College’s signature public events series, started with a sold-out crowd for social activist Monica Lewinsky. Lewinsky engaged with the Scripps community throughout the day, including chatting with Core students and attending an intimate lunch with students hosted by the Laspa Center for Leadership. In the evening, she returned for a larger, public conversation with Professor of Psychology Jennifer Groscup in Garrison Theater. Lewinsky spoke candidly of the dark periods in her life following the scandal in 1998, sharing the ways she maintained resilience throughout the media onslaught and how finding meaning in the experience drives her to make the world a kinder and safer place.

Lewinsky also discussed her current work as host of the podcast Reclaiming with Monica Lewinsky and as executive producer of Hulu’s The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox, a story she felt drawn to because of the similarities between Knox’s story and her own. Knox will be speaking at Scripps in March.

10

FALL 2025

All Scripps Presents programming is free and open to the public! Don’t miss these upcoming events:

FEBRUARY 12 Actor, comedian, and bestselling author Jenny Slate in conversation

MARCH 24 Author, journalist, and public speaker Amanda Knox in conversation

APRIL 2 Political strategist and author Donna Brazile in conversation

To see the full line-up, scan the QR code or visit scrippscollege.edu/events.

SEEN & HEARD

11

Planned Power

How Two Alums’ Acts of Generosity are Transforming Scripps

By Emily Glory Peters and Kendra Pintor

Art students at Scripps

If Scripps alums are known for anything, it’s

grand piano which has quickly become a favorite among

dreaming big. Sometimes, it’s in service of their

students living in Toll Hall.

personal or professional ambitions—but often, it’s for others.

“Planned gifts are vital to Scripps College’s ability to evolve and thrive for future generations,” says Director of Gift

Selflessness was the chosen path for Elm Tree Society

Planning Casey Crosbie. “Betsy Reinhold exemplifies how

members Elizabeth “Betsy” Gordon Reinhold ’57 and

thoughtful estate planning can create lasting impact well

Elizabeth Rosemary Plane Sage ’44. Founded in honor of

into the future.”

Ellen Browning Scripps, the Elm Tree Society’s members are committed to sustaining a stable future for Scripps.

A remarkable $4 million of Reinhold’s gift will help

From Access to Arts: Supporting Future Generations

College’s Office of Admission to offer acceptance to

remove barriers to student enrollment, allowing the top applicants with the highest need. The remaining A dedicated classical pianist, Reinhold’s passion for

12

$2.3 million will support the Centennial Plaza Project,

the liberal arts was a guiding force throughout her life.

a revitalization of Scripps’ western entrance. Once

Following her passing in January 2024, she left a bequest

completed, the plaza will feature a buzzing arts district

of $6.3 million directed to three areas: Scripps Access

with much-needed teaching and gathering spaces—

Initiative scholarships, community projects, and a Kawai

including Scripps’ eagerly awaited dance facility.

FALL 2025

“Many art majors don’t meet each other until their penultimate senior seminar,” says Kovitz, expressing excitement for upcoming lectures, film screenings, and projects made possible by the Sage fund. “It’s incredibly important that young artists foster connection around their shared interests.”

The impact of Sage’s gift is already evident. Critical renovations to Scripps’ senior art studio are underway, with more enhancements slated as the College continues

Elizabeth “Betsy” Gordon Reinhold ‘57

to attract cohorts of emerging creatives. With the art Elizabeth Rosemary Plane Sage ‘44

department serving nearly 500 students across The Claremont Colleges, these benefits will ripple far

The new dance building would likely have been a

beyond Scripps.

treasured campus space for Rosemary Sage, a gifted artist who, like Reinhold, found purpose as both a dancer

Planned Giving Will Shape Scripps’ Next Century

and painter. Her time at Scripps left a deep imprint, inspiring her to make a meaningful gift to the College.

While Crosbie notes that philanthropy can feel like

Upon her passing at the remarkable age of 100, Sage’s

something reserved only for extremely wealthy people,

estate established the Elizabeth Rosemary Plane Sage

planned gifts are flexible, empowering donors to help

Trust Art Fund with a bequest of $1.1 million, ensuring

others without disrupting their present finances.

enduring support for Scripps’ Department of Art.

They can range from physical items—like Reinhold’s piano—to gifts of property or even a donation

Kasper Kovitz, associate professor of art and Chair of

made to The Scripps Fund in honor of a loved one.

the Department of Art, knew where Sage’s gift would

Bequests also offer something unique: long-term

do the most good. Her generosity will now fuel skill-

stability for Scripps.

based workshops, student-curated exhibitions, stateof-the-art equipment and supplies, paid professional

“Elm Tree Society members like Betsy and Rosemary help

opportunities for students and faculty, facility upgrades,

us plan far ahead and weather economic changes,” he

and community events.

says. “And—in classic Scripps style—dream much bigger.”

Make Scripps Part of Your Legacy Join the proud tradition of Elm Tree Society by making Scripps part of your legacy.

Elm Tree Society recognizes individuals and couples who have made provisions for Scripps College in their estate plans. When you include Scripps in your estate plans, you ensure that future generations of students continue to benefit from internships, scholarships, faculty research, and the transformative education envisioned by our founder, Ellen Browning Scripps. Every legacy gift—no matter its amount or form—makes a lasting difference. To explore how you can create an impact in the areas that matter most to you, contact the Office of Gift Planning at giftplanning@scrippscollege.edu or scan the QR code to visit the website.

PLANNED POWER

13

Unseen Works by Alfredo Ramos Martínez

Pintor de Poemas: 14

FALL 2025

I

f you know Scripps, then you know Alfredo Ramos Martínez—at least in part. Born in Mexico in 1871, the celebrated artist survived

periods of political, economic, and racial turmoil during his years in Mexico, Paris, and Los Angeles. Yet unlike his contemporary

muralists Diego Rivera and David Alfaro Siqueiros, Ramos Martínez

was chiefly known for his “decorative” style. In 1945, the College commissioned him to paint the visual centerpiece of Margaret Fowler Garden: Las Vendedoras de Flores (The Flower Vendors). Tragically, he died of a sudden heart attack before its completion, consecrating Scripps as the site of his final mural.

Today, the mural’s depiction of Indigenous women selling bouquets has become archetypal of Ramos Martínez’s aesthetic. But could a deeper meaning lie behind the ornamental?

The new exhibition at the Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery answers with a resounding yes. Pintor de Poemas: Unseen Works by Alfredo Ramos Martínez showcases more than 25 rare paintings, drawings, and mural studies that defy mere decoration. Unveiling themes of Indigenous identity, labor, and violent conflict, these works demand a total reconsideration of Ramos Martínez’s legacy.

The tour-de-force show is an endeavor shared by Director of the Williamson Gallery Erin M. Curtis and guest curator, alum, and Director of the Louis Stern Fine Arts Gallery Robin Dubin ’12. With the 80th anniversary of Ramos Martínez’s last mural approaching, the pair felt the time was right to expose audiences to the radical perspectives buried in the artist’s oeuvre.

“In conversation with less familiar and frequently confounding bodies of the artist’s work, they offer significant contextual insight into Ramos Martínez’s artistic production in the United States,” says Dubin. “This remarkable collection of artworks suggests an artistic practice far more engaged with politics and current events than previously understood.”

Pintor de Poemas: Unseen Works

by Alfredo Ramos Martínez is on display at the Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery until December 14, 2025. To learn more, visit rcwg.scrippscollege.edu or scan the QR code.

PINTOR DE POEMAS: ALFREDO RAMOS MARTÍNEZ

15

S TA I N E D GL A S S Windows into Scripps’ Past and Present

By Lauren Mar ‘25

S

cripps College is a marvel of architectural detail,

Beyond the Gutenberg window, the library’s rare book

but one of its features is sometimes overlooked:

room is studded with several small stained-glass windows

the stained-glass windows. Scattered across

which Denison also donated. Featuring individual printers’

buildings and tucked in corners around campus,

marks, each peeks into publishing history—a time when

each window holds a history rooted in community, the

early printers integrated a design into every manuscript

pursuit of knowledge, and a love of public art.

they printed.

One of the most striking is the large stained-glass window

The Dorothy Drake Wing of Denison Library hosts another

occupying the west wall of Denison Library. Known as the

large stained-glass window. Christened the Alphabet

Gutenberg window, the work is not just for show—it is also

window, the special commission came about through a gift

deeply connected to Scripps’ roots.

from the graduating Classes of 1965 and 1966.

Storytelling in Color and Light

According to an archival brochure by Douglas McClellan, artist and former chair of the Department of Art, the window’s design is based on “the interchange of form and

Ella Strong Denison, for whom Denison Library is named,

thought that led to the present forms of alphabet.” This

donated the Gutenberg window before funding the creation

window carries on the legacy which Ella Strong Denison

of the library. It wasn’t her first foray into the medium—

left behind: the dedication of the Scripps community to

when living in Denver, Colorado, she had gifted a stained-

advance knowledge through art and the written word.

glass window to a local library. Denison commissioned the Gutenberg window from Nicola D’Ascenzo, a nationally

“Even when alums come back to campus, they still talk

renowned interior decorator in Philadelphia who had been

about how it inspired them,” reflects Martinez Wormser.

designing stained-glass works since 1898. Prior to the

“The library’s architecture and art have influenced their

library’s completion, Denison and Ellen Browning Scripps

senses of place, aesthetics, and what indoor and outdoor

corresponded through letters, devising its construction and

spaces can be.”

discussing how stunning it was going to be.

“The beauty of campus says something about the value our

The Gutenberg window

founder and early supporters placed on this space,” says Jennifer Martinez Wormser ’95, director of Denison Library.

“They wanted it to be a place that wasn’t just pretty, but one that also got our students to think and reflect.”

Designed specifically for Scripps, the Gutenberg window depicts a spectrum of historic figures and images. Notable inclusions are Johannes Gutenberg, credited with inventing movable type in Europe around 1450; Homer reciting The Iliad; Phoenician traders; medieval monks; and Egyptian hieroglyphs. At the apex of the window is a purple owl— Minerva, the Roman goddess of wisdom and the arts. At its bottom, a line reads, “dedicated to the greater wisdom of women,” which has become Denison’s motto.

In lavish detail, the window’s imagery explores how information has been conveyed through oral storytelling, symbols, and the written word. A curious addition of Benjamin Franklin—a fellow transplant to Philadelphia— may have been an attempt by Nicola D’Ascenzo to bridge a transnational divide between his native Italy and his adopted US hometown.

STAINED GLASS: WINDOWS INTO SCRIPPS’ PAST AND PRESENT

17

Stained-glass window in Denison Library’s rare book room

Hidden Gems: Contributions from Scripps Alums and Staff Denison Library is not the only campus spot with stained-

Kirk Delman—a gifted artist who recently retired as the

glass windows—nor the only one raveled with Scripps’

Williamson Gallery’s collections manager and registrar—

community. In the hidden oratory room of Margaret Fowler

has also left his mark. In 1999, he used hand-blown glass

Garden, one can find a leaded glass window of the Virgin

from Germany and France for a new installation in what is

and Child. The luminous work was donated in 1947 as

known as the “Bikini Room” in Malott Commons. Designed

a gift from Cornelia Dexter Featherstone ’41, with the

by notable Claremont artist Jane Slater Marquis and built

Wallis-Wiley Studio of Pasadena, California overseeing its

by Delman, the panels of the northeast dining room window

gorgeous concept and manufacture.

and north entrance doors glint like mounds of jewels, their petal-like composition inspired by Persian motifs.

More than 70 years later, the window was overdue for repair. Echoing the generosity of the Classes of 1965 and

“Students named the Bikini Room when Malott Commons

1966 in their support of the Alphabet window, the Class of

was created in the early 2000s,” recalls Judy Harvey Sahak

1954 donated funds to restore the Virgin and Child window

’64, alumna and former director of Denison Library. “When

in loving gratitude for the friendship of Scripps Professor of

viewed from certain angles, they thought the window

German Franciszka Merlan. Ariana Makau ’93, founder of

seemed to show off torsos in bikinis!”

Nzilani Glass Conservation in Oakland, California, handled the restoration in 2019.

18

FALL 2025

Preserving an Artistic Tradition Ellen Browning Scripps once famously wrote of her

friends. Our community’s contributions to them—be they a

eponymous institution: “I am thinking of a college campus,

donation, design, or an affectionate nickname—showcase

whose simplicity and beauty will unobtrusively seep into a

the profound ties between Scripps’ artistic campus and

student’s consciousness and quietly develop a standard of

those who traverse it.

taste and judgment.”

As Martinez Wormser states, “These stained-glass Scripps’ stained-glass works achieve this with subtle

windows are part of Ellen Browning Scripps’ broader

glamour and deep meaning, each piece intertwining the

intention of creating a place so beautiful that our students

College’s donors, alums, students, staff, faculty, and

can go out and make beautiful things in the world, too.”

The Bikini Room windows

The Virgin and Child window in the Margaret Fowler Garden oratory room

The Alphabet window

STAINED GLASS: WINDOWS INTO SCRIPPS’ PAST AND PRESENT

19

To create this feature’s illustrations, visual artist and illustrator Rymie used AI assistant Claude by Anthropic to write prompts for AI image generation tools Midjourney and Adobe Firefly. Those programs created reference images that Rymie used to draw the illustrations.

Upon review of the feature, ChatGPT produced the site words "Glitch," "Forever Beta," "Echo," and “Future.”

From Tenochtitlan to ChatGPT: How Scripps College Is Navigating the AI Era By Caitlin Antonios • Illustrations by Rymie Before the arrival of modern technology, students

and mathematicians from Dartmouth, Harvard, IBM

studied ancient civilizations by reading books or

Corporation, and Bell Telephone Laboratories. In

viewing artifacts in a museum. Today, you can watch

the early ’70s, Nobel Prize winner and “father of AI”

a 30-second video of 15th-century life in Tenochtitlan,

Geoffrey Hinton completed a doctorate in artificial

capital of the Aztec Empire, observing people shop in a

intelligence. Later, he co-invented the Boltzmann

market, voyage the city’s canals, and pray in temples. What

Machine—a mathematical model that could recognize

would have taken hours to explain in a lecture comes alive

patterns in raw data, which became the building block

in seconds—all created entirely by artificial intelligence (AI).

for modern AI.

This fascinating change is just one example of how AI

Powered by OpenAI, ChatGPT launched in 2022—and

is shaping higher education. Observing technology’s

has quickly become the most dominant generative AI

role in how we convey knowledge and engage with the

tool. From finding the right words to text an ex-partner to

past, Associate Professor of Spanish, Latin American,

analyzing spreadsheets, ChatGPT and critiques of its use

Caribbean Literatures and Cultures Martín Vega created

now seems ubiquitous.

his fall 2025 course, The Aztecs in the Digital Age. Its syllabus looks at how digital media is used to share

Some institutions, like the California State University

information about the Aztecs—and the drawbacks of

system and Columbia University, now freely offer

representing Indigenous cultures this way.

ChatGPT Education, an advanced chatbot tool that delivers “human-like” responses and tasks. While they

“What do we gain and lose—as creators, artists, and

argue that the AI tool levels the playing field for students

humans—when we use AI and new digital platforms?”

who can’t afford to pay for full access, other institutions,

Vega asks. “In class, we consider technological justice and

including Scripps College, have not yet created a formal

linguistic justice as interlinked concepts—how Indigenous

policy governing its use. But that doesn’t mean the

people, specifically in Mexico, use both new and old

College isn’t thinking deeply about how AI influences

technologies to promote their languages and cultures and to

learning, the job market, and conversations about ethics,

create community among Indigenous language speakers.”

copyright, and environmental impact.

Just a few years ago, this class couldn’t have been taught.

At Scripps, each professor has formulated their own

The rapid advancement of generative AI and its wide

approach. In Vega’s course, in addition to studying AI and

embrace by individuals and globally influential companies

other digital platforms, students could choose to create

like Google have transformed everyday life.

an image using AI or another medium.

In higher education, faculty and students are navigating

“We compared AI images to organic, human-made images,”

this new territory, while alums must exhibit agility in a

Vega says. “This helped us reflect on the values of organic

professional world that is increasingly outsourcing skilled

human work, especially artwork, and appreciate it—even

labor to AI. Articles appearing in The Atlantic, The New

more than anything AI could create.”

Yorker, and others posit that AI has destroyed writing and changed college forever. But perhaps anxiety about the

Some professors have taken a similar approach,

future can be lessened with a candid look at where we

asking students to use AI to build prompts that are

are now and where we’re going.

then critiqued in class. For others, it has no place in their classroom.

The Current Landscape: AI at Scripps “There are instances when AI can be a useful tool to It may seem like AI emerged out of nowhere, but

get started on a project, but I believe firmly that

the term “artificial intelligence” was first coined in a

students must first learn how to do the task without AI,”

1956 summer research proposal involving scientists

says YouYoung Kang, associate professor of

FROM TENOCHTITLAN TO CHATGPT: HOW SCRIPPS COLLEGE IS NAVIGATING THE AI ERA

21

music and director of the Core Program in Interdisciplinary Humanities. Kang says she currently doesn’t allow the use of AI in her classes.

For faculty, spotting non-assigned AI in student work is a combination of knowing a student’s proficiency level—a byproduct of Scripps’ intimate class sizes—and understanding what AI cannot do.

“AI has a particular style,” Assistant Professor in French and Francophone Studies Chloé Vettier says.

“There is still something not human about it, and we can feel that in the submissions.”

Both Kang and Vettier note that it has not been a widespread issue among Scripps students.

“Scripps students are very conscientious about AI’s ethical and environmental concerns,” Vettier continues.

Some professors have returned to collecting assignments in Blue Books, those thin powder-blue essay pamphlets with lined paper inside. While students may grumble at the archaic method of handwriting an exam in class, Vettier feels such analog assessment can help ensure students achieve learning goals without AI interference.

“As AI evolves, we need to evolve and build those human skills as a measure to protect what we can do with our brains,” she says—adding that Blue Books are “objects students can keep and show to their grandkids.”

Carolina Keith ’26, a French and science, technology, and society double major, is finalizing her senior thesis on copyright practices within generative art. She has used ChatGPT to create ideas for activities at her summer job at a children’s camp and as an aid with school assignments, but ultimately found it unhelpful.

“When studying abroad, I found a lot of people were using [ChatGPT]. There’s social pressure to use it,” Keith says.

“People associate it with being an easier, faster way of doing something, but being a student is enjoyable when you get to research and learn. It takes that experience from you.”

Three years into ChatGPT’s debut, students and faculty are still deeply engaged in leveraging the benefits of AI while maintaining rigorous academic standards. Last year, Scripps faculty formed a committee, chaired by Vettier, to explore AI-related issues. They’ve hosted guest speakers and workshops on a broad range of topics, including AI’s

22

FALL 2025

impact on teaching, sustainability, energy, ethics, and data governance and privacy.

“Most faculty agree on both the value and problems of this emerging technology,” says Kang. “We’re having productive conversations about what is possible with AI, how to mitigate the problems with its use, and how to teach students to use AI in scholarship.”

Uncharted Waters: Scripps Alums in the AI field AI isn’t just affecting students. Employers making space for AI in their operations have left some job seekers scrambling. But Scripps alums working in AI didn’t necessarily start there—whether utilizing College connections or building upon internships, many have found traction in a field that was only just emerging when they were newly minted graduates.

Sneha Deo ’17 graduated from Scripps with a computer science degree and began working as a software engineer at a company she interned with during her time at Scripps. She soon realized it wasn’t her passion.

“I was much more interested in algorithm design, and through the advice of many around me, moved to Microsoft to become a product manager,” Deo says. “I spent a few years there doing algorithm development on the Windows updates team.”

On the heels of the AI explosion, she shifted into her current role as senior product manager for Microsoft’s Generative AI applications. Her job is two-fold: Research where the company can improve responsibility, fairness, and eliminate bias in products, and use that research alongside developing public policy to implement change.

“When I joined four years ago, it was prior to the advent of large language models and generative AI,” Deo continues.

“Halfway through my time there, that’s been the main focus from a product standpoint.”

For Deo, Scripps emboldened her to be an active architect of the world she wanted to live in. Leaning on her community of alums and mentors at each hinge of transition, she continues to apply skills from classes and extracurriculars to navigate post-Scripps life in AI.

HOW SCRIPPS COLLEGE IS NAVIGATING THE AI ERA

23

“We are in a time where it’s very uncertain who gets to

A dual major in public policy analysis and French,

decide who has the power to determine what the world is

Molezion studied abroad at a French law firm specializing

going to look like,” Deo says. “With technology, the

in international law and arbitration while at Scripps. She

right outcome can only occur when many people feel

wrote her senior thesis on France’s social cohesion

empowered to participate. Resilience to work towards

policies and immigrant access to education and, after

that vision is the most powerful tool you can have,

graduating, returned to France to teach. Today, she’s a

especially in wild times like these.”

senior technical program manager advancing safe AI policy and governance.

Drawing Power from the Scripps Experience “I got my first job at Google because I spoke French,” Deo is not alone in her journey. Cherish Molezion ’17 and Rui-Jie Yew ’21 both credit exposure to broad

senior strategist in AI ethics, responsible AI, and

interdisciplinary study at Scripps for their finesse

innovation. “I was a legal specialist for trademark

maneuvering the AI ecosystem. “Core was really helpful

operations with a focus on Francophone markets and

in getting to explore, think outside the box, and lean into

did a lot of analysis and risk management related to

ideas that aren’t necessarily a part of my day-to-day,”

trademark infringements.”

Molezion says.

24

says Molezion, who ultimately became the company’s

FALL 2025

Her next career pivot coincided with gaining a master’s

because of its AI policy research and opportunities to

degree in public policy and administration from

dive deeper into its technical and social implications.

Northwestern University. She left Google but stayed within big tech, now overseeing the translation of

“I’m really interested in game theoretic adversarial

impending regulations into product requirements. Here,

approaches to regulation,” Yew says. “Some of the

the holistic perspectives fostered at Scripps come

courses and research experiences that I had at Scripps

through, informing how Molezion develops robust AI

are where that interest blossomed.”

policies that account for safe use, security, fairness, assessment, and effect other ethical risks.

Yew didn’t always know she would pursue a doctorate.

Her conversations with David Roselli, professor

“We have biases as humans that are reinforced within

of ancient studies and classics, pushed her to

our technology. I make sure we’re combating that,” says

consider entering a world that combined her love of

Molezion. “AI is a result of training and algorithms; it’s

computer science with the humanities.

not necessarily going to replace humans, but it can really help with productivity.”

“Every time I went to do course registration, we would get

Rui-Jie Yew ’21 is currently a PhD candidate at Brown

really encouraged me to think deeply about what it meant

University, where her interdisciplinary research touches

to work in technology.”

into long conversations about society,” Yew says. “He

computer science, law, and policy. She chose Brown

FROM TENOCHTITLAN TO CHATGPT: HOW SCRIPPS COLLEGE IS NAVIGATING THE AI ERA

25

26

FALL 2025

While at Scripps, Yew completed a technology and policy

The very reliance of a tool like ChatGPT’s on language

internship at Google that bridged her interests. She

exposes the balanced utility of AI and human-led

interned in AI ethics at Sony and earned a master’s

learning. As language professors, both Roselli and Vettier

degree in technology and policy at MIT before going to

acknowledge that an AI translator may help you order

Brown. Like Molezion, Yew echoes how Core planted new

coffee in a foreign country, but it’s not going to replicate

seeds of thought that continue to pay dividends.

the experience of mastering a new tongue.

“One of my first course readings [in Core] was closely

“The language requirement at Scripps is so valuable

related to the field I’m in today,” she says. Regarding

because it expands the mind,” Vettier says. “There’s a

AI research, Yew feels “there’s this sense that if there

reason in diplomacy that human translators, not AI,

isn’t math or code, it’s not a ‘scholarly contribution.’ But

are still being used.”

being exposed to this kind of research so early on in my career really helped me to see value in using a social

“I find that there are parts of me that exist more

lens with technology.”

prominently in languages other than English,” Roselli adds. “This is one of the preeminent values of learning

A Liberal Arts Education is Still Relevant

foreign languages, dead or living—beyond the ability to read literature or the news, engage with people, or just

AI moving at lightning speed invokes a critical pause at

live in a place where a ‘foreign’ language is used.”

Scripps. Engaging in interdisciplinary study, vast areas of research, Core, and general education requirements help

For Yew, Scripps made her comfortable with the

students stay relevant in a world changing faster than

uncomfortable, which has proven vital in her doctorate

typical professional education can track.

work in AI. “In research, you reach a point where no one has done what you’re doing,” she says. “Being exposed

Scripps’ culture—shaped by students, staff, faculty,

to so many disciplines and being surrounded by people I

alums, and families—is also crucial in fostering a desire

admire made me a lot more tolerant of ambiguity.”

to understand and improve the world. This is done, Vettier reminds, through prizing community, humanity,

Looking Ahead

communication, truth, and innovation—values AI imitates but cannot embody.

From the invention of the calculator to the first computer, AI has affected daily life for decades. Some refuse to

“At Scripps, we slow things down,” she says, noting how

engage with it, others unduly rely on it—and somewhere

students’ confidence in tackling challenges produces

in the middle, Scripps is determining how it will inform the

professionals who thrive in completely new fields. “We

College’s next 100 years.

fight for values we share. Students ask big questions and understand the ‘why.’”

As AI reshapes the world, Scripps College—like its

With such a foundation, the rise of AI can be reframed not

prepare future generations for lives of purpose, influence,

as a bad omen, but an opportunity. Roselli, Yew’s advisor

and prosperity. Who better to envision that future than

who encouraged her to explore tech careers, does not

a community rooted in missional values of leadership,

students, faculty, and alums—must remain agile to

intend to ban AI from his classroom because he does not

service, integrity, and creativity—principles that predate,

yet see it as a threat.

and will long outlast, every technological wave.

“This is a new tool. We don’t know what will become of

“The jury is still out on the helpfulness of AI in studying

it,” Roselli says. “If students can get answers to basic

ancient civilizations, or anything for that matter,” Vega

questions while working on a paper or a research

says. “What may ultimately be most helpful about it is to

project, we should not fret yet—as more complex

remind us that deep understanding and beautiful art

undertakings remain at the heart of what a liberal arts

take time to create—and, for the sake of our humanity, it

education provides.”

is worth it to take that time.”

FROM TENOCHTITLAN TO CHATGPT: HOW SCRIPPS COLLEGE IS NAVIGATING THE AI ERA

27

SCRIPPS WELCOMES

ITS NEWEST CLASS! 28

FALL 2025

This fall, Scripps welcomed 301 new students to campus, representing 33 US states and eight countries. New Student Programs and Orientation (NSPO)—a six-day experience—introduced the newest community members and their families to all Scripps has to offer. Programming included a welcome from President Amy Marcus-Newhall and senior leadership, a resource fair, a dinner reception, the timehonored Matriculation Ceremony in Denison Library followed by a fun night of dancing, and much more.

“Learn new skills and use your voice to be powerful. Engage in tough conversations.

Challenge yourself with new classes and friendships. These next four years are yours to lead…and remember incipit vita nova: Here begins new life.”

–NSPO remarks from Simran Sethi ’26, president of Scripps Associated Students

Simran Sethi ’26, president of Scripps Associated Students

SCRIPPS WELCOMES ITS NEWEST CLASS!

29

ManuScripps

Margaret Pumpelly Finnegan ’87

Spelling It Out Ben Bellini didn’t mean to become a champion

victory. But Ben starts having odd interactions

speller—after all, he’s not a nerd—but he sure

with his nan that leave him feeling like he’s

does like spelling bee glory now that it’s found

missing something. Where is her forgetfulness

him. He might even be good enough for the

coming from? And will anyone even believe

Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington,

him if he tries to get help?

DC! And what better way to prepare than to train with a professional spelling coach in

Between showing up for his loved ones and

San Francisco, where his “nan” lives?

pursuing his own dreams, Ben will need to spend this summer figuring out what he

Through his adventures, Ben gets to know the

owes others and what he owes himself.

city—and competitor Asha Krishnakumar, who’s equally determined to spell her way to

30

FALL 2025

Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2025

Scripps Continues to Shine Highlights From 2024–25 Annual Report

7 16 $2M 1 Fulbright Awards

National fellowships, scholarships, and awards for students

awarded to faculty research

CLASS OF 2024 Top fields: HEALTHCARE, NONPROFITS, EDUCATION 91% EMPLOYED, in GRADUATE SCHOOL, or completing FELLOWSHIPS

2024 ALL IN No. MOST ENGAGED CAMPUS FOR STUDENT VOTING

$23.6 MILLION

given by Scripps’ generous community

for student experience

by The Wall Street Journal

See the full impact of Scripps excellence at annualreport.scrippscollege.edu.

SCRIPPS CONTINUES TO SHINE

31

CLASS NoTES FALL 2025

1960

1971

Rebecca Harlow Potter (Pasadena, California) I enjoyed the 65th reunion of my class, but wish I hadn’t been the only member there. I retired from educational fundraising in 2019 after 40 years. I loved the work and now have meaningful volunteer involvements using that skillset. My husband, Fred, died in 2011. We were married for 62 years, for which I am very grateful. I continue to enjoy the Rose Parade from my living room windows on New Year’s Day. My daughter, Elizabeth, lives in Denver, where she is a business consultant. My son, Alan, is a chaplain at Stanford University Hospital in Palo Alto. My five grandchildren are aged 25 to 31 and are smart, kind, and achieving young people.

Martha Hatch Reich (Santa Barbara, California) Reunion 2025 was a wonderful weekend at Scripps and Harvey Mudd. In the group photo, are (left to right) Eric Adams HMC ’70, Cary Reich HMC ’70, Martha Hatch Reich ’71, Pat Nelson Adams ’72, and Steve Powers HMC ’70. Eric, Pat, and Steve all flew in from Boston. We have been friends since the ’70s and get together often. The second photo is Suzanne Ely Muchnic ’62, Judy Harvey Sahak ’64, and Martha Hatch Reich ’71 getting together after Suzanne’s wonderful presentation about the book she is writing on the history of Scripps College.

1964 Julia Collins (Santa Barbara, California) Love being at Casa Dorinda in Santa Barbara with three classmates from 1964 and my sister-in-law, Teta Collins, too!

SIGN UP FOR OLIVE GROVE! Want to connect with other alums and submit a Class Note?

Scan here to sign up for Olive Grove.

32

FALL 2025

Joan Isaacs (Beverly Hills, California) I’m proud to say that I helped organize a No Kings protest in my hometown of Beverly Hills. We had approximately 2,500 to 3,000 people attend, and the event was very peaceful and respectful. Our rally even made The New York Times.

1978

1990

2021

Julie Lydon Cornell (United Kingdom) Greetings to the Class of ’78 from “Blighty”!

My youngest daughter was married at our home in August and was kind enough to invite my dearest fellow ’78 Scrippsies! It was enormous fun, and best of all, it didn’t rain! What a treat to have them travel from the West Coast to the UK for us.

Jennifer Orff (Pasadena, California) My house survived the Eaton fire. I am going back to school this fall to get a master’s degree in philosophy at Cal State Los Angeles.

Olivia Truesdale (Washington, DC) I graduated with a master’s degree in Asian studies from George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs.

I brought some of Scripps with me to my graduation, wearing a La Semeuse necklace from the 2025 Scripps Associated Students (SAS) fundraiser.

Reception in the river garden. Left to right: Kristi Nilson ’78, Cindy Wilkinson Kirven ’78, Julie Lydon Cornell ’78, my eldest daughter, Keara, and Wendy Gauntlett Shaw ’90.

In back: Cathy Lydon ’76.

1985 Anna Treviño Irby (Dandridge, Tennessee) I have returned from my two-year missionary journey to Cameroon. I brought back a rescue pup! Meet Paris, a toy poodle born in Belgium and taken to Cameroon where she was put up for adoption. I noticed signs of previous trauma and abuse, but she is now with me in America, enjoying new adventures with my lab, Abby. I continue to partner with Christian missions doing remote, part-time work for Third Culture Kids and education in Eurasia. If any classmates venture to East Tennessee, I would love to connect!

Paris and I at the Rain Forest International School in Cameroon, 2024.

1996 Lisa Ramirez (Santa Ana, California) I am thrilled to announce that I have launched my campaign to run for Congress in CA-40.

For me, this race is about protecting our Constitution, our democracy, and our community. We need courageous leaders in Congress who bring accountability, serve as the true balance of power, and represent the interests of the American people. I would welcome all the support I can get from our Scripps community.

2019 Valerie Daifotis Keneally (Chicago, Illinois) I wanted to share some cute photos I snapped while visiting campus in June. I was Class of 2019, my husband was CMC Class of 2019, and our daughter, Caroline, could possibly be Class of 2046! She is wearing a vintage Scripps shirt handed down from my mom, who was Scripps Class of 1981.

2023 Isabella Melsheimer Mierzejewski (Santa Maria, California) I recently completed my master’s degree in dance education in the Teaching Dance in the Professions: Dances of the African Diaspora program from the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development at NYU! I am grateful to all the amazing Scripps dance and anthropology faculty who supported my interest in the interdisciplinary work that I now create as a dance educator, and the 5C Dance Company for being my steadfast dance family throughout my time at Scripps.

Isabella Melsheimer at their NYU commencement.

CLASS NOTES

33

REMEMBRANCES FALL 2025 Scripps College is honored to recognize the lives of departed alums.

1949

1959

1971

Helen Mortensen Marshall of Novato, California, in May 2025.

Carol Jean Lee Clark of Pacific Palisades, California, on March 3, 2025.

Pamela McCarroll Thies of Portland, Oregon, on December 19, 2024.

1951

1960

1973

Helen Stockwell Vatcher of McKinleyville, California, on February 28, 2025.

Judith Kasher Morris of Ontario, California, on December 31, 2024.

Brenda Garb of Los Angeles, California, in 2025.

1961

1991

Nancy Poore of South Elgin, Illinois, on July 27, 2025.

Stacey Meryl Willis of Huntington Beach, California, on March 23, 2025.

Abby Weiser of San Juan Capistrano, California, in August 2025.*

1952 Helen McNamara Green of Big Sandy, Montana, on June 25, 2025.

1954 Carolyn Lake of San Diego, California, on July 10, 2025.

1958 Whitney Brooks Hansen of Santa Barbara, California, on May 1, 2025.

34

FALL 2025

1965 Nina Rosoff of Dallas, Texas, on June 8, 2025.

1966 Jane Lawrence MacKenzie of Sedona, Arizona, on June 20, 2025.

1968 Karen Pedersen Conroy of Wimbledon, England, on April 6, 2025.

Carolyn Davis of Seattle, Washington, on June 25, 2025.

2016 Lorraine Wang of Irvine, California, on April 29, 2023. *Names with an asterisk indicate Elm Tree Society members.

The names listed here reflect those we have recently learned about but may not represent a complete record. To share news of an alum’s passing, please email us at alumnae@scrippscollege.edu.

Alumnae Association News “ Scripps has always held a special place in my heart.”

It is with immense joy that I begin my tenure as your Alumnae Association president! My goal is to help bring visibility to our amazing alum community, create positive momentum as the College prepares to celebrate its centennial, and inspire you to get involved with Scripps.

1.

Increase Scripps’ visibility! The talents and accomplishments of our faculty, students, staff, and alums abound.

Share ideas to showcase our strengths at alumnae@scrippscollege.edu.

2.

Join Olive Grove. This online community is designed to build lifelong, purposeful connections through shared resources for personal and professional growth. Olive Grove is open to students, alums, and parents at olivegrove.scrippscollege.edu.

Scan the QR code to sign up.

3.

Share an idea for a pop-up event in your area! Alums are helping plan informal gatherings in their region. Scan the QR code and complete the short form to get started.

Since graduating in 2002, I am grateful to have been able to support Scripps by volunteering with the Alumnae/Student Diversity Committee as chair and Café con Leche liaison, interviewing prospective students, writing letters to incoming students and graduating seniors, working with Scripps Communities of Resources and Empowerment clubs and organizations, and attending events.

Today, I am an adjunct faculty at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, where I’ve taught for the past 22 years. I also am an active volunteer in my children’s parent–teacher associations, Girl Scout and Boy Scout troops, and other activities. I strive to instill in my children a never-ending desire to learn, explore, and give back to their community.

Scripps has always held a special place in my heart. Our community may be small, but we must never doubt the change that thoughtful, committed individuals can make together— especially as we celebrate the College’s centennial next year. I invite you to visit scrippscollege.edu/centennial and join me in getting engaged in the following ways:

Together, we can continue to enrich our connections to Scripps through volunteering, engagement, and support.

Incipit Vita Nova, Fabiola Ceballos-Durham ’02

ALUMNAE ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT LETTER

35

Scripps in Bloom You don’t have to live in Claremont to connect with Scripps. President Amy Marcus-Newhall continues her Scripps in Bloom regional events series this spring with gatherings nationwide.

Don’t miss this chance to hear exciting College updates, bond with your Scripps community, and enjoy a special evening in a beautiful location near you.

All events are free! Visit scrippscollege.edu/ events/presidential-regional-tour or scan the QR code to register.

Spring 2026 In Bloom Regional Events: Los Angeles, California January 15 Washington, DC; Boston, Massachusetts; Seattle, Washington March Portland, Oregon April

36

FALL 2025

Save the Date Family Weekend Family Weekend is February 14–15, 2026! Join us for one of our most popular on-campus events designed to build your Scripps community, enjoy quality time with your student, and experience the diverse academic and co-curricular programs the College offers.

Registration opens December 2025. Visit scrippscollege.edu/26familyweekend or scan the QR code for information.

Reunion Weekend Hey, alums! Don't miss the world's most decorated gymnast in history Simone Biles being awarded the Ellen Browning Scripps Medal on May 1 which will kick off the College's yearlong centennial celebration during Reunion Weekend: May 1-3, 2026.

Special early arrival for the 50th reunion Class of 1976 is April 30. Programming includes dinners, tours, class gatherings, live entertainment, speakers, and more.

We’ll be celebrating the classes ending in 1s and 6s and can’t wait to see you back on campus!

Registration opens February 4, 2026. Visit scrippscollege.edu/reunionweekend26 or scan the QR code for information.

SAVE THE DATE

37

38

FALL 2025

Families at the Heart of Scripps Meet Parent Leadership Circle Co-Chairs Renee Tanaka and Kevin Yasumura P’29

Kevin Yasumura and Renee Tanaka, both Northern

Families are indispensable to Scripps’ intimate culture,

California natives, are embracing their new roles as

often serving as informal mentors and connecting students

co-chairs of Scripps College’s Parent Leadership

and alums with career opportunities. PLC members like

Circle (PLC). Now empty nesters in the Bay Area, the

Tanaka and Yasumura also support the College’s mission

couple is finding new ways to stay connected to their

by giving to and helping grow resources like scholarships

children’s journeys, with daughter Kaitlyn joining Scripps’

and internship grants. Last year, family gifts were essential,

Class of 2029 and their son Keith is finishing his first

enabling Scripps to award more than 100 internship

semester at UC Berkeley.

grants—its highest total since the pandemic.

Tanaka, a retired assistant controller, volunteers locally and

As the new PLC co-chairs, Tanaka and Yasumura are eager

serves as board treasurer for her son’s former scouting

to build strong ties with current and incoming families.

troop; Yasumura, an engineering director at Google,

Attending an event—no matter which one—is their tip for

recently joined the Scripps College Board of Trustees. Both

parents and family members who want to gain the full

graduates of large public universities, the couple was

benefit of belonging to the Scripps community.

quickly impressed by Scripps’ close-knit community.

“We encourage families to attend the Scripps 101 events, “Four years of our daughter being in college and part of this

which include information on study abroad programs,

community is a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” they say.

wellness, and the Office of Career Planning & Resources,”

“After learning about the PLC at Family Weekend, we seized

they say. “If you can, go to care packages parties to meet

the opportunity to get involved when Scripps asked for

other parents and support our students—and come to

parent volunteers.”

Family Weekend in February!”

FAMILIES AT THE HEART OF SCRIPPS

39

The Student Lens

By Tara Attanasio ’26

Tara Attanasio ’26 is a senior majoring in art history with a minor in economics. She was the Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery’s Getty Marrow Curatorial Intern and is currently the gallery’s 2025–26 Wilson Arts Administration Intern.

I

n every art history course I’ve taken at Scripps,

internship orientation. By summer’s end, I had not

from European Modernism to History of

only learned how much hard work is involved in an

Photography to Japanese Prints, the Ruth Chandler

exhibition and catalog preparation, but I also got to

Williamson Gallery has been present in the

know Reniel better as an artist and a person.

classroom. Staff encourage students to study and interact with objects in the collections—an

As a Getty-funded and sponsored program, my

experience that inspired me to apply for an

internship came with a plethora of opportunities to

internship to learn about arts operations and

network with arts professionals affiliated with the

potential careers.

Getty, the Broad Museum, the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, and other LA-area

For 10 weeks this summer, I worked at the gallery as

institutions. My favorite memory was going to the

the Getty Marrow Curatorial Intern, assisting on

Natural History Museum for a private tour of their

curatorial projects with artists and industry

gem collections and hold dinosaur bones that were

professionals throughout Los Angeles. I had so much

millions of years old! Today, I regularly keep in

fun gaining hands-on experience in curation,

contact with all my fellow interns from the 5Cs and

collections management, and conservation, and

the Williamson Gallery’s collections management

making lasting friendships and connections.

and conservation team.

One of my main projects was curating a show for

Now in my final year at Scripps, I’m working with

Mount San Antonio Gardens, a local retirement

the gallery as the Wilson Arts Administration

community in Pomona, California. The exhibition

Intern. Funded by the generous support of Jane

features 12 prints from the gallery’s collection,

Hurley Wilson ’64 and Michael G. Wilson, I’m

focusing on the representation of children in 17th to

continuing independent research from my Mount

20th-century woodblock prints. My idea behind this

San Antonio Gardens show alongside new

show stemmed from an assignment in my Japanese

curatorial, collections, and education-centered

Prints course. Developing that paper into a larger

projects. I am especially excited to be involved with

exhibition with descriptive wall labels and

events slated for Scripps’ centennial in 2026.

educational guides, plus just handling the delicate prints, has truly been invaluable and rewarding.

When I meet prospective and current art history majors from Scripps, my advice is the same:

For Scripps College’s 81st Ceramic Annual, A Means

Commit to your studies, show enthusiasm, and be

to an End, I partnered with interdisciplinary artist

open to applying for any opportunity, including

and show curator, Reniel Del Rosario, to learn about

those at the Williamson Gallery. As I engage in

his vision for the show and its 14 featured artists. I

meaningful work every day to prepare for a future

had been aware of his work since taking a ceramics

career in the arts, the gallery remains a place where

course at Scripps my sophomore year, and I was

I feel truly cared for.

starstruck when I first met him during the

40

FALL 2025

A Trip Down Memory Lane 1 2 3

4

5

6

7

8 9

10

Across

tan or picnic

Across

Down

Down

1. Oldest residential building

3 A spot to tan or picnic 1 Oldest residential building 2. Founder of Scripps College 5 A place to sweat or swim 2 Founder of Scripps College 4. Leave your mark 7 Serene study spot with 4 Leave your mark un, on-campus coffeehouse 6. Central gathering spot on campus where tea is served stained glass 6 Central gathering spot on garden on campus, perfect for reflection 8. Blooms in spring 9 Student-run, on-campus campus where tea is served coffeehouse 8 Blooms in spring 10 Historic garden on campus, perfect for reflection sweat or swim

udy spot with stained glass

Down 1. Oldest residential building – Toll Hall / 2. Founder of Scripps College – Ellen / 4. Leave your mark – Graffiti Wall / 6. Central gathering spot on campus where tea is served – Seal Court / 8. Blooms in spring – Rose Garden Across 3. A spot to tan or picnic – Bowling Green / 5. A place to sweat or swim – Tiernan Field House / 7. Serene study spot with stained glass – Denison Library / 9. Student-run, on-campus coffeehouse – Motley / 10. Historic garden on campus, perfect for reflection – Margaret Fowler

Scripps College 1030 Columbia Ave #2004 Claremont, CA 91711

Celebrate 100 Years of Scripps College!

2026–27 Centennial Celebrations

Join us for a yearlong exploration into Scripps’ past, present, and future through thoughtprovoking and inspiring programming and events! Visit scrippscollege.edu/centennial to learn more.