At 乐播传媒 Reunion in June, the Alumni Association gathered to present the annual Alumni Council Awards, recognizing the exceptional career and service achievements of five alumni.

鈥淚t is truly inspiring to witness the transformative power of our alumni as they engage in informed civic action and lead in diverse fields,鈥� said Leah Elsmore 鈥�12, president of the Alumni Association for the 2025-26 academic year. 鈥淭his year鈥檚 recipients reflect the ardor and devotion 鈥� Amore ac Studio 鈥� that define the 乐播传媒 experience, serving as a powerful reminder of the potential within our entire alumni network.鈥�

Peter R. Basiliere 鈥�76 received the Alumni Community Service Award in recognition of his leadership and civic service in Milford, N.H., where he was elected town moderator and school district moderator. After retiring from a career as a leader in additive manufacturing, Basiliere, an active Rotarian, began serving as a volunteer with the American Red Cross. Since then he has joined disaster relief teams in California, Vermont, the Carolinas, and, most recently, Guam, where he oversaw the Red Cross鈥� food operations after a super typhoon hit the island. Basiliere鈥檚 commitment to service and strengthening communities around the country reflects 乐播传媒鈥� ideals of purposeful work and responsible stewardship of the wider world.

Scientist Noah E. Petro 鈥�01 earned the Alumni Professional Recognition Award in recognition of his career and leadership at NASA, where he has worked since 2007. Since 2017, he has been the lab chief of NASA鈥檚 Planetary Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry lab, which conducts research on Mercury, Venus, Earth, and their satellites. He is the project scientist for Artemis III, the 2027 mission that will bring astronauts to the moon鈥檚 surface for the first time since 1972. Petro鈥檚 work at NASA, both highly scientific and serving the general public, exemplifies 乐播传媒鈥� mission of combining intellectual rigor with public good.

Physician Christopher B. Lanoue 鈥�99, P鈥�26 earned the Bruce Stangle 鈥�70, P鈥�96, GP鈥�26 Award for Distinguished Service to the 乐播传媒 Community in recognition of his commitment to supporting 乐播传媒 students and alumni through their medical school journeys. An emergency medicine specialist with MaineHealth, Lanoue has worked closely with the Center for Purposeful Work, mentoring 乐播传媒ies pursuing medical careers, and done so with 鈥済enerosity, warmth, and openness.鈥� His leadership and service, emblematic of 乐播传媒鈥� values, has touched countless people as they themselves prepare for a career of serving others through medicine.

Rachel Ebersole 鈥�17 was presented with the Distinguished Young Alumni Award in recognition of her career as a museum educator and her leadership within the alumni community. Ebersole is the manager of teen programs at The New York Historical museum and library, where she also oversees a digital learning lab and makerspace. Ebersole is a dedicated leader within the New York 乐播传媒 Network, fostering alumni community and hosting events. Her volunteer service to the college is an inspiring example of the transformative power of the young alumni network.

Erica Seifert Plunkett 鈥�86 earned the Helen A. Papaioanou 鈥�49 Distinguished Alumni Service Award, which recognizes alumni who have given exceptional service to the college. Plunkett served as class co-president while at 乐播传媒 and, since graduating, as an Alumni Council member, a dedicated class agent, and a committee leader. Plunkett has also led an accomplished career in research; she spent more than 25 years at the Wellesley Centers for Women supporting research projects studying mental health literacy and mental health in adolescents. She is now a project manager at Brown University鈥檚 Hassenfeld Child Health Innovation Institute, working on projects related to adolescent depression prevention.

The Office of College Advancement also presented Kathryn (Kali) M. Brown 鈥�21, Craig E. Comins 鈥�81, and Meg W. Curran 鈥�11 with 乐播传媒鈥� Best Awards, which recognize dedicated volunteers who have expressed a passion and commitment for advancing the mission of the college.

鈥淥ur alumni continue to do incredible work in their communities and professions, and honoring this year鈥檚 award recipients is a privilege,鈥� said Assistant Vice President for Alumni Engagement Sarah Cameron. 鈥淓very year, these awards remind us of the strength and reach of the 乐播传媒 network, and we look forward to seeing who our community nominates next.鈥�

Want to nominate someone for a 2027 award? Nominating forms are available now. 

Editor’s Note: This article and the above spread appears in the Spring 2026 edition of . See below for a web-friendly version.

David Omasombo 鈥�26 and Chiwer Mayen 鈥�26 have shared many basketball courts across their young lifetimes, including historic Alumni Gym, but the first one stands out in their memories for being the worst, in a technical sense. The surface was uneven, the rims inconsistent, and, most of the time, there were no nets.

鈥淭errible,鈥� says Mayen. But at Lewiston鈥檚 Hillview apartment complex, it was a gathering place for the community, which made it a great place to be introduced to each other and develop a passion for hoops.

鈥淭hirty kids on one court, 30 kids on the other court,鈥� says Mayen, a sociology major.

鈥淛ust pack it and play basketball,鈥� adds Omasombo, also a sociology major.

Omasombo would have been around 11 years old and Mayen 12 when their worlds first collided at the Hillview apartments, and both had already been on long journeys just to get to those basketball courts.

Omasombo was born to Congolese parents in a refugee camp in Tanzania. He arrived in the United States in 2010 via Indianapolis, as part of a church asylum program, and then lived in Nashville. Both American cities were tough on the young Omasombo.

鈥淏ack home, America is often described as the 鈥榩romised land,鈥� like in the Bible,鈥� Omasombo says. 鈥淏ut I didn鈥檛 know any English and I experienced a lot of bullying. It was hard to make friends as the little African kid in the group who dressed differently and spoke Swahili.鈥� Omasombo spent long hours in Nashville working with his second-grade teacher Tee Hassold, learning English in one-on-one sessions after school.

Mayen was born in Jackson, Mississippi, to parents who had come to America from South Sudan. He lived in a house in Jackson built by Habitat for Humanity until he was in third grade. It was, he remembers, a great home, but not a great area. 鈥淭he house had bars on the windows, and I mostly stayed inside,鈥� Mayen says. 鈥淎t the time I didn鈥檛 realize why, but it was for my own safety.鈥� That鈥檚 when his father, who raised him and his sister mostly alone, moved the family to North Carolina. They stayed with family friends for about a year. Then Mayen鈥檚 father heard about opportunities in Lewiston, where there was a growing South Sudanese community. His family drove north to Maine and eventually moved into the Hillview complex.

In Nashville, Omasombo鈥檚 father had also heard about the growing community of African refugees in Maine and felt Lewiston would be a better fit for his family. That kind second grade teacher, Tee Hassold, helped Omasombo鈥檚 family raise funds to move north. 鈥淎ll 10 of us drove to Maine in 2012 in a 16-passenger van with all of our belongings,鈥� Omasombo says. 鈥淭hanks to my teacher and the generosity of the community, we were able to move to Lewiston. I still keep in touch with Mr. Hassold. He is such an amazing human being.鈥�

He was 10 when he arrived in Lewiston. After his first year at Longley Elementary, the Omasombo family moved to the Hillview apartments, and he enrolled at McMahon Elementary. That鈥檚 when the two boys met on the basketball court. The memory is fuzzy but Omasombo is pretty sure about one thing.

鈥淚 think my first impression of Chiwer was that he was a giant,鈥� says Omasombo.

Mayen鈥檚 parents鈥� South Sudanese heritage is in the Dinka tribe, some of the tallest people in the world, and he is no exception. Today he is the tallest player on the Bobcats, standing at 6 feet 9 inches. Omasombo is the shortest player on the team, a full foot shorter than Mayen. But Omasombo had an edge in terms of basketball experience when they met. Growing up in the refugee camp in Tanzania, Omasombo only knew soccer and laughs about how when he first encountered basketball in America he tried to kick the ball through the hoop. Mayen was even newer to basketball. He hadn鈥檛 really liked sports growing up, but basketball started to grow on him.

鈥淚 was so bad at first,鈥� Mayen says. 鈥淎ll I could do was pass the ball. In basketball, height is height, but you really need to have other attributes as well, such as strength. But I love the journey of getting better every day.鈥�

The duo didn鈥檛 share the court in an organized setting until they attended Lewiston High School and started playing on the junior varsity team.

They both made varsity the next year and, under the leadership of then head coach Ronnie Turner, helped lead Lewiston boys basketball to one of their best seasons in recent memory. 鈥淚 was tough on them, but Chiwer was great about taking my coaching to heart, and David would text me to open the gym for extra shots at night after games, and then again in the early morning,鈥� says Turner. 鈥淗e would be working on his game at 5 a.m.鈥�

鈥淩onnie was the perfect role model that we needed to hear from,鈥� Omasombo says. 鈥淗e had grown up in Lewiston and knew what we were going through.鈥�

Turner, whose mother, Tonya Bailey, is the director of 乐播传媒鈥� Student Center for Belonging and Community, also had a sense, a belief, about where this hardworking pair with so much behind them might go next. Men鈥檚 basketball head coach Jon Furbush 鈥�05 hired Turner as an assistant coach in 2021, and Turner made sure to alert him to the duo. 鈥淚 had never had any players from Lewiston High School so I am grateful to Ronnie for helping me get in front of those guys,鈥� Furbush says. 鈥淚 remember watching both of them play and thinking to myself, 鈥楳aybe we have something here.鈥欌��

Mayen played one post-grad season at The Woodstock Academy in Connecticut, so he and Omasombo both enrolled at 乐播传媒 in fall 2022. They are the first Lewiston High School alumni to play men鈥檚 basketball at 乐播传媒 in five decades, since Bruce Campbell 鈥�76.

Not that 乐播传媒 was a completely new environment for either of them when they arrived, as Omasombo and Mayen often snuck into Alumni Gym as kids to get shots up. They鈥檇 play pick-up with 乐播传媒 students. 鈥淎lumni Gym is where I threw down my first real dunk,鈥� Mayen says. But when they first met, the notion of 乐播传媒 as a future alma mater was far from their minds.

Now, Omasombo and Mayen are recent 乐播传媒 grads, after making the most (and then some) of their time on campus. After four years steeped in academics, basketball, internships, community service, jobs, and further friendship, Omasombo and Mayen are well-aware of the example they set for future generations. Mayen was raised by an immigrant father, trying to care for his son and daughter on his own. Omasombo spent the first eight years of his life in the refugee camp before moving to America. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 have the privilege or opportunity to go to school and there were very few resources,鈥� Omasombo says. 鈥淎ll we had was family. But that kept us alive.鈥�

What might not seem possible is possible. It鈥檚 been done. Here they are.

And yet, when you look at what both of them do in the Lewiston community on top of their athletic and academic pursuits at 乐播传媒, it definitely seems impossible for anyone to achieve as much as they do. There just don鈥檛 seem to be enough hours in the day.

鈥淭hey redefine the meaning of hard work,鈥� Furbush says. 鈥淪ome people think they鈥檙e working hard, but if they actually spent some time with either of those guys they would quickly realize, 鈥極h, I am not maximizing my day.鈥欌��

For starters, both serve as substitute teachers in the Lewiston Public Schools.

鈥淚鈥檝e really enjoyed my time with the students and seeing my old teachers,鈥� Mayen says. 鈥淚 try to put myself in the kids鈥� shoes and try to have an impact on their psyche in a positive way.鈥�

Mayen enjoys working with elementary school kids, while Omasombo has worked more with the middle and high schoolers. It鈥檚 not always easy, given the challenges in the aftermath of the pandemic, particularly behavioral issues. 鈥淚 think it helps that the teachers can point to us as examples of people from the Lewiston Public Schools who are doing well. You don鈥檛 have to misbehave or fall into the wrong crowd,鈥� Omasombo says.

Omasombo remembers what it felt like when he was in high school.

Violence in the community was a problem. So when he was a senior at LHS, Omasombo and a friend of his started an after-school club where young men could discuss issues impacting their lives and how to address them.

鈥淥ur goal was not to fix everything. We just wanted to give the boys in our community something we didn鈥檛 have growing up,鈥� Omasombo says. 鈥淲e talked about leadership and not following the crowd. Most importantly, we focused on staying away from potentially dangerous situations that could alter people鈥檚 lives forever.鈥�

In addition to working in the heart of the city, Omasombo is an organic farmer. His dad, whose first name is Omasombo, grew up farming with his father in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The elder Omasombo was able to secure a parcel of land in Lisbon designated for refugees and started OK Community Farm. 鈥淢y dad is an inspiration, getting up at 4 a.m. every day to work on the farm and support our family,鈥漁masombo says. 鈥淲e sell our vegetables down by Kennedy Park. I really look forward to the days that I can go to the farm and help out, working side-by-side with my dad.鈥� Omasombo is entrepreneurial, giving haircuts and starting a pressure-washing business with his girlfriend. Since eighth grade, when he traveled to Texas with his church group to help with hurricane relief, he鈥檚 been deeply vested in community service.

Being there for others makes him feel closer to God. He jumps at every opportunity to pay forward the assistance he鈥檚 gotten through the years. 鈥淚 know what it feels like to need help, and not know how to ask,鈥� Omasombo says. 鈥淚 know what it feels like to feel lost and alone, especially as a kid. I had people step into my life when they didn鈥檛 have to, so I feel the responsibility to be that for someone else.鈥�

Mayen is a direct support professional, providing caregiving services to people with disabilities, working in a group home in Augusta. There is also a national shortage in this field, so it鈥檚 a job that provides Mayen with a lot of opportunities. As a junior at 乐播传媒, he worked overnights, sometimes going directly from basketball games to the group home. He isn鈥檛 doing that anymore, but still works long hours.

He doesn鈥檛 mind. 鈥淲orking as a direct support professional can be hard but it is amazing, eye-opening work,鈥� Mayen says. 鈥淚 love the individuals I work with. One client I work with is a huge fan of Walker, Texas Ranger, so we watch that a lot together.鈥� Mayen also connected with the Harward Center for Community Partnerships at 乐播传媒, where the mission is 鈥渢o weave together campus and community for the enrichment of both student learning and public life.鈥�

Through Harward鈥檚 community work-study program, which gives students who receive Federal Work-Study funds the chance to work off-campus and engage with the community, Mayen secured an internship with The Third Place, a network that connects Maine鈥檚 Black professionals, students, and entrepreneurs to both professional and social opportunities. Mayen collects data on Black professionals in Maine and helps plan various events. It鈥檚 a job that allows him to work remotely, critical when one is as busy as Mayen is every day at 乐播传媒 and beyond. 鈥淢y schedule is very hectic, so it was great to find such a flexible internship through them,鈥� Mayen says.

鈥淒avid and Chiwer are prime examples of what Lewiston is capable of,鈥� says Mohamed Awil, associate director of volunteer programs and community partnerships at the Harward Center and leader of the community work-study program. Like Omasombo and Mayen, he is a Lewiston High School alumnus, having graduated in 2014. He coached track and cross country at LHS while Mayen and Omasombo were there as students. 鈥淚 hope they inspire people to stay in the community,鈥� Awil says. 鈥淥r come back to help uplift us all. I am excited to see the 乐播传媒 and Lewiston connection continue to grow.鈥�

Mayen is driven by the desire to help his dad and his sister. 鈥淢y father raised us as a single dad, and I want to give him all the props in the world,鈥� Mayen says. 鈥淚 work so much because I want to provide for him back in South Sudan, and also my sister, who is figuring things out as a young adult in Mobile, Alabama.鈥�

Their coach, Furbush, is in awe of Mayen and Omasombo鈥檚 values.

鈥淐hiwer and David are maybe the most unselfish people I鈥檝e ever met, not just at 乐播传媒, but in my life. They rarely put themselves first. They鈥檙e always thinking, 鈥楬ow can we give back?鈥欌��

After graduation, Omasombo鈥檚 plan is to go into commercial real estate, while Mayen鈥檚 goal is to continue playing basketball after college. He鈥檚 never been to South Sudan and would like to go in the near future and meet members of his extended family. Likewise, Omasombo hopes to one day be able to go to the Congo for the first time. But for now they are making it in America, despite facing obstacles along the way that most people can鈥檛 imagine.

鈥淭his country provides a lot of opportunities,鈥� Mayen says. 鈥淎merica is great at times, and it鈥檚 terrible at times. But the goal is always upward mobility. Struggle and perseverance is a great teacher. You need to go through difficult times to succeed in this world.鈥�

Mainebiz features Kate Webber 鈥�11, the inaugural curator of the Frances Perkins Center

The publication covered the appointment of Kate Webber 鈥�11 to be the first curator at the Frances Perkins Center, the official philanthropic partner of the Frances Perkins National Monument located in Newcastle, Maine.

, 鈥淜ate Webber brings 15 years of experience working with cultural organizations across Maine.鈥� As the curator, Webber will lead the center鈥檚 education and interpretation team that hopes to expand and modernize educational programming around Francis Perkins, who served as Franklin Delano Roosevelt鈥檚 Secretary of Labor from 1933 to 1945 (the first woman in a U.S. Cabinet) and was instrumental in the creation of Social Security and other vital programs for American workers. The center is open seasonally to visitors until Oct. 11.

Coverage for The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout 鈥�77

In May Penguin Random House published The Things We Never Say, the 11th novel by Elizabeth Strout 鈥�77, to widespread acclaim. In a review for The New York Times, author Maggie Shipstead praises Strout鈥檚 鈥渁ssured鈥� storytelling style and the way that 鈥渟cenes and tangents and remembered incidents gradually coalesce into collective meaning like found objects being woven into a bird鈥檚 nest.鈥� Shipstead concludes the novel, which departs from Strout鈥檚 typical Maine settings to a seaside town in Massachusetts, is worth a second look: 鈥�The Things We Never Say rewards rereading, as the whole story is present, though disguised, from the beginning. Curious details and offbeat observations in the early chapters are pieces of a puzzle, their significance clear only after viewing the whole.鈥�

Reviewing for , Claire Adam writes, 鈥淟et鈥檚 hope that this fine author continues steadily along her path, delivering unto her loyal readers story upon story, gift upon gift.鈥� Other coverage for The Things We Never Say appeared in and .

Coverage of a new role for Carolyn Ryan 鈥�86 in The Contending 

The Contending, a digital magazine, to the board of The Peabody Awards, which 鈥渁nnually honors storytelling that reflects the social issues and emerging voices of the day.鈥� The Peabody Awards board relies on the strength of the board, said Jeffrey Jones, the executive director of the awards program, in order to evolve with 鈥渢he changing landscape that is television, podcasts, radio and interactive content.鈥� 

The announcement describes Ryan, managing editor at The New York Times, as a masthead leader 鈥渄eeply involved in managing the newsroom staff, handling everything from recruiting journalists to shaping lines of coverage. Ryan came to the Times in 2007 to serve as New York political editor and helped lead the paper to a Pulitzer Prize for coverage of the downfall of Governor Eliot Spitzer.鈥�

Ryan Smith 鈥�23 featured in The Boston Globe for record marathon win, qualifying for Olympic trials

Ryan Smith 鈥�23 ran his first marathon on May 24, not only winning and breaking the record for the Vermont City Marathon, but qualifying for the Olympic trails. Smith was featured in the in a story that highlighted his surprise victory. 鈥淸Qualifying] was something I was going to spend 10 years trying to do,鈥� he told the paper. 鈥淣ow I have to raise the bar and think of new ways to challenge myself.鈥� Smith completed the marathon in 2 hours, 15 minutes, and 52 seconds. The qualifying time for Olympic trials is 2:16.

In an interview on NBC5 immediately after crossing the finish line, Smith credits 鈥渃ommunity鈥� and continuing to run with his college friends after graduation. 鈥淚t keeps it fun,鈥� he told . Originally from Connecticut, Smith ran at 乐播传媒 and was captain of the cross-country, indoor track, and outdoor track teams. 

Solo row across the Atlantic by Renee Blacken 鈥�05 featured in The Boston Globe

about her achievement in rowing 3,200 miles from the Canary Islands to Antigua, a journey that took her 65 days. She told the paper it was 鈥渢he longest, wildest, most remote thing I鈥檝e done.鈥�

Blacken was rowing as a part of the Atlantic Dash, an annual event where rowers cross the Atlantic unsupported. She became the fourth American woman in history to make such a crossing, event organizer Billy Taylor told the newspaper.

Blacken undertook the row to raise money for her organization , a nonprofit that funds trauma recovery services in Northern New Hampshire through feats of sport. Blacken told the Globe, 鈥淗aving lived through some traumatic life experiences myself … programs really helped me regain agency on my own healing journey.鈥�

鈥淭here was a lot of time to think … which is why I went out there,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 really see another person face to face after I left until I reached Antigua.鈥�

Blacken was on the women鈥檚 rowing team at 乐播传媒. 

WMUR9 features Chicks on Cliffs founder Hannah Kothari 鈥�26

Hannah Kothari 鈥�26, founder of was interviewed by WMUR Channel 9 in a live segment broadcast in March for Women鈥檚 History Month. The segment aired across New Hampshire and is available on Kothari’s and . She discussed the organization鈥檚 goals to help women build skills and gain confidence in the outdoors. Kothari told host Alanna Flood that her organization began after she posted about her own experience hiking and skiing. Kothari heard from women on TikTok expressing their concerns about safety in the outdoors, along with interest in joining in the adventures with other women.

As a response to those interested in connecting, Kothari created an Instagram account 鈥� 鈥� in November. Kothari told Flood that in its first few months, the organization hosted over 50 events in Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Vermont and New York 鈥� including backcountry skiing, hiking, and snowshoeing. This month, Chicks on Cliffs is hosting its first overnight trips.

鈥淲e want to make sure that people feel welcome in the outdoors,鈥� Kothari told WMUR. We want to make sure that they feel that they have the tools to safely, comfortably, confidently explore everything beautiful that nature has to offer.鈥� Kothari won 乐播传媒鈥� Bobcat Ventures competition this year with a grant of $12,000 to support Chicks on Cliffs.

The Associated Press covers the career of Kim Gamel 鈥�90, dead at 57

The death of Kim Gamel 鈥�90, correspondent in Europe and the Middle East, was reported by her colleagues at , and the wire service鈥檚 coverage was picked up in outlets nationally.

A native of Idaho, Gamel majored in Russian at 乐播传媒 and wrote for The 乐播传媒 Student. She went on to earn a master鈥檚 degree from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.

For the Associated Press, she reported on the Middle East during the height of the Iraq war and the Arab Spring. The AP鈥檚 article noted Gamel鈥檚 storytelling around Shams Karim, a young Iraqi girl who was blinded and disfigured by a 2006 bomb that also killed her mother. Gamel鈥檚 reporting on Karim gained international attention and fundraising that helped Karim receive treatment, according to Robert H. Reid, the AP鈥檚 former Middle East regional editor, who also worked with Gamel later at Stars and Stripes. 鈥淲hatever good things happen to Shams in the future are due to Kim Gamel and her big heart,鈥� Reid told the AP. Gamel, who had lymphoma, was 57.

Many 乐播传媒 faculty have received grants, awards, and other acknowledgements of their strong teaching and research. Earlier, we highlighted two English faculty 鈥� Jessica Anthony and Myronn Hardy 鈥� who received Guggenheim Fellowships and two faculty Fulbright grantees 鈥� Elena Maker Castro and Michel Droge. Read on for more great faculty news. 

Professor of Digital and Computational Studies Carrie Diaz Eaton received support from the Hewlett Foundation. Diaz Eaton leads the Institute for a Racially Just, Inclusive, and Open STEM Education (RIOS Institute). The Hewlett Foundation renewed their support for RIOS with a two-year, $1-million fund for general operating support.

Associate Director of Counseling & Psychological Services Allison Brown was named one of the 2026 Harriett Copher Haynes Leadership Mentoring Award winners. This award, given by the Association for University and College Counseling Center Directors, comes specifically from the Inclusive Excellence and Equity Committee. The award celebrates and supports 鈥渢alented mental health professionals who belong to an identity group that experiences systemic barriers.鈥�

Emily Kane, professor of sociology, was awarded the Periclean Faculty Leader course grant. This program is generously funded by the Mellon Foundation, with additional support from the Eugene M. Lang Foundation. The Periclean Faculty Leader grants support enhancements to an existing course 鈥� in this case, 鈥淪ociology of Gender鈥� 鈥� to 鈥渆mpower students to make positive change in their communities and help revitalize democracy.鈥�

乐播传媒 College has announced the election of three new trustees, effective July 1, 2026.

• Scott F. Higgins 鈥�91, P鈥�27 is a business leader currently working as a senior executive in the commercial insurance industry. 
• Matthew B. Schecter 鈥�89, P鈥�20 is a leader in the life sciences industry whose work has focused on advancing healthcare communication, education, and access.
• Sophia B. “Sophie” Wagener 鈥�17 is an attorney based in California, whose practice is focused on general liability matters and toxic tort, defending plaintiffs in personal injury lawsuits involving exposure to dangerous chemicals and hazardous substances. 

鈥淥n behalf of the board, I want to express how grateful we are to Scott, Matthew, and Sophie for their willingness to share their considerable expertise with 乐播传媒 and for the not insignificant time commitment that comes with supporting the board鈥檚 work,鈥� said Gregory A. Ehret 鈥�91, P鈥�23, chair of the 乐播传媒 College Board of Trustees. 鈥淭hey join an incredibly dedicated group of trustees, and I know each of them will bring valuable experiences and perspective to the board. I look forward to working with them to help ensure 乐播传媒 is fulfilling its mission.鈥� 

The new trustees will serve five-year terms that extend to June 30, 2031.

Scott F. Higgins 鈥�91, P鈥�27

Scott Higgins is a business leader currently working as a senior executive in the commercial insurance industry. 

Higgins is the executive vice president for Burns & Wilcox, overseeing the firm鈥檚 North American commercial insurance division. He executes Burns & Wilcox鈥檚 comprehensive strategy and maximizes client and market relationships.

Prior to joining Burns & Wilcox, Higgins worked for Travelers for more than 30 years. He held a variety of roles at the insurance giant, working in nearly every aspect of North American operations and holding the title of executive vice president and president of Middle Market and National Property for Travelers.

At 乐播传媒, Higgins majored in political science. A football player, he was a recipient of the Robert P.  Schmidt Award, given to a teammate who demonstrates physical and mental courage while bringing honor and achievement to themselves and their team. He earned an MBA from the Lally School of Management at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI). As a member of the alumni community, Higgins has served as a class agent and been an Alumni in Admission volunteer. He continues to work closely with other football alumni.

Higgins鈥� volunteer work outside of 乐播传媒 includes a deep commitment to Vista Life Innovations, a nonprofit that provides programs and services to empower individuals with disabilities to achieve personal success and independence.

Higgins and his wife Heather P鈥�27 reside in Connecticut and are the parents of Karly and Cole 鈥�27, a politics major with a minor in history. Cole is a member of the football team. Scott’s mother Althea Curtis Higgins 鈥�70 also attended 乐播传媒.

Matthew B. Schecter 鈥�89, P鈥�20

Matthew B. Schecter is the founder and chief executive officer of The Lockwood Group, a global pharmaceutical services organization specializing in medical communications, market access, regulatory affairs, and clinical consulting. Founded in 2007, The Lockwood Group employs over 800 professionals worldwide.  In 2021, Ares Management made a strategic investment in the company to support its continued growth and expansion.

During a 30-year career in the life sciences industry, Schecter has built and led organizations dedicated to advancing healthcare communication, education, and access. 

At 乐播传媒, Schecter majored in political science and excelled at track and field. He was a three-time NCAA All-American, NCAA national champion, and still holds the college鈥檚 high jump record. He is a member of the College Key. As an alumnus, he served on his 25th Reunion committee, co-chaired his 35th Reunion gift committee, and has volunteered as a class agent and Alumni in Admission representative.

Schecter is active in several civic and philanthropic organizations, including Children of Fallen Patriots, which supports the families of fallen service members and helps their children pursue higher education. 

He and his wife Jill P鈥�20 live in Palm Beach, Fla. They have two adult children, Zachary and Samantha 鈥�20. Samantha earned a degree in neuroscience from 乐播传媒 and works as a senior marketing coordinator at Kohn Pedersen Fox in New York. Schecter鈥檚 brother, Michael Schecter ’86, is executive vice president, general counsel and chief administrative officer for Morgan Properties. Michael is married to Sharon Jane Curry ’88, a lactation consultant at Sibley Memorial Hospital.

Sophia B. “Sophie” Wagener 鈥�17

Sophie Wagener is an attorney working as an associate at California-based Walsworth LLP. Her practice focuses on general liability and toxic tort litigation 鈥� complex cases involving exposure to harmful substances. It鈥檚 work that calls on both her scientific background and legal precision.

Before joining Walsworth, Wagener gained hands-on litigation experience serving as second chair in two civil jury trials and helping defend clients across a broad spectrum of cases, including professional, product, and premises liability. During law school, she interned with a nonprofit supporting cancer patients, in-house at a healthcare company, at the city attorney鈥檚 office, and at the United States District Court for the Southern District of California. 

At 乐播传媒, Wagener pursued biology with a minor in public health and a concentration in Asian studies 鈥� an academic combination that reflects her wide-ranging interests and love of interdisciplinary thinking. In 2023, she earned her JD from the University of San Diego School of Law, magna cum laude, and is a member of the Order of the Coif.

Wagener is an active member of the alumni community who looks forward to annual reunion weekends with her close-knit circle of 乐播传媒 friends. Her commitment to the college extends beyond participation 鈥� just one year after graduating, Wagener and her parents, Shaw B. Wagener and Debbie J. Heitz, established the Wagener Family Professorship at 乐播传媒, dedicated to advancing equity and inclusion in STEM. Today, April Horton carries that mission forward as the Wagener Family Professor of Equity and Inclusion in STEM.

Unforgettable moments flooded May and June at 乐播传媒 as the academic year closed. But our hearts were open. Revisit just a few of the experiences of faculty, students, staff 鈥� and alumni and parents 鈥� in this concluding edition of This Month at 乐播传媒.

Aspirations

乐播传媒 welcomes a group of Lewiston eighth graders for the college鈥檚 Aspiration Day in May. Each year, a series of Aspiration Days aims to introduce the students to potential post-high school pathways, including college, career, and trade opportunities. 乐播传媒鈥� Aspirations Club organizes the visits and additional mentorship efforts in the community, in conjunction with the Harward Center for Community Partnerships.

Sixteen Fulbrighters

This spring, 乐播传媒 received an abundance of Fulbright Student international exchange awards, and 16 recent 乐播传媒 alumni will soon set off for destinations around the world. Celebrating the good news in May (from left) are Fulbright Student awardees from the Class of 2026 Katie Heumann, Aiman Hasan, Jacqueline Coraci, Charles 鈥淟ee鈥� Anderson, Wilson Smith, Ava Elghanayan, Lucy Sterba, Evelyn Marchand, Sydney Wilmot, Ganga Corsaro, Kyra Chen Lie Friederich, Luciana Zaiet, and Blessing Ajayi. At front is Director of National Fellowships and Lecturer in English Robert Strong. Three of this year鈥檚 Fulbright awardees Maple Buescher 鈥�25, Eileen Dockery 鈥�26, and Alexander Duchin 鈥�26, are not pictured.

Clayton Unveiling

In May, 乐播传媒 President Garry W. Jenkins, at left, and Mike Bonney 鈥�80 unveil a portrait of Clayton Spencer, Jenkins鈥� predecessor and the eighth president of 乐播传媒 College, during a ceremony in Bonney Science Center. The portrait, by Massachusetts-based artist Mary Minifie, hangs in Bonney鈥檚 first-floor Zhang Living Room.

Softball鈥檚 Golden Anniversary

In Commons鈥� Fireplace Lounge on May 2, 乐播传媒 softball players and coaches, past and present, gather for the program’s 50th anniversary celebration.

Exiting Through the Gift Shop

From left, Caroline McCarthy 鈥�26, Jacobo Garces-Ramirez 鈥�26, and Rosina Makwabe 鈥�26 run a pop-up gift shop in the Olin Arts Center Lobby on May 19. The gift shop was the culmination of the Short Term course 鈥淓xit Through the Gift Shop,鈥� taught by Visiting Assistant Professor of Art and Visual Culture Erin Nolan, during which students designed and built a selection of products based on student artwork.

Row On

Led by coxswain Sara Maquera 鈥�28 of Glenview, Ill., the men’s varsity four races in the Marlow Regatta at Dorney Lake, Eton, England, as they prepare for the Royal Henley Regatta, the first time the 乐播传媒 rowing program has traveled 鈥渁cross the pond鈥� to compete since 2009. From left to right are Maquera, John Cleary 鈥�28, Bryce Ahn 鈥�29, Thomas Pacinda 鈥�28, and Kelly McKaige 鈥�26.

Home Win

Men鈥檚 lacrosse players huddle during a May 8 NCAA tournament game against SUNY Cortland, which they won 17-9.

Celebrating Theses, Together

From left, Class of 2026 graduates and best friends since the first week at 乐播传媒, Kayleigh Flaherty, Lauren Cockrill, and Mallory Johnson celebrate their theses bindings together on May 12. Their majors were, respectively, East Asian studies and biology, biochemistry, and sociology.

Breaking Ground for Stoddard

乐播传媒 President Garry W. Jenkins, at center, led the May 1 groundbreaking ceremony for the Stoddard Fitness and Well-Being Center, slated to open in late 2027. Jenkins was joined by many 乐播传媒 community members, including Jon W. Brayshaw 鈥�90, P鈥�25 and Jocelyn Stoddard Brayshaw 鈥�88, P鈥�25, whose $10 million gift was instrumental in bringing this much-anticipated project to fruition.

Glad to Be a Grad

Aydan Gedeon-Hope 鈥�26, second from right, celebrates his graduation during the 乐播传媒 Senior Student-Athlete Reception in May. Gedeon-Hope was a multi-sport Bobcat 鈥� a sprinter on the track and field team and a basketball player.

Illuminating Coram

In Coram Library鈥檚 IMStudios in May, Eileen Dockery 鈥�26 installs lanterns for her senior thesis exhibition, 鈥淏lueprints of Future Memories.鈥� The immersive lantern installation was the culmination of an independent study in cyanotype printmaking that explored memory and photography connected to Dockery鈥檚 recollections of Vietnam, where she lived as a young girl.

Lindos Earns NCAA Honors

Alisandra Lindos 鈥�29 of Westbrook, Maine, competes in the triple jump during the NCAA Championships in La Crosse, Wis., in May. Lindos took home 15th place in the event, earning second team All-America honors. 

Hello Free Laundry

From left, Aleisha Martinez Sandoval 鈥�26, Trinity Monstwillo 鈥�26, Mohammad Zayd 鈥�27, and Zachariah Richards 鈥�26 gather in May to celebrate the advent of free laundry for all 乐播传媒 students, a change slated for Fall 2026. The four campaigned for the cause throughout their time at 乐播传媒.

Hot Off the Press

Drafts of the newly redesigned 乐播传媒 Magazine sit ready for proofing at Penmor Lithographers, a Lewiston printing company and longtime partner of 乐播传媒 Communications and Marketing.

Employee Enrichment

Leana Am谩ez, left, vice president for equity and inclusion, chats with Dana Bosse, talent acquisition specialist, during the Front Porch Perk-Up, an event hosted by Human Resources as part of 乐播传媒鈥� June Employee Enrichment Week.

Scratch 鈥橢m Cats

On May 5, 乐播传媒 athletes, coaches, and staff gather in Merrill Gymnasium for the 2026 CATSBYS, 乐播传媒 Athletics鈥� annual celebration of the year鈥檚 standout athletic performances.

Exhibition Loading…

On June 10, Kenny Rosen installs frames in the 乐播传媒 Museum of Art ahead of the opening of Phyllis Graber Jensen: Picture Stories. The exhibition, on display until Sept. 19, chronicles the prolific work of Graber Jensen, the college鈥檚 longtime director of photography and video, across more than 50 years, including the 31 she has spent at 乐播传媒.

Golf Championship

Emma Lavallee 鈥�29 of Chestnut Hill, Mass., competes at the NESCAC Championships in May in Williamstown, Mass. Lavallee turned in the best hole of the tournament for the Bobcats, eagling the par-5 18th hole on Sunday, with the Bobcats ultimately finishing 8th overall. 

Thesis Joy

Enathe Muhawenimana 鈥�26, center, who double majored in biochemistry and French and Francophone studies, poses with friends after binding her two theses. From left, there鈥檚 Deborah Hirwa Asiimwe 鈥�28; Ornella Nibasumba, who works in Commons; Enathe; Addy Stephane Ntwali, a first-year student at Boston College; and Solomon Kayobotsi 鈥�29.

Champions Again

Greta Oberdiek 鈥�28 of Merion Station, Penn., exalts after the women鈥檚 rowing team secures their eighth NESCAC title at the National Invitational Rowing Championship on May 10 in Worcester, Mass.

SCBC Celebration

乐播传媒 President Garry W. Jenkins, standing at right, and his husband Jon J. Lee greet 乐播传媒 community members during the Student Center for Belonging and Community Senior Celebration Dinner.

Preparing the Historic Quad

In the days before 乐播传媒鈥� 160th Commencement in May, Facility Services set up chairs on the Historic Quad facing Coram Library. It鈥檚 a quiet scene, but soon the Quad would be bustling with soon-to-be-grads, their family and friends, and 乐播传媒 and Lewiston community members.

鈥楤e You, Bravely鈥�

On May 30, Professor of Rhetoric, Film, and Screen Studies Stephanie Kelley-Romano gives the Baccalaureate Address to the Class of 2026. Candidly sharing her own struggle with, then recovery from, substance abuse as a student, Kelley-Romano offered poignant advice about being oneself鈥檚 and persevering through life鈥檚 low points.

Doggedly in Search of Diplomas

A dog sporting a 乐播传媒 bandana strolls on campus ahead of the 160th Commencement on Sunday, May 31.

And They鈥檙e Off

In one of their final group activities before becoming alumni, graduating seniors from the Class of 2026 gather on Garcelon Field for their senior photo.

Commencement Festivities

乐播传媒鈥� 160th Commencement speaker Deborah Harkness, center, prepares to process into the ceremony on Alumni Walk, with 乐播传媒 President Garry W. Jenkins at her right. In her Commencement address, Harkness, professor emerita of history at the University of Southern California and bestselling author of the All Souls series, used the pursuit of alchemy as a metaphor for striving to achieve one鈥檚 鈥済reat work,鈥� even in difficult circumstances.

They Did It!

Issac Nimako 鈥�26, a politics and studio art double major, cheers while crossing the Coram Library stage at Commencement.

The New Maine MILL

Tristan Seavey 鈥�26, left, an intern at Lewiston鈥檚 Maine Museum of Innovation, Labor, and Learning (Maine MILL), and Maine MILL Executive Director Rachel Ferrante 鈥�10 walk around the museum鈥檚 new building. The larger space with enhanced facilities for education, exhibitions, and community-building opens to the public on June 27.

Delicious Arrangements

乐播传媒 community members enjoy snacks during 鈥淭he Delicious World of Charcuterie,鈥� a course on arranging charcuterie boards offered to staff during Employee Enrichment Week.

Jenkins On the Court

乐播传媒 President Garry W. Jenkins enjoys a game of pickleball in Merrill Gymnasium during 乐播传媒鈥� Enrichment Week. After that morning鈥檚 annual 5K was canceled due to poor weather conditions, 乐播传媒 pivoted to a Community Movement Hour in Merrill including cornhole, ladder golf, a cardio dance session, and boot camp exercises.

Together Again

乐播传媒 Reunion brought together 乐播传媒ies present and past 鈥� and, considering their children who tagged along, maybe even future 鈥� for a weekend of reminiscing and building new memories together. Weekend activities included a lobster bake, a 5K, and visits to sites around campus and Lewiston.

When Jonah Yaffe 鈥�26 of Dallas got a serious concussion this spring, his activities were immediately limited. Luckily, he had a low-impact but very sweet new hobby that took up enormous amounts of time: boiling maple tree sap into syrup.

鈥淚 couldn’t do anything else,鈥� Yaffe said. 鈥淚 could just sit there. It’s a very passive activity.鈥�

And Yaffe had a lot of sap that he needed to boil. This past winter semester, Yaffe and the 乐播传媒 Maple Syrup Club earned a 乐播传媒 Green Grant to bolster the club鈥檚 on-campus sugaring efforts. They produced seven caramel-colored gallons of maple syrup from 乐播传媒 trees and with 乐播传媒 people. 

Through the annual Green Grants program, the college offers grants of up to $2,000 to campus sustainability projects led by students, faculty, or staff. In addition to Yaffe鈥檚 project, four other projects earned Green Grants this year:

• An effort to revamp the college鈥檚 green bike fleet led by EcoReps 鈥� students who work to promote environmentally responsible behavior on campus 鈥� Liza Bell 鈥�26 of Putney, Vt., and Greta Hendrickson 鈥�28 of Duluth, Minn.
• A collaboration with the on-campus cafe Le Ronj to offer discounts for students who bring disposable cups, led by the 乐播传媒 Environmental Coalition
• An initiative to increase recycling education and materials around campus led by EcoReps Caroline Mayer 鈥�26 of Wolfeboro, N.H., and Sarah Smith 鈥�26 of Severna Park, Md.
• An initiative to install native trees around the 乐播传媒 Garden to prevent wind and noise pollution by Riley Baker 鈥�26 of Northfield, Ill., and Yaffe

鈥淲hat’s so unique about the Green Grants program is that it puts the stewardship of campus sustainability in the hands of the students themselves,鈥� said Assistant Director of Sustainability Tom Twist. 鈥淭hey are empowered to be the project managers for their own sustainability ideas, and to see a project through from its original spark of an idea, through all the detailed minutiae, to its final completion. Having the students shepherd a project through this entire arc transforms not only the campus, but the student as well.鈥�

The idea for the Maple Syrup Club originated from Yaffe鈥檚 work as a student groundskeeper and EcoRep. Yaffe, an environmental studies major, had spent many hours working in the 乐播传媒 Garden 鈥� a.k.a the PLOT 鈥� and began wondering if it would be possible to tap the garden鈥檚 dozens of maple trees. 

When he posed the question to Facility Services staff, whom he鈥檇 come to know well across his years working outside, they encouraged him to pursue the idea. Yaffe joined Jeremy Lavertu, a carpenter with Facility Services, for a University of Maine workshop on tapping maple trees to learn the basics of sugaring, then founded the club with Angus Carter 鈥�25 during the 2024-25 academic year.

That first winter, the Maple Syrup Club collected 10 gallons of sap from 10 trees in the PLOT. But the club lacked the funds they needed to purchase the proper equipment for filtration and boiling, key steps of the sugaring process that turn sap, which is 98 percent water and 2 percent sugar, into syrup. Yaffe had to complete the boiling process in Vermont with a friend鈥檚 home evaporator, a wood stove that can filter and boil large quantities of sap.

Those 10 gallons of sap boiled down into two mason jars worth of syrup. The experience was fun, but Yaffe had his eye on something bigger for the following winter that would not only generate more syrup but also bring together students, faculty, and staff.

To achieve that goal, he鈥檇 need proper technology and machinery, hence his application for a Green Grant. He used the awarded funds to purchase an evaporator, taps for the trees, and buckets to collect sap. After extensive conversations with Facility Services and the City of Lewiston about safely installing the evaporator, the club installed the stove outside of Cutten Maintenance Center. 

Haskel McKee-Seegal 鈥�29 of Honolulu, a friend of Yaffe鈥檚 from the Orange Whip Ultimate frisbee team, became Yaffe鈥檚 co-conspirator in this season鈥檚 sugaring efforts. The two of them, with the help of a dozen or so other dedicated club members, collected 180 gallons of sap from 30 maple trees behind Leahey Field, which they stored in metal drums outside of Cutten.

鈥淭he Green Grant really helped us get off the ground,鈥� Yaffe said. 鈥淲e couldn’t have done anything without it.鈥�

Equally vital were community members. Mike Walsh, a project manager with Facility Services, helped students with logistical and scientific components. Having first learned how to tap trees as a Boy Scout growing up in Maine, Walsh now produces gallons of syrup each year on his 50-acre property in Poland, Maine. He donated 150 gallons of his own sap to the students, nearly doubling their supply. 

鈥淚 had extra this year,鈥� Walsh said. 鈥淚 could have boiled it myself, but they were having such a good time. I said, 鈥榊ou know what? I will just load it up in the truck and bring it in.鈥欌��

Wood for the 乐播传媒 evaporator came from Walsh and grounds and maintenance workers Ian Brownlie, Amy Ray, and Nate Calden. Projects like this help demonstrate to students the vital, sometimes unseen role that staff play on campus, Walsh said.

鈥淲e have a lot of our own talents, and a lot of us want to give back to the student base,鈥� Walsh said. 

Professor of Sociology and Associate Dean of the Faculty Mike Rocque donated several gallons from trees tapped around his home in Litchfield, Maine. Sugaring was new to him, and he enjoyed learning alongside the students and staff.

鈥淚 really like that part of engaging in the 乐播传媒 community, where people aren’t in their silos, but we’re all together and learn about what people do across the different areas on the campus,鈥� Rocque said.

After running those 300-plus gallons of pure tree sap through another piece of equipment called a reverse osmosis system, which served as a filter, the students were left with about 150 gallons of concentrated sap. Then, they boiled on the evaporator. And boiled, until all that sap was distilled into seven gallons of pure maple syrup.

鈥淗askel and I spent many a night in the very cold sitting by the wood stove, boiling sap,鈥� Yaffe said.

Yaffe and McKee-Seegal, an earth and climate sciences major, put in the most hours beside the evaporator, but they weren鈥檛 alone. Other club members took shifts, and Facility Services staff often stopped by.

鈥淭hey were all super, super interested, super excited to talk with us and learn about the process,鈥� McKee-Seegal said.

In addition to bringing together the 乐播传媒 community, another one of the club鈥檚 goals was to help students engage with Maine鈥檚 nature and culture through hands-on learning. 

It worked.鈥淵ou feel a different way after doing something with your hands all day rather than doing something on your computer,鈥� Jaffe said

Each club member who spent time at the evaporator went home with syrup. Then, during the Short Term Earth Day celebration, Yaffe and McKee-Seegal gave away Commons ice cream cones drizzled with their very own 乐播传媒 maple syrup. The students also gave a couple of jars to Facility Services staff, who stored their stash in the Cutten breakroom for sweetening coffee. 

鈥淭hat was one of my favorite parts, giving away the syrup and saying, 鈥楾his came from 乐播传媒 trees,鈥欌�� Yaffe said. 

After graduating in May, Yaffe headed to Hiram, Maine, for his summer job working at Ossipee Valley Music Festival. McKee-Seegal plans to spend the winter 2027 semester abroad. But the two say that Maple Syrup Club will keep sugaring next winter under the leadership of several other club members, continuing the club鈥檚 goal of bringing together the 乐播传媒 community while learning about Maine鈥檚 nature and culture. 

On June 12, with Reunion in full swing, Phyllis Graber Jensen, the college鈥檚 longtime director of photography and video, did something highly unusual. She showed up at a 乐播传媒 College event without any camera, save the one on her cell phone, and she did not make a single image.

That鈥檚 because the event was the opening of the 乐播传媒 College Museum of Art鈥檚 exhibition, Phyllis Graber Jensen: Picture Stories, which will be up through Sept. 19. Curated by museum Director Carrie Cushman, this is a true retrospective of Graber Jensen鈥檚 work, spanning her time from student photographer to staff photographer at the Boston Herald and then her 31 years in Maine at 乐播传媒. 

The exhibition takes up the entire first floor of the museum, and on Friday evening, fans of Graber Jensen鈥檚 work, from alumni (including former student workers) to faculty and staff, as well as her family, filled the space to capacity.

Speaking to the audience, Graber Jensen praised the 鈥渋magination and vision鈥� of Cushman, who joined 乐播传媒 in August 2025 and took on the retrospective as the first exhibit she would curate. 

鈥淚t鈥檚 a gift and a privilege to have someone of such immense talents and kindness, someone who barely knew me and had just arrived on the scene, take such an interest in offering context and insight to the work I produced during the last 50-plus years of my life,鈥� Graber Jensen said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 lots of ground to cover in a very short period of time. Yet she persevered, and here we are.鈥�

There are 91 objects on display, including 51 newly printed and archival photographs, and ephemera such as contact sheets, cameras, and newspapers from Graber Jensen鈥檚 time as a photojournalist. And of course, many, many photographs from her time at 乐播传媒.

鈥淲orking with Phyllis on this show has meant that I have gotten a crash course on the past 31 years of 乐播传媒 history, but also a really deep understanding of the spirit of this place, of what makes 乐播传媒 乐播传媒,鈥� Cushman told the gathered crowd. Every photograph contains a story, she said, and, 鈥淚 encourage you to pick one out, and ask Phyllis tonight, and she鈥檒l be able to recall, without hesitation, who is in the photo, what they taught, where they worked, what they majored in, their graduation years! This in addition to all the details that led to the making of the photo.鈥�

That recall is a testament to her intellect and her fortitude on the job, Cushman said, 鈥渂ut also to the tremendous amount of care that she takes with her work.鈥�

Cushman鈥檚 scholarly essay on Graber Jensen鈥檚 work serves as the introduction to the book accompanying Picture Stories (available for purchase at the museum and at the 乐播传媒 College Store) and an assessment of her work in the medium. 

In it she writes, 鈥淚 have not heard Phyllis describe herself as an artist, but she is keenly aware of her responsibility as a maker of visual material (as I believe all great artists should be), and she approaches that responsibility with a creative spirit and relentless curiosity that positions the photographic medium as an essential mode of storytelling, inquiry, and community building 鈥� photography at its best.鈥� 

Graber Jensen鈥檚 earliest forays into the medium include photographing her brother Norman, who, when they were children, was often mistaken for her (and vice versa) and her documentation of the women鈥檚 liberation movement in Denmark in 1975 when she was a Cornell undergraduate studying abroad. She continued to make photographs during  her time in graduate school for journalism at Boston University, and then as a stringer for the Associated Press. About 15 images in the exhibit come from Graber Jensen鈥檚 eight years as a staff photographer at the Boston Herald.

There is also a biographical section that chronicles her time as an early 鈥� pre-Title IX 鈥� advocate for girls and women in sport when she was just a teenager, wanting to play tennis competitively. During the 50th anniversary of Title IX, a New York Times reporter wrote about Graber Jensen鈥檚 fierce determination to challenge the status quo in a story headlined .

Graber Jensen joined 乐播传媒 in 1995 as a staff writer but by 2002 was working as a photographer and multimedia producer,聽 just as the social media age was taking off.聽 In the years since, Graber Jensen, more than any other person, has been responsible for creating, nurturing, and stewarding the college鈥檚 visual identity, a role she honors with a dedication that extends well beyond an eight-hour workday.聽 On campus, she is too recognizable 鈥� and beloved by students 鈥斅� to truly melt into the background the way she might like, but her methods are purely journalistic and her energy unmatched by anything but the care she brings to an assignment.聽

For Cushman, a scholar who has specialized in Japanese art and worked extensively in photography, it鈥檚 evident that Graber Jensen came to her profession with an intuitive approach to putting subjects at ease. In the accompanying book, Cushman writes that Graber Jensen鈥檚 quiet assurance and empathy result in 鈥渋mages that feel genuinely of their moment.鈥�

鈥淗ere鈥檚 what I have found,鈥� Graber Jensen said to the crowd gathered at the museum Friday night, telling them she was paraphrasing documentary photographer Eve Arnold. 鈥淚f a photographer brings compassion and curiosity to an assignment, that鈥檚 a lot. It鈥檚 those qualities, rather than the camera, that lead to a trust between photographer and subject and yield strong photographs. I hope that the framed ones on these walls reflect some of that compassion and curiosity. Call it an obsession, but it鈥檚 really a love story with 乐播传媒 and its community from which I hope never to recover.鈥�

Graber Jensen plans to retire late this summer. 

Graber Jensen credits former Vice President of Communications and Public Affairs Sean Findlen 鈥�99, who was her supervisor until 2022, with planting the seed for the exhibition. 鈥淎t one point, before he left, he said 鈥業鈥檇 love to see you have an exhibit at the museum,鈥欌�� Graber Jensen remembers. Findlen remembers that he might have even said it would be a 鈥渃rime鈥� if such an exhibition didn鈥檛 happen.

鈥淧hyllis鈥� work reflects the soul of the college and its many facets, contours, and angles,鈥� Findlen said. 鈥淪he has an eye that sees the heart of any situation and the skill that brings it to life in a picture. She鈥檚 simply the best of the best.鈥�

The exhibition is made possible with funding from the Jane Costello Wellehan Endowment Fund, the Dorothy Stiles Blankfort 鈥�31 Fund, the Alex Katz Foundation, and 乐播传媒 Arts Collaborative.

On June 5, the 乐播传媒 community gathered at the Garcelon Field flagpole for its annual Pride flag-raising ceremony, celebrating Pride Month with joy, reflection, and a renewed commitment to the fight for LGBTQ+ rights. During the event, Anthony Del Real, assistant director of LGBTQ+ programs at 乐播传媒鈥� Student Center for Belonging and Community, offered opening remarks. Community members shared personal stories highlighting the small yet meaningful steps the campus community can take to support LGBTQ+ people. 

Del Real provided historical context for contemporary Pride Month celebrations, and their relationship聽to the Stonewall Riots. On the early morning of June 28, 1969, police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in Greenwich Village. Raids on gay gathering places were habitual practices for the police, but on this date, they met with resistance from a fed up queer community and the demonstrations grew. Eventually, Del Ray said, this led to聽鈥渕ore organized and concrete efforts to create spaces for queer people to be present and not fear being arrested for being authentically themselves.鈥� Pride Month commemorates the anniversary of the Stonewall Riots.聽

Del Real highlighted the advocacy and efforts of Marsha P. Johnson, who will be celebrated at NYC Pride later this month. The New York City Pride gathering and parade is officially themed “For All of Us,” drawing inspiration from Johnson鈥檚 work. Johnson was a transgender Black activist, sex worker, and performer who co-founded STAR House, which聽provided food and shelter for transgender youth beginning in 1970. After years of advocacy, frequently focused on supporting those impacted by the HIV/AIDS epidemic, Johnson was found dead 鈥� presumably murdered 鈥� in 1992. Despite the harm, violence, and prejudice that she experienced, Johnson鈥檚 actions demonstrated her commitment to 鈥渓ove, home, and justice for her community,鈥� Del Real said.聽

The threats to the LBGTQ+ community are heightened currently, Del Real said, including executive orders that reverse rights. 鈥淚t is unfair,鈥� Del Real said, 鈥渂ut I ask each of us to continue to stay vigilant and look out for one another.鈥�  

Pride celebrations like the 乐播传媒 flag-raising are an annual reminder of the actions of our LGBTQ+ ancestors to fight for and establish the rights we have today, Del Real said in closing. 

鈥淭here is no one symbol, action, identity, that can serve as the beacon to bring pride for all. However, it is my hope that even in moments like this, that this flag can serve as a symbol for a queer person who cannot be 鈥榦ut鈥� but can still know that they matter. It is in these moments that we continue the work of Marsha P. Johnson, and so many other queer ancestors in the fight for pride for all.鈥� 

During Short Term, a number of 乐播传媒 community members received letters in envelopes marked only with the word 鈥淚NVITATION.鈥�

鈥淕reetings,鈥� each message began. 鈥淭he time is almost here.鈥�

The signature was mysterious: 鈥淓TTGS.鈥� At the same time, containing those same five letters started making cryptic posts. Strange event invitations popped up on students鈥� Google calendars. A smattering of punch cards quietly appeared inside vinyl table displays in Commons.

Those who followed the clues all ended up in the same place: Olin Arts Center, home of the 乐播传媒 Museum of Art. 

For three days this May, the Olin lobby shape-shifted into a first for 乐播传媒, a pop-up museum gift shop. Students in 鈥淓xit Through the Gift Shop,鈥� a Short Term course taught by Visiting Assistant Professor of Art and Visual Culture Erin Nolan, created and ran the gift shop, with help from the VizLab, Post and Print, and the museum itself. 

In three-and-a-half weeks, the 13 students designed and brought to life a collection of products 鈥� including 3D-printed puzzles, laser-cut keychains, and posters 鈥� inspired by student works in the senior art thesis exhibition, 鈥淎t the Table,鈥� which was on display at the Museum of Art through May 31. 

鈥淚t’s clear that they’ve put so much work and thought into all the products and how they relate to the art,鈥� said gift shop customer Jade Pierce 鈥�27 of Dracut, Mass. 鈥淭hat’s super cool.鈥�

Even though the gift shop attracted many customers, no money was exchanged. The purpose of the gift shop was never to generate revenue, Nolan explained. 

She originally had the idea for the shop when students in another course, 鈥淒ecolonizing the Museum,鈥� posed questions about commodification in museum shops. Nolan, who spent several years working in museums, wondered: Could she teach a course on museum gift shops? As a 鈥渕icrocosm鈥� of a museum, a gift shop would be a fitting place, she thought, to interrogate many of the ideas her courses explore, including neutrality, accessibility, and power in museums.

鈥淚t was initially a joke,鈥� Nolan said. 鈥淎nd then the more I thought about it, it seemed like a possibility, like a different kind of experiential, immersive class.鈥�

With the senior art thesis exhibition on display at the 乐播传媒 Museum of Art, Nolan thought that Short Term would be the perfect time for the course. In order to encourage genuine engagement with the art and museum installation, the shop would sell at least one item inspired by each student in the senior thesis show, Nolan decided, and its currency would be stamps on punch cards, with customers earning a stamp each time they visited the senior thesis exhibition. Nolan derived the title from iconic and elusive street artist Banksy, who directed a documentary also named Exit Through the Gift Shop and whose work has often interrogated the relationship between money and art.

鈥淚 liked the idea of activating student work, especially living artists in the 乐播传媒 community. To celebrate studio practice and the department鈥檚 studio was exciting, but it was also necessary to  think about the responsibility and care that comes with dealing with student artwork,鈥� Nolan said.

A lot of hands-on work would have to be done to make Nolan鈥檚 vision into a reality. Though 鈥淓xit Through the Gift Shop鈥� was an art and visual culture course, she wanted it to function more like a scientific laboratory, where students leaned on knowledge gleaned from readings and classroom discussion to conduct successful experiments. The academic demographic of the class lent itself well to this; students represented three different class years and a variety of majors, including biology, psychology, music, physics, history, and theater.

Nolan spent months organizing the logistics of the course, and when Short Term began, she and her students hit the ground running. They visited the senior thesis exhibition, dove into texts on museums and gift shops, and brainstormed a flurry of products based on student artwork.

Then they headed to the VizLab, a makerspace in Coram Library with technology like 3D printing and laser cutting, to bring their ideas to life. The VizLab鈥檚 senior academic technology consultants, Branden Rush and Dale Rothenberg, supported their process, including helping students with computer-aided design and searching through online repositories for design templates. One of the VizLab鈥檚 goals, Rush said, is to be open and accessible to anyone on campus. 

鈥淎 lot of times they’re surprised about what’s even possible. 鈥� Even if they did 3D printing in a different institution or in high school or something, these are ways of modifying and getting creative that weren’t possible before,鈥� Rush said.

The VizLab frequently collaborates with clubs and courses, especially during Short Term. Those collaborations sometimes result in students, like VizLab student worker Evan Boxer-Cook 鈥�26 of Scarborough, Maine, spending years developing their technical skills in the lab. A classical and medieval studies major, Boxer-Cook enrolled in 鈥淓xit Through the Gift Shop鈥� because he is interested in pursuing museum studies as a career. 

鈥淭his just seemed like a really nice opportunity to gain some practice translating museum objects into consumer goods,鈥� Boxer-Cook said. 

Perched in front of a computer in the back of a VizLab room filled with colorful 3D-printed objects, Boxer-Cook digitally traced the shape of ceramic works by Jeremy Felton 鈥�26 of Sebastopol, Calif. He then laser-cut stencils of the shapes onto thin sheets of wood, which students later used to spray-paint designs onto tote bags.

For arts and visual culture major Audrey Esteves 鈥�26 of Cranford, N.J., 3D printing and laser cutting were new skills, though she had taken several courses with Nolan.

鈥淚 love her classes so much,鈥� Esteves said. 鈥淚 think they’re so engaging and make you think critically about so many different parts of the art world and institutions and education.鈥�

While Esteves was excited to explore the blending of digital technology with physical art, she was particularly looking forward to offering her perspective as one of two students in the course who also had artwork in the senior thesis exhibition 鈥� the other being Ella Hannaford 鈥�26 of South Portland, Maine, who designed the gift shop punch cards.

鈥淚 wanted to see how we could develop mine and Ella’s objects and others鈥� into physical reproductions and see where that could stretch to because I’ve never really thought about that with my work,鈥� Esteves said.

Esteves creates oil paintings inspired by ideas of sleep and rest, which are dark and subtly textured. She knew it would be difficult to reproduce them through 2D products such as posters. Instead, with Rush鈥檚 help, she 3D-printed a miniature replica of a room in one of her paintings, featuring a bed, table, and lamp.

Hannaford, a photographer, had previously 3D-printed with the VizLab for another art and visual culture course. She had an ambitious idea to create a 3D-printed stereoscope 脿 la the classic View-Master with miniature prints of her senior thesis photographs inside.

鈥淚’ve seen a lot of change in the time that I’ve been here in utilizing these spaces [like the Vizlab] for the purposes of art,鈥� Hannaford said. 鈥淲hat can be created multiplies exponentially when you start thinking about the possibilities that are available to you in concert with these spaces. I think that it’s a really wonderful opportunity.鈥�

The stereoscope would expand upon themes of viewership and tourism in Hannaford鈥檚 senior thesis photography, which, inspired by her childhood growing up in coastal Maine, features a metal viewfinder at Two Lights State Park in Cape Elizabeth.

Hannaford printed replicas of her photographs onto transparency paper and glued the paper onto a film sheet she laser cut. She worked with VizLab staff to find an online template for a 3D-printed stereoscope, which she then printed and manually glued together before placing the film sheet inside. 

She wasn鈥檛 sure if it would work, but it did; she could place her face against the lens and, pushing the film sheet through the viewing device, watch her tiny photographs tick by. Hannaford ultimately printed six stereoscopes, which 鈥渟old鈥� for the most expensive price on the table: 10 stamps.

鈥淚t made me feel excited about my own art again because I had been so close to it,鈥� Hannaford said. 鈥淭hen suddenly, I was having to relinquish some control and let it take on a new identity and a life of its own.鈥�

Other 3D-printed products included a Rubik鈥檚-like cube with colors pulled from a tunnel book by Grace Thomas 鈥�26 of Bethesda, Md.; kits to put together miniature chairs modeled after a piece by Qwynn Kobertz 鈥�26 of Framingham, Mass.; and LEGO-style sets modeled after a vase by Jeremy Felton 鈥�26. The gift shop also sold stickers, posters, and postcards of student artwork, printed on campus by Post and Print.

鈥淚 thought this was such an incredible opportunity that teaches so many different skills,鈥� said Abby Salkind-Foraker 鈥�29 of Washington, D.C. She designed a laser-cut wood puzzle based on an embroidered tapestry by Bissan Kablawi 鈥�26 of London. 鈥淵ou’re getting three-and-a-half dedicated weeks to devote yourself to the creation of this and working with the team and studying art.鈥�

Operating on a tight deadline, the students had to carefully divide their time, especially because certain products, like the LEGO-style kit, took upward of five hours to 3D print and required some trial-and-error. But the gift shop opened successfully on May 19 without encountering any major logistical problems, said Caroline McCarthy 鈥�26, an English and Hispanic studies double major from New Haven, Conn.

鈥淚t’s honestly been a smashing success in that regard,鈥� McCarthy said as she worked at the shop. 鈥淚 also have been liking the wide range of attendees we’ve been getting. It has been students, staff, and faculty.鈥�

Students worked the gift shop in 鈥渟hifts鈥� with support from Nolan, who was always nearby to offer advice and support. Hoping to expand opportunities to connect with the senior thesis artwork, the students gave customers extra stamps if they arrived at the gift shop ready to share their thoughts on the exhibition. Making exhibition attendance the shop鈥檚 currency 鈥渨as a genius move,鈥� said 乐播传媒 Museum of Art Director Carrie Cushman.

鈥淢useums can have a reputation for being unwelcoming and stuffy, which is the opposite of the environment that we are hoping to cultivate at the 乐播传媒 Museum,鈥� Cushman said. 鈥淭he students seemed to really understand the opportunity they had with this class to break down those barriers.鈥�

The students were also in charge of publicity. They designed the mysterious, guerilla-style marketing campaign in the image of Banksy, known for sporadically creating public artwork under the cover of night. Students asked their 乐播传媒 community members to show up for them, and they did, with friends like Whitney Moore 鈥�28 of South Lake, Texas, stopping by to shop or spray paint a tote bag with the stencils designed by Boxer-Cook.

鈥淚 was super excited to see what they would come up with, and it definitely exceeded my expectations,鈥� Moore said. 鈥淭hey have a lot of beautiful stuff here for sale.鈥�

Nolan鈥檚 hope was that students would walk away with a new appreciation for what an art and visual culture course could be like. 鈥淭his provided an alternative to a traditional course where students used the museum, the VizLab, and the campus, more broadly, as a classroom,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he experiential and immersive nature of the class, hopefully, allows students to think about their own experience as consumers in the world.鈥�

The students agreed: this course had a little bit of everything, teaching lessons in design, interpreting art history, working with a museum, and more.

鈥淚 thought this was such an incredible opportunity that teaches so many different skills,鈥� said Abby Salkind-Foraker 鈥�29 of Washington, D.C. She designed a laser-cut wood puzzle based on an embroidered tapestry by Bissan Kablawi 鈥�26 of London. 鈥淵ou’re getting three-and-a-half dedicated weeks to devote yourself to the creation of this and working with the team and studying art.鈥�

For seniors in the course, designing the gift shop was their final hurrah at 乐播传媒. Hannaford 鈥� whose work as a photographer for the Portland Sea Dogs included an opportunity to photograph the Boston Red Sox 鈥� thought that the project was a fantastic blend of visual art and art history, her respective major and minor.

鈥淭his was the perfect way to wrap up my academic career at 乐播传媒 and so cool too that I get to work with my own art and keep kind of interrogating it on so many levels,鈥� Hannaford said. 鈥淚’m continuing to think about it and think of ways to work with it, which I think will serve me really well even after I graduate.鈥�