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

“It is truly inspiring to witness the transformative power of our alumni as they engage in informed civic action and lead in diverse fields,” said Leah Elsmore ’12, president of the Alumni Association for the 2025-26 academic year. “This year’s recipients reflect the ardor and devotion — Amore ac Studio — that define the �ֲ���ý experience, serving as a powerful reminder of the potential within our entire alumni network.”

Peter R. Basiliere ’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’ food operations after a super typhoon hit the island. Basiliere’s commitment to service and strengthening communities around the country reflects �ֲ���ý’ ideals of purposeful work and responsible stewardship of the wider world.

Scientist Noah E. Petro ’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’s 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’s surface for the first time since 1972. Petro’s work at NASA, both highly scientific and serving the general public, exemplifies �ֲ���ý’ mission of combining intellectual rigor with public good.

Physician Christopher B. Lanoue ’99, P’26 earned the Bruce Stangle ’70, P’96, GP’26 Award for Distinguished Service to the �ֲ���ý Community in recognition of his commitment to supporting �ֲ���ý 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 �ֲ���ýies pursuing medical careers, and done so with “generosity, warmth, and openness.” His leadership and service, emblematic of �ֲ���ý’ values, has touched countless people as they themselves prepare for a career of serving others through medicine.

Rachel Ebersole ’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 �ֲ���ý 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 ’86 earned the Helen A. Papaioanou ’49 Distinguished Alumni Service Award, which recognizes alumni who have given exceptional service to the college. Plunkett served as class co-president while at �ֲ���ý 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’s Hassenfeld Child Health Innovation Institute, working on projects related to adolescent depression prevention.

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

“Our alumni continue to do incredible work in their communities and professions, and honoring this year’s award recipients is a privilege,” said Assistant Vice President for Alumni Engagement Sarah Cameron. “Every year, these awards remind us of the strength and reach of the �ֲ���ý network, and we look forward to seeing who our community nominates next.”

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

On June 5, the �ֲ���ý 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 �ֲ���ý’ 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 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 “more organized and concrete efforts to create spaces for queer people to be present and not fear being arrested for being authentically themselves.” Pride Month commemorates the anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. 

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’s work. Johnson was a transgender Black activist, sex worker, and performer who co-founded STAR House, which 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 — presumably murdered — in 1992. Despite the harm, violence, and prejudice that she experienced, Johnson’s actions demonstrated her commitment to “love, home, and justice for her community,” Del Real said. 

The threats to the LBGTQ+ community are heightened currently, Del Real said, including executive orders that reverse rights. “It is unfair,” Del Real said, “but I ask each of us to continue to stay vigilant and look out for one another.”  

Pride celebrations like the �ֲ���ý 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. 

“There 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 ‘out’ 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.” 

It’s 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, and the 160th �ֲ���ý Commencement procession has just set off from Alumni Walk. It will wind along campus walkways en route to the Historic Quad and its final destination, Coram Library. 

Jeremy Caron of Lewiston has been waiting in his wheelchair on the Quad for nearly three hours. He got there early to secure a location where he could easily see and greet the �ֲ���ý seniors he’s come to know over the last four years.

For many, Commencement is a whirlwind, one-time visit to �ֲ���ý. But for some like Caron, who choose to attend year after year, it is an annual touchstone, a chance to support the graduates while reconnecting with a community that has shaped their lives and created a lifetime of memories.

Not far from Caron, a trio of octogenarian �ֲ���ý retirees — Judy Marden ’66, her classmate Bill Hiss ’66, and Elaine Freeman — watch the proceedings from a prime perch, the steps of Hathorn Hall. Collectively, they’ve seen around 150 Commencements.

Marden joined the �ֲ���ý Advancement staff shortly after her own graduation, which was held in the Armory a few blocks from campus. (Lore has it that the Armory was an especially stuffy venue because the circus and its elephants had just left town.) By the mid-1970s, Marden had assumed a new position created by President Thomas Hedley Reynolds, “liaison officer for college functions.” A veteran World War II tank commander, Reynolds might’ve pulled the job title from an Army handbook. 

A big part of Marden’s job was to run Commencement and Convocation, plus summer programs, which she did with help from Freeman, a director in Facility Services. Marden also advised the �ֲ���ý Outing Club. 

Decades later, the twin �ֲ���ý events help anchor and give meaning to Marden’s annual trip around the sun. “My year ends with Commencement and begins with Convocation,” she says. “If it did not, it would have no form.”

Ever since Reynolds introduced the tradition, a bagpiper has led the �ֲ���ý Commencement procession. (Reynolds was also responsible for relocating Commencement from the Armory to the Quad.) On Sunday, the piper’s arrival on the Quad reminds Marden and Freeman of a Commencement task back in the day: appearing with goblets and scotch so Reynolds could share a down-the-hatch drink with the piper at the end of the ceremony.

For Hiss, a retired �ֲ���ý admission dean who forged the college’s famed test-optional admission policy, attending Commencement is an act of bearing witness. “Commencement is about �ֲ���ý doing, and continuing to do, what America needs. It’s that simple,” he says. 

Meanwhile, down on the Quad, Caron awaits the procession. He hasn’t missed a �ֲ���ý graduation since 2006, but he’s more than just a Commencement regular. He attends scores of campus events each year, especially Bobcat sports. Which ones? “Every single one,” he says. That’s around 125 contests annually. “I love sports, and I always tell the athletes that I’ll support them through thick and thin,” he says. “I want to celebrate all their hard work and effort.”

By 9:45, the seniors are nearing Caron’s spot on the Quad. The procession route is full of parents standing elbow to elbow taking pictures and the passing grads, seeming to tower above Caron in his wheelchair. But no matter: They spy their loyal fan, break from the ranks, and reach out for a fist bump, handshake, or hug.

That included Zach Rosenthal ’26, a politics and history double major from Chicago who handled game-day operations for �ֲ���ý Athletics as a student worker. Seeing familiar �ֲ���ý faces like Caron’s on Commencement day was “really cool,” he said later. “It’s cliché, but it’s a full-circle moment. You see these people all the time throughout the past four years, and to see them at the final stop of your academic journey is really special.”

Caron was born without the use of his legs. At age 10, he learned to use an adaptive bicycle, and he’s been an avid biker ever since, including riding in the annual Dempsey Challenge for cancer support. Asked to offer advice to seniors, Caron reflects on his own experience. “There are times you have to adapt,” he says. 

Longtime Lewiston resident Ernie Ashton, a retired local elementary school teacher, has been a driver for the Bobcat Express student shuttle for 23 years. Ashton wasn’t shuttling on Sunday, but there’s no way he would miss graduation. “It’s a pleasure to be here year after year. I just love them,” he says. “You watch these kids for four years, and they do such a great job. They keep me young.” 

He likes to talk up Lewiston to his passengers on the shuttle, “places they should see before they leave,” like Thorncrag Nature Sanctuary and Veterans Memorial Park by the Androscoggin River. “And they do.”

This March, Paul Menice retired as head of Campus Safety after 36 years of service to the college. He’s seen and supported students at their best and worst. “Everyone makes mistakes when they’re young,” he says. When he sees students at Commencement, he sees maturity and appreciation. “It’s a highlight, getting hugs and handshakes, and them saying ‘thanks.’”

Another local at Commencement is Russ Dillingham, an award-winning photographer for Lewiston’s Sun Journal. He’s on the job today, but the event tugs at his heart. “I grew up over there,” he says, pointing to Campus Avenue, where there used to be wood-frame residences, replaced in recent years by college buildings like Bonney Science Center and Chu and Kalperis halls.

When he was a child, Dillingham wore corrective leg braces. A �ֲ���ý student who babysat the Dillingham children would bring Russ over to campus for walks. He got stronger, and his legs straighter. “I’m pretty sure that’s why I can walk straight today,” he says. He enjoys covering Commencement. “It’s relaxed, friendly, and joyful.”

On a walkway near Carnegie Science Hall is Peter Slovenski, son of legendary �ֲ���ý track coach Walter Slovenski. Retired after coaching track at Bowdoin for 34 years, Slovenski stopped by to support graduate Zach Jawor ’26 of Lewiston, one of his very best counselors at his Slovenski Camps on Panther Pond in Raymond.

Slovenski remembers being awed as a little kid by towering �ֲ���ý athletes of the day, figures like Howard Vandersea ’63 or Thom Freeman ’63. “As the years go by, as you see more and more students being able to grow into adults at a place like �ֲ���ý, you realize it’s less about individuals. More of a relay race, passing it forward.”

One of Walt Slovenski’s former �ֲ���ý runners, Tom Leonard ’78, is another Commencement stalwart. An accomplished amateur photographer based in North Granby, Conn., Leonard travels around the Northeast each year from his home to photograph Bobcat athletes in action. Commencement is the final meet of the year, as it were. “Today recognizes the fact that all �ֲ���ý students have accomplished something incredibly meaningful,” Leonard says. 

“When I was a student, I don’t know if I appreciated the scene as much as I do as an old person,” he adds. “I mean, my God, look at all these people who helped get these kids to where they are today. And that’s a beautiful thing.”

Throughout his time at �ֲ���ý, biochemistry major Sebenele Lukhele ’26 of Manzini, Eswatini, has been a researcher. But he’s also been a dancer. And a club volleyball player. And a track and field athlete. And a tutor, and a tour guide, and a member of student government. To sum it up, he was able to be “whatever I wanted to be.”

As he will explain when he delivers the Senior Address at Commencement, Lukhele believes this was possible because of the environment that �ֲ���ý cultivates — one that encourages exploration and discourages judgement. It is an environment that follows through on the college’s promise to be defined by inclusivity, community, and support, coupled with academic rigor. 

This promise, outlined in the �ֲ���ý mission statement and emphasized by Admission representatives, resonated so deeply with Lukhele that he enrolled at �ֲ���ý having never visited campus. He had a feeling he would love the place — and he was right.

�ֲ���ý’ belief in “the transformative power of our differences” is not just about helping students thrive on campus, Lukhele will explain, but also teaching them to be unabatedly curious members of a global society. 

Alexandra DeMarco of �ֲ���ý Communications and Marketing spoke recently with Lukhele. The following is a condensed and edited version of their conversation.

Students who are interested in delivering the Senior Address submit a speech and are selected by a committee. Why did you want to give the Senior Address?

As an international student and a person of color, I came to �ֲ���ý because it promised a community, a place where I can be myself without needing to assimilate or be someone different. I wanted to present a speech on Commencement as a way to show my gratitude for �ֲ���ý giving me that space to explore. I’ve grown so much as a person, and I feel like the community here has been supportive of me in many ways, and I’ve also contributed my support in different ways.

What is the theme of your speech?

Difference and diversity. I have perspectives, or lived experiences, that are very different from my colleagues here. We all have traits that make us different. My speech is highlighting that those differences are our strengths rather than our weaknesses because those are the things that bring us together as a community, if we celebrate them and appreciate them.

At �ֲ���ý, I feel like I was able to be whatever I wanted to be and express myself in whatever way I wanted without needing to be someone different. The speech does try to address a very complex issue of diversity and differences amongst people and how you can approach being a global community that accepts or appreciates each other — coexistence, in a sense.

Could you share an example of a time where you felt like differences were really being celebrated at �ֲ���ý?

Dancing in the 2026 Cultural Showcase, “Here to Stay: Rhythms that Raised Us.” I prepared a piece with one of my friends, Mohamed Al-jabry ’28 from Shinyanga, Tanzania, and we wanted to showcase an African style of dancing. We didn’t feel that we had to do something that was going to be “accepted” by the community, but we felt like we could do something to express ourselves as we are. The crowd was very, very excited. 

People here at �ֲ���ý take anything as long as it’s good and it’s full of energy. No one is looking like, “Oh, this is not something that I’m used to, so I’m going to criticize or judge.” People accept or appreciate those kinds of expressions. That was a very heartwarming moment, and those very small moments are the things that accumulate to make this community what it is. 

I’ve experienced a lot of these moments where people will sit down and listen to you when you have something to say. It also gives you the responsibility to listen to others because when people appreciate and accept you like that, you have a natural instinct to be appreciative of others. 

In my major, biochemistry, professors are able to build a space for differences as things that don’t really affect the way you are viewed in the major. The differences themselves are something that makes it even more interesting, in a sense, because it allows for different perspectives that push research forward. 

You have completed a lot of research during your time at �ֲ���ý, both on campus and during an internship in the summer of 2025 at the Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory. How has research shaped your career plans?

It actually has shaped my career so much because I came here as a pre-med student from a typical African household. When I was young, I was talented in the sciences. With that came a lot of pressure to become a doctor, and that propelled me toward a medical career. I wanted to come to liberal arts school because I wanted to really discover myself and make sure that I’m in a career that gives me purpose.

Being a biochemistry major gave me a very different perspective into what I can do with my passion for science. As time went on, I felt like I would have a greater impact being a researcher. I felt like that would be, at least for me, an approach to science that serves a greater community.

I really like the fact that �ֲ���ý changed my perspective on what my career could be and provided me with options that I didn’t know existed. There were people who were also able to talk to me through that — the Center for Purposeful Work, advisors, research supervisors. 

You did a senior thesis project. What was it about and how did you choose your subject?

I’m very curious about the impact of changes in cells at the molecular level and how those things drive how cells behave and how everything ends up working in the body of a person. This kind of research, even though it sounds very abstract and not very applicable to the real world, drives a lot of the efforts that end up being very impactful to society itself because they end up making new treatments for very threatening diseases. 

I was very interested in the overarching topic of the research, which was manipulation of sphingolipid metabolism in cells by common cold coronaviruses. That basically is analyzing how viruses affect the structure of a cell, specifically the membrane of the cell. My experience involved a lot of method development, which was very different from the research experiences that I’ve had before. My advisor, Assistant Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry Scotty Farley, was also there to support me. Other students were doing similar projects, and we were able to talk about different things and discuss how our data is working and help each other through the process.

What on-campus support have you found as you’ve balanced your various interests — biochemistry, dance, global engagement?

�ֲ���ý is very academically rigorous, and, at the same time, there’s a lot of effort by the institution to support students to make sure that they are succeeding both as people and also as students. I have really explored that and took advantage of those support systems. 

The relationships that professors build with students at �ֲ���ý was something that was very substantial to me in balancing things. I also used to be on the track and field team, and I appreciated Curtis Johnson, head coach of men’s and women’s track and field, so much. He’s a very great guy who goes beyond viewing students just as athletes and is concerned about what is going on in your academic life and your personal life, if you so wish to talk about that. 

I want to give a shout out to James Reese, who was the dean of international students and is now the associate dean of students. People say he’s the “father of international students” because he’s supportive in many different ways. 

Also, being part of student government and working with Campus Life on many things, like organizing TEDx�ֲ���ý last fall, opened a window where I could know a lot of the support systems that existed — from major advisors to student advisors and the deans who are waiting for you to talk to them about anything that you need.

How have those experiences and campus activities helped you build community, especially a diverse and inclusive one, at �ֲ���ý? 

TEDx�ֲ���ý started off with a conversation in Commons with my friends about how diverse communities can be truly diverse and what kinds of things are never talked about that make communities less practically diverse than they should be. You can have statistics, but what we want really with diversity is people to interact and be part of an active community — talk to each other and collaborate, which is what the �ֲ���ý mission statement is all about. 

Our motivation was to bring the topic of diversity to a place where a lot of people can interact with it and not at a professional level, but at a very lowkey, chill level. We called Tedx�ֲ���ý “Unasked Questions,” which basically speaks to the questions that we never ask as communities and the things that we don’t really talk about that would have a great impact in making us a strong community.

I wanted a team full of leaders who think in diverse perspectives and see things that I didn’t see myself. Something I learned being part of leadership roles is that you don’t know everything. Being able to see who can help you in different ways is a great skill. 

I was involved in the Africana Club this past semester, as a community liaison on the executive board. I was not just making a community for myself but also building a community for a lot of people and showcasing my identity as an African person. This allowed me to meet new people that I never thought I would interact with on campus. I was able to have conversations with people and have discussions, which were eye-opening in different ways.

I participated in club volleyball, and that was a way to meet new people through a very different platform, and enjoy the sport.

I was also an officer with student government’s Funding and Activities Board. That perspective made me appreciate the efforts and resources that are put into making sure that clubs thrive, there is equity being achieved, and every club has the chance to express their interest and identities in campus life. 

�ֲ���ý students are very intentional people who care about the things that they do, who care about the work that they do. They don’t just do it for the sake of doing it. That’s something that I’ve really, really appreciated about the people here. 

That’s built by the community that exists at �ֲ���ý — the support and the size of the community and the way the place is structured. We have one dining hall, for example, and that allows people to interact and be part of a community every day. That creates a space where people get more and more comfortable to step out of their comfort zone and become the most purposeful and genuine, happy versions of what they could be. 

What are your post-graduate plans?

I’m going to be a research associate at the UMass Chan Medical School in a lab that researches autoimmunity. There are two �ֲ���ý alumni (Olivia Dekker ’24 and Aurora Beaumont ’24) that also work there. They were really excited to see me come into the interview, and I had a lot of �ֲ���ýie conversations with them. 

I’m very excited about that both at the professional level —  it’s going to give me a chance to explore my research career even more and refine topics I really want to get into — and also being able to embody the characteristics that �ֲ���ý has built in me and taking that in the world out there. That’s my next chapter.

At �ֲ���ý, student researchers are empowered to ask and answer big questions across numerous fields of study. They tackle everything from human biology and marine ecology, to literature reviews of legal movements and the politics of memory, to media analysis of film, literature, and television.

On April 10, more than 200 of these student researchers presented their work to the �ֲ���ý community and their family and friends during the annual Mount David Summit in Pettengill Hall. 

“Mount David is not just a harbinger of spring and the nearing conclusion of the winter semester, though it is those things,” �ֲ���ý President Garry W. Jenkins said during the day’s opening remarks. “It’s also a chance for our community to come together to celebrate the academic heart of our mission. And it’s an extraordinary opportunity for �ֲ���ý students to show off their research, their brilliant and insightful analysis, and their dazzling creativity.”

In between attending student-led talks and panels, attendees weaved through rows of posters on display in Pettengill’s Perry Atrium. The room was buzzing with questions, and students were eager to answer, discussing their research methods, their main takeaways, and why they were motivated to pursue their projects.

Most of the student researchers were presenting their senior thesis work, representing the culmination of their �ֲ���ý academic careers. Mount David Summit is a day to celebrate student achievement and the people who supported the students along the way, said Joanne Roberts, vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty.

“It takes a village to bring an idea from its first spark through its final expression, and we owe a huge thank you to everyone involved, from our committed faculty, to our stellar academic staff, and our invaluable research librarians,” Roberts said.

Learn more about a few of the 200-plus student projects from across disciplines:

STEM

Biology major Zoe Ash ’26 of New York City presented a poster on bottle-nose dolphins’ social behavior as it corresponds to how often they do or don’t follow boats. She conducted research while studying abroad in Croatia, where a day in the lab looked like spending hours on a boat sailing over the Adriatic Sea, snapping photos of dolphins.

“My favorite discovery from this project was that we see higher social associations in dolphins that follow boats less frequently than we do in dolphins that follow boats more frequently or not at all. … It tells you that discreet communities are forming,” Ash said.

Also presenting a poster was Enathe Muhawenimana ’26 of Rusizi, Rwanda, a double major in biology and French and Francophone studies, whose project investigated why skin infections are often more severe in patients with diabetes. Her research determined that high glucose level in a diabetic patient was correlated with a higher severity of skin infection. She hopes that her work could be used to advance antibiotic or other therapeutic treatment for diabetes patients.

“Learning about this is so rewarding to me, but it can help people out there as well,” Muhawenimana said.

During an afternoon presentation by members of the Harward Center for Community Partnerships’ Community-Engaged Research Fellowship Program, seven students shared their senior thesis projects. Mathematics major Hope Stafford ’26 of Mountain View, Calif., shared her research on flooding patterns in Providence, R.I. Using a community flood-reporting app called MyCoast, Stafford discovered that floods were likely caused not only by rainfall but also by infrastructure varying across the city.

“The reason I was using this [app] is to emphasize community voice,” Stafford said. “We really want to focus on floods that community members are pointing out.”

During that same panel, neuroscience major Ariya Tayal ’26 of Pittsburgh, Penn., shared her research on how women who are experiencing homelessness access reproductive health resources, a project inspired by Tayal’s experience working as an emergency room technician and noticing that many women she had met through volunteering in the Lewiston-Auburn community were coming to the ER to access primary care.

“That’s such a sad thing to see in our healthcare system,” Tayal said. “People should not be finding out if they’re pregnant or not at the ER. That’s not appropriate.” 

For her research, Tayal interviewed 19 local women experiencing homelessness and distributed disposable cameras among them for a research method called photovoice, during which participants document their lived experiences and narratives by taking photographs.

In a panel on STEM research, James Hillers ’26 of De Witt, N.Y., presented his research, entitled “Agent-Based Modeling of Sponge and Algae Endosymbioses.” Looking closely at the relationship between sponge and algae, Hillers used simulations to determine that even though these two symbionts are “comparatively unfit,” they thrive together. 

“I really like making the visualizations,” Hillers said. “Whenever you’re doing computational work, you produce a lot of data, and it’s kind of a pain to do individual visualization. So getting to create robust scripts that can take a ton of data and visualize it into super nice experimental stuff is super fun.”

In the same panel, Gemma DeCarolis ’26 of Santa Monica, Calif., presented research drawn from her summer internship at Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota, Fla. The 2024 hurricane season resulted in significant vegetation loss, and DeCarolis studied the impact on sea turtle nesting.

“I was able to take nesting data, disorientation data, and aerial imagery from Sarasota County GIS,” DeCarolis said. “After I’d done all of this quantification and worked with the data, I did statistical analysis in R, using generalized linear models and beta regressions.” She hopes to continue parts of this research as she moves forward with her studies. 

Social Sciences

Economics major Willa Laski ’26 of Bellevue, Idaho, presented a poster on her senior thesis research investigating the relationship between the reintroduction of the gray wolf to the western U.S. and the livestock ranching industry in that region. Laski’s research found that lethal control of wolf populations did not have a statistically significant effect on livestock depredation — meaning that controlling wolf populations with lethal measures did not meaningfully impact, positively or negatively, livestock populations.

During a panel called “What’s Law Got To Do With It?” three senior politics students shared thesis research that explored the law and legal questions. Their presentations covered centuries of U.S. court precedent and legal writing — from research by Matthew Peeler of New York City exploring intricacies of legal language dating as far back as the 1700s, to research by Sammy Freeman of Dallas exploring how religious exercise arguments from a Jewish standpoint could be used to advocate for abortion access, to a literature review by Reese Hillman of Wayne, Penn., investigating division in the conservative legal movement during President Donald J. Trump’s second term in office.

“My thesis comes out of my desire to make sense of some of Donald Trump’s more puzzling legal actions this year,” Hillman said. 

And as psychology major and community-engaged research fellow Katie Heumann ’26 of Ann Arbor, Mich., shared during the Harward Center’s presentation, civic engagement can begin long before adulthood. Heumann researched how students experience civic engagement in elementary school classrooms in Lewiston through collective participation and norms like classroom jobs, development of individual agency, and socialization.

“A lot of these classrooms really fostered pro- social behaviors,” Heumann said. “These were things like respect and kindness, but more importantly, inclusivity. Being a friend to all, celebrating one another, being inclusive, being friends to boys and girls were some of the key things that students talked about.

Arts and Humanities

Lining the walls of Perry Atrium, on the edge of the bustling crowds at the poster presentation, were more than 50 photos from the Barlow Off-Campus Study Photography exhibition featuring countries like Nepal, Chile, Hungary, France, Japan, China, and the Netherlands. 

Some students, like religious studies major Shay Campolongo ’26 of Midlothian, Va., found ways to incorporate visual art into their thesis projects on other subjects. For her thesis research on how people understand and memorialize the United States’ Japanese-American internment camps during World War II, with particular attention to memorialization of Buddhists in the camps, Campolongo invited �ֲ���ý faculty, staff, and students to two listening sessions prior to Mount David Summit where she presented her research, led discussions, and invited attendees to fold paper cranes. These cranes, made in every color of the rainbow and with intricate patterns, lined her poster during Mount David Summit.

“Japanese-American internment is a piece of history that is often forgotten, but especially the Buddhist lens, and the way that it was not only racially but religiously motivated,” Campolongo said.

Catalina Passino ’26 of Leesburg, Va., a community-engaged research fellow who presented during the Harward Center’s panel, connected her psychology thesis research to visual art, inspired by her experience taking ceramics classes at �ֲ���ý.

“I was just amazed about how clay affected me and the restorative effects that I felt personally,” Passino said. “I thought, ‘Man, we should study this beyond just me.’”

Passino organized an eight-week clay workshop for children in the Lewiston-Auburn immigrant and refugee community and observed how the children experienced mindfulness, resilience, belonging, and emotional regulation throughout the workshop. For their final project, Passino asked the children to create a clay pot that represented each of them, resulting in a collection of unique pieces that Passino displayed in Olin Arts Center. 

Connor Gerraughty ’26 of Hartsdale, N.Y., presented work on synoptic surveillance in The Truman Show, a project which emerged after a patient process of selecting just the right film and finding just the right lens through which to read the film. Though he certainly learned about Foucault and film along the way, his biggest takeaway was about the writing process. “There is no perfect, is what I realized,” Gerraughty said. “It’s basically just improving and improving. You could work on it forever and you could still make it better.” 

In response, his advisor, Professor of Rhetoric, Film, and Screen Studies Stephanie Kelley-Romano said, “I’m so heartened to hear that it wasn’t going to be perfect and you’re okay with that. I love it. My job here is done.”

At their sold-out show at Portland’s State Theatre on Oct. 20, Big Thief, a Brooklyn-based indie-folk band, had a message for �ֲ���ý: “Thanks for all the love,” said Buck Meek, guitarist and vocalist. “Sorry we couldn’t make it yesterday.”

This was followed by an explosive cheer from the audience, which included a lot of �ֲ���ý students. Then lead vocalist Adrianne Lenker chimed in. “It’s been amazing to watch what you’ve been doing,” she said. “Thanks for playing our songs.”

What led up to this moment? It was the result of more than a year of student creativity, community, and persistence that began as a simple solution to a problem in �ֲ���ý’ music scene. 

During the fall of 2024, Audrey Cole ’26 of Minneapolis, Minn., Jonah Yaffe ’26 of Dallas, and Stella Gould ’25 were looking for a way to showcase musicians on campus who weren’t part of existing bands. Cole and Yaffe are the co-presidents (or “emperors,” as they call themselves) of the �ֲ���ý Musicians’ Union this year. BMU is an active and large organization; they regularly put on concerts, connect musicians, and collaborate with the student-run radio station and literary magazine, snaggletooth. If you ask most �ֲ���ý students, they can likely rattle off a list of BMU founded bands. Blue Razz Sassafras, Don’t Teller, Cole and Yaffe’s own band, The Lot Lizards, often perform in house basements, in local bars, and even at school-run events, like last year’s Gala. These bands are the club’s bread and butter, but Cole knew there were more musicians at �ֲ���ý, with a lot to offer, but no regular band to play with. She’s met some at BMU general meetings and encountered others socially.

“There are so many people I talk to who don’t even go to the meetings but who want to perform and play with a band and just don’t have the capacity,” says Cole.

Here was the solution: a one-night-only collaborative concert, where anyone could sign up to join a band for a day and take part in an all-day outdoor show. There had been single bands playing on Mount David before, but this time they were looking for it to expand to a collective concert They needed something to capture the essence of �ֲ���ý and get people excited. 

Enter Big Thief, a Brooklyn-based indie-folk band, fronted by hyper-specific and poetic lyricist Adrianne Lenker, with an extensive acoustic and electric catalog. The band had played Portland’s State Theatre in Feb. 2023, drawing a packed crowd that included �ֲ���ý students and alumni. “�ֲ���ý has a big crunch element,” Cole says, referring to the large sector of the campus population who can be seen on any given day wearing Blundstones as they carry their cross-country ski bags to their environmental justice class. “So people are definitely listening to Big Thief. I went to see them freshman year, and a million �ֲ���ý kids and �ֲ���ý grads living in Portland were at that concert. So it was evident they were big here.” 

The first Big Thief tribute concert at �ֲ���ý took place in October 2024 on Mount David. It was a cold October afternoon, but dozens of students showed up in puffer coats and beanies, staying past sunset to sing along to the songs they knew so well, their phone flashlights waving in their hands. “It was so special,” Yaffe says, “People still tell me it was their favorite night of the year. And then this summer I was looking back on photos and really wanted to commemorate it somehow. It just felt like something that should keep happening.”

When planning this year’s show, they considered other groups, like maybe a Beatles or Wilco night, but nothing seemed like it could quite capture the same energy. So Yaffe decided to take things a step further. He created an Instagram account () dedicated to the project, posting photos and video of last year’s performance every day, along with hoping to catch the band’s attention, and maybe get them to show up to campus. They even offered some food recommendations from Commons, glimpses of a logo for the event, and a video from Mount Katahdin.

“Buck Meek ended up following me, and I actually got in contact with their team,” Yaffe says. “They gave us special permission to listen to their new album early, sent us signed vinyl and posters, and I was emailing with their manager for a while.”

This year’s Big Thief tribute concert  was scheduled for October 19, the day before the band’s tour date in Portland, and it was even bigger than last year’s. “People we had never met before showed up,” Cole said, “Like so many people.”

People showed up to Big Thief’s show the next day, too. About 2,000 of them. So it was very rewarding to hear Meek shout out �ֲ���ý live on stage, but Yaffe says that the Instagram account means a lot more to him than a connection to the band. “I like that I can scroll back on it and see all these absolutely amazing memories from this amazing night,” he says, “It’s like a public scrapbook. It’s great.” 

Like @bates_plays_big_thief, the new tradition of Big Thief night has gone beyond just a love for the band. It’s a chance to come together, meeting with friends and strangers on Mount David to create something. It is a marker of community, and a reminder that even during midterms, and the time when days get shorter, there is still space for spontaneity and joy in the outdoors. It’s about the feeling of being in a crowd where everyone is singing the same words. It’s the type of evening that makes �ֲ���ý feel small in the best way.  

Her electric violin at the ready on her right shoulder, Mavy Ho-Le ’26 started to slowly tap her foot on the stage at Olin Arts Center. It was Saturday Oct. 25 and the first strains of Radiohead’s 2016 song “Daydreaming,” were beginning to emerge from Fitter Happier, a Radiohead tribute band based in Portland. Ho-Le, of Gorham, Maine, was one of five �ֲ���ý students and community members with string instruments grouped stage left, ready to join in on cue.

There was at least one aficionado of Radiohead among the �ֲ���ý musicians, Xucheng Zheng ’27 of Shanghai, China. Sitting in front of Ho-Le, Zheng likely recognized the song before lead singer Jeff Beam sang a single melancholy note on that Saturday night. Zheng, who is used to playing with an orchestra, was particularly eager to play “Daydreaming,” a favorite Radiohead song. 

But Ho-Le, a neuroscience major who has been playing electric violin professionally for years, had to feel her way into the song. She’d had less than a day with the sheet music to practice, and even though she works regularly as a professional musician when she’s not focused on her neuroscience major, it was almost all new to her. “I only know ‘Creep,’” she said later, referring to Radiohead’s breakthrough single from 1992.

That didn’t matter; the beauty of the event was that Radiohead expertise wasn’t required to be swept up in what happened on stage at Olin between Fitter Happier, made up of Beam, Sam Peisner, Scott Nebel, Elliot Heeschen, Rob Cimitile, and Pete Dugas, and the �ֲ���ý musicians. “It was electric,” Ho-Le said afterward.

The audience of more than 100 seemed to agree, from the little boy dancing wildly on his mother’s lap to the young person who shouted “you guys sound amazing” after Beam expressed his pleasure at playing in Olin, saying “it’s kind of the Carnegie Hall of Lewiston.” 

The collaboration was put together by Stuart Gurley, who manages both Olin Arts and the applied music program at �ֲ���ý. His goal was to give �ֲ���ý students a taste of the life of a professional musician as well as a chance to “take their skills that they learn in their lessons and their ensembles, and see how active working musicians utilize those in different professional environments,” Gurley says. Artists come to �ֲ���ý regularly, and work with students in master classes, Gurley said. “But this is different. It puts them on a more equal footing with the artists themselves.” And in perhaps a different genre. 

He’d done something similar before, bringing Beatles Night with Spencer Albee to �ֲ���ý in early 2020. Albee is known regionally (and) for his Beatles tribute band, Spencer and the Walrus, which for the last two decades has been selling out two and sometimes even three nights at the State Theater in Portland each Thanksgiving. Ever since Gurley coordinated with Albee to bring that Beatles experience, backed by student musicians, to �ֲ���ý, he’d been looking for opportunities to do something similar.

Gurley understands that the ensembles and coursework and lessons that happen at �ֲ���ý are essential, but he also knows what it means to work in the music industry in 2025. It’s not easy, but it might be easier if he can help students find intersecting commonalities between academia and the music industry.

“You can have all your experience here at �ֲ���ý and go out and get a gig in an orchestra or, if you’re really lucky, in a jazz band,” he said. “But there are unfortunately just fewer and fewer of those opportunities these days.” The best chances to make a living playing live music are in the realm of popular music, he explained. “And there’s a lot of groups from Radiohead right on down to very small acts that need violins and horns to tour with them.”

The genesis for bringing Fitter Happier to �ֲ���ý actually took place at one of his own musical gigs. As Gurley told the audience in Olin as he was introducing Fitter Happier, he’d been talking to a good friend and musician he was working with at a wedding gig. Long breaks (and waits) are typical of such gigs, Gurley said. And during one of those breaks, the friend made the argument that Radiohead was the most significant and important band out there.

Gurley had his doubts, but pondered this, considering his own past as a teenaged fan, and the band’s use of electronica. “They were one of the first bands to really integrate electronica in modern production ways, with new technologies, and new modalities of thinking,” he said. “And now it’s everywhere.” Radiohead easily fits into the spectrum of music studied at �ֲ���ý, he said. 

Moreover, a lot of students might already have the band on their playlist. TikTok has played a role in the resurgence of Radiohead and other musical acts, including Sade and Kate Bush, often leading to chart-topping hits years (even decades) after the initial release of the song. In the case of Radiohead, the Hulu series The Bear used “Let Down,” a Radiohead song from OK Computer, in the show’s Season 1 finale. In August of this year, 28 years after its release, the song charted on the Billboard Top 100 for the first time. 

Zheng, who described herself as a Radiohead fan before the concert, was energized by the collaborative nature of the opportunity. “Now I really want to try playing with a band,” Zheng said. 

Aidan Buck ’29 of Arlington, Mass., said he was only a “moderate” Radiohead fan before the Fitter Happier concert. “I haven’t listened to their catalogue in full, but what I’ve heard I really enjoy. I’m a big fan of experimental music as a whole.” Most of his musical training came by ear or was based in improvisation, he said.

“I wanted to be part of this concert because it sounded like a cool opportunity to play experimental music at �ֲ���ý with peers, faculty, and the greater L/A community.” 

He’s played instruments his whole life, from the trumpet in his middle school’s jazz band to bass in a rock band in high school. Typically he plays string instruments, but for the Fitter Happier show, he played the flugelhorn.

“I didn’t know much going into the first and only rehearsal on Saturday afternoon,” Buck said. “And as someone who can’t sight read music very well, I turned to my ear training and figured out my flugelhorn parts by listening to the original recordings of my assigned songs. Once I was able to get my parts down pat, I think the horn and string sections sounded really nice and made a great addition to the already awesome band.”

There was also something in the collaborative experience for Fitter Happier. As Beam, who considers Radiohead “the Beatles of this generation,” explained before the show, the �ֲ���ý musicians allowed Fitter Happier, which was touring in Vermont and New Hampshire, to do some songs they couldn’t do as a five-person band, including the many songs that Radiohead recorded with strings and horns.

“Not full orchestra stuff,” Beam says, “but songs that we can’t necessarily replicate without extra players.” After the accompanying horns and strings left the stage of Olin for the last time, Beam asked the audience to give the students a hand. And then paid them a high compliment: “I wish we could have them out here the whole time.” 

On June 7 during Reunion Weekend, the �ֲ���ý College Alumni Association honored six alumni for their outstanding contributions to the college and the wider world.

The awards were presented during the Annual Gathering of the Alumni Association, held in Merrill Gymnasium following the Alumni Parade, which was moved indoors due to rain.

Presenting the awards were John Howard ’86, vice president of the Alumni Association, joined by �ֲ���ý President Garry W. Jenkins.

The Annual Gathering also featured Jenkins’ Presidential Address, in which he thanked the Reunion alumni for the many and powerful ways they have stepped up to support �ֲ���ý. “Your dedication is nothing short of astonishing,” he said.

“We are so grateful for alumni support,” he added. “It makes an enormous difference. We stand on the shoulders of others. Giving back ensures future students enjoy the same transformative education that once changed your life.”

Alumni Professional Recognition Award: Dean Bragonier ’95

Bragonier was recognized for his work as founder of NoticeAbility, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping students with dyslexia identify their unique strengths and build self-esteem. His work has had a significant positive impact on students with dyslexia around the world, exemplifying �ֲ���ý values.

His award citation noted: “Dean’s mission is deeply personal. As a student with dyslexia, he has shared that his passion for learning wasn’t ignited until he came to �ֲ���ý—where his differences were embraced and his potential recognized. Through his leadership at NoticeAbility, Dean is now bringing that same ethos of understanding, support, and empowerment to students, families, and educators around the world.”

Bruce Stangle ’70 Award for Distinguished Service to the �ֲ���ý Community: Ann Clark Tucker ’78

Tucker was recognized for her extraordinary and long-standing volunteer leadership across the college, including with Advancement, Admission, and the Center for Purposeful Work, offering ongoing mentorship to �ֲ���ý students and sharing advice from her career as a communications executive.

Her award citation noted: “During Short Term 2024, Ann returned to campus as a Practitioner-in-Residence with the Center for Purposeful Work, where she designed and taught a month-long course centered on the values of service and civic responsibility. She continues to mentor those students today, helping them prepare for lives of impact beyond �ֲ���ý.”

Sesquicentennial Prize: Derek Anderson ’85 

Anderson was recognized for his significant publishing achievement, Improbable Voices: A History of the World Since 1450 Seen From 26 Unusual Perspectives.

This book explores the history of the world through the voices of 26 people whose stories have long gone unheard, celebrating diverse perspectives and highlighting the value of liberal arts. Anderson has made his life and career as a high school history teacher, librarian, and world traveler.

His award citation noted: “The book’s creation connected dozens of librarians, historians, and archivists around the world, celebrating the essential roles these disciplines play in preserving and interpreting human history. It also pays homage to the influence of his �ֲ���ý mentors, whose guidance inspired his passion for inquiry, storytelling, and thoughtful scholarship.”

Distinguished Young Alumni Award: Nick Beati ’20

Beati was recognized for his volunteer service to �ֲ���ý and mentoring �ֲ���ý students. As a director with Savills North America, based in Boston, Beati has welcomed and mentored �ֲ���ý interns through the Center for Purposeful Work.

His award citation noted: “Not only has he created professional opportunities for �ֲ���ý students, but he has also provided thoughtful mentorship and guidance to help them navigate life after college. Nick’s willingness to go above and beyond — whether by opening doors for students exploring professional options, hosting events, or simply being a reliable and thoughtful presence — has made him a standout among young alumni.”

Helen A. Papaioanou ’49 Distinguished Alumni Service Award: Geraldine M. FitzGerald ’75

FitzGerald, a �ֲ���ý trustee emerita, was honored for decades of distinguished and extensive service to �ֲ���ý, including serving as co-chair of the $336 million �ֲ���ý Campaign. She has served as president of the Alumni Association, remains an active Purposeful Work and Cheney Society volunteer, and co-chaired 1975’s Reunion Gift effort.

Her award citation noted: “Few alumni have served �ֲ���ý with as much devotion, vision, and warmth. Geri’s thoughtfulness, grace, and preparation have left an indelible mark during this Reunion year. She has crafted individualized outreach, personally thanked every classmate, and successfully inspired major giving, always leading with kindness and conviction. Her leadership has brought her classmates closer to each other and to �ֲ���ý “

Alumni Community Service Award: Robin Waterman ’85

Waterman, who was unable to attend the awards presentation at Reunion, was recognized for a career working with underserved communities worldwide.

For more than two decades, she developed community-based programs for low-income, culturally and linguistically diverse families in the greater Denver metro area, including 14 years as founding executive director of the Aurora Community Connection, fostering parent involvement, community leadership, and self-sufficiency.

Her award citation noted: “Her efforts continue to bridge systemic gaps in health and education access, embodying �ֲ���ý’ core values of civic responsibility and ethical leadership. Whether supporting immigrant youth through the Village Exchange Center’s college access programs in Aurora or living in solidarity with homeless immigrants in Houston, Robin’s service is wholehearted and unwavering.”