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 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.”

Combining homecoming and parents weekend programming into one dynamic event for everyone is the goal of Back to �ֲ���ý: Homecoming & Family Weekend, Friday, Oct. 2, through Sunday, Oct. 4, 2015.

“Why not grow young once more in contact with the undergraduates?” wrote Harry Rowe, Class of 1912, when he invited alumni to attend the very first Homecoming, then known as “Back to �ֲ���ý,” back in 1920.

That’s still a good definition of Homecoming: It’s like a friendly, two-day annexation of the campus by �ֲ���ý alumni.

Colleges began offering homecomings 100 years ago to gather a crowd for big football games. As Rowe asked rhetorically in his invitation, “Can’t you in memory hear the cheering as the team comes over from the Gym of ancient and noble lineage?”

And whooping it up at Bobcat games is still a big part of Homecoming.

This year, �ֲ���ý took on Colby in a game for the ages, a thrilling overtime game that wasn’t decided until first-year slotback Frank Williams of Brookline, Mass., caught a touchdown pass from Matt Cannone ’15 of Windham, N.H. — and then, as they say, the crowd went wild.

Something to Cheer About

Watch the �ֲ���ý faithful give it their all during the football victory over Colby at Homecoming. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College)

In recent years, the weekend has seen more “affinity events” that reconnect groups of alumni around their specific �ֲ���ý interests and experiences.

This year, alumni got to revisit their interests in the arts, the �ֲ���ý Outing Club, debate, and a number of sports, including baseball, which saw the dedication of a new donor-funded hitting facility and retirement of the uniform number worn by William “Chick” Leahey ’52 during his long coaching career. All that and more is captured in this slideshow of images from Homecoming 2014.

Photographs from Homecoming 2014

Ayanna Thornell Quinones '94 makes a point about navigating identity in the workplace during a discussion presented by the Office of Intercultural Education and held in the OIE's new space in Chase Hall. Ben Chin '07 (background) and Larry Handerhan '05 also took part. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College)

Alumni Council member Larry Handerhan '05 (center) talks with fellow council member Liam Leduc Clarke '98 (right) and Director of the �ֲ���ý Career Development Center David McDonough during the Volunteer Recognition Reception and Awards Ceremony in Perry Atrium. (Rene Minnis for �ֲ���ý College)

Jennifer Lemkin Bouchard ’99, outgoing president of the Alumni Association, reacts as President Clayton Spencer reads her �ֲ���ý' Best citation during the Volunteer Recognition Reception and Awards Ceremony in the Perry Atrium. (Rene Minnis for �ֲ���ý College)

Kirk Read talks about the "Culture of Innovation: Professor to Professoriate" with members of the Alumni Council on Friday afternoon of Homecoming. Read is a professor of French and associate dean of the faculty. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College)

Alumni Council member Alicia Hunter '94 listens to Kirk Read's talk. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College)

Homecoming also saw the presentation of a number of alumni honors, including three signature awards.

Chris Murtagh ’11 received the Distinguished Young Alumni Award at Homecoming. (Rene Minnis for �ֲ���ý College)

Christopher Murtagh ’11 received the Distinguished Young Alumni Award from the Alumni Association. Among his volunteer work, Murtagh is the BOLD (Bobcats of the Last Decade) co-chair on the �ֲ���ý Fund Executive Committee.

“Your dedication to �ֲ���ý inspires support from classmates and alumni of all ages,” said his citation. “You help us set our sights higher and farther.”

Stu Abelson ’97, chief executive officer of Ora, a leading ophthalmic clinical research and product development firm, received the Stangle Award for Distinguished Service to the �ֲ���ý Community from the Alumni Association.

His citation said, in part, “You not only love �ֲ���ý, you show us how much, too. We honor your leadership in business, your contributions to the career development of so many �ֲ���ý students and alumni, and your skill as an ambassador of the liberal arts who speaks distinctively about �ֲ���ý’ capacity to prepare students for lives of purposeful work.”

Stuart Abelson ’97 accepts congratulations from Alumni Council president Michael Lieber ’92 after receiving the Stangle Award for Distinguished Service to the �ֲ���ý Community. Lisa Romeo ’88, council vice president, is at right. (Rene Minnis for �ֲ���ý College)

Jeff Sturgis ’69 received the David G. Russell Award from Admission for outstanding commitment to the volunteer Alumni-in-Admision program. “Your deep engagement with all things �ֲ���ý has made you an invaluable resource for prospective students,” said his citation.

“You exemplify the power of this community and remind us that a student’s relationship with �ֲ���ý lasts a lifetime. For many of our students and alumni, that relationship began with you. Thank you for being part of their journey.”

Receiving �ֲ���ý’ Best awards, recognizing significant work by alumni and parents that engages �ֲ���ý people with the college and that displays passion and commitment for advancing the �ֲ���ý mission, were the following:

Jeff Sturgis ’69, recipient of the David G. Russell Award for outstanding admission volunteer work, stands by as Dean of Admission Leigh Weisenburger reads the citation and President Clayton Spencer listens. (Rene Minnis for �ֲ���ý College)

Jennifer Lemkin Bouchard ’99

Dana and Heidi Bullen P’16

Geoffrey Eisenberg ’03

Al Filreis, P’16

Thomas Goetz ’90

Pam Johnson ’91

Marsha Larned ’07

Joshua Macht ’91

Eric Obeng ’07

Mary Henderson Pressman ’78

Keith Taylor ’77

Fast-changing technological and economic relationships “are changing the place of America in the world, and of higher education in America,” the next �ֲ���ý president told alumni gathered for Reunion 2012. And in the face of that challenge, Clayton Spencer wondered, how should �ֲ���ý respond?

President-elect Clayton Spencer (left) talks with interim President Nancy Cable and Trustee Karl Mills ’82 before the Reunion Address. Photograph by Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College.

“It’s not enough simply to circle the wagons and insist that small is better, or that nothing can replace the human factor in education,” Spencer told enthusiastic listeners on the Friday evening of Reunion, June 8.

Complete Reunion 2012 coverage

“How do we think about �ֲ���ý and places like �ֲ���ý in the context of this challenging world?” she asked. “How do we make a case that we’re still important, that it’s still worth it to come to �ֲ���ý, that the education you got here is still worth something?”

Sharing the podium with interim President Nancy Cable at an event launching Reunion Weekend, Spencer was candid in her views about the world for which �ֲ���ý is educating students, as well as the strengths and the needs the college brings to that work.

Sharing the Reunion Address podium with interim President Nancy Cable (right), President-elect Spencer was candid in her views. Photograph by Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College.

Culminating in a standing ovation, the alumni welcome was warm for the leader who will take office July 1. The “standing O” was preceded by whoops of enthusiasm about points she made and appreciative laughter at Spencer’s humor.

Her address followed an opening presentation, likewise warmly received, by Cable, who has led �ֲ���ý since July 2011. �ֲ���ý Trustee Karl Mills ’82 introduced the presidents.

Cable looked back at a year that was anything but a placeholder between “real” presidents: a year marked by the implementation of a dance major, the opening of the renovated Hedge and Roger Williams halls, the emergence of a reinvigorated �ֲ���ý Career Development Center, and an excellent run in athletics.

But if Cable offered the year in review, Spencer looked ahead to the future of �ֲ���ý in an address shot through with optimism, offering two initial recommendations.

Two keys to the future

“We need to make a virtue of our particularity, our distinctive history and identity,” Spencer said. “To engage the large, complex, dizzying forces that are coming at us, we have to stand somewhere, and we have to stand somewhere firm.”

At the conclusion of the Reunion Address, alumni begin to rise for a standing ovation. Photograph by H. Lincoln Benedict ’09.

That solid foundation comprises �ֲ���ý’ founding values, its location and its reputation. In a world that, more than ever, demands that liberal arts colleges justify the investment that families and society make in them, these qualities — in particular, �ֲ���ý’ bedrock egalitarianism — confer institutional significance and distinctiveness.

�ֲ���ý, she said, practices “not a vague kind of politically correct inclusiveness, but instead the inclusiveness that says, we are here to encounter each other as humans with potential, with gifts; and the greatest opportunity that anybody can have as a human is the opportunity to realize those gifts.

“That’s in the fabric of who we are.”

She added, “We have been ahead of our time since 1855. And that puts us in a great position to look at a world that is changing very fast.”

Spencer drew especially warm applause as she cited Maine and Lewiston as advantages to �ֲ���ý. “There is no place that I would rather find myself than in Maine, which embodies ruggedness and self-sufficiency, the elemental and the substantial,” she explained.

“And that includes Lewiston,” which she described as a fascinating community “that gives our students amazing opportunities to interact with the complicated world around them on a very granular level.”

Spencer said that “the fact that our rigor and our tough-mindedness are encompassed within a community that is kind and respectful is a phenomenal strength.” Photograph by H. Lincoln Benedict ’09.

The third factor in establishing particularity, she said, is an outstanding reputation — which �ֲ���ý has. But the college must also address the fact that “our reputational capital far exceeds our financial capital.” That’s a serious problem for a college whose educational quality, “with the kind of personal attention at every level that we give, is expensive. It is not going to get fundamentally cheaper in our lifetimes.”

Still, Spencer said, “I would much rather sign up for a job at a college with a fantastic reputation, based on excellent fundamentals, but with money to raise, than a college with lots of money without great fundamentals or a great culture.”

For her second overall prescription, Spencer told the Reunion gathering that “we need to make a virtue of our scale.”

Smallness enables �ֲ���ý to educate each student “in a community…that takes as its project the development of the whole person, and situates the search for knowledge in a framework of values. This is something I think �ֲ���ý does incredibly well.”

Rigor, kindness, engagement

“There are many parts of this world where respect for other human beings is low, where kindness is really undervalued,” Spencer said.

“I think kindness is not to be underestimated. The fact that our rigor and our tough-mindedness are encompassed within a community that is kind and respectful is a phenomenal strength.”

Pursuing the theme of �ֲ���ý progressiveness, Spencer also reminded her listeners that �ֲ���ý is ahead of the game in both interdisciplinarity and in robust engagement.

Students go out into the community and the world, she said, and “they learn. They bring that back into the classroom, and they go out again with an intellectual framework taken from the classroom. It’s a virtuous cycle,” and “we are ahead of the game in recognizing that.”

“We need to be porous to the world, we need to be intentional about what we’re doing here and we need to make sure our students go out and get the broadest possible experiences they can,” Spencer concluded.

“Our graduates need to be global participants in a highly competitive world, and it’s our job to make sure that we prepare them for this reality.”

• a memorial tree-planting ceremony in honor of Dean Emeritus of the College James W. Carignan ’61

• mini-reunions, including the men’s lacrosse program’s “Legends Game”

• celebrations, including 50 years of men’s varsity soccer and �ֲ���ý study abroad

• a �ֲ���ý Listening Tour visit to campus to hear multicultural and allies’ voices

• multiple honors to �ֲ���ý people, culminating with the Alumni Celebration Reception and Dinner that honored Alan L. Marden ’63 with the Community Service Award and Larry Handerhan ’05 with the Distinguished Young Alumni Award

• football vs. Amherst, the day’s centerpiece

Photographs by Phyllis Graber Jensen and Rene Minnis