Wangari Maathai P’94, P’96, Sc
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Fall 2008 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Wangari Maathai P’94, P’96, Sc. D. ’94 Receives the Elizabeth Blackwell Award LAKEVIEWS Pride and Progress uring the course of the summer months we have the chance to review the past academic year while finalizing our plans for the next one. We take stock of our initiatives and review our progress toward our goals while laying out Dambitious plans for the year ahead. We have high aspirations for Hobart and William Smith Colleges – and a review of this past year gives us confidence in our ability to continue the momentum we have enjoyed in recent years. Consider some of the achievements of the academic year just concluded: • Our students continue to bring great honor to themselves and the Colleges with their success in winning prestigious national fellowships. In 2008, our students secured three Fulbright Scholarships, one Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and the Colleges’ first Morris K. Udall Scholarship. When you consider that in the past five years HWS students have won Rhodes and Gates Cambridge Scholarships as well as four Goldwaters and six Fulbrights, it says a great deal about the quality of our student body and the engagement of our faculty in preparing them for these competitive fellowships and scholarships. • With an impressive ratio of one faculty member for every 11 HWS students, our faculty engage our students with a lively and challenging curriculum and opportunities for significant research. This past year was a productive one with scholarship, publications and research grants totaling $1.5 million in government revenue. We currently have nine active National Science Foundation Awards and five nationally prominent research grants which allow students extraordinary opportunities to assist faculty members in their research. This summer alone, 62 students stayed on campus to work with faculty members on research – an increase from 20 students five years ago. They gain significant research skills and add to their credentials for graduate study or work. • Our strategic emphasis to establish the Salisbury Center for Career Services as a destination point for all students continues to show encouraging results. In the past year, 4,000 appointments were logged at Career Services for current students to meet with our professional staff – a staggering increase from 700 appointments four years ago. • Our alumni, alumnae, parents and friends have been instrumental in the opportunities our students have to explore career choices with internship experiences. Across the various sectors of business, government and non-profits, our students have gained critical work experience in internships through the Salisbury Center. More than 600 internships PHOTO BY KEVIN COLTON PHOTO BY were recorded this year – up from 200 four years ago. • Hobart and William Smith athletics continue to energize our campus and develop students with leadership skills. Consider these statistics from this past academic year: students received more than 100 all academic awards; the Statesmen and Herons won five conference championships in field hockey, football, Hobart rowing, William Smith sailing and William Smith soccer; 12 HWS teams earned a trip to the postseason in NCAA or equivalent tournaments; and 10 HWS student athletes were named All-Americans. • It was heartening to receive results of an independent survey of our graduating seniors that showed student satisfaction with their undergraduate experience a full 10 percent higher than our peer group of liberal arts colleges. I could continue this listing for other areas of the institution – but the overall point is the same: Hobart and William Smith are excelling on many fronts. Our Board of Trustees provides thoughtful and committed leadership, our faculty and staff are dedicated, and our alumni, alumnae, parents and friends are supportive and engaged. As we start the new academic year and welcome new classes selected from the largest applicant pool in our history (4,300 applications for 555 seats in the first year classes). We can feel the success of Campaign for the Colleges and the resources that boost the endowment and improve facilities. And we plan for the celebration of the William Smith Centennial on November 8th on campus with pride in our past and excitement for the future. My fondest hope is that every alum return to campus in the next year to see our talented students and the extraordinary environment in which they study and live. We take seriously our charge to prepare students for lives of consequence. I am grateful for the many graduates who, in varied ways, assist us in that mission. We prepare for next year with pride in the progress accomplished to date and energized for the opportunities ahead. Sincerely, Mark D. Gearan President FALL 2008 CONTENTS Catherine Williams EDITOR FEATURE Peggy Kowalik ART DIRECTOR/DESIGNER 2 Hope. Courage. Action. Melissa Sue Sorrells ’05 Colleges honor Dr. Wangari Maathai P’94, 4 Commencement ASSISTANT EDITOR P’96, Sc.D. ’94 Celebrating the Classes of 2008 Heidi Beach ’02, Alyson Colton, Ken DeBolt, Mary LeClair, Annie Lindenhovius ’09, Cindy McVey, Jessie Meyers ’10, Abigail Slowik ’08, Melissa Sue Sorrells ’05, Joshua Unikel ’07, 8 One Percent Catherine Williams Phi Beta Kappa at HWS CONTRIBUTING WRITERS/EDITORS Becky Selengut ’92 Kevin Colton Elisabeth Millspaugh STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Schroeder ’78, P’11 Doug Edlin ’88 Lauren Long, Andrew Markham ’10, Joshua Unikel ’07, Lauren Wilsey ’10 Hiroki Kobayashi ’96 CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Susan Alger ’89 Dr. Robert Asher ’91 Kathy Killius Regan ’82, Director of Alum nae Relations; Jared Weeden ’91, Rabbi Joshua Chasan ’66 Director of Alumni Relations; Betty Merkle; Laura Sydell ’83 and Rebecca Frank Dr. James Fingeroth ’78 CLASSNOTES EDITORS Mark D. Gearan President 14 Meet Me On The Quad Catherine Williams Director of Communications 18 Outcomes Kathy Killius Regan ’82 Breaking records. Director of Alum nae Relations Building community. Jared Weeden ’91 CONNECTIONS Director of Alumni Relations 20 Hill and Quad 29 Classnotes, Photo Album VOLUME XXXV, NUMBER ONE 24 Photo Contest THE PULTENEY ST. SURVEY is published by the Office of Communications, Alumni & Alumnae News Hobart and William Smith Colleg es, 639 S. Main 52 Street, Geneva, New York 14456-3397, (315) 781-3700. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Pulteney St. Survey , c/o Alumni House 56 Bookshelf Records, Hobart and William Smith Colleg es, Geneva, New York 14456-3397. Opinions expressed in The Pulteney St. Survey are those of the individuals expressing them, not of Hobart and William Smith Colleges or Sports any other individual or group. Hobart and 26 William Smith Colleges value diversity and actively seek applications from underrepresented groups and do not discriminate on the grounds Cover photo: Dr. Wangari Maathai P’94, P’96, Sc.D. ’94 at the podium at the Smith Opera House. of race, color, religion, sex, marital status, national origin, age, disability, veteran's status, PHOTO BY KEVIN COLTON or sexual orientation. HOBART AND WILLIAM SMITH COL LEG ES 1 FEATURE STORY Hope. Courage. Action. Dr. Wangari Maathai P’94, P’96, Sc.D. ’94 receives the Elizabeth Blackwell Award by Joshua Unikel ’07 and Catherine Williams here was something that every audience member of the standing-room-only President’s Forum felt on April 24 in the Smith Opera House. Like electricity but organic. Something magical but somehow humble. Human and humane. Moved by a film chroni- Tcling her life, engaged by a student dance performance in her native tradition and inspired by her words, the audience was in awe of one woman: 2004 Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr. Wangari Maathai P’94, P’96, Sc.D. ’94. Maathai is the leader of the Green Belt Movement, a grassroots effort to conserve the environment and improve quality of life for African women. To date, Maathai’s organization has planted more than 40 million trees, established more than 6,000 village- based tree nurseries run entirely by women and created more than 100,000 jobs. In revitalizing the soil, the economy and the pride of Kenyans, she has also drawn a direct correlation between the democratization of resources and peace. “When people have equal access to food, water and shelter,” she has written, “they are less likely to participate in war.” The Nobel Committee agreed when they awarded her the Peace Prize in 2004. “Tonight, we give Dr. Wangari Maathai the Elizabeth Blackwell Award,” said President Mark D. Gearan. “Dr. Maathai is a woman whose life reflects the ideals and achievements of Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell. These include a determination to break through stereotypes limiting talents and aspirations of women and the Dr. Wangari Maathai P’94, P’96, dedication of those talents for the betterment of humanity.” Sc.D. ’94 stands next to the Responding to one of three standing ovations, Maathai said, “I sculpture of Elizabeth Blackwell on am extremely honored and humbled to receive this award and to the Quad. Maathai, who received the be back at Hobart and William Smith.” Maathai, a parent of two 2004 Nobel Peace Prize, received the HWS graduates – Wanjira graduated from William Smith in 1994 Blackwell Award in April. and Muta graduated from Hobart in 1996 – accepted the award in its 50th anniversary year. “My journey was similar to Blackwell’s,” Maathai explained 2 / the pulteney st. SURVEY / Fall 2008 “I cannot compliment Hobart and William Smith enough on its efforts in environmental and climate change. You are teaching as you do, and other colleges will surely learn by your example.” – 2004 Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr. Wangari Maathai P ’94, P ’96, Sc. D. ’94 While on campus, Dr. Wangari Maathai continued her ground-breaking work, planting an Asian flowering Kousa Dogwood tree near the Quad in observance of Green Week, in honor of William Smith and in celebration of the William Smith Centennial.