Reunion Faculty Lectures Cover Wide-ranging Issues

Safe drinking water, Asian art, foster care, status of the teaching profession, and art and colonialism are a few of the topics addressed by Smith faculty during a series of lectures during both reunion weekends. The free lectures, which continue this Friday, May 24, are open to alumnae and others on campus. Read excerpts from lectures on May 17.

Campus Mourns the Loss of Paul Alpers

Paul Alpers, husband of President Carol Christ and professor-in-residence in English language and literature, died on Sunday evening, May 19. Alpers served as a member of the English department at the University of California, Berkeley, for 38 years. At Smith, he taught courses in Classics and offered guest lectures. A devoted friend of the Smith community, he served as an unofficial ambassador for the college. Provost Marilyn Schuster announced the news of his passing in a letter to the community.

Reunion Offers Deeper Alumnae Engagement

Through a range of topics addressed in a series of free lectures by Smith faculty during both reunion weekends (May 17-19 and May 24-26), alumnae are afforded a glimpse of today's student academic experience. This year's reunion format is a shift from past years, when class groups organized their own activities.

Global Studies Center Named for Notable Alumna

In honor of generous support from alumna and former trustee Phoebe Reese Lewis '51, and her husband John, Smith will name the Global Studies Center after the couple, who gave a $5 million gift to further the center's mission of developing students' capacity for global understanding and leadership.

Commencement 2013: 700+ Graduated

Money and power are not in themselves suitable measures of success, noted commencement speaker Arianna Huffington to a crowd of thousands gathered in the Quad on May 19. Equally important are pursuit of the three Ws: "well-being, wisdom, and wonder." Read transcripts of Commencement 2013 speeches, and view videos of key moments.

Three-College Police Chief Named

Ralph J. Gould, Jr., director of public safety at Holyoke Community College (HCC) since 2006, will assume the post of chief of police for Smith, Mount Holyoke and Hampshire colleges on June 24. The new chief will bring nearly 30 years of law enforcement experience to the job, from police work in the town of Amherst to his time at HCC.