Grads

I am writing these notes in Hanover, at the end of February. Other than a few weeks of attention-getting antics in January, the weather gods have been kindly this winter. We are enjoying a run of sunny days in the 30-degree temperature range, and we have been teased with the prospect of 40-degree readings by the beginning of March. With snow removal proceeding so rapidly with little human intervention, contemplating future activities is starting to involve spring and, possibly, even summer. MALS alumni have two events on thehorizo horizon. All of you are invited to the gala graduation reception on June 13, immediately after the ceremony, in the faculty lounge at the Hopkins Center. Also, the MALS Alumni Association annual meeting and lunch will be held at noon on Wednesday, July 7, in the Hayward Lounge at the Hanover Inn. Our guest speaker will be physics and astronomy department professor Marcelo Gleiser. Professor Gleiser is renown for addressing the big questions in science and life while managing to fascinate those of us who, even in our most deluded moments, have never aspired to becoming rocket scientists. For an idea of how special this talk will be, you might want to take a look at one of his books: The Dancing Universe: From Creation My thsto the Big Bang md The Prophet and the Astronomer:A Scientific Journey to the End of Time.

The Arts and Sciences Graduate Alumni Association at Dartmouth (ASGAAD), with the MALS Alumni Association, presented a Win- ter Carnival poetry reading on February 14. Nance Silliman '95 (MALS'96) helped organize the event and read several of her own works. Also participating were Charlet Davenport (MALS 84) and Phyllis Nemhauser (MALS'03). Judy Chypre (MALS'99) ensured that the tea and refreshments were served in an elegant manner.Thanks to her efforts, we sipped out of real china, with no Styrofoam cups in evidence.

Karen Burgess Smith (MALS'B3), formerly vice president of academic affairs at New Hampshire Institute of Art in Manchester, was recently named director of the Lamont Gallery at Phillips Exeter Academy. In addition to curating exhibitions and organizing related programs for the academy, her duties include teaching art history. She is especially interested in interdisciplinary programming and would like to include other departments in some of her shows. Before her position at the New Hampshire Institute of Art, Karen was employed by St. Paul s School in Concord. During her 11 years at St. Paul's she chaired the fine arts department and ran the school's gallery, curating more than 40 exhibitions. She received a certificate in museum studies from Tufts University.

ASGAAD is once again asking foryour help with fundraising. If the March phonathon did not manage to find you, it is not too late to send in a contribution or to make an online contri- bution at the graduate alumni Web site. The money is raised mainly to fund research grants for graduate students in the arts and sciences. We have a goal of $15,000 this year and greatly appreciate any help you can give us in attaining it.

175 Greensboro Road, Hanover, NH03755: (603) 643-3789; m.jane.welsh.advc98@alum.dartmouth.org