Grads

The MALS Alumni Association held its annual champagne commencement reception on Sunday, June 14. The reception was held in the faculty lounge at the Hopkins Center and began as the morning of drizzle turned into a beautiful summer afternoon. MALS faculty, alumni, graduates and graduates’ families were invited. The event honored our new alumni and allowed them to celebrate and share their experiences and plans. Ken Cadow (MALS’09) will return to his teaching position at Thetford Academy as he continues with his writing and his plans to publish his thesis, Farm Stand. His book Alfie Runs Away will be published in the spring. Min Fang (MALS’09) intends to spend the summer relaxing and exploring possibilities in the field of education. Jordan Greenberg (MALS’09) is looking for a job in land stewardship, ideally in Massachusetts. Matt Hill (MALS’09) is expecting his second child in September and will enter a training course this summer to become a U.S. defense attaché. Josh Hilliard (MALS’09) wants to teach in psychology and the humanities and would like to join an international think tank. Amber Morse (MALS’09) will continue with her teaching job at Hartland High School. Her aunt, Susan Murphy (MALS’96), attended the reception to celebrate her niece’s accomplishments and mentioned that Amber is the third generation of her family to receive a MALS degree. Susan’s father, James E. Murphy (MALS’74), earned his degree when the program was new to Dartmouth. Jackie Sievert (MALS’09) will begin work on a Ph.D. in political science at SUNY Buffalo and Vanessa Vicera (MALS’09) is looking for a job in Washington, D.C., at a government agency or think tank.

MALS program chairman Donald Pease gave a champagne toast to the graduates and presented the Alumni Thesis Awards. Leena Al Olaimy (MALS’09) won for her thesis in globalization studies, and Jackie Silverman (MALS’09) won the cultural studies award. Jackie intends to enter a Ph.D. program and publish a book, All Is Not Lost, from her thesis on media and politics. The creative writing award went to Christine Vranicar (MALS’09), with an honorable mention given to Ilana Kohn Grallert (MALS’09). The general liberal studies award was won by Zsuzsanna Mitro (MALS’09), and an honorable mention went to Kylo-Patrick Hart (MALS’09).

A large number of alumni also attended the reception. Audrey MacLean (MALS’81), who spends her summers in the Upper Valley, and Dianne Miller Campbell (MALS’81), who lives in Hanover, decided it was finally time to attend an alumni event. Both enjoyed the wonderful afternoon. Arnold Castagner (MALS’79) arrived with his usual beaming smile. Grace Hill (MALS’75) is still teaching a class in movement at Kendal twice a week. She and a friend put together a quilt that Grace will auction this fall to raise money for one of her charities in Haiti. She intends to buy mechanical Braillers for use in a country without reliable electricity. Grace does not yet know where the quilt will be exhibited, but if you live in or near Hanover please watch for it this fall.

The MALS Alumni Association board, which sponsored the affair, was also well represented at the reception. A special thanks goes to Judy Chypre (MALS’99) and Nancy Silliman ’95 (MALS’96) for planning the event. Thanks also to Roland Adams (MALS’98), board president Mike Beahan (MALS’97), Kathy Fortin (MALS’07), Lyn Lord ’95 (MALS’98), Phyllis Nemhauser (MALS’03) and John Tansey (MALS’95). Board member Ben Bolger (MALS’04) was unable to attend due to his broken ankle. Get well soon, Ben. We missed your incredible energy.

175 Greensboro Road, Hanover, NH 03755; (603) 643-3789; m.jane.welsh.adv98@ alum.dartmouth.org