Alumni Council

Alumni Council

The Dartmouth Alumni Council—the 120-plusmember group of volunteers representing all Dartmouth alumni—has had a busy year staying connected to the current issues on campus and representing the views of various constituents.

Our traditional fall meeting remained virtual, and although we’d all prefer to be in Hanover soaking in the energy of campus, the virtual meetings allow for an ease of getting together without the normal concerns of travel and stepping away from personal lives. We were fortunate to have a robust meeting agenda that gave us access to key campus leaders. Topics covered included mental health initiatives on campus and a renewed focus on the well-being of students, the changing admissions landscape, the groundbreaking and multidisciplinary work in cystic fibrosis research, and the landmark milestones for the 50th anniversaries of coeducation, the founding of the Black Alumni at Dartmouth Association (BADA), and the establishment of the Native American studies program.

Much ofthe work ofthe council happens in the various committees, and this year is no different. Some examples of great committee work that benefits all alumni include creating city guides for alumni that highlight community service efforts and ways to get engaged, especially for our newest graduating classes; developing a guide for access to all of the various lifelong learning opportunities; and supporting the work of Dartmouth for Life with engagement around aspects ofthe Dartmouth Connect platform and the Dartmouth Alumni Linked-In group and crowdsourcing content for the career hubs. We hope all alumni will take advantage of these great resources!

As we head into the end ofthe academic year, the council is so excited to meet in person in May after a two-and-a-half-year hiatus. We plan to experience the physical changes at Dartmouth, including the new West End, as well as learn more about the current state of athletics, the renovation of the Hop, and the JED Campus Program to support student mental health. During the meeting I will also be handing off the gavel to the next president ofthe Alumni Council, Chitra Narasimhan ’92, who will officially assume the role in July. In the meantime, I continue to invite all alumni to reach out to me with their questions, opinions, and suggestions for the council by emailing me at alumni.council.president@dartmouth.edu. —Laurie Lewis Shapiro ’95, presidejit, 6068Blunt Alumni Center, Hanover, NH 03755; alumni. council.president@dartmouth.edu

Laurie Lewis Shapiro ’95