Alumni Council

Alumni Council

The Alumni Council comprises approximately 125 alumni volunteers, each of whom represents a specific constituency within Dartmouth’s 90,000 alumni. The mission of the council is to sustain an informed and engaged exchange of information between alumni and the College as well as inspire and encourage alumni involvement with Dartmouth.

The council has worked this year to enhance the level of communication between the College and our alumni. We’ve had more frequent conversations with senior leadership that have been very helpful in providing a better understanding of the reasoning behind the College’s decisions (even if councilors may not agree with some ofthem) and allowing councilors to then communicate these decisions to their constituents. This increased interaction has also given College leaders more touchpoints with key aspects of alumni sentiment.

The highlight of the council year is the fall meeting in Hanover. This year was no different, as we had strong attendance, participation, and spirit. Events kicked off on Thursday, November 13, with welcoming remarks and a tour of the newly renovated Hopkins Center, which is a mustsee the next time you’re in Hanover.

Friday began with a presentation by Kristi Clemens, executive director of Dartmouth Dialogues, which aims to reengage students and strengthen respectful conversation across differences. The next session was led by Joe Catrino, executive director of the Dartmouth Center for Career Design. We learned that in 2025, the center launched new initiatives, saw a 75-percent increase in first-year engagement, and expanded internship funding.

Committee chairs then gave reports on the work of their groups before transitioning to lunch and the presentation of the Professor John Rassias Faculty Award to two recipients: Susannah Heschel, the Eli M. Black Distinguished Professor of Jewish Studies, and Tarek El-Ariss, the James Wright Professor and chair of Middle Eastern studies.

Next, President Sian Beilock addressed the council. She spoke about upholding the College’s mission and values while remaining fiercely independent in matters of governance. She also touched upon Dartmouth’s continued focus on student well-being, projects underway to build new housing, and other initiatives. President Beilock’s remarks were followed by a lengthy and spirited Q&A session with councilors. The day concluded with Kate Carolan ’OS, chair of the nominating and alumni trustee search committee, providing an overview of the committee’s work. Kate then presented the two alumni trustee candidates: Peter Roby ’79 and Sarah Harris ’00.

Friday evening, councilors attended the Alumni Awards dinner, where they celebrated a worthygroup of Alumni Award and Young Alumni Award recipients.

On Saturday morning, councilors heard from trustees Susie Huang ’84 and Liz Cahill Lempres ’83, Th’84. Alumni liaison committee (ALC) chair Cheryl Shepard ’90 then gave an overview of the work of the ALC, including a snapshot of alumni sentiment received to date. This was followed by a chat with the two trustee candidates, who were ratified by an overwhelming majority ofthe council.

We are continuing the monthly Zoom meetup sessions and are also deep in planning for the spring 2026 virtual council meeting, which will include President Beilock, two trustees, and other presentations.

It has been my privilege and honor to serve as Alumni Council president. The commitment and quality of the people I’ve met and worked with— from councilors to staff members in alumni relations—have been amazing and made this a very rewarding experience. At the spring meeting, I will pass the gavel to our president-elect Sarah Choi ’97, whose term will begin in July. In the meantime, please keep reaching out to any of us with your questions and thoughts.

—Bruce Danziger ’83, president, 6068Blunt Alumni Center, Hanover, NH 03755; alumni.council. president@dartmouth.edu