The Pulteney Street Survey - Winter 2024

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HOBART AND WILLIAM SMITH COLLEGES

THE PULTENEY STREET SURVEY

INSIDE

PROCESS OF COLLABORATION Students, faculty and alumni team up

Members of the Debate Team surprise Director of HWS Debate Daniel Schonning ’16 on his birthday. Home to one of the best debate programs in the world, HWS sent four students to compete in the World University Debate Championship in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam this winter.

PHOTO BY BRETT WILLIAMS

THE PULTENEY STREET SURVEY

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CONTENTS

H OBA RT AN D W IL LIA M SM IT H CO LLE GE S

H I L L

&

Q U A D

C L A S S

N O T E S

42 Dispatches from Alums

02 Upfront: Citizenship and Connection

84 The Last Word

6 More Access, Opportunities 9 Astronomical Support 18 Tech. Data. Volleyball.

F E A T U R E :

2 0

Process of Collaboration

Volume XLVIII, Number 2 / THE PULTENEY STREET SURVEY is published by the Office of Marketing and Communications, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, 300 Pulteney Street, Geneva, New York 14456–3397, (315) 781–3700. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Pulteney Street Survey, c/o Advancement Services, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, 300 Pulteney St., Geneva, New York 14456–3397.

Hobart and William Smith is committed to providing a non-discriminatory and harassment-free educational, living, and working environment for all members of the HWS community, including students, faculty, staff, volunteers, and visitors. HWS prohibits discrimination and harassment in their programs and activities on the basis of age, color, disability, domestic violence, victim status, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, or any other status protected under the law. Discrimination on the basis of sex includes sexual harassment, sexual violence, sexual assault, other forms of sexual misconduct including stalking and intimate partner violence, and gender-based harassment that does not involve conduct of a sexual nature.

EDITOR, VICE PRESIDENT FOR MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS Catherine Williams / SENIOR MANAGING EDITOR Andrew Wickenden ’09 / DESIGNER Lilly Pereira / aldeia.design / CONTRIBUTING WRITERS/EDITORS Ken DeBolt, Mackenzie Larsen ’12, Mary LeClair, Colin Spencer ’19, Natalia St. Lawrence ’16, Mary Warner ’21, Andrew Wickenden ’09 and Catherine Williams CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Kevin Colton L.H.D. ’23, Adam Farid ’20, Lauren Long, Brett Williams / Additional images courtesy of Leo Acadia; N. Fischer, H. Pfeiffer, A. Buonanno (Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics), Simulating Extreme Spacetimes (SXS) Collaboration; Quincey Johnson ’16; Takashi Miyazaki via Unsplash; The Polaris Project; Jonas Toupal ’19; UBS; World Resources Institute / PORTRAIT ILLUSTRATOR Kathryn Rathke / PRESIDENT Mark D. Gearan / THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES CHAIR Craig R. Stine ’81, P’17 / VICE CHAIR OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES Cassandra Naylor Brooks ’89 / VICE PRESIDENT FOR ADVANCEMENT Robert B. O’Connor P’22, P’23 / William Smith Alumnae Association Officers: Katharine Strouse Canada ’98, President; Roxanne Jackson ’81, Vice President; Kirra Henick-Kling Guard ’08, MAT ’09, Immediate Past President; Amanda E. Shaw ’11, Historian / Hobart Alumni Association Officers: Paul Wasmund ’07, President; Mark A. Darden III ’87, P’17, Vice President; the Hon. Ludwig P. Gaines ’88, Immediate Past President; Andrew Donovan ’12, Historian. / For questions and comments about the magazine or to submit a story idea, please e-mail Andrew Wickenden ’09 at wickenden@hws.edu.

The pages of this publication were printed using 100% recycled paper which enables the environmental savings equivalent to the following: • 244 trees preserved for the future • 18,227 gal. US of water saved • 35,342 lbs. CO2 saved from being emitted • 403 MMBTU of energy not consumed * * These calculations were derived from the RollandEco-calculator.

ON THE COVER: A snow-covered image of the Kings Lane entrance to the Houghton House arts campus, including the Goldstein Family Carriage House and the Katherine D. Elliott Studio Arts Center.

Photo by Adam Farid ’20

U P F R O N T

Citizenship and Connection

▲ In celebration of the 30th anniversary of AmeriCorps, President Gearan participated in a panel hosted by former President Bill Clinton L.H.D. ’17 to discuss the future of national service and volunteerism with Dean of the Clinton School of Public Service at the University of Arkansas Dr. Victoria Defrancesco Soto; Chancellor of the State University of New York and former Secretary of Education John King; and Associate Director of Career Pathway Connections at the LA Promise Fund Flor Romero.

In October, I had the privilege of joining colleagues in Arkansas to celebrate the 30th anniversary of AmeriCorps and discuss the future of national service. The conversation was wide-ranging, but our goal was a shared one — given the innate value of volunteerism, how do we broaden its reach and deepen its impact? Falling in the weeks after the horrific terrorist attack in Israel and the devastating violence in Gaza, the AmeriCorps event offered a powerful reminder of the ways that engaging with one another from a place of service can bridge differences.

As so many of our students and alumni know, service is a uniquely transformative equalizer, bringing together people from diverse backgrounds and viewpoints to work toward a shared goal. A key aspect of our character as an institution is to put what’s learned on campus into practice in the wider world. Nothing is more important for the future — of the planet, of our nation, of the livelihoods of generations to come — than to equip young people with the skills to build connections across varying life experiences and viewpoints.

I am heartened, as we enter our third century, that the Hobart and William Smith community is modeling this kind of action, whether through our nationally recognized civic engagement and service programming or campus events such as the President’s Forum and the Stern Family Forum. As you’ll read in this issue’s feature story (p. 20), it is personal connections and collaborations that create the academic experiences and professional opportunities that are changing the world for the better.

This fall, Hobart and William Smith lost three individuals whose leadership and vision changed HWS for the better. Honorary Trustee Chester “Roy” L. Dexheimer ’55, P’86, GP’18, LL.D.’80, Trustee Michael E. Rawlins ’80, P’16 and Former Chair of the Board and Honorary Trustee Charles H. Salisbury Jr. ’63, P’94, L.H.D.’08 embodied our values of service and community as few others have. Roy, Michael and Charlie dedicated themselves to creating opportunities for students to reach their fullest potential, both on campus and after graduation.

While this issue offers a glimpse of the profound and enduring impact that Roy (p. 82), Michael (p. 34) and Charlie (p. 83) had on our community, the scope of their work on behalf of HWS is truly extraordinary. They will be dearly missed.

With their legacies in mind, HWS begins the spring semester building on the momentum of the fall, which saw an historic gift from Honorary Trustee Katherine D. Elliott ’66, L.H.D. ’08 and Richard Abramson (p. 6), remarkable grant support for our science faculty (p. 9 and 11) and the continued leadership of Trustee Chip Carver ’81 and Anne DeLaney (p. 19).

I hope to see many of you on campus in April to observe the total eclipse and celebrate the Year of the Sun (p. 4) — and of course, for our Commencement and Reunion festivities.

Until then, I remain Sincerely, M AR K D. G EARAN President

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& H I L L

Seneca Blakely-Armitage ’24 makes fruit kabobs with students at the Boys and Girls Club of Geneva.

PHOTO BY BRETT WILLIAMS

Q U A D

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H OW IT WORKS

IN THE PATH OF TOTALITY When the sun and the moon move into perfect alignment over North America on April 8, 2024, Geneva, N.Y. will be in the narrow path of totality, offering a direct view of the total solar eclipse. Leading up to the 2024 eclipse, Associate Professor of Physics Leslie Hebb has organized the Year of the Sun, a series of solar-themed programs and activities. Hebb is also authoring a monthly newsletter to the HWS community, sharing insights about the sun and its relationship to the solar system and to humanity. Here, she explains the process of the eclipse and what observers should know.

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What happens when we’re watching a solar eclipse?

Professor Hebb: A total solar eclipse happens when the moon is directly in front of the sun as we view it from Earth. The moon is about 500 times smaller than the sun, but it’s so much closer to Earth that the apparent size of the moon is almost the same as the sun. Because they’re so perfectly matched in the relative size and distance, the angle from which you have to view the moon and the sun behind it is relatively small — just a tiny place on Earth where the sun will appear exactly behind the moon. That is called the path of totality. If you’re not in this narrow region, then the moon is off to the side, and you only see a partial eclipse.

The sun is a ball of hydrogen and helium gas that gives off light that we can see with our eyes because its surface is almost

10,000°

Fahrenheit. Despite its temperature, the surface is not on fire because there is no reaction with oxygen.

The sun gets energy from nuclear fusion in its 27-milliondegree core that slowly — over an average of 170,000 years — works its way to the surface as heat.

With a diameter of

Associate Professor of Physics Leslie Hebb studies the fundamental properties of stars and extrasolar planets, the formation and evolution of planetary systems, and the magnetic activity on low mass stars.

A total solar eclipse has not been visible from Geneva since

Light from the sun takes

864,374 8

MILE S across, the sun is an average sized star, though much larger than Earth; if the sun were as tall as a typical front door, Earth would be about the size of a nickel.

1806

,

M INUT E S and

19

SECO ND S to travel the roughly

93

16 years before the founding of Hobart College. The next one will not pass directly over campus for another 400 years.

MILLION miles to Earth.

Join the campus community for the solar eclipse observation on April 8, 2024.

Find details and monthly Year of the Sun updates here: HO BA RT A ND WI LLI A M SMITH COL L EGE S / 5

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More Access, Opportunities A $5.5 million gift from Honorary Trustee Katherine D. Elliott ’66, L.H.D. ’08 provides historic support for need-based financial aid.

B Y

C A T H E R I N E

W I L L I A M S

Following a lifetime of philanthropy to Hobart and William Smith, the most recent gift from Honorary Trustee Katherine D. Elliott ’66, L.H.D. ’08 and Richard S. Abramson includes a $5 million bequest to support financial aid as well as $500,000 dedicated to supporting Annual Fund Scholars over the next five years. With this commitment, Elliott’s total philanthropy exceeds all other donors except for the late William F. Scandling ’49, LL.D. ’67, the Colleges’ largest benefactor.

“Katherine’s commitment to her alma mater is extraordinary, and the Colleges have benefited tremendously from her sound business acumen and thoughtful advice,” says President Mark D. Gearan. “She is an exceptional alumna, carefully listening to the needs of the Colleges and making certain that her philanthropy directly benefits the mission of Hobart and William Smith. We are so grateful to her and to Dick for their loyalty to the Colleges and for their support and friendship.”

“My involvement with the Colleges has been the single most enriching experience of my life, and that is because of the dedicated people I have had the great pleasure to know and work with,” says Elliott. She explains that her commitment to education was passed on to her by her family, including her father, William Elliott P’66, LL.D. ’64, who served on the Hobart and William Smith Board of Trustees from 1965 until his death in 1989. “Supporting higher education means that more young people have access to opportunities, and there’s nothing more important than that.”

Originally from Philadelphia, Elliott majored in economics.

“My dad was instrumental in getting me interested in finance,” she recalls. “We read the paper together and he taught all of his children how to manage stocks at a very early age.”

When she graduated from William Smith, there were few opportunities for women in finance. “I was advised to go to secretarial school because there were no jobs for women on Wall Street, but I moved to New York City anyway, and

managed to get a job at a small firm. There was so much happening at the time — Vietnam demonstrations in the streets, students protesting. I was very serious, and I was willing to take on any task at the office to learn more.”

That seriousness of purpose eventually led to a position as senior vice president and chief operating officer with the New York investment firm Lynch & Mayer, Inc. When she retired in 2010, she was chief operating officer for Petner Asset Management, LLC. Elliott joined the Board of Trustees in 1996, serving as vice chair, participating in and leading a number of committees, and chairing the Governance Committee. “I have had the best time on the Board, serving with people I respect and admire who have dedicated themselves to making certain that the

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PHOTO BY KEVIN COLTON L.H.D. ’23

“Supporting higher education means that more young people have access to opportunities, and there’s nothing more important than that.”

— KATHERINE D. ELLIOT T ’6 6 , L . H . D. ’0 8

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FAC U LT Y

Endowed Professorships ◀ Honorary Trustee Katherine D. Elliott ’66, L.H.D. ’08 and Richard S. Abramson’s most recent gift directs $5.5 million toward financial aid and scholarships. With this support, Elliott is now the Colleges’ largest living benefactor.

Colleges are on a solid footing,” Elliott says. “The Colleges have been on a fascinating journey. We’ve seen ups and downs, markets that have tanked and then turned around.

You realize that over time, the Colleges gradually just keep getting better. And I have complete confidence in President Gearan’s leadership. We are on a good trajectory.”

In addition to her Honorary Trustee role at HWS, Elliott is on the board of Education Through Music, a not-forprofit that provides fully integrated music classes to 20,000 students in 63 under-resourced schools in New York City.

In 2005, Elliott made the lead gift to finance the Katherine D. Elliott ’66 Studio Arts Center. At the time, it was the largest gift to the Colleges ever by a woman.

The Center is the anchor of HWS’ impressive arts campus and is a contemporary 14,600 square feet of academic space, including classrooms, offices, studios for painting and photography, and printing, wood and metal shops.

She created the Katherine D. Elliott ’66, L.H.D. ’08 Innovation Grant, allowing faculty to pursue a breadth of original ideas within the curriculum and through professional development. She funded the Colleges’ 2020 branding study and made a significant contribution to the construction of the Gearan Center for Performing Arts. She has created or added to a number of scholarships including one in her grandfather’s name, Lewis H. Elliott from the Class of 1898. And she created an endowed internship in her father’s name, William Elliott, whose own philanthropy led to the construction of the William Elliott Varsity House on campus.

Elliott received her bachelor’s degree in economics in 1966 and was the recipient of alumnae citations in 1991 and 2001. In recognition of her tremendous contributions to the Colleges, in 2008, she was awarded an honorary degree. She and her partner, Richard S. Abramson, a retired musician and sound engineer, live in Bronxville, N.Y.

For their outstanding work as teachers and scholars, five faculty members were awarded endowed professorships: Professor of Geoscience Nan Crystal Arens, Class of 1964 Endowed Professor; Professor of Biology Meghan Brown, Lloyd Wright Professor of Conservative Studies; Professor of Management and Entrepreneurship Tom Drennen, Stine Family Chair of Management and Entrepreneurship; Instructor of Religious Studies Blaize Gervais, Heaton/ Franks Professor of Human Rights, Genocide and Social Justice; and Professor of Theatre H May, Donald R. Harter ’39 Professor of the Humanities and Social Sciences.

“These appointments demonstrate HWS’ commitment to supporting and celebrating exceptional faculty and the differences they make in our academic community,” says Provost and Dean of Faculty Sarah Kirk.

▶ Top to bottom: Professors Arens, Brown, Drennen, Gervais and May were each recognized with an endowed professorship in 2023.

BE A GA M E C H A NGER .

EQUIPMENT. TRAINING. TECHNOLOGY. R ECRUI TI NG. COACHI NG. Your support makes it possible — now and for generations to come.

Celebrate the Heron Society’s 40th anniversary by strengthening the William Smith Athletics Endowment fund.

M A KE A GI FT AT HWS.EDU/HERONS

HO BA RT A ND WI LLI A M SM ITH COL L EGE S / 7

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OVERHEARD …brains tend to hold onto neurons, even if they were once serving some purpose that they don’t need to serve now.

Associate Professor of Psychological Science DA N I E L G R A H A M on the BBC program “More or Less,” explaining why using more of our brains wouldn’t necessarily make us smarter

I have this strong desire to correct a false narrative.

That was certainly true with my own story. It eats away at me if I feel like people don’t have the story right.

Follow me!

ELVIS NJOMO ’24, leading a tour of Odell’s Village for the “HWS Homes” Instagram series

Compromise is not a dirty word.

That’s the way you get things done.

Former U.S. Rep J OHN J. FASO (R-NY) during the first President’s Forum event of the academic year. Faso joined former U.S Secretary of Agriculture and U.S. Rep. Dan Glickman (D-KS) and members of the HWS community in a conversation about the importance of voting, service and democratic engagement.

…a bold and unconventional claim…

From a Wall Street Journal review of Professor of International Relations V I K AS H YA DAV’s new book Liberalism’s Last Man: Hayek in the Age of Political Capitalism

J E SS I CA K N O L L ’0 6 in a TIME profile leading up to the publication of her third novel, Bright Young Women

We’re trying something in terms of a multiethnic, multireligious, multieverything democracy…at a scale that has never been attempted let alone proven successful ever before…

New York Times opinion writer F RAN K BRU N I during the fall Stern Family Forum event. Bruni joined Lee Carter—communications strategist, Fox and MSNBC contributor, and president of maslansky + partners—for a conversation on campus moderated by President Mark D. Gearan.

…this conference taught me so much and…left me with a feeling of hope for the future of mental illness treatment, prevention, and advocacy.

I feel really passionate that I am pursuing the right career field.

ALEXANDRA GEORGE ’24, after attending the National Alliance on Mental Illness conference in Syracuse with classmates and faculty

I think I’m turning into a dog…

From the first chapter of Nightbitch, the debut novel by RACHEL YODER, the 2023–24 HWS Trias Writer-in-Residence. Yoder read from her work this fall as part of the Trias campus reading series.

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BY THE NU M BERS

PHOTO COURTESY OF N. FISCHER, H. PFEIFFER, A. BUONANNO (MAX PLANCK INSTITUTE FOR GRAVITATIONAL PHYSICS), SIMULATING EXTREME SPACETIMES (SXS) COLLABORATION

Astronomical Support Black holes. Neutron stars. Binary systems. More than $1 million in grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF) will support the astrophysics work of Associate Professor of Physics Steve Penn as he develops tools to observe these stellar phenomena more clearly. Penn, who contributed to the Nobel-winning research that confirmed the existence of gravitational waves, has spent more than 25 years refining the sensitivity of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) detectors. A new NSF grant supports Penn’s work to reduce thermal noise in LIGO’s mirror coatings and thereby increase what can be seen of the universe.

Alongside this new funding, which will support student research opportunities, Penn received a continuation of a previous NSF grant to further develop mirror coatings.

99

Number of years elapsed between Albert Einstein’s prediction of gravitational waves in 1916 and their detection in 2015.

90+

Number of black holes and other such events that LIGO has detected since 2015 by observing gravitational waves, the ripples in the fabric of spacetime that Einstein predicted with his general theory of relativity.

100

KILOGRAMS

Weight of new mirrors for LIGO’s next major upgrade. Penn’s research focuses on developing and characterizing crystalline mirror coatings, which will significantly increase the rate of gravitational waves detections and enable better observations of black holes, neutron stars and similar phenomena.

$108,714

Funds supporting a previous, continuing NSF grant. Over the next two years, this grant will support Penn’s development of mirror coatings to enhance the sensitivity of Cosmic Explorer, the proposed third generation gravitational wave detector.

25

Number of years that Penn has been part of the LIGO Scientific Collaboration (LSC), the international group of researchers focused on the direct detection of gravitational waves. HWS numbered among the first small colleges to join the LSC when Penn joined the faculty in 2002. He currently serves as Chair of the LSC Council.

2017

The year in which the LSC’s discovery of gravitational waves received the Nobel Prize in Physics.

The prestigious and highly selective Special Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics was also awarded to the global LSC research team, including Penn, among many other recognitions of their pioneering work.

10x

Factor by which the new crystalline mirror coatings could reduce thermal noise, allowing the detection of many more events at much higher sensitivity.

2

Number of LIGO observatories, one in Hanford Site, Wash., the other in Livingston, La.

$1,077,454

New grant funding from the NSF supporting a three-year project to refine the sensitivity of LIGO detectors.

This image is a still from a video of a numerical simulation of a heavy blackhole merger.

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HONORS

Top Notch Faculty, Career Services Among Nation’s Best: Princeton Review The Princeton Review’s Best 389 Colleges ranks Hobart and William Smith among the top 25 colleges and universities in the country for faculty, career services and environmental conservation.

For the seventh year in a row, HWS faculty rank among the best in the nation, according to the Princeton Review, which also touts the Colleges’ stellar career services program, ability to “create futures” and commitment to the environment.

HWS appears on the “Professors Get High Marks” list, based on how strongly students feel the faculty “are interesting and bring their material to life.”

The Colleges are also included on the top-25 “Best Career Services” list, as well as the list of “Colleges That Create Futures,” which includes 50 schools that “empower students to discover practical applications for their talents and interests through experiences that complement their classes and coursework.”

Best Colleges again featured HWS on the “Green Matters: Everyone Cares About Conservation” list, celebrating the 25 colleges and universities most dedicated to environmental protection. The Colleges were also included in the Princeton Review Guide to Green Schools 2024.

Earlier in 2023, the Princeton Review selected HWS as a “Best Value College” for the eighth consecutive year.

Associate Professor of Media & Society Rebecca Burditt (inset top left), Professor of Chemistry Christine de Denus (above with Will Argueta ’24) and Professor of Environmental Studies John Halfman (left) were recognized by their colleagues with the 2023 Faculty Prizes.

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SE RV I CE

Top Five for Service, 32nd Overall For the seventh year in a row, Hobart and William Smith are among the top five U.S. liberal arts institutions for service, according to Washington Monthly. The annual rankings also put the Colleges at 32nd among liberal arts schools overall, jumping 15 spots in the ranking from last year.

The service recognition is due in no small part to the Center for Community Engagement and Service Learning and programs like Summer of Service, which places HWS interns in local organizations each summer.

Summer of Service is generously supported by Thomas J. Patchett ’88, Trustee Margueritte Murphy and Brian Cooper, with grant funding through the Boys and Girls Club of Geneva and Geneva 2030, and housing sponsored by Sodexo.

Wedad Al Rousan ’26 (right) was one of 11 interns who participated in Summer of Service 2023. Here, she leads an arts and crafts activity at the Boys and Girls Club.

PHOTOS BY ADAM FARID ’20 AND KEVIN COLTON L.H.D. ’23

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I N N OVAT I O N

STEM Careers and Cancer Research With nearly $1 million in total federal grant funding, two interdisciplinary faculty projects are poised to support innovative research and student success.

Over the next decade, STEM occupations are expected to grow faster than careers in other sectors, leaving a talent shortage of 3.5 million jobs by 2029, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. To help close that gap, HWS will lead a partnership with other institutions to develop a skilled STEM workforce with support from the National Science Foundation (NSF). Associate Professor of Physics Leslie Hebb and Professor of Geoscience Nicholas Metz, who also serves as Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs and Development, were awarded a $399,499 grant as part of the NSF’s EmpowerEd: Building the Future Workforce Together project.

Meanwhile, Professor of Biology Patricia Mowery and Professor of Chemistry Erin Pelkey were awarded a $425,050 grant from the National Institutes of Health to develop drugs that target tubulin, a critical cellular protein and a common target for cancer treatments. Since 2014, Mowery, Pelkey and their research students have been investigating new avenues for anticancer therapeutics. As they explain, this new support enables their continuing “research to improve anticancer agents while training the next generation of scientists.”

“At HWS, we pride ourselves on the ways in which we think deeply about the future, and these projects hold tremendous promise,” says Provost and Dean of the Faculty Sarah Kirk. “Our science faculty’s innovative collaborations reflect the best of our campus’ academics, connecting students with opportunities to practice robust research with profound implications for our world.”

▲ Taylor Coburn ’23 works on a cancer research project under the direction of Professor of Biology Patricia Mowery and Professor of Chemistry Erin Pelkey.

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Rethinking Tourism in Tokyo Professor of History and Asian Studies Lisa Yoshikawa and recent graduates unpack the push and pull of knowledge across cultures as they explore the form and function of tourism in Tokyo.

BY ANDRE W W ICK EN DEN

’0 9

In the aftermath of the Asia Pacific Wars, the Japanese government set out to revamp its tourism industry. In the wake of Covid-19, Japan again faced the question of how to welcome back foreign tourists. Last summer, Professor of History and Asian Studies Lisa Yoshikawa and three members of the Class of 2023 traveled to Tokyo to study these parallels and shed light on future possibilities for cross-cultural exchange.

“My training and general research area is international history and knowledge production — how ideas and worldviews were and are created in the context of international relations,” says Yoshikawa.

A 2022-23 Fulbright Scholar, Yoshikawa has been exploring Japan’s colonial legacy, particularly how the country and its neighbors developed attitudes “about self and other to understand the world and further their interests.”

Drawing on these themes, Jonathan Garcia ’23, Roxana Peña ’23 and Tenzin Yonten ’23 designed a research project that earned a grant from ASIANetwork, a consortium of more than 140 North American colleges that promotes liberal arts education about Asia. After two semesters of preliminary research — and two years waiting out pandemic-related travel restrictions — Garcia, Peña and

Yonten arrived in Tokyo with Yoshikawa in July of 2023.

Together, they retraced itineraries from old JTB (Japan Tourist Bureau) travel brochures, examining how this government-affiliated agency branded Tokyo over the past century. From gardens, shrines, “tea ceremonies and temples, to cutting edge technology,” Peña says, “Tokyo is a captivating city… [with] a blend of old and new traditions.”

Now pursuing a Ph.D. in audiology at Montclair State University, she says her work on campus with Yoshikawa and Professor of Asian Studies JamesHenry Holland was a “great baseline” in “cultural sensitivity, historical perspectives and language skills,” and in turn, the experience in Tokyo offered “a new way of thinking [about] what I learned in my classes.”

In Tokyo, the group paired site visits with “firsthand encounters — what Japanese tourism students call experiential tourism,” Yoshikawa explains. Garcia, Peña and Yonten connected with “Tokyoites as well as domestic and international tourists visiting the city, and had an extremely

PHOTO BY TAKASHI MIYAZAKI / UNSPLASH

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productive meeting with a group of students studying tourism at Technos College.”

Yonten says he “always wanted to explore Japan’s rich history and culture.”

From the initial grant proposal and research through the trip itself, the project was “a wonderful way to cap off… my academic journey at HWS,” he says, adding: “I am also beyond grateful…to engage in this research project with my two friends, Jonathan and Roxy, alongside my advisor Professor Yoshikawa.”

As the recipient of a 2023 Princeton in Asia Fellowship, Yonten is now teaching English at the University of Finance and Economics in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. He says Yoshikawa’s support has been invaluable. “She’s always been there…[whether with] a letter of recommendation a day later or hopping on a quick meeting if I need any sort of guidance.”

As Garcia puts it, “Professor Yoshikawa is incredible at guiding us and helping us find what we need, but also giving us space to learn on our own.” Now serving with AmeriCorps in Geneva, he says his experiences abroad — both in Tokyo and on The March: Bearing Witness to Hope

program in Europe — underscored the importance of “getting a new perspective.”

Yoshikawa agrees: “For students studying world languages and cultures or international relations, the importance of conducting research, whether formal or informal, on the ground outside the U.S. cannot be overstated…. Jonathan, Roxy and Tenzin each and together exemplify the best of HWS — they are all multicultural and multilingual, fiercely interdisciplinary, creative, open-minded, thoughtful and kind.…

Today, very few people can avoid encountering other cultures, and we excel at HWS in preparing students for this 21st century world.”

Above: During the experience, Professor of History and Asian Studies Lisa Yoshikawa had a chance to deepen her research, but “the icing on the cake was meeting up with some of my older students in Tokyo.… This was probably the highlight for me as a teacher — two generations of my students getting to know each other and learning from each other.” Pictured here, Yonten, Peña and Garcia meet up with Andrew Upton ’12 (center right), a visual storyteller and wildlife and conservation photographer based in Japan. Large photo: Looking beyond Tokyo’s iconic skyline, this research project explored changes in the city’s image as a tourist destination following diverse challenges, from earthquakes and firebombings to the Olympics and Covid-19. Inset right: Professor of History and Asian Studies Lisa Yoshikawa

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CAMPUS HAPPEN IN G S

Hurray for Homecoming In October, Homecoming and Family Weekend brought the HWS community together to reconnect with old friends, celebrate student research, honor outstanding faculty and cheer on the Statesmen and Herons.

Friday saw a fun-filled evening with Quad-a-Palooza festivities, music and dinner. On Saturday, President Mark 14 / T H E P U LT EN EY STRE E T SURVE Y

D. Gearan delivered the State of the Colleges address, reviewing the 2023 year and highlighting strategic goals as well as recent national recognitions, campus upgrades, new academic programs and historic fundraising.

HWS fans cheered teams to victory, with wins for Herons field hockey, Statesmen football, and men’s and women’s soccer

and ice hockey. Meanwhile, student research filled the Gearan Center, community service was on the agenda in the Adams Intercultural Center, and esteemed retired faculty returned to campus for recognition.

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Honoring Distinguished Faculty The HWS Alumni and Alumnae Associations pay tribute to Professors Emeriti T. Dunbar Moodie and Daniel J. Singal.

During Homecoming and Family Weekend, Distinguished Faculty Awards were presented to Professor Emeritus of Sociology T. Dunbar Moodie and Professor Emeritus of History Daniel J. Singal for their impact as teachers, mentors and scholars.

The Distinguished Faculty Award was established in 1990 by the Hobart Alumni Association and the William Smith Alumnae Association to recognize the importance that graduates place on the contributions of outstanding faculty members of the past.

Moodie, a specialist on South Africa, taught at HWS from 1976 to 2014 and chaired of the Anthropology and Sociology Department. He holds a Ph.D. in Religion and Society from Harvard University, an M.A. in Theology from Oxford University, a B.A. from Oxford University as a Scholar of St. Edmund Hall and a B.Scs. in Sociology and Social Anthropology from Rhodes University.

“Dunbar Moodie provided decades of experience as a professor, academic and family man to students seeking wisdom,” says Thomas Baptiste ’07, an IT and digital consultant in Washington, D.C. “I loved every Moodie class I took,” says Hilary Frost ’03, a project manager

at HNTB in Brooklyn. “I even minored in sociology when I realized I had taken so many of his classes. Professor Moodie was always approachable and supportive….

He cultivated an environment of collegial curiosity which made learning a genuine pleasure.”

Singal, who taught history at the Colleges from 1980 to 2014, is a scholar of American history. He holds a Ph.D. with distinction from Columbia University, an M.A. from Columbia University and a B.A. magna cum laude from Harvard College.

Melissa Hipolit ’04, an investigative reporter with WTVR in Richmond, Va., recalls how “Professor Singal took the time to get to know me personally, and gave me the confidence to speak up…or do a presentation in front of the class.”

Richard Roche ’87, former high school teacher in Flemington, N.J., recalls Singal “as one of two professors I had during my time as an undergraduate who truly inspired me to enter the field of education. Professor Singal’s ‘U.S. Since 1945’ course was the best course I ever took. It wasn’t just his knowledge but his passion and love of the material that was inspirational.”

▼ Distinguished Faculty Award recipients Professor Emeritus of Sociology T. Dunbar Moodie and Professor Emeritus of History Daniel J. Singal (seated, center) gathered with colleagues (left to right, standing) Professor Emeritus of Educational Studies Pat Collins P’09, Professor of Sociology Wes Perkins, Professor Emeritus of Economics Alan Frishman P’00, Associate Professor Emerita of Economics Judith McKinney, Professor Emeritus of Economics Pat McGuire L.H.D. ’12, Professor Emeritus of Economics Scott McKinney, President Mark D. Gearan, Provost and Dean of Faculty Sarah Kirk, Professor Emeritus of Media & Society Les Friedman, Professor Emerita of Sociology Sheila Bennett, Professor Emeritus of English Jim Crenner, (seated) Professor Emeritus of Sociology Jim Spates P’00, P’09 and Professor Emerita of Art History Elena Ciletti. ▲ Fans celebrate a touchdown at Hobart Football’s victory over St. Lawrence during Homecoming and Family Weekend.

Alumnae Relations Chevanne DeVaney ’95, P’21, P’23. “Beautiful weather, great company, all the academic and athletic highlights — it’s a really special time, and I am so grateful to our alums, families and friends who joined the campus community to make it so much fun.”

PHOTO BY BRETT WILLIAMS

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One Day, Three League Titles HWS teams nabbed three Liberty League championships in a single afternoon.

On a bright Saturday afternoon in November, the Hobart and William Smith soccer teams and the William Smith field hockey team all brought home Liberty League titles. The Statesmen captured a fourth conference championship with a 4-1 win over Ithaca on Cozzens Field. Herons Soccer, which had won 14 consecutive Liberty League championships before falling in penalty kicks last season, returned to form this year, beating RIT 1-0. William Smith Field Hockey also defeated Ithaca 1-0 for a second straight conference title.

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H OBART

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Looking back on seven decades of Statesmen soccer — and the program’s future.

As Hobart Soccer began its 70th season, Head Coach Shawn Griffin P’24 and two of the program’s most ardent supporters, Ralph A. Pica ’56 and Honorary Trustee Thomas B. Poole ’61, P’91, L.H.D. ’06, joined Finger Lakes Radio host and HWS play-by-play sports announcer Ted Baker for a conversation about the team’s early years. The Statesmen reflected on their experiences on campus, their distinguished careers, the evolution of student athletics and their hopes for this season and beyond.

Pica was a member of the program’s first team in 1953 — and scored the program’s first goal. “We had quite a good nucleus of players,” he said of that inaugural soccer roster. “We played a pretty tough, longpassing game. It’s not the same game you see today, but it was a lot of fun.”

Despite never having played soccer before, Poole was offered a spot on the roster and would ultimately captain the 1960 team, which ended its season with a 6–1–1 record. Poole, who was inducted to the Hobart Athletics Hall of Fame in 2002, noted how the close bonds that developed between players and coaches was mirrored in the wider campus community. “Hobart turned out to be a special school. Everyone turned out to be your friend.… It was a camaraderie I didn’t expect but I appreciated greatly,” he said.

Listen to the interview here.

PHOTOS BY KEVIN COLTON L.H.D. ’23

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Tech.

Data.

Volleyball.

HWS Volleyball is rethinking scorekeeping, stats and training with help from the Data Analytics program.

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Over the past decade, sports analytics capabilities have “skyrocketed,” says Hobart Volleyball Head Coach Steve England. Technology enables teams to translate players’ actions into an abundance of data in real time for shrewder decisions on the court, both in training and in matches.

“Instead of waiting until the end of the set to get the box score,” England explains, “we can make live, up-to-date decisions based on the data, which puts the team at an advantage.”

A new pilot program offers the Hobart and William Smith volleyball programs and student coders a chance to take advantage of this profusion of data.

When the Data Analytics minor was established in 2021, faculty were eager to create opportunities for students to apply the skills they develop in the classroom, and athletics seemed like an obvious place to start, says Professor of Geoscience Nan Crystal Arens.

Last spring, she and Professor of Geoscience Neil Laird connected with coaches to gauge interest and during the summer, worked with England to explore the benefits for students and the teams.

The collaboration yielded an independent study during the fall semester, with Natalie Haythorn ’24 gathering volleyball-specific data to “explore…where data analytics can be applied and used in an effective 18 / T H E P U LT EN EY STRE E T SURVE Y

way.” Haythorn, who is majoring in Management and Entrepreneurship and double-minoring in Data Analytics and Sociology, says the venture has let her test project management skills and “connect what I have learned in the core classes.”

In the spring of 2024, the teams will be “the ‘client’ in the Data Analytics minor capstone, in which the students will analyze those data to answer whatever needs the coaches have and create a dashboard for them,” Arens explains. “I view this as a sort of pilot…the sort of thing we could do [on a broader scale] with suitable resources.”

England notes that the synergy between academics and athletics offers the teams “better statistical decisions based on the data we collect,” but it’s also a boon for students, both in terms of “earning credits and career opportunities: there are jobs waiting for students who know how to do this kind of coding and have an interest in athletics.”

PHOTO BY BRETT WILLIAMS

▲ The Herons celebrate during their win over the RIT Tigers during the fall.

Hobart Volleyball begins its first season of play this winter.

“Instead of waiting until the end of the set to get the box score, we can make live, up-to-date decisions based on the data, which puts the team at an advantage.”

— STEVE ENGLA N D, Head Coach of Hobart Volleyball

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◀ Trustee Chip Carver ’81, who serves as Volunteer Assistant William Smith Soccer Coach, and Anne DeLaney (right) join Head Coach Aliceann Wilber P’12, L.H.D. ’22 and Mitch Wilber at the opening of the Carver-DeLaney Soccer Suite in September. ▼ President Gearan, Mary Herlihy Gearan and Anne DeLaney chat with HWS community members in the new Carver-DeLaney Soccer Suite.

Expanded Support for Student-Athletes Through the generosity of Trustee Calvin R. “Chip” Carver Jr. ’81 and Anne DeLaney, renovated facilities offer more resources for players and honor a legendary coach.

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At the beginning of the academic year, the William Smith Soccer team returned to campus to find their locker room remodeled as a new team meeting space, their lounge upgraded, and a former storage area transformed into a spacious new team room. These renovations reflect the latest support from Trustee Chip Carver ’81 and his wife Anne DeLaney, who for 40 years have invested in student wellness, athletics, the arts, the sciences, scholarships and technology.

Carver, who coaches softball at the Pingry School in Basking Ridge, N.J., is a longtime volunteer assistant coach for the Herons Soccer program. He first got involved with the team “because I wanted to learn as much as I could about coaching from one of the best coaches in the United States — Aliceann Wilber P’12, L.H.D. ’22.” Inspired by Wilber’s success “as a coach and mentor to generations of student athletes,” Carver says, “Anne and I wanted to do something for the team that would honor their commitment on the field and in the classroom.”

PHOTOS BY ADAM FARID ’20

The renovated team room is named in honor of Wilber, who has coached William Smith to two national titles since she joined the Colleges in 1980. “There are not enough words or languages to adequately express our gratitude to Chip and Anne for their thoughtful and consistent investment of time, financial support and especially care,” says Wilber.

“I am enormously grateful to Chip and Anne for making this project possible, and for giving our student athletes the facilities they deserve,” says President Mark D. Gearan. “Over many years, Chip and Anne have supported nearly every aspect of campus life, from the sciences and the arts to athletics and scholarships. Chip’s leadership on the Board of Trustees has provided the Colleges with exceptional direction, and I appreciate and am thankful for his continued guidance and counsel.”

Carver — who held leadership roles at Goldman Sachs, SwapsWire, Inc., and IHS

Markit — spent many years managing and trading financial derivatives and built a reputation as an expert in the management of e-commerce for global trade processing.

In 2002, he joined the HWS Board of Trustees, serving on a number of committees and chairing the Task Force on Innovation.

Through the Salisbury Center for Career, Professional and Experiential Education, he has participated in the Professionals in Residence program and networked with many students and graduates who have gone on to internships and careers in finance.

Carver and DeLaney, a licensed clinical social worker, established the Calvin R. Carver Lecture and Student Support Fund in 2012 in honor of Carver’s father and in memory of his brother. The fund assists students experiencing mental or physical health difficulties and supports an annual speaker series to promote inclusiveness, resiliency, positive mental health and social justice. Among other projects, their support funded the Carver-DeLaney Family Press Box and stadium at John H. Cozzens Jr. ’41 Memorial Field.

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PROCESS OF COLLABORATION Powerful connections are fueling academic innovation and transformative outcomes

IL LUS TR ATIO N BY L EO ACA DIA

Wide-ranging teamwork at HWS is driving research in surprising and exciting new directions while spurring life-changing opportunities for students after graduation.

On and off campus, students, faculty and alumni are working together to nurture discovery, unlock potential and drive progress.

Through research, Honors projects, internships, scholarship support and one-on-one mentorships, their collaborations yield profound academic insights, galvanize professional growth and create lifelong personal bonds.

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Assistant Professor of Computer Science Chris Fietkiewicz and Khairul Islam ’25 discuss enhancements for their neurorobotics research.

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BRAINPOWER + SPIDEY-SENSES

For more than a year, Khairul Islam ’25 and Assistant Professor of Computer Science robotic spiders Chris Fietkiewicz have been designing, might mean for programming and building an array of arachnid-like robots. These robo-spiders people living are connected to neural controllers — with neuromotor devices coded with artificial neurons conditions. that mimic a brain system — to better understand the way mind and body BY function. As they illuminate the complex A NDRE W behavior of neurons and axons, Islam and W ICKE NDE N ’09 Fietkiewicz are auguring revolutionary advancements in biomedical engineering.

Arriving at HWS in 2022 “fresh from a two-year robotics binge,” Islam admits that neuroscience “honestly wasn’t my jam. But here’s the plot twist: [Fietkiewicz] was cooking up this epic project, mixing neuroscience with robotics. Seeing my background, he’s like, ‘Wanna join?’ It felt like hitting the jackpot!”

“The serendipity of it all is very striking to me,” says Fietkiewicz. By helping Islam “feed his passion for robotics,” Fietkiewicz has brought his own longtime interests full circle.

“My own love of electronics and robotics goes back to my childhood and kickstarted my first career as an electrical engineer,” he says. “But my current passions are software engineering and computational neuroscience.

Now I’ve discovered an exciting way to combine it all, yet I never would have even thought of it without Khairul.”

Fietkiewicz initially saw robotics as an avenue to “study ideas in neurology and biomedical engineering, such as with conditions like paralysis and Parkinson’s disease. But I soon realized that the neuroscience models I study could be excellent for controlling typical robots, too.”

Traditionally, computer algorithms have been used to make robots move. “Humans and animals don’t work that way, and using neural circuits with robots may allow for simpler and more adaptive control methods,” Fietkiewicz explains.

Integrating servomotors and an Arduino, an opensource microcontroller, Islam is constructing physical robots and developing a method for tapping into the sensory feedback system that is built into the

What a fleet of

PHOTOS BY KEVIN COLTON L.H.D. ’23 AND ADAM FARID ’20

Islam develops code for the neural-controlled robotic spider in the Physics Library of Eaton Hall.

servomotors. This feedback system enables more accurate experiments to understand how the brain controls the body. As the technology is refined, it holds immense promise for neuroprosthetics and the treatment of nervous system disorders such as paralysis, Parkinson’s disease and epilepsy.

For Islam — who is enrolled in the Colleges’ Joint Engineering Degree program, a cross-institution partnership with Columbia and Dartmouth — working with Fietkiewicz has been “like jamming with a fellow band member. We vibed on so many levels: our love for learning, our quirks, and our geek-out sessions....

It’s got me dreaming big, thinking maybe a Ph.D. in neurorobotics.”

MY CURRENT PASSIONS ARE SOFTWARE ENGINEERING AND COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE. NOW I’VE DISCOVERED AN EXCITING WAY TO COMBINE IT ALL, YET I NEVER WOULD HAVE EVEN THOUGHT OF IT WITHOUT KHAIRUL .”

ASSI STANT PROFESSOR OF COMPU TER S C I E N C E CHRIS FIETKIEWICZ

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With other Polaris Project researchers, MaryBridget Horvath ’24 arrived in the Yukon Delta in Alaska last summer to study permafrost melt and the effects of climate change in the Arctic.

MaryBridget Horvath ’24 and Professor of Geoscience David Finkelstein

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ON THE SCIENTIFIC FRONTIER From Seneca Lake to the Yukon River, the challenges of field research build confidence for MaryBridget Horvath ’24.

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Last summer, MaryBridget Horvath ’24 spent two weeks tracking permafrost melt in Alaska with the Polaris Project. Stationed in the wilds of the Yukon Delta, she was in unfamiliar geographical territory, but thanks to previous research experience with her advisor, Professor of Geoscience David Finkelstein, Horvath had the confidence to transform raw data into a clearer picture of Alaska’s changing environment.

During her first year at HWS, Horvath worked alongside Finkelstein, collecting samples from the Colleges’ data buoy that helps measure Seneca Lake’s water chemistry and seasonal trends. It was a dive into the deep end, so to speak, with ample data but little else to go on.

“The whole idea was building the research by building confidence,” says Finkelstein — confidence to graph data and shape questions around the results: “What do you see? What do you think you see?

What do you wish you had?”

After learning to collect samples and interpret data, Horvath was soon taking the lead on the HWS research vessel, the William Scandling, identifying the location and water depth and running the data meters with Finkelstein’s assistance.

“I hadn’t been exposed to this ‘nobody knows the answer’ type of work before,”

says Horvath, noting that the experience has “really helped me grow and develop my analysis skills” in the face of emerging research.

It prepared her well for her work in Alaska, where, through the Polaris Project, she and peer researchers from across the world convened to manage their own research on climate change and its effects on the Arctic.

Horvath examined the literal downstream effects of melting permafrost, tracing the water flow to lakes and bogs, documenting the nutrients it carries and how the influx impacts water chemistry.

She says the opportunity to build on Arctic melt and climate change research, particularly “because it’s such a novel environment…is really fascinating to me.… [and] super cool.”

Horvath presented her initial findings at the American Geophysical Union’s fall conference in San Francisco. Meanwhile, her investigation into the sediments in the area continues.

Having observed her growth as a researcher since her first year at HWS, Finkelstein is certain that Horvath has developed the skills and confidence to “firmly stand in front of her science, and…firmly defend the decisions she has made.”

THE WHOLE IDEA WAS BUILDING THE RESEARCH BY BUILDING CONFIDENCE. CONFIDENCE TO GRAPH DATA AND SHAPE QUESTIONS AROUND THE RESULTS: “WHAT DO YOU SEE? WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU SEE? WHAT DO YOU WISH YOU HAD?” PROFESSOR OF GEOSCIENCE DAVID FINKELSTEIN

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE POLARIS PROJECT

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LAB TESTED Benchwork in Professor of Chemistry Justin Miller’s lab armed Brogan Dietsche ’25 and Jadon Layne ’25 with the molecular chemistry research skills to thrive in internships at MIT and Yale.

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Not long after Jadon Layne ’25 arrived on campus, Professor of Chemistry Justin Miller recruited him into his research group, where teaching and learning go hand-in-hand with research.

“It’s amazing to have that close relationship with Professor Miller,” says Layne, a pre-med biochemistry major.

“He’s very nurturing and that creates an environment where people can grow.”

That growth helped Layne secure a summer research internship at the Yale School of Medicine, where he returned the following winter and again last summer to discover how the virus that causes COVID-19 reproduces and spreads so efficiently.

PHOTOS BY ADAM FARID ’20

“The primary goal is to analyze how the virus is using the host’s ubiquitin system to its advantage,” Layne explains.

“Along the way, we have been discovering new information about not only the viral mechanisms but the cellular mechanisms…. Given how pathogenic the virus is, the avenue of ubiquitination emerges as a viable target for potential antiviral therapeutics.”

For Layne, it’s important to understand research within the broader scientific context. Engaging with experts and studying literature is vital, as is being able to communicate findings (he presented his work to Yale’s infectious disease and rheumatology departments)

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I WANT TO GENERATE STUDENTS WHO CAN GO THINK INDEPENDENTLY AND ACT INDEPENDENTLY AND DECIDE FOR THEMSELVES WHAT THEY WANT TO DO. AND WE’RE ARMING THEM WITH THE TOOLS TO DO THAT.” PROFESSOR OF CHEMISTRY JUSTIN MILLER

Professor of Chemistry Justin Miller looks on as Jadon Layne ‘25 pulls pipettes to make thin layer chromatography spotters.

At right: Miller and Brogan Dietsche ’25 discuss the nuclear magnetic resonance data from their summer research project.

— not to mention fostering the growth of other scientists.

Back on campus, Layne has turned his attention to nurturing the HWS scientific community. With Aidan Vanek ’25 and Oliver Tauscher ’25, he cofounded the Health Professions Association, a new club intended to “expose and prepare students for any area of healthcare that they are interested in.”

Chemistry major Brogan Dietsche ’25 spent the early weeks of last summer on campus, working alongside Miller to synthesize two drug-related, biofunctional molecules. One masks drug molecules, allowing them to diffuse passively into cells, while the other is a potential anti-cancer compound that may have therapeutic applications.

Dietsche brought his research skills to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he developed molecules for very different applications. Funded by the National Science Foundation Center for the Chemistry of Molecularly Optimized Networks, his research internship

focused on designing and synthesizing mechanophore vulcanizing agents to strengthen polymer networks like those in industrial-grade plastics.

Looking back on his chemistry education thus far, Dietsche says his coursework has been “a perfect segue to now doing research as part of Professor Miller’s lab,” and the organic synthesis methodology and techniques he learned working with Miller carried over to the MIT internship. With his sights set on a Ph.D. in chemistry, these experiences on and off campus have provided Dietsche with “a strong foundation for when I’m eventually doing research on my own.”

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LEVELING UP

President of UBS Investment Bank Rob Karofsky ’89 and Professor Emeritus of Economics Pat McGuire L.H.D. ’12 look back at the lasting impacts of Honors research.

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At Hobart and William Smith, the academic intensity of Honors is only part of what makes the experience so distinctive. As Professor Emeritus of Economics Pat McGuire L.H.D. ’12 explains, it’s the opportunity to “work closely with a faculty member.... That kind of relationship can make a real difference in a student’s life.”

Under McGuire’s guidance 35 years ago, Rob Karofsky ’89 delved into the work of 20th century economist John Maynard Keynes and his influence on Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal. Looking back on his Honors project with McGuire, Karofsky considers it a pivotal moment not only in his development as a student but in his way of seeing the world. “Pat got a lot out of me and helped me to achieve my potential,” he says.

NEW PERSPECTIVES Rob Karofsky: I was immediately drawn in by Pat’s passion for economics and macroeconomic theory. It really accelerated my own excitement for continuing to learn more and understand how the world works. From an academic perspective it was absolutely one of the highlights.

In a world, and especially in my industry, that’s gravitating more and more toward quantitative mathematics and computer sciences, I still believe the best education you can get is the liberal arts.

Pat McGuire: It is the seriousness with which students and faculty take the academics that results in these kinds of relationships and friendships. Rob did a tremendous amount of work and really knew his stuff, which allowed us to take the discussion to a different level and find new insights together. There are not many places that work to create that kind of closeness.

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CONFIDE NCE IS KEY RK: Pat was a key figure in my life in terms of giving me confidence in my own abilities. To this day, the most impactful class I’ve ever taken was my first class with Pat. He had more confidence in me at that time than I had in myself, and that has helped me achieve the level of success I’ve achieved today.

PM: The harder I pushed Rob, the stronger he grew. We could slow down if necessary, but I would never go back further than I needed to.

I wanted to push him and all of my students forward — not just take them up to a certain point, but to go beyond. Then, all of a sudden: “I see!”

In October, Karofsky joined President Gearan and young alumni at a breakfast event in New York to share his expertise and advice. At right: McGuire, who taught in the Economics Department for more than 40 years, was honored with the Distinguished Faculty Award in 2018.

A SHARED JOURNEY RK: Pat critically challenged my thinking and was extremely supportive. He dedicated an enormous amount of time. I felt like we took the journey together.

He was equally invested and that had a big impact.

PM: That’s one of the great things about faculty-student work: if you’re spending a lot of time together and talking at a fairly high level, and the student feels comfortable, they often come up with ways of looking at data or a theoretical point that’s just a little different. That’s the sign of a good education and a good experience learning one-on-one, which I can happily say is common at Hobart and William Smith. I know there were many such moments during my work with Rob.

IN A WORLD, AND ESPECIALLY IN MY INDUSTRY, THAT’S GRAVITATING MORE AND MORE TOWARD QUANTITATIVE MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTER SCIENCES, I STILL BELIEVE THE BEST EDUCATION YOU CAN GET IS THE LIBERAL ARTS.” RO B KAROFSKY ’89

President of UBS Investment Bank, Karofsky has decades of experience as an analyst and trader, working for various financial institutions such as Morgan Stanley, Deutsche Bank and AllianceBernstein. At UBS, he also serves as co-lead of the AI, data and analytics center of expertise.

He holds an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business. In 2020 and again in 2023, in recognition of McGuire’s profound impact on his education, Karofsky made a substantial donation to the Patrick A. and Sandra A. McGuire Study Abroad Fund.

LEFT PHOTO COURTESY OF UBS. PHOTOS BY ADAM FARID ’20 AND KEVIN COLTON L.H.D. ’23

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ROCKING OUT Now a Ph.D. candidate at the University of

Pennsylvania, Jonas Toupal ’19 is tracking the downstream effects of lithium mining and looking for ways to safeguard against them.

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“I was always drawn to geology, as it is one of the few disciplines that allows one to work outside in the environment,” says Jonas Toupal ’19.

Over the past four years, Toupal has split his time between the lab at the University of Pennsylvania and field sites in his home country of the Czech Republic and Central Europe, exploring lithium deposits.

Lithium’s energy density to weight ratio makes it an ideal element for batteries, and with the move away from a global carbon-based economy, its demand is only expected to grow.

“Traditionally, lithium is mined from brines in semiarid parts of the world, but the recent increase in demand is causing the exploration of granite deposits as well,” explains Toupal, whose dissertation is focused on understanding the consequences “that mining these deposits might introduce and…[how] to prevent them.”

Toupal began studying the impact of mining as a student at HWS. Working with Professor of Geoscience Nan Crystal Arens and Associate Professor of Environmental Studies Kristen Brubaker, Toupal investigated how satellite images might help map mercury contamination caused by gold mining.

This research grew into an Honors project with Arens focusing on remote sensing in mineralogy — “not at all my area of expertise,” Arens says. “But my approach to independent work is to meet students where they are, help them find a question they are curious about, and keep challenging them until I find the edges of their capability.

Then I’ll push a little more to support them in growing.

My background in plant physiology and statistics turned out to be helpful, and Jonas had the GIS (geographical information system) experience from his classwork and the grit to go find answers to questions that I couldn’t help with.”

By the time Toupal graduated with Honors, “he had been thinking like and acting like a graduate student for a couple of semesters,” Arens says. When it came time to apply to Penn, his research background and close work

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with Arens — “her guidance, mentorship and feedback on the countless versions of my statement of purpose,” Toupal recalls — “made my application as strong as it could have been…. Every institution I applied to wanted to see a strong set of research skills, which is why I am so grateful for all the undergraduate research opportunities available at HWS.” During his Ph.D. work, Toupal connected with Scott Keogh ’91, CEO of the electric vehicle company Scout Motors, and began exploring the broader implications of his research. “Scott helped me understand the EV market better, lithium sites in general and the industry,” Toupal says. “He even put me in touch with a lithium battery recycling company out of Nevada; getting lithium out of a rock or a battery isn’t that different at the end of the day, and getting it from spent batteries will help offset some of the potential negative impacts of mining.”

As he explores lithium-rich sites, collecting and analyzing water, rock and sediment samples, Toupal is trying to understand “the natural background leaching” that occurs there and what other elements might be present “that might cause issues down the line once we start developing the sites.”

At the potential mining sites in Central Europe, he’s found elevated fluoride and aluminum concentrations, which in large enough quantities could have negative impacts on humans, but there are “also negative impacts from getting lithium from brine,” he explains. “In general, we’ll need more lithium because it’s the best energy dense material we currently have for batteries, so I try to provide the geochemical impacts…so we can build in safety right off the bat.”

MAIN PHOTOS COURTESY OF JONAS TOUPAL ’19; INSET PHOTO BY KEVIN COLTON L.H.D. ’23

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Professor of Geoscience Nan Crystal Arens, Class of 1964 Endowed Professor

Toupal (inset right and below) began researching the impacts of mining as a student at HWS; now at Penn, he’s exploring lithium deposits and the challenges of extracting it in an increasingly electric economy.

EVERY [PH.D. PROGRAM] I APPLIED TO WANTED TO SEE A STRONG SET OF RESEARCH SKILLS, WHICH IS WHY I AM SO GRATEFUL FOR ALL THE UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE AT HWS.” J O N AS TO U PAL ’1 9

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A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT

With drone monitoring, GIS mapping and community outreach, Quincey Johnson ’16 is driving water conservation efforts in Montana that echo her forward-thinking research at HWS.

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For Quincey Johnson ’16, the upper basin of the Missouri River is “the best office environment I could imagine.” Emphasis on environment.

Based near the river’s headwaters in Montana, Johnson serves as Outreach Director for Upper Missouri Waterkeeper, an organization dedicated to protecting the basin’s 25,000 square-mile watershed. Her work straddles public relations, advocacy and environmental monitoring; as she leads communications efforts for the organization’s campaigns, litigations and action alerts, she relies on a wide range of tools to raise awareness and encourage the public to “stand up for clean and healthy waterways.”

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF QUINCEY JOHNSON ’16 AND UPPER MISSOURI WATERKEEPER

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I EVEN CREDIT [PROFESSOR BRUBAKER] WITH ENCOURAGING ME TO MOVE TO MONTANA — I LITERALLY WOULDN’T BE WHERE I AM TODAY WITHOUT HER GUIDANCE AND SUPPORT.”

In the main photo, Quincey Johnson ’16 and a colleague motor along the Missouri River during a summer pollution patrol.

QUIN CE Y J OH N SON ’16

In 2021, Johnson was licensed as a commercial drone operator and began monitoring large swathes of territory during seasonal pollution patrols. The images and video she captures with drone-mounted cameras are “not only useful for storytelling and advocacy purposes but have also played a role in securing federal Clean Water Act designations for our rivers,” she says.

As a student, Johnson was already searching for environmental solutions using emerging technologies. She and Associate Professor of Environmental Studies Kristen Brubaker used the 3D laser scanning instrumentation LIDAR to examine the carbon storage properties of deciduous forests, resulting in a 2018 publication in the Canadian Journal of Forest Research.

Fieldwork took them from Pennsylvania to New Mexico to Italy, and “in all of those experiences, Quincey was just so tenacious and tough,” Brubaker says. “I think that’s the thing that stands out the most to me — just how brave she was, and how she was

PHOTO OF BRUBAKER BY KEVIN COLTON L.H.D. ’23

willing to say yes.… And how good she was at modeling her work off of others.

She didn’t require a lot of coaching because she was also figuring out how to do things on her own.”

During her work with Brubaker, including an Honors project, Johnson says she “developed the technical skills to carry out a research project while also developing a love for working in the field of conservation…. I still utilize Geography Information Systems (GIS) to create maps for communications, a skill I owe fully to Professor Brubaker.

I even credit her with encouraging me to move to Montana — I literally wouldn’t be where I am today without her guidance and support.”

Between rapid development, increased pollution, recreational pressure, historically low fish counts, variable snowpack, warming waters and political inertia, the state’s waterways are at a “critical moment… suffering death by a thousand cuts,” Johnson says. Nevertheless, Upper Missouri Waterkeeper’s work “is moving the needle.”

Inset: Johnson (top) and her HWS advisor and research collaborator, Associate Professor of Environmental Studies Kristen Brubaker (below).

The Gallatin River — a Missouri tributary and “blue-ribbon wild trout fishery” — “has been plagued by excessive nutrient pollution, resulting in neon-green algal blooms each summer that degrade aquatic life and recreational experiences,” she explains.

However, her drone footage of “the miles-long algal blooms” became a key piece of evidence in a petition to the state Department of Environmental Quality. With the petition granted, and a formal EPA ruling, “we are on track to develop a plan to reduce pollution inputs and restore the river to health,” Johnson says.

Safeguarding the natural resources and splendor of the basin “remains an ongoing battle,” she says, “but the victories and progress we’ve made excite and drive me to continue the good fight.”

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SPHERES OF INFLUENCE Over the course of more than 40 years, Michael E. Rawlins ’80, P’16 devoted himself to sharing his time, knowledge and experience with the HWS community. Through his deep engagement as a mentor, Rawlins helped scores of students and alumni cultivate their unique talents and translate their passions into meaningful careers and lives of consequence.

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As this issue of the Pulteney Street Survey was going to press, Rawlins died unexpectedly, leaving behind a remarkable legacy. As President Mark D. Gearan noted in his remembrance, “Michael embodied the very best of Hobart and William Smith. He was an innovative thinker and compassionate leader who enriched our community from his first days as a student through his service on the Board of Trustees. An extraordinary mentor, beloved classmate and generous friend, no one exemplified a life of consequence more than Michael Rawlins.”

Read his obituary on p. 77.

I’ve found over the years that mentoring is my passion. It is that thing I get most energy from. Seeing a student do that hard thing — walking into the Salisbury Center, résumé in hand, to talk to someone who graduated 40 years ago — I try to meet that courage with empathy and curiosity. As a user experience professional, I start with that liberal arts side of connecting the dots: observing how people do what they do, listening very closely, very curiously, to get to why they’re motivated; once you understand that, you can make the process much more engaging. I talk about the journey I’ve had in many different domains, and my comfort with the fact that there are things I do for a living now that I could never have seen when I was in my field of study at the Colleges. I try to convey that the world will keep changing and that I have the tools — HWS has given me the critical thinking tools — to always continue to evolve. I take students through this journey so that they feel comfortable saying, ‘Wow, I can do that too — there’s no ceiling. I can do anything.’

Michael Rawlins ’80, P’16, Head of the Enterprise Content and Broadcast Media Design Team, The Walt Disney Company Gregory J. Vincent ’83, President, Talladega College: I hit the Big Brother Jackpot as a first year at Hobart. In a great cohort of seniors, Mike stood out because he was a stellar scholar athlete and even better person. We had a strong connection — his cousin and dear family friend, Bronx Chief Judge Laura G. Douglas ’79, encouraged me to attend Hobart and Mike took me under his wing. He inspired me and many others with his encouraging words and deeds. I am grateful that we have remained friends and brothers over these 40-plus years and that he serves HWS as a Trustee. I used Mike’s example to pay it forward and mentored the next generation of HWS students.

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During Homecoming and Family Weekend 2023, Rawlins (center) shared his expertise with fellow Statesmen soccer players, past and present.

Alex Kittelberger ’13, Software Engineer, ESPN: What has made Michael’s mentorship truly exceptional is the genuine care and dedication he has shown. From the moment we connected, his unwavering support and mentorship have been instrumental in shaping my career.

Michael helped me navigate my last couple years at HWS, then assisted me in landing a dream job working for ESPN. It is amazing that one connection at HWS over 10 years ago has paved my career path. I am truly grateful for Michael; his impact is immeasurable.

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in your future is such an honor and is something that can only be fostered through an HWS bond. Even through times when I was struggling personally, Michael would make himself available.

I can easily say that he will forever be considered one of HWS’ greatest.

Jonathan Phillips ’21, M&A Analyst, AIG: The thing that’s most special about Michael is his willingness to put himself in a mentorship position; if he has a perspective to add, he wants to be a part of it. I met him when I was 13 through a program that brought students from other states to his town, which had a particularly well-funded public education system. Being away from home in high school, I spent a lot of time with Michael; he was a big support system — not just academically but in life in general. For me, particularly being a first-generation student, having someone in my corner who’s had career changes, high-level positions and life experience is invaluable.

Stefan Thompson ’13, Head Coach, Hobart Basketball: Michael has been in my corner countless times — whether we’re having a check-in conversation, grabbing a coffee during his frequent trips to Geneva or supporting our team on road trips. Michael consistently invests in the people at HWS by sharing his personal and professional experiences along with his robust knowledge with those he encounters.

Elizabeth Moore ’20, AI Engineer, Collins Aerospace: During our first conversation, we instantly connected through our interest

PHOTO BY BRETT WILLIAMS

Jackson Meshanic ’23, Power Forward, Avanti Mondorf, Luxembourg Basketball Federation: Now that I’m playing basketball in Europe, I have to give Michael a lot of credit for inspiring the mental strength and adaptability it takes to move to another country. I’m usually a pretty motivated guy but can get frustrated when I’m not progressing as much as I think I could. That was the first big issue that Michael and I tackled, working toward that ‘growth mindset’ — that there are different ways to approach a problem and with hard work, you can find a way.

in technology and our love of soccer.

Ever since then, Mr. Rawlins has been a constant supporter in every step of my journey, from his help finding an internship to frequently checking in to give advice at my current job. I am forever grateful that we crossed paths, and for all that he has done to help me apply what I experienced and learned at HWS. Caitlin Chichora ’21, Wealth Planning Associate, Nicola Wealth: Michael embodies the magic of the Colleges: community-oriented, spirited, focused, giving and creative. To have someone you look up to take such interest

July Winters ’24, Architecture and Media & Society Major: Every time we meet there’s so much to catch up on, and I leave with a new sense of direction and steps to take. Michael has really helped me expand my network and narrow my focus. I’m so grateful to have him as a mentor.

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A CRESCENDO IN EXPLORATION With faculty support, Eliyah Roberts ’24 is taking her love of music, theatre and storytelling to new worlds.

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Since she arrived on campus, Eliyah Roberts ’24 has been harmonizing academic research and artistic energy. A double-major in Theatre and Music, she has authored research papers on music theory with her advisor, Associate Professor of Music Charity Lofthouse, performed in campus stage productions, and over the past year, worked closely with her Honors project advisor, Associate Professor of Music Mark Olivieri, to develop a deeply researched foundation for a passion project: a full-length Afrofuturist musical.

“I feel like I’m a storyteller above all,” says Roberts, “and the work I’ve done with Charity and Mark has helped me get my voice out there.”

Act I: Inspired by Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton, Roberts challenged herself to write a musical during her first year at HWS. As a sophomore, she took Lofthouse’s course on 20th and 21st-century music theory, and when the course turned to current trends, Roberts already knew what she wanted to research. “[Charity’s] teaching has been so insightful and has influenced the way I have been thinking about musical structure and how music theory comes together with culture and what I want to communicate to the audience,” says Roberts.

Historical Context: Roberts began delving into scholarship and with Lofthouse’s guidance, unpacked the work of Florence Price, regarded as the first female African American symphonic composer, and contemporary artist Janelle Monáe. In her exploration of Black figures in historically white spaces, Roberts not only found resources to shape her musical but authored two research papers; her work on Monáe, which examines her compositions from an Afrofuturist perspective, was accepted to the Theorizing African American Music conference in Denver, where Roberts presented in November.

Lofthouse notes that her role has been to foster “Eliyah’s drive, Eliyah’s curiosity and Eliyah’s desire to analyze this music and say something substantive about it with this body of literature that is emergent and sophisticated.”

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Associate Professor of Music Charity Lofthouse and Eliyah Roberts ’24 have collaborated on several research projects and presented their work at the Theorizing African American Music conference in Denver in November.

Words and Music: Throughout the summer, Roberts was on campus working with Lofthouse on their Price research project, and with Olivieri, composing the music for When Paradise Falls, an Afrofuturist-themed musical about a Black android girl who lives on the sun and dreams of exploring Earth. Drawing on her research, Roberts notes that the work is not only an exploration and refutation of negative stereotypes about “darker skinned people not wanting to be in the sun,” but a celebration of Black joy.

“When I write, I think about what I want to see. And I want to see an increase of Black individuals in fantasy and science fiction!” says Roberts. “So, my musical is for the weird Black girls, the shy Black girls, the fantastical Black girls, the dark-skinned Black girls, the goofy Black girls, the nerdy Black girls and the awkward Black girls. I just want to let them know that they can do and be anything!”

“I’m so proud Eliyah didn’t feel like she had to choose between her head and heart and that she feels confident, capable and supported getting her voice out there,” says Lofthouse.

During the fall semester, Roberts continued working with Olivieri to compose the music.

Next up, bringing it to the stage.

Stay tuned.

PHOTOS BY BRETT WILLIAMS AND ADAM FARID ’20

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I FEEL LIKE I’M A STORYTELLER ABOVE ALL, AND THE WORK I’VE DONE WITH CHARITY AND MARK HAS HELPED ME GET MY VOICE OUT THERE.”

Eliyah Roberts ’24 — pictured here during a recent ensemble performance — is applying her theatre talents and research skills toward writing an original musical, When Paradise Falls.

EL I YAH RO B ERTS ’24

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PAYING IT FORWARD

Young alumnae team up to magnify the impact of the scholarship established by Peggy Bokan Greenawalt ’66, L.H.D. ’21.

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Opportunity. Confidence. Independence.

Since 2015, 13 alums have graduated with nearly no student loan debt thanks to a unique scholarship created by Peggy Bokan Greenawalt ’66, L.H.D. ’21.

Allowing them the freedom to take risks and bet on their dreams, the scholarship has been a springboard for professional ambitions and forged a support system for the recipients. In 2023, in recognition of this gift, they established an Annual Fund scholarship in Greenawalt’s honor to extend opportunities to future generations.

Greenawalt, who had a long and successful career in the finance industry, says the absence of debt when she graduated more than 50 years ago allowed her “enormous freedom in terms of making job decisions and taking risks — and it paid off.”

Passing on that freedom was her vision when she began investing in selected high-achieving students to mitigate their student loan debt. “I was hoping that these promising women would understand the scholarship as my choosing to invest in another individual, and that they would be able to take risks, too,” Greenawalt says.

The growing cohort of Greenawalt Scholars meets in New York for an annual dinner to share their post-graduate journeys and develop their own support system, reinforcing the personal nature of this “investment.” For Greenawalt, the core message is that “the student is acknowledged — that somebody has said, ‘You are going to be terrific and I have confidence that that is going to happen.’”

As the scholars prepare to launch their own fund in Greenawalt’s honor, she looks forward to the long-term effects of this cycle of support on the HWS community. “I’m delighted that something has happened so soon,” she says.

“It makes you hopeful that they’ll be able to perpetuate it on their own.”

Peggy’s scholarship allowed me to expand my horizons…and…dream about what could be possible in my career, without making decisions based on my debt burden.… I hope that future alumnae feel the impact of how life changing this type of philanthropy can be and are inspired to live a life that enables them to continue giving the gift of giving to others.

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PHOTO BY LAUREN LONG

Ali Ware ’16, Investment Director at Cambridge Associates, M.B.A., Haas School of Business, University of California Berkeley Simply put, Peggy’s scholarship has provided me with freedom, security and independence.… I have been able to take risks in my career and personal life, all while saving and investing for the future.

I hope future alumnae are able to live fuller, more meaningful and less stressful lives, seize opportunities and explore their passions without financial worry.

Cory Kenny ’17, Senior Client Manager at Swiss Re Peggy’s scholarship has not only provided me with opportunity and confidence but has also empowered me to…fearlessly dive into the dynamic startup scene…. My hope for the impact of the scholarship endowed by the Greenawalt scholars is to perpetuate a legacy of excellence for William Smith women, who actively support one another in their pursuit of success, ultimately propelling them to positions of leadership and distinction across a variety of fields.

Maya Weber ’20, Entrepreneur Peggy’s generosity has done much more than grant me a significant amount of financial freedom to seek out opportunities I otherwise wouldn’t have the ability to pursue. [Her] gift created a phenomenal network of driven, high-achieving women that are now tied to one another.

Maura McNamara ’22, Consultant at Putnam Investments Peggy Bokan Greenawalt ’66, L.H.D. ’21 at Commencement 2021, when she was recognized with an honorary degree.

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“I WAS HOPING THAT THESE PROMISING WOMEN WOULD UNDERSTAND THE SCHOLARSHIP AS MY CHOOSING TO INVEST IN ANOTHER INDIVIDUAL, AND THAT THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO TAKE RISKS, TOO.” PEGGY B OKAN GREENAWA LT ’66, L . H . D. ’ 2 1 Ali Ware ’16

Thayer Kennedy ’20

Peggy’s scholarship introduced me to a group of women that are the true embodiment of women pushing women up. It is incredibly special to watch each other grow as our careers go on. I hope the future alumnae who receive this scholarship we are creating will use it not only to make decisions that are best for their career, but decisions that are best for their personal growth.

Thayer Kennedy ’20, Finance Associate at a renewable energy private equity firm and Master’s Candidate in Sustainability Management at Columbia University

Cory Kenny ’17

Payton McMahon ’22

Being part of a community of successful and ambitious women, I have role models in the previous recipients of Peggy’s scholarship. I hope future alumnae experience some of the same effects Peggy’s scholarship has had on me and the legacy that Peggy has fostered in creating strong ties between alums and students.

Payton McMahon ’22, Analyst at Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation Peggy’s scholarship has given me the chance to start my career focused on making the most of each and every opportunity without the pressure of student debt hanging over my head…. I hope that the scholarship we are creating in her honor will help to lift the burden off of someone else’s shoulders, allowing them to explore and thrive in their college career.

Maya Weber ’20

Gretchen Vietor ’22, Second Year Investment Banking Analyst at Wells Fargo Gretchen Vietor ’22

Maura McNamara ’22

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THE STORIES WE TELL

Alongside Assistant Professor of Media and Society Jiangtao Harry Gu, students are getting to know the people and environment of the Finger Lakes — and what their stories reveal about living in collaboration with nature and one another.

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Storytelling shapes how we understand the world around us, and in turn can be “the most powerful tool for social change,” says Assistant Professor of Media and Society Jiangtao Harry Gu ’13.

In courses like “Listening to the Finger Lakes,” Gu’s mentees study traditional and emerging media skills, from interviewing techniques to video production to podcast editing, as well as the capacity of narrative to illustrate the complex relationships between people, ideas, place and action.

Last summer, Gu launched a multimedia story-sharing project called FLX Folks, a YouTube series and book profiling land stewards in the Finger Lakes who are preserving the environment and building food security in the region.

So far, the production team — including research assistants Katelyn Oswalt ’24 and Brenda Plascencia ’24 — has interviewed log-grown mushroom operation Hawk Meadow Farms, regionally-adapted organic seed company Fruition Seeds, and Geneva farmer Jacob Fox ’16. Forthcoming chapters will highlight fermentation, dairy and animal agriculture, and community spaces in the Finger Lakes where people come together to share food and knowledge.

For Plascencia, an aspiring journalist majoring in media and society, the project and Gu’s expertise “opened my eyes into the different aspects that contribute to this type of work.”

“There are many ways to encourage the people we interview to remain open, engaged and vulnerable when answering our questions. Before being a part of FLX Folks, these are skills I had yet to develop,” she says.

During their shoots, Gu encouraged Plascencia and Oswalt to take point conducting interviews and directing.

“While filming at Fruition Seeds, we intentionally placed the camera at eye level with our interviewee, Petra Page-Mann, in order to convey an intimate setting,” says Oswalt, who is double-majoring in political science and psychological science. “During our first screening, the audience remarked that this choice helped them feel as though they were at the seed farm alongside us.”

Bound for law school after graduation, Oswalt says she’s grateful for the opportunity to work on the project. “Throughout our interviews and research, Professor Gu really emphasized that through listening and learning from the perspectives of others, we are able to be more empathetic to the issues they may face and therefore expand our understanding,” she says.

Oswalt and Plascencia agree that the project has been a masterclass in multimedia storytelling.

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THROUGHOUT OUR INTERVIEWS AND RESEARCH, PROFESSOR GU REALLY EMPHASIZED THAT THROUGH LISTENING AND LEARNING FROM THE PERSPECTIVES OF OTHERS, WE ARE ABLE TO BE MORE EMPATHETIC TO THE ISSUES THEY MAY FACE AND THEREFORE EXPAND OUR UNDERSTANDING.” K ATELYN OSWALT ’24

For Gu’s part, Plascencia and Oswalt have been “crucial for this project because they bring fresh perspectives into the stories we are trying to tell.”

“Each of the folks we interviewed has stretched our imagination about how to live a meaningful life in collaboration with nature and with each other,” he says. “Their stories are so important in a time where climate change and ecological degradation seem more and more irreversible.”

Next, Gu plans to turn FLX Folks toward the environmental education and outreach projects that engage students through the Finger Lakes Institute and the Center for Community Engagement and Service Learning.

He hopes that as the storytelling deepens, so will the Colleges’ “collaborative relationship with the local community.”

PHOTO BY BRETT WILLIAMS

Pictured here filming Petra PageMann at Fruition Seeds, the FLX Folks team includes researchers Katelyn Oswalt ’24 and Brenda Plascencia ’24; videographer and instructional technologist in IT Services Casey Puccini; and Assistant Professor of Media and Society Jiangtao Harry Gu ’13.

Photographer Jan Regan (not pictured) is also contributing to the project.

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Key Climate Issues As the World Resource Institute’s Managing Director for Africa and Global Partnerships, Wanjira Mathai ’94 is leading strategy and innovations to support ecosystems, resilient cities, thriving communities and sustainable energy. One of TIME’s Most Influential People of 2023, Mathai plays a critical role in connecting people across Africa with the resources, tools and opportunities to restore the environment and build social and economic resilience against a changing climate. Here, she highlights some of the key issues shaping the future of the continent and the world.

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Climate change is already having a significant impact on Africa’s ecosystems, economy and society. In 2023 alone, 1.8 million Africans were displaced during a prolonged drought, the Democratic Republic of Congo experienced catastrophic flooding, and Cyclone Freddy left a trail of destruction in Malawi and Mozambique. And these kinds of devastating events are expected to worsen as temperatures rise.

Yet just as Africa is particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, so, too, can the continent be a big part of the solution. Africa’s abundant natural resources, youngest and fastest growing workforce in the world, and the abundance of critical minerals and arable land offer many opportunities to drive low-carbon green growth, improve livelihoods and spur transformative climate action throughout the continent and the world.

G R EEN M O NEY

The African continent is heating up faster than any other place on Earth, resulting in withering drought, lost crops and famine. Research shows that Africa will require $579 billion in funding for adaptation through 2030, even as countries are forced to direct a greater share of their budgets toward servicing debt at the expense of financing their development and building climate resilience.

But there are opportunities. African leaders are already calling for a new global finance deal that serves the continent’s growth goals and enables effective mitigation and adaption to climate change.

Meanwhile, it is vital that wealthy nations honor their climate finance commitments, even beyond the pledge to provide $100 billion in climate finance annually by 2020, double the amount of finance for adaptation, and operationalize a dedicated fund for countries grappling with unavoidable losses and damages from climate change.

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CLEAN ENERGY

Access to clean, affordable and reliable power is essential for human health, education and economic prosperity. Yet in 2021, only about 50 percent of the population in sub-Saharan Africa had access to electricity. What Africa requires is a balance between urgently increasing access to electricity and building out low-carbon energy systems for the future.

Solar mini-grids are a solution offering low-cost access to reliable power and have great potential to reach underserved rural areas. Meanwhile, Algeria, Egypt, Morocco and South Africa are developing utility-scale solar power plants, while Namibia launched a mega-hydrogen power project last May. Investment in clean energy technologies globally is now beginning to rival that spent on fossil fuels, but Africa still accounts for less than one percent of the $434 billion invested globally. Scaling these larger, centralized clean energy resources — as well as the physical infrastructure, policies, jobs and skills that go with them — will require significant investment.

SUSTAINAB LE CITY LIVIN G

Avoiding some of the worst impacts of climate change requires that all cities be carbon-neutral by mid-century. This goal will be particularly difficult to achieve in Africa, where urban residents face vast inequities and populations are growing rapidly. Indeed, the population of Africa’s cities is expected to double by 2050, reaching 1.5 billion people. With an immense amount of necessary infrastructure yet to be built, development must not only be low-carbon and climateresilient, but also enhance access to essential services such as running water and sanitation, electricity, decent housing, transport, and dignified, healthy urban jobs.

RESOURCE MANAGEMEN T

As countries around the world transition to low-carbon economies, they’ll need increasing amounts of critical minerals like lithium, graphite and cobalt to make electric vehicle batteries, wind turbines and solar panels. Africa holds about 30 percent of the world’s mineral resources, alongside abundant clean energy resources that can serve as the foundation for clean industries and commodities. But strong resource governance is essential for ensuring that Africa’s people directly derive the benefits of these resources.

Following in the footsteps of countries like Namibia and Ghana, leaders should identify incentives for local processing — both to decarbonize the critical minerals value chain and spur economic development.

PHOTO COURTESY OF WORLD RESOURCES INSTITUTE

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“I must say, my optimism about the future in the face of the daunting situation we are in stems from many life experiences, including my four wonderful years at HWS. Almost every learning opportunity demanded a level of curiosity and creativity that now forms the basis for how I approach all my work — questioning assumptions, exploring alternative perspectives, pursuing innovative approaches. ” WANJIR A MAT HAI ’94 , ONE OF TIME MAGAZINE’S 100 MOST INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE O F 2 0 2 3

N AT U R A L SO LUT IO NS

Africa is home to remarkable biodiversity.

Tropical forests, savannahs, grasslands, mangroves, deserts, wetlands — these ecosystems support both rural and urban life and livelihoods across the continent.

They also benefit the world: the Congo Basin tropical forest, for example, is one of the planet’s largest carbon sinks, storing around 29 billion tons of carbon — roughly three times the world’s annual greenhouse gas emissions.

However, nature and biodiversity in Africa are threatened by the rapid expansion of agriculture, soil depletion, trade of illegal forest commodities and an insatiable demand for fuelwood for cooking.

Between sustainable agriculture, biodiversity and carbon sinks, Africa needs investments in solutions to restore and sustain healthy landscapes — for African communities, ecosystems, economies and the world at large.

WAN J IR A MATHAI is the Managing Director for Africa and Global Partnerships at World Resources Institute. She is also the current Chair of the Wangari Maathai Foundation and the former Chair of the Green Belt Movement in Kenya. An inspiring leader, Wanjira has over 20 years of experience advocating for social and environmental change on both local and international platforms. Wanjira currently serves as a Leadership Council member of the Clean Cooking Alliance and a member of the High-Level Group of the Africa-Europe Foundation. Wanjira is one of TIME Magazine’s 100 most influential people in 2023.

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THE PULTENEY STREET SURVEY 300 Pulteney St., Geneva, NY 14456

PA R A L L E L S special places, sound advice and magnetic voices across the generations

What attracted you to broadcasting?

AS: My high school hockey team needed an announcer, and the coach “volentold” me it was my new job!

He connected me with Hobart Hockey’s Tommy Fiorentino, which opened many doors for me. JW: I used to stay up late and listen to Celtics games.

I loved the legendary voice of the team, Johnny Most.

ABBY SOIKA ’25 Announcer, Writer, Statistician and Social Media Coordinator for HWS Athletics Internships with Utica Blue Sox and FISU World Winter Games Major: Economics Minor: Environmental Studies and Entrepreneurial Studies Hometown: Clinton, NY

What’s the most exciting sporting event you’ve covered?

AS: NCAA men’s hockey at Hobart.

That was super special. JW: 2004 World Series. By a lot. A lifelong Red Sox fan gets a front row seat to watch them finally win? A dream come true.

Favorite professor?

AS: Kristen Brubaker and Jenny Tessendorf. JW: Grant Holly. He was my advisor and was also all in on me broadcasting games on WEOS. Favorite place to study on campus?

AS: Third floor of the library.

JW: The library. Back corner, third floor.

Coffee or tea?

AS: Both. JW: Neither.

Best piece of advice you’ve received?

AS: My dad reminds me that I don’t need to have my life planned out; I can always change my mind and do something new. JW: Love what you do, and you’ll never work a day in your life.

What brought you to HWS? AS: The lake, a well-rounded education and family friend Izzy Foisy ’22; we went to lunch and everything she told me made me want to go here.

JW: The people. My father and I showed up on Columbus Day weekend my senior year in high school and met so many students and faculty more than willing to show us around.

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

AS: Something new every day. Every time someone would tell me about their job, I would want to try it. JW: Starting center fielder for the Boston Red Sox. Besides a sports broadcast, what’s your favorite thing to listen to?

AS: Zach Bryan, the Lumineers, and Taylor Swift! JW: 1980s music. I grew up during that decade and musically never left.

JON WALLACH ’89 Sports Anchor, WBZ-FM Boston Major: English Hometown: Natick, Mass.