How alumni have leveraged lessons from Skidmore studio art classes to help build Van Leeuwen Ice Cream and design New Balance shoes
PLUS: ALL THE WAYS WE
Applying creative thought to game-based learning, local schools, and international relief work
Skidmore alumni in the NFL? Election 2024 and more
This spring, Skidmore Theater staged Where Are You Going, Little Horse?, a masterpiece of Bulgarian theater. The show, written by Rada Moskova and directed by Visiting Assistant Professor Margarita Blush, blended puppetry, shadow imagery, and music to present an enduring tale of freedom. “Ultimately, the ingenuity and bravery of both The Little Horse and The Little Boy allow them to escape the world they’ve been trapped in, showing audience members that no matter how small one is, everyone can be big and brave,” theater major Max McGuire ‘24 wrote about the production. “I was impressed mostly by the puppets’ fluid movements, each of which was made of wood and yet still multi-articulated.”
The Carnival Horse (below) was voiced by Max Weigel ’24 (right) and puppeteered by Maddie Evans ’24.
Scope is published by Skidmore’s Office of Communications and Marketing.
Vice President for Communications & Marketing
Elizabeth Stauderman
Senior Director of External Relations and Strategic Communications
Sara Miga ’08
Managing Editor
James Helicke
Editor
Angela Valden
Class Notes Editors
Jodi Frank
Katie Rocque
Director of Creative Services
Mike Sylvia
Contributors
Tory Abbott ’23
Michael Janairo
Peter MacDonald
Mary Monigan
Anesu Mukombiwa ’24
Holly Leber Simmons ’02
Graphic Design
Sarah Gagnon
Photography
Sarah Condon-Meyers
“Are you James ... James from Skidmore College?” The friendly but unfamiliar voice introduced herself as Sara Adelman Ring ’97, a Skidmore alumna and director of communications at a private school in Santa Monica, California, who was attending the same professional conference for magazine editors in Washington, D.C. “I love Scope magazine. I enjoyed Skidmore when I was there, but it wasn’t until later – by reading Scope – that I came to fully appreciate what an amazing place Skidmore truly is.”
It’s the type of compliment every college magazine editor dreams of hearing from a peer, but more importantly, it speaks to our fundamental mission at Scope: to help alumni remain connected with, and sometimes even rediscover, Skidmore.
At the heart of Skidmore’s mission is, of course, learning, and in this issue, we share stories about the many ways in which a distinctly Skidmore education impacts lives on campus and well beyond. From the faculty members who are employing novel pedagogies that incorporate gaming, to a successful entrepreneur like Ben Van Leeuwen ’07, who recounts classroom lessons that inspired his eponymous ice cream business, creative thought is abundant and, indeed, matters very much.
Like my serendipitous meeting with Sara, our encounters with Skidmore can sometimes be unexpected. (Did you know our alumni even work in the NFL?) We hope this magazine inspires you to connect with and stay curious about Skidmore. Keep in touch.
— James Helicke | scope@skidmore.edu
Catherine Headrick ’17 carries an armload of product samples through the corridors of the New Balance headquarters in Brighton, Massachusetts.
815
“I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree / And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made.”
— W. B. Yeats
These opening lines from one of the most famous poems by the great Irish poet W. B. Yeats express a fundamental desire not just of Irish poets, but of humanity: the desire to return home, to go back in time to an idealized place of peace and harmony. We undertake such journeys in dream, in prayer, in art, and also in travel.
I’ve traveled in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland 27 times now — sometimes for research, sometimes to present talks and papers, and sometimes on interpretive trips with students or alumni. I was delighted to return once again earlier this year, this time leading 23 Skidmore students for a two-week travel seminar focused on the literature, history, and culture of Ireland. My co-teacher in this enterprise was Barbara Black, professor of English and Tisch Chair in Arts and Letters. Together we taught a 14-week course in the spring semester, The Making of Modern Ireland, in which we studied the long history and glorious literature of the country, preparing our students for immersion in Ireland in late May.
Global education is a signature element of what Skidmore offers its students. About two-thirds of all Skidmore students choose to participate in a study abroad experience — for some, it’s a semester or even year abroad; for others, a summer program; and for some, an intensive travel seminar like ours. I see global learning as an essential part of one’s preparation to thrive in this increasingly complex international world. Young people must understand and be able to engage with the beautiful and diverse cultures, languages, and people they are bound to encounter, and must also be able to interpret and respond to the astonishingly complex challenges that we see in the world. By understanding the world, they gain self-understanding as well.
Marc C. Conner President
Ireland is the final frontier of Western Europe. We were based in the little town of Dingle, in the southwest of Ireland in County Kerry, on the edge of the Atlantic, at the westernmost point of Europe. The next parish, as the saying goes, is America. With our students, we encountered the beautiful landscape and together, amidst the green pastures and crashing sea on the coastal cliffs, learned about the often-tragic history of Ireland, its long contest with the British
Empire, and its eventual emergence into independence in the 1920s (though with its northern section remaining a part of Great Britain). And of course, we studied Ireland’s literature, featuring such world-renowned writers as James Joyce, Seamus Heaney, J.M. Synge, Lady Gregory, W. B. Yeats, George Bernard Shaw, Oscar Wilde, Eavan Boland, and so many more.
Continuing to teach is for me an essential way to stay connected with our students and their lives. And to teach alongside Professor Black, who embodies the best of the Skidmore faculty — dedicated, brilliant, innovative, and always seeking to convey to her students the wonder of literature — was a privilege indeed. And how much can I say about our students! Skidmore students are fearless, so eager for new experiences, bold, passionate, fun-loving, and wonderfully eager to confront the unknown. These students were a model of global learning, absorbing the country and culture they were experiencing while representing their own countries and their college with pride.
In this age of polarization and intolerance, of bitter feuds and seemingly unresolvable conflict, Ireland offers us an example of hope. The Good Friday accords of 1998 brought seven centuries of conflict — particularly the violence of “The Troubles” in the North from the late 1960s onward — to a resolution. This was arduous work of political statecraft, of sacrifice and compromise, and of unbelievable hope for the future.
At Skidmore’s Commencement in May, I turned to the great Irish poet Seamus Heaney to help us make sense of how we can imagine the pathway to peace during a time of apparently insoluble conflict. In one of his most oft-quoted poems, Heaney proclaims: “History says, Don’t hope / On this side of the grave, / But then, once in a lifetime / The longed-for tidal wave / Of justice can rise up, / And hope and history rhyme.” In our travels with Skidmore students throughout Ireland this spring, we did indeed experience that glimpse into a world in which peace can be achieved, in which hope and history can indeed rhyme. That is surely the search for home we can all share.
How AI helped Professor of Italian Emeritus Giuseppe Faustini deliver the 2024 Edwin M. Moseley Faculty Research Lecture.
By Tory Abbott ’23
What is the future of artificial intelligence (AI) in higher education? A campus lecture by Professor of Italian Emeritus Giuseppe Faustini speaks to some of the potential of voice generative technology.
Faustini, who has served Skidmore for a half-century and retired this summer, lost his voice just days before he was scheduled to deliver the Edwin M. Moseley Faculty Research Lecture, the highest honor awarded to Skidmore faculty by their peers.
The specialist in Modern and Renaissance Italian literature and Italian cinema had prepared to present his research on visual representations of Dante’s Inferno, whose verse has been compared to a Gothic cathedral for its spectacular design and intricate symmetries. The poetry has inspired artists from Michelangelo to Dalí, among countless others.
But Faustini soon found himself grappling with the possibility that the lecture might have to be postponed — or canceled entirely.
“The first thing I tell my students in class is find your voice. Well, as you can clearly hear tonight, I literally lost mine,” a hoarse Faustini told the audience.
Fortunately, with the help of cutting-edge voice generative AI, supportive colleagues, and family, he was able to deliver his lecture in a new and meaningful way.
Using several recordings of Faustini speaking, a team generated an AI version of Faustini’s voice and fed it a transcript of the lecture. The hourlong audio, accompanied by nearly 100 carefully researched slides that Faustini had prepared, was played in front of a packed Gannett Auditorium in March.
Faustini listened intently at his own lecture — occasionally using a laser pointer to show important details.
“It is the first AI-human co-facilitation and delivery of such a high stakes lecture at Skidmore,” said Ben Harwood, Learning Experience Design and Digital Scholarship Support. Harwood was part of the small group that included Henry Meade ’25 and Franca Faustini Zuppa ’00, the professor’s daughter, who worked together to help present Faustini’s virtual voice. “It also shows how Skidmore is able to use an extremely advanced — and at times controversial — technology in creative ways to enhance and augment our ability to connect with others in meaningful ways.”
In recent years, faculty and the broader Skidmore community have been engaging in conversations about the future of AI in higher education, including a continuing AI Think Tank with faculty and staff.
“Making use of these new technologies is crucial from a vantage point of accessibility and universal design,” Harwood continued.
Faustini’s experience offers one such example. But finding new ways to reach students and help the next generation to understand Dante’s poetry are nothing new to Faustini, a previous recipient of Skidmore’s Ralph A. Ciancio Award for Excellence in Teaching, who was invited to serve as Grand Marshal for Commencement in May.
“When I first started teaching Dante ... I realized that students shy away from poetry; they think poetry is words. Well, Dante’s poetry is image,” Faustini said. “In my teaching of Dante, I always try to show visually what Dante is saying verbally, because poetry is not just words.”
Left: Professor of Italian Emeritus Giuseppe Faustini listens as his lecture, “Smiling Pages: Visualizing Dante’s Divine Comedy,” is delivered with the help of AI.
Inspring 2024, Arthur Zankel Music Center launched a unique collaboration with Brooklyn-based artist Melanie Charles called Make Jazz Trill Again, inviting Skidmore students and members of the community to an open jam session onstage in the Helen Filene Ladd Concert Hall.
Charles will return to Skidmore as the 2024-25 artist-in-residence for the Pia Scala-Zankel ’92 and Jimmy Zankel ’92 Residency in Performing Arts to develop and produce a commissioned work with Skidmore students and faculty. Through a series of class visits, podcast and video recordings, and jam sessions, Make Jazz Trill Again will interrogate the evolution of jazz and seek to contextualize the art form in the culture that created it, exploring issues of equity, access, education, technology, and artistic practice. The project will culminate in a multidisciplinary performance in February 2025.
Jamel Mosely, Leroy Dalton, Noanddi Manigat ’26, Lydia Watkins ’24, Hannah Rowe, Élan Stadelmann ’24, Marlowe Jacques ’26, Jason Panucci, Wes Almanzar ’27, Luke Eisman ’24, Suren Kyaruns, Daniel Lawson, Ali Hafez ’27, and Zacche’us Paul were among the community members and Skidmore students who joined Brooklyn-based artist Melanie Charles (center, in red jumpsuit) for an open jam session, Make Jazz Trill Again, in February in Arthur Zankel Music Center’s Helen Filene Ladd Concert Hall.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY
DESEAN MOORE/COLLECTIVEFFORT
Construction is moving forward on the McCaffery-Wagman Tennis and Wellness Center, a project that brings Skidmore’s physical and mental health resources together, opens doors for all community members to pursue athletics and fitness, and creates a welcoming place for everyone seeking to enhance their health and wellness.
Health Services, the Counseling Center, the Department of Health Promotion, and other wellness services and resources will all be housed in the new facility, which also features a 10,000-square-foot cardio and weight room, spaces for wellness classes, and four indoor tennis courts. Eight new lighted outdoor tennis courts, courtesy of a foundational gift from Susan Kettering Williamson ’59, opened last fall. Supported by a lead gift from Kim Wachenheim Wagman ’88 P’15 and Amy Wachenheim McCaffery ’01 and their families, the new facility is set to open in 2025.
The third and final phrase of the Billie Tisch Center for Integrated Sciences, the renovation of the Dana Science Center, was completed in May, wrapping up the largest single academic project in the College’s history. “This marks the culmination of six years of construction, as well as extensive planning and fundraising efforts,” notes Dean of the Faculty and Vice President of Academic Affairs Dorothy Mosby. Over the summer, the departments of Physics, Psychology, Neuroscience, Health and Human Physiological Sciences, and Geosciences moved into the space, which is now home to all of Skidmore’s science programs. Skidmore will celebrate the grand opening this academic year.
Abel Arango, assistant professor of Spanish, published “Latinidad, Melodrama and Passing in Tanya Maria Barrientos’s Frontera Street” in Arizona Journal of Hispanic Cultural Studies.
Paul J. Arciero, professor of health and human physiological sciences, published a study, “Gut microbiome remodeling and metabolomic profile improves in response to protein pacing with intermittent fasting versus continuous caloric restriction,” in Obesity Journal and Nature Communications.
Neha Arora, instructor of biology, published an editorial, “Symbiotic Interactions of Algae and Microorganisms: Physiology and Industrial Applications,” in a special issue of Frontiers in Marine Science that she also edited.
Erica Bastress-Dukehart, associate professor of history, presented her paper, “Looking Backward to Look Forward: Revisiting Family Relationships in Early Modern Europe,” at the SixteenthCentury Society’s annual conference in Baltimore.
Jason Breves, professor of biology, published a review article, “Endocrine control of gill ionocyte function in euryhaline fishes,” in the Journal of Comparative Physiology B.
Marta Brunner, college librarian, gave a presentation on Skidmore’s Racial Justice Learning Community model and her learning community, “Libraries, Incarceration, and the Humanizing Power of Information,” at the Abolitionist Visions and Intersections Summit.
Ruben Castillo, assistant professor of studio art, presented his current scholarship in printmaking at the University of California, Berkeley, as part of the Art Practice Department’s Weisenfeld Lecture Series.
Janessa Dunn, director of admissions, published a chapter, “Students of Color,” in the sixth edition of Fundamentals of College Admission Counseling, a leading guide for admissions counselors.
Eunice S. Ferreira, associate professor of theater, was honored with an Outstanding Alumni Service Award from the Tufts Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.
Kim Frederick, professor of chemistry and The Charles Lubin Family Chair for Women in Science, was awarded the 2024 ACS Division of Analytical Chemistry Giddings Education Award by the American Chemical Society.
Ryan Homsey, director of academic advising, composed original music for a feature documentary film, Merchant Ivory, which had its world premiere during the DOC NYC festival in November.
Heather Hurst ’97, professor of anthropology, directs the San BartoloXultun Archaeological Project, which received the 2023 International Archaeological Discovery Award “Khaled al-Assad” with special distinction as the people’s choice prize.
Stephen Ives, associate professor of health and human physiological sciences, was awarded a $150,000 grant from the American Heart Association to support his research on the cardiovascular effects of dietary capsaicin.
Daniel Nathan, professor of American studies, was named editor of the Journal of Sport History by the North American Society for Sport History Publications Board (NASSH).
Ryan Richard Overbey, Robert H.N. Ho Family Foundation Assistant Professor in Buddhist Studies, co-edited the volume Beyond the Silk and Book Roads: Rethinking Networks of Exchange and Material Culture.
Charmaine Willis, visiting assistant professor of political science, was elected to the executive boards of the New York State Political Science Association and the Education and Learning in International Affairs Section (ELIAS) of the International Studies Association.
Hajar Hussaini, visiting assistant professor of English, has received the Mo Habib Translation Prize in Persian Literature for her translations of the verse of Maral Taheri, an exiled Afghan poet and women’s rights activist. Hussaini’s translations, to be published by Deep Vellum in 2026, “betray a deep kinship with their poet, an intimate, almost intrinsic, familiarity with her experience and expression,” the judges wrote. “In Hussaini’s agile renderings, Taheri’s verses cascade down the page, each one building upon, breaking down, and bounding off the last. The rhythm continues to reverberate long after you stop reading.”
With characteristic wit and wisdom, Associate Professor of Political Science Ron Seyb is offering reflections to help the Skidmore community grapple with the U.S. presidential election on Nov. 5. The video series, slated for release throughout the fall semester, includes short and engaging musings on the Electoral College, campaign finance, and other timely topics. The effort is one of a number of initiatives inspired by Skidmore’s participation in College Presidents for Civic Preparedness — a movement of campus leaders dedicated to equipping students and graduates for civic life in our U.S. democracy.
Skidmore President Marc C. Conner is a founding member of a group that now includes more than 90 college and university presidents.
Skidmore College conferred 650 degrees to the Class of 2024 during the College’s 113th Commencement Exercises on May 18. The ceremony capped four transformative years for the class, whose studies at Skidmore began at the height of the pandemic.
Community activists and philanthropists Luis A. Miranda Jr. P’23 and Luz Towns-Miranda P’23 both received honorary degrees. Assistant Professor of History Murat C. Yildiz and Class of 2024 President Vicky Grijalva were also among those to address the graduates. “Be the source of needed change, not the stagnation afraid to move forward,” remarked Robert F. Resnick ’88, a trustee and president of Skidmore’s Alumni Assocation. “Be the light, not the dark. Be Skidmore.”
For all the graduates, the day marked a bittersweet moment — an end to their undergraduate studies but also the beginning of the next chapter as Skidmore alumni. Anesu Mukombiwa ’24, an English major from Harare, Zimbabwe, shared what Commencement meant to her.
“I told everyone that I did not plan on wearing makeup to graduation — that I planned to cry tears and tears, and still more tears. Sad tears, bitter tears of reaching a milestone that meant so much to my father without having him there to experience it. I planned to honor his absence with those tears. It’s a sad thing, to celebrate your endings without the people who carried you through the trembling beginnings, the people who rolled their sleeves and scuffed their knees to help you lay the foundations of the now glamorous house.
But on May 18, 2024, the day that I became the graduate my father dreamed for me to be, there were no tears. As I fiddled with my cords and looked around at the people who would walk that stage with me, I remembered the flowers that persisted even in the dimly lit years of my college grief — my beautiful, supportive friends; my fiercely protective professors; my co-workers and colleagues and mentors; my indomitable mother — and I knew I had too much to be thankful for to be robbed of joy.
Skidmore College, thank you for the gains that will always rival the losses. Thank you for the love that will always overcome. Dad, we did it, your little girl graduated.”
— Anesu Mukombiwa ’24 (pictured left, receiving her degree)
Above: Professor of Anthropology Emerita Susan Bender (left) and Professor of Modern Languages and Literatures Emerita Lynne Gelber (right) record an interview with Professor of English Emerita Sarah Goodwin (center) as part of Skidmore’s Retiree Oral History Project.
Skidmore’s Retiree Oral History Project presents firsthand accounts of more than 50 retired faculty, staff, and community members who have shaped Skidmore.
By Mary Monigan, Scope Class Notes editor emerita
ver the past decade, Professor of Anthropology Emerita Sue Bender, Professor of Modern Languages and Literatures Emerita Lynne Gelber, and other Skidmore retirees-turned-volunteers have been recording the experiences of faculty and staff active during a formative period in Skidmore history.
Their stories provide a window into life at the College during the tumult of the 1960s; Skidmore’s financial crisis and transition to co-education in the ’70s; anti-apartheid activism and the development of the liberal studies program in the ’80s; and many subsequent moments that helped build the thriving institution we know today.
Coordinated by Bender and Gelber, the project was conceived by Skidmore’s Retiree Initiative Planning Group in collaboration with Professor of History Jordana Dym, who established the John B. Moore Documentary Studies Collaborative’s (MDOCS’) Skidmore Saratoga Memory Project.
“This work is a natural extension of my time here as an active faculty member,” says Bender, adding that she has been “buoyed by how engaged people are in telling their stories.”
The project’s goal is to preserve Skidmore history by tracing the origins of the academic, cultural, and social identity that define the College. For retirees, it also fosters an enduring sense of community.
“It’s an opportunity to re-engage with colleagues and the College,” says Gelber.
Because many interviewees are also “treasured colleagues and dear friends,” notes Gelber, “the experience is more relaxed and intimate.”
To access the Retiree Oral History Project website, visit skidmore.edu/oralhistory
Since the project’s inception in 2014, retirees have recorded more than 50 interviews. Students and MDOCS staff have also lent their support to the effort. In addition to Bender and Gelber, former English Department Lecturer and Associate Director of the Master of Liberal Studies Program Sandy Welter and Lecturer of Classics Emerita Leslie Mechem are actively involved.
Interviews featuring David Porter, Ralph Ciancio, Carolyn Anderson, Dave Marcell, Eleanor Samworth, Eric Weller, Susan Kress, Isabelle Williams, and Bud Foulke are among dozens available.
In her interview, Skidmore’s former “first lady” Anne Palamountain recounts the day in 1974 when an auditor suggested to President Joe Palamountain that Skidmore, then struggling to build a new campus and hamstrung by a meager endowment, was “a lost cause.” President Palamountain bristled at the idea and, in partnership with his wife, launched an intensive effort to “save Skidmore.” Anne’s extraordinary efforts during her 22-year career at the College were so extensive that she asked its trustees to hire her at 50 cents an hour. She fondly reflects on the myriad ways she helped foster strong relationships across campus and beyond.
When the late Professor of Computer Science Bob DeSieno arrived at Skidmore in 1983, faculty scheduled time to use the College’s single mainframe computer. Then chair of the Mathematics and Computer Science Department, he was soon assembling the requisite equipment and training for the faculty to utilize personal computers. He recalls the day he was introduced to the World Wide Web by former Media Technician Steve Otrembiak. “I gasped, ‘this is extraordinary!’” DeSieno nimbly expanded Skidmore’s digital infrastructure, supported the elevation of the sciences at Skidmore, and expanded opportunities for student-faculty collaborative research.
A specialist in French language and literature, Lynne Gelber joined the faculty of the Modern Languages and Literatures Department in 1966, later serving as chair. She was an architect of Skidmore’s first study abroad program in France and Spain in the early ’80s. Gelber recalls energetic debate about whether the College should become co-educational, as well as lengthy faculty meetings about anti-war protests roiling the nation. Gelber also shares a story about Ben Cohen, of Ben and Jerry’s fame, who sampled one of Skidmore’s “January term” classes, became smitten with studying art, and took multiple courses at Skidmore. “The rest,” quips Gelber, “is history.”
Professor of English Emerita Sarah Goodwin joined the department in 1983 and later served as chair. As associate dean of the faculty, she was instrumental in the development of the liberal studies curriculum, considered visionary at the time. In her interview, she recalls “fierce arguments” among faculty about how subjects should be structured and taught. She also championed the establishment of an Intergroup Relations minor, the first such program in the nation.
Being interviewed, says Goodwin, “was a real pleasure. I felt honored, I felt gratified, I felt heard.”
Center photos: Skidmore’s fledgling computer lab (1983) and the late Professor of Computer Science Bob DiSieno (1990).
By Peter MacDonald
Catherine Headrick ’17, a material and trend designer of performance footwear at New Balance, often catches herself looking down.
“I’m always looking at people’s shoes,” explains the studio art major who concentrated in printmaking and oil painting at Skidmore. “It’s really exciting to see when someone is wearing shoes you worked on.”
If you don’t already own a pair of the shoes she has helped design for the Boston-based company, you’ve likely seen some of her designs out on the street or in the gym.
Did Headrick ever imagine she would end up designing sneakers for one of the most instantly recognizable global brands?
“Actually, yes,” says Headrick, who minored in management and business. She explains that she grew up in Boxford, Massachusetts — close to the Converse World Headquarters — and took a fashion design class in high school that included a Converse design competition.
“I put a lot of work into my designs and won the competition, which included a tour of their headquarters. I remember thinking, ‘This is what I want to do.’”
⊲ A step ahead
Associate Professor of Studio Art Joanne Vella continues to show Headrick’s work to her upper-level painting classes. She can even pinpoint where in the studio her former student painted a grid of biomorphic abstractions in muted greys inspired by natural forms. Several of those pieces were shown in Headrick’s senior thesis exhibition at the Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery.
Vella isn’t surprised by Headrick’s success. “Our studio art students are prepared to venture into many different art careers because they have cross-disciplinary training in many of our 10 disciplines and exposure to all media and materials. Once they learn the visual language in one discipline, they can apply the concepts to any art form.”
“Skidmore was the perfect choice for me because I like to work in so many different media,” says Headrick. “I wasn’t committed to one discipline. I love to draw and paint, make prints and textiles, and try out new processes.”
At Skidmore, she was an active member of the Element Fashion Group, Women in Business, and Women’s Ice Hockey clubs. She also studied French language, art, and art history in France during the spring of her junior year. “To this day, studying in Paris is one of the best things I’ve ever done, especially the opportunity it provided me to visit so many incredible museums.”
“I got to explore everything at Skidmore.”
Just six months after graduation, Headrick landed a one-year internship in materials development for the Made in USA footwear line at New Balance. After the internship ended, she parlayed her experience to gain a position as an assistant manager of footwear materials at Boston-based Reebok.
At Reebok, she developed new materials to meet commercial standards for footwear, ultimately becoming an in-house materials expert and the key material developer responsible for Reebok’s fashion, streetwear, and energy collaborations.
Partners on these collaborations included brands such as Maison Margiela, Victoria Beckham, and Pyer Moss.
Headrick’s technical acumen helped her return to New Balance as a material and trend designer. She now designs textiles and other materials for footwear, selecting the material and finish combinations that make up a new shoe.
“It’s key to consider how multiple textures sit together, not only functionally for the shoe to perform, but also to create an aesthetic, tactile, and emotive product experience,” she says.
In a new season, there are brand-new models as well as updates to franchise models. Headrick works on the “material-up packs” that reimagine and reinvigorate existing models. “The vibe of one shoe can be completely changed through the use of concept, color, and materials so that it feels fresh and new.”
Headrick works hard at New Balance and, just like at Skidmore, she is pursuing her passions outside the office as well.
She still plays ice hockey and balances it with yoga.
She also continues to build her portfolio as a visual artist, mostly with prints and paintings. She has exhibited at Gallery Kayafas in Boston and the Cultural Center at Rocky Neck in Gloucester. She was also selected to participate in the Art-to-Work Incubator program at University of Massachusetts Lowell and in the Edgewood Farm Artist-in-Residence program at Castle Hill in Truro, Massachusetts.
“At the end of the day, I simply like to make things. Hands-on experiences. Taking an idea and seeing it to fruition.
— Catherine Headrick ’17
By Holly Leber Simmons ’02
Ben Van Leeuwen ’07, a founder of the eponymous, premium ice cream brand that can now be found in shops from New York City to Singapore, says some of the most valuable lessons he has learned about building a business came from courses at Skidmore — including a studio art class.
he short version of the Van Leeuwen Ice Cream story tends to jump quickly from a promising young man and a little yellow ice cream truck to a $55 million business.
In summer 2008, Ben Van Leeuwen ’07, his brother Pete, and his partner, Laura, started Van Leeuwen Ice Cream with $60,000 raised from friends and family, the energy of three 20-somethings, and a hustle mentality.
Van Leeuwen Ice Cream is now a household name – the colorful pints are in grocery stores across the U.S., and the ice cream has made recent appearances on The Drew Barrymore Show and in the Anne Hathaway movie The Idea of You. Ben even appeared on an episode of Deal or No Deal
But the fairy tale version of any startup story, he says, does a disservice to aspiring entrepreneurs.
“A lot of entrepreneurial founding stories without the details make it sound easy, which I think is bad,” says Van Leeuwen, who majored in management and business at Skidmore. “It’s disempowering to people who want to start their own thing or want to be an entrepreneur but haven’t done it. It sounds like, ‘Gosh, I’ve barely started and it’s already hard. I don’t want to do it if it’s not going to work.’”
That $60K investment? It couldn’t buy a new truck, which would cost $85,000. So Ben, Pete, and Laura bought a 1988 post office truck on eBay for $2,500, painted it yellow, and spent $40,000 to convert it. “It was an absolute piece of shit, it broke down all the time, but it allowed us to start.”
They couldn’t afford research and development, so they taught themselves to make ice cream from cookbooks. They drove six hours to make ice cream at a small upstate dairy farm because they couldn’t afford a manufacturing facility.
They worked every day, rotating shifts working on the truck and on the business – from making caramel in their apartment to learning QuickBooks — while holding down other jobs. In 2010, they opened their first Van Leeuwen Ice Cream shop in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.
“In the first 10 years of our business, the cash flow was so extraordinarily tight that there were many times when we’d drive from truck to truck in our little car, from store to store, emptying the cash registers, getting that money into the bank before 5 p.m. so payroll would clear,” Ben recalls.
It wasn’t exactly a fairy tale. But Van Leeuwen had one advantage over many other aspiring entrepreneurs: “We sell ice cream – it’s almost a commodity. It’s all in the execution.”
He says that’s one of the most valuable lessons he learned about creating and running a business. And he took it from a silversmithing class at Skidmore with Professor of Art David Peterson.
Peterson, he says, gives “incredible focus” to craft and detail, taking pieces from idea to completion. “He taught me that a great concept is nothing without great execution.”
Van Leeuwen exemplifies Skidmore’s “mind and hand” philosophy: In management and business classes, he was intrigued by how people execute their own concepts. “Learning about the theoretical aspects of running a business did not engage me. What got me excited was the case studies.”
And great execution remains a top priority for the company.
“We’re really into finding the best ingredients,” he says. Van Leeuwen Ice Cream sources South American chocolate, Sicilian pistachios, and hazelnuts from the Piedmont region of Italy. The summer Vegan Mango Sorbet uses Alphonso mangoes. The company frequently partners with chefs to create one-of-a-kind flavors like Sour Cherry Creamsicle, a swirl of vanilla ice cream and Sour Morello Cherry Sorbet, a collaboration with Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. Recently, Van Leeuwen released its first dog ice cream – Peanut Butter and Banana – a joint effort with pet food delivery service Ollie.
Their ice cream always looks as good as it tastes. The company Instagram displays bold rainbows of pint containers, pastel-toned shops, and beautiful scoops of ice cream, like Vegan Planet Earth (a blue amaretto ice cream with pieces of green matcha cake), not to mention the original “buttery” yellow truck. “I’m really obsessive about aesthetics,” Van Leeuwen says.
While the entire experience has been an education – from how to make ice cream to cash forecasting – Van Leeuwen says he’s most proud to have learned “the people aspect.”
He says another seed was planted during his senior year at Skidmore when former General Electric Chief Financial Officer Dennis D. Dammerman was a guest speaker in Associate Professor Emeritus Marty Canavan’s Entrepreneurship and Small Business course.
“The executive said, ‘You learn with your ears, not your mouth. Listen. Let people talk. That’s how you learn, especially when you’re working with teams. Ask a question that you’re genuinely interested in.’”
Van Leeuwen strives to follow that advice. “I make an effort to ask questions to the team members,” he says. “I don’t ask ‘How’d we do?’ or ‘How much did you make?’ I ask things like, ‘You had a $1K hour. How did that feel? Did you have enough people?’”
Another key element of the company’s evolution has been hiring people with different skills and knowledge sets.
The company employs more than 2,000 retail team members. It boasts 58 stores in nine states – and one in Singapore – with another 17 projected by the end of 2024. At least 25 additional stores are planned for 2025, bringing the total to more than 100 Van Leeuwen scoop shops. Plans are afoot to open a Brooklyn store featuring test tastings of flavors in development.
One of the top factors the team considers when seeking out new locations is walkability. “The de-vehicularizing of cities is so good for us,” Van Leeuwen said. “We do 50% more sales in walkable areas.” Their top-selling Brooklyn shop, he said, is in Prospect Heights, on a street closed to nonessential traffic.
In August 2023, Ben, Pete, and Laura were interviewed on The Today Show and asked what advice each would give aspiring entrepreneurs.
“In short, let’s hire people who are way smarter than us – hopefully overall way smarter, but at the very least smarter than us in different ways, right?”
From three young co-founders and a little yellow truck, Van Leeuwen Ice Cream has grown to a 65-person corporate team, adding a president and chief operating officer, and a chief financial officer, in 2018.
“We’re like this awesome leadership team of five people. And we work together so well. In some ways, it’s non-traditional. The responsibilities of CEO land on me, but big decisions are collective.”
Laura said, “Make sure it’s your passion.”
Pete said, “It’s important to stay re-invigorated.”
Ben didn’t answer the question. So, what advice would Ben Van Leeuwen give someone who wanted to start a business?
“Do something that you love,” he said. “It’s going to be really hard. If I was looking at it rationally, other things would have made more sense than starting an ice cream company. But I loved ice cream and I loved the people aspect. All the hardness of starting it you can push to the side.”
By Tory Abbott ’23
In a new guide for students and parents, Skidmore President Emeritus Philip A. Glotzbach stresses the importance of embracing the freedoms and responsibilities associated with a college education.
hat is the key to enjoying a successful college experience? With the significant investment of time and resources that college requires, it is only natural to wonder how to make the most of that experience. Drawing on five decades of experience in higher education, including 17 years as Skidmore’s president, Philip A. Glotzbach offers his perspective.
Glotzbach’s newly published book, Embrace Your Freedom: Winning Strategies to Succeed in College and in Life (Post Hill Press, 2024), is a primer for students and parents alike as they make the transition to college life.
“Heading off to college is a signature event in anyone’s life. You’re moving from the minor leagues to the majors — up to ‘the show,’ where fastballs will be faster, curve balls will break harder, and everyone will still expect you to hit them,” Glotzbach writes.
So, what is the secret to the perfect swing? Things aren’t so simple. Even so, Glotzbach reminds his readers, there is a lot they can do to take charge of their college years and shape their subsequent lives and careers. To students, he contends that college is, in essence, an opportunity to grow. To parents, he says, let students learn from all their experiences.
“Yes, college can be challenging at times for everyone involved. But it can and will be incredibly rewarding — even more than it’s possible to anticipate in advance — provided you do your part,” Glotzbach notes. “For traditional students, it’s a full-time job that demands commitment and hard work. For parents, it requires — how best to say it? — an adjustment.”
The book aims to empower students to lead the way in shaping their own collegiate experiences without shying away from important topics such as drug use, mental health, and responsible citizenship; he encourages readers to recognize their higher education as both a personal and a social good.
Embrace Your Freedom emerged from numerous talks shared with new students and parents throughout Glotzbach’s career. He recalls welcoming incoming students at Convocation each year; frequent requests for copies of his speeches compelled him to transform his insights into a comprehensive guide to college.
This spring, Skidmore’s president emeritus also shared some of that wisdom — on the importance of democracy, the need for civic discourse, and how to work together toward solving the “wicked problems” of our time — with graduates at Denison University, where he taught philosophy from 1977 to 1992, and received an honorary doctorate.
Above all else, Glotzbach urges students to be grateful for their time at school and to recognize their privilege in being able to attend — to embrace their newfound freedom and to use it wisely. But, perhaps most importantly, he advises, “begin now!”— the game won’t wait for you to start playing.
Ayelen Pagnanelli ’14 celebrated her 10th Reunion with an exhibition at the Tang Teaching Museum — where she also curated her first exhibition as a student.
By Michael Janairo
Pagnanelli ’14 (left) works with Tang Teaching Museum staff in preparation for her 2024 exhibition Vorágine: Yente and Cecilia Biagini, which opened during Reunion weekend and runs through Sept. 22.
In her senior year at Skidmore College, Ayelen Pagnanelli ’14 worked as an intern at the Tang Teaching Museum and curated her first museum exhibition, (Un)known Lives of Objects: From Nigeria to the Tang Collection. This year, for her 10th Reunion, she returned to campus to visit her favorite spots, reconnect with old friends, and present her first museum exhibition as a newly minted Ph.D. in art history.
Vorágine: Yente and Cecilia Biagini (which opened during Reunion and is on view through Sept. 22) brings together the beautiful work of two artists: Yente (1905–1990), a pioneering but overlooked mid-20th-century abstract artist; and Cecilia Biagini, a contemporary artist whose visual language echoes Yente’s. Both artists are from Argentina, and so, too, is Pagnanelli. Now an independent curator, Pagnanelli credits her years at Skidmore with making her work today possible, especially her studio art and gender studies double major and her preprofessional experiences at the Tang.
“When I pursued graduate studies in Argentina, I was able to join these separate interests that Skidmore fostered in a master’s thesis project that grew into my doctoral dissertation,” Pagnanelli says. “I examined how gender and sexuality structured the postwar abstract art scenes in Buenos Aires. The interdisciplinary lens of my dissertation would not have been possible without that prior foundation in the arts and gender studies at Skidmore.”
At the Tang, Pagnanelli worked in both its Education and Curatorial departments. “My experience at the Tang was what made me realize that I wanted to work in places where I could read, think, and talk daily about art — that places where I could do that existed and that it could be a career path,” she says. “Working in the Curatorial Department also taught me the importance of thinking outside the box, rigorous research, and clear writing, which proved to be essential for an art historian.”
One of the goals of her exhibition at the Tang is to awaken North American audiences to the vitality and importance of an artist like Yente, who in recent years has gained new recognition in South America thanks, in part, to Pagnanelli’s research and writing. Pagnanelli aims to move Yente out of the margins of art history and position her as a precursor of a lineage of new women artists that includes Biagini.
“The Tang is a very special place,” says Pagnanelli, “so I am truly excited that it is hosting an exhibition that emerged from research that I have been carrying out for the past eight years. I would not be an art historian if it wasn’t for my time at the Tang. It is a wonderful sensation to have traveled my own path for this past decade and now to be able to share some of the findings with the community that nurtured me intellectually. It is a dream come true!”
“My experience at the Tang was what made me realize that I wanted to work in places where I could read, think, and talk daily about art — that places where I could do that existed and that it could be a career path.”
Ayelen Pagnanelli in 2014 during a documentary video shoot supporting the curation of her first museum exhibition, (Un)known Lives of Objects: From Nigeria to the Tang Collection
Below: Yente, Composicion con incision blanca o Composicion con incision №3 (Composition with White Incision or Composition with Incision #3), 1949. Oil paint on celotex. 34 1/4 x 21 7/8 x 1 3/8 inches. Courtesy of the Estate of Yente and Roldan Moderno, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
PHOTO COURTESY OF ROLDÁN MODERNO
When you think of a career in the National Football League (NFL), Skidmore College might not immediately come to mind.
But maybe it should. Skidmore alumni are putting creative thought to work with the NFL and its teams, including the Baltimore Ravens and New Orleans Saints.
By Peter MacDonald
ERNIE ECONOMIDES ’10
One weekday afternoon in spring 2009, Ernie Economides ’10 asked his coach for permission to skip lacrosse practice. The Skidmore business major, economics minor, and three-sport varsity athlete (soccer, ice hockey, and lacrosse) hoped to establish a connection with Chris Henry ’91, who was then a vice president of player development with the NFL and was on campus to give a sports business lecture.
Henry invited Economides for a week of job-shadowing at the New York City-based NFL headquarters. He was also instrumental in helping Economides land a spot in the NFL’s highly selective early career leadership rotational training program. The experience provided him with invaluable experience in marketing and in international and corporate development.
“Skidmore and Chris played an integral role in helping me land my first NFL job,” Economides says. “I’ll be forever grateful.”
The 2010 graduate rose through the ranks of the NFL, serving most recently as the league’s director of gaming and eSports partnerships. Henry is now an executive advisor and performance coach at Goldman Sachs, where he works on leadership transitions, integration, and development.
The NFL is more than a sports league; it’s a big business, boasting billions of dollars in annual revenue. Each of its 32 teams generates revenue through ticket and merchandise sales, broadcasting rights, sponsorships, and more. The league also generates revenue through licensing agreements, broadcasting deals, and other financial streams.
Economides has overseen strategic licensing partnerships with Roblox (a popular online game platform and virtual universe) and Epic Games (a video game and software developer).
He previously led the Madden NFL business, which consistently ranks as one of the top-selling sports games in North America, as well as the League’s in-stadium, 5G-mobile gaming initiative, in collaboration with EA Sports and Verizon.
At the NFL, he spearheaded the development of eSports shows, including the league’s virtual approach to the 2020 Pro Bowl — the most-viewed Madden NFL eSports show in history with 3.5 million live views. He was part of a small team that set a Guinness world record for the largest projected videogame display.
Economides also led the NFL’s eCommerce business in partnership with Fanatics and drove the NFL’s marketing efforts with on-field partners such as Nike, Under Armour, and New Era.
He is clear that Skidmore set him up for success by providing him with critical-thinking skills, diverse perspectives, and a strong business foundation.
“Skidmore is a top liberal arts school that also has a tremendous business program. It’s very hard to find that combination.”
He recently earned an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where he focused on management, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
Over the summer, he and his wife, Emilyn Leiva Economides, a director at the luxury fashion house Chanel, welcomed their first child. Economides is no longer at the NFL and is embarking on new career adventures. He is focused on leveraging his MBA and extensive NFL experience for long-term impact within sports media.
He remains focused on a long-term career within sports media because of his love for sports management and the fact that he feels like he’s making an impact. “To be involved in creating something from scratch and then see it on NFL Network or ESPN is pretty cool!”
DERRICK YAM ’17
In the weeks leading up to the 2024 NFL draft, Baltimore Ravens Director of Data and Decision Science Derrick Yam ’17 was, as he describes it, in “full-on go mode, running simulations and various scenarios to prepare for which college players the team should draft and when.” He worked 12 days straight at one point in late February.
A math and business double major at Skidmore, as well as goalie on the men’s soccer team, Yam now oversees research for the Scouting Research and Development team at the Baltimore Ravens.
The team’s primary responsibility is developing quantitative methods for college and pro player evaluations, in close coordination with scouts for the team. During the college gridiron season, they identify players who might be flying under the radar and continually update their models.
According to a recent ESPN survey, the Ravens are among the three most analytically advanced teams in the 32-member league (along with the Cleveland Browns and Philadelphia Eagles). They are also second highest in incorporating their analytics into decision-making.
Having come one win shy of advancing to the Super Bowl last season, the Ravens paid a price for their success, earning the third-from-last overall pick in most rounds of the April NFL draft – a long and uncertain wait for the top players on their list.
Nevertheless, the Ravens secured one of their top-20-rated players, speedy Clemson cornerback Nate Wiggins, at the 30 spot. They also
grabbed one of the best and most mobile right tackles in the draft, University of Washington’s Roger Rosengarten, with the 62nd pick.
Ravens General Manager Eric DeCosta gave Yam not one but two shoutouts at a post-draft press conference, an unusual public salute for a “behind-the-scenes” staffer. Why? Because Yam sold the GM on the idea that they could stick at 30 and still get Wiggins. Yam also told him there was an 80% chance Rosengarten would still be on the board at 62 and that the Ravens wouldn’t need to trade up to get him.
“DeCosta wasn’t necessarily buying it, but Yam’s initial sense was prescient,” The Athletic reported.
“I can’t really divulge our secret sauce,” Yam says of their approach. “But I can say I’m proud of the team orientation we have with scouting, not just ‘here are our numbers and recommendations,’ but ongoing conversations. We’re constantly evolving.”
Yam’s journey to the Ravens’ draft room floor started in a sports statistics class in the basement of Harder Hall with former Skidmore Assistant Professor Michael Lopez, who sparked his interest in statistics, especially sports analytics. Lopez, Yam’s “eternal friend and mentor,” is now the senior director of data and analytics at the NFL.
After graduating from Skidmore, Yam pursued an MA in biostatistics at Brown and joined a research team investigating the effects of various treatments during the Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone and Liberia.
Yam then latched on with soccer data company StatsBomb, where he led the development of statistical applications for the company’s analytics software. But he missed the team environment. He is now in his fifth year with the Baltimore Ravens.
“I always knew that if I didn’t end up working in sports, I would want to work in the field of public health,” says Yam. “Luckily, sports panned out for me.”
LEIGHLA WATERMAN ’21
As an ambitious 16-year-old, Leighla Waterman ’21 scoured the internet from her home in Trinidad and Tobago, searching for opportunities to study in the United States. She stumbled upon United World College (UWC)-USA in New Mexico. She claims her application “was a shot in the dark,” but she was accepted with a full scholarship. Eventually, she found her way to Skidmore, a Davis UWC Scholars Program partner.
Today, the Skidmore alumna is a consumer insights analyst for the NFL’s New Orleans Saints and the New Orleans Pelicans of the National Basketball League (NBA). She is promoting the growth of the two teams, which are co-owned, by using data to enhance fan satisfaction and ultimately the teams’ bottom lines.
Just like the paths that led to her to high school and college, Waterman says her journey to the business of professional sports involved a whole lot of determination and some unexpected turns along the way. Finding, building, and strengthening community have been important throughout.
“As the first person in my family to go to college, all we had heard about were places like Harvard and Yale,” she says. “But my high school counselor recommended Skidmore because it is a nurturing place with a strong community base that also offers generous need-based financial aid.”
The Skidmore political science major studied abroad twice – first as part of the First-Year Experience in London and later in Australia, where she volunteered at a center for multicultural youth. Serving as a sophomore senator in the Student Government Association helped her “realize that I could be an individual change agent.”
After graduation, Waterman landed a job as an instructor at Yale Young Global Scholars, developing and teaching seminars on domestic and foreign policy, economics, and political theory, and mentoring students.
Recognizing the importance of data analytics to governments, think tanks, and campaign work, Waterman decided she could make a “tangible impact” by pursuing a master’s degree in data analytics at Tulane University.
“Embracing data wasn’t as hard as you might think, because Skidmore encourages critical and analytical thinking.”
She had intended to pursue policy work in Washington, D.C., but ended up landing a data analyst position at Delgado Community College in New Orleans instead and fell in love with the community. Never a huge sports fan, she was intrigued when the opportunity with the Saints became available.
“During my job interview, I was asked if I could name any of their players and I said, ‘No, I don’t follow sports that closely,’” she recalled. “But if you live in New Orleans for any period of time, you know the Saints are a big deal.”
At the Saints’ Metairie, Louisiana, headquarters, Waterman is using machine learning to construct models for enhancing ticket sales. She tracks social media metrics across different platforms, and she recently automated the social media report and uses it to make predictions.
“Basically, I gather and synthesize information into actionable insights that keep the fanbase engaged and happy,” she says. “Working with data allows me to take millions of bits of information that may seem insignificant on their own but offer fascinating insights into human behavior.”
During her first year on the job, she collaborated with the NFL to execute a season-long Saints fan experience study that provided an in-depth visual look into the Superdome gameday experience.
She has also led the development of the companies’ new charitable giving request system, enabling the two teams to assess and respond to requests for donations.
“The Saints and increasingly the Pelicans are embedded in the New Orleans and Gulf South region communities. I’m honored to lead the charitable giving request system, and the better I do, the better off the community is.”
This spring, Rebecca Johnson, professor and chair of the Department of Psychology, took students in her Language, Eye-Tracking, and Reading (LETR) lab on a field trip to Philadelphia. Many of their destinations were familiar: Declaration Hall, Independence Hall, the Signers’ Walk, and Benjamin Franklin’s grave. Another stop probably appears less often on travelers’ itineraries: a live dissection of a cow’s eye at the Franklin Institute.
What was remarkable about the trip was its purpose: To explore the role of the brain in language and vision processing and the power of words in the founding of the United States.
“The LETR lab trip was uniquely Skidmore ... it made me reconsider the world and materials around me with a new lens and perspective,” says Sophie Pajakowski ’24. “My lab-mates and I were often discussing the power of reading and literacy ... We were constantly surrounded by
places where words had been created that had changed United States history.”
It’s just one of countless examples of the creative power of a Skidmore education that is allowing Skidmore students to learn about — and experience — the world in dynamic new ways.
“Each of our experiences on the trip helped to change the way we previously thought about language and words in ways that could not have been experienced in a traditional classroom setting,” explains Johnson.
Learning is at the very heart of what Skidmore does — and is. And that is what this series is about — the ways in which the Skidmore community is transforming learning, from distinctive campus classroom experiences that incorporate games, to alumni who are applying creative thought in their local communities and the world.
Skidmore faculty across disciplines have found myriad ways to meaningfully engage and challenge students through games and roleplay.
By Angela Valden
ProfessorHassan Lopez knows games.
In addition to being a professor of psychology and neuroscience, he’s been designing tabletop games for almost two decades, with popular titles such as Clockwork Wars and Maniacal to his name.
“I have a lot of experience building a game — from the moment of conception through the prototype, all the way to pitching to publishers and eventually negotiating contracts — and I’ve wanted to share that expertise with students at Skidmore.”
He debuted his Tabletop Game Design course this past spring, covering theoretical and practical concepts relevant to game design. Students from a wide variety of majors jumped at the chance to take the new IdeaLab course — categorized by both the innovative nature of the teaching format and the use of Skidmore’s Schupf Family IdeaLab, the campus’s premier makerspace. Even the course’s waitlist filled up.
Students’ motivations for wanting to take the course ran the gamut. For computer science and mathematics majors, the skills they’d learn about tabletop game design would be easily transferable to digital game design.
Biology major Emily Babigian ’27, having found that her prerequisite-filled first semester was particularly science-heavy, wanted to take a class that was “just for her,” had a focus on “making,” and helped her get back in touch with her artistic side.
“The secret ingredient to this class was having that really nice combination of intellectual discourse about game design — like really digging deeply into game design principles — then adding on this creative hands-on building element that students could take advantage of the IdeaLab for.”
Hassan Lopez
Coltrane Cho ’24, an English major, enjoys running tabletop roleplaying games with friends and was drawn to the prospect of creative storytelling and group experiences.
As Cho engaged with his classmates in game play and thoughtful conversation, he noticed the value of the different lenses they each brought to the table. “I can see how my friend who’s a neuroscience major is bringing an analytical, scientific mind to it. I can see how the psychology majors are bringing in a more emotionally reactive, human behavioral analysis to it. And I can see how English majors like me and others who are more humanities-focused or arts-focused are bringing in their own investments in the narrative storytelling of games, the expression and the artistic beauty of games. And we get to do all of this together and bounce ideas off each other.”
In the not-too-distant past, the concepts of “games” and “play” in the classroom may have been considered incompatible with the rigors of higher education. But the needs and interests of students are evolving, and the pedagogical landscape is evolving with them. Through programs such as the IdeaLab’s call for innovative proposals, the Center for Leadership, Teaching, and Learning’s faculty learning communities and think tanks, and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation-funded Racial Justice Teaching Challenge, educators at Skidmore are constantly encouraged to think of new ways to reach, inspire, and motivate students.
And though Lopez’s game design course centered on play, he and his students could attest that there was no shortage of rigor.
“I think making your own game from the ground up is extraordinarily challenging,” Lopez says. “An interesting thing about game design is it can be quite easy to come up with ideas for games; a lot of people do it intuitively. But actually seeing that idea through to completion — that’s a whole separate thing that forces you to learn persistence and endurance as well as certain technical skills.”
His students were required to complete not one or two, but four playable games over the course of the semester, in addition to other “gamified” side projects. The final assignment of the course was suitably the hardest, Lopez says, as the students worked in teams to collaboratively complete full tabletop games with complex sets of rules and 3D components printed in the IdeaLab.
“The secret ingredient to this class was having that really nice combination of intellectual discourse about game design — like really digging deeply into game design principles — then adding on this creative hands-on building element that students could take advantage of the IdeaLab for,” Lopez says. “And that mix I think is very satisfying to Skidmore students especially — to all young people. That ability to think deeply and converse about something you’re reading or have a conversation with somebody else about something you’re passionate about, then actually translate that into building something.”
video
Scan the QR code to watch students in Hassan
Game Design course play and develop games from start to finish and share the lessons they learned along the way.
Hassan Lopez says the psychologist in him will tell you that the importance of play from early childhood is a no-brainer: Social play is foundational to child development. It’s how the mind and brain grow and develop. It’s how we develop our cognitive and social skills. For adults and college students, he says, the benefits are similar but different.
“On the one hand, social play especially play around a table with a board game or a card game or a role-playing game has still some intellectual cognitive elements to it. You’re basically exercising your brain, and that’s very healthy for you. One of the reasons why people love games is because they challenge them intellectually.”
“There are also social elements. As you sit around with a group of friends, you’re forming tighter bonds with that group, you’re expanding your social community.”
“And then there are the mental health benefits of being able to separate yourself from the anxiety and stress of daily life and giving yourself that excuse to just pretend and use your imagination in the company of good friends. I think that’s extraordinarily beneficial. You’re having to engage very actively, intellectually, emotionally.”
“Games also afford us a relatively safe space to engage in competition, especially if one is looking for something outside of the realm of athletic competition.”
“And then there’s that creative imaginative element, which is really critical, for example, to role-playing games. There are very rare opportunities for adults to have that kind of imaginative play experience, but games can give you that any time you want.”
Skip Kodak, regional president of the LEGO Group’s Americas business, presented the 39th annual F. William Harder Lecture, “Supercharge Creativity with Constraints,” in March and participated in classroom exercises with Skidmore students and faculty. The LEGO Group is “a global force for learning through the play,” he said during his lecture, which incorporated play through interactive exercises. In one, each member of the audience was invited to build their own duck using six LEGO bricks they received before the start of the event. As neighbors compared and observed how differently each of their ducks was assembled, Kodak proved one of his main points — that there are myriad ways to create with limited resources. The College also hosted a “LEGO Masters”-style competition, the Skidmore Building Challenge, where student groups were asked to build a Skidmore-themed project in a single day. Johnny Mulcahy ’24 and Tyler Schoenecker ’24 won the challenge, depicting a Northwoods garden scene. Mulcahy reflected, “It’s sort of what Creative Thought Matters is about at the end of the day.”
Assistant Professor of Classics Amy Oh, also motivated by the IdeaLab’s call for paradigm-shifting course proposals, set the stage for her students to roleplay as everyday ancient Romans.
For a while, she had been wanting to take a new approach to her class The Romans in Their Environment. “When students have this idea of the ancient Romans, they think about senators, they think about Julius Caesar or the elites. But I wanted to focus on the normal people, the people who did the work. They didn’t get paid very much, but they were thriving, and they made up 99% of the population.”
In consultation with environmental studies major Kate Manor ’24, Oh decided that the video game Minecraft could be the right tool for building an ancient world that all her students could be a part of. She discovered that Skidmore had the licensing for the education version for the immensely popular game, which allows players to define their own objectives and create their own virtual worlds, and the idea was a go.
After a traditional reading-, lecture-, and discussion-based first half of the semester, Oh entered the “sandbox” game over spring break, choosing a world to inhabit and then clearing the way for a community to be built from scratch.
Her students were assigned professions such as baker, farmer, or miner. They developed backstories for their people, then met together on the platform to start building — a process that involved researching Roman towns and urban planning and mapping out the geography.
“Once we built the town, “Skidrome,” we had a festival and we invited people from the Skidmore community to come walk through with us via Zoom,” Oh says. “We also had them engage in some politics in the game. We had two administrative officials who were going up for re-election, so we had to hold a debate and a vote, and an election took place. We also had a natural disaster. We did all this because the core of the course is for the students to think about everyday Romans and how they interacted with their world around them, and how they thought their person would use their resources.”
Beyond the benefits of immersion and collaboration, Oh believes the gameplay portion of class provided her students with a “sense of liberty” as well.
“Once we got in the game, I got to know the students in a way that I wouldn’t have in a normal classroom, and I started hearing more from people I don’t normally hear from,” she says. “When we took it into a game mode and I asked them to become a character, I got to see their creative side, I got to see the research they put into it. But also in the game world, they become suddenly very free to be their true online self.
“It’s really interesting to get to know a whole other side of students.”
The open-endedness of game play is also an intriguing concept for teaching, Oh observes, as it gives students more agency in designing their own experience. She says she has learned a lot as an educator by incorporating Minecraft, and she can see the potential for using it in courses across many different disciplines.
“We have to meet the students where they are. They have this other mode of learning that we haven’t fully tapped into yet. We can do games in class, but this is a longer commitment.
I’m excited about it.”
Amy Oh
Top photos: Students in Assistant Professor of Classics Amy Oh’s class, The Romans in Their Environment, discuss their research on ancient Rome prior to jumping into the video game Minecraft to build a fictional ancient Roman town based on what they learned.
Bottom photo: An aerial view of the finished Roman town constructed by students.
Game design elements, psychology, and strategy are helping to create learning environments at Skidmore that are more interactive and motivating while improving student outcomes and participation.
To level up, just try again.
Both Senior Teaching Professor Will Kennerly and Professor Kim Frederick teach Introduction to General Chemistry, a 100-level chemistry course that many students need to take to fulfill a requirement, regardless of whether they plan to study the subject further.
“It’s a course that’s challenging to engage students in because they often are not super interested in chemistry for its own sake. Over the years, I’ve found that’s a difficult problem to solve,” Kennerly acknowledges.
The pair brainstormed to develop a course that incorporated gamification, inspired by the same psychology behind mobile and video games that encourages players to strive for the next level.
“A game should be interactive,” Kennerly says. “In a traditional course, students would come to class, do the homework, and then maybe there’d be a test a couple times in the semester, a midterm, a final. Maybe there’s a project. The feedback loop is far too scarce. Now, I’ve got homework due at every class meeting, we’re working together cooperatively in class, and I’m providing feedback right away.”
He has also taken what used to be three or four tests over the semester and broken them into nine. If students don’t do as well as they want, they get a chance at a retake, and the better of their two scores sticks. It’s an easy way to try again with no risk, like you can in most video games, Kennerly says.
“In a good game, you learn quickly. If you get a good score, you realize, ‘Oh, I did something right.’ Or if you get a low score, you realize you did something wrong and get to try again. But you get that chance to try again.”
Many of Kennerly’s students in 100-level chemistry are first-years, and he’s noticed that — through no fault of their own or anyone else — they just aren’t familiar with the rules of college yet.
“In a lot of ways, college classes are games. Learning is a game. It often just feels like a bad game if students don’t know all the rules,” he says.
So as another element of the course, he provides “gamified” opportunities for students to earn extra credit. To counter any uncertainty students may have about whether it’s acceptable to ask for help or to speak with their professor outside of the classroom, Kennerly offers experience points (xp) for visiting him during his office hours and asking him a question. Or he’ll offer a few xp to students who show
him their homework notebook and demonstrate that they’ve put in effort to find solutions, even if they’ve made some mistakes.
“They get experience points for things that help them learn the rules of the game, so to speak. I’m trying to make the rules of a college course game a little more visible, and they get credit specifically for learning those rules along the way. It also teaches them that I care about their success.”
Will Kennerly
Lopez also folded gamified assignments into his Tabletop Game Design course, requiring his students to complete a certain number of them over the course of the semester but giving them the freedom to choose the specific assignments that most appealed to them, and when to complete them.
“That’s very gamification,” Lopez says — “to give that kind of power over to the students and say, ‘Which of these are you most interested in doing? Which do you think will be most beneficial to you? And at what point in the semester do you think you’ll have the most time and energy to commit to them?’”
In taking Lopez’s course, theater major PJ Moller ’24 found that a gamification approach resonates.
“For me, it works really well,” says Moller. “Some of us in the course are neurodivergent, and for those of us who function differently in society, it works really well. I think the combination of the openended assignments, the points, and the vague competitive aspect is motivating.”
Socially, games are a safe way to counter anxiety as well, Moller points out. “If you do want to meet new people, it’s like, ‘These are the rules of this game’ and then ‘This is how you can play it.’”
Safely challenging oneself in a ‘little microcosm of life’
Associate Professor of Management and Business Mike Dunn has been running educational computer simulations in his classes since the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when the monotony of Zoom sessions had him seeking another way for his students to interact.
This spring, he used two simulations to help the students in his Coaching and Leadership course — mostly seniors who go on to manage MB107 teams — understand their leadership style.
The first simulation helps students determine whether they’re more execution (goal)- or explorationoriented leaders.
In the second, they are split into teams and have seven days to summit a virtual Mount Everest.
Each student is assigned a role within the team — for instance, photographer, doctor, environmentalist — and each is given a different personal goal and, unbeknownst to them, different information. Unless the teams work together to communicate their individual goals and knowledge, the consequences can lead to setbacks and failures.
“I think it’s really powerful for them to experience their own blind spots as leaders,” Dunn says. “Experiencing information asymmetry or goal asymmetry is something that is undoubtedly happening in every workplace, everywhere in the world, and for them to — in a safe environment and in a game environment — really see how it can affect team performance is a powerful tool.
“When I envision them entering the workplace and becoming future leaders, understanding who they are and that they can influence their team in subtle ways is an important thing for them to recognize.”
English major Cho, who took the Tabletop Game Design course, appreciates the phenomenon from a player’s perspective.
“I think that something really fun about games is that you get to safely challenge yourself. It’s a place to experience hardship and excitement and rewards. It’s like a little microcosm of life that you get to mess around in.”
Beck Krefting’s Post-Apocalyptic Film and Literature students roleplay in a scenario even more harrowing than climbing Mount Everest: world-ending cataclysm.
The professor of American studies and director of the Center for Leadership, Teaching, and Learning begins the course by walking her students through an apocalyptic event, which inevitably involves all kinds of strife and challenges. There’s the scramble to secure the basic necessities of life: food, shelter, water. Then, in their small groups, they move through different types of critical decisions that usually have ethical undertones.
In the more recent iterations of the class, Krefting takes them into Skidmore’s North Woods for the exercise, even in the wintertime.
“They have to put themselves in a real visceral way into the setting of a post-apocalyptic narrative, making similar decisions that the protagonists in the texts we explore in class have to make. They’re going to remember it much longer than any text I ask them to read, but importantly, doing so at the outset of the course means that they’ve got this sort of bodily memory now that they can use to understand what those protagonists are feeling in those moments.”
In another exercise, Krefting has her students play the post-apocalyptic video game
The Last of Us on the PlayStation 4, intentionally pairing experienced gamers with those who aren’t, so no one feels like they can’t get far enough into the journey. The game, which was adapted into an acclaimed drama series in 2023, is known for its compelling narrative; Krefting asks her students to analyze the process of navigating the story, again tapping into their haptic awareness. She also asks them to compare the experience to that of reading a book such as Parable of the Sower, Skidmore’s First-Year Experience reading for the Class of 2026.
Finally, for her third play component, Krefting has her students engage in a virtual reality experience — playing the post-apocalyptic zombie game Arizona Sunshine in teams. “You feel like the zombies are coming at you, and it is an engagement that’s really hard to replicate, especially textually,” she says. Again, they analyze the experience and complete written assignments around the exercise.
Krefting has been teaching the course since 2014, usually every two years, and has included the game play components each time.
As someone particularly on the pulse of student learning trends now as the director of Skidmore’s Center for Leadership, Teaching, and Learning, Krefting is keenly aware of present-day challenges in holding students’ attention and keeping them engaged. She pointed to a recent article she had read in The Chronicle of Higher Education about how students are reading less and less, and how in some instances, faculty are responding by assigning less.
“Gamification, or finding ways to accelerate interest through a different kind of pedagogical approach, can do some of that work to make up for the not reading or the not being invested. For me, I’ve always asked, ‘How can I do more to meet the needs of students in this particular moment?’ I think I share that with a lot of other faculty who are seeing these trends of disengagement and short attention span in students but not a lack of commitment or smarts, not a lack of desire to be where they are.”
Still, she cautions there could be a downside to gamifying too much of the college experience, if it were the only element of a course’s format. At Skidmore, faculty have been treading carefully and maintaining a balance of assignments, study materials, and degrees of challenge as they incorporate play into their pedagogy.
“It’s not about just entertainment and trying to make it fun for students,” Krefting says. “I want it to be fun, but there are learning goals and outcomes that are necessary. If games and roleplay can be a vehicle to get there, fantastic. I wouldn’t say it should always be the vehicle to get there, but it is certainly an effective one at different times for different courses.”
During an end-of-semester Game Fair in Billie Tisch Center for Integrated Sciences’ Glotzbach Atrium, Hassan Lopez’s Tabletop Game Design students excitedly gathered around tables bearing their work — explaining to peers and passersby the tokens, cards, and intricacies of their playable, entirely original games.
Lopez made his rounds through the buzzing room, proud of what his students had accomplished and feeling reassured that the rollout of his course was a success.
“If I was worried about anything before coming into the class, it was wondering whether they were going to buy into the premise of the course,” Lopez said. “I knew that I was going to get students passionate about gaming, but were they going to get into the creative process enough where I felt they were getting something substantial out of the class? And they definitely did. They really got together as collaborators and came up with amazing ideas. They absolutely did what I was hoping for.
Tabletop Game Design students present and discuss the games they created during an end-of-semester Game Fair held in Glotzbach Atrium in the Billie Tisch Center for Integrated Sciences.
“It has solidified my belief that play is incredibly valuable and we don’t do enough of it. I think educational settings could take more advantage of play to increase engagement and to make the daily routine more stimulating to activate parts of your brain that you don’t activate when engaging in more analytical activities. So, it absolutely has confirmed that.”
Cho, the senior English major, reflected on the impact of the course and what he succeeded in building, both tangibly and through the community he found.
“This is work that is rewarding not for the grade, not even for the class, but for me,” he said. “And it takes a lot to do that in school.
“Play in learning engages not only the intellectual side of your brain but your emotional core too. I think learning happens best when you are enjoying yourself, when you have personal investment in something, when you feel rewarded and nurtured for the experience beyond just what it means for your future.”
Drawing on his own liberal arts background, Tyler Arnot ’08 has made it his life’s work to ensure children across the world have access to the transformative power of education — even in the most challenging of circumstances.
By Anesu Mukombiwa ’24
Tyler Arnot’s manager at Save the Children U.S. — where Arnot mastered a new grants management system during a summer internship as a Skidmore student — walked up to his desk and set down a massive tome of Sudanese colloquial Arabic. “Do you want to go to Sudan?” he asked. “We need somebody who knows the system. Can you go and teach the team there?”
The student-athlete and government major took a leave of absence from college during the fall semester of his senior year and embarked on a journey to Sudan. That “yes” turned out to be the beginning of a career dedicated to ensuring education remains a top priority — even in the toughest of international crises.
Arnot has since led humanitarian advocacy efforts at the global level and served in over 10 countries at crucial moments of need, including in Liberia at the peak of the Ebola crisis and in northeast Nigeria as the Boko Haram kidnappings took place. He has occupied varying roles for the United Nations, international nongovernmental organizations, and Global Affairs Canada.
Today, as the director of global programs for Street Child — an international nonprofit organization that strives to ensure all children are safe, attending school, and learning — Arnot attributes much of his passion for lifelong learning to his formative years at Skidmore.
Referring to himself as a “small-town boy” from Waterbury, Vermont, who came to Skidmore with immense gratitude for the opportunity, Arnot insists that “there’s no more privileged space to be than at a liberal arts school.”
He fondly recalls a key moment from his Skidmore days when he was stationed in Sudan with Save the Children U.S.: Deeply moved for the children there who could not access the education they deserved due to financial constraints, Arnot reached out to his peers on the Skidmore lacrosse team. They promptly organized a fundraising event and rallied together to raise significant funds.
This moment, for him, served as a testament to the heart and compassion that define the Skidmore community and a liberal arts education more broadly — a compassion nurtured by an education that prioritizes looking beyond oneself and considering the needs of others. An education that says, “Don’t forget to look over there, don’t forget to look at your neighbor.”
This memory, he says, was the moment of inception — the timbering of his faith in the power of education.
Today, in his work with Street Child, Arnot remains committed to the values instilled during his time at Skidmore. Through Street
Tyler Arnot ’08 (with his son Morgan) on a summer trip to Saratoga Springs, where he visited his Skidmore lacrosse teammate Cameron Duffy ’08 and Allison Barber ’09.
Child, Arnot focuses on getting international humanitarian aid to the local organizations best equipped to deal with crises. He explains that Street Child handles the bureaucracy so local groups can do what they do best — educating and protecting kids.
Since its establishment in 2008, Street Child has reached over a million children.
“I believe the most significant outcome of education is the cultivation of lifelong learners and lifelong learning,” says Arnot, who also earned a master’s degree in international education policy from Harvard University. “It lays the foundation for tolerance, curiosity, and community cohesion. When individuals are interested in their neighbors and open to engaging with diverse perspectives, it fosters a culture of tolerance and civic engagement.”
“In times of crisis, such as conflict, education often becomes disrupted. However, it should be prioritized as one of the first services to resume, as it plays a crucial role in fostering tolerance and stability.” — Tyler Arnot ’08
He views Skidmore and the incredible friendships that grew from his time there as a transformative force that shaped his worldview and instilled in him a deep appreciation for continual intellectual curiosity and the interdisciplinary orientation — a posture that has become the impetus of his work today.
“When I talk about lifelong learning,” Arnot says, “Skidmore and those experiences are where that philosophy stems from.”
It takes a village for a child to learn
By Peter MacDonald
“Even our youngest students are aware of and affected by what’s going on in the world, and they are grappling with what the truth is and what to believe. We need to be there for them.”
— Portia Bonner ’88
For Portia Bonner ’88, superintendent of Northampton, Massachusetts, Public Schools, learning is all about finding possibility and building community.
Perhaps there was a time, says Portia Bonner ’88, when teachers could exclusively focus on “reading, writing, and arithmetic.” But today, the outside world has entered the classroom — excess screen time and social media; the pandemic’s lingering social and learning impacts; real worries about issues such as climate change, immigration, and the Israel-Hamas conflict; and a contentious political climate.
Bonner, who has now served as superintendent of four school districts, knows firsthand that cultivating a rich environment where children can learn, grow, and discover more about themselves and others is more challenging than ever.
Some clues about her approach to education can be found in her 2022 book Possibilities of the Impossible: Obstacles of Educational Reform, Nets, Trenches, Sinkholes and Cisterns. She engages educators and school leaders in thought-provoking conversations around building trusting relationships.
Her book draws on more than three decades of experience as an educator and school administrator. The Skidmore biology and sociology double major earned a Master of Science degree in biology from Purdue and a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction from the University of Connecticut.
She started as a high school science teacher and went on to become
superintendent of Bozrah and East Haven public schools in Connecticut and New Bedford public schools in Massachusetts.
Last year, she took the reigns of Northampton Public Schools, home to 2,500 students spread across four elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school. The small city of nearly 30,000 is located in the foothills of the Berkshires north of Springfield, Massachussetts.
Bonner says there’s a need for greater emphasis at the younger ages on teaching literacy and math and more nuanced support on the student social-emotional front. It’s also important, she says, that they ensure that marginalized groups see themselves in the curriculum.
At times, the challenges seem daunting. But, relaxing on a bench outside Jackson Elementary School on a sunny day, having just connected with a throng of children enjoying recess, Bonner seemed calm, optimistic, and aware that change takes time.
“Even our youngest students are aware of and affected by what’s going on in the world, and they are grappling with what the truth is and what to believe. We need to be there for them. School systems are everything to children these days: teacher, social worker, psychologist, mediator, and role model.”
Being everything to children will require that everybody in the community is engaged and connected. Bonner reminds herself often why she has made education her life’s work.
“There’s something about the joy you see on a child’s face when they get it, when they take something you may have taught them to another level and start to think on their own. It’s exciting and energizing.”
Skidmore’s Century Club welcomes a new member, Jean Birnbaum Perlmutter ’45
Nancy French Dubey ’49 and her husband recently celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary. They are living happily in an independent residential community in San Diego near their two children. Research indicates that only 1,000 people in the entire U.S. have been married for 75 years.
Bobbie Neustaedter Scheer ’52 so enjoys her home in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., where she has lived for 70 years. Her soulmate, Gussie, is a long-haired dachshund. Bobbie and Dotsie Bernstein Modlin ’52 meet occasionally in NYC with long and wonderful conversations. She sends her “luv” to all.
Fortunately, I am still able to drive day and night, so I’m very busy with church, Heatherwood, Bell Choir, PEO, crafts, and many fun activities. Most of my wonderful family live within a five-hour drive of Cape Cod, so I see them frequently. They are all so good to me. Do keep in touch with me — I love receiving your news.
Betty Johnson Bootle ’52 bettybootle@gmail.com
Lydia Pardo McMinn ’54 graduated 70 years ago, and while her arthritis and aging eyes are an indication, great memories keep a smile on her face. She volunteers at a thrift shop and a library and helps take care of her three great-grandchildren. “Three cheers to our Class of ’54!”
Barbara Thomas Green ’55 celebrated her birthday with her entire family. She moved into a retirement home and stays active with chorus, bridge, Rummikub, flower-arranging, bingo, and walking a mile a day. She has three great-granddaughters.
Do you have news, a photo, or a memory that you would like to share?
Contact your class correspondent or submit a class note at skidmore.edu/classnotes
Linda Gorham Harvey ’57 is still waiting for her Florida condo to be repaired after Hurricane Ian and stays busy by volunteering at the Vision Impaired Center, participating in a knit/lit group, and flower gardening. She sees Jane Akeson ’57, whose partner died in February, and Sid Coursen ’58, her neighbor.
Stephanie Merber Lench ’57 and her husband are enjoying their new home located on the grounds of the golf club they have belonged to for 31 years in New Jersey. They stay in touch with the husband of Carolyn Geismar ’57, Alice Vassallo Scott ’57, and Jane Mckay Carlson ’57, with whom they share many memories. Their great-niece is in the Class of 2026, which reminds her of those carefree days on campus.
Hope Thompson Kerr ’57 and her twin keep busy with all the outdoor activities Bend, Oregon, offers. She enjoys playing pickleball, golfing, and hiking. She spent last Christmas in Dallas with her two girls and their families.
Dottie Dodd O’Meara ’57 died on Jan. 24 of lung cancer. Her husband died shortly before her. Marge O’Meara Storrs ’57 and Joan Firmery ’57 attended the funeral.
Jim and I are doing well and enjoying a break from Florida’s busy season. We have been running a “hotel” here since November with friends and family visiting. If you want to keep in touch with people, have a warm place in the winter and they will come.
Dotty Wakeman Mattoon ’57 mattoondotty35@gmail.com
Linda Singer ’58 had a great time visiting Miya Umaki Uyeda ’58 and enjoyed fabulous sushi. “We graduated more than 65 years ago and speak to one another two or three times a week. Our friendship is everlasting.” Linda also keeps in close touch with Marilyn Rosenberg Estess ’58 and Elsa Daspin Haft ’58 and is thankful to Skidmore for these three wonderful friends.
Anne-Marie Phillippe ’59 spent the 1956-57 school year at Skidmore as a foreign student from France. She stayed at Peabody dorm with members of the Class of 1959, who officially
included her in their class. “I am so thankful for the wonderful opportunity I was given by the College and the wonderful memories and discoveries I made. Happy 65th!” She feels lucky to be healthy and enjoys watching her 15-year-old granddaughter, Louise, who attends the Lycée International and will soon be heading to Sri Lanka for volunteer work.
Three generations of Skidmore alumni enjoyed the 113th Commencement ceremony: Janet Lucas Whitman ’59, Sally Whitman Coleman ’87, and Lydia Cross Coleman ’24
Janet Lucas Whitman ’59, Sally Whitman Coleman ’87, and Lydia Cross Coleman ’24 at this year’s Commencement
Fran Malino ’61 and colleague Yaelle Azaguru translated from French and edited the novel Mazaltob by Blanche Bendahan, an Algerian Jewish poet and novelist, published by Brandeis University Press. The French edition appeared in 1930 and won numerous prizes.
Pam Merton Jackson ’61 in Fort Worth, Texas, stays well with daily walks and yoga and is taking piano lessons for the first time since graduate school. Pam taught piano for 25 years. Her children are scattered but gather twice a year.
Pam White Leighton ’61 lives in Philadelphia. Her son, Chip, has become a Philly sports star on social media with The Leighton Show. He has been featured on TV and has millions of followers, to whom he speaks with deadpan, dry humor. His book, What Time is Noon?, will be published in November.
Evelyn Berk Kahn ’61 is an avid reader and loves living near her daughters and two miles from the shore of Myrtle Beach. Evie has been widowed since 1994. Sadly, her oldest daughter died this past December of lung cancer. She is proud of
her five grandchildren, who are recent college graduates.
Peyton Evans ’61 fondly remembers Skidmore’s old campus and her favorite teachers, Dr. Sather, Miriam Berkowitz, and the Boltons. Peyton loves living between Key West and Cape Cod, where she can get to Trader Joe’s.
Zelda Jacobson Schwartz ’61 wishes everyone turning 85 this year a happy birthday and hopes for another Zoom gathering on “Getting Better at Getting Older” — a way to approach our journey and appreciate the challenges we face for ourselves and those we love.
The husband of Barb Berrien Ewen ’61 is now a paraplegic due to spinal issues after surgery in 2023. He is wheelchair-bound and lives at a caregiver’s. He comes home weekly, and Barb visits him regularly. She continues with water aerobics and book club. “Despite setbacks, life is good, and we look forward to each new day!”
Janet Alling ’61 is still an active painter and is represented by the Seven Sisters gallery in Houston, Texas. She recently had a successful solo show and will have another in 2025. Arthritis and other aches and pains haven’t stopped her, and she feels fortunate to be able to “keep on going.” She plans to go on the Skidmore tour of Sicily and then to Romania for an artist residency.
Charlotte Smiley Read ’61 gig4smile@aol.com
In January, Mollie Klee Heron ’62 had her second knee replacement and hopes her two new knees and new shoulders will be it! She traveled with her daughter and granddaughter to Malta, visited a niece in Florence, and embarked on a Smithsonian cruise to the Mediterranean Islands. She spends the summer in Maine, where she connects with Skidmore classmates and family.
Diane Macht Solomon ’62 moved to Mease Life in Dunedin, Fla., where she has a view of the Gulf and is focused on making new friends and enjoying her new home.
Susan Sambrook Berry ’62 lcdrssberryret@yahoo.com
Once again, Carol Brush Nicholson ’63 celebrated her birthday by flying to Charleston to visit Judith Cohen Lutz ’63. They had a lovely time and are planning a trip to the Canadian Rockies. “At our age, we never know if it could be our last major travel, so we appreciate spending time together.”
Susan Blum Loukedis ’63 littperson@optonline.net
For more than 60 years, a group of friends has celebrated success, shared in sadness, and found that making the time for remembering brings new revelations and keeps old memories alive.
In the waning moments of Skidmore’s Reunion of 2018 (our class’s 55th), as we were packing up to leave Skidmore for another five years, someone from our class said, “Five years is such a long time to wait between reunions; let’s have a ‘mini-reunion’ in three years.” No one has confessed to uttering those words, but I was there, and I can tell you that it was Sue Weston Marino ’63, our class president. The few of us remaining in the cafeteria excitedly seconded that motion, and plans were immediately underway. By early 2021, we had put that event together. We had agreed on a site for our revelry (Mystic, Conn.) and approved the things we would see. Fifteen of us had motel reservations and we were ready to launch, but because the scourge of COVID and its aftermath were causing too much risk, we had to postpone. Our new mini-reunion date was therefore set for 2024, a year after our next on-campus Reunion (our 60th) in 2023.
And so it came to be, from April 29 to May 4, this spring. In the weeks since, virtually every one of us wrote to tell all the others (and particularly Sue Marino, who made this event so warm and welcoming and found the most delicious and exciting places for us to be together) that these days were fabulous and how much we were looking forward to this time next year in Savannah, Ga.
Our Mystic celebrants numbered 11 women, two husbands, and one significant other. The men were very much a part of the festivities from the start, but because they seemed to know intuitively when their participation would not be welcome, they found other things to do while we were talking about our Skidmore experiences. A perfect example occurred on our first morning together. We pushed our chairs together around a square table and took our places around Jane Finneman Hochman ’63, who was equipped with about 20 large index cards which she circulated around the table. Each of us, in turn, took the one on top or bottom, read the question aloud, and answered it, in every case bringing on a lively and often funny discussion. Topics included the Skidmore Honor Code, our most and least favorite professors, dorm life, experiences with the dean and Dr. Amyot, the best and worst experiences of our times at Skidmore, and the color of our gym suits.
This was one of the few times when we met as planned to remember times past. Other times were the three evenings when we returned from dinner, and as the men drifted off, members of the group brought a bottle or two of wine down to the front room of our inn. Sitting casually on couches and chairs, we held forth on topics of interest. These were some of the most interesting hours of the week. We all seemed to talk quite unguardedly about the world and our lives in it. I engaged in conversation with at least four women I had not
known well at Skidmore. A voice in my head kept shouting, “SHE IS AMAZING! I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HER BETTER!”
The timing of this was no accident. By our age, virtually all of us had experienced serious emotional loss, husbands, siblings, and dear friends. Our life events over more than 60 years reminded us quite powerfully of what we had all learned at Skidmore, and over again in the decades since — that girls make great listeners and caring companions for each other. One of the men remarked to me on our last full day together how much he enjoyed listening to any two or three members of our group conversing. There was no pettiness, no attention-seeking at all, because, he thought, we had all met each other when we were starting out and rather unsure of ourselves. The Skidmore experience gave us all a great deal of backbone. From there, for more than 60 years we had achieved many of our personal and professional goals in the greater world, and we all celebrated each other’s success. We were not in any sense rivals.
On a similar note, we dined together for Tuesday lunch, and for both meals on Wednesday. Because we were a large group, all meals were served at long tables, where one could only hear and converse with those closest to them. I watched with interest as all of us sought places near different dining companions than at the meal before, to gather the perspectives of other members of our group. We are not politicians, just simply friends. What wonderful things to be!
— Susan Blum Loukedis ’63
and
Kathy Hotchner ’65 enjoys playing Mahjong. Karen Berry ’65 completed her tenure as the head of the Green Committee, an environmental group in Moravian Village, where she resides in Bethlehem, Pa. She also finished her role as co-chair of the Great Decisions Lecture Series. Speakers at the series included local political science professors and a priest from Indonesia, who discussed current Indonesian politics. Despite dealing with paralysis on his right side, her husband, Bill, is doing well.
Julie Sparks Parmegiani ’65 and her daughter attended her grandson’s (who is now 6 feet, 6 inches tall) last three regular-season baseball games at RIT. She made a hat in the orange and black RIT colors and is grateful to still be able to drive such distances.
I attended my oldest granddaughter’s graduation from Ohio State University in Columbus.
Toby Weisberg Rubenstein ’65 owcpclaimsconsulting@gmail.com
Betsey Wattenberg Selkowitz ’66, Joan Cottler ’66, and Carole Wolf Friedler ’66 enjoyed great weather on their 80th birthdays, which they celebrated by endlessly talking, laughing, and reminiscing together.
Wattenberg Selkowitz ’66
Carolyn Rini ’66 and her husband, Jim, were married on the 100th running of the Kentucky Derby and celebrated their 50th anniversary at its 150th runnning. “It was a pretty special, almost unreal, experience.” After the Derby, they visited her sister, Chris Koppenburg ’71, who sang with the Sonneteers and still sings at her church.
Barbara Curry Wood ’66 turned 80. Since retiring from her teaching career, she is pleased to contribute still to her family and her favorite activities and charities. She moved from Boston back into their family home in New Jersey. She continues to be impressed with all the progress Skidmore has made; she hopes one of her five grandchildren will choose it for their own. She is saddened by the loss of her roommate, Kay Muller Brundige ’66
Several years ago, Marguerite “Mims” Cushing ’66 sang Mozart’s Requiem at Carnegie Hall with 200 other U.S. choristers on Memorial Day. “Truly a thrill of a lifetime!” She is now enjoying life at Vicar’s Landing in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., an independent living facility situated a mile from the Atlantic Ocean, where she teaches memoir/creative writing.
We send our heartfelt thanks to Ann C. LoDolce ’66 for her many years of service to our class and Skidmore. She writes that she is “saddened to resign as class correspondent after 33 years of enjoying many communications from my classmates from 58 years ago.”
Jean Summersgill Sandberg ’67 celebrated the graduation of her grandson, John Sandberg ’24. John is the fourth generation to graduate from Skidmore, including Jean Summersgill Neiswinter ’42, Eric Sandberg ’92, and Travis Sandberg ’94. She loved being back on campus, celebrating with family, and stopping by her freshman dorm, Ross House on Union Avenue, where she has many wonderful memories.
NYC alums Susan Beckerman ’67, Mary Ann (Mimi) Barker ’67, Sandy Colony ’67, Elizabeth Bernstein Fishman ’67, Lorraine Rorke Bader ’67, and Chris Wilsey Goodwin ’67 got together at a cafe in the Village.
From left, Susan Beckerman ’67, Mary Ann (Mimi) Barker ’67, Sandy Colony ’67, Elizabeth Bernstein Fishman ’67, Lorraine Rorke Bader ’67, and Chris Wilsey Goodwin ’67 met at a New York cafe in November 2023.
Vicki Ansbacher Hosford ’67 and her husband visited Katie Ledlie Krop ’67, lifelong friend and fellow nursing major, at her Good Luck Cellars Vineyard in Kilmarnock, Va. After retiring, Katie and her late husband decided to move to the Northern Neck of Virginia, where they purchased land to start a vineyard — quite an adventure for retirees in their 60s. Katie is now running the Good Luck Cellars Vineyard on her own. They toured the vineyard and wine-making cellar, tasted wine, and enjoyed talking about their days at Skidmore.
Pamela Scharmann Stewart ’67 reflects on her love for the library at the original campus, where
“weekends found her.” College Hall was also a special place because so much music happened there, along with her coursework in Greek classics during the winter, which kept her mind in gear. Today, gardening, writing, and creating are her happy spaces. She still enjoys solo singing regularly, and this year featured American songs from 1850 to 1950. She has five grandchildren. Life is good, but old age has its challenging spots with world affairs and medical concerns. “I am so thankful for my Skidmore friends and education, and for our reasonable mental and physical health so far. One day at a time is not a bad idea. Love and health to all.”
Mary Whitaker Taber ’67 is still working as director of the Pastoral Counseling Centers of Massachusetts. She enjoys her three grandchildren and occasional travel. In 2023, she visited cousins living in France and Germany.
I am still our class correspondent, and I welcome your submissions to my email listed below. You may also submit them directly to the College, as I have done. In April, I spent a week with my family in London. We did a house exchange, took walking tours, attended Premier League football games, and had a wonderful time.
Lorraine Rorke Bader ’67
Lorraine.bader@gmail.com
Bonnie Blades Andre ’68 writes with disappointment that her granddaughter will be attending Union College rather than Skidmore this fall.
Debby Mayer ’68 celebrated her birthday on her first cruise, crossing the Atlantic aboard the Queen Mary 2. She enjoyed a convivial group of writers, a good book, and relaxing on the ship. After a week of gray seas and sky, she was glad to get home to sunny San Diego. Debby and her dog, Sizzle, discuss the trip in their free Substack series, Travels with Sizzle, travelswithsizzle.substack.com.
Nicoline Holbrook Sabbath ’68 nhs46ff@gmail.com
Victoria (Vici) Prescott Brown ’69 reports that life in Florida is good. She enjoys playing golf, cooking, and dining out. She has a new fellow in her life who will be joining her at her 55th Reunion. Vici attributes her successes in life to her education at Skidmore, Walnut Hill, and Boston College, which provided the foundation for her career in human resource management. Her advice for the Class of 2024 is to “appreciate the education you have, never stop learning, and travel the world. If you believe you can do it, you will. Most importantly, be happy. Remember, time flies by when you are having fun.”
Lynn Bryan Sobocinski ’69 passed away in October 2023. Our heartfelt condolences go out to her husband, David, her children, grandchildren, family, and friends.
Leslie Ullman’s ’69 sixth poetry collection, Little Soul and the Selves, was published by 3:A Taos Press in October 2023. Her seventh collection, Unruly Tree, will be published in August by University of New Mexico Press. She joined ex-suitemates Hattie Motley Branson ’69, Suzanne Jebb Tether ’69, Lila Donhauser ’69, Susan Glennie Coombe ’69, and Joan Dargery ’69 at their 55th Reunion.
Candace Leeds ’69 stays busy working in marketing, PR, and development for nonprofit organizations and serving on the boards of directors for the Ronald McDonald House of New York, Music in the Inside (which provides the healing power of music to those impacted by incarceration), Trade for Hope (which helps vulnerable women and children in Bangladesh and Kenya lift themselves out of poverty), and rehabilitating those who were victims of sex trafficking.
Candace Leeds ’69 (second from left, holding flowers) receives an honor from the Ronald McDonald House for her work on the opening of the Ronald McDonald House Family Room at NYC Health+Hospitals/Elmhurst in Queens.
Twice this past year, I have enjoyed a visit with Barbara (Barbie) Herbert von der Groeben ’69 Through a class note, I realized Jean Stewart Brandt ’48 and her daughter lived nearby, and it was an honor to spend time with them in April. I especially enjoyed her reminiscences of her days on campus. Similarly, I spent time with Barbara McGrew Jenkel ’62, who resides with her husband at a lovely retirement community in Palo Alto.
Barbara Hauck ’70 was honored by the Mercy Center for Women for her influence on the lives of the community and for fulfilling the mission of the Mercy Center — by enhancing the dignity of each person the center serves through the healing of body, mind, and spirit. Barbara, a weaving teacher with 27 years at the Neighborhood Art House and a weaving studio for adults, has empowered children by helping them express themselves and providing tools for success. She serves as development director for the Erie Philharmonic and executive director for the Warner Theatre Preservation Trust.
’70 and one of her woven
Able Muse Press published the fourth poetry collection by Barbara “Barb” Ludecker Crane ’70, You Will Remember Me, sonnets in the imagined voices of artists throughout history, with reproductions of most of the referenced paintings included.
A watercolor painting by Barbara M. Chin ’70, Fruites, was chosen for exhibition by the Mamaroneck Artists Guild in April. The title of the work acknowledges the French-speaking community of the Larchmont-Mamaroneck area of Westchester County, N.Y., where she resides.
Janet Sangenito Fagal ’70 jfagal@gmail.com
Gabrielle Disario ’71, Barbara Boshea Simon ’71, and Marjorie Gilman Baker ’71 traveled to Gabrielle’s home in Sonoma County, Calif., for a wonderful visit. Fond memories of Skidmore and family stories were told, seasoned with laughter.
Gabrielle followed that trip with a rainy, 10-day hike through the Scottish Highlands following the West Highland Way. Over the years, she and a friend have had many adventures together, but this one was the most challenging. They found themselves saying, “I guess we are just not 65 anymore!”
Gabrielle Disario ’71, Barbara Boshea Simon ’71, and Marjorie Gilman Baker ’71
Charlon McMath Hibbard ’71 has been an independent Mary Kay (MK) Cosmetics sales director for 42 years, earning 23 MK cars. With 50+ years under her belt, she’s been honored with National Appointment No. 12091 with the National Ski Patrol. Charlon still skis and keeps up with her grandson’s love of mountain biking. She has also been recognized in the Top 10 for the National Association of Women Business Owners, Detroit Chapter, of which she is VP. She and Jim took a tent camping trip to the Badlands last fall and have two sons who travel the world inspecting underwater tunnels.
Martha Seem Banghart ’71 and I gathered for dinner on Mother’s Day weekend. Neither of us were able to be with our children, but we had fun thinking back on “the mother of our college days.” Marty shared a link to a digitized version of a folk song tape that she and her roommate, Candy Salami Fairbairn ’71, the Sojourners, recorded in Filene. I’d like to share it with all of you. Marty and Ray celebrated their 50th anniversary with a trip to the Azores. Marty is still active in the choral world, and the organization she founded in 2007, Deer Creek Chorale, has grown from 12 to 145 choristers including two youth choirs, a chamber choir, an a cappella women’s ensemble, and a large community choir. If not making music, she is hiking, traveling, swimming, or playing tennis. Marty stays in touch with Sibyl Waterman Haley ’71 and follows other classmates on Facebook.
As we are in the process of celebrating our three-quarter-century birthdays, I believe we share the realization that we are still the same young-spirited women who spent four amazing years together at Skidmore as it transitioned to being a co-educational institution. Since bridging the ’60s and ’70s, we have all added many diverse chapters to our lives, continued our studies and travels, honed our skills, and acquired great wisdom. We have changed physically, possibly having repair work done or replacement parts installed. Perhaps our figures and hair color have changed, but inside, I know we remain the same wonderful, strong-willed, creative girls we were at 18!
Susan Flanders Davidson ’71
suzart@davidsonautonet.com
Trish Passmore Alley ’72 has lived at Wake Robin, a Continuing Lifecare Community in Shelburne, Vt., for almost a year. When she wears her Skidmore sweatshirt, neighbors often comment about their connection to the College, and several subscribe to her monthly blog, gracefulmischief.com. Her open rate is over 75%!
Margaret Moddy McKeown ’72 was a guest on two podcasts on reading instruction, “The READ” with Danielle Scoranno and “To the Classroom” with Jennifer Serravallo
Roberta Hertz Rifkin ’72 bobbsiehr@aol.com
Kathie Milligan ’73 traveled to Hawaii to visit classmate Marci Abad Ronka ’73. On the way, she stopped in Laguna Beach to visit her daughter and grandchildren. Kathie and Mark also attended their son’s graduation from Xavier University.
Kathie Milligan ’73 and Marci Abad Ronka ’73
Joan Carey ’73 and her husband, Andy, enjoy kayaking on the Mohawk and Hudson rivers, Saratoga Lake, and Round Lake, where they observe lots of wildlife, and enjoy looking for wildflowers. At their home, they’ve installed solar panels and eliminated gas appliances and use heat pumps for heat and hot water. They drive an electric car to create less pollution.
Davien Buckner Gould ’73 shared the sad news that her husband, Matthew, passed away on April 30 after fighting multiple myeloma for two years.
Susan Delaney Morgan ’73, a longtime resident of Lloyd Neck and Coty, N.Y., moved to Fort Lauderdale before passing away on April 19. She is survived by her husband Harry and their son, Nate, his wife, Dani, and her grandson, Francis. She is also survived by her brother, Glenn Delaney, and his wife, Andrea, of Washington, D.C.; her niece Erin Delaney; and nephew Connor Delaney and his wife, Jess. Donations in Sue’s name can be made to one of her favorite places, the Francke Bird Sanctuary in Brookville, N.Y., which she helped maintain for many years as a member of the North Country Garden Club.
Betsy Blades ’73 published her newest book, The Feldenkrais Method for Instrumentalists: Lessons in Awareness Through Movement. Both it and her Singer’s Guide to Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement (second edition, 2018) were published by Rowman and Littlefield. Betsy is sharing this approach in three workshop presentations at the Pan European Voice Conference in Santander, Spain, in September. Reunion and their 50th wedding anniversary were highlights of 2023 for Barbara Jones Good ’73 and her husband, Howie. In the fall, Howie was treated for a rare form of cancer and Barbara had a robotic-assisted mitral valve repair. Most of their winter was spent regaining strength and overall health. They welcomed another grandchild into the family, making seven total, who they enjoyed seeing at the 13th annual Good Family Reunion. Howie had a book of his poetry and art called Frowny Face published by Red Hawk Publishers. “Here’s to good health!”
Jenny Pearman Lammer ’73 joined Cathy Offinger ’73 and her golden retriever, Baxter, for a road trip to Fort Myers, Fla. Cathy and Baxter stay for two months each spring, visiting with her daughter and her family. Cathy’s granddaughter, Little Josie, turned 3 and is a “firecracker with a wonderful spirit and sense of humor.”
Katie Kunz ’73 visited Cathy Offinger ’73, Terry Mckee ’73, and Davien Buckner Gould ’73 in Cape Cod in June.
Carol DeLancey ’73 loved attending the 50th Reunion last June: “No one should miss their Reunion.” She plans to return to Italy with her distinguished art teacher, Robert Osti, for a week of travel and painting on the coast of Tuscany. Carol was thrilled to see Zoe Vose Morsette’s ’73 name in the credits for Hamilton’s props. “Way to go, Zoe!”
Barbara Stone ’73 continues to love the snowbird life, splitting her time between Boynton Beach, Fla., and Anne Arundel County, Md. Barbara enjoys pickleball and walking but had to give up tennis due to back pain. She’s also dabbling in pottery and watercolor, traveled to Spain, and will visit Japan this fall. She and her husband love being with their children and grandchildren, including during a recent trip to Florida. Though happy, Barbara is active politically and fears for the future.
Carol Mulvihill Ahlers ’73 recently took a Caribbean cruise and visited family in Nevis. She joined the Architectural Review Board for North Haven and the Bridgehampton Association, a group devoted to raising money for local charities. Carol is a volunteer fundraiser for Peconic Land Trust’s 5-acre Bridge Gardens, working to renovate the building and grounds: “Stop by if you’re in South Fork.” She continues to travel with her husband Ron, tend her garden, cook, read, and post pictures of her cat, Bella. Her upcoming plans include family visits and a trip to Portugal.
Martha Ide ’73 is busy giving back, planning a trip to Europe, and actively supporting her young grandchildren who live nearby. She spent
50 years supporting families as a licensed school nurse and now volunteers at a medical center and city free medical clinic, coordinates her area’s Dolly Parton Imagination Library, and serves on the board of directors for a visiting nurses and hospice agency. She and Rob are healthy, active, and social and count their blessings every day.
Timi Carter ’73 traveled to France and enjoyed good weather, easy traveling, lots of history, and great food. The winter was difficult with the storms, electricity outages, and damage caused. “Right now, as I watch students protesting, it brings me back to our Skidmore years.” She prays for students to protest safely.
Mary Ellen Knight Thompson ’73 has transitioned from her many years as a journalist to writing book reviews and author interviews for Southern Literary Review. Every year she hosts a writer’s residency for The Pat Conroy Literary Center in Beaufort, S.C., a wonderful opportunity to snug in and write to your heart’s content with only the distractions that appeal to you. Check out marshsongcottage. com. She would love to have alums apply.
Paula Roberts Melpignano ’73 published a book, Sealed with a Kiss, in December 2023. After her parents passed away, she was sorting through their house in Scotia, N.Y., and found a trunk containing hundreds of letters that her father, Paul E. Roberts, had written to her mother, Bernice, while he was serving in the U.S. Army during World War II. Each letter had been signed “Sealed with a Kiss,” which is where the title of the book came from.
My beautiful girl, Rosie, and I were honored by the Toledo Humane Society for raising over $100,000 — the most money every year for the past 23 years — for their walk/run event “Bark in the Park.” The event T-shirt has a picture of Rosie and me imprinted on the sleeve to show their appreciation.
Joanne Rubin ’73 jrubin610@aol.com
Nan Rosen Statton ’74 recently retired from her psychology teaching position and celebrated with her husband in Switzerland, visiting their older son. They plan to attend the wedding of the daughter of Ellen Miller-Wolfe ’74, visit their younger son in Washington, and spend some time in Lenox, Mass., and Boston. Their daughter is expecting their second grandchild, so they will be busy helping with her family. Other family milestones include her mother turning 100 in January.
Patricia Fleming ’74 is excited to start a new life in Pennsylvania after retiring from 23 years working as the head of the model shop at Peter Marino Architect. She will continue her art, crafts, and gardening, and she hopes to include new pets in her family. “Maybe I will fulfill my lifelong dream and get a pony!”
Shelley Matthews ’74 welcomed her fifth grandchild and visited cousins in Italy this winter. The architecture in Vicenza, a castle in Soave, the islands of Venice, and the art of Florence made
her fall in love with northern Italy. However, the best part was spending time with family and their friends serving with NATO.
Ellen Miller-Wolfe ’74 was disappointed about not being able to attend Reunion and sends regards to friends. Her daughter is getting married, which brings great joy to their families.
Nancy Watkins Lanzoni ’74 continues to work remotely — thankfully, no more NYC commute. She and her husband, Craig, are grandparents to Addie, who anticipates being a big sister by the end of October. Son Ben and daughter-inlaw Candace live near Boston, and Nancy and Craig visit them often. Ben’s twin, Willy, and his girlfriend, Fallon, live outside Atlanta.
Nancy Henderson Stack ’74 and her husband, Tim, were married in 1974 and raised their three children, Charlie, Sam, and Maggie Stack ’09, in Pittsburgh. Tragically, Tim died in a bicycle accident in 2005. Nancy is remarried to Duke Kingsley, and they live on Amelia Island, Fla. She was happy to return to Skidmore for the 50th Reunion.
Regina N. Carbon ’74 rcarbon14@gmail.com
Marianne Boswell ’75 sold her home of 27 years in Lexington, Mass., and bought a house circa 1865 in Wellfleet, Mass., which she is renovating as its latest steward. Marianne’s son and his partner moved to Washington, where he works for Facebook.
Lucy Noonan ’75 is enjoying her rescue dog, Bob, and hopes to attend her 50th reunion next summer. She loves working part time and volunteering at a nearby nursing home.
Lucy Noonan ’75 and her rescue dog, Bob
Noreen P. Reilly ’75 noreen.reilly@verizon.net
As our illustrious Class of ’74 celebrated a wonderfully eventful 50th Reunion this spring (with special thanks to the organizing committee and dedicated administration), this class correspondent persisted in interviewing a sampling of classmates throughout the weekend to capture the spirit of the moment.
After enjoying the old campus annotated tour given by period-dressed guides, Susan Elliot ’74 reflected that it was a “walk down memory lane” and that “the homes looked much better now than she remembered them!” Susan Barry ’74 said, “The tour was great! Wonderful to see the buildings revitalized,” and Nancy Garran commented, “The tour’s historical perspective was exceptional.”
Emily Pavlovic Chiles Startz ’74 created a very original jigsaw puzzle scavenger hunt. Donna Williams Dowd ’74 and her husband, Edward, loved that hunting for the pieces around campus and solving the puzzle together became a pleasurable bonding experience. “It was something very different from anything we’ve done together in a long time!”
The pickleball enthusiasts of all levels had their day(s) on the court too, thanks to Erin McHugh ’74 In addition, at Saturday’s on-campus picnic, Pat Eggers ’74 and her husband, Chris, were completely surprised to see their Brewster neighbor and fellow pickleball friends, Nancy Manassa Johnson ’74 and husband Bruce, and to learn that Nancy was also a member of Skidmore’s Class of 1974.
Comments about the 50th reunion were very positive. Anne Peterson Connoly ’74 summed it up: “I think I’ve never been prouder to be part of the legacy of Skidmore.” Diane Barto ’74 said, “I wouldn’t have considered missing my 50th, because my attendance would have meant so much to my parents. They would have been proud.” Liz Ullman ’74 noted that, “We had lived through a societal shift between 1970-74. Attending Reunion and sharing that powerful metamorphosis is gratifying. On the lighter side, Skidmore puts on a great party and makes people feel as if they are returning heroes!” Tina Rutledge Veraldi ’74, who created our “More to Explore” emblem, noted, “All the planned activities have been much more fun than expected. I’m still looking forward to connecting with special long-term friends here. I have attended the last four Reunions, and each one has become more meaningful and enjoyable.” Erin McHugh ’74 commented, “Fifty years look great on us!” Patti Brennan ’74 said, “So happy to catch up with everyone!” Emily Pavlovic Chiles Startz ’74 commented that this Reunion was “better than expected!”
With husband Harry Alverson ’73, Katie Groves Alverson ’74 said, “Not only am I impressed by how beautiful the campus looks but by how great our class looks.”
Sandra Sprague Kinsey ’74 enthusiastically summarized the weekend’s academic presentations as intellectually stimulating. “From the physics of classical architecture taught by a creative professor to Skidmore’s inspiring president presenting what a college president must consider, to a guided tour of the Center for Integrated Sciences with a professor who helped guide the concept of housing multiple sciences under one roof, Skidmore continues to inspire learning and growth for all generations of our community.”
Class of 1974, you can be proud! As this intrepid correspondent spoke with classmates and Skidmore staff throughout campus, ’74 was consistently described as this year’s “favorite Reunion class, whose members were very grateful and kind.” With so many of our own memories rekindled, what a nice memory for Skidmore to have of us! Thank you, everyone!
— Regina N. Carbon ’74
Matt Rosen ’76 started a new job with the Museum of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg, an opportunity Doug Dreishpoon ’76 opened the door to. Matt was unit manager at the Maccabi Games in Buenos Aires, where he connected with Jake Shecthman ’09, who won a gold medal in open basketball, and Brandon Feldman ’96, who coached under-18 tennis.
Sandra Crystall ’76 was recognized as citizen of the year for her devotion to the conservation of Bow, N.H. Sandy has been instrumental in protecting wetlands and wildlife and conserving land for recreational use in Bow for the past 23 years. She has served on the conservation commission, planning board, drinking water protection committee, and Bow Open Spaces.
Sandy Crystall ’76 receives the Citizen of the Year award from Bow Men’s Club President Greg Cordier. (Photo by Eric Anderson)
Darlyn Brewer Hoffstot ’76 published A Farm Life: Observations from Fields and Forest, a collection of 27 essays exploring birds, mammals, bees, fungi, trees, and other aspects of the natural world.
Darlyn Brewer Hoffstot ’76 with chickens
Ingeborg Hegemann Clark ’76 iehegemann@gmail.com
After 40 years of living in Switzerland, Leslie Stimmel Guggiari ’77 returned to her family home on the coast of Massachusetts. She reports that it feels great to be back on the ocean and she has reconnected with some Skidmore friends.
Valerie Shepard Cortalano ’77 retired after 26 years at the Jewish Board Social Services Agency. She and her husband Bruce have five grandchildren and enjoy traveling. They still live across from West Point in Garrison, N.Y., with their dog, Bowie, and feral deck cat, Calico.
Robin Fell ’77 recently moved from San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, to Abruzzo, Italy, and is wondering whether there are any Skiddies living in Italy.
Rene LeRoux ’78, owner of New York State’s Baseball, Basketball, and Hockey Halls of Fame, spoke at the 45th Thurman Munson Awards Dinner, raising $21 million for AHRC in New York. The sold-out event, attended by 550 guests, also honored former Yankee Tino Martinez. Notable Skidmore inductees by Rene include Herb Crossman, Jeff Jacob, and former basketball coach Damian Fantauzzi. Rene’s 32 consecutive sold-out induction dinners have garnered national attention. He resides in Clifton Park, N.Y., with his two Great Pyrenees, Molly and Lola, while his children Ryan, Lauren, and Jack thrive in Utica, Boston, and Austin, respectively.
Jay Jochnowitz ’78 intended to retire in 2022 but ended up failing spectacularly. Now in a part-time capacity as editor-at-large, he remains a member of the Albany Times Union’s editorial board, where he writes a couple of editorials weekly and a monthly column. If you’re in an area covered by Northeast Public Radio, you can catch him as a rotating member of The Roundtable. In his latest journeys with martial arts, he began training to teach Kyudo (Zen archery) and took up tai chi.
Stacy Collins Whittaker ’78 is the co-lead of the Dutchess County Sampler Initiative. The initiative locates and documents all American samplers and schoolgirl needlework from the 17th to the mid-19th century. Documentation is freely available at samplerarchive.org. She continues to research, write, and speak about samplers, the female academy tradition, and the history of women’s education.
Deborah Brighton ’78 retired after 31 years at the San Diego State University Research Foundation.
Wendy Coleman Hilboldt ’78 enjoys retirement as a teacher. She has been volunteering with New Canaan EMS for 44 years and still enjoys teaching and mentoring the newest EMTs. They welcomed their fifth grandchild.
Peggy Ishman ’78 had a great trip to her hometown of New Canaan, Conn., where she enjoyed happy hours with Wendy Coleman Hilboldt ’78. Last summer, she also had a joyful time with Bonnie Smith Gannon ’78 and sends love to classmates.
Emily Walker Bracchitta ’78 ebracchitta@gmail.com
Mary Bates ’79 reflects on her fond Skidmore memories with great professors, dance with Melissa Hayden, and senior year living in Elm C with Annie Kuhn Levitan ’79, Melissa HueyBurns ’79, and crew. She practiced healthcare and employment law for 15 years, then taught first grade for 18 years, which became her true joy. She and her husband John have two grown and married children and four wonderful grandchildren and love spending time on Cape Cod.
Mary Bates ’79 and her family
Carol Goldstein Nussbaum ’79 recently showed her first solo Mandala art exhibit at Pleiades Gallery. A mandala is structured around a unifying center and represents both wholeness and the universe. She credits retired Skidmore professor Richard Linke for his guidance and inspiration in photography.
by Carol Nussbaum ’79
Deborah J. Monosson ’79 djm200@live.com
Friends Debbie Genco Powell ’80, Lynne Rapulas Freeman ’80, Liz Condakes ’80, and Missy Godfrey Fitzpatrick ’80 got together at the Boston Pops to see The Eyes of the World: from D-day to V-E Day, executive produced by classmate Meredith Wagner ’80. After launching at Carnegie Hall, the show moved to the Kennedy Center before coming to Boston. PBS was there filming for a broadcast in the fall. Don’t miss this amazing and powerful storytelling.
Class of 1980 friends Debbie Genco Powell, Lynne Rapulas Freeman, Liz Condakes, and Missy Godfrey Fitzpatrick
Holly Novack Chaffee ’81 was chosen as president/CEO of Care Central VNA and Hospice Inc., the fourth company Holly has led to success. Holly’s husband, David, died on Sept. 12, 2023, in the comfort of their home and surrounded by family and friends.
Elizabeth Hix Colby’s ’81 photograph, Sailboats in the Fog, was part of the Maritime Daydreams Art show at the Firefly Artists Gallery in Northport, N.Y., this summer. Elizabeth donated the photograph to the Hudson River Community Sailing fundraiser, Dark and Stormy.
Deb and Joshua Boyce ’81 welcomed a second grandchild, Zoe, to the world on Aug. 10, 2023. Josh is the 2024 recipient of the Joseph B. Martin Dean’s Leadership Award for the Advancement of Women Faculty, in recognition of his careerlong advocacy for women physicians and scientists at the Harvard Medical School.
Arnold Good ’81 and Lisa Newmark and Mitchell and Jacqueline Saltzman Kon ’81 toasted their new grandchildren in Columbus, Ohio, where they both live.
Jeremy Morrison ’98 and Vicki Salvo Bruce ’82 represented Skidmore on “Decision Day” at Dighton Rehoboth Regional High School. They have worked together, and sometimes taught together, for nine years. Jeremy teaches English and Vicki teaches special education.
Jeremy Morrison ’98 and Vicky Bruce ’82
Concetta Morales ’82 giggles when she recalls her 40th reunion. She felt so fortunate to be in Saratoga and sleeping on campus, eating in the dining hall, dancing to loud music, and watching fireworks just after being diagnosed with cancer. She’s been fighting hard and feels blessed for each day. Her family is near and dear. She thanks her class for their well wishes.
Susie DeWolfe Burns ’82 lives in Salem, N.Y., and loves being close to her grandkids. She plans to retire after 30 years as an English language arts educator and will miss being an advisor to the Creative Writing Club and having Susan Long Moyer ’82 as a Skidmore connection at work. Susie recently traveled to Texas and spent time in Maine with her husband and dog. In retirement, she will do adjunct work and get back into flameworking at Salem Art Works.
At the invitation of Julianne Heckert ’83, Rev. Bill Ladd ’83 led worship at Highlands Chapel Church in Cold Spring, N.Y. Ecumenically speaking, it was a great time and a wonderful experience for all. Bill’s sermons are only 10 minutes long! All this from Skidmore’s Department of Theater graduates.
Vincent “Vinny” Catalano ’83 had a wonderful time catching up with Susan Magrino ’83 at the Skidmore President’s Society event in NYC this past spring and celebrating her work in public relations.
Vinny Catalano ’83 and Susan Magrino ’83 In April, Laura Taylor ’83 traveled all over gorgeous Switzerland with her son. The pair visited Zurich, Montreux, Vevey, Bern, Zermatt, St. Moritz, Interlaken, and Lucerne, with a side trip to Baveno, Italy.
Lillian Jaray Ostrove ’83 DanJasRy@yahoo.com
Owner of TUNE Yoga, Leslee Schenk ’84 offers Yoga 4 Athletes training, a new book, retreats, and online instruction. Leslie has been teaching yoga for 15 years, specializing in sports team training. Amy Heineken Liss ’83 attends her classes regularly. Learn more at tuneyoga.com.
Leslee Schenk ’84
Craig Poler ’84 cwpoler@gmail.com
G’day, Wombats!
I am currently in Antarctica working as the doctor for the Australian Antarctic Division of The Davis Research Station! Woohoo! I had one truly glamorous week where I ALMOST had to remove someone’s appendix down here on the ice. Fortunately, he improved — as did the weather — just before we were about to do surgery. Most of the time I am using my trusty box cutter to restock medical supplies, and my “nurses” are definitely not graduates of the old Skidmore Nursing School. They are “lay surgical assistants” — a boilermaker welder, a carpenter, an electronics engineer, and a supply/forklift operator.
It has been a fantastic time, and winter is just beginning. The wildlife — penguins, seals, giant petrels, and skuas (fancy seagulls) have all swum or flown north, away from the ice forming around the continent. Having these curious critters hanging about on the rocky beach at the station is just as cool as one might imagine. As you can see in my photos, they were chasing the big penguin in the tuxedo.
It has been a long road to get here. After Skidmore, I became a ski bum in Utah, underwent tendon repair, which sparked an epiphany that led me to pursue medicine, spent 10 years striving to gain admission to medical school, and then eventually ended up in emergency medicine. As part of my celebration, I went on a rugby tour in Australia. Four fabulous days and nights in Sydney led to an email a few months later informing me that I was going to be a father.
Fast forward, I eventually became an Australian citizen. As my son hit high school, I joined the Royal Flying Doctor Service — a nationwide charity that provides medical assistance and transport to rural Australia. When I say rural, I mean this: Western Australia is the size of the U.S. from Canada to Mexico, with a population of nearly 3 million — with more than 2 million living in Perth alone. From there, I applied to the Australian Antarctic Division based out of Kingston, Tasmania, and after three years, I was finally accepted. Tasmania, where wombats roam free and Tasmanian devils truly exist. It is endowed with gorgeous mountains. It is also cold. I hope you are all well.
Cheers, Peter Rizzo ’86
Last year, after tax season, I took a long-awaited trip to Carlsbad and Roswell, N.M. I attempted to go via motorcycle, but at the last second, my battery died. So, I drove. I toured the caverns in Carlsbad National Park and drove to El Paso, where I stayed in a hotel on the Mexican border. I left El Paso and went to Big Bend National Park (pictured), where I had the time of my life. The park is huge. I stayed until well after dark and saw stars I hadn’t seen in my 17 years of living in Texas. My next big adventure will be on a motorcycle, maybe to Colorado, but definitely to Palo Duro Canyon State Park, the second-largest canyon in America. After that, I will try my hand again at a trip to Virginia and New Jersey via motorcycle to see aging family members.
Terence A. Robinson ’86
Karen Kells Corby ’86 lives in Orange County, N.Y., with her husband, Steve, where she is a certified teaching and library assistant. Her son Sam is a New York Law School graduate, and her son Will graduated from SUNY Orange with a degree in data analysis/statistics.
Wendy Harper Lois ’86 wishes a happy 60th birthday to fellow ’86 alumni! “My wish for you is that Skidmore continues to be a fond experience in your six decades (or so) of living! See you at the next Reunion and remember Skidmore in your giving if you are so inclined.”
Carrie Webster ’86 lives in Dublin, N.H. She has a daughter who is a Wheaton College psychology graduate, and another is a freshman at UNH studying business. They are the lights of her life! Carrie got engaged in 2021 and plans to tie the knot in 2025. They love to see live music.
Jeanne Dutton ’86 finished a “better-latethan-never” doctorate in literacy at Kent State University in May, and she and her husband, Jeff, are adopting a Labradoodle. The kids are grown but the spoiling continues.
Paula Kurata Kuespert ’86 got her MBA in Los Angeles and met her husband there. They live in Oklahoma City and are focused on raising their 11- and 14-year-old sons, but they are moving to Mercer Island, Wash., next year and hope to connect with any classmates in the area. Paula submitted her class note as she was meeting classmates Jen Roche Vilot ’86, Katie Trotta Kane ’86, and Caroline Ralph Kenlon ’86 at the Mohonk Mountain House to celebrate their 60th birthdays.
Hey ’86ers! Just popping in to say greetings from Brooklyn, N.Y. Actually, I knew if I didn’t drop a blurb here, I’d have to hear it from Zacky-Boy at our next get-together. Zack Salino ’86 pulls together a mix of high school and Skidmore friends, always somewhere fun and delicious in the NYC/Newark area, every month or so. See Zack, I participated, now can I have dessert next time? I hope everyone is doing great, happy, healthy, and having fun!
Peace, Joe Grillo ’86
Andrew Tennenbaum ’86 with his family
Mark Acierno ’86 and his wife, Alyssa, moved from sunny Phoenix, Ariz., to snowy Madison, Wis., with their 18 furred, feathered, and scaled companions. Mark is associate dean at Midwestern’s new veterinary teaching hospital in Illinois, and Alyssa will be starting as “exotics” faculty at the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine.
Christine Herter Warren ’86 and her husband, Doug, live in Burlington, Mass. Doug works in community relations, and Christine is an office and accounting manager helping nonprofits stabilize their operations and outreach capabilities. Their daughter, Julia, is a College of the Holy Cross graduate and works for a healthcare benefits company. They feel fortunate to have five parents/ stepparents they visit often.
Judith Stephens ’86 is a University Without Walls graduate who has worked as a secretary in the Education, Biology, and Business departments and then moved to the Registrar’s Office. After 27 years at Skidmore, she retired and began traveling in a motor home with her husband, exploring the U.S., where they fell in love with the cowboy town of Wickenburg, Ariz. Judith plays tennis and knits animals for the hospital. Life is good, even at 80!
Bill Greenleaf ’86 lives in Richmond, Va., with his wife, Laura, and their 16-year-old son, Leland. Bill is the executive director of Impact Lending with Locus, a nonprofit social impact bank.
Paula Kurata Kuespert ’86, Jen Roche Vilot ’86, Katie Trotta Kane ’86, and Caroline Ralph Kenlon ’86
After graduation, Andrew Tennenbaum ’86 lived in NYC, where he spent time with Willie Distler ’86, Heather Ward Bull ’87, Scott Buckley ’87, and Jeff Kolsky ’87. He then moved to Los Angeles to work in the entertainment industry and help create some truly iconic film and television projects. He met his wife, Ali, 10 years ago and has a daughter, Lucy (5), and a son, Miles (1). He is grateful that Skidmore provided him with an education that helped open his mind to a world of possibilities, friends who have stood the test of time, and experiences that he will remember forever. He sends his best wishes. If you’re in LA, give him a shout!
After 30 years working on public diplomacy at the U.S. Department of State, Jody Rose Platt ’86 was accepted into the Professional Mobility Development Program’s pilot program, working in the Office of the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism with a focus on Europe and Canada. Her daughter is following in her footsteps and studying social sciences at the University of Waterloo.
Diane Bigotte Kendall ’86 lives in NYC with her husband Jeff, and they have two daughters, 30 and 27. Diane gets together once a year with a few ’86ers.
After working at the University of Michigan for 35 years, Elyse Rubin ’86 is now retired. She lives in Ann Arbor with her husband, George, and their rescue pit bull, Nala. Their daughter and grandson live there as well.
Jon and Jade Koplow D’Agostino ’86 celebrated their 37th anniversary. They have a son, two daughters, and three granddaughters. Jon has been practicing law for 34 years, and you may have seen his “Bite Back!” ads. Jon is also a songwriter and has a music publishing company in Nashville — Demolition Music Publishing. They returned to Skidmore two years ago and revisited a million memories.
Melissa Karstadt Roske ’86 transitioned from her magazine career to fulfilling her dream of publishing children’s books. She debuted with Kat Greene Comes Clean and followed up with Coming of Age: 13 B’Nai Mitzvah Stories. She is working on her next novel. She celebrated her 60th birthday with Kerry Zaimes ’86 and stays connected with Robert Lischinsky ’86 and Jonathan Wachtel ’86. Her husband Henry is a corporate attorney, and their daughter Chloe is a Harvard University Ph.D. candidate in clinical psychology.
Thomas Therrien ’86 has wonderful memories of his enlightening time at Skidmore. Tom is retired from dentistry and enjoys gardening and spending time with family and friends. He and his wife of 30 years have two children; Dean is in heaven, and Karen is in Boston.
Jeanne Cooney Dunn ’86 loves teaching yoga and coordinating Martin Youth LEADERship, a leadership program for high school students. Her son, Tyler, graduated with an engineering degree from the University of Florida. They lost their older son Nick to a brain bleed due to Marfan’s Syndrome. The family is recovering slowly and are grateful to the Skiddies who reached out. On a happier front, they went on their first real vacation in nearly five years, visiting national parks.
Marcelle Marcy Hinand ’86 is shifting her 30 years in the nonprofit arts and philanthropy to focus on working with nonprofits to decarbonize and mobilize around climate goals. Launching in June, her sponsored project will begin in California before expanding nationwide. Her husband, August, is a college professor and an accomplished poet. They have two sons: Duncan, a Cornell graduate, is the finance director for Daniel Lurie’s mayoral campaign, and Jack is pursuing a degree in environmental economics at the University of Vermont.
Brita Forssberg ’86 lives near Portland, Maine, where she is an attorney. She has three kids, with the youngest just finishing his first year at Marist College. Brita enjoys life in Maine, including hiking and the beach, and stays close with Skidmore friends, including recently taking a trip with eight of them to Asheville, N.C.
Geralyn Guidone Staab ’86 enjoys living in North Stamford, Conn., with her husband Richard after many years in Darien. They celebrated their 35th wedding anniversary this summer. Their daughter Hannah was married this past August, and Ally is engaged. Geralyn has worked at Greenwich Academy for 29 years and is associate director of advancement. She stays in touch with Cathy Burchell Quaranta ’86, Madalyn Grano ’86, Susan Meyer ’86, Heidi Schmidt Kilkenny ’86, and Sherri Eagle White ’85
Randy Male ’86 and his wife split time between Maine and Massachusetts. He leads the investment banking business in North America for Green Giraffe, a renewable energy financial advisory firm based in Europe. His son Nick graduated from Franklin and Marshall and is pursuing a career in environmental sustainability, and his daughter Rachel is attending Loyola Law School. Randy returns to Saratoga every summer to enjoy the track and concerts at SPAC.
Brian Downing ’86 divides his time between Cohasset, Mass., and Martha’s Vineyard. He is focused on his work and spending time with his daughters. This summer, he is going on his first cruise.
B. Paige Lawrence ’86 lives in Rochester, N.Y., where she is a professor and chair of the Department of Environmental Medicine at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and director of the Rochester Environmental Health Science Center and the Institute for Human Health and the Environment. She also leads a research program focused on understanding how environmental factors influence the immune system. When not working, she enjoys time with her family, cooking, gardening, and traveling.
Kristen “Leigh” Mulvaney Shipman ’86 and her husband moved to historic Beaufort, S.C., where her father who has dementia lives with them. Their blended families total four kids and nine grandchildren. She is still working for Quinn’s Auction Galleries and they bought land out in the country and are trying to farm. “This stage of life is quite the grand adventure!”
Brad Zola ’86 has been living in London for a decade and his golf game is still mediocre at best. He requests Robert Spellman ’86 to straighten him out. In honor of his late wife, Tina Angelides ’87, his kids have started an art gallery, 3 Thirty One Collection, that she would be beyond proud of, as is he.
Mara Whitman ’86 celebrated at both her daughter’s and son’s weddings and is excited for the next Reunion.
Leslie Rose ’86 opened a massage business, Indigo Sea Massage Therapy and Reiki, in Beverly, Mass. She and her partner, Britton, have restored 50% of their historic home built in 1830.
Anne Chorske Stuzin ’86 still lives in Baltimore and is now an empty nester minus two Airedale terriers. She works with local nonprofits, is a member of the board of the Adirondack Land Trust, and is creating a photography business. Her daughter Maddie is at Harvard Law School, her daughter Devon works in marketing, and her son Jack is at Yale. She spends time at her home in Keene, N.Y., where she hikes and explores the Adirondacks.
Brad Schlachter ’86 recently joined Slate Digital as the Head of Growth and Digital Revenue. Slate Digital is a leading name in professional audio, renowned for authentic analog-modeled DSP software plugins, best-selling microphones, and control surfaces in the U.S. Brad also serves as an Advisory Council member for the San Francisco Symphony.
Joan Kristensen ’86 is AVP of User Experience Design for Chubb. She lives in Tewksbury, N.J., with her partner, Dave, and two dogs. They are aspiring hobby farmers and love rural life. This winter, she gathered with Karen Malamut ’86, Heather Hartland Steele ’86, and Maria Hazen Lewis ’84 at the home of Isobel McIntosh Szilagyia ’84 in Puerto Rico.
Cathy Quaranta ’86, Susan Meyer ’86, Madalyn Grano ’86, and Heidi Schmidt ’86 get together multiple times a year and wish everyone a happy milestone birthday.
Karen Kells Corby ’86, Brita Forssberg ’86, Amy Sundback ’86, Donna Vazquez ’86, Kathleen Callahan Phelps ’87, Amy Horner Anderson ’87, Sally Whitman Coleman ’87, and Lisa Summa ’84 had a mini-reunion in Asheville, N.C. They visited the Biltmore and hiked, but they mostly caught up, reminisced, laughed, and listened to the music of their Skidmore years.
Karen Kells Corby ’86, Brita Forssberg ’86, Amy Sundback ’86, Donna Vazquez ’86, Kathleen Callahan Phelps ’87, Amy Horner Anderson ’87, Sally Whitman Coleman ’87, and Lisa Summa ’84 “in front of the house we rented ... okay, it’s the Biltmore!”
Donna Vazquez ’86 and her family live in Hoboken, N.J. Donna has been at Morgan Stanley for six years and is a vice president in relationship services. Reach out if you are in the area.
Donna Vazquez ’86 and her husband, Edgar, and daughter, Georgie (13) on their trip to England last summer
Wrenn Mile ’86 had a fulfilling career at Caterpillar Inc. Now happily retired, she enjoys racing her Lightning Class sailboat in northern Michigan. She looks forward to attending the 50th anniversary of Skidmore’s polo program next year.
Andrew Horn ’86 is looking forward to new endeavors and challenges after retiring. He plans to reboot his psyche and spend time with his family, including their 5-year-old grandson, Slater. He hopes others in the class can step away at this point or soon enough. “Be well, fellow ’86 lunatics.”
Marianne Moore Nowicki ’86 lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband of 30 years, Christopher Nowicki ’88, who works in retail store design. They have two daughters, who attended Ithaca and Marist colleges. Marianne designs custom book covers and graphics for independent authors and publishers and offers premade book covers at premadeebookcovershop.com. They are updating the home they purchased in Sandwich, Mass.
Jon Shapse ’86 lives in Scarsdale, N.Y., with his wife, Joanne, and dog, Logan, and works at Puma Capital as head of sales and trading. Their two daughters live and work in NYC, and their oldest is getting married in 2025.
Dave Resnick ’86 retired in 2022 after a career working primarily at Amazon, Microsoft, and Expedia. He and his wife, Marly, have seven kids in their combined families ranging in age from 34 to 25. He frequently sees Jim Friedland ’86, Ian Selig ’86, Will Pouch ’86, Nick DeJanosi ’87, Gary Rosenberg ’87, and Rob Perlman ’85, and he celebrated the 60th birthday of Dean Goering ’86 in Cancun. In April, Dave participated as an evaluator for MB107 and got together with Professor Sheldon Solomon.
Noah Cooper ’86 wrote his class note while sitting in the Skidmore Dance Studio as he accompanied his daughter, Cora, who is interested in Skidmore for fall 2025, possibly following in their son’s, Gavin Cooper ’22, footsteps. Noah and his wife Margaret own a camp and school in Smithtown, N.Y., and have a home in Saratoga.
Clifford Nelson ’86 has enjoyed serving as class correspondent and wants to thank those who submitted news; Anne Chorske Sutzin ’86, who served us since graduation and passed the baton to him in 2011; and Zack Salino ’86 for accepting the baton. Cliff is very proud of his kids: Jason graduated from UVA Law School and will be at Sidley’s New York office this fall, and Leah Nelson ’20 is a production assistant living in Brooklyn.
For me, volunteering on nonprofit boards has opened up many new opportunities. I just finished a two-year stint as president of the White Plains, N.Y., Council of Neighborhood Associations, essentially the U.N. of our city, uniting 22 neighborhood associations. Now, I’m a founding trustee of a new initiative to establish a world-class art and history museum in White Plains. After about six months, we’re gaining momentum. Most recently, I’ve been invited to join the board of the Wainright House in Rye, N.Y., the oldest holistic learning center in the U.S. I’m grateful to have time for all these endeavors!
Zack Salino ’86 skidmore86notes@gmail.com
Amy Shore ’87 moved to Boca Raton, Fla., and would love to connect with Skidmore alumni in the area!
Kristen Schupp Cormier ’87, Kirsten Dieterich Pitts ’87, and Lisa Bowers Walker ’87 presented the Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery with a watercolor painting in memory of, and created by, their friend and fellow art major, Mary Jane Loucks Duffy ’88. See In Memoriam, Page 54.
Virginia Lane ’87 earned a Master of Arts in interior architecture from Suffolk University in 2023.
Melissa R. Weintraub ’87 gaudior@me.com
Catherine Stark Mersereau ’88 is celebrating her seventh year as a breast cancer survivor; her granddaughter, Keira Cole ’19, is working as a nuclear engineer; and her youngest daughter is expecting her second child.
A family friend of Fred Guttenberg ’88 organized a gala for her Bat Mitzvah in memory of Fred’s daughter, Jaime. Fred attended, sharing powerful memories of his daughter, and spoke of the important work he’s done in her honor. Other Skidmore alumni in attendance were Steven Thibodeau ’88, Victoria King ’88, Anne Margiloff ’89, and Steve Handler ’88. “It was a successful, touching, and festive event,” said Thibodeau. “I even got Fred to dance with me and Steve Handler. It was not pretty.”
Steve Handler ’88, Fred Guttenberg ’88, and Steven Thibodeau ’88
Kristen Schupp Cormier ’87, Kirsten Dieterich Pitts ’87, and Lisa Bowers Walker ’87 honored their classmate, Mary Jane Loucks Duffy ’88 by donating one of her paintings to the Tang Teaching Museum. See In Memoriam, Page 54.
Clara C. Rabassa ’88 uwantcr@yahoo.com
Judy Johnson Abbott ’89 is retiring after over 30 years as an environmental health scientist for the New York State Department of Health. Both her kids have graduated from college. If you’re in Albany, she’s up for fun or grabbing a bite. She and Marty intend to tour the country in their Class B Panoramic RV, their perfect tiny house on wheels. She missed the 35th Reunion this year due to family travel to the U.K. and Ireland but sends her best regards.
Donna McNally Moskowitz ’89 had travel plans during Reunion but wishes her classmates well.
Courtney Lane ’89 is expecting her first grandchild from her oldest daughter, Hannah; her middle daughter, Emma, graduated from Providence College; and her youngest daughter, Magnolia, has graduated from high school and hopes to become a Skiddie after taking a gap year.
Monica Inzer ’89 is retiring as vice president for enrollment and dean of admissions and financial aid at Hamilton College. She credits her tour guide days at Skidmore with fueling her passion for college admissions. She will miss the vibrancy of academia but is ready to slow down and make time for family and travel.
Sarah Lutz ’89 displayed artwork at Albany International Airport as part of an artist collaboration exhibition, Sunrise Sunset, located simultaneously in the Albany International Airport Gallery and Concourse A Gallery.
Wilson Kimball Cavanaugh ’90 was named executive director of the New York State Public Housing Authority Directors Association. In May, she completed her first novel, Thayer Not Lara, in which Skidmore is prominently featured.
Brenda Iijima ’90 published her first novel, Presence. Elvia Wilk called the book “a unique, genre-defying, anti-apocalypse story. It is sprawling in scope, pushing the limits of language and narrative to imagine futures beyond our wildest dreams. Iijima is both a poet and a theorist of our frightening yet fascinating contemporary condition, and she does justice to our capacity to change and discover new ways of being in the world.”
Jessica Wahman ’90 was promoted to full teaching professor in philosophy at Emory University.
Andrea Harren-Dechenne Bergman ’90 was appointed part-time United States magistrate judge by the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.
Amy Donohue Korman ’90 published her fifth mystery novel, Dame Alice Hits Hollywood, set in 1937 Los Angeles and written under the pen name Allie Mahoney. Her previous works include the Killer Wasps series from HarperCollins.
Mary Wendroff Petto ’90, after releasing her Amazon bestseller The Family Guide to the Law of Attraction, relaunched her company, Portable Visions. She is a corporate mindfulness programs consultant and a certified practitioner of rapid resolution therapy: An alternative to traditional talk therapy, it provides people suffering from emotional turmoil with clarity and resolution.
Dana R. Metes ’90 danametes@yahoo.com
Lauren Beaumont ’91, Amy Quattromoni ’91, Rachel Seligman ’91, Jennifer Acerbi Gauerke ’91, Julianne Kelley Jordan ’91, and Leah Pearsall Nickie ’91 spent a girls’ weekend in Palm Springs, where they shared laughter, Joni Mitchell, tears, and scheming. They all met freshman year on the ninth floor of Jonsson Tower. “Class of ’91 Skids4Ever!”
From left, Leah Pearsall Nickie ’91, Rachel Seligman ’91, Amy Quattromoni ’91, Julianne Kelley Jordan ’91, Jennifer Acerbi Gauerke ’91, and Lauren Beaumont ’91
Todd Pantezzi ’91 celebrated a decade of chairing The Children Inn’s annual Hope gala at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), raising approximately $2 million for the NIH campus residence. He’s collaborated with NIH and D.C. corporate leaders for years, establishing one of the region’s most renowned fundraisers.
Pantezzi ’91 with Dr. Francis Collins, then the director of the National Institutes of Health, at An Evening for Hope in 2017
Chanika Svetvilas ’91 was an artist-in-residence at the Ida B. Wells Just Data Lab, African American Studies, Princeton University, during 2022-23. Her article, “What I Have Learned (Fill in the Blank),” was published in Disability Studies Quarterly, and her work appeared in A Body You Talk To: An Anthology of Contemporary Disability. She will participate in the Seven in 7 Experimental Video Art Residency this year and have her first solo museum show at the Hunterdon Art Museum in 2025. Additionally, she served as a keynote speaker at Michigan State University for Disability Studies.
Midge Raymond ’91 announced her upcoming novel Devils Island, to be released this fall by Oceanview Publishing and coauthored with partner John Yunker. With two previous fiction works and another scheduled for 2025, Midge, inspired by her recently acquired Certificate in Private Investigation from the University of Washington, ventures into mystery writing.
Christine and Jeff Berg ’91 celebrated 34 years since they met at Skidmore’s former Scribner Village (RIP). The couple now have two sons and a daughter whose middle name is Saratoga, since Skidmore is where it all began.
Megan “Meg” Slater Cooper ’91 purchased the independent jewelry store she had been managing in 2021. The sales and staff have since grown, and she has survived a challenging retail economy and created the largest independent jewelry store in her county.
Heather Santmire Denkmire ’91 heather@grantwinners.net
Naomi Vladeck ’92 published a new book, Braving Creativity, Artists Who Turn the Scary, Thrilling, Messy Path of Change into Courageous Transformation (Manuscript LLC). “A great read for recent art graduates!”
Gregg Smith ’92 married Robin Mann in March at the Waldorf in Cancun. Other Skiddies in attendance included Emily Paxhia ’02, Gregory Rutchik ’87, and Elizabeth Kigin ’10, as well as Gregg’s children, Lauren and Zach.
Jamie E. Nimmons ’92 jamie.nimmons@gmail.com
Kim Pikul ’93 seeks former classmates interested in Waldorf education. Based in Lawrence, Kansas, she’s starting a high school program inspired by Waldorf teachings in 2026. If you’re interested in teaching or administrative roles or have Waldorf experience, please reach out.
Lisa Meyer ’93 and Jon Stern ’93 are thrilled that their youngest daughter, Ella, is attending Skidmore this fall. “Go T’Breds!”
Jenny Herdman Lando ’93 jennylando@gmail.com
Josh S. Cutler ’94 was appointed as undersecretary in the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development by Gov. Healey. A former six-term state lawmaker, Cutler chaired the Labor and Workforce Development Committee in the Massachusetts Legislature. In his new role, he’ll spearhead efforts on apprenticeship, work-based learning, and labor policy.
Julia Finingan ’94 works as the service-learning director at Bullis School in Potomac, Md. One of the greatest joys of her work is organizing and participating in Habitat for Humanity builds with 12th-graders.
Emily Sellergren ’94 is doing well in Boulder, Colo., where she is a counselor, primarily working with University of Colorado students. Her son Max is at Colorado College, and Henry is at Boulder High School. This winter, she and her family traveled to Chile to fly fish and explore. She enjoys dancing, yoga, hiking, and skiing, and now plays pickleball. If you visit Boulder, she will take you out for a beer or a hike.
Victoria L. Tisch ’94 vickitisch@yahoo.com
Taylor Tyng ’95 published his second book in his middle-grade adventure series, Clara Poole and the Wrong Way Up
Amy Allen ’95 released her debut poetry collection, Mountain Offerings. The poems delve into human relationships through the lens of the natural world. Amy collaborated with Rootstock Publishing, a small, woman-owned publisher in Vermont, and fellow author Jardine Libaire ’95 provided a blurb for the book. Amy acknowledges Professor Barry Goldensohn for his inspiration and guidance as she commemorates this significant career milestone.
John M. Johnston ’95 johnjohnston35@gmail.com
Brad Moody ’96 was promoted from associate to full professor and appointed chair of the newly formed School of Digital Media Production at Daytona State College. Brad previously spent eight years at the American University in Dubai, where he led the digital media major in the BFA in visual communications.
Renato Poliafito ’96 is the owner of Ciao, Gloria, a popular bakery cafe in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, and published his fifth cookbook, Dolci! American Baking with an Italian Accent, with Knopf. He also plans on opening a pasta restaurant across the street from Ciao, Gloria called Pasta Night.
Greg Wacks ’96 was named the first chief creative officer of Sunshine Sachs Morgan & Lylis, where he will be leading the creative output for the entire portfolio of clients across entertainment, consumer tech, CPG, lifestyle, nonprofit, and philanthropy. Greg’s oldest daughter, Ella, committed to Skidmore’s Class of 2028 and plans to pursue a double major in drama and psychology while enjoying everything Skidmore has to offer, including Uncommon Grounds.
Jane Baldwin Henzerling ’97 added travel advisor to her roster of professional roles, alongside leading programming for Excellent Schools New Mexico and acting in TV, film, and theater productions. “I’ve always loved researching and booking travel, and now I get to help others plan incredible experiences to expand their horizons and connect meaningfully with new people and places.”
Jennifer Ringermacher Dove ’97 joined New York’s Department of Civil Service this past fall as the design and build lead for its Transformation Project, which will re-imagine the state employment exam entry process.
Allison Gray Costa ’97 shifted careers, selling her culinary walking tour business to pursue college admissions consulting. She obtained a Certificate in College Counseling from UCLA and launched her practice, Inspire College Prep, aiding high school students in navigating the admissions process. Based in Ventura, Calif., she resides with her husband and three children, ages 20, 18, and 12.
Jean Stone ’97 is debuting her 25th novel, Up-Island Harbor, published by Kensington Books. Set on Martha’s Vineyard, it introduces a fresh island series intertwining family secrets with the vibrant cultures of the Wampanoag tribe and “new” Americans. The story unfolds in Menemsha, revealing a hidden side of the island with mystery, romance, and surprises. This year also marks the 30th anniversary of her debut novel Sins of Innocence (Random House).
Lauren Daley ’97 celebrates 10 years running her own interior business, Sand & Stars Design, in the Bay Area. She recently traveled to Georgia to catch up with Laura Blumenberg Martorella ’97
and Rena Siwek Southern ’97. Laura has lived in Atlanta for over a decade, and Rena recently moved to Savannah after a decade in St. Lucia.
Lauren DeMeules Daley ’97, Laura Blumenberg Martorella ’97, and Rena Siwek Southern ’97 in Savannah, Georgia
Dan Malasky ’97 departed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to become chief legal officer of IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. IMG Academy is the world’s leading sports education brand, providing access and opportunity for student-athletes with an innovative suite of on-campus and online programming.
Roy Geiser ’98, Nancy Magnus ’99, and their sons, William (9) and Henry (7), moved from San Salvador, El Salvador, to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Roy, serving his fourth tour as a Foreign Service officer with the U.S. Agency for International Development, and Nancy, working for the State Department, will enjoy the Caribbean sun and beaches until summer 2027. They eagerly anticipate visits from former classmates on the beautiful island of Hispaniola.
Sarah Hardesty ’98 recently moved to Providence, R.I., and in 2022, she became an associate professor of art at Marymount University. She had a solo exhibition at MoCA Arlington, Va., and curated a show at the Cody Gallery at Marymount in 2023. On her way back to Providence from Arlington, she had coffee with former Skidmore art professor John L. Moore. Visit her website at sarahhardesty.com.
Michele D. Rothstein ’98 mdrothstein@gmail.com
Matthew Wind ’99 was named teacher of the year at his school in Manalapan, N.J. This is Matthew’s 23rd year teaching social studies, specifically focusing on world history.
Sarah Schell Anderson ’99 published a debut collection of poetry in June 2021, We Hold on to What We Can (Loom Press).
Nancy C. Magnus ’99 magnusnancy@gmail.com
Emily Falcigno ’00 recently showcased her long-held interactive portrait show concept, Who’s on View, an idea she’s had since Skidmore. Allyson Salinger Ferrante ’00 and her family attended the event. Allyson, a professor in the Department of English at Bridgewater State University, specializes in Caribbean literature and postcolonial theory and serves as program coordinator for Latin American and Caribbean Studies. Emily is currently painting portraits and cliff divers, and organizing art studios across Somerville, Mass., through her venture Room to Transform.
Artist Emily Falcigno ’00 and Allyson Salinger Ferrante ’00 with her husband Joe and their children, Saga (8) and Luceo (3)
Bhakta Selkowitz Waskiewicz ’00 lives in Glenville, N.Y., with her husband, Matthew, and their children, Avery (9) and Evan (7). Sarah Ernst Engelhard ’00 is a third-grade teacher at their school. After graduation, she earned her master’s in social work from Simmons School and has been working with children and adolescents for 22 years. She is the program director of Adolescent Services at Four Winds Hospital in Saratoga, overseeing two adolescent inpatient units.
Amy Schenck ’00 returned to school driven by a passion for helping others. Since graduating from nursing school in 2013, she’s become a board-certified holistic nurse, playing a key role in establishing an integrative therapy program at a Rhode Island hospital. In addition to her work at the hospital, she founded Ocean State Reiki, which extends holistic support to the community, offering Reiki and ceremonial cacao sessions for emotional healing post-pandemic. Learn more at ocean-state-reiki.com.
Lauren E. Granahan ’00 lauren.granahan@gmail.com
Edward Mills ’01 held his debut U.S. exhibition this summer with an artist residency in San Francisco. Meghan Trulaske Miers ’01 passed away peacefully at home on April 2 after bravely battling illness. She is survived by her loving family: children Oli and Jude, husband Justin, and numerous cherished relatives. Meghan pursued her passions in art and psychology, which remained dear to her heart. Despite life’s brevity, her journey was marked by humor, generosity, creativity, and boundless curiosity. Those who knew her were touched by her wisdom, humor,
and shared wonderment for the mysteries of existence. Learn more about her life and death at meghanMTmiers.com
Meghan Trulaske Miers ’01, photo taken in 2023
Janine Geller Jones ’01 jrgeller@hotmail.com
Laura Marston ’02, founder of GoGo Refill, was featured in a new book by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Edward Humes, Total Garbage
Kathryn Herbst ’02 kateherbst@gmail.com
Rachel Armentano ’03 was awarded the 2024 Small Business Association Rhode Island and New England Microenterprise of the Year Award for her children’s art studio, Harbor Creative Arts. The award recognizes small business staying power, innovative service, contributions to community-oriented projects, responses to adversity, and creative commitment to social missions.
Rachel Armentano ’03 outside her children’s art studio, Harbor Creative Arts, in North Kingstown, R.I.
Molly Southwood ’03 was part of a relay team planning to swim the English Channel over the summer to raise funds for charity. Leaving from Dover, U.K., and swimming to Calais, France, members of the team would take turns, each swimming for an hour until reaching the French coast. They were allowed only swimming costumes and caps (no wetsuits) and were likely to run into various marine life in the sub60-degree water.
Molly Southwood ’03 after a winter training swim at her local beach in Devon, U.K.
Bridget Cummings Dorman ’03 bcdorman09@gmail.com
Kristen Lommele Festin ’04 graduated from the University of Colorado with an LLM in natural resources, energy, and environmental law after spending over a decade in immigration law. She is now pursuing her passion of addressing climate change and has even turned her children into budding environmental experts through her dinner table lectures.
Kristen Lommele Festin ’04 and Mark Festin
Rebecca Pristoop ’04 is joyfully engaging with Skiddies in her professional life. She featured Skidmore Visiting Artist-in-Residence Lindsay Buchman at her exhibition UNIMPRESS at the Lower East Side Printshop, and Annabelle Oates ’22 is serving as the assistant curator for her exhibition at EFA Project Space. She enjoys serving on the Tang Contemporaries Advisory Committee and continues to bring public art to NYC as curator and senior program manager at ArtBridge.
Eleanor Halgren Maillie ’04 released her first solo album, MoonBeamin, on all major music streaming sites.
Jonathan Parker ’04 opened a solo exhibition at Robischon Gallery in Denver.
Artwork by Jonathan Parker ’04
Robyn Smith Sullivan ’04 made a violin for her senior project and is still making violins 20 years later. She is the senior resident luthier at Potter Violins in D.C. and the lead organizer and a presenter in the Celebrating Women Luthiers international exhibit featuring modern womenmade violins, violas, cellos, basses, and bows. Learn more at celebratingwomenluthiers.com
Jacqueline Andrea Vernarelli ’04 jvernarelli@gmail.com
Lindsey Fyfe ’05 married Jason Perkel in February in Litchfield County, Conn. In attendance at the wedding were Erin DeCou Mendelsohn ’05, Abigail Levin ’07, Lucy York Struever ’05, Alexis Sherman-Roe ’06, and Julia Terrio Frisby ’05 Lindsey is pursuing a freelance career in the arts, and her husband is a pediatrician.
Lindsey Fyfe ’05 and Jason Perkel
Sophia Avants ’05 is beginning a collaborative project with Duke University to create a digital model of an archaeological site in the Lower Galilee in Israel, intending to shed light on ritual
bathing practices in late antiquity. She presented the preliminary findings at the European Academy of Religion in Palermo and traveled to Israel to connect with archaeologists.
Robert J. Caiazzo Jr. ’05 robert.j.caiazzo.jr@gmail.com
Karden Rabin ’06 and co-author Jennifer Mann published their first book, Secret Language of the Body: Regulate Your Nervous System, Heal Your Body, Free Your Mind, with HarperCollins. Their book is a one-of-a-kind manual that not only answers why we are suffering from the epidemic of stress-based diseases, but teaches us how to prevent, resolve, and permanently heal them.
Bill Haydon ’06 left his role as chief investment officer at Sachem Capital and has returned to a lifetime passion of managing portfolios at Wells Fargo Advisors.
Alexandra Ravener Feigman ’06 afeigman@gmail.com
Emily Maskin ’07 welcomed a daughter, Violet, on Aug. 28, 2023. Violet was born via surrogate, and that surrogate was Alexis Hall Helmrath ’07! Emily and Violet live in Brooklyn.
Ryan Hannon ’07 graduated with his Ph.D. in educational leadership in administration from New Mexico State University. His dissertation looked at the perspective of independent school admissions directors regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion work.
Autumn Q. Bush ’07 autumnbush@gmail.com
Yolande Schutter ’08 recently graduated with her Ph.D. in English from the University at Albany and was the recipient of the University at Albany Distinguished Dissertation Award and the Outstanding Dissertation in English Award.
Danielle R. Starr ’08 was elected partner in the Family Law Group at Verrill with a focus on family law. Her accolades include the Best Lawyers in America “Ones to Watch,” Massachusetts Super Lawyers Rising Stars, and Boston Magazine’s Top Women Lawyers. Starr regularly takes on pro bono cases, earning her part in the Katahdin Counsel Recognition Program, is an active Olympia Snowe Women’s Leadership Institute Advisor, and was nominated to serve on the Board of the Maine Association of Mediators.
Alicea Cock-Esteb Easthope-Frazer ’09 and her husband, Evan, welcomed their second daughter, Amberly, in October 2023. Big sister Adelina is thrilled to have a sister to play with.
‘One of the 10 best days in the history of the world’
Alicea Cock-Esteb Easthope-Frazer ’09 with her daughters Adelina and Amberly
On May 30, I set my away message and bid students and colleagues farewell for the weekend. Destination: my 15-year Reunion at Skidmore College. The finish line for a grueling four-and-a-half-hour drive from Essex, Mass., after a long day of teaching middle school ELA was a yellow, white, and green balloon archway outside of Case Student Center. The celebration was underway. With my husband, Chris Doyon, I attended two mini classes the next day: “Crosswords and Inclusivity” with Associate Professor Erica Hsiung Wojcik; and “Hitler and Twittler: (Un)Truth and Fascism” with Sheldon Solomon, a professor who had presented at my Accepted Candidates Day nearly 20 years ago and again for my freshman seminar course, Human Dilemmas. Sheldon announced to alumni that afternoon what I vaguely recall hearing so many years ago. “This is one of the 10 best days in the history of the world.” Maybe it was, maybe it wasn’t, but the lesson embedded in the phrase resonates. It speaks to the potential each day carries and serves as a reminder that each of us is a participant in the evolving history of the world.
The joyous steps down memory lane continued as I ran into former classmates. Robyn Hill ’09 and I exchanged hugs in Bolton Hall, and Caitlin McDonold ’09 and I briefly reminisced about rock climbing together with the Outing Club. Mimosa in hand, I had the pleasure of introducing Chris to David Steinberger ’09 and Evan Bates ’09. At the Reunion picnic, we bumped into Michael Kaplan ’09, a former student who I shared a floor with freshman year. Seeing these people brought fond memories and a revitalized sense of connection to the Skidmore family. Our lifestyles, perspectives, and careers may be worlds apart, but our shared experience as “Skiddies” during our formative years binds us together eternally.
While the intention of attending a Reunion is largely to connect with others, there is something magical about setting foot in an old classroom, and in my case, a studio. Earning my Bachelor of Science degree in theater with a concentration in acting, I poured blood, sweat, tears, and hours into Studio B at Janet Kinghorn Bernhard Theater (JKB). I doggedly pursued an exploration and expression of the human condition through movement, voicework, and composition. Each time I assumed a “statue” during a Suzuki training session with the extraordinary and profoundly talented Will Bond or portrayed a Shakespearean ingénue under the loving guidance of the late Alma Becker, I was defining my identity. This precious wood-floored room, void of anything other than an occasional rehearsal block or boombox, was where I developed discipline and nourished my creativity. My education in this visually very simplistic space gave me the momentum that I carry to this day, one of the 10 best days in the history of the world.
— Kate Ventimiglia Doyon ’09
Jules Martowski ’10 is currently stationed with the U.S. Navy outside of Saratoga Springs and is excited to reconnect with Skidmore and be an active alumni presence.
Claire Solomon Nisen ’10 claire.a.solomon@gmail.com
Jacqueline Silberbush ’11 published her first book, What Shod I be!!!!? (Mass Publishing). The book is a uniquely poetic series about the cycle of a young woman’s life, from her birth to her own child’s birth, and addresses many universal female experiences by weaving together images of different children, girls, and young women to create a semi-fictional composite character.
Tanner D. Kaufman ’11 Tanner.Kaufman@gmail.com
Jackie Saltzman ’12 gave birth to a baby boy, Gil, in 2023, and Jessie Garretson ’12 and her husband Nat are the official godparents.
Liz DeVito ’12 got engaged to partner Chuck Henson on Christmas Day. They have relocated back to New York City after living in New Orleans for several years, and they plan to return to New Orleans to tie the knot in 2025.
Kerry Kearney ’12 married Sean Healton ’12 on Oct. 21, 2023, in NYC. In attendance were several respectable and beautiful Thoroughbreds, including Hilary Diefenbach ’11, Tim Nichols ’12, Carlo D’Angelis ’12, Trisha Carile ’12, Keith Kallas ’12, Anya Cutler ’12, Aaron Wallace ’12, Sonja Chai ’12, Monica Ginsburg ’12, Ariane Vokes ’12, Nikkitha Bakshani ’12, Dan Papson ’11, and Becky Bui ’12, while Leo Cancelmo ’12, Blair Guardia ’12, Emily Cohen ’12, and Ethan Lenoff ’12 were there in spirit.
Kerry Kearney ’12 and Sean Healton ’12 with Hilary Diefenbach ’11, Tim Nichols ’12, Carlo D’Angelis ’12, Trisha Carile ’12, Keith Kallas ’12, Anya Cutler ’12, Aaron Wallace ’12, Sonja Chai ’12, Monica Ginsburg ’12, Ariane Vokes ’12, Nikkitha Bakshani ’12, Dan Papson ’11, and Becky Bui ’12.
Ross A. Lovern ’12 rosslovern@gmail.com
Beth Svenningsen Bluestein ’13, owner and founder of Sparrow Art Supply, unveiled her new storefront for Sparrow Art Supply in Middlebury, Vt. Beth founded the business after winning a grant from a local business competition to revitalize downtown. Sparrow offers retail art supplies, a rotating art gallery, and a creative community. Beth uses the resourcefulness she developed in her studio art and theater studies every day … “CTM forever!” Follow her journey on Instagram @sparrowartsupply
Beth Bluestein ’13 inside Sparrow Art Supply
Anna Farrell ’13 and Stephanie Seidmon ’13 met the first night of their freshman year and, after many years apart, they’re back together! They happily share a duplex with Anna and Dominic Green ’12 in Oakland, Calif., and the laughs and memories continue just as they did when they were at Skidmore.
Hilary Cranston Skarbinski ’13 and her husband moved into a new home just three weeks after the birth of their beautiful daughter Maeve. She continues to work as a pediatric primary care nurse practitioner at Dartmouth Hitchcock. This fall, she plans to become a certified pediatric mental health specialist to further care for children and adolescents with mental health needs.
Skarbinski ’13 and her family
Chloe Salidor ’13 and Cody Gaier ’11 were married in 2022 with a small ceremony on the beach in Rincón, Puerto Rico, and later celebrated with friends and family in Brooklyn.
Kelly Blackhurst ’14 welcomed a baby boy, Peter, into the world on Aug. 20, 2023, with her water breaking on the field hockey field during pre-season practice.
Maya Gittelman ’14 made her publication debut with a short story in Night of the Living Queers, an all-QPOC young audience (YA) horror anthology published by Wednesday Books in 2023. Her next short story will be published as part of Why On Earth, a YA anthology coming out through Page Street Kids next year.
Exponential Festival! featured más que un pétalo (more than a petal), created and co-directed by Salome Egas ’14. The show deconstructs the Ecuadorian immigrant experience in the United States by recreating the immigrant journey of a taxo flower (an Ecuadorian native plant) using dance, theater, textile arts, original music, and stop-motion projections and invites audiences on a journey toward self-acceptance, radical selflove, and the uplifting of immigrant narratives.
Allison O’Keefe Ruttley ’14 and her husband Matthew welcomed a baby boy, Percival, in late January 2024. They reside in Mendham, N.J.
Jessica Strasser ’14 jessicabstrasser@gmail.com
Elizabeth Dean ’15 works as a maternity social worker at Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan, offering psychoeducation on Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMADs) to antepartum and postpartum patients. She links at-risk individuals with community resources and mental health services to mitigate the risk of PMAD development and supports mothers with infants in the NICU or experiencing fetal demise. She feels privileged to serve in perinatal mental health and credits her Skidmore psychology degree.
Eleanor Roosevelt on Screen: The First Lady’s Appearances in Film and Television, 1932-1962, by Angela “Angie” S. Beauchamp ’15, was published by McFarland and is the first book to address the moving image record of Eleanor Roosevelt. Angie teaches film history and serves as the Film and Digital Arts Department administrator at the University of New Mexico.
Jessica Dunning ’15 jldunning11@gmail.com
Natasha Noelfils ’16 is a family medicine resident physician at Virtua Health.
Matt Beckstrom ’16 is an actor and recently booked his first national commercial for Zillow as an LGBT+ couple saving for a new home.
Still image from Zillow commercial spot with Matt Beckstrom ’16 on the right
Stella C. Langat ’16 stellaclangat@gmail.com
Danny Graugnard ’14
married Christopher Novak in Costa Mujeres, Mexico, and they were joined by many Skidmore friends from the classes of 2014 and 2015. They plan to celebrate their honeymoon in Italy and France.
Makeda Diggs ’17 wrote, directed, produced, and acted in her debut short film Fiona, which premiered at the Beverly Hills Film Festival. Hannah Lipton ’15, who wrote and produced the film score, co-stars; Jake DeNicola ’15 was the director of photography; and Jack Mullin ’17 was the location audio recordist. A true Skidmore collaboration! Learn more at makedadiggs.com/fiona
Makeda Diggs ’17 and Jake DeNicola ’15 discuss lighting for a scene on the set of Fiona.
After being introduced by Lauren Gorstein ’17 in 2017, Ariful Karim ’17 and Lucy Walker ’19 are engaged six years later! Ariful and Lucy live in New York City, where Ariful is completing his Ph.D. in neuropsychology at Lenox Hill Hospital. Lucy continues her work as a registered nurse in community health and reproductive care.
Isabella Ragonese ’17 successfully defended her doctoral dissertation at the University of Georgia’s Odum School of Ecology. She studied the responses of migratory hosts and their pathogens to a warming world.
Helen Kirk ’17 presented a solo exhibition of sculptures and paintings and a book of poems at Tøn Dublin in Temple Bar. The show and poetry book are both titled Serious Games, a concept she first discovered in an anthropology class as a freshman at Skidmore. She attributes her success to her experience studying creative writing and studio art at Skidmore and is grateful to her professors and classmates for their support and inspiration.
Blair S. Warren ’17 blairshields13@gmail.com
Charlie Goldberg ’18 launched Unseen, a startup platform connecting apartment seekers with trusted local tour guides. Dubbed the “Uber for apartment touring,” the venture aims to combat scams and misinformation in the housing search sector. Recently, Charlie’s team clinched first prize — $42,000 — in a startup pitch contest hosted by the University of Massachusetts. Moving to NYC? Reach out to Charlie for a complimentary tour.
This May, both Kirill Gillespie ’18 and Miguel Martinez ’18 graduated with master’s degrees from the University of Texas at Austin. Kirill earned a Master of Science in social work from the Steve Hicks School of Social Work, while Miguel earned a Master of Public Affairs from the LBJ School of Public Affairs. They were anthropology majors at Skidmore, transferring their people-centered skills to grad school.
Jeff Dingler ’18 recently published the opening chapter in a debut novel, Mother of Exiles. The chapter “Jeremiah in the Desert” is featured in the newest issue of Big Bend Literary Magazine and won second place in an international Creators of Justice Literary Award contest.
Rebecca Schilsky ’20, Cara Geser ’20, and Miranda Coble ’19 wrote, directed, and designed the sound and lighting for their show Six Pointed Starlight, in which six Jewish sisters gather to celebrate the eldest’s engagement when their family is accused of plaguing the townspeople through religious witchcraft and must flee. Each sister must face characters from the Talmud and Torah to discover the true meaning of magic. The majority of the cast is Jewish identifying and between 10 and 13 years old.
Performance photo from Six Pointed Starlight, directed by
’20,
and
In June, Nitin Natrajan ’20 and Erin Cantor ’20 journeyed to Saratoga Springs for the Saratoga Jazz Festival, which featured performances by Skidmore Jazz Institute Faculty All-Stars, former Skidmore faculty member Terence Blanchard, Laufey, Norah Jones, and many others. It was the first time Natrajan, who is from Singapore and is now working on a Ph.D. at Boston College’s Carroll School of Management, returned to Saratoga Springs since 2020. Both enjoyed finding the bricks with their names on the walkway outside Case Center (where they even bumped into Shawn Sharifi ’21, a friend who was also visiting campus). Cantor recently completed a master’s degree in education at Vanderbilt University and begins working as a special education teacher in the Boston area this fall.
Anna Taft ’20 has a book forthcoming from Brill, partially inspired by her work in Skidmore’s MALS program. Titled Climbing Together: Relational Morality and Meaningful Action in Intercultural Community Engagement, it utilizes philosophical insights and real-life narratives to showcase how organizations can enhance intercultural collaboration through relational morality and meaningful action.
Zeynep Inanoglu ’21 is publishing her book of poetry, Patterns of Blood, in CLASH! by Mouthfeel Press, which evolved from her capstone project at Skidmore. She is grateful to her Skidmore mentors, professors April Bernard, Maggie Greaves, and Murat Yildiz, for their infinite wisdom, talent, and kindness.
Charlotte “Charlie” Squire ’21 will be attending the University of California, Santa Barbara, as a Ph.D. student in comparative literature and is the recipient of a Regent’s Fellowship and the Stuart Atkins Fellowship for German and Slavic Studies. She plans to continue research in the areas of aesthetics, eroticism, critical theory, and media studies.
Emma Honor Jones ’22 and Grant Richard Summermatter ’22 are getting married under the desert sun in Palm Springs, Calif. They met at Skidmore and have been inseparable ever since.
After earning her Master of Public Health degree from the University of Pittsburgh, School of Public Health, Elizabeth Roy ’22 will embark on a two-year fellowship co-sponsored by the American Society for Human Genetics (ASHG) and the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) in Genetics and Public Policy. The first year involves work with both sponsors, followed by a second year on Capitol Hill supporting elected officials in the legislative branch. Elizabeth views this as the start of her career advocating for equitable genomics research in policymaking.
Kaitlyn Maurais ’22 graduated in May with a Master’s in Public Health from Yale University, specializing in the epidemiology of microbial diseases.
Maurais ’22
Jack Walsh ’23 and Gianna Grillo ’23 started dating during their junior year and have been living in NYC since graduation. Gianna is currently 1L at St. John’s Law, and Jack is a financial services recruiter. Both were born and raised in NYC, but they loved their time at Skidmore and plan to continue visiting Saratoga often.
Randy Emmanuel Castillo ’23 recently performed his poem, “The Day of the Flood,” which featured a painting by Jeremy Acosta ’23 as an immersive installation in the background of the video.
Aymon E. Langlois ’23 alangloi@skidmore.edu
Fran Malino’61 (ed.), Mazaltob: A Novel
Leslie Ullman ’69, Unruly Tree and Little Soul and the Selves
Betsy Blades ’73, The Feldenkrais Method for Instrumentalists
Paula Roberts Melpignano ’73, Sealed with a Kiss: The World War II Love Letters of Second Lieutenant Paul E. Roberts
Barbara Lydecker Crane ’76, You Will Remember Me
Darlyn Hoffstot ’76, A Farm Life: Observations from Fields and Forests
Melissa Roske ’86, Coming of Age: 13 B’Nai Mitzvah Stories
Amy Donohue Korman ’90, Dame Alice Hits Hollywood
Brenda Lijima ’90, Presence
Midge Raymond ’91, Devils Island
Chanika Svetvillas ’91, A Body You Talk To
Naomi Vladeck ’92, Braving Creativity
Amy Allen ’95, Mountain Offerings
Taylor Tyng ’95, Clara Poole and the Wrong Way Up
Renato Poliafito ’96, Dolci! American Baking with an Italian Accent
Jean Stone ’97, Up-Island Harbor
Sarah Anderson ’99, We Hold on to What We Can
Karden Rabin ’06, The Secret Language of the Body
Jacqueline Silberbush ’11, What Shod I Be!!!?
Angela S. Beauchamp ’15, Eleanor Roosevelt on Screen: The First Lady’s Appearances in Film and Television
Helen Kirk ’17, Serious Games
Margaret Williams Page ’43
Mary Sinon Sayer ’43
Joan Jeffrey Sweet ’43
Alice Mazuzan Pollard ’43
Elayne Abrams Ostrow ’44
Barbara Forrest Jacobs ’45
Susan Kadison Richman ’45
Nancy Bailey Allchin ’46
Betty Beaton Given ’46
Helen Henzel Huba ’46
Margaret Eaton Koerner ’46
Christine Powell ’46
Frances Kositzky Sorace ’46
JoAnn M. Stoneman ’46
Dorothy Dutton Donahue ’47
Mary Keyworth Sowles ’47
Marie Zampano Arpaia ’48
Jean Watson Maroney ’48
Edith Armend Holtermann ’49
Fairfax Thomson Lomonosoff ’49
Jane Humphreys Dieck ’50
Ellen Woodward Rea ’50
Joan Cross Smith ’50
Douglass R. Waring ’50
Sally Harrison Dickinson ’51
Maureen Hanway Foulke ’51
Virginia Morgan Travis ’51
Inger Peachey Fisher ’52
Joanna VanOrden Turrell ’52
Julia Christman Zinsmeister ’52
Judith Rose Ashkin ’53
Jane Walsh Berry ’53
Patricia Seymour Forstrom ’53
Ruth McCoy Gleeton ’53
Lois Follett Labriola ’53
Marion Clausen Gray ’54
Dolores Morris Hayward ’54
Suzanne Hopkins ’54
Remembering the Skidmore alumni and community members we have lost.*
Patricia Sullivan Mangona ’54
Barbara Hartman Smith ’54
Sydney Bartlett Tansi ’54
Elizabeth Folwell Way ’54
Marilyn Moore Bradley ’56
Gracia Parkhill Dayton ’56
Ann Collard Genco ’56
Mary Lawnin Moseley ’56
Jane Ratcliffe Pulver ’56
Barbara Albrecht Shaw ’56
Jane Greene Stephens ’56
Jean Kreger Carlson ’57
Norma Swift Fennell ’57
Marjorie Bacon Gracey ’57
Carol Higginbotham Healy ’57
Nancy Wyman Horner ’57
Diane Smith Huebner ’57
Dorothy Dodd O’Meara ’57
Barbara R. Bongard ’58
Mary Hoppe Kreibick ’58
Lenore Blitz Lerner ’58
Elinor Unger Lifton ’58
Marianne Maskey Oberlin ’58
Andrea Fagan Rowsom ’58
Helen Lienhard Chiu ’59
Beryl Swire Novitch ’59
Mary Heep van Riper ’59
Carol Kingsley Woodley ’59
Florence Bishop Bogdan ’60
Lois Blum Reitzas ’60
Gale Quinn Schaefer ’60
Karen Devine Janney ’61
Anne Hawley Warner ’61
Lorinda Nash Collister ’62
Carol Copeland Schmidhauser ’62
Laura Engel Triebold ’62
Phyllis Kursch ’63
Kayla Abelove Feldman ’64
Elizabeth Sherman Gellert ’64
Carolyn Vaughan Mitchell ’64
Abigail Arnt Rueb ’64
Jean Barba Strickler ’64
Phyllis Reed Borgia ’65
Mary Jane McWilliams Leusner ’65
Susan Corrigan Richardson ’67
Maureen Kelly Cooley ’69
Nancy T. Hantman ’69
Denyse Tolbert Norris ’69
Lynn Bryan Sobocinski ’69
Pamela Vuillemenot Waesche ’69
Deborah S. Day ’70
Sandra Offensend Crowell ’72
Jane Allen Frantz ’73
Susan Delaney Morgan ’73
Louise Cadot Proffitt ’73
Maureen Naughton Fernandez ’74
Barbara Baldwin Newby ’74
Vena Ray ’75
Lieselotte Straus ’75
Carden C. McGehee ’76
Margaret Cleveland ’78
Kathleen Reynolds Kelly ’78
Nancy E. Waterous ’79
Lynn Johnson Camacho ’80
Loren M. Bisberg ’83
Michael S. Matuzek ’83
Elizabeth Hochberger ’86
Toby R. Yates ’86
Hobart R. Van Deusen ’89
Thomas J. Martinez ’90
Margaret E. Prough ’90
Brendan E. White ’92
Bryan W. Martin ’98
Margaret R. Levesque ’00
Daniel J. Ware ’00
Meghan Trulaske Miers ’01
Professor of Religion and Women’s Studies Emerita Mary Zeiss Stange, a feminist scholar, public intellectual, and activist who played a foundational role in the growth of religious studies and women’s and gender studies at Skidmore, died July 7. She was 74.
Stange joined Skidmore in 1990 and was its first tenure-line hire in religious studies and inaugural director of the newly formed Women’s Studies Program (now Gender Studies).
Kristen Schupp Cormier ’87, Kirsten Dieterich Pitts ’87, and Lisa Bowers Walker ’87 presented Skidmore’s Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery with a watercolor painting (pictured above) created by their friend and fellow art major, Mary Jane Loucks Duffy ’88 (pictured right, in 1988). Duffy was a dedicated painting and drawing professor at DePaul University for more than two decades.
Her watercolor is now a part of the Tang’s Roommate: Living with Art program, which allows students to borrow art from the Tang collection to hang in their dorm room or apartment.
Sadly, Duffy died of ovarian cancer three years ago. This program allows her to be remembered at Skidmore.
— Melissa R. Weintraub ’87
A legacy gift from the estate of Dr. Pamela Shaw ’80 will support endowed scholarships at the College.
Among the largest for scholarships in Skidmore history, the gift enhances the Pamela R. Shaw ’80 Endowed Scholarship Fund for students majoring in natural sciences, with a preference for those pursuing careers in medicine, dentistry, nursing, or other healthcare-related fields.
Shaw, who majored in chemistry at Skidmore, was a pediatric dentist and established the practice Krewe of Smiles in Metairie, Louisiana. She died on April 20, 2022.
Honor the legacy of a friend, classmate, or family member and support financial aid for Skidmore students.
This program is made possible in partnership alumni Harold Herz ’89 and Anne Margiloff Wargo ’89.
To learn more, call 518-580-5600 or visit: skidmore.edu/memorialscholarship
“A dedicated advocate for students, intellectually and personally, Mary worked tirelessly to put both academic programs on firm footing,” said Professor of Religious Studies Eliza Kent. “Interwoven with her work as a teacher and as a bison rancher in Montana, Mary’s scholarship focused on hunting and women, raising important questions about the intersection of values and politics, environmentalism, and women’s issues.”
Widely published, Stange’s books included Woman the Hunter (1999); Gun Women: Firearms and Feminism in Contemporary America (2000); and her memoir Hard Grass: Life on the Crazy Woman Ranch (2010)
Stange retired in 2016 to the Crazy Woman Bison Ranch in Montana that she ran with her husband, Douglas C. Stange. In 2018, she ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the Montana State Senate.
Born on July 5, 1950, in Hackensack, New Jersey, Stange majored in English at Syracuse University, where she also completed an M.A. and a Ph.D. in religion.
A testament to her commitment to Skidmore students, the Mary Zeiss Stange Award in Religion recognizes outstanding accomplishment by senior majors in the Department of Religious Studies.
“Filene Hall, because that’s where we produced Hair. I was a philosophy major, had no theater background, and they let me do it and gave me Filene Hall.” Keith Behrle ’84
“Skidmore is very lucky to have the North Woods trails. As a student, I spent a lot of time exploring the flora and fauna on this amazing trail system.” David Steinberger ’09
“There was something about the Saisselin Art Building! The design, the smell, the setting, and the feeling that creativity, thought, time, effort, and care could all together exist within its sturdy walls. I just loved it.” Allison Bazin ’89
“The main entrance gave my mother and I such a welcoming and lush first impression. We’ll never forget driving through it for the first time and exclaiming, “Wow!”
Kathryn Stewart ’04
“My favorite place at Skidmore was Scribner Village, where I lived from my sophomore year until I graduated. There I made my lifelong friends.” Gweneth M. Lloyd ’79
“I loved Scribner Library. I remember spending my Saturday mornings there, browsing the shelves for my favorite books, then curling up in a window seat to read them.” Evan Bates ’09
“Skidmore radio station at 6 a.m. — doing a morning show with my friend.” Lisa Rosen ’89
“My favorite place at Skidmore is really anywhere in the company of my Skidmore peeps.”
Judy Fisher Sadoff ’89
“Chemistry lab in Dana Science Center with Dr. Paul Walter. Magic happened when chemicals were mixed, the classes were always intriguing and fun, and Dr. Walter really made you think.”
Hortense Moody-Bruno ’82
“Then: Scribner Village; Now: Arthur Zankel Music Center.” Juliet (Grinnell) Howe ’88
“The pond – I loved walking around or bringing a book there.” Sarah Libov ’24
“Gazebo – where hubby and I fell in love as students and got engaged.” Lucy Greer ’12
“Williamson Sports Center – specifically the basketball court. My second home!” Lexi Parker ’19
“Wilson Chapel – faith and fellowship.” Emily Theisen ’22
“Sitting by the pond on a picnic blanket with friends.” Kate Landino ’24
“The dining hall! Best campus food ever.” Hannah Irons ’13
“Case Green! So many fun Spring Fling bands, hanging with friends.” Sharon Harbauer ’95
“The whole campus. Memories everywhere.” Christian Stuart Lee ’95
“Skidmore is real heaven on earth!” Ani Lortkipanidze ’15
“The field hockey field, which has now become the soccer field. My time on the hockey team truly encapsulated the essence of my four years. It’s also where I met my closest girlfriends and where so many of my amazing college memories were made.” Colleen Barber Hursh ’04
“I loved staying up late during midterms and finals and studying in the library. I enjoyed going back there at Reunion and remembering the fruitful hours spent there writing papers.” Kaja Ciupinska ’04
“Scribner Library – so inspiring, calm, hectic, and full of possibility.” Markland Walker ’04
“Ladd Hall – poli-sci has the best vibes!” Sydney Kass ’23
“Table in the children’s section in the library.” Samantha Garrick ’16
“World languages and literature lounge (fourth floor, Palamountain Hall).” Katie Mastriano ’24
“History office – I loved chatting with Sue Matrazzo and the professors.” Chloe Hanrahan ’24
“My window seat.” Sarah Page ’12
“I spent many late nights in the Dana Science Center Atrium writing lab reports. I look forward to returning to campus and seeing the new science facilities!” Kaitlyn Maurais ’22
“Wachenheim Field” Meghan Sleezer ’12
“The library basement was home to bound volumes of magazines like Century and Harper’s from the 1800s. I used to spend hours there reading about history as it was still current events.” Joel Bresler ’82
“The covered walkway between Starbuck and the Saisselin Art Building. I’ve always felt important walking under it.” Shayla Norton ’05
“Window seats on the north side of the library, because they were good for a nap between classes!” Neal Grasso ’96
“The Surrey Garden! I used to go and watch movies out there on a blanket with my friend Luke Deuterman ’23 during COVID.” Tory Abbott ’23
In her senior year, Jenny Lupoff ’19 published an ode to the third-floor desk in Scribner Library where she spent countless hours and made some of her most cherished Skidmore memories: “I am eternally grateful for my most loyal college companion and cannot wait to visit you for years to come,” she wrote to her desk. Lupoff returned for Reunion and snapped a photo with her library friend: “I had the best weekend, and I’m sure I’ll be back very soon.”
Billy Winter ’18 aka Zella Cullatore is working to mobilize voters ahead of this fall’s election.
By Tory Abbott ’23
With the approach of the 2024 presidential election, Billy Winter ’18 has found a fabulous way to encourage people to vote.
Winter is an ambassador for Drag Out the Vote, “a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that works with drag performers to promote participation in democracy.” Founded in 2017, Drag Out the Vote organizes events across the country and uses the power of drag to encourage voter participation.
Winter, who has been performing actively as the drag queen Zella Cullatore for three years in Hartford, Connecticut, is using his platform to fundraise, raise awareness about the power of voting, and register people to vote.
“A lot of being an ambassador involves speaking at events, talking about how to get registered, why it’s important to be registered to vote and participate in the elections,” he explains. “There’s a large social media component, too, sharing things like, ‘We’ve got a municipal election today. If you’re in one of these towns, make sure you get out and vote.’”
The Skidmore theater major and studio art minor first appeared in drag during a 2017 campus performance of Balm in Gilead, a play set in a 1970s diner in New York’s Upper West Side. (As part of the production, the cast even did a theatrical takeover of Compton’s Restaurant on Broadway in Saratoga Springs.) Winter was cast as David, a drag queen and hustler. In preparation for the role, one of the play’s directing professors introduced him to RuPaul’s Drag Race. He was hooked and described the experience as liberating.
“For me, drag is an extension of my theater and artist sides. When I go on stage, I’m performing a piece of theater, a one-woman show. I figure out the music, the dancing, the costume, the makeup, the hair — every aspect of this production I’m putting on by myself. It’s so freeing to be in control of everything.”
Winter remains actively involved with his local community theater and began performing regularly in drag a few years after graduation. He credits Skidmore with inspiring in him an enduring passion for social justice that imbues his performances as Zella Cullatore.
“The classes and community at Skidmore really instilled the sense of social justice in me. They taught me more about how the world works — about its power imbalances and inequalities,” Winter says. “I’ve taken that sense of ‘let’s push for change, let’s make the world a better place’ into my life beyond Skidmore.”
Zella Cullatore’s last name also pays tribute to Winter’s time at Skidmore. Cullatore is derived from alumnae Laura McCullagh ’17 and Megan Muratore ’19, who helped put Winter into drag for the first time.
Skidmore College
815 North Broadway
Saratoga Springs, NY 12866-1632
Save the dates!
Homecoming Weekend
October 4-6, 2024
Celebration Weekend
October 18-20, 2024
Reunion for classes ending in 5 or O
May 30-June 1, 2025
This philosophy, championed by our founder Lucy Skidmore Scribner, is manifested today through experiential learning, interdisciplinary coursework, and advanced research facilities.
Your support through the Skidmore Fund helps students pursue these life-changing opportunities and more while providing every part of campus with resources that prioritize both students and faculty.