Summer 2000

Table of Contents Campus News Commencement 2000 Wangs Give Wellesley $25 Million for Campus Center, Strong Start for $400 Million Comprehensive Campaign Letter to Families from President Walsh New Hampshire Native Wins Hoop-rolling Contest Year-long Celebration Planned to Celebrate College's Past ... and Present Class of 2004 One of the Strongest Yet Faculty & Student News Meet Kelly O'Connor: Coordinator of Student Activities Faculty Work Celebrated Fourth Annual Ruhlman Conference

Click here for more Commencement 2000 photographs.

 

 Commencement 2000: Picture Perfect

The sun shone brilliantly as President Diana Chapman Walsh presented Bachelor of Arts degrees to 609 women, including 24 Davis Scholars, at the College's 122nd Commencement exercises on May 26. Senior Class Dean Pamela Daniels (see photo all the way on the left) addressed the Class of 2000 -- the class she helped steward through three of its four years at Wellesley -- in a thoughtful speech that brought the graduates, families, and members of the College community to their feet. Daniels will be retiring this summer after 24 years of service to the College.

Robyn Alison Sklaren '00, delivered the student commencement address, a tradition started in 1969 when Hillary Rodham was selected by her classmates to deliver the first student speech. A film studies major, Sklaren plans to return to her native New York City and seek her fortune in the creative end of the entertainment industry.

The 2000 Pinanski Prize for Excellence in Teaching, Wellesley's highest teaching honor, went to Professor Mary Coyne, Biological Sciences, and Martin Brody, Catherine Mills Davis Professor of Music. President Walsh also announced the establishment of the Stanford Calderwood Professorship in Economics, funded by Stanford Calderwood who was a visiting faculty member in Wellesley's economics department from 1972 until 1985. David Lindauer, current co-chair of the economics department, will be the first to hold the new professorial chair.

A total of 103 students graduated with honors, a distinction that only goes to those students who complete and successfully defend an original thesis in their major field of study. One student completed honors in two majors. Graduating seniors also won an array of national awards:

British Marshall Scholarship: Chavi Nana

Fulbright Scholars: Katherine E. Graf, Theresa A. Lund, and Elizabeth Son

Andrew W. Mellon Fellowships: Monique-Adelle Callahan and Brigid Cohen

Harry S. Truman Scholarship: Bridget K. Smith

Thomas J. Watson Fellowship: Kathryn B. Carlson, Laura R. Murray, and Lia Shimada

Institute for International Public Policy (1998 competition) Huda Abdi Farah Aden

Public Policy and International Affairs (1998-1999 competition) Bridget K. Smith

The Commencement speeches, press releases, and archival information can be
accessed at: www.wellesley.edu/PublicAffairs/Commencement.  

 

Lulu Wang '66, together with her husband Anthony, have given $25 million to build a campus center at Wellesley College.

"We believe it will be important and very wonderfulfor all members of the College's diverse community to have a common space in which we can all come together. We are delighted to help create a building that will facilitate the creation of the strong bonds among students, faculty, colleagues, and alumnae that are one of the hallmarks of Wellesley College." -- Lulu Wang '66

At the Board of Trustees meeting in April, President Diana Chapman Walsh announced that Lulu and Anthony Wang are donating $25 million for the design and construction of a new campus center. The gift is the largest contribution in the College's history and is the largest gift by an individual to a women's college. The trustees also approved a comprehensive campaign for $400 million, the most ambitious goal for any liberal arts college in the U.S. and more than double the size of Wellesley's record-breaking $168 million campaign that ended in 1992. The public phase of the campaign will begin on July 1, the start of the new fiscal year. A campus kick-off celebration is being planned for October.

"Lulu and Tony Wang's magnificent gift enables us to move forward with plans for a building that will enhance the intellectual life of our community. The impact of their tremendous generosity will be felt by the Wellesley community for many years to come," said Walsh. "As women become an increasingly powerful philanthropic force, this extraordinary gift sets a new threshold for giving by women for women."

Lulu Wang '66 (pronounced "Wong") is founder and CEO of Tupelo Capital Management in New York. Before founding the investment company in 1997, she was executive vice president at Jennison Associates Capital Corporation. She earned a Masters degree from the Columbia University Graduate School of Business. A member of Wellesley's Board of Trustees since 1988, she now chairs the investment committee and is a founding member and past president of the College's Business Leadership Council. She was chair of the recently completed $10 million endowment drive for the Wellesley Centers for Women, on whose board Wang has served since 1992.

"We are honored to make this gift and to make a difference for Wellesley, which has long been the leader in educating women who will make a difference in the world," said Lulu Wang '66. "We believe it will be important and very wonderful for all members of the College's diverse community to have a common space in which we can all come together. We are delighted to help create a building that will facilitate the creation of the strong bonds among students, faculty, colleagues, and alumnae that are one of the hallmarks of Wellesley."

After extensive study, the trustees gave the go-ahead in January for the College to begin planning a campus center, beginning with the selection of building and landscape architects. The Campus Center Planning Committee that proposed the facility recommended that it house a bookstore/cafe, space for student organizations, a large multi-purpose space for performances and social functions and formal and informal meeting spaces. The Committee's report can be found on President Walsh's homepage at www.wellesley.edu/PublicAffairs/President/Announcements/campuscenter.html.

The campaign priorities stem from several years of study and consultation about Wellesley's critical needs for the new century. In addition to the campus center, the priorities of the comprehensive campaign include: increased scholarship aid for U.S. and international students, strengthened and expanded academic programs, expanded internship and experiential learning programs, restoration of the campus landscape, and increased unrestricted gifts for operating support.

Although the campaign will run for five years, nearly $150 million has been committed over the past two years to the campaign advance fund.

Dear Wellesley Parents and FamilyMembers: Wellesley College President Diana Chapman Walsh I write this greeting fresh from the excitement and emotion of Commencement and as I prepare to welcome more than 2,500 alumnae to the campus for reunion weekend. On a spectacular day in late May, I had the pleasure of presenting diplomas to 609 graduating seniors, including 24 Davis Scholars, our non-traditional-aged students, at Wellesley's 122nd Commencement. Pamela Daniels, dean of the class of 2000 for three of its four years at Wellesley, spoke eloquently and passionately as she bid farewell to this millennium class and to Wellesley as she prepares to retire after 24 years of service to the College. A segment of Pamela's speech and several shots of seniors in red boas were included in NBC Nightly News' annual commencement round-up piece. Although much quieter than during the academic year, our campus is busy with activity this summer. The bookstore and academic departments that reside in Pendleton East have been temporarily relocated to Clapp Library and demolition of the interior has begun. Construction of a new social science center will continue over the fall semester with new classrooms, offices, and a research facility, all with state-of-the-art instructional technology. Our second year of the Wellesley College Summer School will run from mid-June to early August with 20 courses in two intensive sessions taught by regular Wellesley faculty. We're conducting several searches for positions in Student Life and other areas of the administration and expect to have several new colleagues here by the fall. Several hundred students are living in the residence halls as they undertake research projects with faculty, internships, and jobs both on- and off-campus. We had several opportunities for the campus to come together in celebration and collaboration this spring. A highlight of the semester was a fabulous concert by the Indigo Girls in Alumnae Hall. In early May the campus was alive with presentations of student work -- papers, panels, exhibitions, multi-media demonstrations, and musical and theatrical performances -- during the fourth annual Ruhlman Conference (see photos on page 3). UNITY, a multi-constituency group launched last year, and the Center for Work and Service hosted three events, including a teach-in and a community service day, to highlight service as embodied in the College's motto. We all look forward to welcoming the Class of 2004 in August and our returning students in September. It is always a pleasure to hear of their summer adventures and new experiences. I hope you know how much it means to us that you are entrusting your Wellesley student to us for her few, formative college years. These remarkable women enliven and enrich this community in so many ways, both in the classroom and beyond. We certainly miss their energy over the summer. My colleagues and I send you our warm good wishes for the summer and the upcoming academic year. Please let me know if there is anything that we can do to be of help. Cordially yours, Diana Chapman Walsh

Hoop Dreams... Katy Whelley was out and ahead of the crowd early in the race. Whelley was the winner of the hoop-rolling competition in this year's 105th traditional competition.

President Diana Chapman Walsh -- herself the winner of the 1966 hoop-rolling contest -- posed with this year's seniors at the end of the race.

Katy Whelley, an English major and economics minor from Moultonborough, NH, jumped out ahead to an early lead and became the winner the 105th annual hoop-rolling at Wellesley on April 29. Nearly 200 seniors, most dressed in academic gowns, made the early morning's 1/4 mile dash, rolling old-fashioned wooden hoops in a race to the finish line. Traditionally, the winner of the contest, which first began in 1895, was said to be the first in her class to marry. These days, victory is seen as a sign that the winner will be the first to achieve success, however she defines it.

Whelley was met at the finish line by President Diana Chapman Walsh (herself the winner of the 1966 hoop-rolling contest), who presented Whelley with a bouquet of red flowers, the Class of 2000's class color. In keeping with tradition, Whelley was promptly propelled by her classmates to the edge of Lake Waban and tossed into the chilly water. Upon emerging from the lake, Whelley credited her victory to lots of practice and a great position at the start line. In another Wellesley tradition, Whelley's "little sister," Elinora Price '01, arrived at the starting line at 9 pm on Friday and spent the night outdoors to assure Whelley a prime spot.
Click here for more information about the hoop-rolling tradition.

Meet Kelly O'Connor:
Coordinator of Student Activities

Kelly O'Connor just completed her first year as the Coordinator of Student Activities, a new position at the College in which the emphasis is on helping students to integrate a rich array of co-curricular experiences into the rigors of academic life. O'Connor believes that the college years are ones of exploration to be filled with fun, well-rounded experiences that can help a student discover who she is and what she'd like to do in the future. Here are her thoughts on the subject.

Illuminator: Now that you've been here a year, what are your impressions of Wellesley and its students?

Kelly O'Connor: There's no doubt that students here are academically well-disciplined and know how to work hard. Under the umbrella of the Dean of Students Office that includes Residential Life and my office, it's been my job to coordinate more free-time activities on campus that can add balance to students' routines. In the past, there has been the stereotype that it's study, study, study while on campus and then -- when it's finally time to relax -- students go off-campus for a good time. I think some of the events we've had this year have shown what a great time we can have when we come together as a community.

I: What have been some of these activities?

KO: Some of the year's highlights include: "PULSE"- the late-night dance extravaganza held in the Sports Center in February for an audience of about 3,000 people; the David Broza concert in March, he's the number one Israeli pop singer; the Indigo Girls concert in April; and the Midnight Breakfast before exams in May. There's also been a weekly 35mm series of first run movies that has included such titles as "Double Jeopardy," "The Insider," "American Beauty," "Boys Don't Cry," and "Princess Mononoke." All of these events came about because of the help and leadership of students. Through working closely with student leaders from across campus, we have fostered more collaboration among student groups and new advising relationships have been established with the Student Bursar and the Student Organization Funding Committee (SOFC) which have led to some positive changes in how events are funded.

I: You mention working with student leaders. Tell us more about that.

KO: Working with students is what I love most about this job. It's their energy and ideas that will truly transform the social and intellectual life here on campus. One concrete step taken so far to help students get the hands-on skills they need to plan and implement large-scale events is for Wellesley to become an active member in the National Association of Campus Activities. A diverse group of student leaders had the opportunity to attend the regional conference in New Hampshire and the national conference in Boston (see picture below). Through conferences like these, new relationships can be established with student activities professionals and students at colleges across the country, helping to bring new entertainment to campus at reasonable prices, generating innovative ideas such as a student organization store in Schneider, and training students to work more collaboratively.

I: What are your plans for the coming academic year?

KO: For the 12:30 to 2 pm Wednesday afternoon community time that's been set aside by the new academic schedule being put in place this fall, students and I are planning various forms of entertainment. We hope to highlight both outside professional groups and on-campus performers. There also will be occasional socials hosted during the community time on Tuesdays from 4-6 pm. The aim is to provide a time and a space for students, faculty, and staff to come together. And, of course, there will be all the activities surrounding the College's 125th Anniversary (see related article on page 4).

There are some real surprises planned, too, but if I told you now ...

Kelly O'Connor, Coordinator of Student Activities, took a number ofWellesley students to the National Association of Campus Activities NationalConference in Boston to learn more about booking top-name acts for on-campusappearances. While there, they met actor Anthony Clark (center),star of the sitcom"Boston Common" and featured in such movies as "The Rock," "Dogfight," and"The Thing Called Love." The Wellesley contingent included (left to right):Kara Carscaden '02, CPLA committee member; MaryLynn Peters '02,Schneider Center staff; O'Connor; Jaimee Gowatsky '01, SBOG programmer;and Sarah Beam '02, vice president of Class Council.

Similar to the Ruhlman Conference in spirit, the first Celebration of Faculty Scholarship was held May 12 to share the scholarly, creative, and professional achievements of individual faculty with the College community at large. (Pictured above left to right:) Professor James Loehlin, Associate Professor Jean Fuller-Stanley, and Professor Michael Hearn, all from the Chemistry department, were among the more than 100 current faculty, faculty emeritae/i and researchers of the Wellesley Centers for Women who had their publications and significant professional works and accomplishments on display. The complete program contents can be viewed online at: www.wellesley.edu/PublicAffairs/FacultyScholar.pdf.

Wide Variety of Student Work Showcased During Fourth Annual Ruhlman Conference Held May 2 Made possible by the Barbara Peterson Ruhlman Fund for Interdisciplinary Study, the fourth annual Ruhlman Conference was held May 2 to foster collaboration among students and faculty across the disciplines and to enhance the intellectual life of the College. "It's an opportunity for a public presentation and celebration of academic achievement, something that is often considered to be a solitary, isolated activity," said Andrea Levitt, Associate Dean of the College. "The Conference demonstrates that academic inquiry is part of an ongoing conversation with a community of scholars across disciplines," she said. To participate, a student must submit to the Dean's Office an application describing her project and the faculty member with whom she'll be working. "Wellesley has a strong tradition of faculty mentoring students. The Conference is our opportunity to celebrate the fruits of these relationships," Levitt said. Making the presentations public also allows for older students to be role models for younger students, showing the breadth and creativity of academic and artistic pursuits open to them during their years of study at Wellesley. More than 300 presented their work to the public in a variety of expressive formats as demonstrated in the accompanying photographs. To learn more,visit: www.wellesley.edu/DeanCollege/Ruhlman/home.html. p a i n t i n g s

panels p r o d u c t i o n propulsion

 

Class of 2004 One of the Strongest Yet The strength, depth, and diversity of applicants for admission to Wellesley's incoming class of 2004 was among the most competitive in years, according to Janet Rapelye, Dean of Admission. The number of applications was up by six percent and the total yield was 46 percent, making the anticipated size of the incoming class about 585. The yield is the number of students accepted by Wellesley who ultimately choose to enroll. "For many of our applicants, Wellesley was definitely their first choice," Rapelye said. She attributes the high yield to a combination of recent changes at Wellesley including the Trustees' decision to increase the funding for financial aid by $2 million. Wellesley maintains a need-blind admission policy that ensures students will be considered for admission only on the basis of their academic talents and personal qualities, not on their ability to pay. If students have financial need, Wellesley has worked with them to establish a financial aid package. In the past, however, Wellesley's package may not have been as attractive as those offered by peer institutions. "With the more generous financial aid program, we're better able now to meet students where they are," Rapelye said. And where they are is, literally, all over the map. The Class of 2004 will have members from 42 states (including the District of Columbia) and 30 countries. Rapelye said the ease with which students can log onto the newly redesigned Admission web site and learn about life at Wellesley in a substantive way has made it truly accessible to those students who may not get the chance to visit during the application process. "I had one applicant write that she just loves Lake Waban which she had viewed on the website's virtual tour and that she knows Wellesley is just right for her," Rapelye said. This student will see the lake for the first time when she steps foot on campus in August for Orientation.

Editor-in-Chief: Mary Ann Hill, mhill@wellesley.edu
Managing Editor: Betsy Lawson, elawson@wellesley.edu

The Illuminator is the published monthly during the academic year by Wellesley College's Office for Public Information, a division of Resources and Public Affairs, 230 Green Hall, 106 Central Street, Wellesley, MA 02481. Issues are published the first week of every month during the academic year, except for combined issues in September/October and January/February. Special Family Editions are also published.

Please submit editorial content to the above listed mailing address or e-mail: illuminator@wellesley.edu

[ Return to Public Information home page ]

Return to Table of Contents