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Alumni and friends returned to campus July 19-22 for the third annual Alumni Summer College. Some were back for the second and third time, citing the camaraderie and intellectual focus as the drawing forces.
“This was fertilizer for the brain,” says Mark Goldstone ’81. “I especially loved the creative writing, the film study, and Russian revolution sessions as well as having the opportunity to interact with fellow alums and members of the faculty.”
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The intensive schedule of 10 courses over three days included topics ranging from nanotechnology, film studies, and creative writing to the Cold War, health care, and climate change policy.
The best aspect of the program for Jesse Larrimer ’72 was engaging with alumni from different class years ranging from 2006 to 1951, “hearing viewpoints from a variety of backgrounds and ages.” She also notes that another highlight was “the involvement and enthusiasm of the faculty and college officials.”
Classes, which were held in Kirby Hall of Civil Rights, began at 8:30 a.m. and ended at 6 p.m. During breaks, attendees could enjoy campus tours led by students, meet with friends in the lounge area, stop by the College Store, or exercise at Kirby Sports Center.
Laura Brewer ’06 says, “I enjoyed the interaction with alumni from older class years, hearing about how the college has changed—or not—was interesting.” A chemical engineering graduate who works in the industry says she enjoyed hearing the academic side of the field again.
“The program continues to be outstanding, engaging, rewarding, stimulating, as well as well-organized, thoughtfully planned, and professionally executed,” says Stephen Parahus ’84. A third-year attendee, Cindy Rhodes ’90, agrees: “Alumni Summer College is the best thing Lafayette has ever offered for its alumni.”
Co-sponsored by Alumni Relations and the Office of the Provost, Alumni Summer College provided alumni and their friends a way to step back into the life of the College for a few days.
COURSES
Nanotechnology: The Art of Building Something Small (and Useful) — James Ferri, Associate Professor and Head of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
How to Read a Film, Part I and II — Andy Smith, Associate Professor of English and Chair of Film and Media Studies
Freeing Memory and Imagination through Creative Writing, Part I and II — Lee Upton, Professor of English and Writer-in-Residence
The Great War and the Russian Revolution — Joshua Sanborn, Professor and Head of History
Climate Change Policies — James DeVault, Professor of Economics
The End of the Cold War and Russia Today — Joshua Sanborn
The Automobile in America: A Techno-Cultural History — Jennifer Stroud Rossmann, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering
Oh, the Choices We Make!: Why We Engage in High Risk and Unhealthy Behavior — Alan Childs, Professor of Psychology and Director of the Center for the Integration of Teaching, Learning, and Scholarship