Dear Parents,
Well, it’s happened again; we’ve reached the end of the Union school calendar. This year has flown by. Our students have officially finished with classes, and our seniors, my Sebastian among them, are preparing for Commencement on Sunday, June 14. Ceremonies begin at 10 a.m., with the academic procession – lots of wonderful pomp and circumstance – beginning at 9:30. For the complete schedule of events, please go to http://www.union.edu/Commencement/
This is not only the last newsletter of the academic year, it is my final newsletter as Parents Association chairperson, as my son begins his next life phase upon graduation. It has been a pleasure being part of my children’s college experience. I will hand over the reins to Julia Blanchard, mother of Nick ’10 and Ellen ’12, who is eager to begin her work with our Union parents. You will have an opportunity to meet Julia at the Parents Association Open House on campus during Homecoming and Family Weekend, set for Oct. 30-Nov.1.
And now, some news from campus:
From Athletics:
The Athletics Department is hosting the 13th Annual Friends of Union Golf Outing, Monday, Aug. 10, at the Edison Club in Rexford, N.Y. (8:30 a.m. shotgun start). The $135 per player or $500 per foursome includes green fees, cart, gifts, continental breakfast prior to start, post-play barbecue, prizes, hole-in-one and longest drive competition. Register online at www.UnionAthletics.com or call (518) 833-6284
From College Relations:
This year’s ReUnion Weekend, May 28-31, was a major success, bringing 1,500 visitors to campus for the annual celebration of Union’s graduates. A groundbreaking ceremony for Lippman Hall and talks by Warner Bros. CEO Alan Horn ’64, “Family Guy” writer Chris Sheridan ’89 and “Night Court”
creative executive Scott Siegler ’69 were among the weekend highlights.
A $3 million gift from Jim Lippman ’79 and his wife, Linda, will support a major renovation of the Social Sciences building. The new Lippman Hall, named in honor of Jim Lippman’s father, Robert G. Lippman ’50, will include “smart classrooms” that employ state-of-the-art technology.
From the Computer Science Department:
The National Science Foundation has awarded the CS Department a summer supplement to the grant, "Creating a Campus-Wide Computation Initiative." Union professors will work with two faculty members from Bard High School Early College in New York City as they incorporate computation into existing courses and consider whether Union’s introductory CS courses would be suitable for their setting.
In addition, the department welcomes two new faculty members to campus in September. John Rieffel joins the College after he completes post-doctoral studies at Tufts University in the biomimetics laboratory. He works in soft robotics (among other applications, those robots that might travel inside you to carry out various kinds of medical exams). At Union, Prof. Rieffel will collaborate with biology and bioengineering faculty and students. Andrea Tartaro will come to campus after completing her Ph.D. in computer science and communication studies at Northwestern University. She currently works on innovative technology tools for children with special needs. Prof. Tartaro will contribute to human computer interaction work, and build connections to our psychology and neuroscience faculty and students.
From Vivian Falco (Peter ’09), chair of The Parent Fund Corner:
“I would like to congratulate the Class of 2009 on their approaching graduation. I would also like to extend best wishes to the Classes of 2010, 2011 and 2012 for the upcoming academic year as you explore the many opportunities available to you at Union. As Peter will be graduating with the Class of 2009, this will be my final submission as Parent Fund Chair. I have enjoyed the opportunity to meet with so many parents of students at Union College. I am even more pleased to report the 2008-2009 Parent Fund is at 82 percent of the participation goal and 65 percent of the dollar goal.
“There is still time to participate and contribute. The fund year ends June 30. If you were planning on giving a gift to the College this year, please do so before the end of the month. You may donate online at www.union.edu/parent_gift. Every gesture supports the faculty, staff and students that make Union College a wonderful place to work learn, and live. If you have questions about the Parent Fund, please visit www.union.edu/parents or contact Carol Shotzbarger ’08, fund manager, at (518) 388-6175. Thank you.”
Finally, thank you for all your support throughout these years. I have enjoyed getting to know so many of you and hope we can stay in touch over the coming months. Have a wonderful summer, best wishes to our seniors as they move forward, and I wish the best to all students returning to Union in the fall.
It has been a pleasure,
Karen Dumonet, Vanessa ’07 and Sebastian ‘09
Chair, Parents Association