Letter from the President of the AAVC

I hope you have had a fabulous summer, with time for enjoyment and relaxation. Mine kicked off with a joyous and emotional Commencement Weekend, as we welcomed 630 new Vassar graduates to our worldwide community of over 41,000 alums. We celebrated with them and their families at a champagne reception on the Chapel lawn, and also toasted Jacqueline Evangelista ’25, the recipient of the Stephen Hankins ’85 Spirit of Student Philanthropy Award.

Then it was on to Reunion weekend, with alums of the ’0s and ’5s joining us from 39 states and 25 countries, including Australia and New Zealand. Despite the rather uncooperative weather, alums from the Classes of 1955 up to 2020 and their loved ones—nearly 1,800 in all—gathered on campus, and it was fabulous! The Class of 1975, celebrating their Landmark 50th Reunion, set a new record with an outstanding gift to the College, augmented by a very special contribution from Rowland Evans ’75, honoring the memory of his grandfather and his mother, Katherine “Kay” Winton Evans ’46.

We celebrated the inaugural Alum Athletic Hall of Fame, organized by Michelle Walsh, Director of Athletics and Physical Education, honoring three teams and 10 individuals, with spectacular and moving remarks from alums who were honored. We also welcomed four new directors to the AAVC Board—Stephanie Goldberg ’14, Kevin Lee ’14, Patricia Neely ’75, and Sam Thypin-Bermeo ’11—and appointed Maybelle Taylor Bennett ’70 as an AAVC Trustee.

It was a special privilege to present the 2025 Outstanding Faculty/Staff Award to Ron Patkus, Head of Special Collections and College Historian, for his many contributions to our alum community and to the College. We bade farewell to Reverend Sam Speers, a beloved figure on campus, who retired after serving as Associate Dean of the College for Religious and Spiritual Life for the past 25 years. I would also like to express my gratitude to Peipei Qiu, a treasured Professor of Chinese and Japanese who retired from the faculty after 31 years, for her embrace of our alums, especially with respect to the AANHPI ceremonies held during Commencement Weekend.

As always, Reunion was packed with social events for specific classes, grand gatherings for all in attedance, and fascinating panel discussions and presentations. It was a joy to be with you for the weekend, and so many of you remarked on the wonderful additions to campus and how beautiful the campus looked. I hope all who were there were revived by the spirit of Vassar, and that you will continue to honor the ties that bind us together. Thank you for all that you do to support the College and the AAVC, your alum association.

My very best,