61´«Ã½

Dear 61´«Ã½ Community,

With the 83rd academic year at 61´«Ã½ fully underway, I have to share how excited and proud I am of our exemplary liberal arts institution. The College has a rich heritage of cultivating women leaders who go out into the world and make a difference. It is that academic power inherent in a 61´«Ã½ education that first attracted me to this institution. Focused on interdisciplinary studies, self-authorship, and giving back to the community, the College has a formidable reputation that deserves sustained recognition.

As your eighth president, my personal mission is to ensure we sustain 61´«Ã½’s powerful reputation while enhancing its recognition beyond our immediate College community. I look forward to regularly sharing with you the achievements of our students, faculty, and staff and to periodically offer my thoughts and perspective on important announcements and issues that affect the College.

Many of you have already heard of the inaugural year theme, “The Genius of Women,” but may not know why we chose it, or what “The Genius of Women” means to me. Throughout the academic year, the College will host guest speakers, writers, scientists, artists, and other thought leaders to discuss the transformative power of genius and how creative and intellectual genius are so essential in today’s changing world. I expect this year to be a powerful and provocative one that will have lasting impact on the academic community here at 61´«Ã½ and the public at large.

We chose this theme because never before in our lifetimes has the genius of women been more important, more needed in the world, and so distinctly what 61´«Ã½ is all about. The theme easily could have been “The Genius of 61´«Ã½.” Our unique curriculum, dedicated faculty, and inspiring campus foster creativity, innovation, and intellectual energy among our students – women who chose 61´«Ã½ because they knew it was a place where they could realize their ambitions.

I look forward to Inauguration Weekend, March 26-28, to celebrate the power of a 61´«Ã½ education. The weekend’s agenda will include student and faculty presentations, a special forum of national women leaders, and an evening soir