Blog Archive » Celebration

(Photo from Indiana University)

Lost in the hubub over President Obama's achievement of the Nobel Peace Prize was another extraordinary — and, for some, controversial — Nobel Prize winner.   Dr. Elinor Ostrom of Arizona State University and Indiana University became the first woman ever to win a Nobel Prize in Economics.   She was one of five women to win Nobel Prizes this year, the most ever.   The other four included Herta Mueller for literature, Elizabeth Blackburn and Carol Grider for medicine, and Ada Yonath for chemistry.  Reflecting on Dr. Ostrom's Nobel,   Washington Post Columnist Ruth Marcus writes about her frustration that we still keep having "first woman" moments when society should be well beyond gender barriers by now.   But in fact, the glass ceiling remains intact in many arenas of human endeavor, and so each woman's achievement hammers another shard loose from that vast barrier to full equality. Full Article

Another magnificent Trinity moment — Susan Flood Burk, Class of 1976, became an ambassador today, taking the oath of office as the Special Representative of the President for Nuclear Nonproliferation in the elegant Benjamin Franklin Room at the Department of State.   Former  Congresswoman Ellen Tausher, now the Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, conducted the swearing-in while Susan's husband David held the Bible. Full Article

Anna Ruppert McCarthy '34 took center stage at last evening's President's Dinner for the classes that have passed their 50th Reunions.   Celebrating her 75th Reunion, accompanied by her son Shane, Anna regaled us with her memories of Trinity in the 1930's.   Attending Trinity in the midst of the Great Depression was surely a feat, and the classes were not large in those days.  Like many of the great women of that era, Anna lived out the ideals of Trinity in her steadfast devotion to her faith, her friends and her family. Full Article

(Above:  Group from Class of 59 Trinilogue)

35 years ago, the Class of '74 made a mad dash away from the commencement lawn — we were not so blessed as the Class of 2009, the thunderclouds mounted and broke wide open over our fated day — we ran headlong away from the storm that ended our Trinity years, plunging eagerly, brashly, confidently into the raging turmoil that was our nation in the final months of the Nixon Administration and end stages of Vietnam.   Since we scattered that day, my classmates have gone on to great careers, fabulous families, and their own share of life's trials and sadness.   Some are gone; some remained friends for life.  Some pop up at the most unexpected times; too many have never returned to Trinity — but it's never too late!   Greens of '74:  you are always welcome here, even if you did not r.s.v.p.!! Full Article

An article in the New York Times on Sunday sets the stage perfectly for our annual roundup of student, faculty and alumnae achievements heading into the Commencement season.   The article described how the economic downturn is causing students at "elite" universities to reconsider their once-strong desire to pursue careers in financial institutions.   In recent years, according to the writer, about 40% of Harvard undergraduates went into finance or consulting.   Now they're wondering what to do.   Some are actually turning to …. wonder of wonders… Public Service!!

Guess what?   Trinity students and graduates are well ahead of the pack when it comes to choosing careers in the public service not as an alternative to diminishing private sector jobs, but rather, as a preferrred choice for their life's work.   Trinity's historic institutional ethic of promoting the value of service and leadership in the larger community has encouraged thousands of alumnae over the years to choose careers that, while far from financially lucrative, have been immensely rewarding for our graduates and society. Full Article