Glorious weather marked my return to campus in May for Alumni Council and a few packed days of activities. Along with attending the dedication of the Geisel School of Medicine and a spectacular performance by the Dartmouth Aires, I toured the new Class of ’78 Life Sciences Center, a “green” building at the north end of campus. Its innovative heating and cooling systems allow the College to save resources, and the modern teaching and research spaces encourage a more collaborative approach to science. The rooftop greenhouses are worth a visit, along with the rooftop rain garden.


President Kim also delivered his farewell to the council, saying he’s filled with terrible and wonderful emotions as he leaves Dartmouth. He says his primary mission is to serve the poor and he just couldn’t say no to the opportunity to lead the World Bank. But he says Dartmouth people exhibit a kind of passion that he’s never seen before and never expects to see again. “As painful as it is for me to leave,” said Jim Kim, “please know that I will (serve the world) as the 17th president of Dartmouth.” 


Gretchen Shufelt Stoddard travelled to Alaska during the summer after graduation and she’s lived there ever since, along with her husband and son. She works for Hilcorp Energy, which owns offshore oil and gas platforms near Anchorage. She writes, “I know jokes about Russia are now an Alaska cliché,” but in fact her husband travels to the Russian oilfields north of Japan several times a year and their son spends half his school day learning in Russian in the local public school. Hockey is a year-round sport and parents travel with extra pucks and down clothing at all times. At the time of her writing, Gretchen was looking forward to long Alaska summer days of sunshine and family time at a lake 70 miles north of Anchorage.


Ed Barker has a new job as executive director at Land’s Sake, a community-based farm and sustainable agriculture organization in Weston, Massachusetts. He writes, “After a highly satisfying and totally re-energizing nine-month sabbatical, I’m psyched and ready to take on this new challenge. 


“Land’s Sake has been connecting people to the land and the food system since 1980. Its school-based and other educational programs complement the farm’s production of a wide range of healthy, local and organically grown crops. Last year Land’s Sake served more than 200 community-supported agricultural members, donated more than 20,000 pounds of produce to regional food banks and charities and ran a successful farm stand and pick-your-own produce. It’s well poised to become a center for regional discussions about community-based agriculture, local and regional food systems and ‘sustainability on the plate.’ ” Ed is offering tours for any ’89s in the Boston area who visit the farm and hopes that all of us will stop by our local community farms this summer, “buy a bunch of greens and feel virtuous.”


Finally, congratulations to Brigid Dotterer Herrick on the publication of Birth Happy: The Savvy Woman’s Approach to a Satisfying Birth, which she co-authored with her midwife. She writes, “Birth Happy is truly special in that it provides the perspective of both a healthcare provider and a fellow mom—and with a healthy dose of humor!” Brigid embarked on writing the book after giving birth to her fourth child. The Herrick family, who live in Leesburg, Virginia, also welcomed their fifth child, Quincy, on Super Bowl Sunday 2011. Her website www.savywomanbirth.com was expected to launch in July.


—Jennifer Avellino, 5912 Aberdeen Road, Bethesda, MD 20817; javellino@mac.com