This winter George Shackelford (who knows a little something about Impressionism) joined Hood Museum of Art Director John Stomberg for a private visit to the exhibition Monet: Places at the Denver Art Museum. Attendees included Brian Deevy and John Grant. This spring Dartmouth on Location took the show online for a series of programs on “Impressionist Paintings You Should Know,” highlighting collections across the United States.

In May President Phil Hanlon gave a Zoom talk for the class about the “uncharted territory” the College is navigating. “Profoundly dedicated educators” have made the switch to online learning possible. The faculty report more one-on-one meetings with students than ever. The College projects significant losses for this year and next. Hiring and salary freezes have been implemented. Another major round of budget cuts will be imposed this summer. Nevertheless, Phil reiterated the College’s commitment to need-blind admissions, noting that the admitted class of 2024 is the most socioeconomically diverse in history. Ninety-six percent of admitted students are in the top 10 percent of their high school class. The pandemic has highlighted the importance of a liberal arts education to prepare leaders—at all levels of society and throughout the world. A major challenge facing the College is how to maintain the unique sense of community and place that distinguishes Dartmouth from its peers.

In June Dee Dee Granzow Simpson, Dr. Dan Lucey, and Susan Dentzer joined Dr. Steve Mentzer on a class Zoom call about the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. Steve is a thoracic surgeon and professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School. He discussed the research findings he and colleagues recently published in The New England Journal of Medicine. Steve’s group of international researchers recognized early that Covid-19 produced unique signs of disease in the lungs. This realization spurred a hunt for autopsied lungs from Covid-19 victims in Europe. The lungs revealed numerous blood clots, illustrating that Covid-19 is a vascular as well as respiratory ailment. In addition to the relentless assault it makes on the immune system, it can cause massive organ failure and death. Dan, Susan, and Steve agreed on the need “to keep vigilant” by wearing masks, washing hands regularly, and socially distancing as Covid caseloads continue to rise in more than half the states. These precautions are especially necessary for the 60-plus set, such as us, whose immune systems become less robust with age.

On July 1 Gina Russo will become the chair of the board of advisors of Dartmouth’s Hood Museum. She looks forward to working with Director Stomberg and his amazing team, plus other board members, including Maud Welles. The Hood concluded a multi-year renovation and expansion in early 2019. This project reimagined the physical spaces of the museum and the way in which the collection was hung and interpreted for the public. Increased gallery spaces, a public concourse connecting to the campus arts district, and three state-of-the-art, smart classrooms are all hallmarks of the new Hood. Please try a virtual visit at hoodmuseum.dartmouth.edu.

—Robin Gosnell, 31 Elm Lane, Princeton, NJ 08540; robins.nest@icloud.com; Eric Edmondson, DC Advisory, 425 California St., Suite 19, San Francisco, CA 94104; eweedmondson@gmail.com; Drew Kintzinger, 2400 M St. NW, Apt. 914, Washington, DC 20037; akintzinger@hunton.com