As you read this, Jay Gonzalez will be finishing up his exciting first year as president of Curry College! Jay is the 15th president of the private college, founded in 1879 in Milton, Massachusetts, and first Hispanic to hold the prestigious role. In February Jay shared: “I’ve been at Curry for more than six months now, and I love it! This was a career change for me, and I feel so fortunate that the board was willing to take a chance on a non-traditional candidate for the job. It’s a privilege to be part of an institution that has a transformational impact on the lives of our students, just as Dartmouth did for me. I also love being part of a college campus community and all that comes with it, particularly the students! It’s energizing to get to know them and see them in action as they grow and pursue their career and life interests. Curry is also a very special place with a rich history and a caring and supportive culture. I figure if I can’t go back to college myself, this is the next best thing!”

Erik Ochsner was recently elected president of Dartmouth Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Alumni/ae Association (DGALA). He noted that he “respects and wants groups to celebrate their unique diversity, but can we please honor each other more and lower the silo walls and celebrate together!” He further shared that in February he got called to substitute for a sick colleague with the Louisville Orchestra, where he conducted Star Wars in Concert Episode 7: The Force Awakens. He said “the movie is projected on a large screen over the symphony orchestra and sound effects and dialogue are heard from the original movie, but the complete score is being performed live, synchronized to the film.” Impressively, he’s “performed 20 films in this format” and by publication will have performed The Lion King, in Polish, in Krakow, Poland!

Anne Whitman shared that her son “Christian and I took a trip of a lifetime to Levi, Finland.” She posted a host of stunning photos and a fun blurb that the adventure included a “private cabin, dog sledding, snowmobiling, ice fishing, yurt in the middle of nowhere, cross-country skiing, snow shoeing, sleigh ride, northern lights, ice karting, tubing, sledding, laser tag, and of course meeting the big man himself in a cabin in the woods!” For anyone hearty enough to brave the chilly temps, it looked absolutely incredible!

Kathy Vaughan highlighted that for only the second time in 18 years a U.S. connection made the Kilifi, Kenya, news: Tracey Pettengill Turner and her ingenuous Copia Global startup were featured digitally in Kathy’s local Business Daily. Tracey was also previously featured in Forbes.com (see our November/December 2022 notes) for the company’s innovative approach to developing world commerce. Learn more at copiaglobal.com!

Finally, this year marks the 25th anniversary of the Dartmouth Asian Pacific American Alumni Association, which was started by our very own Douglas Chia, Minjoo Lee, and David Hsu. Cheers!

—Natalie Weidener Kupinsky, 1 Stanmore Court, Potomac, MD 20854; natalie.weidener.kupinsky.93@dartmouth.edu; Munir Haddad, P.O. Box 1754, Vineyard Haven, MA 02568; munir.s.haddad.93@alum.dartmouth.org