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Diana Chapman Walsh This next part of the program provides the graduating seniors and their families an opportunity to recognize and thank outstanding members of the faculty -- recipients of the teaching prize and new professorships. Before we single out individuals, though, I want to take a moment to thank the whole faculty--and the whole staff--of Wellesley College, all who have worked so hard to teach, to serve, and to support these graduating seniors in so many ways. Our thanks to all of you for your dedication and wisdom, for the patience and skill with which you have taught these members of the Class of 2000. You have created demanding and yet safe learning environments for them, celebrated their successes, recognized their special gifts, encouraged their best efforts. You've communicated through word and deed the qualities of mind and character you expect of them, together with your profound belief in their capacities. The seeds of self-confidence and self-knowledge you've sown and tended here will continue to germinate throughout their lives. Seniors, I know you'd be glad for a chance to show your appreciation to the faculty and the staff...how about a round of applause for them? Next, I would like to extend our recognition of the teaching profession to all of you in this assembly who have made the same commitment we honor in our own faculty. Will all members of the audience who teach, at any level, please rise so we may pay tribute to you.
PINANSKI PRIZE FOR EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING The Pinanski Prize for Excellence in Teaching each year honors members of our faculty who have achieved particular distinction in a craft important to us all. According to the rules for the prize, the decision is made solely on the basis of nominations from members of the College community--faculty, students, staff, alumnae. A student-faculty selection committee chooses three Prize recipients. This year, they choose the winners from more than 94 nomination letters for 48 professors. The Pinanski Prize winners for this year are: o Mary D. Coyne, Biological Sciences
PROFESSOR MARY COYNE How long can a person fleeing from killer bees survive under three feet of water breathing through a long hollow reed? If you had to hike up to the top of the White Mountains of New Hampshire in the dead of winter what kind of clothing should you wear and what methods of heat and water regulation would keep you alive? For students in Mary Coyne's biological science courses these life-or-death questions provide a fun and interactive learning experience. One student writes "every concept comes hand-in-hand with a real life example or story, and trust me, she never runs out!" In Professor Coyne's class "it is not enough to memorize and regurgitate how many sodium molecules drive the action potential or how many calcium antagonists can be named and spelled correctly," one students writes. "Her challenge is active problem solving: can you learn and can you use these mechanisms to truly understand how the body works?" Another student reports "because of Professor Coyne's wealth of knowledge and experience we have learned so much from these labs." But, better yet, the student explains "because of her enthusiastic and jovial personality we have had a lot of fun in the process" Mary Coyne is known for the rigor of her courses, leading one student to comment " I don't mind the work or the grading &endash; in fact, I value the fact that she is tough on us &endash; because I am learning a ton!" Students enjoy the opportunity to participate in Professor Coyne's own research, monitoring their basal temperature over the course of the semester for her temperature regulation study. "Professor Coyne has been very patient through our plethora of self-diagnosed rare illnesses and panic attacks when a device showed our heart rate to be 20 beats per minute or our RQ to be better than an Olympic marathoner because we put the device on backwards or forgot to multiply the correction factor." These hands-on experiences have provided students with an invaluable medical school atmosphere while introducing them to the rigors of scientific research. One nominator spoke for many when she wrote: "Professor Mary Coyne served as a mentor, teacher and friend to me and my classmates and she inspired us to push even harder on the journey of learning."
PROFESSOR MARTIN BRODY "Accessibility," "passion," sensitivity," "courage," "eloquence": these are just some of the terms students nominators used to describe Martin Brody. As one student elaborated "Professor Brody's value to our community is immeasurable; his participation in it embodies the highest of its ideals. I can hardly imagine a more deserving and appropriate recipient for this prize." Repeatedly students wrote about Marty Brody's accessibility both inside and outside the classroom and his remarkable mentoring skills. Tales were told of graduate school applications faxed, page by page, to his home for a final review the day before the deadline; of finding a willing ear and support during a difficult period of first-year "adjustment;" and of hours spent in lively conversation charting out possible career paths. The picture that emerges from student descriptions of their experiences in Martin Brody's classes is of a community of learners in which students are actively engaged with the material, with their professor, and with one another. Professor Brody actively seeks student feedback and, as one student reports, "I gave plenty; he was very open to my ideas and made a sincere effort to incorporate them in the following classes." Within this welcoming environment, Professor Brody is able to take risks and introduce students to unfamiliar material. As one student explains, he "constantly runs the risk of people asking "What is he talking about, and why is he talking about it?" And, somehow, he always manages to speak with such clarity and precision … that his students remain rapt rather than confused." The influence Marty Brody has on his students is an enduring one. One graduate wrote about her pleasure at discovering that her memories of her studies with Professor Brody have intensified rather than diminished over time. "The quiet understanding that I always felt in his classroom, with his characteristic nods, sometimes gets a hold of me unexpectedly as I am listening to one of my own students eager to articulate an idea. I nod my head like Mr. Brody too." In summary, as one student put it succinctly: "He is our friend, our teacher, our Mr. Brody."
NEW PROFESSORSHIP It gives me great pleasure to announce the establishment of a new professorial chair in the Department of Economics: The Stanford Calderwood Professorship in Economics was established through the generosity of Mr. Stanford Calderwood who was a visiting faculty member in the department from 1972 until 1985. I am delighted to announce that the first Standford Calderwood Professor of Economics is David Lindauer. A member of the faculty since 1981, Professor Lindauer currently serves as co-chair of the Economics Department.
NAMED CHAIR APPOINTMENTS At this time I would also like to announce the names of faculty we have honored with appointments to existing named chairs. As I read the names and departments of these faculty members, I would ask that they please rise and remain standing until I have read the full list. Would the audience please hold your applause until all 4 of the faculty members have been named and then I will ask that you join me in congratulating them.
ANNOUNCEMENT OF RETIREMENTS FACULTY MEMBERS Every year, Wellesley College bids farewell to a few members of the faculty who have made the decision to retire. Their friends and colleagues have been paying their respects in various ways over the past weeks and months. But it is also our custom to recognize these teachers and scholars at their last Commencement&endash; These are faculty who have devoted their professional lives to Wellesley College and Wellesley students. As I announce the names and departments of faculty who are retiring this year and their years of service, I hope they will rise and remain standing until I have read all five names, whereupon I will invite the audience to join me in a public expression of our gratitude.
Please join me in thanking these members of the faculty for their many years of service to scholarship and teaching, and for the many ways they have made this college community richer and more rewarding for their students and their colleagues. We wish you health and happiness in the years ahead.
RETIRING TRUSTEES Members of the Wellesley College Board of Trustees volunteer countless hours of service in the governance of the College. Our trustees are extraordinarily generous in their dedication to the good of Wellesley. Under the board's own rules, its members are limited in the length of their service, so each year we say goodbye to a small number of trustees. Please join me in thanking GEORGIA SUE BLACK ('58), and LOIS JULIBER ('71) for their exceptional service as members of the Board of Trustees. WALTER CABOT, another trustee, retires from the board this year after 20 years of service, most of it as the Treasurer of the College. In this capacity, Walter has shepherded our endowment, through lean years and prosperous ones, to its current state of robust health. From approximately $160M when he took on the role of Treasurer, the endowment has grown under his care to over $1.1B today. Students of Wellesley College, far into the future, will benefit from Walter's wise and strategic counsel, his patience and loving care. A grateful college salutes you, Walter Cabot.
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