New Site Offers Daily Dose of Smith News
  If you want to know what’s going on at Smith any day of the week, bookmark The Gate, Smith’s new Web site, at www.smith.edu/news. Learn about all the latest events, honors, issues, and discussions with faculty, students, and staff. To follow Smith mentions in the media and issues related to higher education, subscribe to NewsTracker by e-mailing your request to mhobbes@email.smith.edu.
 
  Leading Librarian Ends 400 Years of Male Tradition at Oxford
  Sarah Thomas ’70 broke more than four centuries of English tradition earlier this year when she became the first woman to lead Oxford’s Bodleian Library, the second-largest library in the U.K. In her new role, Thomas, who has also worked at the Library of Congress and most recently at the Cornell University Library, oversees more than 11 million printed volumes at 40 different sites. She is also responsible for modernizing the library system and bringing it into the digital age, while preserving the library’s long history. Just as news came of her appointment, Thomas was awarded a 2007 Melvil Dewey Medal from the American Library Association, which recognizes distinguished service to the profession of librarianship. In announcing the award, Winston Tabb of Johns Hopkins University, the award jury chair, recognized Thomas for her extraordinary leadership in the advancement of research libraries, and cataloging and bibliographic standards and practices during her three-decade career. Thomas will be presented with the Melvil Dewey Award on June 26 during the annual ALA Conference in Washington, D.C.
 
  Campus Welcomes Prospective Students and Their Families
  For three weekends in April, the Office of Admission welcomed nearly 500 admitted students and their families, as well as high school students beginning their college search, to open houses that are designed to show the range and variety of academic interests and residential life at Smith. President Carol Christ welcomed the participants and spoke about the pleasures of sharing her home with students through teas and special events and of listening to their plans and ideas. In describing the “typical” Smith student, Christ noted that she is an informed global citizen who thinks, speaks, and writes clearly and analytically and is responsive to challenges of the local, national, and global communities in which she lives.
 
  Alumna Hits the Road for a Good Cause
  Sara Barz '06 is hitting the road this summer-on her bike-to benefit Habitat for Humanity. Beginning May 30, Barz will set out on a 4,000-mile trek across country, from New Haven, CT, to San Francisco to raise awareness and money for the organization, which provides affordable housing across the world. In a letter to President Carol Christ, Barz said she wanted to bring Smith along for the ride-in the form of a Smith sweatshirt and a decal on her bike. As well, she asked Christ to send along some literature about the college, just in case an opportunity arose along the route to discuss Smith with a prospective student. Barz will ride about 80 miles a day for nine weeks, stopping at various locations along the way to help Habitat volunteers build houses.
 
  Smith Reaches Out to Virginia Tech Students
  Smith faculty, staff, and students mobilized quickly to send their support and condolences to students at Virginia Tech after the recent tragedy there. The flag atop College Hall was lowered and a special remembrance service was held in Helen Hills Hills Chapel. President Carol Christ urged the Smith community to use the resources available through the offices of residential and religious and spiritual life. Meanwhile, Smith is reviewing lessons learned from the event, including how to use technology during an emergency to communicate quickly to the campus community. Any additions to Smith’s notification network would be incorporated into the college’s existing crisis communication plan, which provides an emergency response framework and identifies key personnel on campus and in nearby Northampton.
 
  AASC plans symposium on women’s health
 
Nourish your soul, sharpen your mind, and strengthen your body. A new program being offered exclusively by the Alumnae Association of Smith College will help you do all three. “Your Best Life,” an educational symposium on women’s health and well-being, scheduled for June 21–24 on campus, will bring together Smith faculty and prominent alumnae in the medical and health professions. Over three days, you’ll learn strategies for living a more balanced life, simple and effective ways to exercise your body and mind, and the latest news on medical issues important to women’s health.Speakers so far include Dominique Toran-Allerand ’55, professor of pathology and cell biology, obstetrics and gynecology at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons; Barbara Brehm-Curtis, professor of exercise and sport studies at Smith; and Deborah Hoadley ’75, a specialist in preventive medicine and director of Heron Pond Health and Wellness in Longmeadow, Massachusetts. To register, go to http://alumnae.smith.edu/education/health_symposium.php. Questions can be directed to Betsy Baird at bbaird@email.smith.edu.
 
  Exhibition Examines Baskin’s Images of Women
 
The Smith College Museum of Art invites alumnae, family, and friends to a special exhibition on the work of Leonard Baskin, a renowned sculptor and printmaker and former Smith College faculty member. Baskin (1922–2000) was a longtime Northampton resident and taught in the art department at Smith from 1953 to 1974. Medea and Her Sisters: Leonard Baskin’s Images of Women is the first exhibition focused on Baskin’s images of women. Featuring eighteen sculptures and over forty-five vibrantly colored works on paper created from the 1950s to 2000, the exhibition will showcase this little-known aspect of the artist’s work. The show, which will run June 15 through September 9, was conceived and organized by Aprile Gallant, curator of prints, drawings and photographs, with Linda Muehlig, senior curator of painting and sculpture. For more information, go to, www.smith.edu/artmuseum/exhibitions/baskin.
 
  Biochemistry Department Celebrates 50 Years
  Smith’s biochemistry department marked its 50th anniversary April 23 with a daylong series of events, including a lecture and panel discussion featuring a number of noted alumnae in the field. Erin O’Shea ’88, a professor at Harvard and director of the FAS Center for Systems Biology, presented a keynote address on “Cellular Nutrient Homeostasis.” Following O’Shea’s address, alumnae discussed their current research and careers in science. Participants included Sevgi Boke Rodan ’64, adjunct professor of biochemistry at the School of Dental Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, and former director, Department of Bone Biology and Osteoporosis, at Merck Research Laboratories; Laura Worth ’83, associate professor of pediatrics and cancer biology at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Texas; Amy Laws ’98, BD Biosciences, Discovery Labware Division; and Tahmeena Chowdhury ’04, a graduate student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. For more information on the biochemistry program, visit http://www.science.smith.edu/departments/Biochem/.
 
  Noted Mathematician Recounts Her Journey
 
Mathematician Evelyn Boyd Granville ’45 is one of seventeen notable women in math and the sciences documented in Sisters in Science: Conversations with Black Women Scientists on Race, Gender, and Their Passion for Science (Purdue University Press, 2006), a compilation of interviews and stories edited by Diann Jordan, a professor of biology at Alabama State University. In the book, Granville recounts her influences, giving special note to her parents for their support and encouragement. “When I was growing up,” she says, “I never heard the theory that females aren’t equipped mentally to succeed in mathematics, and my generation did not hear terms such as permanent underclass or disadvantaged. Our parents and teachers preached over and over again that education is the vehicle to a productive life, and through diligent study, we could succeed at whatever we attempted to do.” In 1999, before a campus audience of more than 3,500 people, Smith celebrated its 125th anniversary and honored Granville as one of thirty “Remarkable Women” who represented hundreds of their fellow alumnae engaged in leadership roles throughout the world.
 
  Theatre Department Offers Comic Tale for Reunion
  Add a night at the theater to your Reunion plans. During Reunion/Commencement weekend, May 17–19, the theatre department is presenting Cinders, by Janusz Glowacki and directed by Alison Scher ’07, at 8:30 p.m. in the Hallie Flanagan Studio Theatre. Set at a girls’ reform school in Poland, the play is a darkly comic tale of propaganda and deception that features original music and dance. Tickets are $7 for the general public and $5 for students and seniors. Alumnae theatre majors on campus for Reunion are invited to attend a performance for free. For information, call 413-585-2787, or visit http://www.smith.edu/smitharts.
 
  Arboretum Named for Biology Professor
 
In the past 40 years or so, Barbara Schenck Collins ’53, a professor of biology at California Lutheran University, has identified and catalogued more than 400 plant species on campus there. It was only fitting then that when the university designated its grounds an arboretum, they named it for her. President John Sladek made the announcement during his inaugural address in February. “Professor Collins,” he said, “thank you for reminding us of the beauty of this very special place.” Collins has been teaching at the university since 1963. She is the author of four books on the flora of Southern California and six books on botany and biology. For her teaching, she has received numerous awards, including Professor of the Year and the Sears-Roebuck Foundation Teaching Excellence and Campus Leadership Award. 
 
  Attorney Lends Her Voice to Committee on Civil Rights
  Lorraine Power Tharp ’70, a partner in the Albany, New York, law firm of Whiteman Osterman & Hanna LLP and past president of the New York State Bar Association, has been appointed to the bar association’s Special Committee on the Civil Rights Agenda, a 23-member panel of leading public officials and bar leaders charged with eliminating racial barriers and encouraging diversity in the legal system. In accepting the appointment, Power Tharp said, “Attorneys have played a key role in promoting the cause of civil rights and breaking down racial barriers, so it is a natural outgrowth of this to continue to examine our position and strengthen it.” At Whiteman Osterman & Hanna, Power Tharp chairs the commercial real estate practice group. She graduated from Cornell School of Law.
 
 
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Celebrating 30 Years of Smith Travel
In the past three decades, Smith Travel has built its reputation on trips that enrich the mind and satisfy even the most seasoned traveler. We work with the best tour operators in educational travel to provide the most enjoyable experience possible. What sets our trips apart, though, are the alumnae and Smith faculty who accompany travelers to exotic places, providing their unique perspectives along the way. Help us mark this important milestone in our history by signing up for a Smith trip. Spaces are still available on these exciting trips:

  • JOURNEY TO THE FAR EAST: An Exploration of Japan’s Cultural Traditions, Historical Treasures, and Cutting-Edge Innovation, June 3–16, 2007.  Don Robinson, Charles N. Clark Professor Emeritus of Government and co-editor of The Constitution of Japan: A Documentary History of its Framing and Adoption, will travel with you on this fascinating journey to Japan. Your tour director, fluent in Japanese, along with expert local guides, will ensure an in-depth appreciation of this varied country.
  • GOLFING IN SCOTLAND FOR WOMEN: July 29–August 6, 2007.  Experience the Women’s British Open Championship as it is played for the first time at St. Andrew’s. This trip combines tee times and lessons with luxury pampering, fine dining, and a tour of the Scottish countryside. You’ll stay at the five-star Turnberry Westin and the St. Andrews Bay Golf Resort and Spa. Accompanying you will be Lynn Oberbillig, director of athletics at Smith. Alumnae from Wellesley and Bryn Mawr will also be participating.
  • CHINA, TIBET, and the YANGTZE RIVER, August 19–September 4, 2007.  Travel with Peter Gregory, Jill Ker Conway Professor of Religion and East Asian Studies, on this exciting trip to China and Tibet. Highlights include visits to the Forbidden City in Beijing and the Dalai Lama’s winter and summer residence in Lhasa, Tibet; a cruise along the Yangtze River; and a tour of the Shanghai Museum.
  • 2008 trips: Antarctica; Vietnam; Tanzania; Southern India; “Empires and Explorers” (jet); London Theatre; Tahiti and French Polynesia; Canary Islands; Poland; Machu Picchu; Italy family trip; Salzburg, Danube to Budapest; Black Sea; Berlin, Dresden, and Munich; French gastronomy; Dalmatian Coast; and “Rome Escapade.”

For full itineraries and prices, contact Smith Travel at 800-225-2029 or e-mail alumtrav@smith.edu. For a full listing of trips and slideshows of past trips, visit http://alumnae.smith.edu/travel.

Grow a Bit of Smith In Your Garden
A limited number of ‘Sophia Smith’ rose bushes are available for sale to alumnae. In 1996, chemistry professor Robert Linck created a new hybrid rose named ‘Sophia Smith’ in honor or Smith’s founder. This exquisite pinkish mauve rose is high-centered, of exhibition quality, and on strong stems. The blooms are uniform in color except for a beautiful salmon yellow near the base of the petals. The flower has a slight fragrance. It’s a perfect addition to your garden and a wonderful tribute to Smith College and its founder. Order now and be among the first to own a ‘Sophia Smith’ rose. The special price for alumnae is $75. To place your order and for information about delivery, visit http://alumnae.smith.edu/mission/sophia_rose.php.

Benefits for Smith alumnae
Just because you've graduated from Smith doesn't mean you're forgotten. The Alumnae Association offers a variety of services to make your post-Smith life a little easier. Alumnae are eligible for various insurance options, including medical, life, and liability insurances, as well as a credit card that benefits Alumnae Association programs. For information on all Alumnae Association benefits and services, visit http://alumnae.smith.edu and click on a menu item under "Benefit."

Keep in touch
Wondering whatever happened to that Smith housemate who used to keep you company while you studied all night for a midterm? The Alumnae Association's Online Directory makes it easy for you to catch up with your Smith friends. You can search by name, location, profession, and even Smith house. Just visit the Alumnae Association's Web page at http://alumnae.smith.edu, and log in under "Alumnae Directory and E-mail." While you're there, be sure to update your personal information. The directory is most effective when the information is kept up to date. To ensure that your information is correct, log into your alumnae directory account at https://smith.alumnae.net/login.asp and then click on "Personal Information" at the top of the screen.

Life insurance
Looking for a dependable life, liability, or temporary health insurance? The Alumnae Association's insurance program offers reasonable and critical protection for alumnae. Details are available at http://alumnae.smith.edu (click on the "Insurance Benefits" link under "Benefit"). Or for more information, call the AASC's broker, Meyer and Associates, at 800-635-7801. Identify yourself as a Smith alumna.

The Alumnae Association of Smith College promotes association programs and services only.

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For a compendium of the latest news about Smith, press releases, calendar of events, stories, and media coverage, visit Smith College News and Events Web site at http://www.smith.edu/news/
Other useful links:
Smith College Home: http://www.smith.edu
Alumnae Association of Smith College: http://alumnae.smith.edu
Smith Alumnae Quarterly: http://www.saqonline.smith.edu
Shaping the Future of Smith: http://www.smith.edu/future/shaping/
Supporting Smith: http://www.smith.edu/future