Alumni News: March 6, 2025
Concerts, coffee, divers, dancing, professions, professors, and more!
Even as the skies send fresh snow down, winter term ends with no sign of a slowdown. Dozens of alumni attended the recent Carleton Career Summit to give students the vocational lowdown; there’s hardly an opponent that men’s and women’s tennis don’t mow down; for Carleton’s divers, it’s all up and no down — and Nina Schwab ’28 is headed to the NCAA championship showdown; for Ashton Macklin ’27, the benefits of summer fellowships flow down; the Dacie Moses House got its final glow up (is there even such a thing as a glow down?); and the 45th Annual Midwinter Ball was quite the hoedown. For more news from campus and beyond, keep scrolling— or, you know, go down.
Alumni News: February 6, 2025
lupine actors, climate factors, award attractors, and more!
If you’ve ever felt like your life has been spinning in circles, well, so did Carleton students a few weeks ago, when the the Student Activities Programming Board hosted an ice rink bumper car event on the Bald Spot. By contrast, President Byerly has not been letting things slide — see her op-ed in the Washington Post — and neither have athletes; the men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams triumphed over St. Olaf on Senior Day, men’s tennis is off to a strong 6-1 start, and men’s and women’s Ultimate Frisbee teams have been putting their opponents on ice. Alumni have won some pretty cool recognition too, including Kao Kalia Yang ’03 and Hannah Burcaw ’19 and Faith Agboola ’24. Whether you’ve been just chilling out or doing the polar opposite, do stay in touch, and read on for more news from Carleton and beyond.
Alumni News: January 6, 2025
Plans for plants, the outdoors indoors, and more!
What better way to celebrate winter than in the company of other Carls? The photos above show students, staff, and alumni at some of the season’s many Winter Gatherings (and see below for more to come). Here on campus, it’s the first day of a busy new term, and folks are already planning for the rest of the year as well — fifteen professors have received faculty development grants, and five current Carls will represent the USA at this summer’s World U-24 Ultimate Championships. And speaking of gatherings, it’s no secret that American druidry originated at Carleton in the ’60s. Feel free to share your own Carleton connections with us, and read on for more updates from campus and beyond.
Alumni News: December 6, 2024
Carls in space, the history of race, Motown bass, and more!
As the winter skies get dark, look up! Not only have the northern lights made several appearances over Northfield in recent months, but the International Space Station is now carrying experiments crafted by India Ratha ’27 and Josh Lecuyer ’25. Things are looking up as well for alumni whose creations are being turned into movies, including Jack El-Hai ’79 and the makers of the Oregon Trail game (look it up). There are others on campus to look up to, like Arboretum director Nancy Braker ’81 as she coordinates a book that will celebrate the Arb’s centennial in 2026. Read on for more news from campus—and if you’re in the area, look us up.
Alumni News: November 4, 2024
Portraits, performances, professors, parties, and more!
Northfield may not have too many purple mountain majesties, but the fruited plain is a wonder to behold in the late autumn. Carleton’s varsity athletes have been harvesting a bumper crop of accolades; four teams are nationally ranked, men’s golf and women’s soccer have won their respective MIAC crowns, and men’s soccer is headed to the playoffs (for the 17th time in a row!). Even buildings are yielding results, with Anderson Hall garnering an award for excellence in decarbonization. Among alumni, Bob Tipping ’81 is Minnesota’s new State Geologist, and Jimmy Chin ’96 made a historic discovery on Mount Everest. Let us know what you’ve been up to as well, and read on for more news from campus and beyond.
Alumni News: October 7, 2024
Tales to be told, clothes for the cold, truths to uphold, and more!
It’s a truth both complex and complete:
Campus life in the fall is a treat,
And the same traits apply
To the apples nearby —
Nourishing, healthy, and sweet.
Students are making the most of a beautiful autumn in Northfield, whether by visiting local orchards, working on classes, preparing for upcoming arts events, or competing in club and varsity sports. Hundreds of alumni and parents celebrated Homecoming this past weekend as well by cheering on the Knights and enjoying victories in women’s cross country, men’s soccer, and men’s tennis—and the women’s soccer team not only maintained their first-place MIAC standing but also held a reunion on campus, including members of the first varsity team. Other alumni are being celebrated for their achievements; Janae Green ’10 has gained publicity for her Black history tours of Los Angeles, and Sara Hooker ’13 has been named as one of the world’s top 100 individuals in AI. And speaking of overall team awards: Carleton continues (for the 14th year in a row!) to be ranked as the nation’s best school for undergraduate teaching. We hope your efforts are coming to fruition as well. Keep us in touch, and keep reading for more news from campus and beyond.
Alumni News: September 10, 2024
The joys of the Arb, cold-weather garb, student newsprint, athletes who sprint, and more!
Today’s the day! Campus is abuzz with activity and awash in excitement as Carleton’s newest students arrive at the start of a busy and rewarding fall term. Summer brought plenty of rewards as well for faculty, staff, students, and alumni, including an NSF grant funding summer student research with professor Kate Meyer ’09, a fifth-degree black belt for Carleton’s sword-wielding librarian Susan Shirk, and two (!) Hugo Awards for Naomi Kritzer ’95. If you have news to share with Carleton, please do, and read on for more news from campus and beyond.
Alumni News: August 6, 2024
Frisbees, dizis, nominations, celebrations, and more!
Summer is peak travel season, and Carls have not exactly been staying put. The women’s cross country team, who won the NCAA Division III team title this year, was invited to the White House in July, Matthew Wilkinson ’21 competed at the Olympics in Paris, and four Carls played for Team USA at the recent World Junior Ultimate Championships in England, earning medals (two gold, one silver) in all three categories. Carleton musicians are world champions as well; music professor Gao Hong and the Chinese Music Ensemble have been selected as the winners of the International Cultural Role Models competition (they’ll be featured on EU postage stamps!), and Hong’s student Ammy Lin ’24 won the Karin Larson YourClassical Prize for her artistry on the dizi (Chinese flute). Visual art is traveling too, with works by Rahim Hamid ’26 on display this month in Minneapolis. If you have news to share from your own life journeys, please do get in touch, and read on for more updates from campus and beyond.
Alumni News: July 11, 2024
Summer Send-Offs, Senior Cyclists, Super Sponsors, and more!
Friends and the Hill of Three Oaks —
What memories the image evokes!
Back home, dear alum,
We hope that you’ll come,
Because campus continues to coax.
It’s been a busy month at Carleton, with Commencement (congrats to the Class of 2024!) closely followed by Reunion (so many alumni on campus!) and now the Summer Liberal Arts Institute (details below). Even though the academic year has finished, accolades continue to roll in, including 109 (!) MIAC Academic All-Conference honors as well as nine students and alumni who have been chosen for national Ultimate awards. Alumni have been prominent in the national news as well: Richard Hatch ’77 is rescuing the work of a German author killed in the Holocaust, Kristin Lunz Trujillo ’12 is reshaping the field of rural studies, and — as you may have heard — Matt Wilkinson ’21 is heading to the Olympics! If you’d like to share your own accomplishments or your memories, do get in touch, and read on for more news from Carleton and beyond.
Alumni News: June 4, 2024
Knowledge learned, degrees earned, stars discerned, and more!
What better way to bring a community together than with food and art? Carleton recently celebrated the 20th anniversary of Empty Bowls, raising over $34,000 for Northfield’s Community Action Center and giving everyone a chance to buy a bowl — and mug for the photographer. Students have been stewing over final exams, taking stock of their summer plans, and celebrating — pho good reason: Ian Mortenson ’24 is a first-team All-American decathlete, Helen Cross ’24 earned All-American honors in the 1500-meter run, and Eclipse came in second at the DIII Ultimate women’s national tournament. Souperior achievements among faculty and staff are worth noting too, such as athletic director Gerald Young’s MIAC Distinguished Service award and Baird Jarman and Matt Whited‘s NEH grant to advance interdisciplinary teaching and learning. Bowl us over with your own news, and read on for more stories from campus and beyond.
Alumni News: May 2, 2024
Arb restoration, social innovation, bird enumeration, and more!
Here comes the sun, and we say it’s alright — especially when it shines on the solar panels powering the new townhomes near Lyman Lakes, which will house students this fall. Student-athlete accomplishments have gone through the roof this spring as well, with the women‘s and men‘s tennis teams headed for the MIAC playoffs, Gabe Nichols ’25 breaking the 1500-meter school record, women’s rugby winning eight matches in a row, and four Carleton Ultimate teams—Syzygy, CUT, Eclipse, and CHOP — all gearing up for Nationals later this month. Congratulations as well to Ed Bice ’88, whose organization Meedan is receiving an award for social innovation. If you’ve had a ray of sunshine in your life, feel free to share it with us, and read on for more good news from campus and beyond.
Alumni News: April 2, 2024
Promotions, professions, tennis, and more!
The mud-luscious and puddle-wonderful world of spring (as e.e. cummings put it) has arrived at Carleton, and students and faculty are already hard at work — the women’s tennis team is off to a 10–0 start for the year — and play. Congratulations to Martha Anderson ’87, recently elected to the National Academy of Engineering, and to Emanual Williams ’20, who was featured by the U of MN Law School for his work with its Clemency Project Clinic. And students admitted to the Class of 2028 received a warm welcome to campus — as will you! Stop by, or get in touch, and let us know how you’re doing.
Alumni News: March 5, 2024
Fulbrights, flowers, food, fashion, and more!
When Carls get together, good things happen, as this group of Carleton Young Alumni from the Bay Area can attest. Talent and teamwork produce results: papers are published (by a professor-student-alumni team), national awards are collected (congrats to the women’s cross country team and their NCAA Division III Scholar of the Year award), and knowledge is acknowledged (300+ Carls participated in the Nationwide Trivia contest). Individual accomplishments deserve the spotlight as well: Luke Harris ’25 is the MIAC Offensive Player of the Year, and Sydney Trentman ’27 pitched only the fourth no-hitter in Carleton softball history. Read on for more highlights from campus and beyond, and if you have your own accolades (solo or collective) to share, do get in touch.
Alumni News: February 1, 2024
Orchestras, orchids, grants to help more kids, etc.!
Students in geology professor Chloé Fandel‘s course might agree: Carleton’s rigorous education can also be a piece of (stratigraphic layer) cake. Varsity athletes are pudding in a lot of work as well, and as the seasons turnover, they continue to find sweet success; today’s on-campus celebration of the national champion women’s cross country team includes free cupcakes, and the men’s tennis and women’s swimming and diving teams have no need to fudge their impressive results. Folks recently gathered on campus to celebrate the 141st birthday of Dacie Moses, who was one sweet cookie herself. Faculty, staff, and alumni are getting their just des(s)erts as well, with a gold medal for music professor Gao Hong‘s latest recording and the publication of new books by media specialist Dann Hurlbert and David Troyansky ’76. Finally, we hope that the recent publicity about Carleton’s geothermal system keeps you in a Good Humor. Read on for more updates from campus — and if you have news of your own to share, donut hesitate to get in touch.
Alumni News: January 5, 2024
Architectural stories, athletic glories, trivia teams, scams and schemes, and more!
Everyone needs a fresh perspective on things from time to time (do you recognize where you are in the image above?). Here’s hoping that the new year brings you new views as well. On campus, students and professors have started their winter classes, seniors are deep into comps, and varsity athletes are headed for successful seasons. Speaking of success, Gretta Melsted ’98 has been inducted into the national fastpitch softball Hall of Fame, and Ntense Obono ’25 is Carleton’s first All-American footballer since 2008. Congratulations as well to Katie O’Leary ’25 on her national German essay prize! Read on for more new angles from campus and the Carleton community, and if you’ve updated your own prospects, make sure to let us know.
2023 Alumni Newsletters
Alumni News: December 7, 2023
Book clubs, social hubs, national honors, emergency doctors, and more!
Sure, it’s winter, and most students won’t be back until January, but Carleton is still bustling with activity, including the festive and well-attended annual Craft Fair and Custodial Scholarship Fund Bake Sale. Now in its 30th year, this endowed fund is supported by custodial staff along with other community members and provides financial aid for at least one student per year. Students in turn are supporting others in the community; Sam Millen ’27 is helping to diminish the local digital divide, and Jonathan Nguyen ’25 has won a fellowship to foster community engagement through digital media. As for alumni, if you wonder how a Carleton education can lead to leadership positions in the government’s approach to renewable energy, Arpita Bhattacharyya ’10 has an answer. And what are you up to these days? Let us know, and read on for more news from campus.
Alumni News: November 2, 2023
Strategic directions, winter connections, cannabis laws, food for a cause, and more!
Winter is coming, sure, but it’s not here yet! Campus and the Arb are still sporting some radiant color, and there’s enough left of the fall term for students to finish (or perhaps start?) their final projects and papers. Varsity teams are wrapping up their schedules; the women’s cross country and soccer teams are MIAC champs yet again, and men’s cross country and soccer are both runners-up as well. Other projects will bear fruit in years to come. Did you know about Carleton’s digital recreation of Viking longships? Did you know that Shigeo Yamada ’89 is Japan’s new ambassador to the United States, and Jack Lew ’76 is the new U.S. ambassador to Israel? Did you know that the rest of this newsletter is filled with highlights too? Read on and find out.
Alumni News: October 5, 2023
Faculty grants, Alaskan expanse, punk rock loves, winter gloves, and more!
Can you believe it’s already Week 4 of fall term? Everything’s already up and running at Carleton, including the dozens of student groups that attracted new members at the recent Involvement Fair. Campus will be even busier over the next several weekends, thanks to Homecoming (the football team is off to a 4-0 start, with plenty of accolades to match) and Family Weekend. Faculty are hardly slowing down; four members of the math and statistics departments have recently won major grants, and Carleton continues (for the 13th straight year!) to be ranked as the nation’s best school for undergraduate teaching. And congrats to Sarah Berlin ’12, selected as one of the inaugural cohort of Obama Foundation leaders! We hope good things are coming your way as well — if so, do let us know, and read on for more news from campus and beyond.
Alumni News: September 7, 2023
Comic careers, alumni cheers, strategic plans, Homecoming fans, and more!
Carleton is flying high these days! The Class of ’27 just arrived on campus and participated in the traditional Frisbee Toss: write your name on a Frisbee, aim for a target in the center of the Bald Spot (with prizes for the closest throws), then pick up someone else’s Frisbee and return it to them—you might just find a new friend. Faculty and alumni are elevating Carleton’s name in other ways as well, whether that’s by publishing on pulsars (thanks to emeritus professor Joel Weisberg and Alice Curtin ’19) or sending experiments to the International Space Station inscribed with the names of Carleton faculty and staff (thanks, Jithran Ekanayake ’20). Back on earth, Laura Blaisdell ’97 is the new medical director for SeriousFun (what could be more Carleton than that name?) and Mira Rojanasakul ’08 co-produced a major New York Times report on groundwater depletion. The Carleton community, in other words, will keep you feeling uplifted and deeply grounded. Read on for more news, and stay in touch.
Alumni News: August 8, 2023
Professors promoted, coaches commended, parties planned, and more!
Everything tastes better in the summer, don’t you think? Here in Northfield, we’ve rented local sheep to take care of invasive species near Lyman Lakes, turning the town of Cows, Colleges, and Contentment into one of Lambs, Learning, and Leisure. The campus will be looking beautiful for the arrival this week of alumni volunteers for CAVE, followed soon by varsity athletes and other early arrivals for the fall term. It’s not too late to celebrate the stellar spring season for Eclipse, Carleton’s Division III women’s Ultimate team: not only did they finish as national runners-up, Maya Kalmus ’23 was named the offensive player of the year, Alex Rowell ’23 was named the defensive plater of the year, and Cameron Barton ’16 and Emma Nicosia ’17 coaches of the year. And if you’ve watched Oppenheimer recently, you can thank Kai Bird ’73 for writing the book that made the movie possible (and read his recent New York Times editorial). What’s up for the end of your summer? Let us know, and stay in touch — and read on for more news from Carleton.
Alumni News: July 10, 2023
Summer festivities, campus activities, strategic news, Yemeni brews, and more!
Such celebrations! Campus has been packed this month with students, alumni, faculty, family, and friends gathering to send seniors off into the world, to reconnect with classmates and others at Reunion, and to participate in the Summer Liberal Arts Institute taking place right now. Read on for more details about all these events and more, including an update from President Byerly on the college’s Strategic Plan. If you’ve got updates of your own, do let us know, and stay in touch.
Alumni News: June 8, 2023
Senior transitions, race and admissions, scholarly pleasures, garage sale treasures, and more!
Let the celebrations begin! The Class of ’23 will be graduating this weekend, and last night’s Senior Banquet offered good food, good camaraderie, and good photo opportunities. Newly minted alumni will be heading off in all directions, including over a dozen Carls whose Fulbright awards will take them to South America, Europe, and Asia. There’s plenty more to celebrate as well; Annemily Hoganson ’24 is the recipient of a prestigious Goldwater Scholarship, and art history professor Ross Elfline has been awarded an inaugural Mellon Academic Leadership Fellowship. Read on for more news from campus, and stay in touch with news of your own.
Alumni News: May 4, 2023
KRLX, TV execs, letters from Laird, majors declared, and more!
There’s always some major news coming from Carleton — but this month, we really mean it: sophomores recently celebrated Major Declaration Day by affirming their primary field of study (with poses to prove it). Celebrations are also in order for varsity and club sports teams. Women’s tennis is heading to nationals with an undefeated season, and three Ultimate teams (Syzygy, CUT, and Eclipse) are headed in that direction as well. Actually, Carls are garnering national recognition in many areas this spring; Julian White-Davis ’23 has earned a Watson fellowship, Eric Cheng ’23 and Susanna Kisker ’24 have won Critical Language Scholarships, Kao Kalia Yang ’03 is the recipient of a prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship, and Arpita Bhattacharyya ’10 has been named to a top post in the Department of Energy. We hope spring is filling you with some major energy as well. Stay in touch, and read on for more news from campus and beyond.
Alumni News: April 5, 2023
English comps, Ultimate romps, giant puppetry, helping put up a tree, and more!
If spring term has started, it must be spring, right? Well, the lingering snow in Northfield hasn’t hindered Carls from a quick start to the final trimester of the year, especially varsity and club athletes; the tennis teams have come out strong (women at 13-0, men at 12-2), Clara Mayfield ’23 broke yet another school record, and Eclipse, the women’s D3 Ultimate team, won a recent tournament by a combined score of 84-2 (!). Alums are gaining attention as well, like Ariana Boussard-Reifel ’03 (Beyoncé and Michelle Obama wear her jewelry) and Claire McFadden ’13, who has joined Second City’s Mainstage Revue. And students admitted to the Class of 2027 (did you know that’s a prime number?) received a warm video welcome to campus. You’re welcome to stop by too and let us know how you’re doing.
Alumni News: March 6, 2023
Going green, communal caffeine, athletic vitality, spirituality, and more!
Spring is on the way! Even a fresh coating of snow on campus this morning can’t hold back the warmer temperatures and signs of life to come. (Check out the video above for a glimpse of campus life throughout the year.) Students are heading into finals season, and Knights of all stripes are racking up the athletic accomplishments: men’s basketball won the MIAC crown and made it to the national tournament, diver Brenna Russell ’24 is headed to nationals as well, Clara Mayfield ’23 set a new MIAC championship record in the mile, Gabe Nichols ’26 picked up three MIAC titles, and the women’s tennis team is off to an undefeated start. On the other side of town, professor emerita and Carleton parent Susan Singer is St. Olaf’s new president (congrats!), and on the national level, you may have read the op-ed on Jimmy Carter written by his biographer, Kai Bird ’73. The news just keeps coming, as it should. Send us yours, please, and read on for more.
Alumni News: February 2, 2023
Student dance, historical romance, the Federal Reserve, teams with verve, and more!
What better way to beat the cold than shake a leg? After a three-year pause, Carleton’s annual Midwinter Ball is back next weekend with live music, DJs, and a chance for students to heat things up. Carleton publications are hot off the presses too, including a graphic memoir by Will Betke-Brunswick ’11. And the Bald Spot may be frozen, but the Knights have stayed hot, repeatedly scorching St. Olaf in women’s swimming (all those heats!) and men’s basketball. But we’ve got other irons in the fire too. Read on for more news from the Carleton community.
Alumni News: January 9, 2023
The curious economy, bodily autonomy, winter bonhomie, and more!
Students are back in Northfield for winter term and all the beauty of a January in Minnesota. Life isn’t all white and black, though; the faculty art exhibition opens this week, as does music professor Andrea Mazzariello’s interactive installation This, now. And congrats to the men’s basketball team! They’re off to an 11–1 start for the season. Whatever’s on your bucket list, we hope it includes staying in touch. Read on for more news from the Carleton community.
2022 Alumni Newsletters
Alumni News: December 1st, 2022
Winter bashes, Arb stashes, novel plots, bibs for tots, and more!
What a difference a month makes! Students have departed for winter break, and snow and chilly weather have settled in for the season. (Thanks to our campus grounds crew for keeping things clear.) Far from hibernating, though, the Carleton community continues its energetic ways; the women’s cross-country team set a record at the NCAA national tournament, and men’s basketball is off to a 4-0 start. Faculty and students have also received many recent grants and awards, including Ariel Alexander ’24 for pediatric oncology research, chemistry professor Dani Kohen via the Department of Energy (a Carleton first!), and students of the humanities. Read on for more ways to stay informed, energized, and connected.
Alumni News: November 3rd, 2022
The Work of the Board, A Race with a Sword, and More!
As the fall term races to a close, the campus community is keeping — and setting — the pace: Clara Mayfield ’23 earned another victory (along with a sword!), the women’s soccer and cross-country teams are both MIAC champs, and nine Carls are trying out for USA Ultimate’s U-24 National Team. There’s been time for reconnection and rejuvenation as well, including a successful Family and Homecoming Weekend that brought parents and alumni to campus and smiles to faces (check out the highlight video!). Read on for more news, more opportunities to keep in touch, and more reasons to smile.
Alumni News: October 6th, 2022
Varsity Sports, Housing Support, The Old Farmstead, Global Sex Ed, and More!
You know what they say: Time flies like an arrow (and fruit flies like a banana). September is long gone, fall colors are making a rainbow of the campus canopy, the fall term is nearly half done, and plans are falling into place for dozens of student activity groups, like the Men of Color, shown above at the recent Student Involvement Fair. Varsity teams are racking up the accolades, including women’s tennis (with two All-Americans), football (off to a 4-0 start, with a special Homecoming weekend slated for next week), women’s soccer (unbeaten in the MIAC), and women’s golf (MIAC champions!). There’s more to come, with Family Weekend and weekly Convocations and dozens of events for alumni and the community at large. We hope you’ll stop by and stay in touch.