Alumni of distinction

Nine remarkable alumni received honors—and ceramic vases crafted by Regis Brodie, art professor emeritus—at the Reunion 2015 awards ceremony.

Creative Thought Matters Award of Distinction. I. Elaine Allen ’70, professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of San Francisco, is also the founder and chief scientist at Quahog Research Group, which conducts large annual surveys on global entrepreneurship and online education. She has founded and led several other companies too, including ARIAD pharmaceuticals, the high-tech consulting firm Pondview Associates, and medical device company StatSystems. She has even been a statistician for the Red Sox and Dodgers baseball teams. She was proud to receive the CTM award for “a career that included a lot of diversions and never followed a straight path. Skidmore gave me wings to go wherever I wanted to go” but also “sent me out in the world on a firm footing.” [full profile]

 

Distinguished Achievement Award. Forensic psychiatrist Neil Kaye ’80 is one of the most sought-after expert witnesses in civil, criminal, and regulatory court cases. An internationally recognized authority on infanticide, he also testifies about the evaluation of neuropsychiatry, psychopharmacology, medical malpractice, and post-traumatic stress. His honors include his hospital’s Golden Apple award, given to the one instructor (out of 500) whom residents select as the best over all. Along with founding Skidmore’s varsity crew program, Kaye was a pre-med student, and he cited biology, chemistry, and psychology professors “who mentored me. They allowed me to fall and helped me recover. They created an atmosphere for learning.” [full profile] 

 

Palamountain Award for Young Alumni Achievement. Rachael Beard ’05 co-founded and directed LinkEducation, an online network that helped parents to access services for their children in New York City's complex school system, and in 2013 she founded the Global Community Charter School in West Harlem. She is currently senior manager of global user services at the International Rescue Committee, responding to the world's worst humanitarian crises. She said, “I learned at Skidmore that if you take advantage of opportunities, there is so much you can do. If you see a gap in some area, you can fill it by creating something new or refining what’s there.” She values the “advice, adventures, and friends” she had and still enjoys at Skidmore. [full profile]

 

50th-Reunion Outstanding Service Award. Sue Steele Isbell ’65 fell in love with Skidmore all over again at her 25th reunion: “I was absolutely blown away. I had no idea it would be that much fun,” she says. Since then her roster of volunteer roles has included two-term class president, reunion chair, nursing chair, and longtime reunion volunteer and class agent. Currently president and class agent, she is delighted to be part of “a great team” of classmates. She says that many alumni “have contributed hours and other resources toward the advancement of Skidmore,” so she is “honored and humbled” by the award. [full profile]

 

Porter Young Alumni Service Award. As a student, Claire Solomon ’10 was instrumental in bringing anti-hate program "Not on our Campus" to Skidmore. As an alumni volunteer, she is a member of the National Friends of the Presidents Committee, co-president of the Skidmore-NYC Planning Committee, and class Friends of the President Chair; she also served on the alumni board’s awards committee. She says she intends always “to be an informed, responsible citizen and to foster a community that embraces dialogue and exudes compassion.” She told the audience, “Skidmore helped me find myself, be myself, and start to become myself.” [full profile]

 

Outstanding Service Awards. Judy Farmer Fulton ’65 has been a reunion volunteer, Friends of the Presidents chair, and fund chair—a role she reprised for her 50th reunion this year. She is grateful for the education that helped her become “a creative and independent thinker with a love of learning and a desire to give back to my community.” And noting her devotion to her grandchildren’s trophies and ribbons, she raised her Skidmore vase and quipped, “Now it’s my turn!” [full profile]

 

A former member of the alumni board’s nominating committee and a regional planning and reunion volunteer, Jane Roberts Alpert ’70 was fund chair and FOP chair for her 35th reunion and returned as fund chair for her 45th this year. For her, “Supporting Skidmore is more than just bricks on walkways or plaques on buildings. It’s about changing lives.” She added, “Who knows what will come from a student who gets the opportunity to attend Skidmore because of the caring and generosity of alumni?” [full profile]

 

Kim Roy ’80, P ’10, P ’13, was an alumni trustee from 2009 to 2013, serving on the board’s academic affairs, advancement, strategic planning, and student life committees; she is rejoining the board this year. She has helped make executive trainee programs and internships available to Skidmore students through her employer, Ralph Lauren. Roy thanked Professor Emerita Betty Balevic for her devotion to student success and said, “Skidmore truly changed my life.” [full profile]

 

Class secretary for the past 15 years, Toby Rubenstein ’65 was also gift planning chair, a member of the Legacy Society’s advisory council, and class historian for her 50th reunion. Her roles on the alumni board included vice president of clubs, and she is a former club volunteer and class agent. Grateful for her strong education, she found that “the more I volunteered, the more I wanted to give back.” She added a thank-you to a ’55 alumna who inspired her to get involved as a volunteer. [full profile]