Lifetime Achievement Award to Capt. Sandra Tait Buckles, Wells ‘78

Today, Veteran’s Day, seems a fitting time to post this announcement we received from the U.S. Navy!

Lifetime Achievement award presented to Navy captain from Wells College

 SAN DIEGO — Capt. Sandra Buckles, USN, was honored for Lifetime Achievement at the 16th Annual Women Who Mean Business Awards presentation at the Town and Country Convention Center, San Diego, Oct. 27.

 Capt. Buckles entered the Navy through Officer Candidate School, Newport, Rhode Island, after graduating in June 1978 from Wells College in Aurora, New York, with a bachelor of arts degree in economics.

 The Women Who Mean Business Awards are made each year to recognize dynamic women business leaders and role models who are selected for their achievements and contributions to San Diego County. Capt. Buckles was selected for the top award from 167 highly regarded business women and honored for her business successes, both in and out of the Navy. The awards program is sponsored by the San Diego Business Journal.

 “Capt. Buckles is an outstanding officer, leader and technologist who has contributed her expertise to the defense of our nation, and to private industry. She continues to bring honor and credit to our Navy,” said SSC Pacific Commanding Officer Capt. Mark Kohlheim.

 Commissioned by the Navy in 1978, Capt. Buckles became renowned for her Navy information technology (IT) knowledge, at-sea and ashore. In 1988 she left the Navy to pursue the IT field as a civilian in the industrial and academic sectors. Called back to active duty in the mid 1990s, Capt. Buckles continues to distinguish herself in Navy IT and knowledge management. As an active member of the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association, she serves on the executive committee for the San Diego Chapter.
 
“It is an honor to have been chosen for this top award from so many outstanding candidates,” Capt. Buckles said.

 SSC Pacific provides real-world command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance technologies for the nation’s war fighters.

California Wine Tasting- You’re Invited!

 

Wells College alums and their guests are cordially invited to a wine tasting event at Vendrome, hosted by Gail Reid ‘88.

Date: Thursday, November 19

Time: 5:30-7:30 PM

Place: Vendome, 11555 Ventura Boulevard, Studio City, California

Come meet area alums and hear from the Vice President for Advancement Michael R. McGreevey, who will join us to share college news.

RSVP to the Alumnae and Alumni Relations Office: alumoffice@wells.edu or 315.364.3221

Minnesota Wells Club, October 2009

A recent photo of Minnesota Club alums, gathered to celebrate the 96th birthday of Ginny Lindsay Jenness ‘35 (seated, middle). Happy Birthday, Ginny!

What’s in a Name? -Part 2

A note from Carrie Bolton ‘92, President of the Wells College Alumnae Association:

On behalf of the WCAA board, I want to offer our thanks to the people who’ve shared thoughts and feelings concerning the Alumnae Association’s name. We welcome and value your feedback on this important issue. We will work to keep the dialogue open as we explore possibilities.

We haven’t made any decisions about the name change, and there are no particular favorites at this time. Based on the precedents of some other formerly women’s colleges, our own desire to honor our past as a women’s college, the WCAA board has been considering names that embrace both our female and male constituencies in their own right. Some possibilities have been: “The Wells College Association of Alumnae and Alumni”; “The Wells College Alumnae/i Association”; or, simply, “The Association.”

We continue to welcome your thoughts!

Respectfully yours,

Carrie Bolton’92

In a Rough Economy…

Nancy Karpinski, Director of Career Services here at Wells, has joined with OneWire Career Connection to help alums who are job seeking. She forwarded along information on an upcoming free webinar. If you are interested please join in one of the available sessions- and happy hunting!

 

Setting Yourself Apart from the Competition

With the unemployment rate at an all-time high of 9.8 percent, people everywhere are becoming more anxious about their careers. From full-time employees to active job-seekers to students just launching their search for a position or internship, everyone is affected by the economy. Now, more than ever, you need to set yourself apart from the competition.

OneWire Can Help!
OneWire is offering a free webinar to students and alumni of select colleges and universities.

During this webinar, you will learn how to take charge of your career by effectively positioning yourself on OneWire, where you are matched only to those opportunities that suit your precise skills, experiences, and preferences.

OneWire developed this online Career Management Tool in conjunction with hiring managers and human resources executives at top finance firms.  Currently, the leading financial services firms, including four of the Fortune 500 top five commercial banks and five of the world’s top 15 investment management firms, use OneWire to find candidates to fill open positions.

This is a unique opportunity for you to learn more how OneWire can work for you – and how creating your profile on OneWire can offer you direct and confidential access to open positions at leading financial firms.

Webinar Details
Register for one of the webinars listed below.
 

• Thursday, October 15 at 10:00 am or 4:00 pm Eastern
• Wednesday, October 28 at 2:00 pm or 7:00 pm Eastern
• Wednesday, November 18 at 10:00 am or 4:00 pm Eastern
• Thursday, November 19 at 2:00 pm or 7:00 pm Eastern

What is OneWire?

OneWire is a Career Management Tool you can use to manage your career for life. Unlike old-fashioned job boards, OneWire uses a two-step process to ensure that you are matched only with those opportunities that precisely meet your goals and experiences:

1. Create Your Profile. Using our proprietary classification system, quickly and easily create a faceted, detailed profile that includes your work experiences, education, and interests.
2. Get Matched. OneWire’s patent-pending algorithms use the structured data in your profile to accurately match you with opportunities at finance firms.

Your information on OneWire is completely confidential and secure. By building a private profile (see Preferences section on your OneWire profile), you ensure that noone can view your profile unless you grant them explicit permission to do so. If you prefer that hiring managers be able to immediately view your profile, please set your profile as public (see Preferences).

What’s in a Name?

Whew! I’m just back from attending a huge Greyhound rescue event down in Delaware and have some blog catching up to do!  It’s still a shock to go from sunny, ocean-side shorts-weather days back to the cold, overcast skies and sweaters of Central N.Y. but the fall foliage is certain worth it. I will have to take some pictures of the trees around campus and post them- they are truly spectacular.

So… my first post-vacation blog post:  This message is on behalf of Carrie Bolton ‘92, President of the Alumnae Association. Last week our most recent issue of WellsNotes was mailed and you’ll find this article on the first page. Please let us know your thoughts!  -Jen

 

A Message from the President of the Wells College Alumnae Association

 
At the most recent meeting of the Wells College Alumnae Association board, we considered—and continue to consider—the important issue of the Alumnae Association’s name. Specifically, we’re questioning whether the Association’s name reflects the values of our organization—especially tradition and inclusiveness. The number of both alumnae and alumni members of the Alumnae Association has grown since the College moved to co-education a half-decade ago, and it seems like it’s time for us to make an intentional decision about whether, when, and in what way our organization’s name should reflect our membership.

 
Any amendment of the Alumnae Association’s name requires a by-laws change, so we have the obligation, and the luxury, of carefully stewarding the Alumnae Association’s identity. We don’t have to rush to make a decision. Any change we make carries with it the gravity of being relatively permanent. It is my hope that these factors will work to our benefit as we consider the Association’s name.

 
Members of the Association board have discussed this with many Association members over the past few years, and we recognize that the issue is complicated, and that many members have strong feelings about it. We also recognize that the issue is not only one of emotions—it also encompasses history and inclusiveness, tradition and revision. And while many of your board representatives have distinct personal preferences, when it comes to the organization’s name we want to consider the feelings, impressions, and rationales of the widest possible body of Wells alums before proposing any change.

 
As you may have noticed, the College has adopted new language and new usages as time and circumstances have evolved. I’m sure many of you have already heard—or heard about—the change in the words of the alma mater, for example. (The new lyrics can be seen inside this issue on page 26*). Some of Wells’ offices vary their usage depending upon the particular group they are referencing. The Office of Alumnae and Alumni Relations offers a good example of this fluidity; they address alumnae, alumni, or both as needed. Yet, as with the name of the Office of Alumnae and Alumni Relations, the name of the Alumnae Association does not practically allow for fluidity—although it can allow for inclusiveness. Because of that, it’s my feeling that we must be deliberate in choosing a name that we feel reflects—accurately and permanently—who we are as an Association.

 
So please tell us what you think. What must our name preserve? Who must our name include? Do we need to remain as the Alumnae Association? Would you like to become the Alumni Association? Do you prefer a name that intrinsically recognizes both male and female graduates—say, the Wells College Association of Alumnae and Alumni?**

 
Please write us, or email your feedback to the Office of Alumnae and Alumni Relations at alumoffice@wells.edu. We sincerely look forward to hearing from you.

 

*Fair Wells, with loyal hearts we will forever sing,/ And to the name we love our joyouse tribute bring;/ And Wells, dear Wells, we shout in singing,/ To thee our song we raise,/ Thee would we ever praise,/ Our Alma Mater, Dear Alma Mater!/ To thee our song we raise,/ Thee would we ever praise,/ Our Alma Mater, Beloved Wells!

**Traditional Latin Grammar: Alumna: A single female graduate or former student. Alumnus: A single male graduate or former student. Alumnae: A group of female graduates or former students. Alumni: A group of male graduates or former students; or a group of male and female graduates

Volunteer Retreat 2009

Well, another Volunteer Retreat Weekend has come and gone. We had about 30 alums return to campus, and for the most part, the weather cooperated (no rain, hooray! But it did get chilly).  I managed to snap a few photos of the weekend, which I hope you will enjoy.

President Ryerson and members of the President’s Cabinet gave an update on the College’s initiatives, upcoming programs, and challenges during this tough economic time.

Paula Sidle, President of the Solstice Group, and Mike McGreevey, Vice President for Advancement, led a training session on effective strategies for inviting involvement. Faculty Parlors in Main provided comfy seating and a warm atmosphere for the presentation.

A group shot of those who attended the Saturday afternoon presentation:

Can’t forget Minerva!  Fran Trubilla Kissell ‘78 and Margaret Neenan Leahy ‘84 pose with our favorite Wells icon…

Connecting with other alums between presentations! Janine Casper ‘84, Margaret Neenan Leahy ‘84, Fran Trubilla Kissell ‘78 and Stepheny Powell McGraw ‘70….

Since we’re always behind the camera, Stepheny insisted on taking a photo of myself and my boss Pam (Director of Alumnae and Alumni Relations) to prove we exist! Stepheny, I’m posting this pic for you!

Saturday evening was a blast. Alums had a networking dinner with student leaders, faculty and staff in the Art Exhibit Room in Macmillan. It was really fun, and we had a great concert afterwards by Henry’s VIII. Unfortunately I didn’t get photos of the performance because I left my camera on the couch behind the singers (oops).

All in all, we had a fabulous and informative time. Many thanks to the alums who came out and shared their weekend with us in Aurora!

Kate Lankin Frederick ‘04 Returns to Campus

Kate Lankin Frederick ‘04 returned to campus on Friday, September 25 to give a Science Colloquium talk on “Effects of Temperature and Growth Rate on Metabolism of Larval and Juvenile Haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus)”.

Kate majored in Biological & Chemical Sciences at Wells and then went on to the University of Rhode Island to get her Masters degree in Fishery Studies. She currently works at Local Oceans, an Israeli aquaculture facility near Albany. She has been the only American  biologist chosen to work at the center.

It is always exciting to have our alums return to campus and present their research to the campus community!

Bringing the World to Wells

Irakli Kakabadze, ICOA writer-in-residence

In December of 2006, Irakli Kakabadze and Anna Dolidze fled the Georgian Republic when, due to their outspoken criticism of the government, they faced repeated attacks and arrests. By the fall of 2007, Kakabadze, a renowned political activist, and Dolidze, a human rights lawyer, had begun a new life in America with their infant son.

Yet in November of that year, their new life was unsettled by news of mass protests in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi. Those protests proceeded peacefully for five days before Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili violently dispersed demonstrators and seized control of the media. When President Saakashvili announced that new elections would be held in an effort to appease international powers, the couple decided to return to their homeland. Kakabadze and Dolidze were determined to help their fellow citizens defend the democratic freedoms first gained in the peaceful Rose Revolution of 2003—which, ironically, both Kakabadze and Saakashvili had helped to lead.

The documentary film “At the Top of My Voice” was filmed at the time, chronicling Kakabadze and Dolidze as they attempt to balance safety for their family, and democracy for their country, in the weeks preceding the election. This week the film was screened at Wells with Kakabadze and Dolidze present to answer questions. A number of students and faculty came to learn more about the Georgian Republic, its people, and its current struggle as a fledging democracy.

Kakabadze is currently the writer-in-residence of Ithaca City of Asylum, an organization dedicated to providing sanctuary to writers whose works are suppressed or whose lives are threatened. Wells College partners with ICOA as part of its ongoing commitment to internationalism and to social concerns. Three members of Wells’ staff–Director of Institutional Diversity Steve Gilchrist, Director of Publications Mark Temelko, and I–serve on the  ICOA board.

More about Kakabadze can be found at the Ithaca City of Asylum web site. More about the film can be found at the film’s site.

By the fall of 2007, Irakli Kakabadze and Anna Dolidze had begun a new life in America with their infant son. Kakabadze, a renowned political activist, and Dolidze, a human rights lawyer, fled the Georgian Republic the previous December when, due to their outspoken criticism of the government, they faced repeated attacks and arrests.

Yet in November of that year, their new life was unsettled by news of mass protests in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi. Those protests proceeded peacefully for five days before Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili violently dispersed demonstrators and seized control of the media. When President Saakashvili announced that new elections would be held in an effort to appease international powers, the couple decided to return to their homeland. Kakabadze and Dolidze were determined to help their fellow citizens defend the democratic freedoms first gained in the peaceful Rose Revolution of 2003—which, ironically, both Kakabadze and Saakashvili had helped to lead.

The documentary film “At the Top of My Voice” chronicles Kakabadze and Dolidze as they attempt to balance safety for their family, and democracy for their country, in the weeks preceding the election. The film is an intimate portrait of those who struggle for freedom and democracy, as well as the increasingly transnational and transcontinental nature of political activism in the 21st century.

Kakabadze is currently the writer-in-residence of Ithaca City of Asylum, an organization dedicated to providing sanctuary to writers whose works are suppressed or whose lives are threatened. Wells College partners with ICOA as part of its ongoing commitment to internationalism and to social concerns.

The film will be screened at Wells College at 4:45 on September 23rd, in room 209 of Stratton Hall. Kakabadze and Dolidze will introduce the film, and will answer questions afterwards.

More about Kakabadze can be found at the Ithaca City of Asylum web site. More about the film can be found at the film’s site.

Recent Graduate Makes the News

Congrats to Teresa Rojas ‘08! Her outstanding work with Catholic  Charities of Tompkins/Tioga made the Ithaca Journal newspaper today.

Three staffers at Catholic Charities of Tompkins/Tioga are to be honored at the agency’s annual meeting Thursday, Sept. 24 during a breakfast at the Women’s Community Building in Ithaca…

…Teresa Rojas graduated from Wells College in 2008 with a bachelor’s degree in sociology. She began volunteering with the Immigrant Services Program (ISP) and the Samaritan Center during this past summer. Teresa, a native from Chili, is bilingual in Spanish/English, proficient in Italian and a beginner in Portuguese. She provides outreach to the Spanish-speaking community and works on developing jobs for ISP program participants. She used her artistic talent to create clothing closet guidelines pictorially so that people of all languages can understand how to use the Samaritan Center Clothing Closet.

A full copy of the article can be found on the Ithaca Journal website.

Do you know of a Wells alum who has made the news? Let us know! E-mail the Alumnae and Alumni Relations Office at alumoffice@wells.edu or mail any newspaper clippings to our office in Pettibone House, 170 Main Street, Aurora NY 13026. We love hearing about what our alums are doing in their communities and beyond!