Wellesley College Alumnae Association announces recipients of 2017 Alumnae Achievement Awards
On Wednesday, Sept. 20, the Wellesley College Alumnae Association announced that the three recipients of the 2017 Alumnae Achievement Awards are Elyse Cherry ‘75, Kwan Kew Lai ‘74 and Lorraine O’Grady ‘55. The Achievement Awards represent the highest honor given to Wellesley alumnae and have been presented annually since 1970. Cherry is Chief Executive Officer of Boston Community Capital, a billion-dollar non-profit organization committed to social and economic justice. Ms. Cherry has also served on the boards of numerous successful companies and is an active civic leader in Massachusetts. Lai is an infectious disease specialist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and is known for her humanitarian aid efforts. In 2015, Dr. Lai was featured prominently in the press for her volunteerism in Liberia during the Ebola crisis. O’Grady is a conceptual artist and critic whose work centers around concepts of diaspora, hybridity and black female subjectivity in relation to modernism. Ms. O’Grady’s work has garnered widespread exhibition in galleries around the world, especially in New York and Europe. In 2006, the New Yorker heralded Ms. O’Grady as “one of the most interesting American conceptual artists around.” This year’s ceremony will take place October 17 in Alumnae Ballroom and is open to the entire Wellesley community to attend.
University of Virginia to rename medical school building in honor of Dr. Vivian Pinn ’62
On Sept. 13, the University of Virginia formally dedicated one of the school’s medical buildings in honor of Vivian Pinn ‘62. Dr. Pinn graduated from the University of Virginia School of Medicine in 1969 as the only woman and only African-American in her class. Dr. Pinn went on to teach pathology at Tufts University, Harvard University and Howard University before founding the Office of Research on Women’s Health at the National Institutes of Health in 1990. The University of Virginia has previously celebrated Dr. Pinn with the dedication of Pinn Hall, one of the university’s four colleges of medicine, and the inauguration of the Pinn Scholarship Program in 2016. At the dedication ceremony in Charlottesville, President Johnson celebrated Dr. Pinn with a speech:. “Her lasting impact on the world of science and medicine is a testament to her indomitable spirit and to the power of a Wellesley education.”
Buddhist monks arrive on campus to construct a mandala at the Davis Museum
On Sept. 1, Tibetan Buddhist Monks from the Namgyal Monastery Institute of Buddhist Studies in New York arrived on campus to create a Medicine Buddha Mandala at the Davis Museum. The intricate Medicine Buddha Mandala is believed to be the place of the Healing Buddha. Tibetan Buddhists believe that those suffering from mental or physical ailments can benefit from the mandala’s healing effects for the subconscious. The Davis Museum hosted a public opening ceremony on September 1 to welcome the monks and commemorate the start of the project. Members of the Wellesley community and the general public are encouraged to view the construction of the mandala between 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays. The mandala can also be seen through a live stream on the Davis Museum’s website. After the mandala is completed, it will remain on display until October 11. A ritual dissolution ceremony, which will begin at the Davis Museum and conclude at Lake Waban, will take place on October 11 at 3:00 p.m.
Wellesley Volleyball featured on ESPN as one of the week’s top 10 plays
Last Wednesday, Sept. 20, ESPN Sports Center featured a play by the Wellesley volleyball team as fourth on its list of of the top highlights of the week in women’s sports. In the play, team setter Michelle Li ‘19 made an impressive ‘kick save’ and assist to score a point. The team went on to defeat Mount Holyoke 3-1. The same play was also featured as sixth on the NCAA’s list of the week’s top plays. The team currently has a 7-3 overall record this season, and is in second place standing in the NEWMAC conference.
