The Alumni Board: Greetings from the President

Dear Alumni and Friends of Lamont:

 

Welcome to the Alumni website, providing Alumni news and links to events and people of interest to you.  This is my first note on this site since stepping in as President of the Alumni Association Board, and I'd like to begin by describing what the Board is, what it can do for you, and what you can do in return.

 

We are 15 former graduate students, researchers and staff members who strive to promote the welfare of the Observatory by acting as advocates and supporters of the Observatory’s mission. We serve 3-year renewable terms and welcome new members as slots become available. We meet three times per year and maintain a liaison with the Observatory's Advisory Board. A member of the DEES Graduate Student Committee will attend our Spring 2014 Board meeting to discuss topics of mutual interest between alumni of today and those of the near future.

 

Board activity follows three topics: Regional Champions, Historic Preservation and Social Media / Outreach. Many of Lamont's 1400+ alumni are concentrated in a few geographic areas, and we're seeking to enlist 'Regional Champions' in these locations who will stay especially well informed regarding news and activities that are of interest to the local alumni or that provide outreach opportunities. The second topic aims to locate, preserve and make available items of historical significance to the Observatory; to date, we've focused on assembling narratives, written or oral, from Lamonters of any era whose stories reveal the range of activities that have contributed to its rich history. Finally, because of the fast-changing landscape of today's information age, several Board members pay special attention to engagement and outreach opportunities afforded by social media and provide the Development Office with their advice.

 

We're working in other areas to meet our mission of strengthening ties within the alumni community and advancing the welfare of the Observatory, and these will be described in future letters. For now, I encourage you to remain informed about the Observatory’s mission, activities, strengths and needs. To do this I urge you to subscribe to the Director’s Weekly Reports ; regularly visit the Lamont website for latest news updates; when in the area, come to Lamont to attend Friday colloquiums, Open House or the Public Lecture Series; attend the annual reception in San Francisco; and stay current with communications produced by the Development Office.

 

You may have seen the splendid news in mid-January that Peter Molnar (PhD '70) has been selected for the prestigious Crafoord Prize . Just a week before, Peter accepted an invitation to come to Palisades for a several-day visit in April as an honored guest to give lectures and meet with current graduate students. We hope this will become an annual event where alumni of special renown return for similar visits. These occasions will enable the Observatory to honor one of its own and provide those currently at Lamont the opportunity to meet or re-acquaint, and experience first-hand the value of maintaining ties across miles and years.

 

Please contact Stacey Vassallo in the Development Office if there are additional features you'd like to find here. 

 

Regards to all -

Greg Mountain (PhD '81)

Winter 2014