May 23, 2026
Fellow Members of the Class of 1985 –
I attended the Alumni Council meeting held virtually on May 7–8. Two discussions stood out in particular, one with President Beilock and a separate one with the Trustees.
President Beilock Discussion
President Beilock highlighted three key priorities: career design, with a particular emphasis on internships; promoting dialogue and free expression; and strengthening research initiatives. I shared an update on changes at the Center for Career Design in my fall report, and you may also have seen the recent alumni magazine cover story on the Class of 2025’s experience entering a sluggish hiring market. Beilock announced the successful fundraising of $30 million to support unpaid internships. She then outlined six major research priorities for Dartmouth: Rural Health; Economy, Democracy, and Security; Neuroscience and Mental Health; Biomolecular Engineering; Cultivating Creativity; and Cold Weather, Polar, and Ice Research. On AI, Beilock emphasized that Dartmouth’s approach is to use these tools to enhance student learning, not replace it, pointing to the partnership with Anthropic and plans for a conference on human judgment in the AI era.
Trustees Discussion and the Black Visual Arts Center
The Trustees shared updates on several major strategic initiatives, including a 10-year vision plan, significant investments in housing, and the creation of the School of Arts and Sciences. They also highlighted progress in financial aid, admissions, and the overall student experience.
Board Chair Gregg Lemkau ’91 addressed the ongoing discussion surrounding the Black Family Visual Arts Center, noting both the complexity and the sensitivity of the issue. He announced plans to establish a trustee committee to review Dartmouth’s naming policies more comprehensively, with an emphasis on community input and structural action. The committee’s formation and mandate are expected to be finalized at the June board meeting, with the goal of applying any new policies to the Black Visual Arts Center as well as future cases.
Other Concerns Raised by Alumni Councilors
Alumni Councilors asked thoughtful and direct questions of President Beilock, the Trustees, and senior administrators on a range of issues, including the new alcohol management policy, mental health support, diversity, equity, and inclusion, affordability, support for international students, and the process for reporting and addressing safety incidents on campus.
Other Campus Updates
President Beilock has also been making key leadership appointments, including Santiago Schnell, PhD as Provost and Jennifer Hunt, MD as the new Dean of the Geisel School of Medicine, while continuing to reshape the reporting structure through the creation of the new School of Arts and Sciences. Schnell, most recently Dean of Sciences at Notre Dame (https://home.dartmouth.edu/news/2025/05/dartmouth-names-santiago-schnell-provost), brings a strong academic leadership background. Jennifer Hunt, former dean at University of Florida College of Medicine, is the first woman to lead the medical school in its 229-year history (https://geiselmed.dartmouth.edu/news/2026/jennifer-hunt-named-dean-of-geisel-school-of-medicine/). The new School of Arts and Sciences is intended to centralize resources, strengthen the undergraduate experience, and better align academic departments with student life under one administrative structure, all in service of a “world-class research university that is focused on the undergraduate experience.”
Full Meeting Minutes
You can review the full meeting minutes on the Alumni Council Website
What Is Important for You?
Was this the kind of information you were hoping alumni representatives would raise? What other topics would you like to hear more about? I’d welcome any feedback for the administration, as well as any questions you may have.
Please feel free to email me at jgabler4@gmail.com, or better yet, find me in person at our 40th Reunion … which brings me to …
Our 40th Reunion
It’s hard to believe that our 40th reunion in Hanover is less than a month away. I’m looking forward to seeing many of you there. Our reunion committee has been working tirelessly to make it a memorable weekend. I’d like to give them a special shout-out for the enormous time and care they have devoted to every detail: Beth Parish (our fearless leader), Jeff Weitzman, Claudia Broeker Egger, Lisa Sweeney Herrington, Todd Cranford, Kim Booker Schmid, Marcy Marceau, Rick Joyce, Margaret Warren Marder, and Valerie Hartman.
See you soon on the Hanover Plain!
Jenny Gabler ‘85
