Mary Lyon Dinner on May 27!

The annual Mary Lyon Dinner will be held at the Town and County Club in Hartford on Wednesday, May 27. This event will feature guest speaker Kate Ballantine, assistant professor of environmental studies at Mount Holyoke, an opportunity to meet with alumna author Robin McLean, and the election of club officers for 2015–16.

Ballantine will speak on the College’s restoration ecology program. She was recently awarded funding to start this program and has been working with students to develop and implement a plan to improve water quality in Upper and Lower Lakes by restoring a wetland on campus. While her focus is on the ecology of Mount Holyoke, her reach is much broader, as she works to develop MHC into a global center for restoration research and education. Ballantine’s passion for her research is infectious. Check out her students’ work on their Facebook page and website.

Meet Short Story Writer Robin McLean

A cocktail hour with cash bar will be held beginning at 5:30 p.m., followed by the dinner with guest speaker at 6:15. During cocktails, Robin McLean ’87 will be available to talk about her award-winning, debut short story collection, Reptile House, to be released by BOA Editions on May 12. The collection won the 2013 BOA Editions Short Fiction Prize and was a finalist for the Flannery O’Connor Short Story Prize in 2011 and 2012. We are delighted to welcome Robin as she kicks off her book tour.

Nomination and Election of Club Officers

Our current slate of officers for 2015–16 is:

President : Carrie Field

Co-Vice Presidents: Marnie Clark and Carolyn Dorais

Treasurer: OPEN

Secretary: Annmarie Merritt

Social Media Chair: Liz O’Grady

Young Alumnae Rep: Tinashe Masaya

Admissions Rep: OPEN

If you or someone you know would be interested in serving as treasurer or admissions representative, please contact Carrie Field at carriannaK@gmail.com. The admissions representative coordinates with the admissions office to communicate with admitted students and works to promote Mount Holyoke in area high schools.

Please RSVP for the Mary Lyon Dinner by May 18!

Entrée choices are broiled salmon, chicken chardonnay, or mushroom ravioli. The cost of the dinner is $30 for young alumnae (Classes of 2011–15) and $35 for all other alumnae and guests.

RSVP by Monday, May 18, by sending a check made out to Mount Holyoke Alumnae Club of Hartford to Natasha Domina, 237 Main Street, Rockfall CT 06481, and indicate your meal choice (salmon, chicken or vegetarian).

The Town and County Club is located at 22 Woodland Avenue in Hartford.Click here for directions.

Many thanks to the dinner committee—Natasha Domina, Susan Glasspiegel, Rita MacRae, and Lynn Hayden Wadhams—for all their work in organizing the dinner.