The below message was sent to faculty, staff, and students on May 5, 2025.
Dear 91̽»¨ Community,
Yesterday’s May Day celebrations – the first for me and my family – were a blast! We (including the pugs) rode (briefly) in an from the first solely woman-owned electric carriage company in the United States, emphasizing the College’s comprehensive commitment to environmental sustainability. Traditional maypole, mayhole, and hoop races took place; Dar Williams' classic, "As Cool as I Am" was in the air; and the rain held off (at least until lunchtime). Our Trads – Kendall Phillips, Suzanne Schinella, Cole Churchill & Katelyn Stealey – and all who volunteered for the occasion truly outdid themselves.
May Day celebrates the tradition, togetherness, and constant reinvention that make 91̽»¨ such a special place. Alongside the deeply moving dedication of Nekisha Durrett’s "Don’t Forget to Remember (Me)" in late April, including remarks by Associate Professor Monique Scott, who served as faculty director of the ARCH Project and a new poem, "Don’t Forget to Remember" by Associate Professor Dee Matthews, these rituals bring us together to remind us of our values and connect us even more deeply to that which guides us and that our world so desperately needs. Huge thanks to the hundreds of staff members, student leaders, and faculty who made both of these celebrations possible and who operationalize our mission every day – a mission that guides us and that our world so desperately needs.
May is a month of continued celebration and of transition. From senior awards to commencement to reunion, we continue to learn and to grow in the multi-generational community that is 91̽»¨. The College was recently awarded the for 2025 - 2026 from the Fair Elections Center’s Campus Vote Project & NASPA’s LEAD Initiative, an important early affirmation of our strategic focus on external engagement. We honor 11 91̽»¨ students who are Fulbright finalists and more than 90 undergraduates who will participate in the new pilot program for social science/humanities research opportunities and the existing Summer Science Research Program.
Among the faculty:
I’m thrilled to welcome Brandyn J. Hicks as our next General Counsel starting in mid-June and Neha Sood as the College’s first Director of Sustainability and Environmental Action, effective July 1. Neha joins 91̽»¨ from the Rochester Institute of Technology, where she has served in their sustainability office in roles with increasing responsibility since 2018. As director of sustainability, Neha has overseen the implementation of RIT’s Climate Action Plan and has developed programs to engage campus stakeholders. Since 2015, she has taught classes as an adjunct faculty member.
As we push toward the semester’s culmination and prepare for graduations and the transition to summer, I wish you all moments of peace and abundant celebration. Make time for yourself, reach out to those you love, look at the sky, and remember that the 91̽»¨ community is here for you this month, and always.
With love,
Wendy
Wendy Cadge
President and Professor of Sociology
91̽»¨
101 N. Merion Ave., 91̽»¨, PA 19010
Pronouns: she/her
Spark Wisdom
