The Value of Alumnae/i Perspectives

Dear Friends: Last fall, I was fortunate to welcome two esteemed alumnae to campus. Drew Gilpin Faust ’68, president emerita of Harvard University, joined me for a September interview and signing of her new memoir, Necessary Trouble: Growing Midcentury. Mindy Fullilove ’71, a board-certified psychologist and Urban Policy and Health professor at The New School, returned for several events as the 2023 Mary Flexner Lecturer. The timing of these visits fell precisely when our community most needed the perspective of alumnae/i who have lived as Bryn Mawr students and continued their pursuit of learning and understanding after graduation. They brought new perspectives to broader campus dialogues, and both spoke to how their time at Bryn Mawr has shaped their development as scholars and leaders.

Before a full audience in Old Library, Professor Faust spoke about leadership; the development of her academic research and writing about the American South; and, of course, how attending Bryn Mawr shaped her personal and professional growth. She detailed her endeavors to advance social justice as a student and even touched on how her perspective and approach evolved when she was Harvard’s president.

I was struck by how Professor Faust’s experience speaks to our current moment. Bryn Osborne ’24, Self-Government Association president, noted this connection when she introduced Professor Faust: “Especially in this current moment of pain, suffering, and division, both on campus and in the world, I hope that I and all Bryn Mawr students are able to live up to that ideal of bettering both ourselves and the world around us and to follow in her footsteps by prioritizing justice, speaking truth to power, and working to secure a safe and equitable world for all.”

Professor Fullilove was the first alumna to hold the Flexner Lectureship. Established in memory of Mary Flexner, Bryn Mawr Class of 1895, the lectureship brings renowned humanists to campus for a lecture series that engages the Bryn Mawr community around key questions in the humanities. Professor Fullilove’s research focuses on the collective trauma of displacement and practices of resilience and healing in marginalized communities. Her lectures used this lens to explore Korean drama in a series she titled “The Tao of K-Drama.” Professor Fullilove’s analysis of the ways that some individuals have processed trauma allowed the campus to see how others have found resilience and hope in the face of pain and loss. Professor Fullilove also shared details about her time on campus, an experience that influenced her personal and intellectual development.

At the conclusion of her final lecture, she invited all attendees to come on stage for a photograph. It was a pleasure to join current students and other attendees to share this full-circle moment for someone who began her academic journey at Bryn Mawr.

Just as Professor Fullilove and Professor Faust were shaped by world events in their time at Bryn Mawr, today’s students will see a similar impact in their lives. I hope the words and examples of our two alumnae demonstrate how we can work to advance social justice and lean into collective resilience while staying true to our commitment to strengthening our campus community.

With best wishes to all,

Kim Cassidy
President