The below message was sent to faculty, staff, and students on March 18, 2026.
Dear Bryn Mawr Community,
So much good is happening on campus and we have much to look forward to in the celebrations to come this spring. Evelyn "Evie" Jones Rich '54 was on campus on Monday visiting with students, faculty and alumnae and talking about her new book Civil Rights Warrior: A Life on the Front Lines of Justice, Equality, and the American Dream. Her clarity, courage, and commitment at the age of almost 93 are an inspiration, and her experience as one of the first Black residential students at Bryn Mawr is an important part of our history.
In further good news, Hannah Epstein '26 was recently awarded a Watson Fellowship for a project about journalism in post-conflict areas that will take her to Bosnia, Cyprus, Indonesia, and Northern Ireland. Rachael Finke '26 was awarded a Gaither Fellowship from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace for a year-long internship at a think tank in Washington, DC, on the topic of Democracy, Conflict, and Governance. And the College has joined "Democracy Summer," a network of hundreds of schools and allied organizations uniting to strengthen American democracy and civic participation.
If you did not attend the extremely informative recent talk by Tim Powers, from the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU), please take time to review his slides here. Katie Nash, our new Vice President for External Relations, is following the developments he discussed, and more, and working with partners across the College to plan proactively. Please feel free to be in touch with her directly with questions or for more background.
The College and members of our community have been featured in the national media. Last week, Bryn Mawr was the focus of "How Libraries Shape AI Literacy on Campus" in Inside Higher Ed. The Philadelphia Inquirer featured the Bi-Co neuroscience program earlier in the month. National Public Radio recently included a new podcast from Lost Women of Science telling the story of Katharine Burr Blodgett, class of 1917, who invented nonreflective glass while working at General Electric. And the New York Times Magazine story on affordable housing in New York City mentions Cea Weaver '10, head of the Mayor's Office to Protect Tenants.
In support of our environmental sustainability goals and those of Lower Merion Township, the College will be transitioning to battery-powered leaf blowers in the coming weeks. Facilities Services has invested not only in electric leaf blowers but also in other battery-powered equipment, such as string trimmers, multi-use tools, a chainsaw, and a water pump. The Cloisters will be serviced by an electric robotic lawnmower – watch this channel to propose a name for it. Transitioning our equipment away from fossil fuels is one step on our journey toward becoming a sustainability-based community – an opportunity for us to innovate beyond existing norms to achieve shared environmental goals.
Finally, please plan to join me to recognize and celebrate more joy in our community at the Campus Awards ceremony on Wednesday, April 29th at 4 p.m. This gathering is new this year and allows us to honor student, faculty, and staff recipients of the McPherson Awards, members of the Community Building Honor Roll, academic department award winners, and others from many parts of campus whose accomplishments have strengthened our community this academic year. This event replaces multiple award ceremonies traditionally held toward the end of the academic year, so all students, faculty, and staff can more easily attend and celebrate one another. Please reach out to officeofthepresident@brynmawr.edu with any questions.
With thanks and in anticipation,
Wendy Cadge
President and Professor of Sociology
Bryn Mawr College
101 N. Merion Ave., Bryn Mawr, PA 19010
Pronouns: she/her
brynmawr.edu
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