Conference exceeds expectations

Robin Wiessmann '75 (left), Kimberly Nieskens '07, Connie VanBlargan, and Lori Saybolt P'06 listen to speakers during a workshop.

An enthusiastic group of women returned to campus for an extremely successful two-day women's conference March 26-27. About 150 alumnae, faculty, parents, and friends attended "Women's Voices on Home, Health, and Careers," which was sponsored by the Council of Lafayette Women.

"We developed this event to bring together the women of the College community in a fresh and dynamic way, and by all accounts it exceeded our expectations," said Diane Jakacki '86, conference chair. "It was a thrill to watch so many women reconnect with their classmates and professors, and have such a great time coming back to campus!"

The event featured master classes, book discussions, and talks by 30 experts on health, stress, careers, finance, and family issues. The health sessions were co-sponsored by Lehigh Valley Hospital.

Prof. Susan Averett (left) speaks during the "Making Time for Yourself" section of the Women's Voices Conference, with Elisabeth MacDonald '81 (center), and Diane Elliott '74.

Hillary McGuire '77 does yoga during the conference.

Dinner speaker Darlyne Bailey '74 (left), vice president of academic affairs and dean, Teachers College, Columbia University, chats with Alma Scott-Buczak '74.

"The classes offered were interesting, informative, and entertaining," said participant Ellen Poriles Weiler '83. "I was hard-pressed to decide which ones I should attend, because they were all appealing."

Mini-reunion: Anne Matlack '85 (from left), Diane Jakacki '86, Amanda Higgs Drobac '86, and Susan Kowalenko '86, gather around Wynne Whitman '86 (seated). Whitman and Kowalenko spoke on financial planning for women.

Among the popular offerings were sessions led by faculty members Diane Ahl, art; Susan Averett and Rosie Bukics, economics and business; Susan Basow, psychology; Deborah Byrd, Lee Upton, Laura Walls, and Suzanne Westfall, English; Michelle Geoffrion-Vinci, Spanish; Elizabeth McMahon, mathematics; Susan Niles, anthropology and sociology; and Robin Rinehart, religious studies.

Rache Simmons, a surgeon and breast cancer expert at New York-Presbyterian Weill-Cornell Medical Center's Strand Breast Cancer Center, was the keynote speaker at lunch Friday. She discussed advances in breast cancer surgery and reconstruction. Dinner keynote speaker Darlyne Bailey '74, vice president for academics and dean of Teachers College, Columbia University, spoke about her journey from College Hill to Columbia and issues in higher education administration.