In May, alumnae from across the country will return to Morningside Heights to visit the place where they spent their most formative years. Some are local, like Sarah Stern ’86, who will journey from the Bronx for her 40th reunion. Others will travel thousands of miles, like Nina Shaw ’76 and Rebecca Lieberman ’16, who will fly in from Los Angeles and Hawaii, respectively.
From May 28-30, Barnard’s campus will become a home again to alumnae, whether celebrating their tenth anniversary or seventieth. The reunion will give alumnae an opportunity to take classes from Barnard professors to pique their love of lifelong learning, reconnect with former classmates or, for some, connect for the very first time.
The three-day event marks one of Barnard’s most beloved and anticipated traditions, bringing together graduates across generations. Throughout the weekend, attendees can participate in a dynamic lineup of events, including faculty-led discussions from Barnard professors including Monica Miller, Chair of the Africana Studies Department, Anne Higonnet, the Barbara Novak Professor of Art History, and a workshop in data analysis.
Come take a peek at the newest building on campus with guided tours of the Roy and Diana Vagelos Science Center, Barnard’s forthcoming hub for all bench sciences at the College, housing them under one roof and nearly doubling the research lab space. Alumnae can also tour the Francine A. LeFrak Foundation Center for Well-Being, housing the College’s innovative three-pillar approach to wellness with centers that help guide students toward achieving financial, mental and physical well-being.
Attendees can partake in the Barnard Alumnae Book Club, with an alumnae panel featuring Mary Gordon ’71, Amy Blumenfeld Kamensky ’96, Hester Kaplan ’81, and Elizabeth Benedict ’76. Reunion goers will also have the opportunity to screen the docuseries To Marry Whom you Love, Or, Not at All, which tells the story of how women drove the legal and social transformations that allow Americans today to choose their own paths in love, partnership, and singlehood. Alumnae will also gather to honor achievements of members in the community during the Alumnae Association of Barnard College (AABC) Awards Celebration.
"I'm excited to see old friends and take part in the festivities. Forty years!” said Stern. “Being an English major at Barnard has had a profound effect on my life.”
For Nina Shaw, reunion serves as a reminder of the lifelong community Barnard has given her.
“My Barnard experience was revelatory, and I am eternally grateful for the education I received and the opportunities it afforded me,” said Shaw. “Reunion is a chance for many of us to reunite.”
Reunion also offers events for specific classes, such as "Class of 1966: Is Age Just a Number? Our Class Looks at the Complexities of the Years to Come” and “Class of 1986: The Intersectionality of Creativity and the Law." Also during the weekend, the Class of 1991 is invited to a lunch with award-winning columnist, author, and alumna Anna Quindlen ’74.
"I count my four years at Barnard among the transformative experiences of my life,” said Janet Bersin Finke ’56, an eager attendee.
Barnard Reunion is more than a homecoming, it’s a continuation of each and every alumna’s story. It’s an opportunity to honor the past while investing in the future of the Barnard community.
The full reunion event schedule can be found here.