See what our College community has been up to in the past month in our Campus Recap.
|
|
|
MISSED THE STATE OF THE COLLEGE? WATCH NOW!
We want to thank all of those who attended the State of the College in person and online. Your presence and support means so much to our community. During the address, we announced the College’s plans to reopen Main Building thanks to the support of key donors.
If you weren’t able to join live you can watch the recording online.
|
VWP WRAPS UP ANOTHER GREAT WEEK OF SERVICE
Four times a year, Volunteer Work Project (VWP), a group of committed Antiochians, reunite on campus to support the College by helping with various tasks around campus. This week ten alumni and 2 friends of the College are participating in Spring 2026 VWP.
Projects this week have included:
- Collecting leaves, sticks, and debris and trimming & weeding various gardens around campus: Birch Hall, the site of Mills, North Hall, Main Hall/Horseshoe, South Hall, Spalt, and the OKL
- Replacing light bulbs and repairing dryer vents in North Hall and replacing light bulbs in the Birch Hall parking lot
- Repairing the soffit and a downspout on South Hall, the roof facia on Weston, and the roof drip edge on Case Commons
- Applying water sealer to the columns of Pennell House to better protect against the elements
- Recovering broken window glass shards from two buildings
- Project participants have accumulated over 300 service hours.
And a special thank you to the brilliant volunteer chefs who have kept the crew well fed with meals cooked up in the Coretta Scott King Center kitchen.
VWP will be back on campus the week before Reunion, July 13 to 17. Find more information and register for Summer 2026 VWP through the online form.
|
WORK IN PROGRESS TO GET FOUNDRY THEATER BACK ONLINE
Our team is hard at work in the Foundry Theater. After a winter storm caused damage to the building, several shows have been moved to the Herndon Gallery and off campus. But our team is diligently working to oversee repairs, clean up the space, and get it back online so we can finish the 2025-2026 season strong.
|
STUDENTS, FACULTY, RECEIVE FUNDING FOR WELLNESS INITIATIVES
Antioch College is part of a multi-year initiative known as the Endeavor Lab Colleges which focuses on well-being and belonging on college campuses. Four people received funding for their initiatives as part of the grant program. Congratulations to our recipients:
- Self Care Sundays at the Antioch Wellness Center, led by student, Heather Cain. The Wellness Center has graciously offered to extend their Sunday hours to create student-only time blocks.
Increasing our fleet of Chromebooks for check-out at the Olive Kettering Library, led by Dr. Natalie Suzelis
Birch Hall Accessible Entrance research and potential construction, led by student, Elowyn Fahnestock
Mural and Mosaic Community Project, led by student, Lark Orbe
A TRIP TO WILMINGTON COLLEGE FARM
Antioch Farm Manager, Bruce Linebaugh, and others within the campus community took a trip to Wilmington College on National Agriculture Day this month. The group toured their farm and looked at the rain water harvesting system they have in place. New lambs and goats were also on the farm, making the trip all the more exciting.
|
|
|
CO-OP FACULTY HELP SECURE GRANT SUPPORTING NEW ECOFARM PROGRAM
Richard Kraince, Associate Professor of Cooperative and International Education, helped secure a grant from the Elevar Fund. The College is pleased to announce that it received three times the funds that we requested. The Elevar fund seeks to promote innovation in the regenerative agriculture sector across the Greater Dayton region. Part of the grant will be used to support the College’s new EcoFarm & Food Foresting Program, expand the student workforce that fuels our eco-farming efforts on campus, and support faculty efforts to engage adult practitioners who are eager to adopt regenerative approaches and build sustainable agriculture skills.
Registration for our summer EcoFarm and Food Foresting Workshop is NOW OPEN!
Learn more about the course offerings and register online.
VISITING INSTRUCTOR OF SPANISH SPENDS A FEW MONTHS IN PERU
Allie McCarty, Visiting Instructor of Spanish, recently spent time at the Chaikuni Permaculture Institute located in the Amazon, about 2 hours by boat outside of Iquitos, Peru, which is the largest city in the world not connected by road. The main purpose of Chaikuni is to combat local areas affected by illegal slash and burn used in “monocropping,” predominantly yuca. Soil exposure from cutting essentially burns and degrades the top level of the soil, so traditional farming styles only have a 5-year yield at most. Chaikui is actively working to enact agroforestry principles similar to permaculture in order to rehabilitate certain “chakras” or fields in the area. In addition, McCarty participated in various educational workshops, including the regional agroforestry workshop, cacao harvesting and processing, beekeeping, and more.
|
|
|
IN MEMORIAM
The Antioch College community mourns the passing of Steve Schwerner ’60, former Dean of Students (1976–1991), professor (1991–2003), Alumni Board member, and Trustee. Schwerner studied at Antioch in the late 1950s, where he became involved in the civil rights movement, a commitment that would shape his life and work for decades. As a faculty member, he taught courses in education, psychology, jazz history, and the civil rights movement, inspiring generations of students. Beyond the classroom, he was the longtime host of a jazz program on WYSO, sharing his deep love of music with the broader community. Schwerner will be remembered for his enduring contributions, his passion for justice, and his lasting impact on Antioch College.
|
|
|
Every gift to Antioch this month is matched dollar-for-dollar, doubling your support for students. Help us unlock matching funds and make twice the impact by March 31.
We thank Dr. Scott Wheeler ’74, one of our key matching gift donors for March. Scott appeals to his fellow alumni:
“To other Antiochians—if you have been thinking about giving Antioch a substantial gift, but have yet to do so—I’m here to tell you that there’s nothing like that feeling. So do yourself the favor by doing it now!”
We’re nearly halfway to our goal, and with just a few days left in March, now is the moment for alumni and friends to rally together.
Every gift helps ensure we unlock the full amount of available matching funds—so that no support for our students is left on the table.
|
|
|
|
From the earliest days of Antioch to the present, Antiochians have advanced scientific knowledge in ways that shape how we understand the world and care for one another — Stephen Jay Gould, Mario Cappecchi, Joan Argetsinger, Seymour Reichlin, Gary Strichartz… the list goes on!
This week, we’d like to share a few profiles from the archives of other Antiochians who have made strides in the field of sciences:
Myrick Hascall Doolittle, class of 1862. After a brilliant undergraduate career, Myrick H. Doolittle had a brief stint on the Antioch College Faculty teaching astronomy and physics. He soon went to Harvard for graduate study with the eminent mathematician Benjamin Pierce. In 1864 he took a job at the US Naval Observatory, then the most important scientific research institution in the country, where he specialized in observing Meridian Zenith Distances to improve mapping and navigation. He then spent the rest of his career, all 38 years of it, at the US Coast and Geodetic Survey mapping and charting coastlines. In 1878 he made improvements to the Gauss method of solving normal equations, known to mathematicians as “Gauss-Doolittle” to this day.
Miriam Horowitz Meisler, class of 1964. The Myron Levine Distinguished University Professor, Professor of Human Genetics and Professor of Neurology at the University of Michigan Medical School earned her PhD at The Ohio State University in Physiological Chemistry and had a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute. Her primary research focus has been sodium channel mutations in epilepsy and studying human genetic disorders and mouse models relevant to human health. She has authored or coauthored hundreds of scientific articles. The Meisler Lab (it’s really called that!) at UM studies the molecular mechanisms behind inherited neurological disease
Lonnie MacDonald, class of 1950. After completing his education at Antioch, Lonnie entered Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons, earning his M.D. in 1954. He interned at Bellevue Hospital, and later attended Yale University’s Psychiatric Residence Training Program. There he was appointed to the Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry’s Committee on Preventive Psychiatry, which contributed to his lifelong interest in the relationship between psychiatry and public health. He pursued this interest at the School of Public Health and Administrative Medicine, and the Psychoanalytic Clinic for Training and Research, both at Columbia, and in 1960 earned a Master of Public Health in Community Psychiatry. He then became the first Chief of the newly established Community Psychiatry Division of Harlem Hospital where he served for over two decades before devoting himself to a thriving private practice, which he maintained until his retirement in 2014.
Across generations, Antiochians in the sciences have carried forward a shared commitment to discovery, public health, and human understanding. Their work reflects not only individual achievement, but a collective legacy rooted in Antioch’s values. It is a legacy that continues to inspire new generations of students to pursue science in service of a more just and informed world.
|
THE CORETTA SCOTT KING CENTER
The Coretta Scott King Center at Antioch College continues Mrs. King’s vision of the Beloved Community by advancing racial and social justice through education, dialogue, and action. Sponsors help sustain transformative programs like the Global Racial & Social Justice Summit, Freedom Forums, student resource spaces, and community care projects. As we prepare to celebrate the Center’s 20th anniversary in 2026 and Mrs. King’s 100th birthday in 2027, we invite you to partner with us in this vital work.
Learn more at antiochcollege.edu/cskc. Email Jera Oliver if you are interested.
|
|
|
SPRING VOLUNTEER WORK PROJECT
Over a dozen alumni (and friends) volunteers convened on campus this week for the Volunteer Work Project Spring work week. This talented crew changed lights and and cleaned dryer vents in North, waterproofed the columns of Pennel, fixed a gutter on Weston, replaced filters in the Arts and Sciences Building, organized the VWP workshop, fixed a window leak in the President’s office, cleaned gutters, and trimmed trees. There was a spring cleaning of the grounds. Volunteers cleared leaves and sticks from the Birch patio, Red Square, Spalt entrance, and the basement exits of North and South. They also did some preliminary work on getting Kelly Hall ready for use! We are proud to host this unique alumni-driven project four times a year, in a tradition that started in 1986. Happy 40th anniversary, Volunteer Work Project!
|
|
|
REUNION 2026: ANTIOCH FEAST
|
|
|
|
Join us for a feast of ideas and celebration during Reunion 2026, JULY 16-19
Antiochians young and old, near and far: It’s time to reunite in YSO! Let’s break bread with a glass of wine and compelling conversations. All are welcome at this table! Join Antiochians from every corner of the world in Yellow Springs as we celebrate Antioch College’s unique commitment to the science, politics, history, culinary arts, and aesthetics of food and wine. Join us at the Antioch Feast!
The schedule of events include social hours, engaging panels, an art fair, presidential address, Alumni Association meeting, performances and screenings, award ceremonies, tours, and shared meals. We also have our perennial favorite activities: the Thursday bonfire, Cabaret Horace on Friday, and on Saturday, DIV Dance!
|
HISTORY WITH SCOTT: ANTIOCH COLLEGE LECTURE SERIES
Join us at OK Library or online for a series of entertaining presentations on Antioch’s notable 175-year history. These talks are free and open to the public. Attend in person, or join virtually via Zoom.
DATES AND TOPICS
OKL & Zoom, 12:30-1:30 pm
RSVP for the series.
April 8 – Fact and Fiction of Antioch College
An attempt to dispel three seemingly impossible-to-dispel myths about the College.
May 13 – Red, Russians, and Spies
Two former professors who used Antioch as a haven from dangerous Russian and Communist spies; one for real, and the other maybe in his head.
June 10 – Why So Many Damn Colleges in Ohio
An attempt to explain the reason for the establishment of over eighty small colleges in the great state of Ohio.
July 8 – Antioch and The Civil War
A history of Antioch College during the central event in American history, the US Civil War, including exploits and experiences of Antiochians who served in the conflict.
August 12 – The Devil and Daniel Ellsberg or How Scott Got Fired
A brief history of Antiochiana and a harrowing personal account of Scott’s experiences with Antioch University.
September 9 – The Life of Hugh Taylor Birch
The improbable rags to riches story of a dropout from the 1860s who gave Antioch College a glen (and so much more) and has a dormitory named in his honor.
October 14 – Women of the Glen
The lives of three women associated with the College’s former nature preserve: a scientist, an art collector, and a sculptor.
November 11 – My Hero Horace Mann
A biographical picture show about Antioch College’s first president.
|
|
|
Alumni Engagement Opportunities
|
REUNION CLASS AGENTS NEEDED
We’re looking for class agents for Reunion! Is this an anniversary year for you? Help us get your class to turn out for this special event. We’ll set you up with a roster and you’ll contact your classmates to encourage them to attend. Email Alumni Relations to help get the word out: it’s time to reunite in YSO!
The big ones: 1976 will be celebrating their 50th anniversary and the Class of 2001 their 25th. But there’s more! 2021’s 5th; 2016’s 10th; 2006’s 20th; 1996’s 30th; 1991’s 35th; 1986’s 40th; 1981’s 45th; 1971’s 55th; 1966’s 60th; and 1961’s 65th.
We’d love to organize several volunteers from each graduation class to participate. Get in touch with reunion planners to join in! For more info, visit the Reunion website.
|
VOLUNTEER WORK PROJECT
VWP is an alumni-led volunteer corps that donates their time and labor to the College several times a year. Alums and friends return to campus for a week, working on everything from grounds-keeping to repairs to administrative tasks. Delicious meals and housing is provided.
RSVP now for a uniquely Antiochian volunteer opportunity!
Summer Project, July 13-16 – Reunion is July 16-19
Fall Project, October 19-23
|
|
|
EcoFarm & Food Foresting Program @ The Antioch Farm
|
|
|
Coretta Scott King Legacy Banquet Fundraiser
Join us for an evening of inspiration as we celebrate 20 years of the Coretta Scott King Center.
Sunday, April 26th, 2026
Where: Springfield Museum of Art, 107 Cliff Park Rd, Springfield, OH 45504
When: 5:00 PM Check-in | Program starts at 5:30 PM
The Evening Includes:
Dinner
CSKC Anniversary Presentation
Live Music
Fundraising Opportunities
Panel: Facing contemporary human rights challenges
Commencement 2026
Saturday, June 20, 2026 at 10 AM
Roots and Wings Youth Camp
Planting life skills for grounded and confident growth
A summer day camp filled with Farm Adventures, Fitness Fun, Performing Arts, Culinary Activities, Social Awareness, Creative Writing & Crafts & Games.
For: Recommended for students entering 2nd grade – 6th grade, Fall 2025
When: Monday, July 6 – Friday, July 10, 2026, 9am-4pm Daily
Location: Wellness Center at Antioch College
Register your child today!
|
|
|
Antioch College
*{{Organization Address}}*
|
|
|
You are being sent this email because you are a subscriber.
If you wish to update your Email Preferences or Unsubscribe, click *{{Unsubscribe}}*
|
|
|
|
