All-Class Events May 23 - 26, 2019

List of Activities

Return to Reunion

This list of YAA lectures, tours and other activities will be updated through the spring, right up until reunions.

  • Thursday 5/23/19

    Meet Me at Mory's!

    May 23 9:00PM - 11:59PM
    Mory's | 306 York Street

    Plan to meet your friends at Mory’s, the place to be Thursday night as the doors are thrown open to all returning alumni! Complimentary food, cash bar, impromptu singing and camaraderie from 9 pm to midnight.

  • Friday 5/24/19

    Special Events

    May 24 9:00AM - May 25 5:00PM

    Receptions and other events sponsored by a variety of cultural houses, departments, and programs are scheduled throughout the weekend. Look for gatherings at the Afro-American, Asian American, Native American, and Latino Cultural Centers, as well as events organized by Dwight Hall, GALA (LGBY Alunu/ae), Directed Studies and Athletics, to name a few.

    Yale and America

    May 24 10:30AM - 11:30AM

    Jay Gitlin , ’71, ’74 MusM, ’02 PhD, Lecturer in History; Associate Director, Howard R. Lamar Center for the Study of Frontiers & Borders

    Professor Gitlin will give a brief description of his popular seminar, "Yale and America," and will then be joined by three students making short talks based on their research: David McCullough '17 on "Admitting the Elite: Admissions and the Changing Definition of Merit at Yale, 1950-1980;" Alexandra Small '18 on "Presidential Spouses as Creators of Yale Culture;" and Rachel Troy '19 on "The Ironic History of American Studies at Yale."

    Professor Gitlin is an Association of Yale Alumni Howard R. Lamar Faculty Award recipient for 2018.

    Searching for Other Earths

    May 24 10:30AM - 11:30AM

    Debra Fischer , Professor of Astronomy

    Dr. Fischer will highlight a new instrument built by her team that is changing the field of exoplants by enabling the detection of small rocky planets like Earth, orbiting nearby stars.

    University Welcome Reception

    May 24 4:30PM - 6:30PM
    Cross Campus | On College between Elm & Wall

    All classes are invited to a festive wine and cheese reception on Cross Campus. Bring your friends and enjoy a wide sampling of labels from a variety of small vineyards.

  • Saturday 5/25/19

    Precision Medicine and the Cancer Therapy Revolution: Fighting Cancer with the Immune System

    May 25 9:00AM - 10:00AM

    Dr. Roy S. Herbst '84 B.S., '84 M.S . , Chief of Medical Oncology, Yale Cancer Center and Smilow Cancer Hospital

    Despite improvements in therapy, cancer remains the second leading cause of death in the US, after heart disease. For this reason, significant efforts have been made to examine the interaction between cancer and the immune system, leading to the discovery of the programmed death pathway, found to play a key role in immune evasion by cancer cells. Newly approved drugs that target these key immune regulators have revolutionized treatment for many types of cancer. Although these drugs have shown significant activity in some patients, only 15-20% of patients respond overall, so it remains critical that we better understand the biology of cancer and continue to identify predictive markers of sensitivity and resistance. The Yale Center for Immuno-oncology is working in all these areas. New concepts and approaches will be discussed with a focus on target validation and drug discovery.

    Expressions of the American Ethos in Musical Theater Song

    May 25 9:00AM - 10:00AM

    Daniel Egan , Lecturer in the Department of Music and Theater Studies; Coordinator, Shen Curriculum in Musical Theater

    Why do we love musical theater songs so much? What is it about their construction, melodies and lyrics that move us? In this interactive session, Professor Egan will explore great songs of the American theater as contexted statements of the American ethos, but also as great examples of taut construction and expressive wonder. From Showboat to Rodgers & Hammerstein, Sondheim, all the way to Hamilton , the American Musical Theater mirrors a changing America, while expressing our collective dreams and desires.

    Newberry Organ Tour

    May 25 9:00AM - 11:30AM
    Woolsey Hall | 500 College Street

    With its 142 stops, 197 ranks, 12,641 pipes, 30,000 pneumatic valves, 1,000 pneumatic motors and 2 turbines, the Newberry Organ is one of the most magnificent orchestral organs in the world and a monument to the state-of-the-art technology of 1928! Come hear this "king of instruments" and take a walking tour behind the pipes, courtesy of University Organist Thomas Murray and Organ Curators Joe Dzeda and Nicholas Thomson-Allen.

    Session runs continually to 11:30 am

    Peabody Museum Kids' Activities

    May 25 10:00AM - 11:30AM
    Peabody Museum | 170 Whitney

    The Peabody Museum invites you to a morning of activities for families with school-aged children. Activities include a scavenger hunt in the Great Hall of Dinosaurs (with prizes!), and an opportunity to see the Museum’s current exhibits, including the new and dramatic display of minerals in David Friend Hall.

    Note: Bus transportation provided in front of Sheffield-Sterling Strathcona Hall, 1 Prospect St., across from Woolsey Hall.

    Treatment of Aggression and Antisocial Behavior in Children

    May 25 10:30AM - 11:30AM

    Alan Kazdin , Sterling Professor of Psychology & Professor of Child Psychiatry

    Severe aggressive and antisocial behavior (frequent fighting, stealing, destroying property, fire setting) in children is one of the most expensive mental health problems in the United States. The presentation will highlight the nature of the problem and what we know about risk factors, causes, and life-long outcomes. The immediate clinical challenges are to reduce these behaviors and markedly improve child functioning at home, at school, and in the community. At Yale, we have developed effective treatments for these children. Yet, many contextual features, both in family life and society at large, contribute to the very problems we are trying to change.

    Architecture, Memory, and the City: New Haven and Beyond

    May 25 10:30AM - 11:30AM

    Elihu Rubin '99, Associate Professor of Urbanism, Yale School of Architecture

    To what extent are our individual and collective memories linked to buildings and places? What are the social and psychological impacts of urban change, from urban renewal to gentrification? Are there local buildings, or "Old Haunts" at Yale, that continue to resonate in your cognitive map of the city? What role should architectural preservation play in the future city, and what creative heritage techniques might be used to bring a sense of the past into the present? Using examples from New Haven and beyond, architectural historian Elihu Rubin discusses these topics and describes recent community-based work he has initiated with students.

    Constitutional Issues in the Age of Trump

    May 25 10:30AM - 11:30AM

    Akhil Reed Amar '80, '84 Law, Sterling Professor of Law and Political Science

    From George Washington forward, America’s presidents have occupied center stage in the nation’s public life; and the present moment is no exception. Also, at no previous era in American history has the presidency been more tightly intertwined with the Ivy League: six of America’s eight most recent chief executives have been Ivy Leaguers – including four Yalies (Gerald Ford, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush). In this reunion session – more an open-ended conversation with alums than a highly structured lecture – Professor Amar will discuss several of the biggest constitutional questions in today’s headlines, with special emphasis on the presidency in general and President Trump in particular. Come prepared to ask questions and offer your opinions – on the electoral college; the Mueller investigation; presidential veto, pardon, nomination, and removal powers; the presidential impeachment process; the Wall; the current presidential succession statute; the Twenty-fifth Amendment; and so on.

    Professor Amar is an Association of Yale Alumni Howard R. Lamar Faculty Award recipient for 2017.

    Knowledge and Leadership for a Sustainable Future: Environmental Challenges Today and the Role of the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies

    May 25 10:30AM - 11:30AM

    Indy Burke , Carl W. Knobloch, Jr. Dean, Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies; Professor of Ecosystem Ecology

    Environmental challenges today are more acute than ever, and not likely to decrease with the growing global need for resources to support human society. What is the role of a university in addressing these issues, how is that changing at this particular time in national history, and how is the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies uniquely suited for bringing scholarship to solutions?

    Time Travels in Physics and Dance

    May 25 10:30AM - 11:30AM
    York St. - 220 | Room: Studio 220 York Street

    Emily Coates '06 '11 M.A., Assistant Professor Adjunct of Theater Studies and School of Drama and Sarah Demers , Horace D. Taft Associate Professor of Physics

    What does a true dialogue between dance and physics look like? Explore this interdisciplinary conversation with Yale professors Emily Coates and Sarah Demers through the lens of durational aesthetics and the theory of special relativity. No prior physics or dance knowledge is required, but there will be an opportunity to move in the studio, so consider wearing comfortable shoes!

    Managing Yale's Endowment

    May 25 10:30AM - 11:30AM

    David Swensen '80 PhD, Yale's Chief Investment Officer, oversees $27 billion in endowment assets and several hundreds of millions of dollars of other investment funds. Under his stewardship during the past 33 years the Yale endowment generated returns of 13.5 percent per annum, a record unequalled among institutional investors. Mr. Swensen leads a staff of 32, located near the University’s campus in downtown New Haven.

    Emotional Intelligence: From Theory to Practice

    May 25 10:30AM - 11:30AM

    Marc Brackett , Director, Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence; Professor in the Child Study Center

    Emotions matter. What we do with our emotions is especially important. When perceived accurately and regulated effectively, emotions help us to focus on important tasks, make effective decisions, enjoy healthy relationships, and manage life’s ups and downs. In this presentation, Professor Brackett will describe the theory of emotional intelligence developed at Yale under President Salovey’s direction and share his decades of research on the relationship between emotional intelligence and important life outcomes. He also will discuss “RULER,” the Center’s evidence-based approach to teaching emotional intelligence in school systems, which has been shown to increase academic performance, decrease bullying, and enhance school climates. Finally, he’ll discuss how creating emotionally intelligent communities can help us to build a more happy, healthy, productive, and compassionate society.

    Have Bones Will Travel - A Special Lecture for Children

    May 25 10:30AM - 11:30AM
    Rosenfeld Hall | 111 Grove St.

    Linda Honan '89 MSN, Associate Professor of Nursing

    In this creative, hands-on program, Professor Honan will educate young participants on the marvels of the human body. Children will be able to touch lung tissue and see the consequences of smoking and air pollution, hold a human skull and learn why bicycle helmets are so important, and handle bones and examine x-rays. Appropriate for all ages, but children must be accompanied by an adult.

    Family Festival

    May 25 1:30PM - 3:30PM
    Payne Whitney Gym | 70 Tower Parkway

    Alumni and their children will spend a fun-filled afternoon in the Lanman Center at Payne Whitney Gym. Enjoy carnival games, a moon bounce and climbing wall, and other activities.

    Afro-American Cultural Center

    May 25 3:00PM - 5:00PM
    Afro-American Cultural Center | 211 Park St.

    Risë Nelson, Assistant Dean of Yale College and Director of the Afro-American Cultural Center (“the House”) invites ALL alumni and guests to our annual reception. Catch up with old friends, hear from current students and staff about their Yale experiences, and see what the House has been up to since your last visit. We look forward to welcoming you back to the House!

    Yale GALA/LGBT Alumni Association

    May 25 3:00PM - 5:00PM
    Founders Hall | 135 Prospect Street

    Please join us for a reception as we talk to students and faculty about the current affairs of the LGBT campus community. (www.yalegala.org)

    President's University Update

    May 25 4:30PM - 5:00PM
    Woolsey Hall | 500 College Street

    Saturday afternoon, Peter Salovey '86 Ph.D. offers his annual review and outlook for Yale.

    A Celebration of Yale Singing

    May 25 5:00PM - 6:30PM
    Woolsey Hall | 500 College Street

    President Salovey's update is followed by a jamboree in Woolsey Hall. Alumni from a cappella groups and the Glee Club will perform, and we'll be singing old Yale songs and Bright College Years . We definitely encourage participation!

  • Sunday 5/26/19

    Residential College Open Houses

    May 26 09:30AM - 10:30AM

    Staff will be on hand to host visits from alumni to their residential college. Access will be limited to the courtyard, but there will be plenty to see!

    University Church Worship

    May 26 10:30AM - 11:45PM
    Battell Chapel | 400 College Street

    Join Yale’s ecumenical Christian community for Sunday worship, which will include prayers for alumni who have died, a sermon by an alumnus from one of the reunion classes, and wonderful music and liturgy.

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