Hobart and William Smith Colleges

REUNION Weekend 2026
JUNE 5 – JUNE 7

This schedule is subject to change.

Thursday, June 4
Friday, June 5
Saturday, June 6
Sunday, June 7

Thursday, June 4

3 - 8 p.m. | Early Check-in

Lobby, Scandling Campus Center

FRIDAY, JUNE 5

8 a.m. - 8 p.m. | Reunion Registration Headquarters and Residence Halls Open

Lobby, Scandling Campus Center

8 - 9:30 a.m. | Breakfast Buffet

The Great Hall of Saga, Scandling Campus Center

9:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. | Reunion Golf Classic

Silver Creek Golf Club, 1790 E. River Rd, Waterloo. Shuttle available.

Includes nine holes of golf, a cart, lunch and prizes. Separate Registration Required.

9 - 10 a.m. | William Scandling Research Vessel Excursion I

8:45 a.m. departure from the Medbery Parking Lot

Finger Lakes Institute Director Lisa Cleckner will lead a working session aboard The William Scandling, assessing the environmental well-being of Seneca Lake. Prepare to collect sediment dredges, look for zebra and quagga mussels, and discuss their ecological impact on aquatic ecosystems, nutrient loading problems in the Finger Lakes, and local economies. Limited to 18 people—ages 13 and older—no infants or small children. 

10 - 11:30 a.m. | Admissions Info Session and Campus Tour

The Thomas Poole Family Admissions Center, 629 S. Main St.

The Office of Admissions invites students and their families to sign up for an information session followed by a campus tour.

10:30 - 11:30 a.m. | William Scandling Research Vessel Excursion II

10:15 a.m. departure from Medbery Parking Lot. See the description above.

10:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. I Lives of Consequence: An Examination of HWS Alumni Service

Davis Gallery at Houghton House, 1 Kings Lane

Exhibit curated by Julianna Thornburg ’28.

10:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. I On Maintaining Memory

Solarium Gallery at Houghton House, 1 Kings Lane

Exhibit curated by Audrie Fazio ’25. On Maintaining Memory is an inquiry into the stewardship of collective memory through the preservation, documentation and care of artworks. In this perpetual practice, the caretakers of art and artifacts are tasked with prolonging the legacies and narratives of artists and creators through discovery and display. This exhibition is a reflection on the work fulfilled during a nine-month fellowship overseeing the Collections of Hobart and William Smith and an opportunity to plan for a path forward as stewards of these valuable objects.

10:30 - 11:30 a.m. | Mini College Class: Passions, Hats and Second Acts

Albright Auditorium

Edwin Weeks was the commencement speaker at our '66 graduation ceremony. He was the editor of The Atlantic. The theme of his speech was that we all have the opportunity to have multiple careers, vocations and avocations during our lifetimes. We have now come full circle. A panel of members of our class, including Daniel Connell III '66, Honorary Trustee Katherine Elliott ’66, L.H.D.’08, Margaret "Peggy" Greenawalt '66, L.H.D.’20, Robert Rosenblum '66, Barry Slater '66, Donald Stern '66, Dr. Allen Verne '66 and Shalene S. Vichness '66, will discuss their multiple journeys. We hope all alumni as well as undergraduates will attend and join in an open discussion and share their experiences as well as their motivations for a multivariate life, possibly influenced by their HWS experience.

10:30 - 11:30 a.m. | Mini College Class: When the Dead Speak Through Insects: Exploring the Creepy but Crucial Science of Forensic Entomology

Location TBD

Join Krystal R. Hans ’06, Ph.D. for for a session exploring the fascinating world of forensic entomology, the study of insects in criminal investigations. Discover how flies, beetles, and other insects become crucial partners in solving mysteries of death and deceit. Examine how insect life cycles help investigators estimate time of death, uncover hidden evidence, and even link suspects to crime scenes. Reflect on the intersection of biology and justice as we consider how nature’s smallest witnesses can reveal some of the biggest truths. We will conclude by discussing real-world cases and practical applications that highlight the ways insects bring science and justice to life. 

11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. | Lunch at Saga

The Great Hall of Saga, Scandling Campus Center

1 - 4 p.m. | Open Houses

• Salisbury Center for Career, Professional and Experiential Education: An opportunity to update your résumé, review job opportunities post-grad, or hear about providing an internship or visiting campus to talk with students.
• Miltenberger and Bennett-Hooper Rowing Center: 470 Blue Heron Lane, Waterloo. Shuttle departs from Medbery Parking Lot at 1, 2 and 3 p.m.
• LGBTQ+ and Resource Center: 402 Pulteney St., 1 - 3 p.m.
• More to come!

12:30 - 1:30 p.m. | Mini College Class: What did your Grandpa or Grandma do in the War (Service)?

Location TBD

Please join Lt. Col. John E. Norvell (USAF, Ret.) '66, P'99, P'02, L.H.D.'24, for a discussion centered on veterans and their service to our nation. Norvell, a SEA combat-decorated F-4 backseater, will share his home movies from the backseat of the Phantom jet. He will also invite veterans in attendance to share their personal stories of service. Whether a veteran's service is recent or dates back many years, sharing these experiences helps make sense of what they went through. By opening up about their journeys, veterans provide civilians with valuable insights that are not often heard, creating a meaningful opportunity for connection and understanding.

1 - 2 p.m. | William Scandling Research Vessel Excursion III

12:45 p.m. departure from Medbery Parking Lot. See the description above.

1:30 - 3 p.m. | Distinguished Faculty Award Presentation

Rosensweig Learning Commons, Warren Hunting Smith Library

The Hobart Alumni Association and the William Smith Alumnae Association’s Distinguished Faculty Award Committee acknowledges the significance that HWS graduates attribute to the invaluable contributions of exceptional faculty members from the past. This prestigious award is granted in recognition of HWS professors’ profound influence as educators, mentors, and scholars.  Reception to follow.

3 - 4:30 p.m. | Davis and Solarium Galleries Art Reception 

Houghton House, 1 Kings Lane

4 - 5:30 p.m. | Seneca Lake Reel Tour Boat Cruise

3:45 p.m. shuttle departure from the Medbery Parking Lot; Driving Directions: Finger Lakes Welcome Center Dock, 35 Lake Front Drive, Geneva, NY

Enjoy a narrated cruise around Seneca Lake with a cash bar serving local wine and beer. The captain will highlight the incredible historic buildings along the trip and unique, fun facts about Seneca Lake. Space is limited.

4 - 6 p.m. | Classes of 1966 – 60th Reunion Welcome Gathering

Seneca Room, 603 South Main Street

4:30 - 6 p.m. | Classes of 1971 – 55th Reunion Welcome Gathering

Blackwell Room

4:30 - 6:30 p.m. | Classes of 1976 – 50th Reunion Welcome Gathering

Location TBD

5 - 6:30 p.m. | Classes of 1981 – 45th Reunion Welcome Gathering

Stine Room, Adams Intercultural Center, 288 Pulteney St.

5 - 6:30 p.m. | Classes of 1986 – 40th Reunion Welcome Gathering

The Barn, 172 St. Clair St.

5 - 6:30 p.m. | Classes of 1991 – 35th Reunion Welcome Gathering

The Sunken Gardens, Houghton House, 1 Kings Lane

5 - 6:30 p.m. | Classes of 1996 – 30th Reunion Welcome Gathering

Location TBD

5 - 6:30 p.m. | Classes of 2001 – 25th Reunion Welcome Gathering

Cellar Pub, Coxe Hall

5 - 6:30 p.m. | Classes of 2006 – 20th Reunion Welcome Gathering

Stern Hall and Patio

5 - 6:30 p.m. | Classes of 2011 - 15th Reunion Welcome Gathering

Gilman Room, Bristol Gym

5 - 6:30 p.m. | Classes of 2016 – 10th Reunion Welcome Gathering

Centennial Center, 693 S. Main St.

5 - 6:30 p.m. | Classes of 2021 - 5th Reunion Welcome Gathering

Alumni House, 775 S. Main St.

6 - 8 p.m. | Post-50th Reunion Classes Dinner

Tent, President’s House, 690 South Main St.
Group Photo at 6:15 p.m.

6:30 - 9 p.m. | Picnic on the Patio

Café Patio, Scandling Campus Center

Celebrate Reunion Weekend with a laid-back summer evening on campus. Join us for Picnic on the Patio, featuring favorite regional food trucks, including FLXHots, Sprinkle Starship, Moonshadow Kitchen (Vegan & Gluten Free) and Blowin’ Smoke BBQ, along with live, bluesy rock ’n’ roll by River Lynch & The Spiritmakers. Enjoy great food, lawn games and good company as you reconnect and relax. Food trucks accept cash, credit and debit. 

7 - 9 p.m. | Tethered Hot Air Balloon Rides

Smith Green. Weather permitting.

8 - 9 p.m. | Shabbat

Temple Beth-El, 755 South Main St.

9 P.M. - 12 a.m. | Ronnie’s Cedar Inn

3583 Lenox Rd., Geneva, NY

Some things never change, and that holds true for Ronnie’s Cedar Inn. Classes from the 70's and 80's can step back in time and enjoy classic tunes and reminisce about the good old days. Shuttle available.

9 p.m. - 12 a.m. | Bop Around Downtown

Downtown Geneva. Shuttle available.

Spend an evening in downtown Geneva with classmates, revisiting familiar places, exploring what’s new, and reconnecting.

SATURDAY, JUNE 6

7:30 - 9:30 a.m. | Breakfast Buffet at Saga

The Great Hall of Saga, Scandling Campus Center

8 a.m. - 8 p.m. | Reunion Registration Center Open

Lobby, Scandling Campus Center

8 - 9:30 a.m. | Tour de Finger Lakes

Start in front of the Scandling Campus Center

Join classmates for a no-drop, 20-mile road ride through the rolling hills and farms southwest of HWS. Pedal past a century-old sheep farm now brewing Belgian beer, vineyards, and native Haudenosaunee sites in this glacially sculpted countryside. Open to all riders with a 13+ mph pace. Bring your own bike or contact Shoreline Rentals at (315) 521-9257 to rent one for $40 a day and a delivery fee.

9 - 10 a.m. | William Scandling Research Vessel Excursion IV

8:45 a.m. departure from Medbery Parking Lot. See the description above.

9 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. | All Classes Memorial Reflections

St. John's Chapel, 630 S. Main St., Geneva, NY

Stop by the Chapel and light a memorial candle in memory of a classmate or loved one.

9:15 - 10:15 a.m. | Mini College Class: Tips on Being the Grandest of Grandparents

Location TBD

Join Nancy Nowak Rutherford ’71 for a casual exchange of grandparenting ideas. This conversation offers wisdom, humor, and helpful tips for making the most of your grandparenting journey.

9:15 - 10:15 a.m. | Mini College Class: Monsters, Metaphors, and the Female Gaze: Storytelling through Horror and Transformation

Location TBD

Join award-winning filmmaker Rachel Thomas-Medwid '91 for a behind-the-scenes exploration of how horror and psychological thrillers can illuminate deeper truths about identity, repression, and transformation. Drawing from her most recent acclaimed short film Dissection Day, Thomas-Medwid discusses the craft of building atmosphere, character, and tension through a genre lens—and how empathy and subversion drive her storytelling. Attendees will gain insight into how cinematic language and metaphor can turn fear into revelation and monsters into mirrors.

9:15 - 10:15 a.m. | Mini College Classes: The Future of Geneva: Reshaping the Political Landscape and Building a Future of Consequence. 

Location TBD

Join Mayor Jim Cecere ’91 for a discussion of his mayoral campaign built on a vision of the future for Geneva rather than political experience. Consider his nonpartisan approach to civic leadership through community-first initiatives with a case study focused on a vision of the Ice Rink as a year-round, youth-centered, downtown-connected community asset. The mini-class highlights how inclusive leadership and strategic partnerships with HWS can create sustainable, positive outcomes for the entire community.

9:15 -10:15 a.m. | Mini College Class: Perfectly Imperfect: Faced with Vitiligo

Location TBD

Join Dayanara Hernandez-Garcia ’96 for an intimate mini-class offered during Vitiligo Awareness Month. Drawing from her lived experience with vitiligo, an autoimmune condition affecting skin pigmentation, Garcia explores the emotional and physical impact of the condition and the stages she’s navigated, including disbelief, embarrassment, anger, and frustration, before arriving at learning, acceptance, and self-love.

9:15 -10:15 a.m. | intro to Ayurveda - Applying Concepts of Indian Traditional Medicine for Healing.

Location TBD

Dr. Elaine Leonard Puppa ’76 is a retired former medical researcher, nurse practitioner, faculty member at Maryland University of Integrative Health, and an Ayurvedic Health Counselor. Join her to learn how Ayurveda individualizes lifestyle medicine to address imbalances and treat illness. Ayurveda is translated as "the science or knowledge of life." Dating back over 5000 years, Ayurveda is a holistic system of medicine focusing on balance among mind, body, spirit and environment. Ayurveda posits that most illnesses are a result of lifestyle practices that put the body out of balance based on its unique combination of genetics and environment.  

10:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. | Lives of Consequence: An Examination of HWS Alumni Service

The Davis Gallery, Houghton House, 1 Kings Lane

Exhibit curated by Julianna Thornburg ’28.

10:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. I On Maintaining Memory

Solarium Gallery at Houghton House, 1 Kings Lane

Exhibit curated by Audrie Fazio ’25. On Maintaining Memory is an inquiry into the stewardship of collective memory through the preservation, documentation and care of artworks. In this perpetual practice, the caretakers of art and artifacts are tasked with prolonging the legacies and narratives of artists and creators through discovery and display. This exhibition is a reflection on the work fulfilled during a nine-month fellowship overseeing the Collections of Hobart and William Smith and an opportunity to plan for a path forward as stewards of these valuable objects.

10:30 - 11:30 a.m. | The State of HWS with President Mark D. Gearan

Vandervort Room, second floor of Scandling Campus Center

Join President Mark D. Gearan for an update about HWS, including the comprehensive fundraising campaign, Further Together.

11:45 a.m. | Alums on Parade

Gather in front of the Scandling Campus Center at 11:30 a.m. or immediately following State of HWS.

Grab your spirit gear, line up behind your class year gonfalon, and march to the Quad with classmates to the music of the Savannah Cellar Savers Marching Band. 

12 - 2 p.m. | All Classes Luncheon and Reunion Forum

The Quad

Join the Hobart Alumni Association and William Smith Alumnae Association as they present their annual awards for outstanding service to HWS, along with Reunion fundraising achievements. Forum begins promptly at 12:30 p.m.

2 - 4 p.m. | Taste of the Finger Lakes

The Quad

Join us on the Quad for a rollicking good time … and bring the whole family! Sample local beer and wine as the kids enjoy the Family Festival! With your tasting pass, explore the region’s award-winning wines, brews and ciders. With a wide variety of local producers pouring, there is something for every palate!

2 - 4 p.m. | Family Festival

The Quad

Dive into arts and crafts, tackle an obstacle course and have your caricature drawn. Don't forget to cool off with a sweet treat from the Netsin’s ice cream truck or make some new furry friends from Lazy Acres Alpacas and regional farms. It's an event with fun for everyone!

2 - 4 p.m. | Climb St. Mark’s Tower

Adjacent to St. John’s Chapel

Whether you’ve ascended the tower before or not, you’ll want to take in the spectacular views of the campus and Seneca Lake. Don’t forget to bring your camera along. Beware—the view could take your breath away, and so could the ascent! We'll take your picture to prove that you reached the top. Appropriate footwear is recommended.

2 - 4 p.m. | Alumni Authors Book Signing

Tent, The Quad

Confirmed authors: Susan Singer Kerschner '76, Richard Kiely '86, James McCorkle '76, P’20, Thomas Greene '91, John Norvell '66, P'99, P'02, L.H.D. '24.

5:30 - 7:30 p.m. | Post-50th Reunion Classes Dinner

Common Room

5:45 - 6:15 p.m. | Reunion Class Photos

Coxe Hall Steps

5:45 pm: 45th Reunion
5:50 p.m.: 40th Reunion
5:55 p.m.: 35th Reunion
6:00 p.m.: 30th Reunion
6:05 p.m.: 25th Reunion
6:10 p.m.: 20th Reunion
6:15 p.m.: 15th Reunion
6:20 p.m.: 10th Reunion
6:25 p.m.: 5th Reunion

6 - 9 p.m. | All Classes Reception and Dinner

The Quad

Enjoy cocktail hour from 6-7 p.m., followed by dinner.

6 - 9 p.m. | Classes of 1976 - 50th Reunion Reception and Dinner

Tent, President’s House, 90 South Main St. Class Photo at 6:45 p.m.

9 p.m. - 12 a.m. | Reunion 2026 Quad Party

The Quad

Join us for an unforgettable night with the band Uptown Groove playing your favorite tunes from across the decades! Enjoy desserts and spectacular fireworks. Fireworks begin at approx. 9:30 p.m. Twin Oaks Tent open. Cash (credit/debit) Bar.

SUNDAY, JUNE 8

8 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. | Reunion Headquarters Open

Lobby, Scandling Campus Center

8:30 - 9:30 a.m. | Worship Service

St. John's Chapel, 630 S. Main St., Geneva, NY

Eucharist service led by Chaplain Rev. Nita Johnson Byrd and Rev. Dr. Helen Beasley ’66, P’93.

9:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. | Sunday Brunch

The Café Patio, Scandling Campus Center

Before you say goodbye, enjoy a delicious brunch and bottomless mimosas and bloodies!

8 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. | Reunion Headquarters Open and Check Out

Please don’t walk away with your room key. Drop it off at Reunion Headquarters.

See you at the next Reunion!