Two Reunion Weekends Hosted During Fall 2006

SOM celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Class of 1981 on September 15 and 16, and the 20th, 15th, 10th, and 5th anniversaries of the Classes of 1986, 1991, 1996, and 2001 on October 13 and 14. During these two festive weekends, hundreds of classmates returned to New Haven from around the country and the world – including Germany, Greece, England, Israel, Mexico, Slovenia, Venezuela, and Turkey – to spend time together reconnecting with one another and with SOM.

The September and October Reunion Weekends featured special class festivities, including cocktail receptions and gala class dinners, informal breakfasts with SOM faculty, pizza parties, and “after-hours” socializing at various venues around town, including some “all-time favorite” class hangouts. There were many opportunities to meet with and hear from SOM faculty members: Dean Joel Podolny outlined some of the important ongoing initiatives at SOM, including the groundbreaking curriculum reform, while SOM faculty members, Jonathan Feinstein, Fiona M. Scott Morton, Art Swersey, and Jake Thomas addressed specific aspects of the new curriculum in a session moderated by Deputy Dean Stan Garstka.

Alumni also had the opportunity to participate in various workshops and discussions and to hear from fellow classmates, faculty, and staff. In September, Professors Victor Vroom and Heidi Brooks conducted their specially-designed workshop “Reinventing Lives” for the Class of 1981, while Chris Young, associate director of SOM Alumni Career Services, offered advice to the October reunion classes on careers, resources, as well as one-on-one career coaching sessions. Nick Barberis kicked off the 25th Anniversary Class of 1981 weekend with an overview of behavioral finance, while Jeff Sonnenfeld, together with members of the Class of 1981, led a conversation on how great leaders rebound from disaster. In October, professors Garry Brewer, together with Jon Schechter ’86, Keith Chen, Barry Nalebuff, and Doug Rae offered interesting insights to alumni and their guests on eclectic topics such as the ecology of organizations, capuchin-monkey trading behavior, creative problem solving, and the Black Panthers.

SOM was also pleased to offer for the first time, Camp SOM, a comprehensive child care service, managed by Bright Horizons, and sponsored by the Yale SOM Alumni Association and the Office of Alumni Relations. Professionally trained staff offered toddlers and school-aged children special fun and educational “curriculum activities” throughout the October Reunion Weekend. Bright Horizons is the nation’s largest world-wide provider of worksite early education; its co-founders are SOM alumni, Roger Brown ’82 and Linda Mason ’80.

The Reunion Weekends were such a success thanks to the ongoing efforts, support, and outreach of many Reunion Volunteers:

Class of 1981: Lise Pfeiffer (Chair), Catherine Buntaine, Marc Buntaine, John Chiniara, Ed Hirs, Dave Krimm, Sue Ruotolo Dorsey, Nancy Troland Greenfield; Class of 1986: Amy Armitage and Bo Hopkins; Class of 1991: Rabia de Lande Long and Pete Petron; Class of 1996: Mohammed Alam, George Barnett, Raymond Chang, Chris Francazio, Linton Weber; Class of 2001: Amy Casher, Mike Crowley, Chris Douvos, Rachel Greenberg, Alisa Masson, Brigitte Majeswki, and Jim Stroiney.

Finally, in the tradition of the 25th Anniversary Class Reunion, the Class of 1981, headed up by the Reunion Gifts Committee – Tom Halsey (Chair), Andrew Chapman, Ed De La Rosa, Patrick Landers, Elizabeth Lewis, Lou Martarano, Lise Pfeiffer, Sue Ruotolo Dorsey, and Clare Sheridan – commemorated this very special occasion with 58% of the class contributing a total of $471,400 - a tremendous show of support for SOM!