The Pulteney StreetSurvey
A Grand Opening
This spring, the HWS community gathered for a ribbon-cutting to celebrate the opening of the newly renovated and expanded Adams Intercultural Center.
BY NATALIA ST. LAWRENCE '16
In April, generations of alums returned to campus, joining students, faculty, staff and Geneva neighbors to celebrate and tour the newly renovated and expanded Adams Intercultural Center (AIC), named in honor of the Rev. Alger L. Adams ’32, D.D. ’83, Hobart College’s first Black graduate.
Thanks to a leadership gift from Board Chair Craig R. Stine ’81, P’17 and Kathy Hay Stine P’17, the AIC includes newly renovated social spaces, offices, a computer lab, and a multipurpose room for students, faculty, staff and community members to gather in dialogue.
During the dedication ceremony, Stine reflected on the goals he identified when he began his term as board chair. “At the top of the list,” he said, “is the creation of a campus culture of belonging. It is my belief that the better future we seek will be created in spaces like this one.”
Associate Director of HEOP/AOP Edith Wormley; Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Bill Woodson; former President Gregory J. Vincent ’83; President Mark D. Gearan; Patricia Adams L.H.D. ’23; Board Chair Craig R. Stine ’81, P’17; Gabriela Martinez ’22, MSM ’23; Chaplain and Dean for Spiritual Engagement Nita Johnson Byrd; Director of Intercultural Affairs Alejandra Molina; Rafael Rodriguez ’07; and Director of Opportunity Programs Renee Grant at the AIC opening.
The AIC expansion includes the addition of the Stine Multipurpose Room, which provides space for large groups to gather for forums and dialogues. With gratitude for their philanthropy, the AIC living room has been named in honor of Gregory J. Vincent ’83, President of Talladega College and past president of HWS, and the office suite in honor of Rafael Rodriguez ’07, Associate Vice President and Dean of Students at New York University.
During the ceremony, Alger Adams’ daughter Patricia L. Adams L.H.D. ’23 reflected on her father’s accomplished life, including his skill as a painter. She shared how important it was to her father, and to herself, to find a place of lasting display for his artwork. To that end, Patricia announced that several of his pieces would be housed in the AIC in perpetuity, alongside works by Faith Bey ’21, Rosemary Colon-Martinez ’21 and Jenny Wu ’12. Patricia also donated her father’s Phi Beta Kappa pin, which she remembers him proudly wearing and displaying throughout his life.
Patricia, who was awarded an honorary degree during this year’s Commencement (p. 49), imagined what her father might say during the historic dedication of the AIC: “Today’s dedication is indeed an honor. It is also a beacon. This dedication is about the future, looking forward, and building on existing good work.”
Rafael Rodriguez ’07, Associate Vice President and Dean of Students at NYU, addresses the audience at the Multicultural Networking and Career Conference, joined on the panel by Dan DeNose ’10, Shanelle France ’11, Nathaniel Smith ’00 and Joshua Leach ’01.
Network Connectivity
As part of the grand opening of the Adams Intercultural Center, HWS hosted the seventh Multicultural Networking and Career Conference, an opportunity for students to meet, learn from and network with alums of color at various stages in their careers. The conference included a retrospective, “HWS Through the Years,” moderated by President of Talladega College Gregory J. Vincent ’83, as well as networking opportunities and panel discussions with alums who have launched careers in entrepreneurship, nonprofit leadership and education. The conference was made possible through the support of the Afro-Latino Alumni and Alumnae Association in coordination with offices on campus.