Hood College- Navigation, Summer 2009 - 4

W W W.HOOD.EDU 5 Hood Named Sole Beneﬁciary of Nearly $2 Million Estate Hood is the recent beneﬁciary of one of the largest gifts from an individual in the history of the College. Josephine K. Steiner ’  bequeathed her estate—a combination of cash, securities and real estate valued at nearly  million—to her alma mater. The funds will be used to create scholarships, fund faculty research and support campus improvements, including the recreation, education, athletic center for which the College continues to plan. “Th is transformational gift to the College will enable us to advance academic and co-curricular programs,” said President Ronald J. Volpe, Ph.D. “We are conﬁdent Miss Steiner would be pleased with how her generosity is enhancing our community. Indeed, we are most grateful for her foresight in remembering Hood in her estate plans.” Jo, as she was known in college, recognized the value in giving back to the institution that gave her the foundation for her career. The Woodmere, N.Y., resident taught high school math for many years. She also enjoyed a career with the brokerage ﬁ rm E.F. Hutton. Students Awarded Grants for Peace-Building Projects Six Hood students were selected for two of only 100 grants awarded to college students nationwide for projects that focus on building peace. Davis Projects for Peace grants were awarded to Samantha Murphy ’09, Michelle Marquardt ’11, Carlin Rabie ’10 and Justin Abodalo ’12 to volunteer at the Ansar Center’s summer camp in Bethlehem, Israel, and to Dave and Peggy Moyers ’10 to expand the Life Connection Mission’s school in Montrouis, Haiti. Each group will receive $10,000 to implement their projects this summer. Davis Projects for Peace is an initiative open to undergraduate students at the more than 90 American colleges and universities in the Davis United World College Scholars Program. Launched in 2007 by philanthropist Kathryn Wasserman Davis to mark her 100th birthday, the initiative serves as a challenge and motivation for today’s generation of college students to create and execute their ideas for building peace throughout the world. The Ansar Center’s summer camp offers activities for children to promote community awareness and participation. The program focuses on the development of social, cultural, communication, scientiﬁc and artistic skills. The center also offers educational workshops and services for local women and children, including athletic programs, English classes and counseling for victims of domestic violence. The addition of four classrooms and an administrative ofﬁce to the Life Connection school will allow the school to feed and accommodate all grade levels and to offer a full day of school for its more than 550 students. Future plans include the addition of a business and technical school to help prepare students for advanced careers. Summer Chamber Music Festival Marks 25 Years The Summer Chamber Music Festival will mark its th season with ﬁve concerts in July. The series opens July  with the Appalachian Wind Quintet, joined by Noel Lester, D.M.A., concert pianist and professor of music, followed by an all-Brahms program July . Th ree pianists will perform for the annual Sidney Silverman Young Artist concert July —Justin Furnia, a rising junior at Hood; David Conway ’; and Jeremy Rosenberg, a former participant in Hood’s preparatory music program. David Hardy, principal cellist of the National Symphony Orchestra, will be the featured artist for the July  concert. The annual Baroque concert, under the direction of Wayne Wold, D.M.A., associate professor of music, will be performed July . The concerts were initiated by pianist and artistic director Lester as a way to bring classical music to Frederick in the summers and to showcase Hood’s faculty artists. As the popularity of the festival grew, the three-concert series grew to ﬁve. To date, nearly  concerts have been performed in this series. Spring Break with a Diﬀerence Instead of taking a traditional vacation, Catherine Collins ’ (left) and a group of  other Hood students chose to spend an alternative spring break in Whitakers, N.C., at the Franklinton Center at Bricks, where they worked on renovations to the center’s administration building and pool. The Hood students also visited area schools where they tutored middle school students. Associate Dean of Students Ted Chase, Ph.D.; Dean of the Chapel Rev. Beth O’Malley; and men’s and women’s cross country and track and ﬁeld head coach Brent Ayer, accompanied the students on the Student Activities Oﬃce-organized trip.

Hood College- Navigation, Summer 2009

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