Dear members of the Kenyon community,
Welcome back! It is always such a pleasure to have our students and faculty return to Gambier, and to celebrate the newest members of the Kenyon community. This year, another 446 bright and curious students joined us on the Hill. They represent 40 states and 15 countries, and I know they will contribute meaningfully to our student body, 1,600 students strong this year, including about 125 studying abroad. Thanks to all who made the opening of the academic year such a success, from an expanded set of pre-orientation programs to a seamless move-in to a Convocation ceremony with just the right amount of fanfare. Your warm welcome was deeply appreciated by family members — I heard many times how friendly, organized and helpful the Kenyon team was.
I’d like to extend a special welcome to new staff and faculty, who are filling vital roles and adding their energy and expertise to a campus that values both. Among the new faces are Dianna Shandy, provost, and Jason Imperati, director of athletics, fitness and recreation. When you meet them, it will be clear why they are such good matches for Kenyon — they share our commitment to (and track record for) cultivating rigorous, supportive environments where students succeed.
A Busy Summer
Our beautiful campus was bustling this summer. Just as students and faculty have much to report from their busy summers (as interns and researchers on and around campus, in Columbus and across the world), Kenyon piloted several initiatives to strategically expand Kenyon’s reach. In July, we hosted 53 high-school juniors and seniors in three new pre-college programs, with weeklong courses taught by Kenyon faculty and staff. These build on the success of Camp 4 and the Kenyon Review Young Writers program, as well as our sports camps. All told, our suite of summer programs brought 350 high-school students to campus — a powerful introduction to Kenyon and a liberal arts education. I am grateful to the many people involved in standing up and shepherding these important recruitment opportunities.
Off campus, 13 Kenyon students joined Professor Jon Tazewell in June for Kenyon L.A., a two-week immersive screenwriting course with behind-the-scenes access to the entertainment industry. This is the first in what we hope will be a series of Kenyon City programs that expand experiential learning and provide important opportunities for students to develop professional experience and contacts. Plans are underway to add two New York tracks next summer, in finance and the arts. None of this could be possible without the support, dedication and connections of Kenyon alumni and parents.
From the Halls of Power to Gambier Hill
The power of the Kenyon network will be on display in Gambier this fall, when we host three of our own who have influenced the geopolitical landscape of at least three nations. Sarah Longwell ’02, CEO and publisher of The Bulwark, one of the largest and fastest growing media companies in the country, will return on Sept. 16 for a timely conversation with Professor Pam Camerra-Rowe about the state of American politics. Longwell’s research into how voters are feeling is highly respected and equally influential. A week later, Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo López ’93 H'07 will join us for Homecoming Weekend to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Integrated Program in Humane Studies.
Finally, I am thrilled to share that Bridget Brink ’91, former ambassador to Ukraine, will return to campus in October as our inaugural expert-in-residence. This program brings accomplished alumni and parents to campus to spend extended time with students, formally and informally, through guest lectures, class visits and career mentoring. Her residency coincides with Kenyon’s first-ever Women’s Conference, Oct. 23-25, which has an impressive line-up of alumnae, who, like Brink, are distinguished women in their fields. The conference is open to all, and we hope it inspires many meaningful conversations among students, faculty, staff and the more than 200 Kenyon grads and guests who have registered. I am excited for this historic event and am grateful to the alumnae, staff, faculty and students who have helped envision and realize it.
Unlocking Connections
This list of happenings is almost dizzying, and it doesn’t even scratch the surface of what’s on offer this semester. This is one of the reasons we have introduced Kenyon Keys. By linking opportunities thematically, Kenyon Keys makes it easier for students, especially those new to Kenyon, to find the people and programs on and off campus that can help them connect their academic and career interests with the impact they hope to have in the world. Please visit the Kenyon Keys website to explore how Kenyon Keys can unlock connections between your experiences in and out of the classroom.
To further support this exploration, we created a hub for experiential learning, career development and advising in Chalmers Library, with offices for academic advising, community engagement, global learning and student development on the fourth floor, and career development on the second floor. For faculty and students eager to pursue cross-disciplinary collaborations or research, we also have introduced Kenyon Keys teaching grants, faculty research grants, and student research grants.
Driving Forward
All of these initiatives — from our new pre-college programs to the Kenyon City programs to the Women’s Conference to Kenyon Keys — are the result of great thinking on the part of our faculty and staff, who continually examine ways to strengthen the Kenyon experience. They are possible through the close collaboration and generous support of alumni, parents and donors, people who have experienced a Kenyon education firsthand and who understand that its transformative power comes not from standing still but from driving forward, even in the most challenging times.
We do this not by abandoning our liberal arts mission — it’s needed now more than ever — but by leaning into it and evolving to meet the moment with the curiosity, care and community that defines us. I am proud of the good work that so many on our campus — faculty, staff and students — have committed themselves to, all to be ready to meet a complex and changing world in ways that are both purposeful and consequential.
I look forward to an exciting year ahead and to the opportunity to share with you more updates on how Kenyon will continue to lead into the future.
Warmly,
Julie Kornfeld
President