Schedule of Events

Reunion Headquarters and Residence Halls Open at 4 p.m. CT. Please check in there first to receive your namebadge and schedule of events, as well as residence hall key, if staying on campus.

By Invitation Only / Free to Attend / Registration Required

Alumni awards honor individuals for their service to Lawrence, their service to society, and their professional achievements. Lawrence University is pleased to kick off Reunion 2023 with this celebration dinner honoring some of our most distinguished alumni. 

$42/ Registration Required / Cashless – Credit & Debit Card Only Beer & Wine Bar

All are welcome to attend. 

Breakfast is $7/person, all-you-can-eat hot breakfast buffet. No registration required. Cashless - Credit & Debit Card Only accepted at the door.

NATO Expansion:  Should Finland and Sweden Join?

Shortly after the start of the war between Russia and Ukraine, both Finland and Sweden formally applied for NATO membership.  This move signals a long-standing shift from their previous policies of neutrality in international affairs.  While some welcome NATO’s expansion as a way to secure a free and prosperous Europe, others fear it as a possibly worsening the regional balance of power. Drawing on her recent sabbatical in Helsinki, Finland, Prof. Skran will share her insights on this important topic. 

Claudena Skran is Professor of Government, and the Edwin and Ruth West Professor of Economics and Social Science.  

 Lawrence and Jazz in Wisconsin: A Love Affair

Since the early 1970s, when John Harmon ’57 took over the previously student-run jazz program at Lawrence, jazz has been a vital part of Lawrence culture. Harmon and a group of his students formed the band Matrix in 1974, and Lawrence jazz really took off. Fred Sturm ’73 returned to Lawrence in 1977 to develop a nationally recognized program that has produced important jazz musicians ever since, including current LU faculty. Dietrich will pack as much of this history into 45 minutes as possible.

Kurt Dietrich ’73, professor of music emeritus, Ripon College

Keep the Learning Lights, Burning

Join Peter and Connie Roop as they share their writing journey in the creation of Keep the Lights Burning, Abbie, a Feature Reading Rainbow book.  Having published over 100 children’s books, the Roops continue to use their Lawrence education to research and write books.

Connie '73 and Peter Roop '73 have written 100 children's books ranging from historical to nonfiction.

Lights, Cameras, Sex, and Bioluminescent Ostracods: When Science and Media Collide

We will explore the interface between science and science communication in multiple media formats. Avenues for sharing science have expanded exponentially with shifting media outlets and social change. Dr. Gretchen Gerrish '98 will use illuminating case studies from her marine and freshwater work to facilitate discussion regarding the values, ethics, challenges, and responsibilities for sharing work beyond the academic ivory tower. 

Dr, Gretchen Gerrish '98 

Jesus Smith, assistant professor of Ethnic Studies

Lunch is $11/person, all-you-can-eat lunch buffet. No registration required. Cashless - Credit & Debit Card Only accepted at the door.

The Spit Is It!

Genealogy & Family History in the Age of Commercial Genetic Testing Services.

The advent of services such as 23andMe and AncestryDNA have changed the landscape in which family historians and casual information-seekers learn about their past--and their present. In this session, Angela Bier, ‘98,  will examine what information these services do and do not provide. We will consider how results, both expected and unexpected, can enhance one’s family history research and open new areas of inquiry, discovery, and complexity. 

Angie is a former pediatrician, mother, Wisconsinite from birth, and an accomplished amateur genealogist.  She brings these sensibilities to her writing, which can be found most recently in Evening Street Review and An Accidental Archivist, her genealogical mystery memoir published in July of 2022.   She is a student of All Writers Workplace & Workshop and lives between Franklin and Gills Rock, Wisconsin.

The Beatles…Four Lads Who Shook the World

Do You Want to Know a Secret? The Beatles are still Here, There, and Everywhere…even after breaking up in 1970! The Beatles '1' album, released in 2000, is the biggest-selling album of any artist in the first decade of the 21st century and The Beatles are the only artists to sell more than a million units every year since 1990! That's really Something! Current students at Lawrence have the opportunity to study the exciting '60s through the sounds of The Beatles, and you can relive it too! The Word is love and All You Need Is Love to attend this exciting presentation by a true Beatleholic. It Won't Be Long before Reunion Weekend is here; June is not such a Long, Long, Long way off. Take this Magical Mystery Tour of The Long and Winding Road paved by The Beatles. Turn off your mind…relax…and float downstream..it's just A Day in the Life. Help is on the way! The End. 

Carl Rath ’75, Conservatory of Music instructor, Lawrence University

Inside the Sausage Factory of U.S. Foreign Policy-Making  

An oft-cited Washington adage compares U.S. Foreign Policy to sausage making- two things you're better off not seeing how it's made. The White House, State Department, NSC, CIA, Congress, lobbyists, ambassadors (both foreign ambassadors in Washington and our Ambassadors overseas), and many others play roles, helpful or otherwise. Shaun Donnelly ('68) survived 36 years as a State Department Foreign Service Officer (FSO) and, ultimately, an Ambassador. Bob Suettinger ('68) had a 24-year career as a China analyst and policy-maker at the CIA, State Department, and NSC, then another 8 years as a contractor, aka "Beltway Bandit." The LU classmates will share experiences, war stories, opinions, and a few lingering frustrations from inside the Washington sausage factory.  

Shawn Donnelly '68 Senior Advisor at the United States Council for International Business

Robert Suettinger '68 

Why Music, Creativity, and the New Business Major are a Perfect Lawrence Match

 What does business have to do with music?  What does music have to do with business? 

More than people can possibly imagine—people who aren’t Lawrentians, anyway!  At Lawrence, we see music, creativity, and business creating mutually beneficial relationships that give our students the superpowers they will need to overcome the challenges and maximize the opportunities of our rapidly changing world.  In this high energy, hands-on class, we will get right down to business through creativity and music. .. and your imagination.

Brian Pertl ‘86  Dean of the Conservatory of  Music  Lawrence University

Going First---Leading Through A Pandemic 

Who knew in 1983 that a biology major from Lawrence University would one day be in a position to provide leadership in a pandemic---much less, lead the response to the first known U.S. case. From the initial phone call he received that Washington State was sending a sample to test for the novel coronavirus, to the co-announcement with CDC identifying the first confirmed case, to the first deadly outbreak of the virus in a nursing home in Kirkland, WA, Dr. Wiesman’s work as Secretary of Health for the state of Washington during the start of the pandemic was the ultimate leadership challenge. Join him to learn more about an insider’s view of that experience and the personal and professional lessons he learned about crisis leadership.

John Wiesman '83 Dr. PH, MPH 

Local Craft Beer – Art and Science in a Pint Glass!

Wisconsin’s rich history of beer and brewing is alive and well in Appleton, and Lawrence has a seat at this Craft Beer Table! Join me, Allison McCoy Fleshman, Associate Professor of Chemistry and co-owner of McFleshman’s Brewing Co., on a tour of the brewery my husband and I built, which specializes in German Lagers and British Ales. We will sample the rich history of German and British beer styles, and explore the art of fermentation science. I’ll share the importance of the beer glass, what cask-conditioning is all about, and how we use science to make the perfect pint. Cheers!

Allison Fleshman, associate professor of chemistry, Lawrence University

Upbeat! Mindset, Mindfulness, and Leadership 

Just as a conductor's preparatory "upbeat" gesture at the beginning of a performance influences the way an ensemble plays, we too get to choose our "upbeat" -- our thoughts and attitudes -- at the start of each day, at work, and in our interactions with family, friends, and colleagues. Dr. Matthew Arau '97 will share how, no matter the difficulty of the situation, we can choose our personal upbeat and develop habits of thought and action that can transform our personal and professional life to optimize our personal physical, mental, and emotional health so that we can be at our best to make a difference. 

Mathew Aura '97 Associate  Professor of Music Education and Associate Director of Bands 

$15/Registration Required

Parents, let the kids play while you have your own fun! We will have activities and food for children from the ages of 5 to 12. Please make sure each child is registered for this event.

$45/Registration Required

$45 / Registration Required / Cashless – Credit & Debit Card Only for Bar

All alumni are invited to attend a recital featuring talented alumni musicians from all decades.

Breakfast is $7/person, all-you-can-eat hot breakfast buffet. No registration required. Cashless - Credit & Debit Card Only accepted at the door.

Join the traditional 5k fun run/walk for all ages, named in memorial for Coach Gene Davis.

Gather at the Wriston Art Center Auditorium to hear stories from some of Lawrence's Indigenous
alumni. The Class of 1973, which has created the Special Fund for Student
Success to support Native American and other Indigenous students, is sponsoring
this event and encourages all alumni to attend.

Join your classmates in the march to the Memorial Chapel for Reunion Convocation.

Celebrate Reunion with President Laurie Carter at this annual all-Reunion event that recognizes the special contributions made by Lawrentians and Downerites. The program features the presentation of alumni awards and Reunion class gifts, music by the Alumni Choir, and President Carter’s Convocation address.

$30 / Registration Required

A special event for our Milwaukee-Downer alumnae and alumni celebrating Golden Reunions.

Academic departments and programs will host open houses in their buildings. Reconnect with your favorite faculty members and staff and meet new ones.

$15/Registration Required

Parents, let the kids play while you have your own fun! We will have activities and food for children from the ages of 5 to 12. Please make sure each child is registered for this event.

• 40th Reunion
• 10th Reunion
• 50th Reunion
• 5th Reunion
  

Classes of 1992, 1993, and 1994

Classes of 1967, 1968, and 1969

Classes of 2017, 2018, 2019

Breakfast is $7/person, all-you-can-eat hot breakfast buffet. No registration required. Cashless - Credit & Debit Card Only accepted at the door.

Discover or revisit Lawrence’s beautiful northern campus located on Lake Michigan in picturesque Door County. Spend the day touring the historical chapel, hiking the many nature trails, or relaxing on the lakeside decks.

Motorcoach bus transportation and lunch will be provided. Luggage may be stored in the motorcoach. If you prefer to drive yourself, you may select the $15 no-transportation-needed rate when registering for this event.

Meet at the Wriston turnaround on Lawe Street at 7:45 a.m. Advance registration is required for this event, which has an additional fee. We are unable to accept walk-up registration.