Reunion 2018 Reunion

Thursday, May 24, 2018

Research on the fundamentals of infectious disease is at the intersection between important health concerns and understanding primary forces driving ecological diversity in natural populations. Our investigations use a naturally occurring disease of wild alpine flowers, which present opportunities to study the spread of infections in a safe and experimentally tractable system. The "anther-smut disease" replaces pollen of the flower with pathogenic spores, and this somewhat silly name belies an impact on par with the infamous black death, affecting nearly a third of all host individuals and causing complete, lifetime sterility. We are working to determine how the disease spreads by a mixture of dispersal modes, via sexual transmission (the botanical analogy) and by contact between individuals in close proximity. These interactions parallel the discovery of mixed transmission mode of some of the most alarming epidemics of recent history, and we aim to reveal the basic ecological and evolutionary consequences that have relevance across diverse types of diseases.

Professor William Taubman on His New Book, Gorbachev: His Life and Times

Thursday, May 24, 2018

When Mikhail Gorbachev became leader of the Soviet Union in 1985, the USSR was one of the world’s two superpowers. By 1990, he, more than anyone else, had ended the Cold War, and in 1991, after barely escaping a coup attempt, he unintentionally presided over the collapse of the Soviet Union he had tried to save. In the first comprehensive biography of the final Soviet leader, Professor Taubman examines Gorbachev’s evolution and portrays the many sides of Gorbachev’s unique character, extending to his marriage and family life. William Taubman is the Bertrand Snell Professor of Political Science, Emeritus. His 2003 book, Khrushchev: The Man and His Era, won both the Pulitzer Prize for biography and the National Book Critics Circle Award for biography. Taubman’s new book, Gorbachev, was one of five finalists for this year’s National Book Critics Circle Award for biography. Presented by the Class of 1968.

Friday, May 25, 2018

Despite alarming headlines, huge strides have been made in protecting the greatest rainforest on Earth, which is integral to preserving the planet’s biodiversity and climate stability. Tens of millions of acres of protected areas and indigenous reserves have been established, and a deeper understanding has emerged of people’s needs and interactions with nature. Foster Brown ’73 is a Senior Scientist with the Woods Hole Research Center and also a faculty member at the Federal University of Acre in Brazil. Jonathan Putnam ’88 works in the U.S. National Park Service’s Office of International Affairs, responsible for the Western Hemisphere and natural World Heritage sites. John Reid ’88, P’20 is founder and former President of Conservation Strategy Fund, an NGO that works extensively in the Amazon. The panel will be moderated by Katharine Sims, Associate Professor of Economics and Environmental Studies. Presented by the Classes of 1973 and 1988.

Friday, May 25, 2018

Following up on President Charlie Cole and Professor Arnold Arons, who boldly led us into Science 1, 2 in September 1954, we will present two cutting-edge scientific topics that we believe should be included in such a Science 1, 2 course for this fall’s entering first-year students at Amherst: (a) planets outside our solar system and the search for extraterrestrial life, and (b) the application of genomics and immunotherapy to the treatment of cancer. Come and find out about these fields which our Science 1, 2 course could never have even imagined. Presenters include Kate Follette, Assistant Professor of Astronomy, and Richard Goldsby, the Thomas B. Walton Jr. Memorial Professor of Biology, Emeritus. Presented by the Class of 1958.