March 27, 2023

Reunion weekend boasts largest attendance ever

This past October, Beloit College welcomed alumni, families, and friends back to campus for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic.

Two alumni friends hug in a crowd of alumni home for reunion.

Beloiter Days: Homecoming, Reunion, and Family & Friends Weekend saw all three events combined into a celebration-filled weekend. More than 750 Beloiters joined in on the fun, including alumni from as far back as the class of 1955, and set a record for attendance.

Three classes returned to Beloit for their 50th Reunion celebration, making up for the years missed because of Covid restrictions. Current students and alumni enjoyed celebrating with their classmates at the homecoming parade and came together in the evening to party at their favorite campus haunt, C-Haus.

The class of 1972 excelled at the friendly class competitions that accompany each reunion, winning both the 1908 Cup for highest percentage of their class attending Reunion and the 1909 Cup for highest number of attendees.

The alumni assembly recognized more exceptional alumni who exemplify the best values of Beloit through their service and accomplishments.

Distinguished Service Citation

The Distinguished Service Citation is awarded to alumni on the basis of overall achievements, personal growth in career, and outstanding civic, cultural, and professional/business service in ways that reflect credit on Beloit College. Four Distinguished Service Citations were awarded in 2022.

Leah Burns’72

Leah Burns'72 Leah Burns’72, a faith-rooted activist and pastor in the United Methodist Church, received a Distinguished Service Citation.
Credit: Dominic PanicoRecipient Leah Burns’72 started advocating for equality as a Beloit College student. She was one of 35 Black students who occupied Middle College in 1969 to demand a more equitable college experience for students of color.

She continued that work in her career, focusing on diversity and inclusion in the corporate world. She changed course in 2016 to become a United Methodist pastor, reconnecting to her family’s deep roots within the U.S. Black Methodist movement. She continues to be a self-described “faith-rooted activist,” a pastor at Lennon-Seney United Methodist Church in Knoxville, Tenn., and a leader in the United Methodist Church’s Tennessee Valley District.

Erica Ueland’72

Erica Ueland'72, presented by Eleanor Chiquoine'76 Alumni Association board member Eleanor Chiquoine’76 presents the DSC to Erica Ueland’72 in absentia.
Credit: Dominic PanicoErica Ueland’72 has had an adventure-filled life with careers spanning from aviation to the film industry to volunteerism.

After studying English literature and anthropology as a transfer student at Beloit, she became an airline transport pilot, flight instructor, and flight engineer working on Operation Desert Storm in Utah and at the Department of Defense in San Diego, Calif. She is admired not only for her sharp wit and mentorship of future pilots, but also for her community responsibility. She has been a member of the San Diego Women’s Foundation since 2004, serving on its board of directors, and continues seasonal work as an election official for San Diego County.

Stacie Rosenzweig’97

Stacie Rosenzweig'97 Stacie Rosenzweig’97, an attorney who specializes in legal ethics and election law, was recognized for her work and service.
Credit: Dominic PanicoStacie Rosenzweig’97 has been recognized as a state and national leader in the legal ethics field and as a steadfast defender of democracy and voting rights.

A shareholder and attorney for Milwaukee-based law firm Halling & Cayo, she has a successful practice focusing on legal ethics, professional responsibility, and election law. Her dedication to service includes teaching continuing legal education courses to other lawyers and teaching jurisprudence as an adjunct assistant professor at the Marquette University School of Dentistry. She earned her J.D. from Marquette University Law School in 2009.

Amy O’Neill Grant’97

Carol O'Neill receiving the DSC on behalf of Amy O'Neill Grant'97. Carol O'Neill accepted the posthumous Distinguished Service Citation for her daughter, Amy O'Neill Grant’97.
Credit: Dominic PanicoAmy O’Neill Grant’97 received the award posthumously for her caring spirit and passion for educating children with special needs.

A biochemistry major and three-sport lettered athlete in soccer and track & field, she became a track & field co-captain, Academic All-America, and All-Conference Champion. After graduation, she married Jimmy Grant in Eaton Chapel and earned a teaching degree, finding a special affinity for teaching students with special needs. After a fellow educator was diagnosed with breast cancer, Amy became a dedicated organizer for the Susan G. Komen Foundation and avid participant in awareness walks. Amy persevered in the wake of her own diagnosis with the disease until her passing in 2008.

Young Alumni Award

Aaron Joiner'12 Aaron Joiner’12 received the Young Alumni Award for his achievements as a scientist and his efforts to make science careers more welcoming to students of color.
Credit: Alison Yin PhotographyThe Young Alumni Award is given annually to a Beloit College alum who, in the decade after graduation, has put Beloit’s principles into practice. Aaron Joiner’12, the 2022 recipient, is a structural biologist working as a post-doctoral researcher at the University of California-Berkeley.

As a Cornell University Ph.D. student, he advocated for increasing diversity in his field and continues to mentor students and work to improve a sense of belonging for students of color. He received numerous honors at Cornell, including being selected as a Hanna Gray Fellow through the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, a fellowship that goes to 25 exceptional new scientists to promote diversity in biomedical research. Joiner lives in Berkeley and is married to fellow alum Alexandra Hinck’14.