Caltech Reunion and Symposium

The Association of Marshall Scholars Caltech Reunion and Symposium on November 13-14, 2009, was successful in demonstrating the loyalty and intellectual breadth or our alumni community.  Approximately sixty Marshalls and guests attended cocktails and dinner at the Athenaeum Friday and Saturday and for the first time we had a chance to get to know each other a bit more than a brief reception format permits.  Recently returned Marshalls interacted with more seasoned alumni; in fact, we were graced with a Marshall from the inaugural class of scholars. 

The weekend also showed another important aspect of the Marshall alumni experience – that we each develop networks of accomplished colleagues in our professional work and those networks can be shared—in a reunion and symposium format—not only among Marshall alumni, but also with British government officials who funded our education for two or three years and can use our assistance as they connect with the United States. Tom Everhart and Ed Stolper, both Marshall alumni, have the greatest pride in Caltech and the Institute’s accomplishments are remarkable, especially with regard to measuring what human activity and striving can achieve.  The Marshall Scholars who attended the reunion and symposium were welcomed as friends to learn and participate, to return to our different worlds refreshed and encouraged.

Ed Stolper (left) and Tom Everhart (right) greet a fellow Marshall Scholar at the Friday evening Athenaeum dinner

The visit to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, under the guidance of Paul Dimotakis, and his introductory talk, were absolutely striking, and an earlier, published version of this presentation is available electronically on our AMS website. Click here to view a video of the talk.  In the afternoon, Ramo Auditorium was filled to listen to Steve Koonin, the DOE’s Undersecretary of Energy for Science, and other panelists, which included Marshall Scholars Dr. James Langer (’55) and Dr. Seema Jayachandran (’93). Click here to view a video of the panel discussion.

Steve Koonin, the DOE’s Undersecretary of Energy for Science, addresses the Marshall Symposium and CalTech community

Harrell Smith, Chairman of the AMS, is especially thanked for his unyielding efforts to make this Marshall Scholar reunion and symposium a success.  The Associate of Marshall Scholars will seek to have an event like this one annually, at differing venues around the country, so that we and our networks of friends and colleagues can meet in a remarkable place like Caltech and JPL, get to know each other and our British guests, and have these important discussions.

Two recently returned Marshall Scholars pose next to a replica of the Phoenix Mars rover, which will launch in 2012