Fall Volunteer Conference Brings Alumni Leaders to Brunswick

Bowdoin’s Alumni Volunteer Groups

Bowdoin’s alumni volunteer leadership is strengthened by three important groups that partner closely with college staff to support alumni engagement, admissions, and annual giving:

The Alumni Council is the primary representative body of Bowdoin’s Alumni Association, which includes more than 25,000 alumni. Comprising up to thirty-five volunteers across class decades, the council works closely with the alumni relations office to provide input and perspective on initiatives designed to engage alumni, including Polar Bear Gatherings for the Common Good.

Council members serve as ambassadors for Bowdoin throughout the year by attending and supporting events, encouraging alumni participation in events and CXD programs, sharing college updates with peers, and helping to foster meaningful connections among alumni, students, and the College. While the council is not a fundraising body, its members help to fund a summer internship for a current Bowdoin student through the Maurice B. Littlefield ’41 Alumni Council Internship Fund.

The council also annually recognizes members of the Bowdoin community—including alumni, faculty, and staff—through awards honoring exceptional volunteerism, distinguished achievement, and outstanding service. Jen Ryan ’99 began her term as Alumni Council president in July 2026.

The BRAVO National Advisory Board works in partnership with the admissions team to support the Bowdoin Regional Admissions Volunteers Organization (BRAVO). This alumni volunteer network helps represent the College to prospective students and families, serving as informed and welcoming ambassadors for Bowdoin.

Many BRAVO volunteers also serve as virtual interviewers and support the admissions process in ways that reflect the College’s values. The group is chaired by Niki Alvarez ’07.

The Alumni Fund directors are a cross-generational group of alumni volunteers who help shape the volunteer experience for more than 800 class agents. Working in partnership with the annual giving staff, they provide feedback, perspective, and expertise on current projects and priorities, and they play an important role in helping drive alumni participation in giving. Their partnership supports one of Bowdoin’s longstanding points of pride: an alumni participation rate that consistently ranks in the top three in the country among liberal arts colleges. Chris Stearns ’01 began his term as chair in July 2026.

The fall 2026 volunteer conference began with a reception and dinner in Barry Mills Hall, where President Safa Zaki welcomed the three groups and shared updates on the College.  

 Each volunteer group held distinct meetings and discussions on Friday, September 18:

• During the morning plenary, Alumni Council members heard from Emi Blakely ’27, Mateo Morales Gómez ’29, and Pablo Riaño ’27, whose summer internships had been supported by the Maurice B. Littlefield ’41 Alumni Council Internship Fund. The students shared reflections on their experiences and spoke to the meaningful impact of alumni-supported funding on their academic, personal, and professional development. Members also heard a faculty update from Matthew Klingle, associate professor of history and environmental studies and director of the environmental studies program, who offered insight into ES research projects at the College and alumni doing environmental studies work in the private, government, and NGO sectors. In the afternoon plenary, the council reconvened for committee updates and general council business. Members summarized award recommendations, including the Alumni Service Award and Distinguished Educator Award, recognizing significant service and contributions within the Bowdoin community. Throughout the day, the sessions reflected the council’s ongoing commitment to strengthening alumni connections, supporting students, and advancing the work of the College.
  
  
• The BRAVO National Advisory Board heard from Assistant Vice President and Director of Admissions Emily Almas about the Class of 2030 and their early weeks on campus. They also had a lengthy conversation about the role of artificial intelligence in admissions and Bowdoin’s new policy. The board discussed the upcoming interview season with a focus on updates for fall 2026 and best approaches to communicating with BRAVO members. Members joined admissions staff for a special opportunity to engage with more than sixty high school students on campus as part of the Explore Bowdoin fly-in program.
  
  
• The Alumni Fund directors learned about current projects, discussed alumni participation rate strategies, and shared their perspectives on volunteer engagement. They shared feedback on Bowdoin’s newest fall effort, All Paws In, a campaign to ensure students have support for their most pressing needs at the start of the academic year. Members of the group made the first gifts to the effort and unlocked additional support from an anonymous challenger. Joined by the BRAVO National Advisory Board, the group also spent time at the Benjamin W. Hill-Lam ’13 Observatory, touring the space and learning about its history from Assistant Professor of Physics Fe McBride.

At dinner on Friday evening, the three volunteer groups enjoyed remarks focused on access and the College’s funding model from Almas and Matt Orlando, senior vice president for finance and administration and treasurer.

Thirteen members of the groups, along with Dan Olds, vice president of alumni relations and information systems, attended a Polar Bear Gathering for the Common Good coordinated by Alumni Council President Jen Ryan ’99.

The group visited Little Sparrows Clothing Closet, a nonprofit in Brunswick that facilitates access to clothing, to assist with organizing clothing items.  

Learn more about these volunteer groups by visiting the Alumni Council, Alumni Fund directors, and BRAVO web pages.

Please consider nominating a classmate for future volunteer service on the Alumni Council.