A Fond Farewell

From the Editor

by Sherri Kimmel, Senior Editor

For 12 years I have had the great honor to tell the story of an extraordinary college and its people. Along the way, I have met and befriended fascinating and accomplished alums such as author and diplomat Erwin Wickert ’36, craft artist Joyce Rinehart Anderson ’45, international banker and bon vivant Chris Devries ’69, New York Times editor Chuck Strum ’70 and my former boss, now chief of staff and secretary of the college, Karen Neely Faryniak ’86.

I’ve had the joy of seeing my first staff writer, Chris Maier ’99, develop from a newly minted product of the English department into co-owner and strategist for a Washington, D.C.-based communications firm. Several years later, the enterprising Alicia LeBlanc ’07 became my staff writer, and I’ve delightedly watched as she made her dream of living and working in Paris a reality. Working with young writers, whether as alumni or students, has been perhaps my most gratifying opportunity here.

I’ve also had the chance to tap into the versatile minds and enjoy warm relationships with faculty members such as Middle East historian David Commins, poet-in-residence Adrienne Su, math man Dave Richeson, E.M. Forster biographer Wendy Moffat, film fanatic Nancy Mellerski, biologist John Henson, sociologist Dan Schubert, singer Lynn Helding, Jewish life’s Ted Merwin and former language professors Dieter Rollfinke, Peter Steiner, Wolfgang Muller, Michael Kline and Enrique Martinez-Vidal. As with any such list, for the sake of space, I must leave many people out.

But before I take my leave, I also must give kudos to the wonderful staff of Dickinson Magazine for making it such a compelling storytelling “machine” during my dozen years. Currently that means Lauren Davidson, Matt Getty, Michelle Simmons and MaryAlice Bitts Jackson. For 12 years, proofreader David Liu ’78 kept our syntax straight. And Barbara Stambaugh, now at Denison University, was my amazing right hand and assistant editor early on.

Visually, Pierce Bounds ’71 and Carl Socolow ’77 lent our pages their distinctive photographic styles, and Amy Wells, my creative partner on three magazines over 25 years, melded the words and images.

I’ve also been fortunate to work for a president, William G. Durden ’71, and two publishers, Stephanie Balmer and Robert J. Massa, who gave me the great gift of editorial independence.

This issue is my last as senior editor of Dickinson Magazine. On Jan. 11, I begin a new role as editor of the alumni magazine and director of editorial and creative services at Swarthmore College. While this new opportunity is exciting, it is difficult to say farewell to this place, these people and you, our ardent readers.

Published January 2, 2012