From the ground we rose
Stone and spirit bound as one
Integrated dream
Breaking down silos
Bridges of thought and reason
Science meets the soul
Liberal arts lead
Fields converging in the quest
Truth with purpose blooms
Doors opened for all
Students from their varied lives
Every voice belongs
In classrooms and halls
Growth and vision here take root
Mentorship shines bright
Research finds new paths
Curiosity spreads wings
A culture of reach
Here all voices speak
Thought and freedom intertwine
Dialogue takes flight
Storms of the world came
Pandemic, war, upheaval
You held steady course
Billion plus raised
Yet a greater gift you leave
A future unbound
Now the light endures
Is woven through all we do
Your vision guides us
— Written by Heather Antecol P’29
(with creative assistance from AI)
CMC faculty marked the end of another successful semester—and the beginning of a holiday season filled with gratitude and appreciation—during two recent off-campus celebrations alongside President Hiram Chodosh.
Shortly before Thanksgiving, faculty gathered for an annual appreciation from David ’81 P’11 and Margaret Mgrublian P’11 at their Pasadena home. Together with CMC Board Chair Ken Valach ’82, they also honored the impact of President Chodosh’s 13-year presidency on their teaching, research, and scholarship, most notably by providing support for research projects, conferences, endowed chairs, and curriculum development.
Valach presented President Chodosh with the Henry R. Kravis and George R. Roberts Chair in Leadership while thanking him for his dedication to CMC faculty. During President Chodosh’s presidency, Valach noted that:
- Nearly 100 tenure-line faculty have been hired;
- 70 faculty have been promoted to associate professor with tenure;
- and more than 50 faculty have been promoted to full professor with tenure.
Heather Antecol P’29, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty and James G. Boswell Professor of Economics, recognized President Chodosh’s accomplishments “in true Hiram style” by sharing 10 original haiku—one of his favorite forms of poetry (see sidebar). She also presented him with two custom-designed CMC President sweatshirts, one intended to wear and the other as a keepsake signed by faculty.
In a nod to his introduction to CMC, Antecol also tapped professors Eric Helland P’20, Paul Hurley, and Diana Selig to share their earliest reflections on meeting with President Chodosh. All three were members of his Presidential Search Committee in 2012.
“In our interviews, you talked about how we hope our students will be and what we hope they will do; about ‘the creative power of the liberal arts;’ about preparing students for a ‘reflective and effective life;’ and about this mix as CMC’s ‘special sauce’,” shared Selig, Kingsley Croul Associate Professor of History and George R. Roberts Fellow. “Looking back, this commitment seems more important than ever. Today, as challenges to higher education grow even greater, this vision of the creative power of the liberal arts feels increasingly urgent. We’re grateful for your tireless efforts on behalf of CMC and your unwavering defense of liberal arts education.”
Hurley, Edward J. Sexton Professor of Philosophy, further shared how President Chodosh “broadened and deepened” CMC’s commitment to faculty excellence, “in particular, the commitment to enriching perspectives, standpoints, and backgrounds of the faculty.” As a result, every department is “deeper, stronger, more interesting,” Hurley emphasized, “and the standpoints and understanding of every single student are enriched.”
Beyond President Chodosh’s unwavering support for faculty, Helland added that meeting with staff and students during the recently concluded presidential search provided Helland with an even greater appreciation for all President Chodosh had done to put people first while bringing every facet of the CMC liberal arts experience together.
Every student and staff member “talked about how involved (he was) in their lives,” and how “Hiram put enormous effort into making a lot of people (who may not have felt that way before) part of our family,” said Helland, William F. Podlich Professor of Economics and George R. Roberts Fellow. “It became clear how much of a community Hiram had built in his 13 years at CMC, and I was also struck by how much effort building that community must have taken.”
With that same spirit of community at the forefront, faculty also gathered on Dec. 12 for their annual holiday party hosted by President Chodosh and his wife, Priya Junnar—who served as Athenaeum Director for more than a decade—offering another opportunity to reflect together. Antecol presented both with a framed family tree, symbolizing how much they “have meant to faculty given all of their individual and joint contributions these past 13 years.”
President Chodosh received personally inscribed copies of various faculty books and publications, with Antecol asking faculty members to include those that held the most meaning for them. He offered appreciation for how faculty invited him to appear as a guest in their classes, leading to further collaboration on developing innovative curricula and experiential student opportunities. Working together also inspired some of his own writing and editing (as he has produced three books, and a sprinkling of book chapters, articles, and short essays over his time as President).
But most of all, President Chodosh thanked CMC faculty for supporting him as a student of what he called “the best faculty in the world.”
“If you’re the luckiest president, then I’m absolutely the luckiest Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty for having had the chance to learn from you and work beside you,” Antecol said, echoing sentiments President Chodosh shared during his recent State of the College address. “I am grateful for every moment.”
View some of our favorite photos from both events below.
