A Year in Review

We closed out a joyous 2023, honoring our alums and keeping the name “Newcomb” alive during the Newcomb Alumnae Association’s 130th Anniversary Celebration. The Champagne Reception during Wave Weekend was the crowning event of the year. 

This year, the Newcomb Alumnae Association board is asking ourselves how we can strengthen the Newcomb Network with everything we do. In the spring, Anita Raj was Tulane University Women’s Association (TUWA) 2024 Jane and Herbert Longnecker Speaker, and she has opened the door to further Newcomb collaboration with that historic organization.  

The Newcomb Institute and NAA were eager to get involved this February in Tulane’s inaugural Black Alumni Weekend. The excitement-filled weekend was a celebration of art and culture and focused on Black alumni and their contributions to the university. Newcomb Institute co-hosted a panel discussion. Thanks to VP of Alumnae Lauren Lee Pettiete Schewel (NC ’09) and the NAA EDI Committee, the weekend also included the much-anticipated Queen Tahj performance with the Golden Eagle Mardi Gras Indian Tribe. 

Each year, alums have opportunities in the fall and spring to connect at NAA Book Clubs across the country and by Zoom. In the spring, we read Necessary Trouble: Growing Up at Midcentury by Drew Gilpin Faust, who was featured at the New Orleans Book Festival sponsored by Tulane. During the fall book clubs, we will celebrate the Zale-Kimmerling Writer-in-Residence, which includes events in the spring such as readings and Q&As by Tayari Jones. 

We are incredibly proud of our collaboration with the Newcomb Institute and the Newcomb Director’s Advisory Council for a successful Give Green campaign. We exceeded all our challenges, raising $45,248, receiving 315 gifts to finish first in our category, and securing an additional $8,000 to support our programming. Most importantly, this was a very powerful day of keeping Newcomb in the spotlight.

We hosted our first delightful “Evening with Dr. Raj” in Washington, D.C. and will be holding more receptions soon. These events are an opportunity to introduce Executive Director Anita Raj to alums and Newcomb supporters around the country.