Dear Pomona College Community,
On this beautiful May day here on our spectacular campus, I want to begin this summary of a productive semester by celebrating our graduating class of 2025. Close to 450 graduates, 447 to be exact, will receive their Pomona degrees this Sunday. They have earned their degrees through extraordinary hard work and a vision for themselves that will make them vital contributors to our world across their lives. All of us in the faculty and staff are justifiably proud of our graduates. We look forward to seeing them walk out our College Gates and cheering them on during Commencement this Sunday to cap off a weekend of celebrations together with the families and friends that have stood with them as they reached this pivotal achievement. It is going to be a wonderful weekend, and we thank everyone who is working so hard to provide our graduates and all those around them with a ceremony to treasure.
As my role as acting president also nears its end, I look forward both to passing the baton back to President Starr on July 1, and to relishing this special time ahead on campus with you. I am particularly grateful for all of the support and kindness you have shown me across this semester. It is truly a privilege to serve this College community.
The number of prestigious scholarships and fellowships our students have earned this year is another reminder of the quality of our students and of a Pomona education. This year we have our first Rhodes Scholar in 20 years, along with 15 Fulbright recipients, bringing the College’s total number of Fulbright Scholars across its history to 315. This year, our students also earned a Luce Fellowship, two Gilman Scholarships, and Pomona’s first Watson Fellowship since 2022.
Our faculty never cease to amaze us with their accomplishments. Professor Lupe Bacio will continue her research on the impact of COVID-19 on Latino Caregivers thanks to the support of a Haynes Foundation grant, while Professor Prageeta Sharma was awarded a Creative Writing Fellowship through the National Endowment for the Arts. And this past month, we received the incredible news that Professor Jonathan Lethem was recognized with a Guggenheim Fellowship in fiction. Congratulations to all!
Fulfilling Our Promise to Students of All Backgrounds
We are also proud to continue providing access to a Pomona education for students regardless of their financial circumstances. For example, 23 percent of the students in our current first-year class are first-generation students, and 19 percent are Pell-eligible.
To help support access for talented students, our alumni and families have given generously time and time again. For example, last fall alumnus David Sklar '83 and his wife, Susan Acevedo, gave $1 million for scholarship support. Given in honor of their parents, the gift will expand college access for low-income California students who plan to pursue studies in STEM at Pomona. Our deepest thanks to our alumni and other donors for the support that makes possible this investment in our students and their futures.
Pomona continues to be an institution of choice for outstanding students of every background, and an institution with a growing global footprint. The admitted students in the Class of 2029 alone represent 48 states and 45 countries. Like all classes in recent years, that class will see more than half of its members study abroad before they graduate. And our faculty keep building on the successful launch of our Global Gateway programs, including professors Nina Karnovsky and Wallace Meyer taking students this spring to Hawaii to study the conservation of biodiversity, with support from Robert D. ’68 and Diane Piety and from a research fund established by alumni Benjamin Godsey ’95 and Yvonne Chan ’95. Likewise, we look forward to this summer’s program to Mexico City led by economics professors Fernando Lozano and Karla Cordova, which will be supported by a gift from Pomona parents David and Leslie Burgstahler P’22.
To underscore how significant Pomona’s commitment to a global education is, let me point out that less than 10 percent of U.S. college graduates have studied outside this country during college. A Pomona education gives our students a powerful edge in understanding the world and a global perspective on its grand challenges.
Support from our entire Sagehen community enriches the Pomona faculty and student experience in countless ways. In fact, we are about to close our second consecutive record-breaking year of fundraising in support of the College’s mission. While we look forward to sharing more details after July 1, we are incredibly grateful to have a community that believes in–and steps up to drive–the incredible promise of Pomona.
Faculty Hiring and Accreditation Review
The excellence and quality of our faculty continue to grow. This year, we invested in a record number of searches for a single academic year, resulting in the hiring of 15 new teacher-scholars. With departures and the retirements of several outstanding colleagues, this set of successful hires increases our continuing faculty by nine, further strengthening the personalized learning and low student-faculty ratio that are essential to a Pomona education. We offer all the faculty and staff involved in the exceptional work of the search committees our gratitude and thanks.
This spring also featured an important special visit from our accrediting body, the Western Association of Colleges and Schools–Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC). This visit was an opportunity to update the Commission on Pomona’s progress in several key areas and produced important discussions within the College and with a knowledgeable group of external reviewers. The time and effort faculty and academic administrators gave to this review made it both productive and meaningful.
Community Care and Engagement
Sagehens also care for the community. We certainly saw that in the aftermath of last winter’s horrific Los Angeles wildfires. When five of our employee families tragically lost their homes in the fires, I was so impressed with the way our staff and faculty sprang into action. The College was able to help provide temporary housing for some of the families. Staff Council organized a donation drive to provide for fire victims’ immediate needs, and so many contributions came in that there was plenty left over to help other organizations in their fire relief efforts as well.
Meanwhile, during this year’s spring break, three groups of students also dedicated their time to serving others. Through the Draper Center’s Alternabreak program, our students served the communities of Oakland, San Diego and San Francisco, where they embarked on projects related to housing and food insecurity.
This spring our students, acting on their own initiative, also got involved in the local community in other ways. During the summer, a sophomore politics major, Josh Crowley, came up with the idea for Sagehen Civic Scholars—Pomona students who would intern with the City of Claremont. He met with the Claremont city manager and in five minutes got him on board with the idea. The deputy city manager then worked with city departments to develop internship opportunities with real impact. More than 70 students applied for the nine intern spots, and next fall the city hopes to offer additional positions. Besides getting students involved and interested in local government, these opportunities strengthen our strong relationship with Claremont. Well done, Josh.
Strategic Vision Progress
We are also deeply committed to encouraging and respecting diversity, work that we know continues to require our best efforts. Because we know we are stronger when everyone’s voice is included, we have a responsibility to make sure that our campus climate is welcoming to all. Through the Bridge the Gap program, our students engaged in meaningful conversations and dialogue with students from Biola University this semester. In addition, this year’s monthly Year of Dialogue events for students, staff and faculty have been a meaningful contribution to this effort, and we appreciate all those who have participated.
For 138 years, Pomona College has been a place of excellence. It continues to be so because of each one of you. Our dedicated faculty and our outstanding staff commit themselves every day to challenging and supporting our students, our students continue to inspire us with their hard work and passion for impact, and our alumni, families and friends continue to trust and support the college and its people, a faith that humbles us as much as it motivates us. As this academic year nears its close, I thank you for all you mean to Pomona and its future–and look forward to being with you as we celebrate a new class of graduates that represent the best of our great College’s mission.
Best wishes,
Bob
Robert Gaines
Acting President
Edwin F. and Martha Hahn Professor of Geology