Stories of Sagehen Impact

Emeritus Professor Ted Tsukahara was surprised to learn a fund was made in his honor. For his students, the answer's clear: His visionary teaching helped shape PPE, and his decades of mentorship reflect Pomona’s close faculty-student bonds.

As director of amateur scouting for the Boston Red Sox, Jake Bruml ’15 is nomadic most of the year, his weekday afternoons an endless parade of high school and collegiate baseball at different schools in different counties in different states.

Robi Ganguly ’00, who has officially assumed the role of Alumni Association Board president, offers advice for students and alumni navigating their next chapters: stay connected, remain open to opportunity and carry forward the Sagehen spirit.

Robi Ganguly ’00, who has served on Pomona College's Alumni Association Board since 2022, is kicking off his two years as Alumni Board president. Read more about Ganguly’s vision for strengthening the Sagehen alumni community.

Susan ’61 and David ’59 Hirsch’s enduring generosity established Pomona’s faculty research grants program in 1996. Now marking 30 years and more than 100 funded grants, they continue to expand opportunities for faculty scholarship and innovation.

When Chiu-Mi Lai ’83 boarded a train in Hong Kong bound for mainland China in 1981, she carried more books than luggage. More than four decades later, she and her husband, David Mohrig ’83, have honored the professor who made that journey possible.

Fourteen faculty members have been promoted, recognizing the exceptional work and impact of faculty across departments. 

Fourteen recent Pomona College graduates have been offered Fulbright U.S. Student Program awards for 2026-27. 

Leslie Derkum ’63 was defined by exploration. Now, through a Pomona College scholarship she created with her husband, Edward “Ed” Derkum ’61, her spirit of curiosity lives on in Sagehens just beginning their own journeys.

Ka Kiu (Kyle) Lau ’25 was one of 150 Scholars chosen from a record 5,800 applicants. He’ll step away from professional soccer this fall to pursue a master’s degree in global affairs from Beijing’s Tsinghua University.