Mitchell College holds 71st Commencement, Inauguration of Janet Steinmayer May 16

  
New London, CT – This Saturday, May 16, at 10:00 a.m., Mitchell College will hold a double celebration — the College’s 71st Commencement Ceremony and the Inauguration of Janet L. Steinmayer, J.D., as seventh president of Mitchell College. The ceremony will take place on the College Green on campus.
 
President Steinmayer, in giving the Presidential Address, will note that the two ceremonies, commencement and inauguration, are both inductions into the academic tradition that stretches back centuries. While celebrating proud scholarly traditions, she will also ask her audience to consider how embracing the non-traditional in response to societal changes has shaped the American college experience in general, and Mitchell in particular, placing our College in a unique and important position in the forefront of innovative education. And, she will describe the special role Mitchell plays in the community and how it explores the significance of promoting diversity in all aspects of thinking.
 
Steinmayer began her tenure at Mitchell College on July 1, 2014 as the College’s seventh president. Ms. Steinmayer started her career as a corporate lawyer in private practice in New York and was then general counsel at Trans World Airlines. She then served as President and CEO of Centerplate, Inc., the fifth largest food service company in North America. She came to the College from her position as the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Appleseed Food Frontiers, a business accelerator and investment firm for expansion stage and artisanal food entrepreneurs.
 
Ms. Steinmayer received a Bachelor of Arts in English and History magna cum laude from Bryn Mawr College and a Doctor of Jurisprudence from the University of Chicago. Throughout her career she has been engaged in higher education. She currently serves as Vice Chair of Bryn Mawr's Board of Trustees and on the Board of Trustees of Lesley University. She is also the former Chairman of the Board of Eagle Hill Southport, an independent school in Connecticut serving children with learning differences.
 
Christopher F. McKeon has been selected to give the student address. From North Scituate, RI, he will be receiving a Bachelor of Science in Sports and Fitness.
 
The ceremony will include the presentation of the Distinguished Alumni Award to Amanda L. Almond ’09, Ph.D., and Distinguished Service Awards to Lucila Arango and Donald B. Helms, M.Ed. In addition, the recipients of the Board of Trustees Awards for Academic Achievement and the Faculty Awards for Academic Achievement will be announced during the ceremony.
157 graduating seniors will be receiving Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Associate in Arts, and Associate in Science degrees.
 
Commencement will be held on the College Green and approximately 1200 are expected to attend. Tent seating is available for ticket-holders. Lawn seating will be open to the public. For more information, call 860-701-5019 or email commencement@mitchell.edu.
    
Mitchell College is a small, private college that has been an invaluable resource for southeastern Connecticut for over 75 years. Mitchell’s personal, mentoring approach activates strengths in our students that allows them to achieve levels of success and leadership they may not yet have imagined for themselves. Mitchell has a strong tradition of celebrating and supporting diverse ways of learning, and is committed to the broader community through partnerships and internships. Located on a beautiful waterfront campus in historic New London, it is also home to championship NCAA Division III athletics and the Duquès Academic Success Center which includes the renowned Bentsen Learning Center.