Pine Manor College Prepares For Inauguration of New President Alane K. Shanks
Boston, Mass. – Pine Manor College (PMC) in Chestnut Hill, MA, one of the most diverse liberal arts women’s colleges in the nation, today announced it will host a two-day inaugural event culminating in the official installation ceremony of newly appointed president, Alane K. Shanks, Ed.D. The inauguration will be held on Friday, October 14, 2011, at 2 p.m. in Ellsworth Hall on the Pine Manor campus, with a reception to follow in the Founder’s Room of the Ferry Administration Building.
“The twenty-five plus years of experience in higher education that President Shanks brings to the job is already evident in the transformational leadership she has demonstrated in her first sixty days as president,” said Serena Greening, Chairman of the PMC Board of Trustees. “Alane is deeply committed to academic excellence, diversity, and the crucial role education serves in the lives of women and society.”
Dr. Shanks has extensive experience at both private and public institutions of higher education in Boston. Since 2006, Dr. Shanks served as the Vice President of Administration and Finance at Roxbury Community College, where she worked to broaden access to high quality public education for under-served populations. Prior to this role, she served as the Associate Dean for Educational Administration and Finance at Harvard Medical School. She has also worked as a higher education consultant, serving clients such as Wheelock College and Yale University.
“For 100 years, Pine Manor College has been a proven leader in bringing a supportive and rigorous Liberal Arts education to women of promise,” said President Shanks. “For our second century, we will draw together students from across the nation and around the world and help them to become critical thinkers and responsible leaders as they study in our inclusive community. For our students and our community, I am committed to a strong, sustainable, and dynamic future for Pine Manor College.”
Dr. Shanks received her BA from the University of California at Santa Barbara in 1981, her Master’s in Management of Human Services from Brandeis University in 1987 and her Doctorate of Education from the University of Massachusetts in 2003. Her dissertation, Thirty-five years of affirmative action at Harvard Medical School: A Mixed Method Program Evaluation was the winner of the American Educational Research Association Award for Best Paper for New Investigator, Division I, 2004.
The inauguration events will be attended by the Pine Manor College community and guests.
Thursday, October 13
- Seminar One: Service for a Lifetime
1:00 p.m. Panel on community service as a socially responsible component of life-long learning.
- Seminar Two: A New Partnership with Kings Colleges
3:00 p.m. Discussion of shared missions to promote cross-cultural understanding and community-building.
- Seminar Three: Showcasing the MFA in Creative Writing
6:00 p.m. Readings and discussion by faculty and graduates with Helen Elaine Lee, David Yoo, Kathi Aguero and Kerry Beckford.
Friday, October 14
- Seminar Four: Partnering for Student Success
10:00 a.m. Strategies and best practices for supporting students’ transitions from K-12 to college and the innovative PMC teaching strategies that promote their success through to graduation.
- Poster Session
12:30 p.m. PMC students present their academic portfolios, visual arts projects, and Alternative Spring Break relief efforts.
- Installation Ceremony
2:00 p.m. Dignitaries will bring greetings from across the United States, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the Town of Brookline, the Chestnut Hill neighborhood, along with testaments about Dr. Alane Shanks’ experiences that have led her to the presidency. Senator Cynthia Stone Creem and Jesse Mermell, Selectwoman, President Terrence Gomes, Roxbury Community College, Associate Dean Myra Ramos, Harvard Medical School, and Reverend Cheryl Dudley, World Church Organization, are among the featured speakers.
- Reception
4:30 p.m. Performance by the PMC Dance Ensemble will be followed by live music and dancing. Surprise guest!
For directions, transportation and hotel information, please visit www.pmc.edu/visitors-guide.
About Pine Manor College
Pine Manor College is a private, affordable four-year liberal arts college dedicated to preparing women for roles of inclusive leadership and social responsibility in their workplaces, families and communities. The College consistently ranks among the most diverse BA liberal arts colleges in the nation, according to US News & World Report’s America’s Best Colleges. PMC is located in Chestnut Hill, Mass., five miles from Boston. For further information, please visit www.pmc.edu.
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