Back-to-School Classes
Recapture the heart of the Davidson College experience—time spent learning in the classroom! All alums, families and students are invited to enjoy virtual Back-to-School Classes featuring alums in a reunion class.
Classes take place February through May.
We are committed to fostering a respectful, inclusive, and engaging virtual environment for all participants. Whether attending a class, event, or meeting via Zoom, we ask that all individuals adhere to our virtual meeting standards to ensure a positive experience for everyone.
2025 Classes
The ever-changing world of education requires data-driven decision-making now more than ever. Join us to learn more about the College Crisis Initiative (C2i), Davidson’s education policy research center. Born out of the COVID-19 pandemic, C2i aims to learn how colleges and universities innovate in times of crisis. Dr. Chris Marsicano ’10, Rylie Martin ’20, Luis Toledo ’20, Alexandria Marsicovetere ’21 and Steve Mirabello ‘25 will discuss Davidson’s place in higher education research and C2i’s latest projects. The class will cover two main topics 1) What is C2i and how does it prepare Davidson to lead in educational research? and 2) what is the current state of education?
Join us for an engaging discussion exploring the power of storytelling in shaping our lives and the world around us. This panel, inspired by Davidson’s 50 Years of Coeducation celebration, will feature alumnae from reunion years who will share their unique journeys from Davidson to their current endeavors and reflect on the stories that have defined their paths. Together, we’ll examine how the stories we tell, and those we live, influence our perspectives, relationships, and leadership. Whether you’re a storyteller at heart or simply curious about the transformative role of narratives, this class will inspire and empower you to reflect on your own story in new ways. Panelists include Makayla Binter ’20, creative catalyst at Charlotte Is Creative; freelance artist; Kathy Bray ’85, Counselor/Owner of KBray Counseling and former Associate Dean of Students at Davidson College; Rev. Caroline Bryer (Levy) Cupp ’05, ordained Presbyterian (USA) minister, writer, and author of several books on disability and relationships; Yvette Pita Frampton ’95, an award-winning documentary filmmaker. The conversation will be facilitated by Marya Howell ’91, Senior Major Gifts Officer – Women’s Philanthropy and sponsored by Women ACT (Aspire, Create, Transform).
Most of our common causes of death and disease are rooted in poor lifestyle choices. What can we learn from lifestyle medicine and the Blue Zones about steps we can all take to live long, healthy lives? Join Brian Asbill ’90 who specializes in adult cardiology and lifestyle medicine as he shares insights on this topic. He has spent many years treating patients with cardiovascular disease and other lifestyle-related chronic illnesses.
Join us for a special virtual class commemorating With These Hands, a powerful representation of the contributions of those who helped shape Davidson College but who have previously been downplayed or unacknowledged.
In 2019, members of the Board of Trustees were given the charge to rectify the wrongs of omission and obfuscation, to acknowledge vital contributors to our school history and to help Davidson reclaim its history in a fuller, more just, and more accurate way. They commissioned With These Hands as a part of that reconciliation.
Members of this committee will lead a discussion about creating the commemorative site and delve into the untold stories of labor, resilience, and legacy, fostering a deeper understanding of our shared history. The essence of the committee’s work is to acknowledge the past and imagine a new future.
Through engaging discussions and reflections, alumni will reconnect with the enduring values of community and purpose that define Davidson.
Join Janet M. Stovall '85, author of the forthcoming book "Now What? Doing DEI (whether others give a damn or not)," for an interactive workshop exploring the essential elements of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
In this session, you'll:
- Delve into the five archetypes of the "DOING" model - Disaggregationist, Opportunist, Interventionist, Neutralist, and Globalist - to help you identify your personal approach to DEI.
- Discover how understanding your motivations, strengths, and potential blind spots can empower you to make a real difference in promoting inclusion.
- Learn practical strategies for translating your DEI archetype into meaningful action in your personal and professional life.
- Explore the concept of "equity" and how it relates to inclusion, gaining insights into how to advocate for fairness and dismantle systems of inequity.
Whether you're a seasoned DEI advocate or just beginning to explore these concepts, this workshop will provide you with valuable tools and insights to navigate the complexities of this work with clarity and purpose.
Today, Feetures is the leading performance sock brand in the US running specialty industry and sold in over 40 countries around the world. Learn about the company’s origins, how it was born out of necessity when one family business ended, and how, like many businesses, the company started with an observation that there was an opportunity to create a better product for a niche audience. What were the company's founding principles and how did that strategy evolve? What were the most important innovations that helped fuel the company’s growth? What were some of the biggest challenges that the company faced, and how were they overcome? And what is it like to operate a family business and how has the company addressed succession planning? Join John Gaither ’00, the CEO of Feetures, as he shares insights on this topic.
Seemingly every day, the news reports another cybersecurity incident somewhere in the United States. From shuttered gasoline pipelines to hospitals unable to perform procedures, to thefts of private data from health insurers and all levels of government – the attacks never seem to end. Why are cyberattacks so ubiquitous and pernicious? With all the attention focused on cybersecurity, why do these events still happen? Join Kevin Davis for an easy-to-understand, non-technical introduction to the topic of why cybercrime continues to be so successful, along with some important steps you can take to protect yourself personally. Kevin has worked in higher education technology for almost thirty years and has been responsible for cybersecurity at Davidson for the past eight years, six of those as the college’s chief information officer. This talk is designed for a generalist audience to understand the politics, incentives, and risks that have made cybersecurity an unwelcome factor in everyone’s lives.
Past Classes
Missed a class you're interested in? Check out recordings from the 2025 Back-to-School Classes series in YouTube.
Join Maria Whitehead ’95, vice president of land for the southeast through the Open Space Institute (OSI), in a discussion with Dr. Wenonah G. Haire (Catawba), executive director of the Catawba Cultural Center, and Lydia Locklear Canty (Lumbee), tribal attorney for the Catawba Nation. The panel will explain how the OSI and Catawba Nation partnered to preserve a 600-acre tract of historical, cultural, and natural significance in Lancaster County, SC. The King’s Bottom Tract will eventually become a South Carolina state park. Protecting this land from commercial development ensures that Catawba potters will continue to access and co-manage an ancestral clay pit that the Catawba regard as a sacred resource. The initiative provides a model for how Davidson College may partner with the Catawba Nation in future land preservation initiatives as part of Dútα Bαhiisere Kus Ráˀhere (We Know Corn Together), the collaboration between the Catawba Nation and Davidson College. The conversation will be facilitated by Prof. Rose Stremlau, Charles A. Dana Professor of History.
It’s never too early or too late to start thinking about the impact you want to make! Join us for an engaging session on how you can help shape Davidson’s future through an estate gift. Jamie Stamey, our Director of Gift Planning, will guide you through planned giving options such as bequests, beneficiary designations, and charitable gift annuities in this beginner-friendly session. Plus, hear from JJ and Virginia Summerell ’80 as they share their inspiring reasons for supporting Davidson in this meaningful way. Everyone is welcome to join and learn how you can make a lasting difference!
Whether we grew up in a home with positive models of healthy relationship behaviors or not, our childhood experiences shape the relationships we have in adulthood. And if you are a parent, your own behaviors in the parent-child relationship will shape how your children engage in their future relationships. This class will dive into two main questions 1) What are the basic characteristics of healthy family relationships? and 2) What does it take to cultivate healthy family relationships at home? Dr. Trenita Brookshire Childers ‘05, a sociologist and mom of three boys, describes a framework for family wellness which includes five core areas: health and safety, identity, connection, belonging, and legacy. In this discussion, Dr. Childers will walk through ways to intentionally cultivate these five core areas of family wellness as we shape relationship dynamics in our homes.
What does the hostile takeover of New College in Sarasota, FL tell us about the future of public liberal arts education in an America awash with Florida politics? Eric Walker ’75 will spotlight this and several high-profile crises of late in Florida public higher education, including the battle over the presidential stakes at UF (the Ben Sasse controversy), system-mandated curricular reforms targeting DEI, boards of trustees newly active in faculty hiring and tenure and the precarious status of faculty unions on all these fronts. As an emeritus professor of English, former president of the Faculty Senate at Florida State University, member of the FSU Board of Trustees, and member of the statewide Florida Council of Faculty Senate presidents Eric has a strong interest in keeping a close eye on these matters during his retirement.
Event recordings can be found in these libraries:
Reunion 2024 Limited Edition Library