The weather in Northfield refuses to commit to a season, but Carleton students are already thinking ahead to Spring Break. This year, 21 students are participating in the Center for Community and Civic Engagement (CCCE) Alternative Spring Break (ASB) trips. Students learn from community partner organizations and take action to address the social justice issues affecting the partner sites.
Community engagement is also on the minds of the Carleton Alumni Council, Alumni Annual Fund Board, and several alumni volunteer task forces who recently met for a collaborative weekend focused on building meaningful engagement opportunities for alumni like you. Carleton is always looking for more volunteers to help connect and activate our community. Whether you're interested in helping students explore careers, meeting with prospective students, planning your reunion, mobilizing gifts to empower the campus experience, or gathering with Carls in your region, there's an opportunity for you to get involved.
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Alumni Council seeks nominations
Do you love data analysis or data visualization? The Carleton Alumni Council is seeking new at-large members with these skill sets to begin terms in August 2026.
Nominate yourself or a fellow alum by March 31 to be considered.
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Highlight Carleton in your classroomAs part of a new pilot program, we are offering Carleton swag to alumni serving as K-12 educators to help increase the College's name recognition and visibility with prospective students. These items are designed to spark conversations with prospective students.
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Carleton announces faculty promotions
Three members of the Carleton faculty have been awarded tenure and promoted to associate professor: Barry Costanzi, assistant professor of physics; Daniel Maxbauer, assistant professor of geology; and Brooke Okazaki, assistant professor of music. The promotions were approved by the Board of Trustees at its February meeting and take effect September 1, 2026.
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152nd Commencement speaker announced
Dr. Jennifer Pietenpol ’86, an internationally recognized cancer researcher, will give the commencement address for Carleton College’s 152nd Commencement. The ceremony will take place outdoors on the Bald Spot on Saturday, June 13, 2026.
“Jennifer Pietenpol’s distinguished career exemplifies all the qualities Carleton hopes to instill in its graduates: curiosity, creativity, discipline, and a profound commitment to using her talents to help others,” President Alison Byerly said. “We are honored — and I am personally delighted — to have Jennifer Pietenpol serve as Commencement speaker for Carleton’s Class of 2026.”
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Knights highlights and upcoming events
The men's basketball team maintained possession of the Goat Trophy with an 80–68 win against St. Olaf. Carleton hosted the MIAC Indoor Track and Field Championships at the Rec Center on February 26–28. Hannah Preisser '26 and Lauren Tittel '29 collected individual titles to help the Knights women place 4th overall. Men's track & field finished in a tie for seventh place, where Gabe Nichols '26 had the Knights' top finish of the day with second in the 3000-meter run. Diver Nina Schwab '28 secured her spot at the upcoming NCAA Division III Championships as she finished second on the 1-meter board, and Hans Anderson '26 punched his ticket to a second consecutive NCAA Championships by finishing fourth during both the 3-meter and 1-meter competitions. Spring sports continue this month with baseball, golf, softball, tennis, and track and field competitions at home and away. Look for an event in your area and come support Carleton's varsity athletes.
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Registration for Reunion 2026 is now open
Reunion 2026 will celebrate the 1s and 6s class cohort this June 18–21. Come back to see old friends, make new ones, and reacquaint yourself with campus.
Visit the Carleton Reunion website for more details, see a list of alumni and friends who have already signed up, and securely register online. On-campus housing fills up quickly, so register early for the best chance to secure a spot.
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Upcoming Virtual Offerings
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Refresh (or redesign!) your career
Looking for a professional change or a career pivot? Navigating a job search and looking for support? The spring cohort of the Carleton Alumni Career Design Program (facilitated by Mission Collaborative) begins May 2. The Alumni Career Design Program is a guided, community-powered experience that combines a 30-day structured phase with a self-paced launch phase to help you clarify your career priorities, explore career paths that match your strengths, build a personalized roadmap, and launch your next steps.
More than 250 Carleton alumni have participated in the program to reroute their careers. Register by April 11 for an early bird discount!
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Thursday, March 193:00 p.m. CT | Zoom Carl Talks | How Big Food Stifles Competition and Raises Prices with Claire Kelloway ’16
Like much of the economy, shockingly few corporations control a large portion of food production. Corporate consolidation in the food system poses risks for farmers, workers, and increasingly, consumers. This talk will detail the ways food corporations collude with competitors and exclude would-be rivals to raise profits and cheat the public.
Claire Kelloway ’16 has reported on unfair and anticompetitive conduct in the food industry for nearly 8 years as the lead writer for Food & Power, a newsletter published by the Open Markets Institute, an anti-monopoly think tank. Kelloway’s award-winning writing has appeared in outlets such as TIME, Vox, The Intercept, and Mother Jones.
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Find a Coffee with Carls location on April 11Coming to a place near you! Meet with Carls in your vicinity to connect and build community over a cup of coffee, tea, or something else. Review the list of locations, and register today!
Don't see your city listed? Hosting a location is free and easy. Pick a local cafe and let us know by March 17—we'll handle the advertising!
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More Carleton events in your area
Have an idea for an event in your area? We are always looking for more regional volunteers to help organize. Contact the Alumni Relations Office to get started.
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Help us Hail the Maize & Blue from April 9-14Carleton's fifth-annual Maize & Blue Daize celebration is around the corner. This event is a time to show your Carleton pride, reconnect with fellow Carls, and enrich the student experience by supporting the Alumni Annual Fund.
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Submit your Class NotesDo you have personal or professional news to share? Submit your Class Notes to be included in an upcoming edition of the Voice.
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In MemoriamCarleton marks the passing of members of the community — students, staff, faculty, and alumni — and provides an opportunity for friends to share their recollections. To learn more, visit the Carleton Farewells or Alumni Farewells sites.
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