Winter 2026 | alumoffice@hood.edu

Greetings from a very recently, very snowy Hood! We hope you enjoy the food and drink theme this issue.

There were a lot of fuzzy, uninvited visitors here in Alumnae House last fall, but thanks to a colossal effort by our facilities staff (plus a cherry picker and a beekeeper), two large beehives were eventually removed from the eaves of the house. One was safely rehoused by the beekeeper, and the other was moved across campus. They did leave us with a delicious gift. Hood honey, anyone?

Great alumni stories, new nutrition programs at the graduate school and more fun, useful information ahead, including our Hood'Lums Food History Quiz, a "This or That: Food Edition" survey and a call for recipes for the upcoming Blazer Cooks cookbook. Bon Apetit!

Jen Cinclair '02

Based in NYC, Jen explains her transition from career pastry chef to education director for the nonprofit Spoons Across America, her "Hood'Lettes" alumni squad and her mantra in all things, "Don't Yuk My Yum." (MORE)

Dr. Amy Vaughan-Roland '06

Amy talks about her gratitude for a Hood education, an epic cow-related prank at Hood, her job as a trauma-informed educator and her passion for her family dairy, Daily Crisis Farm. (MORE)

Hey There, Alums!

I am writing with good news about the Hood College/Frederick Health Community Resource Garden, as many of us will soon be getting ready for our 2026 growing season.

In 2017, Hood and Frederick Health partnered to create the community garden to improve local food security, reduce water pollution and promote environmental stewardship. The garden is nurtured by more than 100 volunteers, including Hood alumni, faculty, staff and those from Frederick Health. (MORE)

Bambi Volatile-Goebel '88

Bambi hypes the benefits of serial attendance at Hood Reunion Weekends and shares the joys and challenges of opening Biscuits and Beans Cat Cafe in Winchester, VA, for all people—even those with allergies! (MORE)

Phil Bowers '83

This Hood College multi-legacy alumnus and founding father of the Frederick microbrewery movement has made his own legacy in the zymurgy and culinary world. He took a leap and converted his home hobby into a landmark Frederick institution. (MORE)

We heard from many alums who are in the food and drink biz, but we only have Four Columns! So we wanted to give a few others a shoutout here:

Cat Carp Wall '87, senior food service sales manager at Overseas Food Trading Imports and former pastry chef.
Donna Parenti '88, owner of Salt and Pepper Epicure cookware shop in St. Augustine, FL.
Alyssa Eshleman '13, general manager at Maryland National Golf Club, home of Schroyer's Tavern.

On-Campus

New Graduate Nutrition Science Program at Hood

Joanna Eaton, director of the Graduate School's nutrition science master's program, has a passion for food and health and for the future of this dual-track graduate degree at Hood. She wants you to know that "there's room for flexibility, enjoyment, culture and celebration in our eating patterns without guilt or shame." (MORE)

Scholarship Days are April 14 and 15

Join the Battle of the Decades to represent your era at Hood!

It’s never too early to give.

How well do you know your food history? How about your Hood College food history? Take the Hood'Lums Food History Quiz and find out.

Do you have specific thoughts on hard-hitting controversies like pineapple on pizza, the proper condiment for crab and avocado toast? Even if you don't, you should still take our This or That: Foodie Edition Survey.

Give us your address/email, and we will send you a prize just for playing! All participants will be entered into a drawing for a bespoke culinary-themed Hood swag bag. We will share some survey results on social media and in future issues.

Mar 3 | 6 p.m. The Power of Story: How Hood College Shaped My Path to Immigration and Advocacy, Whitaker Campus Center, Commons: discussion with Laura Brown '08, director of Asylee Women Enterprise. More info from eager.hood.edu
Mar 3 | Noon HOOD TALKS: Wikipedia's Role in Helping to Close the Gender Gap in Art with Kimberly Morse-Jones, Ph.D., faculty in the humanities M.A. program.
Mar 10 | 6-8 p.m. Alumni Event in Kensington, MD
Mar 12 | 5-7 p.m. Alumni Event in York, PA
Mar 15: Alumni Event at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, hosted by Trustee Sue Whaley '74
Mar 26: Spring Career Fair at Hood
April 7 | Noon HOOD TALKS: Creating an Interactive Dashboard for Rare Diseases with Rana Khan, Ph.D., director of the Bioscience Research & Education Center (BREC)
Apr 18: Hood Ring Ceremony
Apr 19: Alumni Event in Baltimore hosted by Trustee Eleanor Chisholm Landauer '86
April 15: Reunion registration opens!
Apr 25: Bring a Broom Downtown Frederick service project. Join the Hood Team! alumoffice@hood.edu

From Kellye Greenwald '86, Director of Alumni and Constituent Engagement

Hello, Hood'Lums! I am so excited to announce the launch of "Reunion Radio!" My partner and producer is current communication arts student Dane Lyons '28, who brings the tech skills and the radio know-how!

Every other Friday at 10 a.m. on Blazer Radio: I'll have an alum guest (or two) to talk about their Hood days, what they're up to now and what they're looking forward to most at Reunion Weekend 2026, all set to a soundtrack from their undergrad years.

Email alumoffice@hood.edu if you'd like to be on the radio!

AEB Projects that need YOU

The Alumni Office has partnered with Enrollment Management to create the Hood Postcard Campaign and we need YOU! Help encourage admitted (but not committed!) future Blazers find their Home at Hood by volunteering to send postcards. If you are interested, email alumoffice@hood.edu.