Brandeis Alumni, Family and Friends
In Photos: Laughter, learning, and connection at Alumni Weekend
November 11, 2025
The three-day celebration featured 60 events, lively conversation, and special moments.
More than 600 Brandeisans returned to campus last month for Alumni Weekend, a three-day celebration packed with laughter, learning, and connection. Attendees enjoyed thought-provoking panel discussions, explored campus and visited their old dorms, and reminisced while making new friends and memories. The weekend showed exactly why so many alumni still consider Brandeis home.
Learning from Faculty and Alumni Experts
The festivities began with Alumni College, a series of interactive talks featuring Brandeis faculty and prominent alumni. Sessions spanned a range of topics – from “In Defense of Partisanship” to “The Future of Higher Education.”
Alumni speakers represented a variety of professions, including Yoni Appelbaum, MA ’10, PhD’14, deputy executive editor of The Atlantic magazine; Michael Horowitz ’84, Inspector General for the Federal Reserve; and author and Princeton professor Julian Zelizer ’91.
In a panel on women in public life, Professor Harleen Singh was joined by Tiziana Dearing, the host of “Morning Edition” on Boston’s NPR radio station, WBUR.
The panel “Inside the Arts and Entertainment Industry" featured alumni whose creative work includes some of our most iconic cultural touchstones. David Ian Salter ’88 edited the animated classics “Finding Nemo” and “Toy Story 2.” Rosemary Rodriguez ’83 directed episodes of “Law & Order,” “The Good Wife,” “Jessica Jones,” and “The Walking Dead.” And Bonita Hamilton, MFA’04, has played Shenzi the hyena in the musical “The Lion King” on Broadway for two decades.
Many panelists spoke about how their years at Brandeis had led them on the path toward their careers.
Hamilton, who was a theater major, credits Brandeis with giving her the confidence to pursue her dream of acting. "(Brandeis) is where I realized I could actually do it,” she told the audience.
Sessions were followed by a Q&A with the panelists, and attendees took the opportunity to ask thought-provoking questions.
Lauren Doamekpor ’05, who attended the “Black Studies and Our Contemporary Moment” panel, came out of the talk feeling hopeful about America’s future despite the current turmoil. “This panel really energized me,” she said.
Alumni Artists on Display
A new exhibit in the Alumni Art Gallery opened with a bang on Friday night with a reception that drew a cross-generational audience.
The show highlighted three talented alumni artists from three decades: the striking iPhone photography of Tama Hochbaum ’75, the dreamlike landscape paintings of Bekka Teerlink ’00, and the oil paintings of everyday objects by Ally Sukay ’24.
The room was packed, as guests admired the art and mingled over wine and appetizers.
Connecting with Current Students
Many attendees relished the opportunity to meet the next generation of Brandeisians.
“I like to see other alumni, but it’s also great to interact with the students,” said Ric Wheeler ’84.
Several events gave them that chance, including “Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Brandeis.” In the “Shark Tank” style contest, students pitched their startup ideas to a panel of alumni judges.
The Performance Showcase gave students and alumni the chance to share the mic together. For example, in celebration of its 30th anniversary and reunion, students in the Starving Artists a capella group invited alumni of the group to join them on stage.
Reconnecting and Reminiscing
The weekend was packed with fun activities and campus traditions. The beloved Ralph Norman Barbecue – named for the university’s first photographer – brought hundreds out to the Great Lawn for delicious food, an ice cream social, and lawn games.
But many of the weekend’s most joyous moments came spontaneously – unexpected run-ins, long hugs in the Shapiro Campus Center, and laughter echoing through dorm hallways like no time had passed at all.
During lunch on the opening day of the weekend, one woman walked up to hug an alum she spotted at another table. They hadn’t seen each other in decades.
“There’s so many people from my time on campus that I look forward to seeing during Alumni Weekend,” said Leroy Ashwood ’71, a recipient of the 2024 Alumni Achievement Award. “I’m about to be 77 years old, and I’m still coming. Brandeis has had a major impact on my life.”
