About

Video Archive

Dean's Parent and Family Council Retreats

Inquiries

Beth Wittbrodt

Executive Director, Parent and Family Philanthropy

Drew Donaldson, AB’16

Associate Director, Parent and Family Philanthropy

Emily Ross

Associate Director, Parent and Family Philanthropy

College Parents Council Chairs

David Foley and Vicki Foley

Parents, class of 2025, class of 2028

Starting in 2017, we began building this archive of videos covering a wide range of topics of interest to parents. Below, in reverse chronological order, you will find spotlight sessions, keynote addresses, and model classes recorded from past Dean's Parent and Family Council retreats.

Spring Retreat 2023

April 13-15, 2023  |  University of Chicago Campus

Spotlight on Veteran Scholars Program featuring Jay Ellison, Dean of Students in the College, and a panel of veteran students

Spotlight on the Institute of Politics featuring Institute Director Senator Heidi Heitkamp, P'08, and Executive Director Zeenat Rahman, AM'06.

Spotlight on Parrhesia featuring Christopher Wild, Professor of Germanic Studies, Theater & Performance Studies, and the College and Faculty Director of the Parrhesia Program for Public Discourse, and Leila Brammer, Director of Outreach and Instructional Design of the Parrhesia Program for Public Discourse

Reflections on Legacy and Transformation: A conversation with Dean Boyer, AM'69, PhD'75 and Trustee Mary Lou Gorno, MBA'76, Vice Chair, University of Chicago Board of Trestees

Fall Retreat 2022

October 13-15, 2022  |  University of Chicago Campus

Spotlight on Chicago Studies featuring Daniel Koehler, Deputy Dean for Academic Affairs, and Chris Skrable, Assistant Dean of the College; Executive Director of Chicago Studies and Experiential Learning

 

Spotlight on Undergraduate Research featuring Nichole Fazio, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Research and Scholars Programs; Executive Director of College Center for Research and Fellowships; and a panel of students

 

Spotlight on the Data Science Institute featuring:

  • Mike Franklin, Liew Family Chairman of Computer Science; Senior Advisor to the Provost for Computing and Data Science; Faculty Co-Director, Data Science Institute
  • Dan Nicolae, Professor, Departments of Statistics, Human Genetics, Medicine, and the College; Faculty Co-Director, Data Science Institute
  • David Uminsky, Executive Director, Data Science Institute
  • Katie Bailey, AB’10, PhD’15: Director of Development, Physical Sciences Division

 

Spring 2022 - Paris Retreat

May 12-15, 2022  |  Paris, France

We do not have video recordings from the Paris Retreat. Click here for some materials from the trip, including presentation materials, pictures, and philanthropic opportunities at the College's new Center in Paris, which is expected to be completed in 2023.

 

Fall Retreat 2021

October 22-23, 2021  |  University of Chicago Campus

Opening Remarks from Dean Boyer and Buffy and Alex Poon, P'24, Chairs of the Dean's Parent and Family Council

 

Spotlight on the Odyssey Scholarship Program with Katie Malmquist, AM'04, Associate Vice President and Associate Dean, Alumni Relations and Development and The College, and a panel of Odyssey alumni

  • The Odyssey alumni on the panel included Chloe Glispie, AB'16, AM'19; Briana Neal, AB'20; and Kimika Padilla, AB'20.
  • Click here to learn more about Odyssey. Also, as discussed during the retreat, there are some exciting new opportunities for Odyssey donors:

Spotlight on Power, Art, and Propaganda at Versailles with Larry Norman, Frank L. Sulzberger Distinguished Service Professor, Romance Languages and Literatures, Theater and Performance Studies, Fundamentals, and the College; Department Chair

  • Click here for Professor Norman's bio
  • Join us in Paris to hear more from Professor Norman, who will lead our tour of Versailles!

     

Spotlight on Student Safety and Well-being with Eric Heath, Associate Vice President for Safety and Security, and Meeta Kumar, Director of Student Counseling Service

 

Virtual Spring Meeting 2021

May 21, 2021

Click here for the video. For our third council meeting, Dean Boyer opened the meeting. After, we featured Bret Stephens, AB'95, Op-Ed columnist for The New York Times and Pulitzer Prize-winning writer in conversation with Dr. Charles Lipson, Professor Emeritus of international relations. We also featured Reuben Jonathan Miller, AM'07, Assistant Professor in the University of Chicago Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice, discussing his new book, Halfway Home: Race, Punishment and the Afterlife of Mass Incarceration. 

 

Virtual Fall Meeting 2020

October 23, 2020

Click here for the video. For our second virtual council meeting, we featured William Howell, the Sydney Stein Professor in American Politics, discussing the upcoming election in a conversation with Steve Edwards, Chief Content Officer and Interim CEO of WBEZ Chicago Public Media and former Executive Director of UChicago's Institute of Politics. We also featured alumnus Dr. Paul Volberding, AB'71, a leading pioneer of AIDS research, to discuss his work and the AIDS crisis' parallels to the COVID-19 pandemic. Finally, Dean Boyer spoke about how Fall Quarter is going and to provide some historical perspective.

 

Virtual Spring Meeting 2020

May 15, 2020

Click here for the video. For our first virtual council meeting, we featured Michele Rasmussen, Dean of Students in the University, to discuss how the University is handling the recent outbreak of COVID-19 and its effects on campus life now and in the future. We also featured Austan Goolsbee, the Robert P. Gwinn Professor of Economics, to discuss the impacts of COVID-19 on the economy. Both of our guests spoke and then took questions from attendees. Dean Boyer also spoke to provide a historical perspective.

 

Fall Retreat 2019

October 22-23, 2021  |  University of Chicago Campus

 

Spotlight on the College with Dean John W. Boyer, AM'69, PhD'75

Spotlight on Young Alumni Engagement with Colin Hennessy, Executive Director of Alumni Engagement and Annual Giving

  • Student panelists included KC Boling, class of 2019; Max Freedman, AB'18; and Jaeda Roberts, class of 2021.
  • Click here for Colin's bio

     

Spotlight on the Crime Lab with Jens Ludwig, Edwin A. and Betty L. Bergman Distinguished Service Professor and director of the UChicago Crime Lab

Spotlight on Career Advancement with Meredith Daw, Executive Director of Career Advancement

  • Student panelists included Rodrigo Estrada, class of 2021; Cecilia Katzenstein, class of 2021; Arjun Patel, class of 2020; and Samantha Xiao, class of 2020.
  • Click here for Meredith's Bio
  • Visit Career Advancement's website to learn more about the many opportunities it provides students.

 

Spring Retreat 2019

April 26-27, 2019  |  University of Chicago Campus

 

Keynote Address from Provost Daniel Diermeier

Spotlight on the College Center for Research and Fellowships with Nichole Fazio, Founding Director of the CCRF

  • Click here for more information on the CCRF, including Fazio's bio and contact information.
  • Her student panelists included Tyler Chan, class of 2019; Shriram Chennakesavalu, class of 2020; Sarah Nakasone, class of 2019; Breck Radulovic, class of 2019; and Nivedina Sarma, class of 2020.

     

Spotlight on Human Rights Internships with Susan Gzesh, Executive Director of the Pozen Family Center for Human Rights

  • Click here for Gzesh's bio.
  • Her student panelists included Jahne Brown, class of 2020; Long Dang, class of 2019; Salma El Khaoudi, class of 2019; and Calvin Wilder, class of 2019.
  • Click here for more information on the human rights internships available to your students.

 

Fall Retreat 2018

October 26-27, 2018  |  University of Chicago Campus

 

Spotlight on the Booth School with Stacey Kole, Deputy Dean for MBA Programs and Clinical Professor of Economics

  • Click here for Professor Kole's bio, contact information, and further information on the Booth School of Business.
  • Click here for a copy of her slide presentation.

     

Spotlight on Constitutional Democracies with Aziz Huq, Frank and Bernice J. Greenberg Professor of Law and Mark Claster Mamolen Teaching Scholar

  • Click here for Professor Huq's bio.
  • Click here for information about his latest book, How to Save a Constitutional Democracy, co-written with Professor Tom Ginsburg.

     

Spotlight on the Institution of Politics with Gretchen Crosby Sims, Executive Director of the IOP

  • Click here for more information about the IOP.
  • Want to get involved with or support the IOP? Reach out to a member of the Parents Team (info in the sidebar) and we're happy to help.

     

Spotlight on Parent Engagement, a panel moderated by DPFC Chairs Donna and Casey Keller

  • Want to join the Dean's Parent and Family Council? Or would you like to chat with the Chairs or your local Vice Chairs of the council about their experience? Reach out to a member of the Parents Team (info in the sidebar) and we're happy to help.

 

Spring Retreat 2018

April 20-21, 2018  |  University of Chicago Campus

Renaissance Book History with Assistant Professor Ada Palmer

Spotlight on the Endowment with John Kroll, Associate Vice President, Finance

Spotlight on Student Health

Spotlight on RSOs and Student Life at UChicago with Jen Kennedy, Director of Community Development and Operations

  • Click here for Kennedy's bio
  • The students who spoke on the panel included Max Freedman, class of 2018; Chase Harrison, class of 2018; Zoe Makoul, class of 2018; and Sabine Nau, class of 2019.
  • Click here for further information on RSOs

     

Keynote Address from President Zimmer and Council Meeting

 

Fall Retreat 2017

October 20-21, 2017  |  University of Chicago Campus

 

Spotlight on Campus Free Speech with Michele Rasmussen, Dean of Students in the University

  • Click here for Dean Rasmussen's bio.
  • Click here to read Dean Boyer's monograph titled Academic Freedom and the Modern University
  • Click here to read President Zimmer's editorial from the Wall Street Journal titled "Free Speech is the Basis of a True Education." Originally published on August 25, 2016.
  • Click here to watch President Zimmer speak before the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee of the U.S. Senate on October 25, 2017, about free speech on campus.
  • Click here to read Dean of Students Jay Ellison's letter to the incoming class of 2020 from last fall regarding academic freedom and free speech.

     

Spotlight on Campus Housing with Richard Mason, Assistant Vice President for Campus Life and Associate Dean of the College

Spotlight on Nationally Competitive Scholarships and Fellowships with Nichole Fazio, Director of the Center for Scholarly Advancement*

  • *This office has since expanded and been renamed the College Center for Research and Fellowships
  • Click here to learn more about the CCSA and the opportunities it provides for our students.
  • Our student panelists were Joshua Kramer, class of 2018; Kirk Lancaster, class of 2018; Pradnya Narkhede, class of 2018; and Soreti Teshome, class of 2018

     

Spotlight on Par​ent Philanthropy and Engagement

  • A panel of parents spoke about the many ways they engage with the University, including hosting events in their hometown, supporting the Dean's Fund for Student Life and the Odyssey Scholarship Program through philanthropy, and hosting Metcalf interns at their place of work.
  • Panelists included Bradley Asness, P’21; Donna Keller, P’17, P’21; Mario Montoya, P’18, P’20; and Sue Yi, P’20
  • Click here to learn more about the Dean's Fund for Student Life and how it allows Dean Boyer to have an immediate impact on your students' campus experience
  • Click here to learn more about the University's comprehensive financial aid and support system, the Odyssey Scholarship Program
  • Click here to learn about the University's Inquiry and Impact Campaign, as well as the College's goals within it
  • Click here to learn about the Jeff Metcalf Internship Program

 

Spring Retreat 2017

April 28-29, 2017  |  University of Chicago Campus

 

Spotlight on Campus Safety and Security with Eric Heath, Associate VP for Safety and Security

  • Eric discussed the make-up of the Department of Safety and Security, security on and around campus, and the progress the University has made in making our community safer.
  • To learn more, visit http://safety-security.uchicago.edu

     

​Spotlight on Athletics with Erin McDermott, Director of Athletics and Recreation

  • Erin and her fellow athletics staff discussed the history of athletics at the University and its importance now as a central piece of student life on campus.
  • Her panelists were Brian Bock, Assistant Athletics Director for Recreational Sports, and Amy Reifert, Head Coach of Women's Soccer
  • To learn more, visit http://athletics.uchicago.edu

     

Spotlight on Study Abroad with Elana Kranz, Associate Director of Study Abroad

  • Elana and her student panel discussed the impact studying abroad can have on students. Each student discussed their own experience and how it impacted their college experience.
  • Her panelists were Priscilla Daboni, class of 2018, Ryan Eisenman, class of 2017, and Dalton Schmit, class of 2017
  • To learn more, visit https://study-abroad.uchicago.edu/

     

Spotlight on Career Advancement with Meredith Daw, Assistant Vice President of Enrollment and Student Advancement and Executive Director of Career Advancement

  • Meredith and her student panel discussed the progress of Career Advancement at UChicago, specifically highlighting the growth of the Jeff Metcalf Internship Program and its impact on students.
  • Her student panelists were Isa Alvarez, class of 2019, Justin Chaljub, class of 2019, Alexa Hanelin, class of 2017, and Jarnickae Wilson, class of 2017
  • Meredith and her panelists discussed the Metcalf Internship Program, which is the University's network of internships in all fields for undergraduates. Click here to learn more.
  • They also discussed Career Advancement Treks, which allow students to get direct facetime with employers. Click here to learn more about Treks and click here to see the 2017-18 trek destinations.
  • For more information on the "Roadmap" that first year students will follow with Career Advancement, click here.
  • Click here to see the Class of 2016 Outcomes Report. The Outcomes report summarizes the careers and other post-graduate endeavors of the 2016 graduating class.

     

Updates from the Co-Chairs, Dean Boyer, and Keynote Address on Computer Science with Mike Franklin, Liew Family Chair of Computer Science

  • Professor Franklin presented on the state of computer science at the University and his hopes for the future of the program.
  • To learn more, visit https://cs.uchicago.edu/