Alumni Reunions
By CIIS Staff
New York City
The third annual New York reunion was again held at the Harvard Club with alums in attendance from nine different degree programs and from graduation years 1977 to 2009. There was a great deal of enthusiasm as alums reconnected, networked, and updated one another on recent personal and professional ventures. Many prospective students also took part, all eager to speak with our alums about the value of their CIIS degrees and ask general questions about the experience of moving to the West Coast. Many of the alums offered their email addresses and phone numbers to continue the conversation.
During the program, President Joseph Subbiondo introduced board members Elizabeth McCormack and Stuart Diamond, then spoke of the progress CIIS has made over the past year. Dean of Admissions Mike Griffin welcomed the prospective students and described the many benefits of studying at CIIS. Dean of Alumni Richard Buggs gave a brief update on our international alumni community and the newly established online community for alums.
Alum Kathleen O'Hara (SOM '93) concluded the event, speaking passionately about the value of her CIIS education and her efforts to create a national program for families who are survivors of violent crime. O'Hara has been interviewed extensively on the topic and spoke about how her Somatics degree prepared her for dealing with a personal tragedy that led to the writing of her book, A Grief Like No Other.
January 30, 2010
Portland, Oregon
President Joseph Subbiondo and Dean of Alumni Richard Buggs hosted the first-ever reunion of Portland CIIS alums on January 30 at the Oba Restaurant in the Pearl District. The twenty-five alums who participated were clearly delighted that CIIS brought them together, since most did not know any other alums living in Portland. Graduation years spanned several decades, from 1977 to 2009, with one alum telling the group about her experience of having the Institute's cofounder, Haridas Chaudhuri, as her advisor. Many of the alums inquired about whether CIIS could have a continuing presence in the region. Several volunteered to help organize an active Portland circle. Next steps include presentations, workshops, and trainings for psychotherapists. Several alums from counseling programs reported successful private practices because of the fine reputation that CIIS has for training clinicians.
Eight prospective students also attended. Alum Ernest Courant (PCC '03) spoke about how one goes about applying a CIIS degree. His view was that there are endless possibilities available to alums and that he valued the ways in which his degree in Philosophy, Cosmology, and Consciousness prepared him for work as an educational consultant.
