2025 marks Goucher College’s 140th anniversary. The idea of exploration, especially with an international scope, has been ingrained in Goucher’s students, faculty, and alumnae/i in many ways since its founding in 1885. Beyond being a national leader in study abroad today, Goucher’s commitment to global education supports students developing a global mindset to better understand the world around them.

Last month, John “Johnny O” Olszewski Jr., Ph.D., Class of 2004, was sworn in to the U.S. House of Representatives to represent Maryland’s 2nd Congressional District. As a Goucher graduate, Olszewski has strong ties to the Goucher community and previously served as a Goucher College Board of Trustees member. He has had a career in public service as a public-school teacher, a member of the Maryland House of Delegates, and most recently as the Baltimore County executive.

To further its commitments to sustainability and global education, Goucher College has received $1,145,000 from the Maryland Energy Administration for the Higher Education Clean Energy Pilot Program. This funding will support the completion of the campus clean energy master plan as well as the installation of solar panels on two buildings, and a solar carport on campus. Goucher also received $440,000 from the Davis United World College Scholars Program for international student scholarships. This program provides need-based financial aid to international students and allows Goucher to continue growing its global community and increasing global perspectives on campus.

The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company, a nationally recognized leader in construction management and general contracting, announced plans to relocate its corporate headquarters to the campus of Goucher College. As part of the strategic partnership, Goucher and Whiting-Turner are developing ways to use the new state-of-the-art headquarters as a hub for introducing young people to career opportunities in today’s high-tech and innovative design and construction industries.

Goucher students have outpaced the national cohort on the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) exam. At Goucher, 80% of biochemistry and molecular biology students received either “Proficiency” or “Mastery” status on the exam, compared with 62.8% of the national cohort. Students who receive Proficiency status and above are offered a complimentary one-year membership to the ASBMB.

The Baltimore Business Journal cover story about trends in senior living featured the Goucher College and Edenwald Senior Living university retirement community (URC) project as the story anchor. The Goucher and Edenwald URC is the first of its kind in Maryland and the piece explores why retirement communities partner with colleges and universities. The piece includes interviews with leaders from both Goucher and Edenwald, as well as other senior living representatives and residents at other area developments.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, will speak at Goucher on November 20. The event, presented by the Robert and Jane Meyerhoff Visiting Professorship and now sold out, will be interviewed by NPR’s Scott Simon.

Thanks to the support from U.S. senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen and U.S. Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger, the Goucher Prison Education Partnership (GPEP) recently received a $355,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Education to upgrade and expand its offerings. GPEP offers a Goucher College bachelor’s degree to individuals incarcerated at the Maryland Correctional Institution for Women (MCIW) and the Maryland Correctional Institution Jessup (MCIJ). The funding from this grant will enhance the computer technology available to Goucher College students in these two prisons, strengthening both their academic and workforce skills. The grant will also help create additional classroom space in trailers.

Building upon the original five-year strategic plan, “Cultivating Global Changemakers,” Goucher College has enhanced its focus and introduced a new name: Goucher Forward. Having completed more than 20 initiatives in the original plan and working with the Board of Trustees and incorporating feedback gleaned from the Goucher community, the college is now focusing efforts on innovating and strengthening three essential aspects of the college: enrollment, student success, and financial sustainability. The plan positions Goucher to deliver its transformative liberal arts education to a new generation of students and inspire many to become global changemakers.

For the fall semester, Goucher welcomed six faculty members to new positions in a broad range of academic disciplines. These faculty members bring academic research and teaching expertise in biology, business, data science, environmental science, history, and music and will teach a variety of courses.

In the 2024-25 academic year, Goucher will welcome eight new Board of Trustee members and a new board chair. The new members include leaders in architecture, business management, finance, higher education, nonprofits, and philanthropy. Cindy Plavier-Truitt ’86, M.A. ’88, will serve as the Goucher College Board of Trustees chair. Plavier-Truitt is currently the president and CEO of Humanim, a nonprofit human service organization.

Recognized for her leadership potential and commitment to creating positive community change, L’Oiseau has been named a Newman Civic Fellow for 2024-25 by Campus Compact, a coalition of colleges and universities advancing the public purposes of higher education. L’Oiseau majors in environmental studies and engineering science and minors in studio art. She works with Goucher’s Community-Based Learning Office, is a 2024-25 Arsht Presidential Diplomat, and a member of the equestrian team. L’Oiseau previously helped coordinate one of Goucher’s tutoring programs with a Baltimore County elementary school and participated in Goucher’s Summer Science Research Program.