RE Log - Fall 2022

56 Ransom Everglades LOG FALL 2022 Ransom Everglades marked the successful conclusion of its REinventing Excellence campaign – which raised $82.3 million in six years – with a long- awaited open house that showcased the upper school’s glistening centerpiece, the Constance & Miguel Fernandez STEM Center, and recognized the people whose gifts brought the center to life. Delayed several times by the pandemic, the celebration during the 2022 Alumni Weekend included an unveiling of a donor wall honoring the Fernandez family and others who contributed to the state-of-the-art science, technology, engineering and mathematics facility. It was highlighted by a bustling open house, which featured scientific demonstrations and experiments put on by dozens of RE students and faculty and open to alumni and other members of the RE community throughout the afternoon on April 23. Guided by an interactive map designed by students, guests to the center received an insider’s look at how the building has enhanced learning, interdisciplinary work and collaboration since it opened in August 2020. They observed robotics and engineering projects overseen by engineering teacher Bob DuBard, math competitions under the direction of math teacher Karen Key, and a variety of entertaining and hands-on physics, chemistry, math and biology demonstrations and shows directed by faculty members Paul Natland ’02 , Jay Salon, Claudia Ochatt, Adam Bitzer, Mandira Bose-Nyberg and STEM Department Chair Doug Heller ’80 . REinventing Excellence: The Campaign for Ransom Everglades (2015-21) was the largest campaign in the school’s history, supporting not only the Fernandez STEM Center, but also allowing RE to acquire Let’s Celebrate Fernandez STEM Center open house a hit during Alumni Weekend the La Brisa property and renovate its buildings, increase the endowment and achieve annual giving records through The Fund for RE. Former board chair Andy Ansin ’81 and trustees Elana Oberstein-Harris ’93 and Ricky Stokes ’94 participated in an unveiling of a plaque honoring the campaign’s leadership donors, and they recognized Campaign Co-chairs Jeffrey Miller ’79 and Constance Fernandez; board chairs Ansin, Eric Mendelson, Rudy Prio Touzet ’76 and Jeffrey J. Hicks ’84.