Alumni achievement and generosity celebrated during Reunion Weekend 2026
During Reunion Weekend 2026, held May 28-31, The College of Wooster welcomed more than 600 guests to campus to reconnect with classmates and the campus community, hear the latest news from the College, attend exclusive arts and entertainment events highlighting accomplished alumni, participate in lifelong learning opportunities, and honor distinguished alumni and volunteers. Alumni with class years ending in ’1 and ’6 celebrated milestone reunions, and the annual Outstanding Scots Ceremony recognized alumni for professional achievement, volunteer leadership, and longstanding commitment to the College while also celebrating the 50th reunion gift from the Class of 1976.
In honor of their 50th reunion, alumni Jayne Hart Chambers ’76 and Don Frederico ’76 announced the creation of the Class of 1976 AMRE Consulting Endowed Fund to expand hands-on learning opportunities for students. The class has already raised more than $335,000 toward the endowed fund, and alumni may continue to support the fund at wooster.edu/give/wooster-priorities/. An anonymous class member inspired participation with a $50,000 matching gift challenge successfully met by the class, and an additional anonymous matching gift of $10,000 was made during Reunion Weekend. AMRE, Wooster’s Applied Methods and Research Experience, connects students working alongside faculty mentors, to companies and organizations as teams of consultants on an initiative the client identifies that will benefit from an outside perspective and skills. During the summer program, interdisciplinary student teams work full time with clients to address real-world challenges while developing skills in collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and problem-solving.
The College also recognized five alumni with awards at the Outstanding Scots Ceremony on Saturday, May 30. Selected by the Office of Advancement and the Alumni Board in recognition of their professional achievements and philanthropic efforts, those recognized include Christine Farrell ’94, John D. McKee Volunteer Award; Sebastian Northrup ’16, Outstanding Young Alumni Award; and Niki Healy Jordan ’61 and the late David Jordan ’59, Sara L. Patton Stewardship Award. This year’s Distinguished Alumni Award recipients included Deborah Elwell Arfken ’63 and Keith Walker ’70.
Farrell is a project director at Workday with more than 25 years of experience leading complex digital transformations in higher education. She oversees large-scale Workday deployments to align strategy with execution. A dedicated College of Wooster alumna, she has long supported the community through alumni leadership, service projects, events, and board service, and is a committed contributor to The Wooster Fund.
Northrup is the founder of Delmar Nord, a search firm specializing in investment management. He began his career in quantitative finance recruiting, including roles with Phaidon International and Levin Group. He serves on the board of the Texas Collegiate Hockey Conference and as an assistant hockey coach at Southern Methodist University. He remains active with Wooster through alumni events and volunteering with the Admissions office, and he organized the 2026 Phi Sigma Alpha reunion.
The Jordans built meaningful lives rooted in education, service, and creativity, with careers in academia, school psychology, and civic engagement. They have supported the College through decades of giving to The Wooster Fund, the creation of the Nicola and David Jordan Endowed Scholarship, and support for the renovation of Lowry Center. Their philanthropy and service exemplify enduring partnership in advancing the College’s mission and future.
Arfken is professor emerita of political science and public service at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where she served for 36 years in roles including dean of the graduate school, registrar, and director of planning. She taught nonprofit management in the Master of Public Administration program and, after retiring, served local organizations as interim CEO of Siskin Children’s Institute and interim executive director of Little Miss Mag Early Learning Center. She remains active in nonprofit boards and rotary and was named a Chattanooga Woman of Distinction.
Walker, a leader in agricultural biotechnology with a career spanning more than 50 years, is the founding CEO of Cibus Global and continues to serve on its board. Previously, he led the division that became Cibus at ValiGen. He also operates a consulting firm, serves on multiple industry boards, and is credited with more than 200 patents and numerous publications.
Reunion Weekend welcomed alumni, families, and friends back to campus for four days of celebration, connection, and recognition of their enduring impact of the Wooster community. See more from the event here.
Featured image: Alumni Jayne Hart Chambers ’76 and Don Frederico ’76 announced the creation of the Class of 1976 AMRE Consulting Endowed Fund to expand hands-on learning opportunities for students with more than raised $335,000 by the class.
Posted in Homepage Featured, News on June 8, 2026.
