ýƵ alumni, families, and friends will soon have an opportunity to meet with President Laurie A. Carter in a series of receptions throughout the country. The “Time to Shine!” series will launch Thursday, Dec. 15 in New York, coinciding with a performance of The Hours at the Metropolitan Opera featuring ýƵ voice professor John Holiday.

The series marks the first time in three years that ýƵ has been able to host regional alumni events, and there is much to celebrate, according to Matt Baumler, associate vice president of Alumni and Constituency Engagement.

“W welcomed a new president,” he said. “W celebrated the success of the Be the Light! Campaign. We resumed in-person classes. We graduated the Classes of 2020, 2021, and 2022 and welcomed more than 1,100 new Lawrentians into the community. We unveiled a welcoming arch, announced the ýƵ Advantage, expanded our music degree options, launched new majors in business and entrepreneurship, environmental science, international relations, and creative writing, brought back a homecoming tradition, and celebrated numerous records and awards on the field, on the stage, and in the classroom.”

Carter, who began her tenure at ýƵ in July 2021, is looking forward to sharing university updates and vision with members of the ýƵ community during stops in New York, San Francisco, the Twin Cities, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Milwaukee.

“I am very much looking forward to visiting with members of our ýƵ community across the nation,” Carter said. “This series of receptions is an opportunity to highlight both ýƵ’s progress as well as the integral role alumni, parents, and friends play in the incredibly bright future of the university.”

Invitations to the Time to Shine! events will go out soon to alumni, parents, and friends in those locations. Anyone is invited to attend any of the events.

The stops include:

Time to Shine: New York

Thursday, Dec. 15, 5-6:45 p.m. EST: Lincoln Center, Stanley H. Kaplan Penthouse, 165 West 65th St., New York. Includes John Holiday in The Hours at the . ()

Time to Shine: San Francisco

Saturday, Jan. 7, 1-3:30 p.m. PST: Fort Mason Center for the Arts & Culture, Firehouse, 2 Marina Blvd., San Francisco. ()

Time to Shine: Twin Cities

Tuesday, Feb. 28, 6-8:30 p.m. CST: Minneapolis Institute of Art, MacMillan Atrium & Reception Hall, 2400 Third Avenue South, Minneapolis. )

Time to Shine: Chicago

Saturday, April 8, 5-7 p.m. CST: Cafe by the River (by Jose Andres) 120 Upper Wacker Drive, Chicago. Includes John Holiday in Proximity at the . ()

Time to Shine: Washington, D.C.

Wednesday, April 12, 6-8:30 p.m. EST: Planet Word/Museum of Language Arts, 925 13th St. NW, Washington, D.C. ()

Time to Shine: Milwaukee

Thursday, May 4, 6-8:30 p.m. CST: Wisconsin Conservatory of Music, McIntosh/Goodrich Mansion, 1584 North Prospect Ave., Milwaukee. ()

More event details can be found here.