• 2019-2020 Alumni Awards Recognize Ongoing Commitment of Alumni Leaders

    Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Dartmouth recognized five outstanding alumni volunteers at the annual Alumni Awards Gala on October 18 during the 219th meeting of the Dartmouth Alumni Council.

Veree Hawkins Brown ’93, Russell Wolff ’89 TU’94, and James W. Wooster, III ’59 TH’60 TU’60, received the Dartmouth Alumni Award in honor of their long-standing and meritorious service to the College and their community, as well as achievements in their careers. Alumni are eligible for this award, established in 1954, after their 25th class reunion.

Nathan L. Bruschi ’10 and Kyle J. Polite ’05 received the Dartmouth Young Alumni Distinguished Service Award. This award, established in 1990, recognizes breadth, depth, and length of volunteer involvement. Alumni are eligible the first 15 years after graduation.

DARTMOUTH ALUMNI AWARD RECIPIENTS


James Wooster
James W. Wooster, III ’59 TH’60 TU’60


James W. Wooster, III ’59 TH’60 TU’60

“I’m sort of green all over,” says Jim Wooster. His father, James W. Wooster, Jr. ’26, and uncle, John T. Wooster ’30, ensured he knew all about Dartmouth growing up. Towards the end of high school in Montclair, New Jersey, Wooster went to visit other colleges—but “nothing could surpass Dartmouth,” he says. “So, there I was—and here I am!”

Wooster is still here, 60 years after graduating. He lives just a few minutes down the road from campus in Hanover with his wife, Betsy. And he’s grown even more green over time, with two sons, two daughters-in-law, one grandchild, and two cousins following in the Big Green footsteps.  

The alumnus also boasts multiple Dartmouth degrees, having completed a 3-2 program where he earned an A.B. and a M.S. in Engineering and Business Administration. Involved in ROTC on campus, he found an “instantaneous job with Uncle Sam” following graduation, and “sailed around the Atlantic” for several years while serving in the U.S. Navy. Once back ashore, he began working for New England Telephone. He stayed with the company as it became Nynex, working in line management, marketing, public relations, and more while living throughout New England.

Since retiring, Wooster has been enjoying life within a stone’s throw of his alma mater. He’s been busy working as a board member for Visiting Nurse and Hospice of Vermont and New Hampshire (VNH), serving on the board of the Hanover Conservancy, and overseeing downhill ski racing for the winter Special Olympics. An avid hiker, Wooster has also “adopted” a two and half-mile stretch of the Appalachian Trail that runs through Hanover. And he’s climbed all 48 of New Hampshire’s 4,000-plus-foot peaks at least four times: when he was in his 40s, in his 50s, in his 60s, and then again in his 70s with Pete Bleyler ‘61. His favorite? “With my green blood, it would have to be Moosilauke,” he says.

Memories from the Green

“There are just so many highlights. One was dating my wife, Betsy, during the last three years [on campus]. She really feels like she’s part of Dartmouth, and part of the Class of 1959 as well.”

For Dartmouth

Wooster became a class agent shortly after graduating and has continued for just about 60 years (including spending six years as head class agent where he won the Mason Award). He’s also served as president of the Class President Association; president of the Class Officers Association; alumni councilor and member of the Alumni Liaison Committee; Reunion committee member and Reunion co-chair; and an admissions interviewer. In 1999 he was elected class president, and later was awarded Class President of the Year. As class president he helped to establish the Women’s Initiative Network (WIN), a community for Class of 1959 wives and widows to stay connected with the class and with each other. Wooster currently serves as co-vice president of his class, alongside Chris Cundey ’59 and John Ferries ’59.

Highlights of Volunteer Service

“Being president of the class was the highlight. It really gave me a chance to reunite with a lot of classmates. Right after I got elected, I was walking across the Green, a classmate who was a real Anglophile said, ‘Why don’t we take a class trip to London?’ A classmate’s wife said, ‘I’m a travel agent, we can do that.’

So, the next year we were in London. We were sitting at the hotel one evening, and someone said, ‘This was so much fun, who don’t we go to Peru, and I could lead the class to Machu Picchu?’ So, a year later we were in Machu Picchu and a friend who lived in Belgium, said, ‘Why don’t we go to Belgium?’ So we did. For our 65th birthdays, we had a big party out in Jackson Hole. We had some good times.”

You Know You Bleed Green When… 

“… all the time! I just really feel part of the whole Dartmouth community. I don’t bleed green at any particular time. I’m part of a Dartmouth family.”


Ed Heald.jpg
Russell Wolff ’89 TU’94


Russell Wolff ’89 TU’94

Life and Career

Growing up in Larchmont, New York, Russell Wolff ’89 TU’94 remembers visiting family friends in Vermont and stopping in Hanover for football games. The Dartmouth campus made an early impression on him. “It was imprinted in my brain that Dartmouth was what a college was supposed to look like,” he says. And when it came time to tour other colleges, nothing quite compared. He applied early decision.

As an undergraduate, Wolff first focused on philosophy due to his interest in the law, and then pivoted to government. But he also took advantage of experiences that challenged him, like an engineering course on systems dynamics. His final project for the course was a foreshadowing of his future involvement with the College: building a model to predict alumni giving to Dartmouth in a given year. Wolff was also a lightweight rower his freshman year, and devoted fall, winter, and spring to the sport, which he counts among the most difficult—yet rewarding—experiences of his life. Another highlight was traveling behind the Iron Curtain on a foreign study program in Hungary in 1987. “It was a place I never would have gone, a part of the world I never would have seen,” he says. “It made an impact on me.”

Returning from abroad with a renewed sense of intellectual curiosity, Wolff devoted his last year and a half at Dartmouth to experiencing as much as he could, from hiking Moosilauke to canoeing in the river. “I didn’t think I’d ever be back as a student,” he says. But luckily, a few years later, he was back—this time, to attend the Tuck School of Business. Studying business deepened Wolff’s love of Dartmouth and Hanover. It’s also where he met his wife Patty, a fellow TU’94.

While many of his classmates went on to work as bankers or consultants, Wolff had his sights set on television. He worked in sales at MTV for a few years before landing a job at ESPN, where he’s been ever since. Following roles in Singapore and Hong Kong, Wolff became EVP and Managing Director at ESPN International, and most recently, of ESPN +. Today he lives in Mamaroneck, New York, with Patty, a former VP at PepsiCo and current marketing consultant, and his sons, Michael and Spencer.

Memories from the Green

“There are things in Hanover—places, smells—that are triggers for happiness. Patty and I, one of the first times we ever spent time together, we threw on our hockey skates and hockey sticks and gloves and we went out skating on Occom Pond. Whenever I see a picture of Occom pond I think about those early days at Tuck.”

For Dartmouth

Wolff was working to promote engagement and alumni giving before he even graduated, as an Alumni Fund intern his senior year. Following graduation, he was elected class president. “I was excited to stay in involved,” he says, “and it was fun. It kept me connected to the College and to my classmates.” When a stint working in Asia left Wolff feeling too far from Dartmouth, he returned to the U.S. with renewed fervor and became actively involved in Tuck. After serving as Tuck rep on the Alumni Council, Wolff joined a series of several council committees and eventually was elected Alumni Council president. He jumped at the chance to spend more time in Hanover and work alongside other councilors to help Dartmouth realize its potential. He currently serves on the Tuck Board of Advisors.

When it comes to staying involved, “Dartmouth is one of those places where you can do a range of things,” Wolff says. “You can give money. You can give time. You can be a mentor. There are so many ways to connect with Dartmouth.”

Highlights of Volunteer Service

“Mentoring students is what gives me the greatest joy. Seeing them years later and having them tell you, ‘Hey, you might not remember, but that conversation we had, that cup of coffee we had, that email we went back and forth on, really helped me think about what I wanted to do.’

This will be the 17th year in a row that I’ll give a talk to first-year Tuck students on their final day of orientation. During the talks, I give them permission to be who they want to be and encourage them to do whatever is their dream. I feel very lucky that I was encouraged to follow my path, and I feel like that’s my calling, with undergraduate and graduate students alike: to help them find their own paths.”

You Know You Bleed Green When…

“…you have to sneak your next purchase from the Dartmouth Coop into the house because your wife says you already have too much [Dartmouth gear].”


Veree Hawkins Brown '93
Veree Hawkins Brown ’93


Veree Hawkins Brown ’93

Life and Career

With the encouragement of her family physician Stanley Stark ’57, Veree Hawkins Brown ’93 left her sunny hometown of Albuquerque, New Mexico for Hanover in 1989. “I’d never been anywhere on the East Coast,” she recalls of her first visit to Dartmouth. “But as I rounded the corner by the football stadium, and I saw the Green, I immediately sensed that this was the place for me.”

New Hampshire’s frigid winters took some adjusting, but Brown dove in to Dartmouth life with dynamism. “We say Dartmouth is a family, and I really felt that immediately,” she says. “I made connections with people that I’ve now known for 30 years.” That included meeting her now-husband, Bertrand “Bert” Brown ’92, whom she encountered in the dorms her very first week.

Brown pursued her passions for language and the arts. She was an English major as well as an experienced Spanish lit scholar, with language skills honed during an FSP in Salamanca, Spain. She wrote for The Dartmouth as an arts contributor and participated in the dance program. She worked in the theater costume shop and managed the men’s soccer team. She joined Delta Gamma, the Panhellenic Board, and later, Casque and Gauntlet.

After Dartmouth, Brown worked in arts administration before getting an MBA. She then spent time at Sabre Corporation and Travelocity working in corporate finance, international marketing, and global account management, before transitioning to a career as a private wealth manager.

Brown is now based in Dallas, where she lives with Bert and their daughter, Ellie. In addition to volunteering for Dartmouth, Brown serves as a board member for several organizations, including Camp John Marc, a summer camp for children with medical conditions; the Dallas Public Library; Dallas CASA, which advocates for abused and neglected children in court; and the Genesis Women’s Shelter & Support, for victims of domestic violence. “I know, it’s a lot,” she admits. But to anyone who has witnessed Veree’s tireless devotion to the Dartmouth community, that extensive list of activities should come as no surprise.

Memories from the Green

“I was a dedicated student. I loved the library, I liked going to class, and I liked studying. The amazing professors really stood out. As an English major, I had really close contact with my professors. I appreciated being able to go to their office hours or seeing them walking around town, having great dialogue with my instructors, and staying in touch with them.”

For Dartmouth

Brown—who received the Young Alumni Distinguished Service Award in 2007—has been volunteering with her alma mater since she graduated. “I’ve held just about every position you can think of,” she says. That includes roles as an Alumni Fund volunteer; alumni interviewer; district enrollment director; treasurer of Black Alumni of Dartmouth Association; alumni councilor and member of the Honorary Degrees Committee, the Nominating and Alumni Trustee Search Committee, and Alumni Liaison Committee; co-chair of the 25th Reunion; and vice president of the Association of Alumni Executive Committee. She’s had several leadership positions with the Dartmouth Club of Dallas, including president and vice president. She is currently the president and Reunion chair of the Class of 1993.

Highlights of Volunteer Service

“I love being president of the class. It allows me to stay in touch with my classmates. It also has given me the opportunity to get to know people who I didn’t know really well while they were students, but I’ve gotten to know them better through reunions or other activities.”

You Know You Bleed Green When…

“… you see people wearing anything Dartmouth-related in unlikely places, and you go up and you start talking to them.”

Dartmouth Young Alumni Distinguished Service Award Recipients


Kyle Polite
Kyle Polite ’05


Kyle Polite ’05

Life and Career

Before his first visit to campus, Kyle Polite ’05 knew nothing about Dartmouth. Back then, he says, the College wasn’t well known in his small hometown of Galesburg, Illinois. But since it was on the way between schools he was visiting on the East Coast, he decided to stop. “Not only was it a glorious summer day with perfect weather,” he says, “but everything about it was the right fit for me.” From the small size, to the focus on undergraduate education, Polite knew he’d found his new home. He applied early decision.

Polite recalls how college broadened his horizons. “Dartmouth was actually my first true opportunity to experience multicultural diversity,” he says. “Growing up in a small, blue-collar Midwestern town, I didn’t have much exposure to global thinking or other cultures—so that was a really important part of my early experience.”

Polite majored in music and studied classics and languages (Latin, Greek, and Hebrew). He played saxophone, bassoon, percussion, and more for the Wind Ensemble; directed the Dartmouth Chamber Orchestra; and helped to establish a nonprofit youth wind ensemble in schools throughout the Upper Valley. He also volunteered with the Tucker Foundation (now known as The William Jewett Tucker Center). And somehow, in the midst of it all, he managed to graduate in just three years.

Since then, Polite has worked extensively at the intersection of higher education and the arts. He’s held several roles at Dartmouth with the Tucker Foundation, the Office of Alumni Relations, and Tuck. With a growing passion for nonprofit fundraising, he has also worked to open arts centers and galleries at universities in the U.S. and Australia, and overseen major capital campaigns.

Today he is the deputy director of development at the San Francisco Opera. On the side, he serves on the board of two organizations: The Performing Arts Workshop, an arts-based education nonprofit in San Francisco; and the Mawazo Institute, a Nairobi, Kenya-based organization supporting female thought leaders in East Africa (founded by Rose Mutiso ’08 TH’08). “And then there’s the time I spend on my Dartmouth activities, which keeps me busy and out of trouble,” Polite quips. “I’m drinking a lot of coffee right now to keep me going.”

Memories from the Green

Some of Polite’s most notable Dartmouth experiences actually took place in London, during an FSP. “It was really my first international experience. It was a big deal,” he says. “In London I studied bassoon with the principal bassoonist of the Royal Opera and Royal Ballet Orchestra, so all my lessons were at the Royal Opera House at Convent Garden. We also went to a lot of performances, and that followed an opera class I’d taken at Dartmouth with Steve Swayne—it was how I fell in love with opera. I’d always been a musical person, but I’d never been exposed to it until then.”

For Dartmouth

“As a student I was never involved in class leadership,” Polite says, “but I had such a positive experience and connection to Dartmouth, I knew I wanted it to be part of my life in a deeper way than just coming back for Reunion every five years.” When he left a job in Alumni Relations and moved to Rochester, New York, Polite was tapped to join the board of the Dartmouth Club of Rochester—and to chair his 5th Reunion. With plenty of work expertise in class activities, Polite helped his class to offer the lowest Reunion price in 10 years and achieve phenomenal attendance.

After that, Polite became class treasurer, using surplus Reunion funds to establish an endowment for student startups through the Dartmouth Entrepreneurs Network. The youngest class to have started an endowment at the College, the ’05s have grown the award from $50,000 to $150,000. Polite still serves as treasurer. He has also been an admissions interviewer nearly every year since graduation, served as president of the Dartmouth Club of Rochester and on the board of the Dartmouth Alumni Association of Silicon Valley, as 10th and 15th reunion treasurer and co-chair, and has volunteered with the Dartmouth College Fund.

Highlights of Volunteer Service

“It’s about giving back to a place that has been so important and impactful and meaningful for me, and also about being able to connect or reconnect with other people. To meet and engage with alumni beyond my class years; I have friends and professional colleagues now from various decades and generations that I only know through my volunteer work.”

You Know You Bleed Green When…

“You take a red eye from the West Coast to Boston to make it to Hanover just in time for 1.5 days of calling classmates to raise money for the Dartmouth College Fund.”


Nathan Bruschi
Nathan Bruschi ’10


Nathan Bruschi ’10

Life and Career

Growing up in Albany, New York, Bruschi loved camping and the wilderness. He also attended a small private school, where he appreciated the close connections between students and teachers. The tight-knit community, liberal arts focus, and rural location of Dartmouth thus drew him in, and when it came time for college, he packed his bags for Hanover.

As a government major, Bruschi found the close connections with professors he’d been seeking; comparative politics with Professor Lisa Baldez, a nuclear weapons course with Professor Daryl Press, and Professor Jameson Doig’s class on federalism all made deep impressions. He immersed himself in political life on campus, from serving on Student Assembly as a secretary and treasurer, to helping create the DartMoose—an unofficial replacement for Dartmouth’s old Native American mascot. With some friends, Bruschi also established the Dartmouth Political Union, a group that brought together individuals with widely ranging political beliefs to debate hot topics. “It was difficult to have political conversations on campus,” he says, “but the union encouraged people to think about politics in a non-binary way.”

After graduation, Bruschi embarked on five years of service as a military intelligence officer with the U.S. Navy. He was deployed to Japan three times, and once to Central America where he worked in local villages to improve lives and stem the migration crisis. When he returned home, he had a wake-up call: “I had spent so much time rebuilding other people’s countries,” he said. “Now, I wanted to rebuild my own.”

Following a stint working in The White House with Joe Biden, and graduate degrees at Harvard’s Kennedy School and Harvard Business School, Bruschi and his wife Roanna ’13 took over his family business, the tech recruiting company Genesys Consulting Services. “It’s all about rebuilding this tech valley we’re trying to create in Upstate New York, providing good paying jobs to this economy that should sustain this area for the next generation,” he says. 

Memories from the Green

“Senior year, my friends and I would stay up late into the night debating this topic or that, and it would always end with a nighttime walk down to Ledyard Bridge. That imagery of all of us going down a hidden back road off of Tuck Mall to the Ledyard Bridge, and looking at the moon on the water and taking in the natural beauty of it, all of us conscious of the lives we’d go on to lead—that’s a special memory for me.”

For Dartmouth

Bruschi has been involved with Dartmouth pretty much everywhere he’s lived, from Japan to Virginia to Boston. He’s now the vice president and young alumni chair for the Dartmouth Club of Eastern New York. He’s also a class agent, raising money for the Dartmouth College Fund. “I think Dartmouth has a huge role to play in my life, and a pretty large part of me is Dartmouth,” he says. “So, I volunteer to get it the funding and resources it needs to continue into the future.”

Bruschi has also been instrumental in building community among alumni veterans like himself. As a founder of Dartmouth Uniformed Service Alumni (DUSA), he helped fill a void that was left open when ROTC was removed from campus. “For a lot of graduates of the school, their time in service was one of their proudest accomplishments,” he says. “Their reaction to the move was to disengage, and I found that tragic.” DUSA organizes events, student mentorship, and traditions that honor and recognize the accomplishments of armed services alumni, such as the James Wright Award for Distinguished Service.

Highlights of Volunteer Service

“Building a huge group, DUSA, from scratch was a lot of work. I’m quite proud of what we’ve been able to do to increase the number of veterans at the college and to increase the number of students who consider pursuing service after graduation. We’ve shown graduates and older alumni how much their service is valued by the school and that there is a place for them.”  

You Know You Bleed Green When…

“… you make every effort to visit Dartmouth on a weekday so you can get a baked good from Collis. My wife and I both look forward to the chocolate chip scones the whole drive up there—It’s always a tragedy when we come up on a weekend and miss them because Collis is closed.”

Eager for more? Check out a full album of images from the Alumni Awards gala.