Welcome from the Alumni Association Board President

Dear fellow alumni,

Who doesn’t love a great story? One that is engaging and surprising…full of compelling characters who connect you to a shared human emotion. You feel like you are a part of it because it’s relatable and aspirational, filled with complexity and intrigue. 

Over the past year I have listened to our alumni share their stories. While intellectually I knew we had an impressive group of graduates from Lafayette College, hearing their stories in real time from incredible alumni who are humble yet unbelievably accomplished, has been so inspiring and exciting.  

For those of you who prefer headlines and digestible sound bites over Walter Isaacson biographies…here’s what you need to know:

Our alumni achieve outsized constructive impact in communities and organizations of every kind and scale.

Fran Della Badia is standing in front of Easton Hall. She is wearing a black suit.

Fran Della Badia ’91

As the new President of the Alumni Association Board, I am excited to work together to find innovative and creative ways to encourage you to engage with Lafayette. Our powerful network is a group of intellectually curious, talented, and motivated Leopards. We want to continue to foster connections with one another and with the College in meaningful ways. 

Our experience at Lafayette was transformative for each of us. The inescapable truth is, if you are a graduate of Lafayette College, you can’t NOT be a Lafayette graduate. You are a part of our story and our shared history. 

So whether you have played an active role or haven’t been connected in a long time, we welcome you to the next chapter! If you haven’t been to campus or Easton recently, you probably have some outdated references and will be amazed at the transformation. While we honor our past, we are ever evolving and innovating in the present, and actively planning for our future, which just happens to include a bicentennial celebration in 2026 that you won’t want to miss. As one of the co-chairs of our bicentennial committee, I have some early insights about how truly spectacular it’s going to be. It will be exciting to share the news of a series of “Lafayette worthy” national and global events as we get closer to 2026.

President Nicole Hurd, our faculty, students, and staff, are all adding exciting chapters to the Lafayette story every day. So join us on campus this fall or at an event near you because a truly great story is one you never want to end… 

I look forward to sharing additional updates regarding Alumni Association Board initiatives and priorities for the upcoming year through the Alumni Association Board webpage and Alumni E-News monthly digital newsletter. 

Warm regards, 

Fran Della Badia signature

President, Alumni Association Board 

P.S. Here are some ways to stay connected: