Joanne Berger-Sweeney, Ph.D., president of Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut will be the guest speaker on Sunday, August 30, at 11 a.m., at Holman United Methodist Church, 3320 West Adams Boulevard in Los Angeles.
“The Unity/Anniversary Sunday worship is part of Holman’s year-long celebration of our 70th Anniversary that is centered around the theme, ‘Honoring Our Legacy, Resetting Our Future.’
“Indeed Dr. Berger-Sweeney is part of the Holman legacy because she is an Angelina who grew up at Holman,” said Pastor Kelvin Sauls.
Dr. Berger-Sweeney is the 22nd president of Trinity College, and began her tenure on July 1, 2014. An accomplished teacher, scholar, neuroscientist, and administrator, Berger-Sweeney is the first African American and first woman president of Trinity.
President Berger-Sweeney was selected by Trinity’s Board of Trustees to chart a course toward the college’s 200th anniversary in 2023, one that advances the future of the liberal arts education that has been a hallmark of Trinity’s distinguished history and raises the visibility of the college’s many deep-rooted strengths among all its constituencies.
Berger-Sweeney came to Trinity from Tufts University where she served as the dean of the School of Arts and Sciences. Prior to Tufts, Berger-Sweeney was at Wellesley College, where she served for 19 years as a faculty member and associate dean.
She received her undergraduate degree in psychobiology from Wellesley College, an M.P.H. in environmental health sciences from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Ph.D. in neurotoxicology from the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. She completed her postdoctoral training at the National Institute of Health (INSERM) in Paris, France.
Berger-Sweeney is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including the prestigious National Science Foundation Young Investigator Award and a Lifetime Mentoring Award from the Society for Neuroscience (2006). She is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and chairs the professional development committee of the Society for Neuroscience.
Holman will culminate its 70th Anniversary celebration with a gala on December 4, at the Omni Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. Marian Wright Edelman, renowned children’s rights activist and founder of the Children’s Defense Fund, will receive the James M. Lawson, Jr. Humanitarian Award during the event.
For information, call (323) 731-7285 or visit holmanumc.com.
