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Global Studies Center Named for Notable Alumna
 NORTHAMPTON, Mass.— A $5 million gift from alumna and former trustee Phoebe Reese Lewis, Class of 1951, and her husband, John, will provide vital support for the Smith College Global Studies Center’s mission of developing students’ capacity for global understanding and leadership.
In honor of their generous support, the college will name the Phoebe and John D. Lewis Global Studies Center. The gift includes the Global Leadership Program Fund the Lewises established last year.
The Global Studies Center, now in its third year, builds on the depth and breadth of the college’s curriculum by providing students with a range of programs and global perspectives in subjects from art history to biological sciences to engineering, along with opportunities to work, study and conduct research in communities overseas and within the United States.
“In this increasingly global society, Smith’s ability to enhance its international programming is crucial to ensuring our graduates’ ability to excel as leaders in whatever sphere they choose,” said President Carol T. Christ. “The center is already exceeding expectations.”
The center houses the Office for International Study, the Office for International Students and Scholars and the Diploma Program in American Studies. Located in Wright Hall, it is a crossroads for all things international at Smith.
Students and faculty have embraced a continual flow of international speakers, performers, films and scholars-in-residence on campus. Among early visitors were Nikiforos Diamandouros, Ombudsman of the European Union; Farah Pandith, Smith Class of 1990, Special Representative to Muslim Communities for the U.S. State Department; and Gillian Sorensen, Smith Class of 1963, Senior Adviser and National Advocate at the United Nations Foundation.
“A good and robust understanding of citizenship involves a constant appreciation of all the different levels at work,” said Gregory White, professor of government and the Elizabeth Mugar Eveillard ’69 Faculty Director of the Global Studies Center. White co-directs the center with Rebecca Hovey, dean for international study. “Through the GSC, we’re making the world a more knowable place.”
The Lewises, residents of Milwaukee, Wis., are longtime supporters of Smith initiatives. Among their early commitments was The Phoebe Reese Lewis Leadership Program, established in 1999.
Smith College educates women of promise for lives of distinction. One of the largest women’s colleges in the United States, Smith enrolls 2,600 students from nearly every state and 62 other countries.
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