Dear ARCS MWC Members,

What a night! The 2025 Scholar Awards Reception was a great evening of celebration, connection, and inspiration.

Held at the beautiful National Academy of Sciences, the event brought together 141 attendees, including 31 members and 12 potential members—our largest turnout since COVID. Thank you to everyone who invited guests and potential members and helped expand our ARCS community.

The evening began with our scholar poster session, where guests had the opportunity to hear directly from our scholars about their groundbreaking research. It was an honor to hear about the innovative work they are pursuing and the real-world impact of their studies. The highlight of the evening was listening to our keynote speaker and chapter member, Kristen Bloschock. Kristen shared how the ARCS award carried her through long research days—just knowing members were cheering her on made a lasting impact. She delighted the audience with fun photos from her student days and throughout her career. Kristen’s mom, aunt, uncle, husband, colleagues, and mentor joined us to celebrate her achievements, making the evening even more special. 

Many thanks to the SAR Planning Committee for creating such a seamless and beautiful event. Special appreciation to Michelle Francis, Elli Nesbitt, Helen Miller, and Becky Corcoran for managing the information booklet, RSVPs, and logistics. We’re also grateful to our wonderful SAR Ambassadors—Susan Trice, Connie Watts, Charlotte Knight, Becky Corcoran, and Miriam Erickson. We are especially thankful to our SAR sponsors, whose generous donations helped cover the venue expenses and ensured that attending the event remained affordable for all.

A huge thank-you to Yvonne Chen, who is chairing this year’s Nominating Committee. The work of this committee is vital to identifying the next leadership team for the future of our Chapter, and we’re deeply grateful to Yvonne for leading this important process.

Looking ahead, we’re excited to join the Activities Committee at the upcoming ARCS Friends event at the National Cathedral on Nov. 7, and we hope to see everyone at our Holiday Party, which will be held at the home of Lynn and John Dillon on Dec. 4. Please RSVP soon! The evening will feature catered heavy hors d’oeuvres, and we’re looking forward to a festive evening with friends as we close out another wonderful year together.

~ Julie Hohl and Jane Riddle, ARCS-MWC Co-Presidents