San Francisco native Katie Alwart is Haverford’s new Director of Alumni Relations. Alwart received her B.A. from the University of California-Davis and her Ed.M. specializing in Higher Education from Harvard. In 2003 she moved to Philadelphia, taking a position in alumni relations at the University of Pennsylvania.

As Director of Alumni Relations, Alwart oversees the Alumni Regional program and serves as the staff liaison to the Executive Committee of the Alumni Association. She joined Haverford’s Office of Alumni Relations in its busiest season—less than two months before Alumni Weekend. Shadowing Director of External Relations Violet Brown, Alwart says that she learned the event’s ins and outs, helping to coordinate 13 reunions throughout the weekend.

Thrown into the deep end, Alwart found the experience quite rewarding: “The reasons why we do this job all get played out on Alumni Weekend.” Outside of work, Alwart plays soccer every Tuesday night; she also enjoys traveling, having recently visited Australia with her husband.

Joe Curtin is Facilities Management’s new Project Manager. Originally hailing from Radnor, Pa., he’s spent the past 25 years in West Chester, running his own high-end contracting company. His docket is already full here at Haverford, current projects include revamping the bookstore’s sales counter, renovating the staff locker rooms in the Dining Center basement, and converting the former Safety & Security building into a new 24-hour arts space for students. Curtin’s summer student workers have already started referring to him as the “King of Facilities Management,” a title which he vehemently denies.

Curtin and his painter-wife have two daughters. One is an architect; the other recently earned a degree in industrial design. With such an artistic family, Curtin tries to keep in with the Philadelphia arts scene. His other interests include reading, gardening, and tending to his pets—he currently has a dog, two doves, bees, and a coop full of chickens.

Joanne Gullifer has joined Haverford as the new Human Resources Administrative Assistant. For 27 years, she served as the Human Resources Office Manager for Wildlife Trust, a conservation organization concerned with everything from preserving endangered species to battling emerging diseases like SARS. The company recently moved to New York, and Gullifer decided to stay local and come to Haverford.

Although she’s only been here a month, Gullifer already loves the College, describing the staff as “fantastic” and the campus as “beautiful.” A devoted walker, Joanne appreciates having an arboretum for a workplace.

Gullifer’s interests include her five grandchildren (with a sixth on the way!), gardening, and crosswords, but her current passions are sudoku puzzles—“It’s a real craze, and I’m part of it”—and the TV show “Lost.”

After 19 years in the healthcare industry, Fern Hall is Haverford’s new Housekeeping Manager, June 13 marking his three-month anniversary at the College. In that short amount of time, he’s undertaken numerous campus events including the GIAC dedication, commencement, and Alumni Weekend. Upcoming projects include the renovation of the mailroom, the re-carpeting of Woodside Cottage, and the repair work being done in Magill Library.

Outside of work, Hall focuses on family—his wife and two daughters, 12 and 15. He enjoys playing golf and fishing, and he never says no to a “Law & Order” marathon. Hall is glad to have been so quickly “welcomed into the Haverford family.” He says of his support staff, “It feels like we’ve been working together for a long time.” He’s enjoyed his interactions with Haverford students but thinks they work just a little too hard. “Relax a little, and enjoy yourselves,” he says,“The ox is slow, but the earth is patient.”

Originally from Pittsburgh, Piraino graduated from Haverford in 2004 with a major in history. She has just completed her master's in higher education management at the University of Pennsylvania. While at Haverford, Piraino played on the volleyball team, worked as a trainer and served as the chair of the housing committee. She enjoys sailing, trying new restaurants in Philadelphia, and, most recently, learning to play tennis.

Wong was born in China and raised in Hong Kong by her grandparents. She came to the United States when she was 14-years-old to attend high school in Queens, N.Y. She started at Haverford after a one-and-a-half year break from her past position at Bryn Mawr College. The most striking thing about Haverford, she believes, is the strength and support of Quaker ideals in the faculty, students, and employees. Wong enjoys gardening, trying regional cuisines, martial arts, and learning about Buddhism.