SwatTalks

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SwatTalks is an Alumni Council program that brings the talent and expertise of Swarthmore alumni, faculty, and staff to the greater College community through free, virtual seminars. Each SwatTalk lasts one hour and is available through Zoom. SwatTalk sessions will be recorded as permitted by the presenters.

 

Upcoming SwatTalks:

“Let’s Fix The Housing Crisis” with Jamie Madden ’06

April 20, 2026

Join Jamie Madden ’06 in conversation with moderator Twan Claiborne ’07 about his recently published memoir, Bittersweet Lane: Creating Home(s) in the American Affordable Housing Crisis. We’ll discuss the nature of the housing crisis, what is necessary to solve it, and the role of lived experience in the professional and academic worlds.

Jamie Madden ’06 wrote Bittersweet Lane: Creating Home(s) in the American Affordable Housing Crisis to demystify affordable housing while exploring the meaning of home from an intergenerational, lower-income perspective. Jamie grew up in affordable housing at the Bittersweet Lane Apartments and went on to work for the affordable housing industry’s leading nonprofits. He is a dad, a community development professional, and a Truman Scholar. He holds degrees from MIT and Swarthmore College. Jamie's work has helped create more than 1,000 affordable homes. 

Register for “Let’s Fix The Housing Crisis” with Jamie Madden ’06

 

In A League of Her Own: A Conversation with Women's Baseball Pioneer Laura Hirai ’22

May 11, 2026

As a young girl, Laura Hirai '22 fell in love with baseball.  Growing up in Japan, her experience with the sport was not, as she recalls, particularly gendered. It was not until she attempted to attend a baseball camp in the US, and was told it was only for boys, that she realized she may face some obstacles to achieving her diamond dreams.

Like many Swarthmore students, Laura approached these obstacles as a challenge, not as a deterrent, and at 26 years old, has become a global face of women's baseball.  Her resume includes being the first, and thus far only, woman to represent Great Britain in U18 baseball; becoming the first "ball girl" for the New York Yankees during the first Major League Baseball game played in England in 2019; and being drafted in the fifth round in the inaugural draft of the US-based Women's Professional Baseball League, which is set to begin play in August. Laura also played varsity softball at Swarthmore.

Please join Laura for a conversation with Ana Apostoleris Rivera '13 about her pioneering experiences and her insights on the future of women's baseball.

Registration Coming Soon

 

Watch Recordings of Past SwatTalks

 

Accommodations & Questions 

If you require accommodations to participate in this webinar, please contact alumni@swarthmore.edu at least 24 hours in advance for assistance.

If webinars are permitted to be recorded, they will be made available on the SwatTalks recordings page at a later time.

If you have any technical difficulties with Zoom, please contact help@swarthmore.edu.

Speaker Recommendations

To suggest a future panelist, please email swattalk@swarthmore.edu.