Advancing Athletics

Tom ’78 and Judianne Hare P’22 Support the Red Devil Student-Athlete Experience

Tom ’78 and Judianne Hare p’22 long realized the importance of athletics programs, having played sports themselves. When their son, Cole ’22, enrolled at Dickinson, however, they got a fresh look at the Red Devils athletics program—and its long-lasting and transformative effects. Now, they give back in ways that help a new generation of Red Devil student athletes make the most of their time in class, on the field—and well beyond graduation day.

Tom was a biology major at Dickinson, with a minor in psychology, and an All-American athlete in basketball and baseball. He made lifelong friends through his varsity basketball and baseball teams and through his fraternity, Phi Kappa Sigma, and went on to earn an M.S. in exercise physiology and biomechanics at the University of Delaware. Judianne swam, played softball and was captain of her tennis team in high school, but she opted not to play in college, so she could focus more intently on a demanding nursing program at Villanova. Like Tom, she continued to prioritize exercise and health.

They met at Hahnemann Hospital, in Philadelphia, where Judianne was a research nurse working in the cardiac intensive-care unit and Tom was developing and running cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation programs. Both later transitioned to the biopharmaceutical industry. Tom is the senior vice president of clinical management at Madrigal Pharmaceuticals. Judianne is executive director of U.S. strategy and operations at Bristol-Myers Squibb. They have two children, and they’ve enjoyed cheering on their kids at baseball, basketball and soccer games throughout the years.

Tom has long given back toward scholarships and other initiatives in memory of Gary “Pugs” Knechtel ’80. The Pugs Foundation, named in Knechtel’s memory, recently spearheaded efforts to fund a suite in the forthcoming John M. Paz ’78 Alumni & President’s House, which Tom and his fellow classmates and fraternity brothers helped to support.

Informed by the ways that data analysis is transforming work in their field, the Hares also support the college’s leading-edge data-analytics program and serve on the program’s advisory board.

Their support of the McAndrews Fund for Athletics facilities renovations and the Red Devils baseball team ties directly to the experiences of son Cole, a recent Dickinson grad, as well as Tom’s participation as a two-sport athlete during his time at Dickinson.

A double major in quantitative economics and international business & management who played on the baseball team, Cole formed close friendships with his baseball teammates despite having his years at Dickinson significantly impacted by COVID. The friendships formed during his time at Dickinson continue to be strong.

“Through Cole, we got to see and understand the perspective of the contemporary student at the college—what they experience as students and as athletes, and what the facilities are like and how we can help them make the most of their time,” Judianne says. Their goal is to continue to work with the college to improve and enhance the student-athlete experience.

In 2019, the Hares made a gift toward renovations to Dickinson Park, which included establishing an indoor batting-cage facility. A newly renovated men’s locker room was also named for the Hare family.

“We want it to be an inviting space—a place where student-athletes can come any time on any day to put in extra work to continue to improve their skills,” Tom says, “And, at the same time, it’s a gathering place, a place to hang out and deepen friendships, because friendship is such an important part of college. The friends you make at college are your friends for life.”

Also important, Tom adds: Team sports help students build and hone critical mindsets and skills, such as time management, resilience, maintaining a healthy lifestyle and teamwork—all of which set the stage for future successes at work and beyond.

“To be a successful student and athlete, you need to be able to work as part of a team and have the discipline to get up and do morning lifts at 6 a.m.,” Tom explains. “You need to plug yourself into a working environment and mindset that mirrors closely the kind of mindset and discipline you’ll need to build a successful career.”

Judianne agrees. “Hiring people in my industry, I will take a team captain or team player any day. They bring in a perspective of inclusion to the work, because to be successful as an athlete, you have to know how not just to play your own role but also how to help your teammates excel in their roles,” she says. “You have to understand what you bring to the table, and also what everyone else brings, and how you can work together to meet your goals. This experience often translates well in the workplace.”

“To be a successful student and athlete, you need to be able to work as part of a team and have the discipline to get up and do morning lifts at 6 a.m. You need to plug yourself into a working environment and mindset that mirrors closely the kind of mindset and discipline you’ll need to build a successful career.” —Tom Hare ’78