Celebrating 30 Years of PLTL
On September 21, 2025, students, current and past peer leaders, faculty, administrators, Academic Excellence staff, parents, and alumni gathered to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Peer-Led Team Learning (PLTL) workshops at the University of Rochester during Meliora Weekend.
The event’s highlights included a formal recognition of our most dedicated PLTL program supporters and a lively panel discussion with former peer leaders Professor Rose C. Kennedy, Archita Amudhan, Ali Alsaidi, Ashay Narayana, and Fariha Raisa. Our panelists discussed how being a peer leader shaped their experiences both during their time as students at the University of Rochester and in their post-graduation endeavors. Dr. Lynn Donahue, from the Greene Career Center, further elaborated on the short-term and long-term benefits of PLTL by discussing the connection between PLTL and the development of career competencies.
Vicki Roth joined the celebration, remembering how 30 years ago she and the late Professor Jack Kampmeier stood in the same room with 65 students for the very first PLTL meeting. She had helped start PLTL at the University in 1995 and supported it until retiring in 2018.
The gathering offered a meaningful moment to reflect on the program’s long history at the University, to reconnect members of the PLTL community, and to renew appreciation for the lasting impact of supporting student learning while developing leadership and teamwork skills.