SSW Edition - Simmons College
Transcription
SSW Edition - Simmons College
SIMMONS WINTER 2008 SSW Edition special issue: SIMMONS EXAMINES DIVERSITY IN ACADEMIA AND HEALTHCARE Social Work DIVERSITY INITIATIVES AT THE SSW also in this issue: π REBUILDING NEW ORLEANS: A PHOTO ESSAY π URBAN HEALTH RESEARCH COLLABORATIVE editor’s note: DIVERSITY ON CAMPUS AND BEYOND Congratulations, Allyson! Editor Allyson Irish ’04GS is pictured with her husband, Pete Wilson ’07GS, and new son, Devin Foley Wilson, just days after she went on maternity leave. Devin was born on Halloween — October 31, 2007 — weighing 7 lbs. and measuring 19 inches. Tyler, age 3, is the proud big brother. A long, long time ago (at least it feels that way) I was a young undergraduate college student, trying to figure out who I was and what I would do with my life. At that time, more than 15 years ago, no one talked about diversity on college campuses. It was something we assumed and, in some ways, took for granted. A lot of things have changed since my undergraduate years, one of which is the wholesale embrace of and focus on diversity in higher education. Yet, as I look back at my rather naïve college experience and think about higher education in general, I like to think that colleges and universities have been supporting diversity for some time now, long before it was considered politically correct to do so. For example, where else but at a university could a left-leaning political science professor talk about the pros and cons of Ann Coulter’s latest book with a conservative student? Or an openly gay, liberal, black student talk about childrearing philosophies with a French professor who is also a Republican? Colleges and universities are rich petri dishes for these kinds of discussions. They are important and necessary “safe” places in our society where people should feel free to express themselves, regardless of whether or not their position is currently popular. Diversity encompasses so many different factors, from age and race, to sex and gender, to different ideas, philosophies, religions, and political motivations. Far from assimilating everyone into one bland culture, we at Simmons embrace these differences and encourage people to be themselves and to respect one another. In this issue, we explore all that diversity at Simmons from different angles. In one feature article, we look at the many issues surrounding diversity in healthcare, and how faculty at the School for Health Studies are addressing the increasingly diverse patient population in the U.S. and preparing students to care for it. Another feature article examines the status of intellectual diversity within higher education and at Simmons. And the four graduate editions each explore other avenues of diversity at the College. I doubt any company or institution can claim it has “attained” diversity — it’s a constantly moving target with varied metrics and ever-changing social implications. When we move beyond the jargon and ask ourselves what we are really trying to achieve, I hope we realize that diversity is a value that this country was founded on in order to attain true independence and freedom. Allyson Irish ’04GS, Editor [email protected] SIMMONS Winter 2008 Volume 89, Number 3 Vice President of Advancement Kristina G. Schaefer Vice President of Marketing Cheryl Howard ’71 Senior Director, Advancement Marketing Rebecca H. Yturregui ’94 Editor Allyson Irish ’04GS Acting Editor Emily Devaprasad Agreeing to Disagree Editorial Assistant/Class Notes Editor Hilary Shepard BY JANELLE RANDAZZA Copy Editor Christian Pope Campbell ’91 Elyse Pipitone ’07SW Writers and Editorial Contributors Christian Pope Campbell ’91 Katie Fiermonti Janelle Randazza Magazine Design Sawyer Design Associates, Inc. Diane Sawyer, Art Director # Printing Kirkwood Printing Photography/Art Kathleen Dooher Steve Gilbert John Gillooly Rose Lincoln Len Rubenstein BY CHRISTIAN POPE CAMPBELL ’91 AND EMILY DEVAPRASAD Even as the percentage of minorities in the U.S. population continues to increase, minority representation at all levels of the healthcare industry remains stagnant and falls well short of population proportions. The School for Health Studies speaks to the discrepancy, its implications for quality of care, and possible solutions. Fenway/ 8 Voices/ 25 Giving/ 26 Undergraduate Class Notes/ 30 Emerities/ 31 Obituaries/ 44 # departments departments 22 Graduate News/ 3 18 A Healthy Minority? Cover and Features Illustration Curtis Parker President’s Letter/ 2 Simmons looks inward and asks whether it is effectively promoting intellectual diversity, and whether institutions of higher learning as a whole have a responsibility to do so. President Scrimshaw and Simmons professors and students discuss the pros and cons of academic freedom. winter 2008 1 president’s president’sletter note Chair Helen Drinan ’75LS, ’78SM Vice Chair Stephen P. Jonas P’05 Clerk of the Board of Trustees Regina M. Pisa Members Carmen A. Baez ’79, ’03HD Robert E. Branson Lauren Brisky ’73 Deborah C. Brittain ’74SW Joyce Elden ’80 Atsuko Toko Fish Eileen M. Friars ’72 Helen K. Gee ’85, ’04HS Maha Ghandour P’06 Anne C. Hodsdon ’75, ’77GS John W. Humphrey Pamela H. Jackson ’85 Kathleen Morrissey LaPoint ’84 Ngina Lythcott ’67, ’04HD Judith Samdperil Mann ’83 Jacqueline C. Morby ’78SM Kevin C. Phelan Carol Waller Pope ’74 Emily Scott Pottruck ’78 Lucia Luce Quinn ’75 Faith M. Richardson ’84 Jo-Ann Robotti ’75 Barbara B. Scolnick ’64LS Susan C. Scrimshaw Douglas Smith-Petersen Paula A. Sneed ’69 Gail Snowden ’78SM, ’97HD Janet Trafton Tobin ’67 Amy E. White ’81 board of trustees Stephen P. McCandless At a time when most colleges, universities, and major corporations tout their “diversity initiatives,” it’s important to step back and ask ourselves, “What are we really talking about?” What do organizations really hope to achieve when they talk about “creating a culture of diversity,” and what do we at Simmons hope to attain by articulating our focus on diversity? The answer is not simple. At the most basic level, we face an issue around the categorization of diversity itself. Like many responsible organizations, we must measure our progress, and one way to do so is to classify. But some of these categories or labels — especially as they relate to student and faculty racial and ethnic populations — are no longer viable. What does an incoming first-year female student check off on her application if her father is black and her mother Mexican? Self-identification can often be at odds with a person’s outward appearance and the assumptions that others make from appearances. Anthropologists today are suggesting that traditional concepts such as “race” are biologically meaning- less. Instead, people’s self identities are the product of “lived experiences.” Under that definition, diversity is far more than race or ethnicity. It encompasses all facets of human experience including belief systems and political leanings. One of the most important responsibilities of an institution of higher learning is to cultivate an environment of intellectual diversity in addition to cultural diversity. At Simmons, we consider this a fundamental responsibility and encourage differing viewpoints through a climate of respect. Modern society was founded on the notion that healthy intellectual discourse promotes creative thought. It is when our society’s intellectuals are given the room to foster creativity that some of our most troubling problems are solved. There is a natural tension between prevailing culture and the expression of unpopular or politically sensitive views. For example, Galileo challenged prevailing societal norms about the relative motions of the earth and the sun, and was punished for it. Ultimately he was proved correct. Just as our future survival as a species may depend on preserving biological diversity on our planet, our future adaptability as a society depends on encouraging our students to think broadly. That is the kind of diversity we encourage here at Simmons. If we fail to provide this kind of climate, then we hurt not only our students, but also our entire society and the future ability of our graduates to make positive change in the world. Susan C. Scrimshaw, Ph.D. President The Simmons College Office of Advancement Marketing publishes the SIMMONS magazine three Alumnae/i Volunteer Leadership Reference Key times a year. Third-class postage is paid in Boston, Undergraduate Alumnae Association Executive Board President Amy Klotz ’96 School for Health Studies Health Care Administration Alumni Association Co-Chairs Wendy Gutterson ’94HS Richard Corder ’01HS Graduate School of Library and Information Science Alumni Association President Margaret Cardello ’85LS School of Management Alumnae Association President Joan Tomaceski ’91SM School of Social Work Alumni Council President Sonia Michelson ’85SW School Names CAS College of Arts and Sciences SHS School for Health Studies GSLIS Graduate School of Library and Information Science SOM School of Management SSW School of Social Work GD Garland Junior College Mass. Diverse views presented in the SIMMONS magazine do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the magazine or the College. Letters to the editor should be no longer than 250 words and should be addressed to Allyson Irish, editor, SIMMONS magazine, Office of Advancement Marketing, Simmons College, 300 The Fenway, Boston, Mass., 02115-5898; (fax) 617-521-2303; (e-mail) allyson.irish@simmons. edu. (ISSN) 0049-0512. For more information, call the Office of Advancement Marketing at 617-521-2380, or visit www.simmons.edu. 2 simmons alumnet.simmons.edu Alumnae/i Designations ’37 1937, undergraduate ’88GS 1988, Graduate Studies ’91HS 1991, School for Health Studies ’65LS 1965, Graduate School of Library and Information Science ’77SM 1977, School of Management ’45SW 1945, School of Social Work ’53GD 1953, Garland Junior College P’04 Parent of 2004 Graduate SSW school of social work A Continuous Focus on Diversity BY KATIE FIERMONTI Despite many successful diversity initiatives — including new programs and active recruitment of faculty and students of color — those at the School of Social Work (SSW) are far from satisfied. Improving and expanding its commitment to diversity is always at the forefront of the SSW, said Dean Stefan Krug, and it is crucial to the future of the profession. “We are committed to developing pathways to education for populations currently underrepresented in social work,” said Krug. One example of the school’s focus on those populations is the “Bridge to Graduate Education” program. Launched in 2006, the bridge program was created to help develop the academic skills of bilingual students interested in entering the SSW, but who were not completely prepared for graduate school. The program focuses on areas such as reading, writing, and critical thinking and is funded through a three-year grant from Bank of America. So far, 14 students have taken the seven-week program and SSW Associate Dean Carol Bonner ’74SW as the longstanding Urban Leadership Program (ULP), which was created in 1998. The ULP emphasizes multicultural issues, clinical social work, and community leadership, and is a hallmark of the school. Bonner was one of the founders of the ULP, which at the time was a unique program. We are committed to developing pathways to education for populations currently underrepresented in social work. — DEAN STEFAN KRUG said it’s one way in which the SSW is helping increase the number of bilingual and bicultural social workers. The bridge program builds upon the success of other programs, such In the mid-’80s, Bonner and others at the SSW saw a cultural divide between those who provided social work services and those who needed them. As a result, the ULP was created to recruit students interested in working in urban communities — particularly those who lived in and were raised there — and has trained them to be strong clinicians and leaders. To date, 144 students have graduated from the program and have taken on leadership positions at places such as Brigham & Women’s Hospital in Boston and at the Massachusetts Department of Social Services. Through these programs, said Krug, the SSW continues to further its commitment to diversity. “We are continually reaching out to prospective applicants, providing our students with an array of academic, social, and financial resources and support, and mentoring our graduates as they begin their careers,” said Krug. In addition to diversity initiatives on campus, the SSW also has taken part in several global programs in recent years. Professors Kathy Millstein continued on pg. 7 winter 2008 3 school of social work SSW collaborates with Northeastern on Urban Health Research In a first-of-its-kind collaboration, SSW Associate Professor Michael Melendez is working with Northeastern University’s Institute on Urban Health Research (IUHR) to conduct a study focused on Latina women recovering from substance abuse. For a school like the SSW, which normally focuses on instruction, this research project is particularly notable. Melendez hopes the project not only will present opportunities We will be on the cutting edge of examining innovative treatment modalities. for SSW doctoral students, but also will open the door for future nationally funded research at the school. “This is an exciting project because we will be on the cutting edge of examining innovative treatment modalities,” said Melendez. “This collaboration will strengthen the clinical rigor of our program and position the SSW for its research as well as its clinical excellence.” Melendez is collaborating with Dr. Hortensia Amaro, IUHR director, to explore treatment for women with co-occurring disorders of addiction, mental illness, and trauma histories; and to consider new approaches to preventing HIV/AIDS risk behaviors. The study, which is funded by a grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, will evaluate the effectiveness of an evidence-based practice in helping Latina women accept abstinence and HIV prevention tactics. With Amaro as the principal investigator, Melendez will complete several research activities including training and supervising clinicians delivering the intervention; coordinating between the clinical and research aspects of the study; ensuring treatment protocol; rating the clinicians; analyzing data; and submitting proposals for a larger grant. “Dr. Amaro is an internationally recognized researcher on women, ethnic minorities, and health disparities,” said Melendez. Amaro also is very familiar with Simmons; she received an honorary doctoral degree in humane letters from the College in 1994, and President Susan Scrimshaw served on Amaro’s dissertation committee at the University of California, Los Angeles in the early 1980s. more online Read more SSW news, including coverage of Alumni Day, on Alumnet, alumnet. simmons.edu. SSW Students Help Rebuild New Orleans Sari Winerman ’07SW, Martha Jackson ’07SW, and current SSW students Erin Cotter and Trina Heinisch help rebuild the Greater Mt. Zion A.M.E. Church in Pearlington, Miss., as part of Gulf Coast Volunteers for the Long Haul, a volunteer-run, nonprofit organization out of Winchester, Mass. 4 simmons alumnet.simmons.edu school of social work New Degree Options Between CAS and SSW CAS is offering two new degree options for Simmons students. The first is a dual-degree option from the Children’s Literature program and the Graduate School of Library and Information Science (GSLIS). The second is an accelerated degree from the undergraduate CAS and the School of Social Work (SSW). For the dual-degree option, students will receive a Master of Arts in Children’s Literature and a Master of Science in Library and Information Science after taking related coursework from both programs. Courses in children’s literature address historical, critical, and theoretical contexts in works for children. Courses from GSLIS focus on specialized literature and services for the young reader. The dual-degree program offers a unique opportunity for students interested in blending and comparing these different perspectives. With the accelerated degree from CAS and SSW, any undergraduate CAS student interested in a social work career and admitted into the SSW by the end of her junior year, is able to take two graduate social work classes in her senior year. Credit for these courses can be applied to both her undergraduate and graduate degrees. “These new programs are more exciting examples of cross-school collaboration,” said CAS Dean Diane Raymond. “The dual degree with GSLIS realizes the Simmons mission of uniting theory and practice. The accelerated degree with the SSW is an excellent option for our undergraduate students since many of them are interested in human services, which makes this program an ideal fit.” For more information on the dual-degree program, email gsa@ simmons.edu. For more information on the accelerated degree option, email [email protected]. Dean’s Message As I organize my thoughts for this letter, I realize I occasionally flinch when I hear the word “diversity” — not because I don’t believe that diversity is a good thing, but rather because it’s nearly impossible to find anyone in a position of organizational leadership who isn’t “for” diversity. I’m suspicious of easy consensus. It often means that we have pitched an idea at such a high level of abstraction that it has become trivialized, made “sweet” and non-threatening. Who doesn’t embrace or want to celebrate diversity these days? The term, as it has been taken up in public discourse, has lost its ideological edginess, and this may not be a good thing. As an ideal, diversity refers to a set of beliefs about the rights of all persons to equal participation, representation, and community co-existence. It is an ideal rooted in the 14th Amendment and in the recognition that in this country particular groups of individuals have endured (and continue to endure) the consequences of systematic discrimination, notably African-Americans. In the current environment of inclusiveness, however, diversity claims from any demographic tend to be treated equally, diverting attention from the need for difficult racespecific dialogues. It is possible, for example, to find that diversity statistics on a college campus look good, but that there is still minimal, let alone proportional, representation of African-American students, faculty, and staff. The increasing number of international students taking advantage of higher education opportunities in this country allows many institutions to make diversity claims that gloss over the fact that African-American student enrollment has remained stagnant, or even decreased, in the past decades. The current emphasis on valuing diversity (awareness, education, and positive recognition of differences among people) and diversity management (the strategic business case for diversity in the workplace) is welcome, but will never substitute for workplace equity initiatives that recruit, hire, train, and promote employees of previously excluded groups. In the continuum of interventions designed to include people from different backgrounds, diversity initiatives carry no legal requirements or enforcement mechanisms. Am I for diversity? Absolutely, but let’s not lose sight of ongoing, concrete, structural impediments to parity, and the need for interventions grounded in legal action and sustained efforts to promote change in organizational culture and values. STEFAN KRUG ’80SW, ’94SW, MSW, PH.D SSW DEAN AND PROFESSOR winter 2008 5 school of social work alumni news Beth Flanzbaum ’82SW received the 2007 Heart of Social Work award for excellence in field instruction from the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). The CSWE is a nonprofit association representing individual members and graduate and undergraduate programs of professional social work education. Founded in 1952, it is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation as the sole accrediting agency for social work education in the U.S. Jill Silverman ’02SW (email: [email protected]) recently moved to San Diego and is employed as a psychotherapist by Kaiser Permanente. She also is starting a private practice. BETH FLANZBAUM Rachel Bloch ’05SW co-presented a poster titled “In Their Own Words: Empowering Patients Using a Narrative Approach” at the 2007 Association of Pediatric Oncology Social Work Conference in Seattle, Wash. Austin Lin ’07SW was featured in an August issue of the Boston Globe Magazine talking about why he changed careers from a technology “guru” at the Harvard Extension School to become a social worker at Brookline High School. “There is so much suffering in the world,” Lin was quoted as saying. “I believe everyone can suffer less, if not be happy. I hope to help them experience more moments of happiness.” SSW Alumni Day 2008 Please mark your calendar for Alumni and Professional Development Day, Saturday, March 29, at Simmons College. Plan to join us for a day of continuing education and reconnection to Simmons. For more information, visit alumnet.simmons.edu. LOS ANGELES FEBRUARY ’08 PHILADELPHIA APRIL ’08 SAN DIEGO FEBRUARY ’08 NEW YORK CITY MAY ’08 If you live in any of these cities and would like to attend or help us reach out to fellow alumni, please send an email to [email protected] or [email protected]. SSW Coming to a City Near You In an effort to meet and reconnect with social work alumni, Dean Stefan Krug and Associate Dean Carol Bonner ’74 have been traveling around the country, meeting with SSW graduates to find out how to engage more alumni with the school. This year Krug and Bonner plan to visit Los Angeles and San Diego (Feb. 2008); Philadelphia (April 2008); and New York City (May 2008). Faculty will accompany them to some of these receptions and share their expertise on a clinical topic. All alumni are welcome to attend any of these receptions. PHOTOGRAPHERS: Len Rubenstein Matty Symons Kathleen Dooher 6 simmons alumnet.simmons.edu “Give a gift to Simmons SSW and receive income? I didn’t know I could do that!” You can! If you are age 40 or over, you can give a gift to support the great things happening at Simmons School of Social Work and also receive income — guaranteed for life. “Support my Simmons, and support my retirement goals…what a great option.” For more details, please email or call Monica Collins, director of planned giving, at monica. [email protected] or 617–521–2341 and ask her about “life income gifts.” school of social work A Continuous Focus on Diversity continued from pg. 3 and Lynn Sanford traveled to Israel in 2007 to conduct training for Israeli social workers in the city of Haifa. This past summer, Associate Professor Hugo Kamya took 10 SSW students to Uganda to learn about human services in a developing nation. Additionally, Professor Beverly C. Sealey spent nine months in Ghana last year as a Fulbright Scholar and visiting professor at the University of Ghana’s School of Social Work. This outreach benefits not only the faculty, who gain valuable perspectives and learn new skills, but also the students. “It’s a life-transforming experience for many students who take part in global programs,” said Kamya. “They Leading Diversity Efforts The field of social work has always tended to attract those committed to diversity. So it’s no wonder that SSW professors have taken on leadership roles with myriad diversity efforts, both at Simmons and beyond. Below is a partial list of SSW faculty members and the various initiatives in which they are involved. • Professor Emeritus Joseph Regan Ph.D., chaired Task Force V, the first College-wide committee formed in 1990 to put diversity on the College’s planning agenda. • Associate Dean Carol Bonner ’74SW, M.S.W., MBA, chaired Simmons’s Multicultural Affairs Advisory Council from 1992–1997. • Associate Professor Gary Bailey, M.S.W., is chair of Simmons’s Black Administrators, Faculty and Staff (BAFAS). • Sherdena Cofield, M.S.W., Ed.D. director of the Urban Leadership Program, is a past chair of the TDC and BAFAS. • Associate Professor Beverly Sealey ’77SW, Ph.D., is a past chair of BAFAS. • Johnnie Hamilton-Mason ’78SW, Ph.D., co-directs the Academy to Undo Racism, a group comprised of Massachusetts social work educators focused on preparing future social workers to confront racial inequities. encounter people from different cultures who have faced some of the challenges of living in developing countries.” In addition to these programs, the SSW also has focused on diversity in its curriculum. Courses such as “Realities of Racism and Oppression in Today’s World,” “Themes in Gerontological Social Work Practice,” and “Conversational Spanish for Social Workers” all serve to help students better understand the broader definitions of diversity. Having been at the SSW for more than three decades, Professor Emeritus and former Dean Joseph Regan said he is proud of these accomplishments and how the school has continued to nurture and expand its diversity initiatives. “We have not only increased the number of faculty of color, but we have also achieved levels of tenure and representation at all ranks. Respect for diversity is a key value of the profession and most definitely of Simmons,” Regan said. π faculty news SSW Associate Professor and Chair of the Dynamics of Racism and Oppression foundation sequence Gary Bailey received the Legacy of Caring Award for his commitment to improving the quality of life for children and their families on a national and/or international basis. Given at GARY BAILEY the 2007 Legacy of Caring Conference, past recipients include state representatives, authors, doctors, judges, and the Kennedy family. Next Step magazine quoted SSW Associate Dean Carol Bonner ’74 in an article titled “Majors that Help,” in which she discussed social work as a helping profession. Next Step is a college-prep magazine distributed SOPHIE FREUD ’48SW, to more than 900,000 high school ’96HD students nationwide. Sophie Freud ’48SW, ’96HD, professor of social work, emerita, was interviewed by Boston’s National Public Radio affiliate WBUR June 4, 2007, about her new book, Living in the Shadow of the Freud Family (Greenwood Press, 2007). Freud also discussed how she entered the psychology field by way of social work, NANCY LEVINE including her tenure as a SSW professor. SSW Dean Stefan Krug was quoted in the June 2007 issue of University Business magazine in an article titled “Doing Good and Doing Well.” Krug commented on the increase in social work students who are mid-life career changers wanting to make a difference. SSW Lecturer Nancy Levine presented Social Work Grand Rounds at Lemuel Shattuck Hospital, Jamaica Plain, Mass., on May 16, 2007, on “Advanced Social Work: Ethics and Boundaries.” Levine is the chair of the Massachusetts National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Ethics Hotline and a member of the NASW National Ethics Committee. To submit SSW Alumni News — including photographs — please email your submission to classnotes@ simmons.edu or call the Office of Advancement Marketing at 617-521-2380. Your news will be posted in its entirety on alumnet.simmons.edu, and an edited version will appear in the next edition of the Simmons magazine. For additional information about graduate alumni news and undergraduate class notes, please see page 30. winter 2008 7 fenway movers and shakers accomplished graduate alumni and undergraduate alumnae (photos to come) GAIL CHANG BOHR ’68SW KAY GLASSER ’56SW SUSAN WEBER ’82SM Gail Chang Bohr ’68SW received the Child Advocacy Award from the American Bar Association. The award, established in 1990, honors lawyers for distinguished service on behalf of children. Bohr is the executive director of the Children’s Law Center (CLC) in St. Paul, MN. The center, a national model, represents children in the foster care and judicial systems. In addition to heading the CLC, Chang Bohr teaches children’s law, consults, and advocates and testifies for systemic change. Her views on children and the legal system have been widely published. Mary Alice Clancy ’01, Ph.D. candidate at the School of Politics, International Studies and Philosophy at Queen’s University in Belfast, Ireland, was recently quoted in the Irish Independent, a daily newspaper, regarding her studies. Clancy’s research, which focuses on political economics, Irish and U.S. politics, and the politics of deeply divided societies, will be featured in an upcoming issue of The Guardian, a British newspaper. Clancy’s thesis, titled “Peace Without Consensus: Post-Agreement Politics in Northern Ireland: 2001-2007,” and Ph.D. application will be submitted in early 2008. Ruth Finley ’41, founder and publisher of the 50-year-old Fashion Calendar, recently was profiled by the New York Times. As creator of the calendar, Finley is the master planner of all New York fashion events. Internationally, the calendar is considered the definitive resource for fashion and design industry events. Published every two weeks, the calendar lists national and international events. Designers, manufacturers, retailers, and members of the press utilize the calendar to plan and avoid scheduling conflicts. Donna Gilton ’72, ’75LS, Ph.D., was promoted to professor at the Graduate School of Library and Informational Studies at the University of Rhode Island. Gilton started at the University of Rhode Island in 1992 as an assistant professor and was promoted to associate professor in 1998. Gilton recently published a book titled Multicultural and Ethnic Children’s Literature in the United States. She holds a Ph.D. in library science from the University of Pittsburgh, PA. Kay Glasser ’56SW was honored by the Tampa Bay, FL, community for her commitment to education and women’s issues. She received a recognition award from the University of South Florida’s Women in Leadership and Philanthropy organization. Glasser is the founder of the Glasser/Schoenbaum Human Services Center in Sarasota, which makes services accessible to disadvantaged people and provides non-profits with rent-free space. The center is funded by the Dr. Kay E. Glasser Human Services Endowment Fund, and has received national recognition as a model. Mary Helms ’81LS was recently awarded the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s Spirit of Community Service award for demonstrated excellence in community service. This award is given in recognition of outstanding service to the community. Mary is Associate Professor and Associate Director at the McGoogan Library of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center. Barbara Lee ’67, ’01HD, a leading proponent of political advancement for women, was recently quoted in Newsweek magazine commenting on a 1998 study regarding gender stereotyping in government. Lee is founder of the Cambridge, Mass.-based Barbara Lee Family Foundation. The bifold organization promotes women’s participation in politics, and also promotes women’s involvement in contemporary arts. It funds two Simmons programs: the Barbara Lee Family Foundation Political Intern Fellowship Program, and the Simmons Institute for Leadership and Change (SILC). Susan Weber ’82SM was featured in the August 17, 2007, issue of Boston Business Journal in an article about CEOs who received MBAs from area schools. Weber is CEO and co-founder of Development Guild/DDI, a consulting firm that has helped over 500 national and international nonprofits align vision and strategic priorities, build organizational capacity, and strengthen philanthropic support. 8 simmons alumnet.simmons.edu fenway Former Amnesty International Director Joins Simmons as Presidential Fellow The former executive director of Amnesty International USA, Dr. William Schulz, will be working with Simmons this academic year to help identify opportunities and synergies pertaining to human rights and social justice, two of the College’s historic strengths. Schulz, who was the speaker for the Honors Convocation ceremony in September, is currently a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress in Washington, D.C., where he is overseeing a project designed to create a blueprint for human rights policy for a new U.S. administration. Schulz was invited to Simmons by President Susan Scrimshaw, and is working with undergraduate and graduate students and faculty to develop recommendations for the Simmons Initiative for Human Rights and Social Justice. This initiative could take many forms, including an interdisciplinary major, work-study opportunities, a lecture series, the creation of one or more new faculty positions, or a new institute for social justice/human rights studies. “Dr. Schulz has great expertise and name recognition in these areas and he wants to help us move forward in a strategic way. Further, he is a dynamic speaker and will be a great resource to students and faculty,” said Scrimshaw. Schulz delivered a well-received Warburg lecture in the fall that examined post-9/11 policies and the damage they Read more about the faculty/staff awards at Honors Convocation on page 10. have done to the United States’ international reputation, and how to restore American leadership around the globe. Widely regarded as a leader in the human rights movement, Schulz has been outspoken throughout his career in opposing the death penalty and supporting women’s rights, gay and lesbian rights, and racial justice. He was executive director of Amnesty Dr. William Schulz speaks at the Honors Convocation ceremony in September 2007. ture: Readings and Commentary. Schulz has served on the boards of People for the American Way, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, and the International Association for Religious Freedom, among many others. He has received seven honorary degrees, was Widely regarded as a leader in the human rights movement, Schulz has been outspoken throughout his career in opposing the death penalty and supporting women’s rights, gay and lesbian rights, and racial justice. International USA from 1994–2006, and previously served as president of the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations. He is the author of several books, including two on human rights: In Our Own Best Interests: How Defending Human Rights Benefits Us All and Tainted Legacy: 9/11 and the Ruin of Human Rights, and has just edited a volume from the University of Pennsylvania Press entitled The Phenomenon of Tor- given the Public Service Citation from the University of Chicago Alumni Association, and was named Humanist of the Year in 2002 by the American Humanist Association. Schulz is a graduate of Oberlin College. He holds a master’s degree in philosophy from the University of Chicago and a doctorate in ministry from Meadville/Lombard Theological School at the University of Chicago. winter 2008 9 fenway Simmons Presents Faculty and Staff Awards Economics Professor Carole Biewener receives the Scott/Ross Center FacultyStaff Award for Community Service from Sociology Professor Steve London, faculty director of the Center. Several faculty and staff members received awards from Simmons during the past few months. During the annual Honors Convocation in September, Economics Professor Carole Biewener received the Scott/Ross Center Faculty-Staff Award for Community Service. Assistant Professor of Chemistry Rich Gurney received the Dean’s Award for Exceptional Undergraduate Teaching, Sociology Department Chair Jyoti Puri received the Dean’s Award for Exceptional Undergraduate Advising, and Wei Ming Wong ’08 received the Alumnae Award for Academic Achievement. Last spring, Kathy Peroni-Callahan ’84, director of purchasing and accounts payable at Simmons, received the 2007 Priscilla McKee Award, which recognizes an employee’s exceptional service to the Simmons community. Peggy Loeb ’62, director of the Emeriti Project, presented the award to Peroni-Callahan on behalf of the Simmons Alumnae Association, in recognition of “both the length and breadth of her exceptional service to the College.” A 40-year employee at Simmons, Peroni-Callahan was first hired by Priscilla McKee herself — who was serving as assistant to President William Park at the time. SOM Accreditation Moves Forward The School of Management (SOM) recently moved one step further towards receiving accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). Last summer, the SOM received official word from the association that it could move forward to the final stage of the accreditation process. According to SOM Dean Deborah Merrill-Sands, AACSB accreditation is the top strategic priority for the SOM. “Accreditation from the AACSB represents a hallmark of utmost quality among business schools and will position the SOM internationally among elite educational institutions,” said Merrill-Sands. AACSB International is the world’s premier accrediting organization for undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral degree programs. Less than 15 percent of business schools worldwide have attained AACSB accreditation. Last May, the Simmons Board of Trustees unanimously voted to invest $4.6 million over three years to enable the SOM to complete its preparation for accreditation with AACSB. AACSBaccredited schools are reviewed and ranked by well-known publications like Princeton Review and U.S.News & World Report. Visibility through these publications will enhance the reputation of the SOM, said Merrill-Sands. In addition, this accreditation will allow the SOM greater leverage in recruiting worldclass faculty and students, and provide superior career placement opportunities for its graduates. If the process goes as planned, the SOM will receive accreditation in April 2009. welcome class of 2011! This year’s first-year class reflects the greatest selectivity since 1970, and the largest applicant pool in Simmons’s history. With an average age of 18, most traditional first-year students were born in 1987 when a gallon of gas cost 89 cents, Margaret Thatcher was elected prime minister of the United Kingdom for the third time, Ronald Reagan was nearing the end of his second term in office, and Fatal Attraction was released in movie theaters across the nation. 10 simmons alumnet.simmons.edu Below are some interesting statistics about Simmons’s first year class. Grade point average: 3.17 SAT average: 1,653 for math, critical reading, and writing Most popular major: Nursing Percentage from Massachusetts: 51% Number of Dix Scholars*: 95 Number of transfer students: 86 * Dix Scholars are undergraduate students age 24 or older. Please note that numbers are subject to change. fenway faculty focus notable achievements by simmons faculty BOB COULAM NANCIE HERBOLD EM CLAIRE KNOWLES SOM Professor Stacy Blake-Beard was interviewed on NBC’s Today show in July during a segment focusing on companies with strong networking programs for women. She spoke about the important role networking plays for women in advancing their careers and salaries. Bob Coulam, research professor in health care administration, was quoted in a May New York Times article about the Bush administration’s use of interrogation techniques in the years since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Coulam was one of the specialists commissioned by the Intelligence Science Board to advise intelligence agencies. Em Claire Knowles, GSLIS assistant dean for student administrative services, received the 2007 “Distinguished Service to the Library Profession Award” from the Black Caucus of the American Library Association. She received the award in August at the 6th National Conference of African American Librarians. The award recognizes her years of service to the Black Caucus and its affiliates and her appointment as commissioner and chair of the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners. SOM Professors Lynda Moore and Bonita Betters-Reed recently published two articles on gender and diversity. “A Conceptual Approach to Better Diagnosis and Resolution of Cross-cultural and Gender Challenges in Entrepreneurial Research and Education” appeared in the Handbook of Research in Entrepreneurship Education (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2007), and “Annotated Bibliography on Women Business Owners: A Diversity Lens” appeared in the spring issue of the New England Journal of Entrepreneurship. SSW Professor Helen Reinherz was recently profiled in the Boston Globe for her work as principal investigator of the 30-year Simmons Longitudinal Study. Funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, the study followed the lives of nearly 400 residents of Quincy, Mass., from the time they entered kindergarten, until their mid-30s today, and looked for behavioral, health and family factors that are likely to lead to good or poor mental health at various stages of one’s development. It was designed to help mental health professionals, policy makers, parents, educators, and social workers improve early identification and treatment of mental health issues. GSLIS Assistant Professor Rong Tang co-authored a paper, “Author-Rated Importance of Cited References in Biology and Psychology Publications,” that was selected as the winner of the Bohdan S. Wynar/ALISE 2007 Research Paper Competition. The Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE) hosts its research paper competi- tion annually to stimulate the communication of research at its annual meetings. Tang presented the paper during the ALISE annual meeting in January in Philadelphia. Ed Vieira, assistant professor of communications, is the co-author of two articles recently accepted for publication. “Antecedent Influences on Children’s Extrinsic Motivation to Go Online,” which examines what motivates children to use the Internet, will be published in the Journal of Applied Social Psychology. Vieira collaborated with Nancie Herbold, SHS nutrition department chair and Ruby Winslow Linn professor of nutrition, and several nursing graduate students on an additional article, “Marketing Nutrition Through a Corporate Intranet,” which will be published in an upcoming issue of the Journal of Foodservice. The article focuses on how to create Web-based messages that persuade individuals to eat healthy foods. winter 2008 11 fenway Building a Diverse Community For the 20 members of The Diversity Council (TDC) at Simmons, diversity is not just another issue for the human resources department. The belief of TDC is that every member of the Simmons community — including faculty, administrators, staff, and students — plays a significant role in partnering together to increase diversity at the College. “The TDC has the task of helping Simmons build a community that is committed to fostering awareness and inclusiveness, where community members are empowered and committed to an inclusive agenda,” said Michael Melendez, chair of TDC and an associate professor at the School of Social Work. Started in 2004, TDC is a representative body of the Simmons community that creates and supports the development of innovative ideas, effective strategies, and allocation of resources to recruit and retain diverse students, staff, and faculty. TDC’s immediate role is to advise each school and administrative unit on their Diversity Action Plans (DAPs). The plans include specific action steps and assessment measures that support college-wide diversity initiatives. TDC supports and provides funding for diversity-related programs, such as Alumnet Gets a Facelift It’s a new year and a new look for Alumnet. In January Simmons launched a redesigned Alumnet — the online website for alumnae/i — to be more user-friendly and to incorporate alumnae/i feedback. The new site will include all current features plus several additions, such as: • calendars specific to each regional alumnae/i group • customizable personal pages • template emails for classmates to email each other • an updated Class Notes function • a giving history page more online To view the new site and experience all these exciting features, visit alumnet.simmons.edu. 12 simmons alumnet.simmons.edu research, publications, workshops, and presentations. Since 2004, TDC has funded $750,000 to support programs for the implementation of DAPs. The 2008 fiscal year marks $1M devoted to this effort. This year’s focus was on recruitment and retention of faculty, staff, and students from groups traditionally underrepresented in the U.S. Among the many projects that received funding was an English as a Second Language program for contract employees and the expansion of a mentoring program that links racially diverse students with alumnae/i mentors. more online To learn more about the TDC and see a full list of funded projects for 2008, please visit: alumnet.simmons.edu. fenway words, etc. publications by simmons faculty and alumnae/i Household Accounts: Working-Class Family Economies in the Interwar United States (Cornell University Press, 2007), by the late Susan Porter Benson ’64, takes readers into the budgets and lives of families during the years between the two world wars. Focusing on a variety of races, ethnicities, and geographic regions across America, Benson explores how workingclass families of the time lived with limited resources. Nutritionist Esther Blum ’92 explains how to keep your body beautiful from the inside out, in Eat, Drink, and Be Gorgeous: A Nutritionist’s Guide to Living Well While Living it Up (Chronicle Books, 2007). Blum reveals the secrets to having good skin, a great figure, and peace of mind — all while living the good life — and explains how to fend off colds, PMS, yeast infections, and other health-challenging conditions. For more information, visit www.eatdrinkandbegorgeous.com. Anne C. Bromer ’65LS recently copublished the first popularized history on the subject of miniature books — books no taller than three inches. Miniature Books: 4,000 Years of Tiny Treasures (Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 2007), includes more than 260 full-page illustrations, and features printed works carried by Anne Boleyn and Napoleon. Cynthia Haddad ’85, a financial planning expert who has family members with special needs, is co-author of The Special Needs Planning Guide: How to Prepare for Every Stage of Your Child’s Life (Brookes Publishing, 2007). This financial reference for caregivers of children with disabilities includes several planning tools, including checklists, forms, and a CD-ROM. For more information, visit www.specialneedsplanning.com. Kenneth Kister ’62LS has published Florida on the Boil: Recommended Novels and Short-Story Collections Set in the Sunshine State (Xlibris, 2007), concise critiques of 305 works of fiction set in Florida. Highlighting works from a variety of fiction genres, the book also is sprinkled with factoids and caricatures of Florida authors. Johanna Knowles ’92, ’95GS recently published her first young adult novel, Lessons from a Dead Girl (Candlewick Press, 2007), which focuses on a complex and troubled friendship. When her childhood friend dies in an accident, Laine is forced to explore their troubled and abusive friendship — and the events that led to her death. For more information about Knowles and her book, visit www.joknowles.com. Real estate buyers and sellers, builders, and property inspectors are all vulnerable to common pitfalls that lead to lawsuits. Real estate broker Barbara Nichols ’69 has published The No Lawsuit Guide to Real Estate Transactions (McGraw Hill, 2007), which explains how readers can protect their property investments, minimize their risks, and avoid potential liability issues. Guitelle Sandman ’68SW shares her experience of losing three sons, from different causes and at different times, in Four Minus Three: A Mother’s Story (BookSurge Publishing, 2007). As much a memoir as a message of hope, the book recounts how Sandman’s family, and her marriage, evolved over the years as they dealt with these tragic deaths. Calling All Authors If you’ve recently authored a book and would like it to appear in the “Words, Etc.” section of the SIMMONS magazine, please send a copy of the book, along with a cover letter including your name and graduation year, to: SIMMONS magazine, Office of Advancement Marketing, Simmons College, 300 The Fenway, Boston, MA, 02115-5898. You also may fax information about the book to 617-521-2303 or e-mail simmonsmagazine@simmons. edu. Books will appear in “Words, Etc.” at the editor’s discretion and as space allows. winter 2008 13 fenway College Expands Dining Area Construction began this winter to expand the Fens Dining Facility in the Main College Building. According to Janet Fishstein, director of facilities planning, the expansion will build an additional 6,000 square feet of space with seating for 456 people, a two-story atrium with floor-to-ceiling windows, and a balcony on the College Center level. The construction will create an enlarged kitchen and serving area, a tunnel to the new underground parking garage, and improved shipping and receiving areas. The renovation is expected to be finished by September, and will make the dining area handicapped accessible from the College Center. Fishstein said the College decided to fund the expansion because of the expected increase in traffic due primarily to the opening of the new School of Management/academic building in 2009. The Fens currently provides dining services to approximately 1,700 students, faculty, and staff daily; that number is expected to increase to 2,200 when the new building opens. The expansion will implement sustainable construction practices. Dimella Shaffer’s design maximizes building reuse, increases the amount of natural light, and includes passive solar shading to reduce heat load. The College is installing energy-efficient lighting and kitchen equipment, and contractors are using materials that limit chemical emissions and have high recycled content. Located on the ground floor of the Main College Building, the Fens Dining Facility is currently 7,200 square feet and includes seating for 319. Originally constructed in 1977, it was last renovated in 1997. SOM Collaboration Helps Build Network of Japanese Women Leaders The School of Management (SOM) recently launched a new program designed to help empower women in Japan to become leaders in social change in their country. The initiative is a collaborative effort funded by the Fish Family Foundation and co-founded by three Boston civic leaders — Simmons Trustee Atsuko Toko Fish, Catherine Crown Coburn, and Mary Lassen. Organized by the SOM through its Center for Gender in Organizations (CGO) and in partnership with the Institute of Cultural Affairs in Japan and the founders of the initiative, the 14 simmons alumnet.simmons.edu program is designed to build a network of Japanese women who will support other women in social change and policy leadership. In September and October, three women from Tokyo visited the SOM as the first cohort of fellows in the Japanese Women’s Leadership Initiative for an intensive program of immersion in the nonprofit sector. For five weeks, the women were paired with executives from leading nonprofits in greater Boston to learn successful and practical strategies for dealing with a variety of social problems in Japan, such as domestic violence and a lack of childcare and eldercare. The job-shadowing was supplemented by additional meetings with other nonprofit leaders, with mentoring provided by CGO Director Patricia Deyton, and through participation in the SOM’s Executive Education Program, Strategic Leadership for Women. more online To learn more about the program, visit the News and Events section of the CGO web site: http://www.simmons.edu/som/centers/ cgo/ or call 617-521-3824. fenway Students Research Green Chemistry Simmons does more than just talk the talk about greening the campus; the community also walks the walk. Assistant Professor Rich Gurney of the chemistry department has been instrumental in bringing green chemistry to campus over the last four years, and his students have taken his crusade to both the national and international arenas. One of Gurney’s students, senior Jennifer Boice, has been championing the “Cups to Cleaners: Trash to Treasure” project for the last year. The project highlights a biodegradable plastic made of polymer of lactic acid (PLA), out of which the cups recently adopted in the Fens cafeteria are made. Boice developed a method to convert the discarded cups into a “green” cleaner to remove lime scale and soap scum in the College’s bathrooms. This year, senior Christina King has been working in collaboration with assistant professor of biology Liz Scott to study the antimicrobial properties of the cleaner and to concurrently develop a laboratory experience for microbiology classes. The project has now expanded to include a total of 12 undergraduate researchers in the chemistry department, including five original senior theses. “Being a part of this project was such a great experience. Not only have I been able to learn more about organic chemistry, but I have also learned the implications of our actions as a society from the green chemistry standpoint,” said Boice. “This project has motivated many of us to discover a solution for making our campus more ‘green.’” The Cups to Cleaners project has sparked a collaboration with Dr. Debora Martino of the Instituto de Desarrollo Tecnologico para la Industria Quimica at the Universidad Nacional Litoral in Santa Fe, Argentina. Three Simmons undergraduates have been invited to work on the synthesis, characterization, and modeling of a new “green” polymer this summer in Argentina. The students are scheduled to bring their research back to Simmons to continue over the 2008–09 academic year. Here in the U.S., Gurney was one of 10 educators nationwide to be invited and granted a stipend to fund his participation at a Green Chemistry in Education workshop in Washington, D.C. last summer. While there, Gurney Seniors Christina King and Jennifer Boice, leaders in the “Cups to Cleaners: Trash to Treasure” initiative. also attended the International Green Chemistry and Engineering Conference where he presented two papers that highlighted the strong contributions of Simmons students in both the research and teaching labs on campus over the last four years. His contributions to the field are summarized in the book State-of-the-Art Green Chemistry Education, published in January 2008 by the American Chemical Society. School of Management/Academic Building On Track for 2009 With the five-story steel frame constructed, the SOM/Academic building is taking shape as the final structure that will frame the two-acre, naturefilled, academic quad, formerly a parking lot. “We are on-schedule and on-budget,” says Janet Fishstein, director of facilities planning. The future home of the SOM, currently located on Commonwealth Avenue, is slated for completion December 2008 and will unify all Simmons schools for the first time. The building will add four state-of-the-art general use classrooms and four SOM-specific classrooms to the main campus, which currently houses 50 classrooms. It will add 1,000 square feet of study space, 2,000 square feet of meeting room space, a 2,000 square-foot roof terrace, and 800 parking spaces in an underground garage, all for general use. The College is seeking Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver Certification from the United States Green Building Council. The building will be evaluated on areas including site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality. The building will use 30 percent less water and 20 percent less energy than a similarly-sized conventional structure. There are five levels of certification: Certified, Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. Only 25 buildings in Mas- “The on-campus location will promote collaboration among all Simmons schools and programs.” — deborah merrill-sands, dean som sachusetts are LEED Certified at the Silver level or higher. Simmons will join only two higher education institutions in Massachusetts with buildings certified at the Silver level or higher. Additional benefits, according to Deborah Merrill-Sands, dean of the School of Management, include uniting all faculty and staff on one campus. winter 2008 15 fenway Two New Vice Presidents Join Simmons Simmons welcomed two new vice presidents last fall. Cheryl Howard ’71 joined as vice president of marketing and Adele Langevin joined as vice president of human resources. “Both women have years of successful experience as senior-level executives in their respective fields,” said President Susan C. Scrimshaw. “They are enthusiastic about Simmons and bring energy, outstanding interpersonal skills, and a strong commitment to our mission and to our community.” ket research, and new product development. She also served as a Simmons Corporator for the past year, and is a member of the College’s Strategic Planning Advisory Committee. Howard has served as a lecturer in marketing management and consumer behavior at the Boston University School of Management. In her new role, Howard will lead university-wide marketing efforts that raise awareness of and competitively position Simmons, thereby driving technology, and financial services. Langevin previously served as the top human resources officer for national and regional practices for Deloitte & Touche, a global provider of accounting, management consulting and other professional services. Langevin has held human resources positions at Thomson Financial Services and Fidelity Investments, Capital Companies, and served as personnel director for the town of Concord, Mass. She holds a B.A. from the University of Rhode Simmons welcomes Cheryl Howard ’71 and Adele Langevin to the community. Howard was most recently vice president of marketing for the Personal Care Group of the Gillette Company. She holds an M.B.A. and a D.B.A. in marketing from Harvard Business School and has served in various national and international marketing capacities at Gillette and Digital Equipment Corporation. At the Simmons School of Management, Howard has served as an adjunct assistant professor of marketing, mar- admissions inquiries and increasing alumni support. She will oversee college publications, advertising, public relations, online marketing, and advancement communications. Langevin was most recently associate vice president and chief human resources officer at Babson College, a position she has held since 2004. She is a top human resources officer who has worked in educational institutions, professional services, and corporate, Island and an M.Ed. from Harvard University. At Simmons, Langevin will manage and implement human resources programs and policies that enhance performance, satisfaction, recruitment, and retention amongst faculty and staff. Areas of responsibility include compensation, benefits, recruitment, employee development, diversity, and communications. Excellent Faculty, Bright Students AND YOU! SIMMONS FOR A DAY — bringing the academic experience to you! Continue the academic connection to Simmons. Experience the excitement and challenge of the Simmons classroom all over again — coming to a Boston-area location near you (national dates coming in 2009). Save the 2008–09 Boston regional dates: 16 simmons Saturday, September 20, 2008 — Metro West Saturday, March 21, 2009 — North Shore Saturday, November 15, 2008 — South Shore Saturday, May 30, 2009 — Boston alumnet.simmons.edu fenway Senior Shark Receives ESPN Athletic Honors Soccer Tri-Captain midfielder Sarah Daniel of Rochester, Mass., has been named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Women’s Soccer First Team, presented by the College Sports Information Directors Association. This top honor is awarded to only 12 student-athletes in the College Division in District 1, which includes colleges and universities with Division II and III athletic programs in the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada, as well as those affiliated with the National Association of Intercol- legiate Athletics (NAIA) division. Simmons College has a Division III athletic program. Daniel ranked third in scoring on the Simmons team with 17 points — seven goals and three assists. Daniel also led the team with three game-winning goals, which tied her for fourth overall in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) in the 2007 season. The physical therapy major holds a 3.86 GPA and is a member of the GNAC All-Academic Squad and the National Athlete Honor Society. Daniel is a member of the Simmons College Dean’s List, serves on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, and was recently inducted into the Simmons Academy, the College’s SOM Celebrates 33rd Commencement Women have the personal power to influence events and should not be afraid to use that power at decisive moments. That was one of the key messages delivered by Ann Fudge ’73,’98HD one of the nation’s top marketing executives, who was this year’s School of Management (SOM) commencement speaker in August. The former chairman and chief executive officer of Young & Rubicam Brands, Fudge cited examples from her own high-profile career during remarks before 71 newly-minted MBAs and their guests at John Hancock Hall in Boston. Fudge’s daughter-in-law, Cheryl Fudge, was one of the graduates, and Ann’s son and husband were among the guests. Married at age 19, Fudge was encouraged at Simmons by professor and SOM co-founder Margaret Hennig to tap into her “true power.” Fudge went on to receive an MBA from Harvard and to attain high-profile marketing jobs at General Mills and Kraft, while raising two children. Through the years, Fudge has been on the cover of BusinessWeek, named one of the Top Global Business Influencers by Time and one of the Top 20 Women in American Industry by the New York Times, and was included in Fortune magazine’s list of the 50 most powerful women in business. Ann Fudge ’73 and President Scrimshaw speak at last year’s SOM commencement ceremony. honor society, for being in the top 6 percent of her class. In addition to Daniel, the entire Simmons College women’s soccer team was honored for it’s players’ efforts in the classroom: they were named a 2007 College Team Academic Award winner by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. Simmons was one of just two schools in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference to receive the award. The Sharks, lead by second-year Head Coach Erica Mastrogiacomo, finished the 2006–2007 academic year with a cumulative grade point average of 3.22. They went 8-9-2 on the 2007 season, and boasted a conference record of 7-4-2. 2007 SOM Award Winners Phyllis Rappaport Alumnae Achievement Award — Elizabeth Mora ’89SM Beekhuis Award (highest G.P.A. in the MBA program) — Beth Doherty Evers ’07SM Jane Trahey Prize (superior competence and professional promise in the field of marketing) — Amy Beth Casey ’07SM and Mandy Osborne ’07SM Susan Bulkeley Butler Award (superior competence and professional promise in the field of accounting) — Stephanie Joyce Creary ’07SM and Cheryl Lynn Battles Fudge ’07SM Pat Miller Award (voted by students: those who exhibit values of leadership and service) — Brenda Borowski ’07SM and Mandy Osborne ’07SM William J. Holmes Award (academic performance in the behavioral curriculum at the highest level) — Brenda Borowski ’07SM and Jessica Cunningham Eves ’07SM Jeffery Kindley Award (student in the pharmaceutical, biotech, or healthcare industries with the highest G.P.A. in the class) — Barbara Bassil ’07SM and Amy Beth Casey ’07SM winter 2008 17 18 simmons alumnet.simmons.edu addressing diversity AGREEING TO DISAGREE The importance of honoring intellectual diversity BY JANELLE RANDAZZA There was a time when the right to become educated was granted to an elite few. A time when college campuses were devoid of racial and religious diversity, and when women were barred from the hallowed halls of higher education. There was a time when education was more an obstacle for minorities than a stepping stone. Today colleges have broken down many of these barriers, but some may argue they have created other barriers in their place. A topic of fierce debate in higher education today is whether colleges and universities truly foster intellectual diversity and welcome varied social and political viewpoints. This discussion has prompted colleges nationwide to look inward and ask whether or not they are effectively promoting a diversity of ideas, and what responsibility they have to do so. “It’s an essential role of a college or university to be a place where diversity is explored; that’s our role as stewards of higher education,” said Simmons President Susan C. Scrimshaw. “The challenge is ensuring that the egalitarian nature of colleges doesn’t prohibit us from encouraging a range of differences. We can’t allow ourselves to stay in the safe middle ground.” The perception by many is that universities are fertile ground for liberal thought. This idea dates back to medieval times, when universities preserved intellectual diversity in a very conservative society. More recently, in the 20th century, neoconservative Irving Kristol recalled City College of New York in the 1930s as being so radical that “if there were any Republicans… I never met them, or even heard of their existence.” While the idea that colleges and universities favor liberal viewpoints is not a new one, it came to the forefront of national debate in 2003, when American conservative writer, activist, and editor of the conservative FrontPage Magazine website David Horowitz penned the Academic Bill of Rights. According to Horowitz, the bill was “an anti-quota bill, designed to challenge quotas presently imposed by an academic establishment dramatically skewed to the left side of the political spectrum.” The bill proposed eight broad-based principles that called for an academic environment where decisions would winter 2008 19 be made “irrespective of one’s personal, political or religious beliefs,” with a view toward fostering a plurality of methodologies and perspectives. While the bill was created for publicly funded universities, Horowitz’s voice reverberated throughout academia. Since 2005, 28 states — including Massachusetts — have attempted to introduce versions of the bill to their state legislatures. Among those states, only four — Arizona, Missouri, Montana and South Dakota — have allowed the bill to go past legislative committees before it was voted down. In 2004, an editorial in The Chronicle of Higher Education, the preeminent news source for college and university faculty and administration, argued that university culture is innately anti-conservative and that “any political position that dominates an institution without dissent deteriorates into smugness, complacency, and blindness,” calling the “narrowmindedness” of higher education an anti-intellectual condition. Simmons School of Social Work (SSW) Associate Professor Michael Melendez says he agrees that silencing any voice is anti-intellectual, but he argues that liberal colleges such as Simmons make a greater effort than conservative institutions to promote pluralist thought. “No one can tell me that Liberty University will provide a more even ground for discourse than a liberal institution,” said Melendez. “I think colleges that are dubbed as ‘liberal’ actually do a better job of trying to create a space for the alternative position.” According to Scrimshaw, nowhere is the importance of intellectual freedom as pronounced than at women’s colleges. As an educational institution that focuses on a minority, she says that Simmons faces an amplified dilemma: how to foster intellectual diversity with an eye to the subtle social barriers that all students — undergraduate and graduate — may face once they graduate. “The issue of promoting diversity of thought is different for a women’s college. 20 simmons alumnet.simmons.edu There are still people who may not agree that women can be leaders and who believe that a woman’s voice doesn’t ‘count’ as much,” said Scrimshaw. “To deny that sentiment even exists is not in the best interest of our students; it does not prepare them.” Scrimshaw says that the way to teach young women to be able to respond adequately and responsibly to all sides of the political and intellectual spectrum is not only by exposing the minority voice, but also by fostering a respect for it. “To say that conservative thought is anti-intellectual prevents true and healthy discourse,” said Scrimshaw. “We need to welcome and respect diverse beliefs, and encourage intellectual dialogue. By offering and encouraging this pluralism, we create graduates who have fully developed their individual beliefs,” she said. Alumna Kathleen Tighe ’05, a selfdescribed conservative, says she felt her viewpoints were not only welcome at Simmons, but also encouraged. As she recalls her undergraduate classes, she says that most of her professors were excited to have a dissenting point of view in the classroom. “Simmons is right in the center of liberal Massachusetts, but I think I was a valued asset at Simmons. I felt valued for being a conservative thinker. It was a situation where even if you had an opposing point of view, you were respected if you were able to provide back up and discuss your ideas intelligently,” said Tighe. Tighe said this experience has not deterred her conservative thoughts. If anything, she said she feels more resolve in her viewpoints. “I actually feel like I believe in those conservative viewpoints even more because I had to defend them at Simmons. I was forced regularly to rip apart and defend my own beliefs and I learned a heck of a lot from students who were farther to the left than I ever thought,” she said. While Tighe felt her Simmons experience dropped her conservative views in the midst of a liberal pond, senior Chennill Russell ’08, also a conservative, said her experience at Simmons was somewhat different. “I was brought up to have strong opinions, so whenever I had something to say, I was able to back it up. Because of that, I never felt that my views were suppressed by my professors or my peers,” said Russell. But while she has been able to express her viewpoints in class, Russell says there were situations where she felt ideologically suppressed which had less to do with the faculty at Simmons and more to do with the lack of pluralism in Massachusetts. “I think that Boston masquerades as liberal, but it’s actually pretty conservative; it’s not really open to minorities and people who are not from here. I grew up in Sarasota, Fla., which has the third largest gay population in the country. And while gay marriage is legal here… a large portion of the citizens here were opposed to it,” said Russell. “The legalization of gay marriage met with a fair amount of backlash and controversy.” While Russell said she never felt that the faculty or her classmates silenced her conservative views, she believes the culture of Massachusetts may have whitewashed Simmons’s political overtones. “Most of my classes have been open forums where you could really discuss and draw your own conclusions, but I never felt that a variety of viewpoints were presented,” said Russell. “I think that has a lot to do with Boston politics; I think the political viewpoints of any college will somehow be a byproduct of the city it’s in. But without a true diversity of viewpoints, students are not getting the full picture and they’re not developing an informed opinion.” SSW Professor Melendez is familiar with Russell’s point of view. Following the 2004 presidential election, he and SSW Professor Ann Fleck-Henderson conducted a study of Simmons SSW students to determine to what degree conservativeminded students felt comfortable expressing minority viewpoints in the classroom. “The idea came shortly after the national election, in which the country “ FRANKLY, THE PROFESSION OF ACADEMIA IS BASED ON A CODE OF ETHICS THAT MAY BE AGAINST SOME CONSERVATIVE POSITIONS, BUT IN SOME INSTANCES, WE ARE JUST GOING TO HAVE TO AGREE TO DISAGREE. ” — MICHAEL MELENDEZ was so clearly polarized,” said Melendez. “We were concerned about the possibility of censoring ‘minority voices’ in the educational process — in this case more conservative voices in a profession and at a school that are clearly secular and progressive,” said Melendez. Melendez and Fleck-Henderson asked questions about the students’ experiences and their perception of the educational process at Simmons. Of the students interviewed, most held conservative viewpoints around lifestyle issues, specifically abortion, gay marriage, and homosexuality. What they found was that students were rarely entirely conservative or entirely liberal. Instead, most students showed more subtle variations of viewpoints. “I think any issues involving lifestyle are more difficult to bring up in the classroom forum,” said Melendez. “Those are issues that tend to come up in more of a social setting, and therefore someone with more conservative social views on a liberal campus might feel more oppressed. But in all areas, we need to explore how we can amplify the minority voice. We need to hear the other side to solidify, sharpen, and/or change our own arguments.” One of the ways Simmons is trying to promote the “other side” is with the firstyear, two-semester undergraduate course “Culture Matters,” which has been a re- quired course since 1995. The goal of the course is to enable each student to analyze how cultural influences shape personal identities, and to encourage scholarly debate. The course description quotes American philosopher, psychologist, and education reformer John Dewey: “The choice is clear: we can either allow the diverse cultures and communities that comprise the United States to develop as ‘separate but equal’ entities… or we can promote critical and constructive interaction among diverse cultures based on the faith that this interaction is the surest path toward democracy and pluralism.” According to Gary Oakes, Ed.D., assistant professor of general education, “Culture Matters” lays down a foundation for Simmons to promote intellectual pluralism. He says what makes the course work is that it is taught by professors of every discipline. “It’s taught by media professionals, scientists, economists — students get such a wide and varied perspective. It really is a fundamental piece of Simmons education that we encourage this kind of diversity and intellectual thought. We encourage students to think about varying levels of diversity issues in a very broad context,” said Oakes. “In this way, we get students — from the moment they walk in the door — to look at multiple perspectives of social and political thought.” But once students complete “Culture Matters”, how does Simmons continue to encourage intellectual pluralism? Oakes says that Simmons’s commitment to inviting speakers to the campus on a wide range of subjects is one way the College works to break out of its comfort zone. He says that by inviting people to speak who may have challenging points of view, the College creates an environment that not only encourages, but also thrives on, intellectual discourse. “That’s what an academic setting should be about: a full spectrum of ideologies,” said Oakes. “If you step out of that first-year course, there is still a thread that encourages diversity that runs through the Simmons experience.” President Scrimshaw says that it is the College’s responsibility to ensure that students carry that thread with them beyond the halls of Simmons. She believes the way to ensure that is to encourage discourse in the classroom, and for professors to preserve and promote pluralistic points of view. She says that doing so is not just a courtesy, but the responsibility of those in higher education to defend the gamut of social and political perspectives. “Academic freedom is a fundamentally important issue, and it is our responsibility as a college to promote intellectual diversity and to invite people with very different views to talk. It’s not always easy, but this is the essential role we play in these young peoples’ lives,” said President Scrimshaw. Q Janelle Randazza is a Boston-area writer. She has written for Yankee Magazine, the Boston Phoenix and the Boston Globe, among others. winter 2008 21 A 22 simmons alumnet.simmons.edu addressing diversity “From cancer, heart disease, and HIV/AIDS to diabetes and mental health, African Americans, Hispanic Americans, and American Indians tend to receive less and lower quality healthcare than whites, resulting in higher mortality rates.” — “Missing Persons: Minorities in the Health Professions,” The Sullivan Commission, September 2004 A HEALTHY MINORITY? As Minority Population Increases, the Healthcare Industry Struggles to Catch Up BY CHRISTIAN POPE CAMPBELL ’91 AND EMILY DEVAPRASAD The statement above comes directly from a report published in 2004 by the Sullivan Commission on Diversity in the Healthcare Workforce. Established in 2003, the commission was named for and chaired by former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Louis W. Sullivan, M.D.: its research is considered to be one of the more thorough examinations of healthcare disparities in the United States. Policy recommendations from the commission were intended to bring about systemic change that would address the scarcity of minorities in health professions. The U.S. Census Bureau reports that by 2050, more than one-third of U.S. citizens will identify themselves as a minority — African American, Hispanic, Native American, Asian/Pacific Islander, or a combination thereof. However, the Sullivan Commission reported that minorities comprise less than 10 percent of healthcare professionals in the U.S. — specifically, only 9 percent of nurses, 6 percent of physicians, and 5 percent of dentists. According to the Sullivan Commission, the lack of minority health professionals is a major factor in the nation’s persistent racial and ethnic health disparities. Because there are not enough minorities in the health professions, patients of color are reluctant to see healthcare providers for routine checkups and medical treatment. This means that serious diseases and health conditions are not always diagnosed early enough. This leads to premature death, higher costs for healthcare, and a poor quality of life. The healthcare professions have too little resemblance to the diverse populations they serve, leaving many Americans feeling excluded by a system that might seem distant and uncaring. winter 2008 23 Minority Population According to the 2005 U.S. Census Bureau 1950 2005 Minority representation has more than doubled since 1950, when Caucasians comprised 87% of the population 2050 It is estimated that by 2050, minorities will comprise nearly half — 47% — of the U.S. population “A tiny fraction of health disparities is due to underlying genetic factors,” said President Susan C. Scrimshaw. “Most of the reasons for the differences in our health and disease outcomes have to do with economic status, support of community, and access to preventative and curative services.” Editor’s Note: President Scrimshaw chaired “Speaking of Health: Assessing Health Communication Strategies for Diverse Populations” (National Academies Press, 1999) and was a member of “The Unequal Burden of Cancer: An Assessment of NIH Research and Programs for Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved” (National Academies Press, 1999). What’s the solution to this healthcare crisis? According to a study by the Institute of Medicine, increasing the number of underrepresented minority health professionals will dramatically eliminate health disparities. However, that’s not so easy to do, said John Lowe, chair of the health care administration program at the School for Health Studies (SHS) at Simmons. “It is difficult to recruit students of color to the healthcare professions,” said Lowe. According to Lowe, numerous factors contribute to the challenge, one being poor primary and secondary education for many economically disadvantaged students of color, which makes admission to a fouryear college nearly impossible. The bur24 simmons alumnet.simmons.edu den of financing an education in the health professions also is particularly taxing for talented students of color with limited income. “While all colleges are struggling with this problem, some, like Simmons, have made an institutional commitment to help students overcome these financial and educational barriers,” said Lowe. How can this problem be addressed? To start, look at the people who manage healthcare organizations, says SHS Research Professor Robert Coulam, who chaired a committee of SHS faculty that organized the October 2005 Simmons conference, “Building Diversity in the Leadership of Healthcare Organizations.” A report on the conference, released in 2006, stated: “From the clinic to the boardroom, the management of U.S. healthcare organizations is not as diverse as the populations these organizations serve, a problem that is painfully accompanied by disparities in access, treatment, and outcomes for people of color.” According to Coulam, participants and speakers at the conference agreed that the need for leadership and commitment by changes within the culture of schools offering healthcare education,” Koocher said. “Here at the SHS, we are considering a number of things: our approaches to recruitment — not only for students, but also for faculty; our admission requirements; our mentoring and support programs; and our financial aid offerings. Each program at the SHS — nursing, physical therapy, nutrition, and health care administration – is committed to attracting and retaining more students and faculty of color. At every level of leadership, the commitment is there.” Judy Beal, SHS associate dean and chair of the nursing program, said her program is working to positively change the national healthcare landscape. “With the assistance of a grant from The Diversity Council (TDC) at Simmons [see page 12 for more information about the TDC], the nursing program is positioning itself to develop partnerships with established and respected colleagues from the Boston Public Schools; the Boston-based ODWIN (Opening Doors Minority Access to Healthcare According to the 2005 National Healthcare Disparities Report African Americans Hispanic 50% 88% Poor access 50% Same access as Caucasians from healthcare executives was essential to build diversity. “Routine, ordinary processes do not as a matter of course build diversity in organizations,” said Coulam. “It takes deliberate efforts, and those efforts must be led by senior executives.” The SHS’s “senior executive” is Dean Gerry Koocher, who recognizes his role in leading the school’s effort to attract diverse students and to produce culturally competent healthcare professionals. “The societal changes that are affecting our nation’s healthcare must be followed Poor access 12% Same access as Caucasians Wider in Nursing) Learning Center; the National Black Nurses Association and its affiliate, the New England Regional Black Nurses Association; Children’s Hospital Medical Center; and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Our goal is to develop and coordinate a unique and multi-layered partnership approach to recruiting and retaining students of color in nursing.” According to Beal, the crux of the approach will be to provide secondary school students of color opportunities to attend pre-nursing workshops and to be Minority Representation by Profession “ mentored by nurses of color from SHS graduate programs and partner hospitals. Additionally, the Department of Nursing hosts the annual Dotson Visiting Scholar and Lectureship, funded through a gift from nursing alumna Phyllis Nickerson Dotson ’62, the 2002 recipient of the Alumnae Association’s Community Service Award. “Through this program, we bring to our campus respected nursing professionals who offer insight and experience into how we can diversify our student body and impact the quality of nursing care for all people,” said Beal. Executive director of the National Black Nurses Association (NBNA) Millicent Gorham ’76 was the 2006-2007 Dotson Visiting Scholar. Gorham, also the 2006 Alumnae Achievement Award recipient, fortable reaching out to healthcare providers of color. We need more black nurses because we need more nurses who can relate to patients of color.” Gorham said that the NBNA sponsors hundreds of national healthcare screenings and health promotion programs each year targeted at minority populations who do not have access to healthcare. These programs include blood pressure screenings, nutrition counseling, and information sessions on wellness and disease — critical services that for some minorities may represent the only healthcare they have received in years. Diversity education and awareness have become essential for all healthcare workers, regardless of their ethnic background. The SHS is working to increase WE SEE SO MANY PEOPLE [FROM MINORITY POPULATIONS] WHO “ DON’T EVEN REALIZE THEY HAVE ILLNESSES BECAUSE THEY DON’T Nutrition African Americans and Hispanics are underrepresented in the nutrition profession 1.7% Hispanics 2.5% African Americans SOURCE: AMERICAN DIETETIC ASSOCIATION Physical Therapy Fewer than 14% of all current students in physical therapy programs are minorities SOURCE: AMERICAN PHYSICAL THERAPY ASSOCIATION HAVE INSURANCE OR PRIMARY CARE DOCTORS. — MILLICENT GORHAM ’76 spoke at Simmons about her mission at the NBNA: eliminating healthcare disparities and eliminating the nursing shortage. According to Gorham, the NBNA does this in a number of ways, including educating and mentoring registered nurses, licensed vocational/practical nurses, nursing students, and retired nurses, and offering educational financial assistance. “Our research shows that most African American nurses were older — in their mid-20s and 30s — before they decided to attend nursing school,” explained Gorham. “By then, the financial barriers can be overwhelming. That’s where funding from our organization can help.” Gorham emphasizes that the focus of NBNA is on the patients and their access to healthcare. “We see so many people [from minority populations] who don’t even realize they have illnesses because they don’t have insurance or primary care providers. It’s important when they see a black nurse at a place like a school or health fair, because they are more com- the cultural competency of its students, assuring they have respect for diverse populations and an understanding of cultural beliefs — including healthcare beliefs and practices. For instance, the SHS offers a number of courses that address issues of diversity, including “Culturally Competent Care,” “Managing People in Healthcare,” “Family and the Community,” “Community Nutrition,” and “Spanish for Healthcare Providers.” “The SHS’s reputation for educating exceptional healthcare professionals is unquestioned, and I believe we are wellpoised to tackle this national healthcare dilemma,” said Koocher. “Admittedly though, we still have much work to do. We are moving in the right direction — with commitment and leadership among our faculty and administrators, and with access to partnerships and collaboration with experts that will advance the cause of quality, consistent healthcare for every person. Thoughtful and deliberate actions will continue to chart our course.” Q Nursing Only 4.9% of nurses are African American and 2.0% are Hispanic 2% Hispanics 4.9% African Americans SOURCE:NATIONAL SAMPLE SURVEY OF REGISTERED NURSES Healthcare Management Less than 1% of top management positions belong to minorities SOURCE: AMERICAN COLLEGE OF HEALTHCARE EXECUTIVES AND THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF HEALTH SERVICES EXECUTIVES winter 2008 25 voices: ALIAA GHONIM ’10 U N DE R G R ADUA T E M A J OR AT SIMMONS: Psychobiology and French F UT UR E AS P I R A T I O N : Surgeon W HA T D I V E R S I T Y M E A N S T O H E R : “Diversity means celebrating each other’s differences and acknowledging them in a way that is respectful.” 26 simmons alumnet.simmons.edu It was January 2007 and 18-year-old Aliaa Ghonim, a first-year undergraduate student and nursing assistant, was calmly holding a live human heart in the operating room of Massachusetts General Hospital. The experience, she said, was thrilling. “Not many people can say they’ve held a human heart – it’s life in your hands. I read in a book once that surgeons are part scientist and part mechanic. Few people are able to see the human body from the inside — to open them up, fix them, and put them back together. This is what I’d like to do.” Now a sophomore, Ghonim is a quiet yet self-assured young woman. A commuter student who travels each day from her Braintree, Mass., home, Ghonim plans to attend medical school to become a surgeon — heart or brain, she’s not sure which. Ghonim also is a practicing Muslim who wears the traditional Muslim headscarf, or hijab, as a declaration of her faith. She began wearing the hijab when she was in junior high school. Raised in the Muslim faith, she and her family had just taken their annual summer trip to Egypt to visit relatives. When Ghonim returned to the U.S., she felt something had changed in her. She was more committed to her faith and wanted to show it in some outward way. “I just decided ‘This is who I am, and this is my faith,’ ” she said. “Muslim women wear the hijab to point out that regardless of the fact that the rest of the world may judge us by our looks, Allah only considers our hearts and actions.” Being a minority — Ghonim was one of only four Muslims in junior high — hasn’t always been easy for her. But it has given her perspective on diversity, something that she says is valued at Simmons. “Simmons embraces differences in a celebratory way,” said Ghonim, who noted that one of the reasons she chose the College was because of the wide variety of social and cultural organizations on campus. “Diversity to me is when all of my friends, classmates, and acquaintances are of different colors and creeds. I think that the Simmons environment welcomes differences, and that this is visible on a daily basis — in the classes, activities, and organizations available for us.” giving The Gift of Education Undergraduate Students Benefit From Schulman Scholarship Alice Southworth Schulman ’54 is passionate about Simmons. She’s also a devout member of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) of Congregations. Last year, Schulman was able to combine these interests into a unique gift that will make a life-changing impact on Simmons students. The Alice Southworth Schulman ’54 Endowed Scholarship provides $200,000 to fund the full four-year education of two undergraduate students. The candidates must be Unitarian Universalists and students in good academic standing. “It means a great deal to me to be able to help two organizations that I care about so passionately. Simmons and the UUA have both had a tremendous influence on my life,” said Schulman. The first scholarship was awarded during the 2006–2007 academic year to Claire Anthony ’10. A sophomore from New London, Conn., Anthony plans to pursue a career in nursing and says that having the scholarship has provided her and her family with the peace of mind of no longer having to worry about enormous loan repayments after graduation. It’s also allowed Anthony to focus on her studies: she made the dean’s list last year and is currently maintaining a 3.6 GPA. “When President Scrimshaw called me last year to tell me I had received the scholarship, I was completely surprised. I had resigned myself to the fact that I would be taking out a lot of loans, and then suddenly, I was able to cancel them. I was so happy, and so proud of myself for working so hard and being recognized for it. And I was incredibly thankful to Mrs. Schulman for providing this opportunity to me.” The second scholarship recipient is Abby Connolly ’11, a first-year student from Brewster, Mass. A committed, lifelong member of the UUA, Schulman has served as a religious education teacher. Her late husband, Frank, was a UUA minister. The gift of education: scholarship recipient Claire Anthony ’10 and benefactor Alice Southworth Schulman ’54. After her husband passed away in 2006, Schulman made a generous gift to the UUA, a portion of which comprises the Simmons scholarship. “It’s a great privilege to help these remarkable students,” said Schulman. “The world needs more young women like these, and they need the kind of top-quality education that Simmons can provide.” Deloitte & Touche Endows SOM Professorship Thanks to a unique collaboration between the School of Management (SOM) and Deloitte & Touche USA LLP, the school recently secured funding for an endowed professorship to focus on shaping the national discourse on women and leadership. Last May, the SOM achieved its funding goal of more than $1.5 million to endow the Deloitte Ellen Gabriel Professor for Women and Leadership. Nearly 300 Deloitte employees contributed gifts to the professorship along with matching funds from the Deloitte Foundation. The professorship marks the first time Deloitte has supported a chair in a field outside of accounting at Since 1999, more than 200 Deloitte women have participated in the Leading Edge, contributing to the company’s national recognition as one of the best places to work. an institution of higher education. Gabriel, who died in 1999, was the first national director of Deloitte’s Initiative for the Retention and Advancement of Women and was instrumental in helping to create the Leading Edge Executive Education program at the SOM. Since 1999, more than 200 Deloitte women have participated in the Leading Edge, and Deloitte has doubled the number of women who are partners, principals, or directors at the firm. SOM Professor Deborah M. Kolb was named the first Deloitte Ellen Gabriel Professor for Women and Leadership in 2004. Kolb serves as the key faculty member of Leading Edge. Her work focuses on gender issues and negotiation. winter 2008 27 giving Dedication of the Library and Lifetime Giving W Library Dedication The library dedication on October 24 attracted more than 100 Simmons community members. Guests gathered for a reception and ribbon-cutting ceremony to recognize leadership donors to the landmark building. President Susan C. Scrimshaw led the event, Treacy; and Wei Ming Wong ’08. All remarked on the positive impact the library has had on the College. Other guests included current, emeriti, and honorary trustees; corporators; current and emeriti faculty; and students, alumnae/i, and staff. Donors who made leadership gifts naming specific library spaces and amenities were able to see the distinctive engraved glass plaques located throughout the building recognizing their gifts. Alumnae from the classes of 1949 and 1952 held their own festivities to dedicate two group-study rooms the classes named in honor of their respective reunions. Lifetime Giving Wall Unveiling At the dedication of its Lifetime Giving Wall on October 10, Simmons honored alumnae and friends whose lifetime philanthropic support has transformed the College. President Scrimshaw led the ribbon-cutting ceremony, and a dinner and tribute program followed in the Linda K. Paresky Conference Center. Guests included current, emeriti, and honorary trustees; corporators; and other members of the Simmons community. The Lifetime Giving Wall honors the visionary philanthropy of alumnae/i and friends who have made gifts to Simmons of $500,000 or more during their lifetimes. The distinctive design features illuminated, engraved glass which brought together members from throughout the Simmons community who were integral to the construction of the new building. President Emeritus Daniel S. Cheever, Jr., and his wife, Susan K. Stasiowski, were in attendance. The event’s featured speakers were Board of Trustees Chair Helen Drinan ’75LS, ’78SM; Library Director Daphne Harrington; Professor Mary Jane ABOVE: Wei Ming Wong ’08; Board of Trustees Chair Helen G. Drinan ’75LS, ’78SM; former president Daniel S. Cheever, Jr.; President Susan C. Scrimshaw; Professor Mary Jane Treacy; Library Director Daphne Harrington; Senior Vice President for Administration and Planning Lisa Chapnick RIGHT: Unveiling of the Lifetime Giving Wall: Barbara Fish Lee ’67, ’01HD, her aunts Phyllis Zone and Edith Susselman, and David Damroth 28 simmons alumnet.simmons.edu giving Wall panels and inspirational quotes from such figures as Maya Angelou and Margaret Mead. The tribute program included remarks by students, faculty, staff, and an alumna, all of whom have been directly affected by the gifts of specific donors who were present: Sarah Malloy Crane ’56, ’04HD; Barbara Fish Lee ’67, ’01HD; Linda Kotzen Paresky ’64, ’99HD; Emily Scott Pottruck ’78; Janet Trafton Tobin ’67, and the Deloitte Foundation. Joan Melber Warburg ’45, ’97HD, was unable to attend, but Dean Diane Raymond delivered a tribute that was recorded and sent to Warburg. “I am profoundly grateful to each one of you, for your generous commitment to Simmons — to our students, alumnae, faculty, and staff. Simmons simply would not be the extraordinary institution it is without you,” said Scrimshaw. “Every day, hundreds of people will see the Lifetime Giving Wall we unveiled this evening, and each will be reminded of your generosity. On behalf of all of them, and all of us, I say ‘thank you.’” Students Making a Difference, One Call at a Time Earning a little extra cash to make ends meet is nothing new for many Simmons students. Jobs like office temping, babysitting, and waiting tables help to pay for those late-night pizzas and trips on the subway. But for Rachel Wallen ’08, her work not only supplements her own bank account, but also helps every student, faculty, and staff member at Simmons. Wallen is a student manager of The Simmons Fund (TSF) Phone Program, an annual program that employs to undergraduate students who call undergraduate and graduate alumnae/i for gifts. “I started in the Phone Program as a first-year student and I’ve never left,” said Wallen. “It’s so rewarding, not to mention fun! Every time I make a phone call, I get a chance to talk with alumnae/i from all over the country. When they make a gift, it benefits the entire College. This job is more than just earning money for me.” The student callers are integral to the phone program because they provide a connection to alumnae/i and to Simmons. “Student callers play an important role in cultivating and maintaining positive relations with alumnae/i and friends of the College,” said Amanda White ’05, TSF officer in charge of the Phone Program. “Alumnae/i like to hear from students and often ask them questions about their classes and the campus. It’s also a great way for alumnae/i to hear about and understand the importance of TSF — the message is much more powerful and personal coming from a student.” Approximately 20 student callers are hired per semester, in addition to two student managers. The students attend 10 hours of training and begin calling in October, typically phoning alumnae/i Monday through Thursday evenings and again on Sunday. In addition to their regular pay, student callers receive prize incentives, including gift cards to local venues, and attend special events throughout the year. Another boon to students is the op- Students Carolyn Swanhall ’08, Rachel Wallen ’08, Kinski Nastasia ’09, and Emily Mills ’10 in the call center. portunity to develop leadership skills. As a manager, Wallen said that she’s learned about supervising others and how to effectively troubleshoot unanticipated problems. Last year, student callers phoned more than 2,500 alumnae/i and helped to raise nearly $280,000. “Our student callers are vital to the annual success of TSF, as well as to the overarching fundraising goals of the College.” —kristen barbarics, director of tsf This year, TSF staff are hoping to increase revenue by 5 percent. “Our student callers are vital to the annual success of TSF, as well as to the overarching fundraising goals of the College,” said Kristen Barbarics, director of TSF. “They play an important role in furthering the initiatives of the College and in positively shaping the experiences of everyone in the Simmons community.” winter 2008 29 classnotes Undergraduate Classnotes CLASS NOTES/ALUMNI NOTES POLICY submissions: there are four ways to submit information • • • • Send your news to your class secretary Provide your news via alumnet.simmons.edu Email your news to [email protected] Mail your news to: Office of Advancement Marketing, Attn: ClassNotes Editor, Room E108, Simmons College, Boston, MA 02115 photos • Photos can be submitted using any of the above methods • If you mail a photo and would like it returned, please include a return address • Photos submitted electronically must be 300 dpi or higher to be considered for publication in the magazine deadlines • There are three yearly issues of the Simmons magazine: Spring, Fall, and Winter • For inclusion in the Spring issue, submit information by November 15 • For inclusion in the Fall issue, submit information by March 15 • For inclusion in the Winter issue, submit information by July 15 publication • All Class Notes/Alumni Notes and photos received in any way will be posted in full on alumnet.simmons.edu • All Class Notes/Alumni Notes will appear in the magazine but may be edited for space and content • Photos will appear in the magazine if space allows • Undergraduate Class Notes will appear in the back section of the SIMMONS magazine • Undergraduate Class Years with no Class Notes will only list the Class Secretary • Undergraduate Class Years with no Class Notes and no Class Secretary will not be listed, unless they are a Reunion Class • Alumni Notes will appear in the appropriate graduate school section (pgs 3–8) If you have any questions, please call the Office of Advancement Marketing at 617-521-2380, or email [email protected]. 1931 1937 Class Secretary Florence Aliber Lipsky 64 Hastings Avenue Keene, NH 03431 Class Secretary Edith Samuelson Eastman 12 Louisburg Sq. Centerville, MA 02632 [email protected] Eastman writes, “If you were surfing Alumnet last summer, you would have seen photos of Winifred Whittemore Kneisel 30 simmons alumnet.simmons.edu and me at Reunion 2007. It was interesting to see the reaction of other Reunion members when they discovered it was our 70th. One could see the wheels turning and the realization that we were in our 90s. We also represented the Class at the inauguration of President Susan Scrimshaw in April. And except for a member of the Class of 1929 we were the oldest in the Parade of Classes. Aren’t we lucky to have weathered the years!” | Thanks to the urging of Alice Williams Cullen, notes have been received from Sophie Horwitz, Brookline, MA; Margaret (Kitty) MacCallum Borden, Duxbury, MA; and Elizabeth McPherson Connolly, Mineola, NY. 1938 REUNION ’08 MAY 30–JUNE 1 Class Secretary Rita Doherty Dunn 1 Greenbrook Road Hamilton, MA 01982 [email protected] 1939 Class Secretary Eleanor Moore Kaiser 6 Paul’s Way Newbury MA 01951 In May, Hope Bryant Hynes was hostess at a luncheon at Mandarin Cuisine in Needham. Guests included former members of the Charles River Simmons Club Alice O’Connor, Marjorie Duggan Murphy, Barbara Richardson Loo, Clare MacPherson Peters, and Nancy MacMillan Eaton. Also attending were Kris Wilcox from Simmons Planned Giving and a special guest, our new president, Susan C. Scrimshaw. All were favorably impressed and honored to meet her. Sadly, Nancy Eaton passed away on July 25. 1942 Class Secretary Dorothy Siegfried Silhavy 357 Grant Hill Road Tolland, CT 06084 [email protected] 1943 REUNION ’08 MAY 30–JUNE 1 Class Secretary Barbara Prance Fluck 19 South Street Plainville, MA 02762 [email protected] Fluck writes, “I received an interesting letter from Jeanne Schudel, who has lived in the Jacksonville, FL, area since 1993. She has two greenhouses where she raises orchids as a hobby, serves on the county library board, and does book mending at a local branch once a week. She visits her brother in MA. I hope she will make her trip north in 2008 to coincide with our 65th Reunion. We all should begin planning for that important event.” | Mary Zecchini Bryant wrote to tell of her work in the Historical Society, her genealogical research, and the 150th anniversary of the church in Cape Porpoise, ME, where she lives. She said she is thinking about coming to Reunion. | Virginia Dunn Thomas and her husband spend the summer at Mashpee on Cape Cod and they winter in Naples, FL. Of their family of three girls and five boys, seven survive, one son having died during his college years. All the boys became den- classnotes tists like their dad, and one of the girls is a hygienist. There are 20 grandchildren ranging from age 26 to 5-year-old twins. The kids and grandkids are spread about the country with many in MA. | From Ginny, I learned that Alice Runci’s granddaughter was dating the grandson of Virginia Kilham. | In July, Priscilla Kay Smith wrote of her activities in Dummerston, VT, where she handled the tickets and cash for the church’s annual strawberry supper. The historical society had an exhibit of art by Dummerston artists. Priscilla reported that the society has just managed to achieve a new roof for its building, which was originally a schoolhouse. | In trying to call Rose Ciccolo, I discovered her phone was not in service. Ginny Kilham was able to clear up that mystery by telling me that Rose had moved to a lovely new home in Hingham. | When I talked to Alice Boyce, she said Rose was the sole representative of the Class of 1943 at the inauguration of our new president. Alice is enjoying life in Lincoln, Mass. | As I was typing this column, Rose called me. We had a wonderful chat but she had no news to add. | Please remember, your presence is requested at Reunion in May 2008. 1944 Class Secretaries Catherine DeLuca Giardiello 137 Meadowbrook Road Hanover, MA 02339 Joan Keating Lowney 1202 Greendale Avenue Apartment 119 Needham, MA 02492 Lowney writes with two updates saying that Mary Hoey Williams is doing well, back to her bridge games and other activities, and that Eileen O’Flaherty Bero made an astounding recovery this past winter. | Garland Junior College alumna Faith Cummings Newton moved to 190 Bluebird Lane, Smith Mountain Lake, Wirtz, VA 24184. “All is well. I am 84 now. Have four grown children — had five, one passed away — and eight grandchildren. I live on Smith Mountain Lake — beautiful!” | Phyllis Baker Newton’s hus- band was nearly recovered from a stroke last September. They were in Harwichport, MA, for the summer. Phyllis went to Italy for some well-deserved rest and relaxation. | Thanks to Peggy Saslow, a mini-reunion was planned in July at the Daniel Webster Inn on Cape Cod. | I’m sorry to report two obituaries. Ann Paradise Danforth passed away June 18, 2007. She served as a 1st lieutenant in the Army medical corps during WWII. She was accorded full military honors at her funeral service. | Mary-Effie “Meffie” MacDonald Shay died in May 2007. We are becoming fewer and fewer. 1945 Class Secretary Jacqueline Zeldin Colby 289 Mill Street Newtonville, MA 02460 [email protected] emeri-ties updates on emeriti faculty and staff The comedy career of Peter Bowers (Chemistry) continues to flourish. Last October, he was selected to appear in the Boston Comedy Festival, held at the Comedy Connection in Quincy Market. About 90 comics competed in eight rounds, a semi-final, and a final. Bowers performs regularly in the New England area, where his rants include inside dirt on the British Royals, odd bits of Shakespeare, spoofs of TV reality shows, and wry comments on the perils of senior citizenship. Readers can keep up-to-date on Peter’s schedule by accessing his website, www.peterbowers.net. Dan Cheever ’06HD (President) reports that he misses his good friends at Simmons. Since June 2006 when he retired, Cheever has become very involved in coastal conservation efforts in Wareham, Mass. where he lives, and also serves on the finance committee there. Already immortalized in her hometown of Milton, Mass. some years ago by the naming of the science wing at the high school for her, Anne Coghlan ’48, ’98HD (Biology, Dean of Sciences) now has a whole building with her name on it. It’s one of seven new buildings for senior citizens in Fuller Village, the retirement community in Milton. Coghlan was the first resident to move there in 2001. She was chair of the committee on construction for the new structures, and has served on the board of the Fuller Village Corporation. Laurie Taylor Crumpacker ’63 (History) hardly qualifies as a retiree — she’s back at Simmons as chair of the History Department, and acting chair of Women’s Studies, which recently changed its name to the Women’s and Gender Studies Department. Crumpacker is primarily teaching graduate seminars in history; her topic for the fall 2007 semester was “Women and Power in the United States, 1790–1920.” Ever-active Alicia Faxon ’98HD (Art) curated a show entitled “Abstraction Updated” last fall at the Gallery Artists Studio Projects. It featured artists Deborah Muirhead, Susan Schwalb, Suzanne Volmer, and Marco Phillips. Donald Thomas (Psychology) was married in September at his home in Santa Fe, NM, to Diane Webster. He reports they had a nice visit from Peter Bowers last summer. Everett Tuttle (Biology) wrote last fall, “Nothing new, but growing older. Wife Mabel fell and broke her left femur. No dancing all summer. Flying to Florida in October for the winter. Last spring, about 50 emeriti/retirees attended the American Association of University Professors/Simmons luncheon at the College, which was preceded by an informative hour-long meeting with Simmons’s new president, Susan Scrimshaw. Later that month, about two dozen former faculty and staff were present at the Commencement Recognition Dinner, held at the JFK Library. undergraduate classnotes winter 2008 31 classnotes 1946 Class Secretary Elicia Carroll Kelley 16 Paulman Circle West Roxbury, MA 02132 Selma Brick Alpert is busy with family and grandchildren. Her oldest granddaughter is studying in Ireland for a semester. Selma is lecturing and writing monthly for six bulletins on education and current events. | Barbara Smith Gordon attended the activities for the installation of our new College president, Dr. Susan C. Scrimshaw, in March 2007. 1947 Class Secretary Barbara Burke Garlick 43 Whitehall Street Dedham, MA 02026 [email protected] Thelma “Teddy” Santoro Lumpkin of Bethany, CT, wrote, “My 10 minutes of fame happened Oct 5, 1960, when I rode horseback with Ronald Reagan here in Bethany. At my invitation, after a speech in Waterbury, he came to Bethany where I was boarding my horse. We outfitted him, gave him our best jumper and off we went onto our wonderful trails around a lake — three friends, me, and Ronnie. — and he took us all out to dinner that night.” | Lisa Rubin Saretzy of Sands Point, NY, says her husband is in a nearby nursing home. She visits him daily and spends time making children’s quilts for a shelter and swimming three times a week. “Not bad for 82!” She has three married children and seven grandchildren, which keep her busy and happy. | Arlene Ross Gross of Verona, 32 simmons NJ, is still trying to settle in to widowhood (Marty passed away in March 2005). She has traveled to France, Spain, Italy, California, and Baja, Mexico (whale watching). Both grandchildren were recently engaged. | Alice Parson Moores of Laconia, NH, moved to an apartment in Laconia and was sorry she missed the 60th Reunion. | Eleanor Potter Kimball of Killingworth, CT, was busy with three weddings this past year as well as keeping up with her five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. | Josephine Birmingham Dessart of Port Charlotte, FL, says “We were put to the test during Hurricane Charley in Aug. 2005. Bent but not broken. Miss you — each and everyone. Blessings in any hardships.” | Virginia Marr Good of Atlanta, GA, welcomed her first greatgrandson, Noah, in Oct. 2006. In September she celebrated her 95th birthday and also took a Carribbean cruise with her daughter. | Laura Ferguson Barnes moved to Alabama and is sorry she could not attend Reunion. Due to severe arthritis, “I do not travel gracefully.” She recently welcomed her eighth great-grandchild. | Mary Ebersole Leslie of White Plains, NY says hello to former classmates and has good memories of our time together, “Red Sox, lobster, what a treat.” | Elizabeth “Betty” Winkfield Bolster of Lake Worth, FL, and husband Stan took a four-month cruise around the world on the QE2. It was the “trip of a lifetime,” and they visited 25 countries, 45 different ports, had terrorist threats off Somalia, Suez Canal, and Egypt, saw wonderful sights, probably ate too much, and came home with marvelous memories. | Our 60th Reunion was filled with activities, learning, and time with friends. A total of 16 classmates alumnet.simmons.edu returned to the College for this event. | Alice Parson Moores has a new address: 227 Ledges Dr., Apt 207, Laconia, NH 03246. | Laura Ferguson Barnes also has a new address: 500 Spanish Fort Blvd, Apt 231, Spanish Fort, AL 36527. | I also have sad news to report. The husband of Rita Sharcoff Mizner 0f Lowell, MA, wrote, “It is with deep sorrow that I inform you of Rita’s death on March 15, 2007, as a result of an accident.” 1948 REUNION ’08 MAY 30–JUNE 1 Class Secretary Jane Washburn Parker 1210 Evergreen Avenue Plainfield, NJ 07060 [email protected] Theodora Cassani SweeneyBerry and her husband enjoyed the Commencement Recognition Dinner last spring at the JFK Library. | Frances Wojnar James wrote, “An unexpected pain kept me from attending our 2006 mini-reunion, but I hope to be there in 2007.” | Lois Fogg Jackson enjoys her retirement at Piper Shores in southern Maine, where Margery Garland Nickerson and Mildred L. Stevens form a Class of 1948 trio. | Priscilla Lewis MacNaughton has eye trouble, so Dick does the cooking. Her family came together from Ohio and Syracuse to cook Thanksgiving dinner in 2006. | Jeanne Quinlan Kirk still does “the snowbird thing” between New Jersey and Florida. | Winifred McCalmont Carlson and Bob spent five months in Florida but took a skiing vacation in Colorado with their family. “I still ski carefully and cautiously at my advanced age! Some joints give me trouble now and then, but I Read about 1941 alumna Ruth Finley on page 8. keep plugging along.” | Constance Stampler Rabinovitz and Marty divide their time between Brookline, MA, and Florida. Recent trips included Costa Rica and Greece, with Croatia next on the list. Two of their six grandchildren are in college. | Jean “Van” Vanicek Babcock is president of the Rhode Island/ Southeastern Massachusetts Simmons Club and is the president of the Newport Yacht Club Endowment Fund. “It’s been busy!” Van keeps in touch with Violet Drury and Elizabeth “Betty” Brimley Tunno. | I also have some sad news to report. Isabel Daniels Comerford passed away Jan. 30, 2007. Isabel had been a regular with Teddy Cassani, Jean Blessington, and Virginia Jackson Hamilton for lunch every three months. | Audrey Morris Weynand lost her husband, Edmund, in April 2006. She has four grandchildren and continues to live in her Dallas home of almost 50 years; three of her children live nearby. She visited her Redmond, WA, daughter, Nancy, in Aug. 2006. | Rosamond Muldoon Finocchio lost her husband, Joseph, 100, in May 2007. He often joined her at the mini-reunions. 1949 Class Secretary Emily Macy Salaun 101 Tower Avenue Needham, MA 02494 classnotes Flora Bratko Greenan writes, “My husband, Richard, a mystery novelist, and I moved from Providence, RI, to London, England, and are living with our daughter and her family. En route, we lived in Florence, Italy, enjoyed a crash course in Renaissance art for three months, then moved to expensive Ireland for another month. My U.S. address is 215 Clark Rd., Brookline, MA 02445, c/o Schlesinger.” | Mildred Feldman Levitt celebrated 40 years of teaching Hebrew at Congregation Mishkan Tefila. Her granddaughter, Aviva Schwartz ’07, just graduated from Simmons and is the third generation of Mildred’s family to graduate from Simmons. Aviva’s mother is Sheryl Schwartz ’78. | Marilyn Oberle has taken up antique furniture refinishing. She retired from the presidency of the local chapter of the Federal Retirees, but still commutes to D.C. several times a year. She also attended last year’s annual recognition dinner with Patricia Craigin Sullivan, Catherine Arlauska Coleman, and class officers Laura Bratko Schlesinger (vice president), Elizabeth “Betty” Klein Matthys (treasurer), and Jane Bond Seamans (class agent). | Betty Matthys and husband Lee toured Costa Rica before depart- ing from Fort Meyers Beach, FL, where they sold their home. They are no longer snowbirds, but instead, “Cape Codders” forever. | Class President Deborah Dodge Moulton took a fall last year while “sea-shelling” on the beaches of NC. She suffered several leg and wrist fractures and is now recuperating with a walker and drop-in friends. | Nancy Colburn Tigner is a retired volunteer tutor, having taught in Berkeley, CA; Hamburg, Germany; and Ithaca, NY, while following her husband Maury’s physics career there and in China. Maury is currently director of Cornell University’s laboratory of elementary particle physics. | Jean Macrae Moseley lives in San Francisco and is a serious “birder” with the Audubon Society. She also is a member of the local Council of World Affairs. | Rachel Gallup Stavrolakis enjoyed her Morris Plains, NJ, high school reunion. She tries to keep up with her five children and 13 grandchildren, and improve her golf game, despite “pushing 80.” | Mary Jane Buxton Goodrich had a “boffo” 80th birthday last year with balloons, cake, and a “this is your life” video produced by her brother. Her entire family, except three who were caught in an ice storm in D.C., attended. | Charlotte Matthews Keating and husband Kenneth celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary with a railroad and canoe trip in the Albany, NY, area. They currently reside in Tucson, AZ. | Nancy Hoagland Powderly of Jackson, NJ, enjoys tennis, line dancing, golf, and her grandchildren, who live in New Jersey and Florida, where JOIN US FOR THE Black Alumnae/i Symposium 2008 AT SIMMONS ON APRIL 10–13 Anita Hill ’00HS, professor at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University, will be the keynote speaker for this triennial event. Speakers will also include Boston Public Schools new superintendent, Carol Johnson, Ed.D, and author Terrie M. Williams. The event will feature workshops and discussions covering a wide range of topics including mental health, financial well-being, and women in politics and leadership. Black Alumnae/i Symposium 2008 April 10–13, 2008 Simmons College For more information, please contact the Office of Alumnae/i Relations at 1-800-246-0573 or visit alumnet.simmons.edu. undergraduate classnotes winter 2008 33 classnotes she winters in January. | Patricia Yelle Ryan recently visited Jane Bond Seamans in Pennsylvania, and toured both MD and NC. Patricia is living in Minneapolis, MN. | Barbara Jaffee Fey of Greenwood, CO, decided it was time to sell her plane, but continues with her aircraft interior design work. | Magdalene Louvis Constan is now a heavy magazine and book reader; The Ancestor’s Tale by Richard Dawkins is her current choice. She keeps up with her grandchildren and walks three miles a day. | Katherine Liacos Izzo of Sarasota, FL, visited Boston last spring and connected with Laura Schlesinger. | Elizabeth Little Pike of Dalton, GA, visits family in Ohio and Chicago regularly. 1950 Class Secretary Carolyn Millinger Holland 32 Dartmouth Street Beverly, MA 01915 [email protected] 1951 Class Secretary Virginia Willon Clark 4519 Baybrook Drive Pensacola, FL 32514 [email protected] Highlights of the weekend included a tour of Fenway Park, the BBQ and lobster dinner, and the annual Pops concert at Symphony Hall. Our elegant Class dinner was held at the Omni Parker House in downtown Boston and enjoyed by all. We had several opportunities to meet and chat with our new Simmons president, Susan Scrimshaw. We are proud of our 55th Reunion Gift, which met our goal to establish an award each year. | During our Class meeting the following officers were elected to serve for five years: President: Mary Harrington Wentworth, Vice President: Dorothea Hesse Doar, Vice President: Charlotte Sampson Meyer, Treasurer: Jean Burgarella Anjoorian, Secretary: Ann David Young, Class Agents: Sylvia Hershfield Bloom and Ann Herpy Himmelberger, and Planned Giving: Lucy Hopkins Buckley. Jean was recognized for 30 years of service as our treasurer. It was good to see Bessie Zotos Tsokanis at the Alumnae Association Annual Meeting and Awards Luncheon. | Barbara Scannell Devlin writes, “My oldest granddaughter, Laura, got married in 2006. She is a graduate of Holy Cross and received her MBA from Northeastern. She works with her husband at Ernst and Young in Boston. Granddaughter Lynne is in her first year of law school at Suffolk in Boston. She also 1952 Class Secretary Ann David Young 126 Berwick Place Norwood, MA 02062 [email protected] Our 55th Class Reunion was a memorable event with over 70 classmates and guests attending from all points of the continent. 34 simmons alumnet.simmons.edu graduated from Holy Cross. Her brother, Brian, is a sophomore at Holy Cross. Both my husband and son-in-law also graduated from Holy Cross. | Paula McGinley Mathews says, “I’m using Prince training when working at the thrift store we run here — how ’bout that? Proceeds go to Benevolent Care Fund/student scholarships, etc.” | Eleanor Bayer Stanske spent last February at Edlerhostel in New Zealand. “We considered it ‘slipping into paradise’. May Elderhostel was a Shakespeare festival in Ashland, OR. Next year, our trip will be East Coast history with our grandson.” | Nadia Ehrlich Finkelstein enjoys her summer residence in Orleans, on Cape Cod. She is taking classes in opera and garden design, does some volunteer work, and gets pleasure from her five wonderful grandchildren. | Jean Remington McCaffery attended the inauguration of Simmons’s new president and says, “It was truly awe-inspiring! A wonderful day!” | Evelyn Green Litman and husband Robert moved to St. Petersburg, FL, during the first week of May. Their daughter, Marcy, lives there. One son lives in Georgia and two other sons live in Portland, ME. They have five grandchildren. “I’m sorry I couldn’t make Reunion, but send everyone my regards!” 1953 REUNION ’08 MAY 30–JUNE 1 Class Secretary Dorothy Halloran Fowerbaugh 6733 South Bend Drive Fort Wayne, IN 46804 [email protected] Eleanor Doane Quirk, class president, and class representatives Ellen Budge Stumpf and Lucille “Babsy” Cofman Krichmar attended the inauguration of Susan C. Scrimshaw as the seventh president of Simmons. | After a June trip to Los Angeles to attend her oldest granddaughter’s high school graduation, Joan Riviere Hudiburg vacationed in Japan. Joan now has a condo in Sammamish, WA, in addition to her home in Florence, AL. 1954 Class Secretary Georgette McMurray Sampson 8 Bedford Street Lexington, MA 02420 Katherine Murphy Dickson lives in Maryland with her husband, William. She recently published Insane Euphoria Speaks: Diary of a Late Pregnancy, an account of her third pregnancy. The book discusses the natural happiness that comes with being pregnant, matched against the fear of lack of emotional and financial resources. | E. Lois Shimmin Pacheco writes that her husband 1954 alumna Alice Southworth Schulman gives an endowed scholarship to the College. Read more on page 27. classnotes Pacheco writes that her husband John passed away May 25. He had continued dialysis until he got to see his grandson, and then stopped May 14. “He is now at peace.” 1955 Class Secretaries Barbara Meaney Keough 25 Great Rock Road Sherborn, MA 01770 Patricia Chisolm Wallace [email protected] 72 North Mill Street, Apt. 4 Holliston, MA 01746 Nancy Reid Whitman 190 Nahant Road Nahant, MA 01918 nrwhitman@ mediaone.net 1956 Class Secretary Dorothy Bruce Willis 24 Bradford Lane Basking Ridge, NJ 07920 [email protected] Dorothy Willis and her husband Frank celebrated their 50th Feb. 9 with their children and again in May with family and friends. Gail Townsend Johnson, Lois Stone Hall, and Sally Nissley Malm and their spouses celebrated with them. Dorothy and Frank then traveled to Paris and Italy. | Ina Seinfeld Bechhoefer lives in Washington, D.C. Since Reunion she has traveled twice to Italy (to visit a best friend), Egypt, Mexico, and Virgin Gorda. She just completed an 18month pro bono assignment as director of Rebuilding Together, a non-profit engaged in rehabilitating the homes of low-income homeowners. “I’m evaluating what to do next (when I grow up).” | Diana Armen Cowles reports that in November 2006 her fifth grandchild and fourth granddaughter, Anniker, was born to her daughter Kristin, who is a journalist, TV producer, and writer in NYC. In August, Virginia Bevan Guenther and her husband Ed visited Diana and her husband John in Lincoln, MA, and then traveled to New Hampshire’s Annual Antiques Week. | Fiftieth anniversaries abound. Margorie Hewey Barberie and husband Bob (Feb. 2) celebrated with their three children and then went on a cruise to the Caribbean. In June, Marge and Bob spent two weeks on a land/sea cruise to Alaska. | Isa Cohen Vogel and husband Sandy of Martinsville, NJ, celebrated their 50th in June with family and friends. Isa continues to design and work in textiles. | Sally Molloy Crane and husband Ben, spend their time in Brooklyn Heights, NY, and Santa Fe, NM. | It is with sadness that we have learned of Shirley Richardson Creedon’s death March 23, 2007. Shirley had been in declining health for a number of years, but always spoke fondly of Simmons. She leaves her husband John, three sons, and two grandchildren. 1957 Class Secretary Claire Austin Anderson 15 Juniper Lane Madison, CT 06443 [email protected] Ruth Angell Finn writes, “Our Reunion was just great. We had a wonderful attendance and everyone enjoyed getting together. Let us look forward to our next Reunion. We will be contacting our classmates for our future Reunion.” | Judith Wolper En- nis writes, “It was a great 50th Reunion. Glad that we were able to raise $209,000. I enjoyed seeing former classmates and would love to keep in touch with them. I sent my photos to the ‘shutterfly’ page on the College website, if you want to take a look. I provide computer training to novice computer users in the privacy of their home or office, and design handcrafted note cards using my original digital photographs. These two businesses satisfy my interest in new technology and creative the reality that our Simmons College is recognized nationally and internationally as a firstclass, 21st-century college with a vibrant community under the leadership of our new president, Susan Scrimshaw. | Sandra Rosenfeld Dickerman, 50th Reunion chair, and Florence Pressman, class president, gathered several members of our planning committee together in June to work on the final plans for our special Reunion. The volunteer committee continues to grow as new Gretchen Pohlke Molony ’59 receives an award in an obedience trial with one of her German Shepherds love of photography. Visit me at www.thetutorcomputer.com and www.notesbyjudith.com, and e-mail me at jennis5044@ aol.com.” 1958 REUNION ’08 MAY 30–JUNE 1 Class Secretary Clotilde Chaves Zannetos 164 Country Drive Weston, MA 02493 [email protected] Mark your calendars for May 30–June 1, 2008 and join dear friends and classmates in celebration of our 50th Reunion! If you haven’t been on campus recently, you will be so proud and amazed at the transformation. The excitement and energy of students, faculty, and staff is palpable everywhere, created by ideas and projects emerge. In addition to Sandy and Florence, volunteers include Sheila Wolf Agranat, Joyce Weinberg Blackman, Louise Razin Brown (Class VP), Charlotte Goldfine Chefitz, Dianne Kofman Chirls, Phyllis Brown Cohen, Elaine Rosenberg Cohen, Eleanor Weinstein Davidson, Phyllis Fishman Decker, Valerie Wilcox Doll, Lilo Stargardter Feinstein (Class fund agent), Nancy Sandler Gavrin, Michele Lalli Genua, Maxine Ascher Goldberg, Eleanor Forsht Hadley, Patricia Keegan Harden (Class treasurer), May Smith Jacobson, Inez Kurn Janger, Judith Levine, Hannah Lewin, Virginia Metcalf Lucil, Anita Oppenheim Malina, Joan Benson Parker, and Clotilde Chaves Zannetos. At the June meeting, Sandy announced that committee members had agreed to personally contact undergraduate classnotes winter 2008 35 classnotes 171 classmates — the goal is to eventually reach 209. | Deanna Rothschild Alpher and husband Norman are the proud grandparents of eight! They keep busy with volunteer work, golf, theatre, traveling, and babysitting. She enjoyed being with classmates at the Simmons event at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach last winter. | Congratulations to Ann Budreski Rosseel, who recently retired after selling her company, Reservoir Printing. She keeps busy with many projects and is very enthusiastic about the strides that Simmons has made! | Lorraine Kelley Schatzki of Tempe, AZ, and husband George (married in 1958) are the proud parents of sons Ralph, Andy, and Jeff. | Nancy Sandler Gavrin has been teaching fitness classes for women since 1973 in New York and Connecticut. Nancy and her colleague recently opened their own fitness center, StayFit, in Scarsdale, NY! | Reconnecting in Naples, FL, this past winter for a Super Bowl weekend get-together were Sheila Wolf Agranat and Charlotte Goldfine Chefitz, along with husbands Harold and Hal, who hadn’t seen each other for 45 years. Charlotte also attended our wonderful 45th Reunion party at Sheila and Harold’s home in Newton. | Be on the lookout for more detailed information — and a few surprises from our Reunion Committee — from the College regarding our 50th Reunion. | Don’t forget to visit our 1958 Class website for more news about our classmates — log on to alumnet.simmons.edu. | By now you should have received a letter from Nancy Gavrin and Anita Malina urging everyone to mail your reflections of “then” and “now” (and the intervening years) for our 50th Reunion book. We are hoping for an entry from every member of the class! Please send material and a recent photo to Anita Malina, 12 Innes Road, Scarsdale, NY 10583 or email [email protected]. 1959 Class Secretary Mary Smith Courtney Liberty Drive Mansfield, CT 06250 [email protected] Joyce Poulos Chunias is enjoying retirement after teaching grades K thru college. “Now, time is spent with 10 grandchildren, family, friends, world travels, Florida winters, charity work, and keeping healthy. Looking forward to the 50th Reunion in 2009.” | Gretchen Pohlke Molony is now a retired purchasing manager. “I am presently a dog trainer competing in obedience trials with my German Shepherds. Last year I put an advanced title on one of my German Shepherds and this year I am starting again with a young male.” | Barbara Cookson Read about the new Alumnet on page 12. 36 simmons alumnet.simmons.edu Born writes that she recently read about her classmate Madeline Lord. Barbara and Madeline were in the public health nursing program together and enjoyed many good experiences. Barbara would love to hear from Madeline and can be reached at 4355 Whittier Ct., Ventura, CA 93003. 1960 Class Secretaries Ann Devine Gross 4881 La Belle Terre Boulevard Pensacola, FL 32504 [email protected] Gail Teuten Noyes 18 Latham Road Plymouth, MA 02360 [email protected] Madeline Emery White 29 Town Landing Road Falmouth, ME 04105 [email protected] 1961 Lois Berman Jassie sends a heartfelt thank you to all those classmates at the 45th Reunion who sent get-well wishes. “I was uplifted by the many touching messages of support. My ‘battle’ has become a chronic attempt to suppress the cancer and wrest a remission. I’m not there quite yet, but I’m working on it!” | After living in Pembroke, MA, for over 35 years Marianne Severance Parris and husband are spending their retirement between two beautiful places: Pensacola Beach, FL, and Rangeley, ME. | Dianne Perrotta Rice is enjoying retirement (now in its seventh year) by keeping busy with the Boston Simmons Club, exercising at the Y, traveling, learning Spanish, and spending time with her six grandchildren. She enjoyed last year’s Reunion and is looking forward to our 50th. Her husband Ed has been ill for almost a year with a rare type of intestinal tumor, which is being treated with a new medication. | Joining the ranks of classmates living in Florida is Lois Rothenberg Weiss and husband Barry. They are in Palm Beach Gardens, with daughter Janet nearby in Jupiter. In March, Lois visited with Betty Fox in Los Angeles, CA. | Marcia Landsman Yaffa moved from Arlington to Bedford, MA, and appreciates her Simmons connections wherever she is. 1962 Class Secretary Myrna Abbott Kasser 214 Thirteenth St Hoboken, NJ 07030 [email protected] Just a reminder: we have our own website now — www.ClassOf62.org — with pictures from the 2007 Reunion. And we have a listserv: send an email to [email protected]. | Janet Weinberger Traister and her husband moved to Dallas from Laguna Niguel, CA, to be near their son (who’s a financial analyst with 7-Eleven) and grandson. “We are enjoying life in this dynamic city. My husband is retired from the Navy and Boeing. We travel quite a bit, including hiking in Patagonia, Basque Country, Zion and Bryce national parks, and Santa Fe. This summer we hiked in Banff and Yoho national parks. Last winter we spent three delightful weeks in The Netherlands. Occasionally we get to Boston. There, I especially enjoy visiting my Simmons roommate, Myrna Herscot Freedman.” | Lynn Waldman Kaufman finally classnotes This image of Ann Davis Shaw ’70 was shown in the Trustman Art Gallery as part of the fall 2007 exhibit “Trappings: Stories of Women, Power, and Clothing,” a show of photography and video works by Two Girls Working: Tiffany Ludwig and Renee Piechocki. Women in small group settings answered the question, “What do you wear that makes you feel powerful?” made it to a Reunion, joining us in June for our 45th. Lynn wrote, “We had a great three days in Boston — went to visit a Simmons friend from the year before us and it was quite an experience as it had been 25 years since we had seen each other. We started where we left off when we were in Dix Hall. That’s the beauty of old and good friends, but it still amazes me when I experience it.” Lynn went to Idaho for a bat mitzvah of her son-in-law’s daughter. He is a rabbi in Boise. Her daughter married him one year ago, after having two children of her own. Then Lynn was in Israel for a family wedding in August. | Ann Webster Hunt and her husband Tom went to New Zealand in 2007. They went hiking all over, including their “proudest achievement — a climb up to Mueller Hut.” | Colleen French Tuck wasn’t able to make reunion. She noted that retirement is even busier than working. She’s been traveling to India and Bhutan, working a little bit, and playing with her grandchildren. | Rose Jacobson Novak is still in Jackson, WY, where she skis a lot. She also volunteers for the literacy program and film festival. “I made my acting debut last March in The Vagina Monologues.” | Carol Nobel Hirsh has another grandson. Her daughter teaches at Wellesley Middle School. Carol bought a place in Cambridge, where her children live, in anticipation of the day she and Mike move from Rochester, NY, after he retires. | Madeline Cushman lives in Minneapolis, MN, and writes, “I have taught school, been on school boards, raised four daughters, and volunteered many hours at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. I remarried three years ago. Between us we have six children and nine grandchildren. Life is good.” 1963 REUNION ’08 MAY 30–JUNE 1 1964 Class Secretary Karen Chaiken Kavet 69 Lincoln Road Wayland, MA 01778 [email protected] Carolyn Miethe Lisle and John moved to Nashua, NH, in 2003, where they have become active in politics. They were part of the Democratic sweep that took over the NH House of Representatives in 2006. Carolyn serves on the State and Federal Relations and Veterans Affairs Committee. “A natural fit since I am a Vietnam veteran (communications officer in the U.S. Naval Reserves, 1965–1968).” | There was an error in a previous Class Notes section. Information about Sue Press was combined with someone else from Israel. Sue lives in NY and does not have any children. 1965 Suellen Wiseman Wilson Zima published Memoirs of a Middleaged Hummingbird in 2006. She has enjoyed being an author and returned to China in 2007 to have a birthday banquet thanking her friends there for being such a meaningful part of her life. Suellen’s website is www.ZimaTravels.com. 1966 Martha Dukelow Borst ([email protected]) recently moved to the magnificent wine country north of San Francisco. She is living on 33 acres in the midst of rolling hills, giant oak trees, and manicured vineyards. “I even have my own little ‘Martha’s Vineyard’, which is so much fun, and I am completely remodeling the house.” Lynda Helwig Hewitt, her husband Mike, and their son and granddaughter recently came out to visit Martha. “It was great to see them and reminisce about old Simmons days. (I introduced them way back then.)” Martha continues her corporate consulting, executive coaching, and public speaking, and recently published a book, Your Survival Strategies Are Killing You! The Eight Principles You Must Follow to Thrive in Life and Work, which made it to #3 on the Amazon. com bestseller list! Visit her website: www.marthaborst.com. 1967 Bonnie Cravets Yankaskas writes, “For the past 15 years, I have been conducting community-based research in screening mammography. I have done this in North Carolina, nationally, and internationally. I teach in a medical school and at a school of public health. I have also been involved in collaborative research with members of the large American Indian community in NC. I have had a fulfilling career, and am still active and enjoying my work.” 1968 REUNION ’08 MAY 30–JUNE 1 1969 Barbara Nichols is a real estate broker and expert witness in Los Angeles. She just published the book The No Lawsuit Guide to Real Estate Transactions (McGraw Hill) to assist buyers, sellers, and real estate agents undergraduate classnotes winter 2008 37 classnotes in avoiding common pitfalls that lead to lawsuits. Karen Weinstein Edgers, a real estate broker in Boston, assisted as a book reviewer. 1970 Class Secretary Martha Katz-Hyman 4 Longbow Ct. Newport News, VA 23608 [email protected] Katz-Hyman writes, “Your class officers are determined to get a Class letter out before the snow flies (in Boston, not Newport News!), so please watch for it. I will be including detailed instructions on how to register with Alumnet so you can post news you’d like to share with classmates there. Personally, I spent two weeks in England on a research trip in June–July in preparation for writing an article, and then was off to the Winterthur Museum in Wilmington, DE, doing more research for the same article, this time as the recipient of a month-long Winterthur Research Fellowship. While I was on my way back to Newport News I met with Phyllis Haberman and we caught up over coffee. We hadn’t gotten together for a few years, so it was great to see each other!” 1972 Donna Gilton ’75LS recently was promoted to professor at the Graduate School of Library and Information Studies at the University of Rhode Island. In addition, Donna recently published Multicultural and Ethnic Children’s Literature in the United States. 1973 MAY 30–JUNE 1 Deborah Lerner Duane writes, “My husband Dan and I deposited our youngest child, Brendan, at Syracuse University in the fall. He is a freshman at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. Our son Michael graduated from Princeton summa cum laude in May, and daughter Laura is in her senior year at Columbia. We have a Reunion coming up in May 2008. Can’t wait to see everyone!” | Congratulations to Nancy Clark McGrath, who recently received the 2007 Distinguished Alumnae Award from the Simmons School for Health Studies. The second edition of Nancy’s Food Guide for Marathoners is “hot off the press,” and copies are available at www.nancyclarkrd. com. | Michelle Seltzer Seligson says, “After 30 years developing the after-school field from the base of Wellesley College’s Centers for Women, I’m now an 1968 alumna Gail Chang Bohr receives a major award from the American Bar Association. Read more on page 8. 38 simmons REUNION ’08 alumnet.simmons.edu Eileen Glass Katz ’83 was recently named director of HR at SEA Consultants analytic candidate in training at the Boston C.G. Jung Institute. Many more miles to go on that, but it’s wonderful!” | Donna Lau Yee wrote, “It’s official. Ken and I will be making our final tuition payments this year,” as younger son Kenny graduated summa cum laude from Boston University in 2006 and son Jason graduated from Tufts University School of Medicine in 2007. Kenny is consulting at IBM, and Jason has a residency in anesthesiology. “We are proud and grateful to share our joy with friends and family.” Donna sends special greetings to classmate Marilyn Bang. 1976 Gwendolyn Potier Richard ([email protected]) and Sharon Johnson are still living in Houston. They recently visited New York to see The Color Purple. Gwen visits with Dawn Miller Scarlet in Chicago every few years. On a recent visit they laughed their way through Menopause: The Musical. After Simmons dedicates the Library and Lifetime Giving Wall. Read more on p. 28. working 11 years as a labor relations attorney, Dawn changed careers and is now an educator and loves it. Gwen is hoping to see many of our AfricanAmerican classmates at the next Simmons Black Alumnae/i Symposium in April. At the last one in 2005, she had the chance to fellowship with Millicent Gorham, Lisa Challenger, and Adele McSpadden Pride. President Scrimshaw visited Houston alums in April of this year, who found her to be a very downto-earth person. | Ellen Gilbert Pfendner recently retired from academia, where she was an assistant professor at Thomas Jefferson University specializing in inherited skin disorders. Ellen received her Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1984 and worked in various medical centers doing molecular diagnostics. She is now a consultant for GeneDx and Pxt International, working from home and loving it! Ellen has two children — Carl, age 23, and Lauren, age 21 — and is “married and enjoying freedom at 50+!” 1977 Megan Harris Shapiro was recently elected to the board of directors of White Plains Hospital Center in White Plains, NY. classnotes 1978 REUNION ’08 MAY 30–JUNE 1 Class Secretary Judith Blacher Berger P.O. Box 1956 Andover, MA 01810 [email protected] Clarice (Claire) Poole Andrews has resided at Brooksby Village retirement community for five years now. Clare volunteers in the attached assisted living and nursing unit, where she says many programs are available. 1979 Class Secretary Gail Pituck 76 Thorndike Street, Suite 3 Arlington, MA 02474 [email protected] 1981 Janice Young recently took a position as sales manager at Salem Waterfront Hotel & Suites in Salem, MA. 1982 Class Secretary Darcy De Marco 10525 Bambolla Place Las Vegas, NV 89135 Marlene Mullan-Murphy is a practicing physical therapist in Olney, MD. She has been at the National Rehabilitation Hospital’s regional rehab for the past 10 years doing manual and orthopedic PT. “As the mom of three active boys, it is a juggling act to get it all done. Luckily my employer is flexible, I live close to work, and work part-time. I worked for the U.S. Army in Europe for three years while my husband, Frank, was a captain in the Army. This was before the diapers, so we were able to do a lot of traveling. Now Frank and I are content to drive the swim and soccer carpools closer to home. I am looking forward to the Reunion and hope to see many familiar faces.” | Kristen Sampson Somerville and her family moved to Maine in 1990. Her daughter, Beth, just completed her freshman year at Elon University, and son Chuck is a rising high school senior who hopes to join his sister at Elon. Kristen is employed by United Health Group as a nurse in the disability insurance segment and has completed all course requirements for her master’s in nursing administration and is completing her practica and scholarly work at Saint Joseph’s College of Maine. Her husband Richard is the manager of customer service for the Maine Turnpike Authority. “I keep in touch with Beverlee Salvatore and Grace George Kielpinski. I attended our 25th Reunion this year and had a wonderful time reconnecting with our classmates and Simmons!” | Karen Schwartz, her husband Alan, and son Clayton live in Redwood City, CA. “Clayton, 7, has been fortunate to be raised by his stay-at-home Dad, while I have worked as a scientist at a cardiovascular biotech company. Our last trip east had us in Boston, Marblehead, and my hometown of Fitchburg. My son loves the ‘T’ and was proud to say he rode on all four lines: green, red, orange and blue!” | Sharon Stahl Wexler received her Ph.D. in nursing research and theory from New York University College of Nursing in May 2007. Sharon lives in White Plains, NY, with her husband Howard. | June Mouradjian Anthony stays in touch with many classmates at Simmons. She lives in Wenham, MA, and works part-time in her husband Jim’s CPA firm. They have two sons, Ryan and Kevin. Ryan attends the University of Connecticut’s honors program for engineering. 1983 REUNION ’08 MAY 30–JUNE 1 Class Secretary Martha Ikerd 123 Reed Farm Road Boxborough, MA 01719 [email protected] Lauren Sterling Sussman writes that she, Margaret “Meg” McCarthy, and Carole Collins Alexander get together regularly on Wednesday nights for dinner. Between the three of them, they already have two high school graduates, two stepchildren, four children still at home, four marriages, three divorces, two engagements, one re-marriage, three dogs that passed away, and four Girls Weekend Sailing excursions! They have been joined in their frolicking in the past by Joanne Blomstrom LeDonne and Marjorie Bikofsky Klayman, and would love to hear from anyone living in the Mansfield/ Easton area. | Laura Thompson was scheduled to have her debut novel, Laughter in the Canyon, published by South Street Press, an imprint of Garnet Publishing in England, in December 2007. For further information, go to www.garnetpublishing.co.uk/ laughter_in_the_canyon.html | Jeanne Wallace writes, “My son, Henry, played baritone sax for his band at Nock Middle School in Newburyport, MA. For the second year in a row, his band took home a gold medal in the International Association of Jazz Educators competition in May. Henry is now off to high school, but will continue to study music and music theory, and will continue with piano, and alto and tenor sax, too.” | Eileen Glass Katz recently was named director of human resources for SEA Consultants, an engineering/ architecture firm headquartered in Cambridge, MA. 1984 Lisa Friedman Schermerhorn lives in Duxbury, MA, with husband Scott, son Max (17), and daughter Haylie (14). She has her own business as a certified hypnotist and Reiki Master. | Nancy Pease lives in Newton, MA, and is married to John Thomas. She has two stepchildren, Carolyn, 20, who attends University of Pennsylvania, and Will, 18, who attends Suffolk University. “I would love to hear from Laura Bortnik Kyett if she is reading this.” | Candyce Polk Lindsay lives in Tempe, AZ, and is employed at Arizona State undergraduate classnotes winter 2008 39 classnotes Adria Deasy Giordano ’92 at home with her family University as the sponsored projects officer and site supervisor at the Biodesign Institute. She and Tyrone Lindsay have been married since 1990 and have two boys, ages 14 and 9. “I have had the opportunity to do lots of community service work, as a board member on the Tempe Library Board, American Heart Association, and for the past eight years a member of the Susan G. Komen Foundation Board in Phoenix. I recently received the Komen National Cameo Award for my ‘achievements, time, compassion, and volunteer spirit, which serve as an inspiration to others.’ What an honor!” | Thais Faller Gloor is looking forward to the 25th Reunion and hoping to attend at least part of it. “My husband Michael and I have been married 15 years and live in Burlington, MA, with our 8-year-old son Matthias. I’m at home but doing some freelance layout and design work from there. I’d love to be in contact with anyone who’s interested. A recent highlight was our long-awaited trip to Switzerland and Germany in August to visit relatives and see the homeland. (Michael is Swiss and I have German roots.) What a treat! We stayed three weeks, saw 35 relatives, stayed in a 350year-old farmhouse in Germany, and visited the tops of at least six of the Alps, to mention just a few aspects of the adventure.” 1985 Ellen Biener Knasin was recently elected president of Temple Sinai in Cranston, RI. A native of RI, Ellen graduated from the Case Western Reserve University School of Law. She and her husband, Paul, have two daughters, 10-year-old Alison and 8-year-old Lauren. 1987 Deborah Edwin-Snow was unable to attend Reunion this year due to family commitments. She is currently employed part-time at Brockton Hospital Cindy Crandall Lips ’96 visits with Noelle Jacobsen ’96 in Florida 40 simmons alumnet.simmons.edu as a senior pediatric physical therapist working in the Level 2 special care nursery. The primary client base is premature infants and babies who have been exposed to drugs (cocaine, heroin, etc.) during pregnancy. Previously she worked at New England Medical Center for six years in the neonatal intensive care unit as senior physical therapist. “I am celebrating my 15th wedding anniversary this coming June, married to my husband John, and extremely happy. We have 2 children; Nick, 12 and Erika, 10. We live in Foxboro. My husband is vice president of marketing for Enigma Corp. in Burlington, MA. We still see our freshman year friends annually, including Wendy Weaver Carmichael, Tina MacVicar, Allysen Sloane Lynch, Catherine (Catie) Hazen, and Mary Curran Cantor. All of the aforementioned, except Catie, have at least one girl, so we try to annually get a motherdaughter photo of these two generations! Jill O’Neill ’93 HS is still a dear friend of mine and also resides in Foxboro. I am actively involved in my Christian faith and participated in a mission trip to Mexico last year to assist in building an orphanage and teaching bible school to children. I am also actively involved in the 200-mile Pan Mass Challenge, this being my fourth year riding and dedicating time to finding a cure for cancer. I have helped to donate almost $30,000 to the Dana Farber Cancer Research Fund through this event.” | Margaret Clarkson Carpenter relocated from Seattle, WA, to Ridgewood, NJ, in August of ’03, then got married. She has two children under three and continues to work at Aetna. 1988 REUNION ’08 MAY 30–JUNE 1 1989 Jean MacFarland’s email address was printed incorrectly in the last issue of the SIMMONS magazine. Her correct email is [email protected]. 1991 Class Secretary Erin Duffy Wilson 198 Liberty Street Braintree, MA 02184 [email protected] Katherine Pugh Burkitt recently accepted a position at Resolution Health, Inc., located in Columbia, MD, as client manager. | Carmen Miranda ([email protected]), lives in Puerto Rico and is a mother of a 9-year-old boy who keeps her very busy. “I put to use my Simmons savvy every single day of my life! I manage a ‘tight’ home — service management, accounting, financing, marketing, sales, negotiation, investment — you name it! And coordinate all sorts of activities at home and within the community. I am very fulfilled and owe a lot to the excellent education I received at Simmons.” 1992 Class Secretary Karen Gordon Lieberman 30 Clearmont Avenue Denville, NJ 07834 [email protected] Barbara Brown Cox travelled to Australia in 2006 to meet her husband, Jeff, for his vacation from Iraq, where he served as a classnotes social worker in a medical unit for one year. Jeff’s deployment has ended and he has returned safely to the U.S. Please contact Barbara if your family is experiencing a military deployment or if you are planning a trip to Australia. Barbara works at the Lynn Time Bank in Lynn, MA. | Adria Deasy Giordano is the development officer for Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD)’s Connecticut state organization. Prior to this, she was the executive director for MADD’s Greater Hartford Chapter. Adria has an extensive history in Connecticut politics and in fundraising, having worked for Senator Chris Dodd for 12 years, both in Washington, DC, and Connecticut. An active member in her community, Adria is the incoming president of the West Hartford Newcomers Club, member of the board of directors of the West Hartford Moms and More Club, and member of the YWCA Greater Hartford Region. She is the alumnae class president and regional Club President for Simmons, and volunteers for many charities and organizations, including My Sister’s Place in Hartford and Yale New Haven Hospital in New Haven. 1993 REUNION ’08 MAY 30–JUNE 1 An article about sommelier Christie Dufault appeared in the July issue of Wine Spectator magazine. Christie started off at the Adams-Mark Hotel in Philadelphia in 1995. She moved to San Francisco in 2000 to help open Bacar, another “Best of” Wine Spectator award winner, and then became wine director at Restaurant Gary Danko, which won a Wine Spectator Grand Award during her tenure. Last November she started at Quince restaurant in San Francisco. | Melissa Gammell Winters and her husband, Scott, welcomed their second son Ryan in May 2007. Ryan weighed 7 lbs., 2 oz., and happily joins his big sister, Kayla, and big brother, Aidan. | Bronwyn Knight White has lived in Wilmington, NC, since 2005, along with her husband Heath. The couple welcomed their second child, Abigail Arwen White in March 2007. Big brother, Baxter, now four years old, loves his little sister dearly. Bronwyn would be very happy to hear from any classmates. Email her at bronwyngwhite@ yahoo.com. 1994 Robin Ruta Rubin and husband Jeffrey welcomed their second child, Satchel Harper, July 26, 2006, underwater, at the North Shore Birth Center in Beverly, MA. Satchel was born three days after big brother Simon’s third birthday. Although Robin remains a stay-at-home mother, she is still devoted to her love of maternal-child health issues and hopes to become a certified Bradley Childbirth Educator. Robin can be reached at [email protected]. 1996 Langley Downing Allbritton writes, “After living in Zurich, Switzerland, for 6 months, we moved to Dalian, China. Now, nearly a year later, we are relocating to Denver, CO.” | Cindy Crandall Lips writes, “On a recent visit to Florida, got to catch up in person with Noelle Jacobsen and her husband, Vince. We shared lots of laughs and Noelle, a practicing midwife, NJ. They currently reside in Palisades Park, NJ. “Suneel and I were married in a traditional Hindu ceremony, as well as a Catholic ceremony. In attendance were Alyssa Voss Minutillo, Rachel Amgott ’04HS, and Karen Boss ’95. We went to Australia and New Zealand for our honeymoon. We have been happy in New Jersey ever since!” shared many tips on getting through the remaining weeks of pregnancy. I have also enjoyed having Stephanie Gordon nearby — although her career at NASPA keeps her busy.” Cindy recently visited with Kristine Young Chamberlain ’98 and her husband Paul from MA. | Christine J. O’Donnell married Ryan O’Donnell on Cape Cod in 2004. They currently reside in Marstons Mills (Barnstable), Cape Cod, with their three Bullmastiffs, Mack, Mackenzie, and Ruby. In January, they took a trip to the Island of Vieques, located off the coast of Puerto Rico, and plan to revisit this winter. Christine is currently a human resource associate for Cape Cod Healthcare at Cape Cod Hospital in Hyannis. She would love to hear from her classmates. Email her at [email protected]. 1998 REUNION ’08 MAY 30–JUNE 1 In May, Elizabeth Jendro Noel graduated from Lesley University with a master’s degree focused on adaptive business management for arts-based professions. 1999 Class Secretary Melissa Finn 18 Rice Street Middleboro, MA 02346 [email protected] Moira McTique Bundschuh writes, “We currently have two wonderful foster daughters. They are 5 and 2 1/2! We live in NH, and are enjoying the slower pace and beautiful views.” 1997 Susan Boss Chilukuri and Suneel Chilukuri were married May 6, 2006, in Teaneck, Christine O’Donnell ’96 and husband Ryan O’Donnell on the Island of Vieques undergraduate classnotes winter 2008 41 classnotes 2001 Class Secretary Lindsay Tobor 774 Coleman Avenue, Apt. H Menlo Park, CA 94025 [email protected] Erica Walker is the creator of a home furnishings and stationery company out of Brookline called Edesse Designs. The collection is full of eye-grabbing and colorful coffee tables that are unique and modern. Erica is currently a Ph.D. candidate at Boston College. To see her designs, visit http://www. edessedesigns.com. | Lisa Cormier Valentine was recently named to the Maine Marketing Association Board. She is looking forward to providing marketing-related education and support to its members and to the region’s business community as the newly appointed communications chair. 2002 Katherine Lupa Matthews and Peter James Matthews, Jr. were married Oct. 21, 2005 in Farmington, CT. They currently reside in Hartford, CT. Sarah Lupa ’07GS was the maid of honor and Joan Wallace ’02 was a bridesmaid. In attendance was Christine Wallace ’97HS, graduate of the school of nursing, and godmother and aunt of the bride. Also in attendance from the Class of 2002 were: Kristen Carter, Hillary Kruger, Julieanna Sacchetti, and Katharine Zaccaria Auxier. In Febru- club news Simmons Club Of Boston One hundred ten alumnae/i, family, and friends attended the Simmons Club of Boston’s annual Night at the Red Sox event June 29. After enjoying a BBQ on the residence campus, the Simmons crowd was treated to a 2-1 Red Sox victory over the Texas Rangers at Fenway Park. Simmons College Club of Cape Cod The Simmons College Club of Cape Cod held its annual dinner meeting at the Hyannis Golf Club on June 13. Guest speaker Marina Brock ’80, environmental scientist for Barnstable County, spoke on the issue of environmental health and wellness. South Shore Simmons Club The South Shore Simmons Club held its annual dinner May 1 at the Hearth ’n Kettle in Weymouth, MA. Guest speaker Ernie Santosuosso, retired music critic for the Boston Globe, captivated the group with his stories of interviewing music and entertainment legends. Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts Simmons Club On March 27, the Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts Simmons Club convened for a dinner meeting at Barnsider’s Mile and a Quarter Restaurant in Providence. Lorraine A. Horton, CPA and certified fraud examiner, spoke to the group about fighting identity theft. 42 simmons alumnet.simmons.edu Maine Simmons Community On June 14, members of the Simmons community in southern Maine gathered for an evening of socializing and stand-up comedy at The Comedy Connection in Portland. New Hampshire and Vermont Simmons Community This spring, 36 members of the Simmons community in New Hampshire and Vermont came together to volunteer at the annual Five-Colleges Book Sale. The sale, held April 21 and 22 in Lebanon, NH, generated $9,300 in scholarship funds for NH and VT students for each of the five participating colleges: Mt. Holyoke, Simmons, Smith, Vassar, and Wellesley. Carleton-Willard Village Simmons Community In Bedford, MA, the Carleton-Willard Village Simmons Community held its annual luncheon April 18. Sheila Murphy, dean for student life, led a lively discussion of student traditions through Simmons’s history. Middlesex, MA, Simmons Club On June 10, the Middlesex Simmons Club held its annual scholarship luncheon, hosted by Florence McManus ’84LS. Fairfield and Westchester Connecticut Counties Simmons Club The Southern Fairfield and Westchester Counties Simmons Club held its annual potluck dinner at the home of Nancy Gavrin ’58 on May 17. Marie Brais ’95, guest speaker from the Office of Advancement, discussed “the greening of Simmons” and the new School of Management Building project. Northern New Jersey Simmons Club On April 22 the Northern New Jersey Simmons Club celebrated its 60th anniversary at the Teaneck Marriott. It was a wonderful afternoon celebrating the club’s success and commitment to Simmons. It was nice to have guest speaker, Sheila Murphy, dean for student life, discuss traditions at Simmons. Simmons Club of Southwest Florida On March 24, more than 30 SWFL alums gathered to watch the Red Sox vs. Tampa Bay Devil Rays game at Progress Energy Park. It was a wonderful afternoon for the alums to cheer on two fantastic teams during spring training. Peninsula Simmons Club Annual Strawberry Luncheon The Peninsula Simmons Club held its Annual Strawberry Luncheon May 5, at the home of Lucy Stone ’52. The group enjoyed an afternoon connecting with other local Simmons alums learning what is new at Simmons. San Diego, California Simmons Community The Simmons Club of San Diego spent the day at Petco Park watching the San Diego Padres take on the Boston Red Sox on June 24. The Red Sox won 4-2 with Josh Beckett on the mound. The Padres welcomed the Simmons College alumnae and friends with a note on the scoreboard! classnotes ary 2007, Katherine and Peter welcomed their first child, Anna Deborah Matthews. Katherine recently accepted a position at Gordon, Muir and Foley, LLP in Hartford, CT, as an associate in their construction law section. Previously she was employed at the Law Offices of Glenn T. Terk as a litigation associate. She graduated from the University of Connecticut School of Law in 2005 and was admitted to the Connecticut bar, and in 2007 was admitted to the federal bar for the District of Connecticut. | Diane Randolph recently accepted a position at Department of Health and Mental Hygiene in Manhattan, NY, as director of cross-cultural communications. Diane recently was employed at Community Healthcare Network as a breast cancer early detection program manager. Diane is working on her doctoral degree in public health at Hunter College and anticipates she will be done in 2011. “I still look back at my time spent at Simmons and know that this shaped me for my work and additional research in the field of urban public health.” 2003 REUNION ’08 MAY 30–JUNE 1 Class Secretary Kylie Anschutz 4092 Jockey Street Charlton, NY 12019 [email protected] Julie Blundon Nash and G.R. Nash were married in March 2007 in Old Saybrook, CT. They currently reside in Connecticut. The wedding was wonderful, and they were pleasantly surprised to have great weather at the end of March. — they spent some time on the beach before the reception! Julie says, “It was great to see Molly Weinmann and her husband for the day.” | Belinda Sanborn recently purchased a home with her boyfriend of four years in San Diego, CA, and is working on her master’s degree in biostatistics at San Diego State University. | Amy Malone is heading into her third year of law school at Suffolk University Law School. She is living in Quincy with her boyfriend and two cats. | Sarah Buckley and Mark Nolan were married June 2006 in Bristol, NH. They currently reside in Westford, MA. The couple celebrated with a reception on Newfound Lake and spent two wonderful weeks honeymooning in the Mediterranean. Marya Otka Neary and Elissa Ortola attended as bridesmaids. Sarah and Mark also recently welcomed their first child, Alexandria Leigh, born March 4, 2007, and weighing 7 lbs., 14 oz. “Mom, dad, and baby are all happy and healthy!” | Patience Lapierre and Corey Joy are happy to announce their marriage July 27, 2007, along the water in New Castle, NH. The couple celebrated with a reception at the Sheraton Hotel in Portsmouth and spent 10 relaxing days in Barbados. Cara Crupi, Katie Crupi-Sullivan ’02, Lindsey Cheney, and Teresina Cardamone-Rayner attended as bridesmaids. 2004 Class Secretary Elizabeth Martins 76 Hunter Street Fall River, MA 02721 [email protected] Alice Fangueiro recently accepted a position at Boston magazine as business manager. Alice recently was employed at one of the country’s top law firms, WilmerHale, as a legal assistant. | Julie Tuttle, a medical surgical nurse at Southern New Hampshire Medical Center in Nashua, recently was awarded the Clint Jones New Hampshire Nursing Award by The Foundation for Healthy Communities. The Clint Jones Award recognizes a registered nurse in New Hampshire who exemplifies the practice of quality nursing care and demonstrates a career commitment to the nursing profession. 2005 Krysta Betit recently accepted a position at Teach for America in New Orleans, LA, as a high school English teacher. “Following my matriculation from Boston College with a master’s in English, I really wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. I knew that I wanted my Ph.D. at some point, but after 6 straight years at college it was time for a break. So I decided to join Teach for America and embark on a twoyear adventure teaching in the Relief School Districts that have opened in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. I am really looking forward to both the excitement of a new home, and the challenge of teaching in a city that is still being rebuilt.” | Kim Williams Thipe has taken the position of head of innovation at FNB Home Loans. She is tasked with coming up with innovative ideas around mortgage lending and property. Kim also recently completed an executive MBA at the Graduate School of Business in Cape Town. | Sarah Tremblay and Robert Ahern are proud to announce the birth of their baby girl, Morgan Kristina Ahern, born Nov. 15, 2005 in Wareham, MA. 2006 Class Secretary Leslie Doerr 58 River Road Wayland, MA 01778 [email protected] Rebecca Lavers was married to Patrick Kelliher June 10, 2007, at Manchester Country Club in Bedford, NH. They currently reside in Seabrook, NH. The wedding was attended by Matron of Honor Marcy Boucher, and Bridesmaids Sarah Creed and Sarah Curran. Also in attendance were Jaime Savoie ’07, and students Meredith McFarland and Laurie Batchelder. | Jennifer Moriarty Avedisian and David Avedisian were married Sept. 25, 2006 in Hampton Beach, NH. They currently reside in Fort Myers, FL. “After knowing each other 2 weeks, we knew it was meant to be.” 2007 Class Secretary Jessica White 2 Claflin Road, Apt. 1 Brookline, MA 02445 [email protected] Mira Blumberg Whiting was married to James Whiting on June 17, 2007. They reside in Somerville, MA. For their honeymoon, they spent two weeks traveling around Ireland. Read about the incoming class of 2011 on page 10. undergraduate classnotes winter 2008 43 obituaries OBITUARIES 1949 From April 16 2007 through August 31, 2007, the Office of Advancement Services received notification that the following alumnae/i and faculty are deceased. 1958 emeritus faculty Louise Silbert Bandler April 14, 2007 garland junior college 1928 Natalie Sheldon Friend May 30, 2004 Helen Sturdy Ruehmling March 3, 2006 Grace Wagner Roughton November 12, 2005 1951 Phillip Curtis June 7, 2007 1956 Joseph Hopkins June 6, 2007 1957 1932 Elizabeth Dellinger Cushman November 19, 2005 Dorothy Baker October 1, 2006 Burton Goddard July 22, 2007 1936 1958 Minna Flynn Johnson April 16, 2007 Evro Layton June 8, 2005 1937 1962 Irene Hurwitz Lappin January 24, 2006 Sylvia Feshbach June 9, 2006 1950 1963 John McAuliffe August 13, 2007 Tikvah Sachs Portnoi June 26, 2007 1959 Sarah Parker May 25, 2007 1986 Ellen Mathewson May 17, 2007 undergraduate college 1924 Alice Allen Everett Library and Information Science May 4, 2007 1925 Marion Davis Greene Business, May 17, 2007 1926 Lorna Bearse Bedrick Business, February 19, 2005 1927 Bernice Robinson Blystone Business, May 6, 2007 Ruth Gibb Decker Business, February 5, 2004 Patricia Abrams Query May 16, 2004 Vera Cederstrom Cheves June 24, 2007 1954 1967 Jane Johnson Bowers July 9, 2006 Lawrence Marble November 7, 2006 college of arts and sciences graduate studies 1929 1969 Margaret Andreozzi July 1, 2007 Helen Levenson Cohen Business, August 2, 2007 Doris Hyde Reed Business, July 11, 2007 1971 1930 Frankie Ladley Wakefield Retail Management November 22, 2004 1931 Virginia Thatcher Hoecker Retail Management April 17, 2006 Jeannette Rabinovitz Solomon Retail Management December 18, 2006 Ruth Redman Southworth Retail Management April 11, 2005 1936 Sandra Nathanson Von Lichtenberg April 20, 2007 1975 Rosemary Kelley April 12, 2007 1977 Carolyn Crandall Business Administration May 16, 2007 school for health studies 1956 M. Bradley Kopstein Retail Management December 27, 2006 Ruth Rogers Lambert Business, April 18, 2005 Letitia Doten Cole Nursing, June 30, 2007 1956 school of social work 1938 Enid Tozier Home Economics May 10, 2007 graduate school of library and informationscience 1930 Elizabeth Gardner Norweb June 1, 2007 44 simmons 1996 Christian Chenard Nursing, May 20, 2007 Elizabeth Brainerd Lindemann July 20, 2007 1944 Hannah Putnam Burbank May 28, 2007 alumnet.simmons.edu 1929 Ivy Berger Business, December 17, 2006 Rhoda Potter Mealy Business General, July 8, 2007 1931 Arlene Oxley Beckley Business, January 28, 2003 Kathleen Cullis Dunning Home Economics May 12, 2003 Myrtle Dyer Special, March 24, 2006 Virginia Bird Helms Library and Information Science, July 4, 2007 Esther Sweet York Science, June 1, 2006 1932 Doris Sabine Hume Library and Information Science, August 3, 2006 Dorothy Dickson Kinraide Business, April 23, 2006 Charlotte Baker Miller Science, May 25, 2006 Gladys Morgan Schuldt Business, February 23, 2006 1933 Elizabeth Malm Carlson Business, July 12, 2007 Eleanora Norkunas Chaplik Library and Information Science, July 6, 2005 Edith Miller Hinman Home Economics January 21, 2007 Ethel Fisher McMorris Home Economics December 7, 2006 1934 Mary Yunck Cort Library and Information Science, May 10, 2007 1935 Ruth Gage Social Work, June 11, 2006 Mary Daly Jackson Business, May 1, 2007 Lillian Murdock Biology, June 19, 2007 Dorothea Talbot Business, April 30, 2007 Elinor Haines Ward Business, April 26, 2007 Lucille Hill Yeaton ’46SW Social Work, May 5, 2007 1937 Vera Chase Library and Information Science, March 20, 2007 1938 Mary Logan Canavan Business, August 5, 2007 1939 1944 Ann Paradise Danforth Nutrition, June 18, 2007 Janet Grant Phillips ’45SW Pre-Professional, April 7, 2007 Elaine Frankel Platt Business, February 12, 2006 Mary-Effie MacDonald Shay Retail Management May 21, 2007 1945 Nancy Baker Kobick Physics, April 23, 2007 Jean Carroll Macdonald Pre Professional, July 14, 2007 1947 Phyllis Gray Nursing, March 22, 2006 Teresa La Croix Weaver English, February 27, 2007 1948 Josephine Cony Premo Nursing, May 17, 2007 1949 Jane Black Werner Retail Management June 7, 2007 1950 Jeannette McKee Library and Information Science, June 21, 2007 Rosemary Schott Business, June 23, 2007 Ruth Westwood Colby English, July 22, 2007 Mary Parandelis Fitzpatrick Business, September 21, 2006 Catherine Toomey Keefe ’41SW Social Work, June 25, 2007 Nancy Eaton MacMillan Home Economics, July 25, 2007 1955 1940 1960 Cecelia Horace Needle Pre-Professional February 4, 2006 Sibyl Orr Saunders Library and Information Science, June 30, 2007 1941 Beatrice Labes Glashow Nursing, June 22, 2007 Jean Taylor Lofgren Nursing, March 4, 2007 1942 Elisabeth Crommett Quast Business, February 5, 2005 Estelle Brassil Roper Special, April 10, 2007 Evelyn Peterson Vogt Home Economics August 26, 2006 1943 Sylvia Braver Hausman Home Economics April 16, 2007 Mary-Hope Carini Ferrara Home Economics April 22, 2007 Mary Blanchard Kirkiles Communications, July 31, 2007 1956 Shirley Richardson Creedon Social Science, March 22, 2007 Nancy Pendlebury Wrigley ’73LS Library and Information Science, May 22, 2007 1966 M. Lesley Poges Wilkins Education, July 23, 2007 1971 Martha Williams Dionne ’75LS Education, July 15, 2007 1976 Carol London-Mirkin Nutrition, July 12, 2007 1981 Judith Hershenson Retail Management March 25, 2004 endnote movers and shakers what’s in a name? left to right: BY L. MICHELLE VITAL ’00 The first time I knew for sure that I was one of “them” was when I was eight years old. I had just entered the third grade and learned that Haitians were part of the “4H Club,” a select group made up of Homosexuals, Heroin Users, Hemophiliacs, and you guessed it: Haitians. As members of the 4H club, Haitians were branded as risk factors for HIV infection by the Centers for Disease Control. I remember times, as my friends and I walked to and from school, when other kids would yell, “You Haitians go back to Haiti.” and “You have AIDS.” Even at that age, it became clear to me that I was different. In 1986, thousands of Haitians rallied across the U.S. demanding that the “4H” distinction be eradicated. My parents took me out of school the day of the Boston rally so that we could join other protesters at Government Center. I will never forget how proud I was to see so many of my people demonstrating against the injustice of this vicious stereotype. Racial and ethnic identity is a tricky thing, a nuanced distinction that can con- fuse one’s self-identification. Many people label me as African-American because I am black and was born in the United States. However, my socialization and culture — the food that I eat, the language I speak at home, the Konpa music I listen to, even the church I grew up in — are Haitian. On the other hand, some Haitians do not consider me Haitian because I was not born in Haiti, the first black Republic in the Western Hemisphere. As our society becomes increasingly more diverse, it will be important for those in power to recognize and understand that the labels of yesteryear simply do not suffice. At Simmons, like so many other college campuses, there are students of color who check “other” because Black/African American, Asian, or Hispanic does not quite fit who they are. For those students who are non-American or first-generation American like me, their identities are closely tied with their familial countries, which is quite different than being simply American or of a particular race. So what am I? While racially I identify as black, my identity is more closely tied to Haitian. For me, it has been a lifelong balancing act between assimilating to the American culture that surrounds me and honoring the Haitian culture that I have grown up in. So after all these years, I have proudly landed on Haitian-American as my bi-cultural and ethnic identity, honoring both my ancestry and the country in which I was born. Like many others I know, I have had to look deep within myself and beyond the superficial in order to identify who I am. L. Michelle Vital ’00 is the assistant director for student leadership and activities at Simmons. She earned her master’s degree in student affairs administration from Michigan State University in 2005 and enjoys mentoring young women, volunteering at the Colonel Daniel Marr Boys and Girls Club and with the G.I.R.L.S. Project. She serves as the treasurer for the Council of Black Administrators, Faculty, and Staff at Simmons. You may also send a gift to Simmons College The Simmons Fund 300 The Fenway Boston, MA 02115 or make a gift by telephone at 1-800-831-4284 30 years Reflections on a Strong Tradition ?dCWo(&&."I_ccedim_bbY[b[XhWj[)&o[Whie\Yh[m$To honor this milestone and to recognize three decades of accomplishments, the College has launched a mini-campaign to raise $30,000 for a new boat for the crew team. The Simmons crew team is strong. Last October, Simmons crew won the silver medal at the Head of the Charles Regatta, claiming second place among a field of 34 schools. The team also captured the gold and silver medals at the 2007 Textile Regatta. And the Simmons community collectively celebrated when Wendy Campanella ’96 earned a prestigious place on the 2007 National Rowing Team. 7j^b[j_YifbWoWd_cfehjWdjheb[_dj^[b_l[ie\cWdoe\ekhijkZ[dji$I_ccediWj^b[j[i WffheWY^j^[_hifehjiWickY^ceh[j^WdWd[njhWYkhh_YkbWhWYj_l_jo1j^[o[nf[h_[dY[j^[ fhWYj_Y[ie\b[WZ[hi^_fÄhij^WdZ$IfehjiZ[l[befekhijkZ[dji¼WX_b_j_[ijemeham_j^_d j[Wci"c[[j]eWbi"cWdW][Yh_j_Y_icWdZi[jXWYai"WdZX[Å[n_Xb[$ Please join me in honoring our Simmons athletes by making a gift online at alumnet.simmons.edu/giving. You may designate your gift for <h_[dZie\7j^b[j_Yi or the 9h[m)&j^7dd_l[hiWho9WcfW_]d.Your support assists us in providing students with a highly competitive athletics program centered on student leadership development. Thank you. Sincerely, Ali Kantor, Director of Athletics SIMMONS | ADDRESS SERVICE REQUIRED 300 The Fenway, Boston, MA 02115-5898 NONPROFIT US POSTAGE PAID N READING MA PERMIT NO. 121 S