SIMMONS
WINTER 2008
CAS Edition
special issue:
SIMMONS EXAMINES DIVERSITY
IN ACADEMIA AND HEALTHCARE
Arts and Sciences
GENDER/CULTURAL STUDIES
PROMOTES INCLUSIVENESS
also in this issue:
π CELEBRATING FOOD IN CHILDREN’S LITERATURE
π NEW PUBLIC HISTORY SPECIALIZATION
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
allyson.irish@simmons.edu
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
CAS
college
schoolof
ofarts
library
andan
and
sciences
information
graduatescience
studies
Students, Faculty Find Home in
Gender/Cultural Studies Program
BY KATIE FIERMONTI
In her second year as director of the
Master of Arts in Gender/Cultural
Studies (GCS) program, Associate
Professor Jyoti Puri has found
her niche.
“We have a cohort of engaged, passionate, and motivated students. The
unique interdisciplinary orientation of
the program is perfectly suited to me,”
said Puri. It’s suited to the students too.
Simmons boasts the nation’s only
master’s degree program dedicated
to examining race, class, gender, and
sexuality within the United States
and in international contexts. With
more than 100 applicants every year
for approximately 35 slots, the highly
competitive program that began
in 1998 currently has 40 students
preparing for careers in a variety of
areas, including academia, social
work, creative writing, business, law,
and public policy.
Puri notes that the wide array of
course offerings and the diverse
academic interests of the students
are two of the program’s strengths.
But while students are encouraged
to explore beyond their original
disciplines, Puri said that it can be
a challenge to cover such a broad
spectrum of interests. “It is always
an interesting challenge to give these
students a common intellectual background in gender and cultural studies while enabling them to pursue
their individual interests,” she said.
“For example, a student with a background in English literature might
want to take a sociology course on
anti-racism and justice work.”
Robert Foote ’08GS is one of
only three men studying GCS at
Simmons, but that suits him just
fine. The interdisciplinary program
is guiding him toward a career in
teaching and research. Foote, like
many other GCS students and
faculty, has found a home in the
program.
“One reason I chose Simmons
was so I could be part of a program
that’s separate from a society that’s
still amazingly male-dominated,”
said Foote. “In GCS, women run the
show. And it’s great.”
“There are few other programs
quite like it,” said Foote, who is applying to Ph.D. programs in cultural
studies and women’s/gender studies.
“It is difficult, highly theoretical and
proud of it, and people working in
many different areas of study can find
a home there. I wanted a program that
would be an excellent and prestigious
preparation for a Ph.D. program.”
The small classes, enthusiastic
faculty, and flexible curriculum support the program’s goal of broadening
women’s studies to include multira-
cial perspectives, as well as national
and postcolonial struggles. To that
end, Puri said the faculty continues to
make efforts to attract and admit more
students of color.
For those students already in the
program, each day in the classroom
helps them broaden their perspectives on everything from popular culture, film and literary criticism, and
human rights, to gender and sexuality. “They hone their ability to read
texts written by a variety of scholars
from different disciplines,” said Puri.
“They start to see the world through a
more critical lens.”
The Master of Arts in Gender/
Cultural Studies program also offers
dual degrees with education and communications management. For more
information on the program, contact
Meghan Killian at 617-521-2224 or
meghan.killian@simmons.edu. π
winter 2008
3
college of arts and sciences graduate studies
Sharing a Love of Literature and Language:
Professor Dánisa Bonacic
BY CHRISTIAN POPE CAMPBELL ’91
Born and raised in Santiago,
Chile, Dánisa Bonacic ventured to
America nearly eight years ago to
teach Spanish at a state university
in Georgia. She had already secured
her bachelor’s and master’s degrees
in Spanish and Latin American
literature, and was ready for professional opportunities in the States.
“I wanted to be in contact with
people from many different back-
My aim is to help my students
become better critical thinkers.
grounds, cultures, and nationalities,
and I felt the academic world in the
U.S. was a good place to do that,”
explained Bonacic.
Once she’d experienced teaching
in a large, public university in the rural south, she decided to head north
and give it a try at a small, private,
urban college. At Brown University
in Providence, R.I., Bonacic obtained
her Ph.D. in Hispanic studies, and
taught in the university’s department
of Hispanic studies and its continuing education school.
“I loved the size and feel of
Brown,” Bonacic said. “It was conducive for establishing personal relationships and more intimacy in my
teaching. That’s what drew me
to Simmons. I felt I could experience
the same richness and satisfaction
teaching here.”
Bonacic joined the faculty at Simmons last fall. She currently teaches
intermediate Spanish language
courses in the undergraduate Department of Modern Languages and
Literatures. This spring she will also
teach a literature course for advanced
undergraduates as well as students in
the Graduate Program for Spanish.
According to Dolores PeláezBenitez, chair of the Department of
Modern Languages and Literatures,
Bonacic brings “the energy and enthusiasm of a young scholar, along
with extensive experience teaching
the Spanish language at other academic institutions.” Peláez-Benitez
says she is delighted to count Bonacic
among the department’s faculty, as is
Raquel Halty, director of the Graduate
Program in Spanish.
“We are very fortunate to have
Dánisa here at Simmons,” said Halty.
“She is passionate about Hispanic
culture and literature. Her scholarly
pursuits in this area have focused on
contemporary Latin American writers
and their role as critics of political
and social policies and as change
agents. I believe that her intelligence,
enthusiasm for her field, experiences
in Chile, and winning personality will
create a dynamic and engaging atmosphere in the classroom.”
Bonacic is humbled by the praise,
yet eager to show how she can contribute to the language program at
Simmons. “My research focus has
been on 20th-century Latin American
literature, particularly novels published in the last 15 years. I believe
I can share with my students these
new literary voices of young writers
who are rethinking ways of portraying Latin American culture. My aim
is to help my students become better
critical thinkers, more receptive to
new adventures, and always more
open to honest and thoughtful connection with one another.”
History Department Offers New Specialization
STEPHEN BERRY
4 simmons
The Department of History’s newest
faculty member, Assistant Professor
Stephen Berry, is designing an undergraduate public history specialization. The program will be one of only
a few in New England. The purpose
of the public history specialization
is to equip students with the tools to
be successful in the many professional fields that present the past to a
general audience.
“Museums, historical sites,
archives, film, and increasingly the
Internet — just to name a few — all
preserve and present history to the
public,” said Berry. “These institutions need personnel who are not
only trained in the various histori-
alumnet.simmons.edu
cal disciplines, but who also have
grasped the complex issues and
questions related to the role of history in the public arena.”
Students will take courses such
as “New Approaches to History,”
“Introduction to Public History,”
“History and Material Culture,” and
“Museum Studies.” Their internships and independent projects may
take place in film and television
studios, or in some of Greater Boston’s museums, archives, historic
buildings, and historical sites.
Because history is an interpretive
exercise, according to Berry, public
displays of the nation’s past may
attract controversy, particularly if the
display goes against popular conceptions of the national story, or neglects
a segment of the population. Those
who have successfully completed the
specialization will be well prepared
to avoid such misrepresentations and
to add complexity and sensitivity in
public representations of the past that
will instruct future generations.
Career opportunities for graduates
with this specialization might include
a position at a historical site, house,
or museum working in research,
interpretation, public relations, or
web and media development.
This program will launch in
spring 2008 with the “Introduction
to Public History” course.
college of arts and sciences graduate studies
Dánisa Bonacic
Resides: Providence, R.I.
Family: Husband Glenn Rawson
Education: Pontificia Universidad
Católica de Chile, B.A., Spanish
and Latin American literature and
linguistics; Pontificia Universidad
Católica de Chile, M.A., Latin American
literature; Brown University, Ph.D.,
Hispanic studies
Classes at Simmons:
SPAN 201 Intermediate Spanish I
SPAN 202 Intermediate Spanish II
SPAN 336 Latin American Women Writers
Awards/Achievements: Robert Gale
Noyes Graduate Fellowship, Brown
University, 2004; Tinker Grant, Center
for Latin American Studies and Watson
Institute, 2003; Fellowship Writing in
the Americas, Boston University,
Department of Modern Languages, 2003;
Best Student of the Year, Universidad
Católica de Chile, Departmento de
Literatura y Linguística, 2000
“Give a gift to Simmons 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’s College of Arts and Sciences
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.collins@simmons.edu or 617-521-2341 and ask her about
“life income gifts.”
Dean’s Message
Those of you who are connected in
any way to public education know that
assessment of learning outcomes has
become the cause célèbre these days. A
number of reasons help us to understand why this is the case.
For one, the No Child Left Behind
Act has led many to reconsider K-12
public education and how we are faring in terms of providing
the knowledge and skills that students need to be successful
in the world. In higher education, the cost of a college degree
has triggered many questions about the “value” of an education: increasingly, we learn that middle-class families are reluctant to take on greater debt to support a student in college.
Education analysts and social scientists have begun to ask
tough questions about how we know if we are successful.
For example, though we claim to be teaching critical thinking skills, by what means do we measure success? The New
England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC), the
accrediting body for Simmons and its counterparts in the region, now emphasizes learning outcomes, in part in response
to the challenges of the federal government. Faculty worry
that such demands may threaten academic freedom, push us
to “teach to the test,” and ignore the sort of learning that cannot necessarily be measured. Yet all of us agree that higher
education has a responsibility to its students and should be
held to the highest standards.
At Simmons we are beginning to prepare for the next
NEASC accreditation, so these questions take on particular
significance for us. But, separate from that process, we have
always sought to assess the learning that takes place here,
and we have much to be proud of.
We know that a student’s writing improves over his or her
time at Simmons. We know that our faculty are well-placed to
provide students with mentoring, career opportunities, and
important professional networks. In addition, we seek more
ways, qualitative as well as quantitative, to measure learning.
For example, we know that our alumnae/i express higher degrees of satisfaction with their experiences than the national
norm. We also know that we have more work ahead of us
— we want to always offer innovative programs, be sensitive
to our markets, and be confident that we are providing all of
our graduates with the skills they will need to be successful
in the next phase of their lives. This is a high bar to set for
ourselves, but we have a great track record and many good
reasons to be confident in our ability to reach that goal.
Sincerely,
PHOTOGRAPHERS:
Len Rubenstein
John Gillooly
more online
Read more CAS news, on Alumnet
alumnet.simmons.edu.
DIANE RAYMOND
DEAN, COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
winter 2008
5
college of arts and sciences graduate studies
faculty news
CHARLOTTE RUSSELL
AKIKO OKUSU
Assistant Professor of Education
Ellen Davidson recently was invited
to the Global Learning Group at the
Education Development Center in
Newton, Mass., to compare educational
structures and approaches in Ghana
and the United States. The Education
Development Center is an international
nonprofit that conducts and applies
research to advance learning and
promote health. Its Global Learning
Group supports human development
efforts around the world. While there,
Davidson co-wrote a curriculum for
K-8 administrators called “Supervision:
Focusing on Mathematical Thinking,”
part of the Lenses on Learning curriculum, which was published last summer
by Dale Seymour Publications, Pearson
Learning Group.
An article by Marlene Fine, MCM
professor of communications, is
featured in Mothering and Feminism in
the Third Wave (Demeter Press, 2007),
a collection of essays. Fine’s article is
titled “My Life as a Transgressor: Memoir of a Lesbian Soccer Mom.”
Charlotte Russell has been appointed assistant professor of biology,
after teaching biology, anatomy, and
physiology courses as an adjunct for
the past year. Previously, she worked
as a post-doctoral research associate
in the cardiovascular division at King’s
College in London, England, where she
also served as an adjunct lecturer in
physiology. Russell received a Ph.D. in
molecular medicine from the University
of Manchester in Manchester, UK, and
a B.Med.Sci from the University of
Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
Welcome to the Newest CAS
Faculty Members
Stephen Berry is an assistant professor of history. His previous teaching
experience includes positions as a
visiting instructor at Hampden-Sydney
College in Virginia, a preceptor at
Duke Divinity School, and an instructor at Duke University. Berry’s areas
of interest include religion in the U.S.,
6 simmons
alumnet.simmons.edu
history of the American South, and
African-American history. He received
a B.A. and an M.Ed. from Vanderbilt
University, an MLIS from the University
of Southern Mississippi, an M.Div. from
Reformed Theological Seminary, and a
Ph.D. in religion from Duke University.
(See article on page 4.)
Dánisa Bonacic, assistant professor of modern languages, is teaching
undergraduate and graduate Spanish.
She has previous teaching experience
from Brown University, including its
continuing education program, and
from Georgia Southern University,
where she has taught a variety of
language levels of Spanish, including
advanced comprehension, conversation,
and composition. Bonacic received her
Ph.D. in Hispanic studies from Brown
University, and her M.A. and B.A. from
Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.
(See profile on page 4.)
Sandra P. Frankmann ’77, assistant
professor of psychology, has more than
two decades of teaching experience
from Colorado State University, University of Southern Colorado, and University of Washington, on topics including
neuroscience, behavioral pharmacology,
and animal behavior. The author of
numerous professional journal research
articles, Frankmann received her Ph.D.
in physiological psychology from the
University of Washington and her B.A.
in neuroscience and art from Simmons.
Maria L. Hegarty ’01GS, clinical
instructor of education and coordinator
of the Madrid Program, has experience teaching English and ESL courses
both in Spain and the United States.
Most recently, she served as a Teaching
English as a Foreign Language trainer
at Windsor Idiomas, a language center
in Spain. A fluent Spanish speaker,
Hegarty received her M.A. in Teaching
English as a Second Language from
Simmons, and her B.A. in psychology
from Boston College.
Michael F. Jordan, assistant professor of physics, is teaching introductory
physics. He previously worked at MIT
as a staff member of the sensor system
applications group, which helps detect
biological and chemical contaminants
in the air and water. His prior teaching
experience includes leading research
seminars at MIT, and working as a
teaching assistant and laboratory demonstrator at Oxford University. Jordan
has a D.Phil. in electrical engineering/
optics from Oxford University, and a
B.A. in physics from Oxford.
Russell Maguire, assistant professor of education, is teaching behavioral education. Previously director of
behavioral services at the Institute for
Professional Practice in Westminster,
Mass., he also served as an adjunct
faculty member in Fitchburg State
College’s special education department.
A board-certified behavior analyst, Maguire holds a Ph.D. in experimental psychology and an M.A. in applied behavior
analysis from Northeastern University,
and a B.A. in psychology from New
York State University at Buffalo.
Akiko Okusu, assistant professor of
biology, is teaching marine biology. Previously a teacher at Harvard University
and Harvard Extension School in life
science and biological sciences, Okusu
has biological field research experience
at a number of research stations and
laboratories around the world. She received a Ph.D. from Harvard University in
organismic and evolutionary biology, and
a B.A. in biology from Hamilton College.
CAS Alumni Day 2008
Please mark your calendar for
Alumni and Professional Development Day, Saturday, March 29,
which will be held at Simmons
College. Plan to join us for a day
of continuing education and
reconnection to Simmons.
For more information, visit
alumnet.simmons.edu
college of arts and sciences graduate studies
New Degree Options
in CAS
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
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
student interested in a social work
career who has been 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 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, making
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 ssw@simmons.edu.
alumni news
Moira Linehan Ounjian ’74GS
returned to Simmons in November
to read a portion of her new book
of poetry, If No Moon, to Professor
Afaa Michael Weaver’s class. The
reading was presented by the Zora
Neale Hurston Literary Center. The
book won the 2006 Crab Orchard
Series in Poetry Open Competition.
Linehan holds an MFA in writing
from Vermont College. Her poetry
has appeared widely and has been
recognized with Pushcart Prize nominations. Linehan has had residencies
at the Millay Colony for the Arts, the
Poetry Center of Chicago, and the
Virginia Center for the Creative Arts.
Cheryl Kenney ’84GS, a resident
of Georgetown, Mass., earned a
master’s degree from Salem State
College in 2006. A teacher at
Masconomet Regional High School,
Kenney was featured in a Georgetown Record article in 2006
Children’s Literature Conference Celebrates Food
More than 100 children’s book
enthusiasts converged on Simmons
campus in July to attend the fourday Children’s Literature Conference. Longtime event director Susan
Bloom ’60, ’81GS said the 2007
theme, “Food, Glorious Food!” —
which focused on the role of food as
a metaphor in children’s literature
— seemed to resonate with many
conference participants.
“How could anyone resist such
a tantalizing theme? To join the
passion people express about food
to the passion they express about
children’s literature was irresistible,” said Bloom, also a professor
emerita at Simmons. “I think people
went away thinking about food in
ways they hadn’t thought of before.
It wasn’t just a literal consideration
of food; the conference explored
the use of food in psychological, sociological, and metaphoric ways, in
terms of want and plenty…how food
serves as a cultural marker.”
The biannual conference is hosted
by the Simmons College Center for
the Study of Children’s Literature,
which offered the nation’s first Master
of Arts in children’s literature program. Organizers say the conference
serves as a unique forum for national
children’s book collaborators, including librarians, educators, authors,
illustrators, book designers, and publishers, to gather and share ideas.
Among this year’s many highlights was speaker Matthew Reinhart, a pop-up book designer who
co-authored, designed, and illustrated the Encyclopedia Historica with
partner Robert Sabuda, who brought
pop-up life to Maurice Sendak’s art
in Mommy?
Natalie Babbitt, author of Tuck
Everlasting, and Jack Gantos, author
of Rotten Ralph and the Joey Pigza
books, also made presentations.
Other highlights included an
appearance by MacArthur Fellow
and Caldecott Award winner David
Macaulay ’03HD, author of The Way
Things Work, and veteran awardwinning illustrator Jerry Pinkney,
who has created art for more than 75
books, including John Henry, The Ugly
Duckling, and The Patchwork Quilt.
Bloom said the conference, which
started in 1975, continues to draw
people because of the diverse and
interactive experience it offers.
“People look forward to something they know is going to be
both pleasurable and intellectually
provocative,” she said.
The invitation for last
summer’s successful
four-day conference
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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 classnotes@simmons.edu
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 classnotes@simmons.edu.
1931
1937
Class Secretary
Florence Aliber Lipsky
64 Hastings Avenue
Keene, NH 03431
Class Secretary
Edith Samuelson Eastman
12 Louisburg Sq.
Centerville, MA 02632
eseastman@aol.com
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
ritajdunn@aol.com
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
asilhavy@aol.com
1943
REUNION ’08
MAY 30–JUNE 1
Class Secretary
Barbara Prance Fluck
19 South Street
Plainville, MA 02762
barbpf@verizon.net
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
jcolby@rcn.com
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
barbgarl43@aol.com
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
parkerjg@comcast.net
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
cm.holland@verizon.net
1951
Class Secretary
Virginia Willon Clark
4519 Baybrook Drive
Pensacola, FL 32514
ginlee@cox.net
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
drocey@comcast.net
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
pauldotty1@netzero.com
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
pwallace@resourceoptions.com
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
dandfwillis@verizon.net
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
bankerscasualty@sbcglobal.net
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
c.zannetos@comcast.net
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 amalina@optonline.net.
1959
Class Secretary
Mary Smith Courtney
Liberty Drive
Mansfield, CT 06250
mcourtney38@sbcglobal.net2
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
igross@bellsouth.net
Gail Teuten Noyes
18 Latham Road
Plymouth, MA 02360
gailnoyes@pinehills.net
Madeline Emery White
29 Town Landing Road
Falmouth, ME 04105
mwhite2562@gwi.net
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
myrna@twokassers.com
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
AllGrads@list.ClassOf62.org. |
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
kkavet@comcast.net
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 (martha@marthaborst.com) 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
mbkatzhyman@juno.com
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
(gwenpotier@yahoo.com) 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
berger56@hotmail.com
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
gail.pituck@genzyme.com
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
ikerd_2000@yahoo.com
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
Jmacfar188@aol.com.
1991
Class Secretary
Erin Duffy Wilson
198 Liberty Street
Braintree, MA 02184
emduffy@msn.com
Katherine Pugh Burkitt recently
accepted a position at Resolution Health, Inc., located in Columbia, MD, as client manager.
| Carmen Miranda (themirandaact@yahoo.com), 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
jklieberman@worldnet.att.net
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 RobinRubin2003@yahoo.com.
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 rubybm@comcast.net.
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
audreyjello@yahoo.com
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
morgan.tobor@gmail.com
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
anschutz@simmons.edu
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
emartins5@yahoo.com
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
ldoerr@gmail.com
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
jessicawhite46@gmail.com
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
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PERMIT NO. 121
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