Alumnae Association News

Alumnae & Students of Color Conference 2009

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 15:40:01 -0500

This year’s theme, Strength, Courage and Wisdom: Capturing the Entrepreneurial Spirit, will offer a dynamic weekend of exploring our dreams and supporting one another in making a difference in our communities—and the world.

Jenna L. Doty '05 Tackles the Evidence

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 12:40:01 -0500

Jenna L. Doty talks about her interest and work in forensic science in the Worcester Police Department.

Elizabeth Osder '86 named one of Irish Voices 75 Most Influential Women of 2009

Fri, 18 Jun 2009 13:00:01 -0500

Over the past 18 years, Osder has helped countless brands, including The New York Times and Yahoo among others, to make the journey from print to online.

New Bradley Airport Wing Will Be Named ‘Ella T. Grasso Concourse’

Wed, 03 Jun 2009 14:00:01 -0500

Governor M. Jodi Rell announced today – on Mother’s Day and the 90th anniversary of the birth of Governor Ella T. Grasso – that the state will honor the memory of its first female governor by naming a concourse in the new terminal of Bradley International Airport after the Windsor Locks native.

MHC Alumnae Virtual Reunion

Thu, 28 May 2009 10:00:01 -0500

If you cannot make it to your reunion in person, or even if you did, you can experience the Mount Holyoke College alumnae reunion weekends online through hundreds of photos and numerous videos. You can post comments, watch videos of Back-to-class lectures and send your classmates e-cards. The virtual reunions go back to 2006.

MHC Commencement to be Broadcast on Web

Fri, 08 May 2009 10:54:01 -0500

When Irish President Mary McAleese delivers the Mount Holyoke College commencement address later this month, her message will be broadcast around the globe via the Web.

New! Webcasts of Back-to-Class.

Fri, 08 May 2009 10:51:01 -0500

Watch and listen to live lectures by a Mount Holyoke professor and by a distinguished alumna in politics—and join the discussion by submitting your questions online.

Policy Chief Mona Sutphen '89 Enters a New Phase

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 16:41:01 -0500

Sutphen is perhaps the least well known of the Obama administration's senior advisers, but for years she has worked alongside the most influential members of the Democratic foreign policy establishment.

Ireland's President Is Commencement Speaker

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 16:39:01 -0500

President Mary McAleese, eighth president of Ireland, will deliver the commencement address and receive an honorary degree at the 172nd Mount Holyoke College commencement Sunday, May 24.

Maureen White '76 Delivers Talk on Iraqi Refugees

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 16:37:01 -0500

Maureen White ’76, cochair of the board of overseers for the International Rescue Committee (IRC), spoke on "Iraqi Refugees: A Hidden Crisis." Listen to the audio.

MHC Celebrates Hortense Parker Day April 15

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 16:37:01 -0500

The first annual Hortense Parker Day Celebration recognizing the first known woman of color to graduate, Hortense Parker, class of 1883 was held on April 15.

Franklin Pierce honors Hanna Wason '07

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 16:31:01 -0500

Franklin Pierce Law Center in Concord recently feted Hanna Wason's reaching the halfway mark in her pursuit of her juris doctorate (JD) degree with a dinner reception for the Class of 2010.

"Julie, Julie"

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 16:31:01 -0500

Alum Courtney Hopf '01 worked as producer, production manager and 1st Asst. Director for "Julie, Julie", a film that explores issues of identity and communication between men and women by making literal the adage 'they just don't speak the same language.'

Gretchen Hays '64 Hands Over the Keys

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 16:28:01 -0500

In 1997, the Hayses put their home on the market, but first placed 25 percent of the asset in something called a charitable remainder unitrust. In this philanthropic setup, you irrevocably transfer an asset to a trust or organization; after the property is sold, the donor receives an income payment from the proceeds for a set period of time.

Presidential Search Committee Named

Thu, 26 Mar 2009 17:31:01 -0500

In the month since Joanne Creighton announced her plan to step down as president in June, 2010, the Mount Holyoke community has been engaged in a very deliberative and inclusive process of selecting representatives for the Presidential Search Committee.

From Film to Reality TV: Sarah Mast '90

Thu, 19 Mar 2009 16:57:01 -0500

Sara Mast turned her love of documentary film into a career in reality television. She began by taking a low-paying production job to make ends meet. Now she's an executive producer for "The Hills," an MTV reality show that follows the personal lives of a fashion-design student and her friends.

Leslie Ann Miller, Esq. '73 to Receive Take the Lead 2009 Honor from Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania

Thu, 19 Mar 2009 15:50:01 -0500

Attorney, philanthropist and community activist Leslie Anne Miller, Esq. (Bryn Mawr, PA) will receive the second annual Juliette Gordon Low Leadership Award for her visionary leadership and impact—as former General Counsel of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and as a long time advocate for programs that advance women and minorities.

Anne Mendelsohn '56 will be honored on April 2, 2009 at “The A-List” gala

Thu, 19 Mar 2009 15:46:01 -0500

Anne Charles Mendelsohn is a member of the executive committee of The Greater Houston Community Foundation and is a national advisory board member for the Women’s Museum in Dallas. A long-time, dedicated volunteer, Mendelsohn has also served on the boards of the Houston Museum of Natural Science, the Alley Theatre, the Buffalo Bayou Partnership and Friends of Herman Park. Well know in the Houston business community, Mrs. Mendelsohn is a Houston women who is making a difference in her community.

Barbara Murphy '75 wins 2008 Award of Honorary Membership

Thu, 19 Mar 2009 15:43:01 -0500

Barbara Murphy was presented the 2008 Award of Honorary Membership by the American Institute of Professional Geologists (AIPG) for an exemplary record of distinguished service to the profession and to the Institute.

Mount Holyoke's Joanne V. Creighton Announces End Date to Her Presidency

Wed, 25 Feb 2009 16:56:01 -0500

Joanne V. Creighton, president of Mount Holyoke College, announced today that she will step down at the end of the 2009-2010 academic year after nearly 15 years of service.

Alumna Attah '05 Reads on Campus

Thu, 12 Feb 2009 13:11:01 -0500

Alumna Ayesha Harruna Attah '05 is a writer and journalist and has worked as a freelance writer for the Accra Daily Mail, a Ghanaian newspaper; the African Magazine; and Yachting Magazine. She will read from her first novel, Harmattan Rain, Sunday, February 15, at 2 pm in the Stimson Room in Williston library.

MHC Student wins Gates Scholarship

Thu, 12 Feb 2009 13:09:01 -0500

Katie Greenberg '09 won the prestigious Gates Scholarship for study at Cambridge University. A physics major, she was one of about 40 winners chosen from an applicant pool of more than 700 during this exceptionally competitive year. Katie is also a Churchill winner and Fulbright finalist this year, both from which she will withdraw to accept the Gates.

Professor Anthony Lake to serve as Obama's advisor

Fri, 06 Feb 2009 11:11:01 -0500

Anthony Lake, the source of inspiration and motivation during his nine years as a professor of International Relations at Mount Holyoke College, is now better known as President Obama's close aide and foreign policy adviser.

Beholden to Beauty

Thu, 05 Feb 2009 11:56:01 -0500

Jude Vereb Harzer '87, a painter and educator, believes one of her greatest gifts is the ability to discover beauty in places where it seems the most difficult to find.

Beginning her life as a cantor

Thu, 05 Feb 2009 11:50:01 -0500

Marian Turk '90 grew up in upstate New York, but her family didn't practice Judaism. Some of her cousins did though, so through visits, she started absorbing the practices that would become both her lifetime passion, and eventually, a way to make a living. Now 40 years old, she is the new cantor at Temple Judea in Fort Myers.

Mount Holyoke College Remains on the Peace Corps' Annual Top Colleges Rankings

Fri, 16 Jan 2009 16:41:01 -0500

This year, Mount Holyoke College remains on the Peace Corps' top 25 list of small schools producing Peace Corps Volunteers. With 15 alumnae currently serving as Peace Corps Volunteers, Mount Holyoke College is No. 20 in the rankings. Since Peace Corps' inception, 152 alumnae of Mount Holyoke College have joined the Peace Corps.

Oldest MHC Alumna Dies at 110

Fri, 16 Jan 2009 16:35:01 -0500

Mary Gorham Higley '21, the oldest living MHC alumna and one of the hundred oldest people in the world,* died on Christmas day, 2008, at the age of 110.

Alum Bessy Reyna Named Outstanding Latina

Wed, 3 Dec 2008 15:21:01 -0500

Magdalena "Bessy" Reyna '70 has been selected as Outstanding Latina for her contributions to literature and Latino culture by the American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education. She will receive her award during the organization's annual conference in San Antonio in March.

Laurie Fendrich '70 Writes about 2008 Presidential Election

Tue, 2 Dec 2008 16:11:21 -0500

Artist Laurie Fendrich ’70 writes about the presidential election in the "Brainstorm: Lives of the Mind" column in the November 3 edition of the Chronicle of Higher Education. Fendrich‚ a painter who lives and works in New York‚ is a professor of fine arts and the director of the Comparative Arts and Culture Graduate Program at Hofstra University.

Barbara J. Desoer '74 on Wall Street Journal's "50 Women to Watch"

Tue, 2 Dec 2008 16:10:21 -0500

Bank of America's Barbara J. Desoer ’74 ranks third on the Wall Street Journal’s list of "50 Women to Watch"” released November 10. Desoer‚ a longtime bank veteran‚ was named this spring to lead the combined mortgage unit of Bank of America and its new purchase‚ Countrywide Financial Corp.

Kavita N. Ramdas '85 Recently Profiled in Forbes

Tue, 2 Dec 2008 16:08:21 -0500

Kavita N. Ramdas ’85‚ president and CEO of the Global Fund for Women‚ was recently profiled in Forbes.com magazine‚ which highlighted her achievements as head of the world’s largest grant-making foundation focused exclusively on women’s rights.

Sarah K. McMenamin '04 Featured in "Amphibians Disappearing from Yellowstone Park"

Tue, 2 Dec 2008 16:06:21 -0500

Sarah K. McMenamin ’04‚ Ph.D. candidate in the biosciences at Stanford University‚ was recently featured in a San Francisco-based ABC television news story‚ "Amphibians Disappearing from Yellowstone Park"‚ about her current research.

Jane Famiano MAT'69 Garvey Joins Barack Obama

Tue, 2 Dec 2008 15:59:21 -0500

Jane Famiano Garvey (MAT ’69)‚ who served as FAA administrator from 1997 to 2002‚ will accept a position on the transition team for President-elect Barack Obama. Garvey will take charge of reviewing transportation agencies' decisions and policies for the Obama transition team‚ according to the Montreal Gazette. She is also widely considered to be a top candidate for secretary of transportation in the new administration.

New Executive Director for Alumnae Association

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 13:46:21 -0500

The Alumnae Association is pleased to announce Jane E. Zachary as our new executive director. Jane has served as director of alumni relations for Chatham University‚ her alma mater‚ for the past five years and comes to us with a strong background in liberal arts women's education as well as with management abilities developed as a Superior Court administrator and alumnae director. She will begin in January‚ 2009.

The Janet F. Tuttle '34 Alumnae and Student Service Travel Program 2009

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 15:25:04 -0500

Mount Holyoke alumnae and students are known for making a difference in the world-—but sometimes daily life makes it hard to figure out where and how. That's where the Alumnae Association can help. We're sponsoring a wonderful service program during the 2009 spring break (March 15-22) that will bring four alumnae and four students together to help make a real contribution.

The Janet F. Tuttle Educational Service Travel trip is a focused opportunity for a group to work on one of the most important ecological reserves in Ecuador. Mindo has suffered severe deforestation over the past century and needs to develop tree nurseries with native species and to reforest with these species. Mindo is part of the protected 48‚000-acre Mindo- Nambillo reserve. This group project will help preserve some of the few remaining tracts of tropical forest from extinction‚ and will also give alumnae and students a chance to enjoy the amazing biodiversity and wildlife of Ecuador.

Please note: The deadline for applications is December 10‚ 2008.

Mount Holyoke Alum is Obama's Deputy Chief of Staff

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 09:00:13 -0500

On November 16 President-elect Barack Obama announced additional key White House staff‚ including Mona Sutphen‚ a 1989 graduate of Mount Holyoke College.

In Memoriam: Joanne Hammerman Alter '49

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 14:05:13 -0500

The MHC community mourns the death of former trustee Joanne H. Alter '49‚ who broke the gender barrier in Chicago area politics‚ according to a MarketWatch obituary.

Vespers 2008 in New York City

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 09:55:13 -0500

The Mount Holyoke Club of New York City would like to invite you to celebrate the season with Vespers 2008‚ Mount Holyoke's unique holiday tradition. This event will be hosted by the Mount Holyoke Club of New York City Honorary Chair‚ Nancy Gustafson '78. Proceeds support the New York Alumnae Scholar Fund.

2008 Summit on Education Interactive Wiki

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 16:05:13 -0500

The MHC Education Summit wiki web site is an interactive web site for faculty‚ alumnae and students to continue conversations about education after the Summit which occurred October 10-12‚ 2008.

Topics include (but are not limited to): Curriculum Reform‚ Diversity and Equality‚ Educating Students for Global Citizenship‚ Literacy Issues‚ Multiculturalism in the Classroom‚ STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics)‚ Technology Integration in the Classroom‚ and more!

Alumnae Association Facebook Group

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 15:43:46 -0500

Join our Facebook group so that you can more easily interact with your Mount Holyoke classmates.

Alumnae Association LinkedIn Group

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 15:41:41 -0500

Alumnae Association of Mount Holyoke College provides an opportunity for promoting professional‚ intellectual and social ties among alumnae. We invite alumnae across all classes to join the group.

New Educational Travel Programs Listed

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 13:48:23 -0500

Since our travel program was established in 1973‚ over 1‚500 alumnae have traveled with us around the world and within the United States. As we continue our more than 30 year tradition of offering educational tours to alumnae‚ spouses‚ relatives‚ and friends‚ we invite you to continue your life-long learning experience and join us on one or more of the travel opportunities available this year. This Web site will enable you to view the detailed itineraries and pertinent information on each travel program.

MHC Campaign: View a Campus Slideshow

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 13:45:27 -0500

The College has produced multimedia communications to help illustrate the Campaign’s goals and share news of related events. This page provides easy access to all productions released to date.

Search for AA President

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 15:45:02 -0500

The Nominating Committee has begun its triennial task of selecting the next president to lead the Alumnae Association. The committee strongly encourages alumnae to participate by recommending qualified candidates. The president’s responsibilities include setting priorities for programs and the budget‚ representing the Association on the College’s Board of Trustees‚ communicating with College President Joanne V. Creighton and senior staff‚ overseeing the policy function of the Association board‚ evaluating the executive director‚ serving as a role model for students and alumnae‚ and maintaining a strong Alumnae Association with an increasingly global reach.

Reunion 2009

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 15:53:11 -0500

During reunion‚ the campus comes alive with excitement as spring blooms appear‚ seniors prepare for the big day of graduation‚ and alumnae come home to celebrate their alma mater. Reunion 2009 carries a special excitement: it will mark the second year of our very successful new reunion format. This format preserves the best of Mount Holyoke traditions while offering alumnae expanded and innovative programs specifically tailored to their interests.

Reunion 2008 Photos

Sat, 24 May 2008 17:49:10 -0500

Pictures from the Mount Holyoke College Alumnae Reunion 2008 weekend.

Mount Holyoke Alumnae Quarterly: Web Edition

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 09:41:26 -0500

Check out the online version of the Mount Holyoke Alumnae Quarterly in an easy to use blog format. You’ll find the same articles as in the printed magazine; however‚ here we also post extras‚ and you may also comment on any article. Click the ”comments” link to the right of the article title to read comments from others or to post your own. If you can’t find something‚ use the search tool‚ browse the categories below‚ or browse the archives.

Laurel Chain: Monthly Alumnae Association E-newsletter

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 09:31:05 -0500

You can read the monthly e-newsletter online.

LifeNet: Get Advice‚ Give Advice‚ Make Connections

Mon, 4 Jun 2007 16:38:57 -0500

LifeNet is a greatly expanded networking program that allows alumnae and students to locate one another‚ get in touch‚ and stay connected?through all the transitions of life.

Book It Now Travel

Sun, 5 Mar 2006 20:22:43 -0500

Planning a trip? Save time and money by making your travel arrangements on the Alumnae Association Web site. We’ve contracted with a full-service online travel company that will help you find and book flights‚ cruises‚ hotels‚ rental cars‚ and more. Just like the major online travel sites‚ our new site allows you to plan everything from quick weekend jaunts to trips around the globe and all at competitive rates.